Boys Week of 4/19 Recap

It was another big week for Central Ohio boys’ distance running, with competitive racing all across the region. In this week’s recap, we’ll cover our first Meet of the Week and Matchup of the Week, along with other notable action from around the area.

Meet of the Week: Joe Lenge Dublin Classic

Our Meet of the Week did not disappoint, with strong performances in every distance event. Things kicked off with the mixed DMR, where Olentangy cruised to a dominant win, finishing 27 seconds ahead of runner-up Lancaster. The boys' side of the relay was led by Braydon Nix on the 1600 leg and Ty Munroe on the 800 leg.

Next up was the 4x800, where Dublin Jerome showcased its depth with a comfortable victory. The 1600 featured four sub-4:30 finishes, headlined by Dublin Jerome’s Ethan Ishida and Graham Tyler, who took first and second in 4:22 and 4:24, respectively. Jacob Bolton, typically a 3200 specialist, finished third with a new personal best of 4:25. Hilliard Darby’s Kole Hyer also dipped under 4:30 with a significant PR of 4:28.

We’ll save our 800m analysis for the Matchup of the Week section, but the 3200 closed out the distance events with an exciting upset. Upper Arlington’s Maxwell Harder pulled away from a talented field to win in 9:36, finishing seven seconds ahead of Thomas Worthington’s Charlie Rundio and Hilliard Davidson’s Justin Rona.

Matchup of the Week:

Charlie Guerrera vs Brock Jarrett vs Ty Munroe in the Joe Lenge 800

Well, I’m 0-for-1 on Matchup of the Week predictions. Our first champion in this new series was Charlie Guerrera, who narrowly edged Brock Jarrett with a winning time of 1:55.25. Jarrett followed close behind in 1:55.36. Hilliard Darby’s Brendan Steele took third in 1:56.78, while Ty Munroe, possibly fatigued from his earlier DMR leg, finished fourth in 1:57.52.

Other Notable Action: 

Outside of Joe Lenge, we saw fast times at both the New Albany Eagle Invitational and the Granville Invitational. At New Albany, Dylan Winters claimed the 800 title in 1:58.13, while Owen Towler used a powerful final lap to secure a 9:39 win in the 3200—seven seconds ahead of the next finisher. Over at Granville, Jeffery Kerns won the 1600 in 4:27, Jayden Beverly returned to the 800 with a strong 1:57.31, and Owen Klein pulled off an impressive 9:34 victory in the 3200, defeating both Casey Carlos and Gabe Wise.

Underclassmen results: 

Several underclassmen stood out this week. At his home invitational, Austin Benedict ran the fastest 3200 among underclassmen with a 9:47. Thomas Worthington’s Rishi Jha posted a 9:50 at Joe Lenge, and Westerville Central’s Andrew Gould clocked 9:56 at New Albany. While there were no sub-4:30 underclassmen marks in the 1600, Gahanna Lincoln freshman Gavin Swain picked up a solid win in 4:32 at New Albany. In the 800, New Albany’s Lavon Wilborn and Westerville Central’s Alex Hohman both broke 1:59, finishing second and third behind Dylan Winters.

All in all, it was another statement week for Central Ohio distance running. From breakout performances to tight finishes in featured matchups, the talent across the region continues to rise. With championship season fast approaching, these results are setting the stage for what’s shaping up to be an unforgettable postseason.