The Division 2 boys’ regional at Pickerington North featured both a standout individual performance at the front and a tightly contested battle for team advancement. With state meet spots on the line, the race brought major breakthroughs, late-race drama, and several teams pushing their depth runners to the limit.

Top 5 Individual Finishers: Grant Hamilton, Michael Kinzer, Luke Rettenberger, Marcus Adelman, Jack Hangen

State Qualifying Teams: Bishop Watterson, New Philadelphia, Chillicothe, Jonathan Alder, Dublin Scioto

It was a big day for Canal Winchester’s Grant Hamilton, who delivered a breakthrough performance to upset a strong field and claim his first regional title. He crossed the line in 15:26, a major personal best, finishing five seconds ahead of the next competitor. Dublin Scioto’s Michael Kinzer earned runner-up honors in 15:31, while Warren’s Luke Rettenberger placed third in 15:35. New Philadelphia’s Marcus Adelman finished fourth in 15:39, and Bishop Watterson’s Jack Hangen rounded out the top five with a 15:42.

Following the lead pack, Bishop Hartley’s Rowan Smith, Chillicothe’s Jayden Beverly, Jonathan Alder’s Lincoln Wilson, London’s Cameron Carn, and Dover’s Chase Daniel made up the rest of the top 10. All finishing in the 15:50–16:00 range, they’ll likely need breakout performances next weekend if they hope to earn All-Ohio honors in Division 2.

On the team side, Bishop Watterson joined its girls team in capturing the regional title. Their trio of Jack Hangen, Luke Hollis, and Brady Spears played a crucial role, finishing 5th, 12th, and 13th respectively. Their fourth and fifth runners had off days, scoring 37 and 50, but if they can rebound at the state meet, Watterson will be firmly in the conversation for the Division 2 championship.

New Philadelphia finished as regional runner-up, about 40 points behind Watterson. Their strong core of the Adelman brothers (Marcus and Alec), Kyle Beaber, and Kevin Smith carried them, but they lost significant ground with their fifth runner scoring 92 points. His performance at the state meet will be pivotal. If he can improve his placing, their overall score could drop dramatically.

The final three state qualifiers were Chillicothe, Jonathan Alder, and Dublin Scioto. Each followed a similar formula: one scorer in the top 10, another among the top 25, and the remaining runners keeping their scoring within a manageable range. Granville, lacking a true front-runner, finished 6th and fell just short of advancing. For those final qualifying teams, there isn’t one single key to success at state, they’ll need full-team improvement to break into the top tier in Columbus.

With the qualifiers now set, attention shifts to the state meet, where both the individual and team races remain wide open behind the top contenders. Hamilton enters with momentum, while Watterson and New Philadelphia look poised to make noise in the team standings. Chillicothe, Jonathan Alder, and Dublin Scioto will all need collective improvements to climb the podium conversation, but in Columbus, anything can happen. The final test awaits at Fortress Obetz.