Boys Mid-East XC Championships

Every year since 1987, the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (OATCCC) reviews a strong pool of applicants and selects the top 12 senior runners of each gender to compete at the Mid-East XC Championships. The competition takes place at the Indian Riffle Park XC course in Kettering, Ohio, and features the top senior runners from Ohio, along with those from Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana (and occasionally from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky as well). In this article, we’ll provide a brief introduction to the recent history of the meet for Ohio boys’ runners, along with a preview of this year’s race.

Over the past few years, several notable Ohio boys’ runners have performed at this competition, including Weston Day, Colin Cernansky, Connor Reed, Innocent Ntwali, Jack Agnew, William Zegarski, Luke Ondracek, and Brady Yingst. Ohio has had two of the last three winners, with William Zegarski claiming victory in 2021 and Weston Day winning in 2023. Those past runners hail from several NCAA Division 1 programs, including Ohio State, Louisville, Butler, Georgetown, and Lipsccomb. This year, Ohio boasts another stellar class of runners who will aim to represent the state well and challenge the top talent from the rest of the Midwest.

Our main region of focus, Central Ohio, has two representatives from Division 1 at the Mid-East XC Championships this year: Sheridan’s Tate Ruthers and Dublin Coffman’s Jacob Bolton. Both runners have had exceptional senior seasons, earning them spots on the Ohio roster. Ruthers finished the season with a personal best of 15:13, securing a district championship, a regional runner-up finish, and first-team All-Ohio honors. He is one of the top runners in Ohio and should be a strong contender in this meet. Bolton, another accomplished runner, has a personal best of 15:20 and finished as a district champion and first-team All-Region. With a strong race, Bolton has the potential to compete with the top runners.

Other top contenders from Ohio include Piqua’s Noah Burgh, Springboro’s Sam Darmanie, Little Miami’s Michael Zegarski, and Lexington’s Chance Basilone. Burgh has a personal best of 15:14 and placed highest among all Ohio representatives, finishing 7th at the Division 1 state championships. Darmanie, who recently committed to Vanderbilt, finished just behind Burgh in 8th place at states and has a personal best of 15:15. Zegarski, whose brother Michael won the event in 2021, also has a personal best of 15:14 and most recently finished 17th at the Division 1 state meet. Basilone, who recently committed to Ohio State, is a Division 2 runner with a personal best of 15:14. Each of these runners has the potential to finish at the top of the race with a strong performance.

Other Ohio representatives include Boardman’s David D’Altorio, South Range’s Emmit Slabach, Ottawa-Glandorf’s Ty Rosengarten, Westlake’s Jeremy Snyder, West Liberty-Salem’s Asher Knox, and Mineral Ridge’s Dominic Pappagallo. Each of these runners brings a wealth of accolades and has the ability to compete at the front of the race with solid performances.

In conclusion, the Mid-East XC Championships showcase some of the best senior cross-country talent from Ohio and the surrounding Midwest states. With a strong group of runners representing Ohio, including standout athletes from Central Ohio like Tate Ruthers and Jacob Bolton, the state is poised for another competitive performance. As these athletes take on the region's top contenders, they will have the opportunity to further cement Ohio’s reputation as a powerhouse in high school cross-country. All eyes will be on these runners as they aim to make their mark on this prestigious stage.