Girls' Conference Recaps

Girls’ Week of 5/8 Runner of the Week:

Your girls’ week of 5/8 “Runner of the Week” is Bishop Watterson sophomore Kaitlyn Van Zandt! She earned your vote after an impressive performance in the 1600 meters at the Larkin and Crosten Classic, where she finished runner-up with a time of 5:06. Her performances this season have cemented her as one of the brightest rising stars in the region. 

OCC Central:

The OCC Central girls distance events produced some of the strongest performances in the state, particularly in the distance races. Hilliard Davidson opened the evening with a dominant 9:03.11 victory in the 4x800 ahead of Dublin Coffman (9:26.44), Olentangy Liberty (9:37.81), Olentangy Orange (9:41.98), and Hilliard Bradley (9:51.27). The 1600 featured one of the premier matchups of the meet as Olentangy Orange senior Brooke Chapman narrowly edged Hilliard Davidson senior Celia Schulte 4:55.78 to 4:56.13, while Davidson’s Erica Kaulen also broke 5:02 in 5:01.39. Upper Arlington showcased impressive depth behind Josie Cox (5:04.67), freshman Beth Baker (5:04.70), and Morgan Hamilton (5:11.48).

The 800 continued the evening’s loaded competition as Celia Schulte returned to win in 2:11.48 ahead of Upper Arlington’s Morgan Hamilton (2:16.79), Hilliard Davidson sophomore Laken Wenclewicz (2:17.63), Dublin Coffman senior Ruby Koenig (2:17.99), Upper Arlington freshman Beth Baker (2:18.37), Olentangy Liberty senior Bridget Snider (2:19.16), and Hilliard Davidson senior Gemma Pusateri (2:19.46). Chapman later completed the distance sweep in the 3200 with a winning time of 10:43.91, while Erica Kaulen (10:50.90), Olentangy Liberty senior Elena Aldrink (10:58.65), and Hilliard Davidson junior Mackenzie Kline (11:04.78) all delivered strong performances under 11:05.

OCC Ohio:

The OCC Ohio girls distance events were highlighted by strong sophomore talent from both New Albany and Gahanna Lincoln. New Albany sophomore Kyla Benedict captured conference titles in both the 800 and 1600, running 2:19.64 and 5:13.20 respectively. Gahanna Lincoln sophomore Charlotte Schwemlein remained close behind in the 800 with a 2:21.06 effort, while freshman Claire LaCross finished runner-up in the 1600 in 5:19.25. The Lions also dominated the 3200, where Ruby Lewis (11:08.39) and Olivia Smeck (11:11.10) secured a 1-2 finish. Gahanna Lincoln rounded out the evening with another conference championship in the 4x800, running 9:34.25.

OCC Cardinal:

The OCC Cardinal girls distance events were highlighted by another dominant showing from Dublin Jerome, who swept nearly every major event of the evening. The Celtics opened with a convincing victory in the 4x800, running 9:30.75 behind a lineup of Natalie Fouts, Ella Watson, Abbie McBrearty, and Ella Wynk, while Marysville (9:47.89) and Thomas Worthington (9:48.54) also turned in strong performances under the 9:50 barrier. Jerome’s success continued in the 1600, where Natalie Fouts captured the conference title in 5:01.88 and teammate Abbie McBrearty followed closely behind with a personal best of 5:11.71, while Olentangy junior Elena Wanek remained competitive in 5:15.37.

The 800 proved to be one of the deepest races of the meet, led by another Jerome victory from McBrearty in 2:17.90. Ella Watson added a personal best of 2:19.34 for runner-up honors, while Hilliard Darby junior Elizabeth Elsass (2:19.86), Olentangy Berlin senior Elliana Alonso (2:20.30), and Marysville’s Ava Mordhorst (2:20.48) all finished within a second of one another. Jerome capped off their dominant evening in the 3200, where Natalie Fouts secured another conference title with a strong 10:42.67 performance.

OCC Buckeye:

The OCC Buckeye girls distance races were led by standout performances from Lancaster and Teays Valley throughout the evening. Teays Valley opened the meet with a victory in the 4x800, running 9:54.35 behind Reese Galinger, Addison Keplar, Grace Thanasack, and Khloe Maxwell, while Lancaster followed closely behind in 9:58.94 with a lineup of Amelia Fries, Lily Neeley, Ava Zeiders, and Bella Derringer. Lancaster senior Harper Allen delivered one of the premier performances of the conference meet, breaking five minutes in the 1600 with a winning time of 4:59.82 before returning to dominate the 800 in 2:15.72. 

Teays Valley junior Reese Galinger also impressed with runner-up finishes in both the 1600 (5:08.06) and 800 (2:18.36), while Lancaster’s Amelia Fries added a 5:14.32 performance for third in the 1600 before later capturing the 3200 title in 11:23.45. The 800 additionally featured strong efforts from Newark freshman Janel Johnson, who ran a personal best of 2:19.02, and Canal Winchester’s Quinn Klamorick, who finished close behind in 2:20.15.

OCC Capital:

The OCC Capital girls distance events were completely dominated by Big Walnut, who swept every distance event in commanding fashion. The Golden Eagles opened the evening with a meet record 9:33.63 victory in the 4x800 behind Leighton Coey, Lindsey Cochran, Emma Shultz, and Grace Buskirk. Buskirk later broke the five-minute barrier in the 1600, cruising to a conference title in 4:59.21 before returning to capture the 3200 in a personal best 11:00.35. 

The 800 further showcased Big Walnut’s incredible depth, as freshman Lindsey Cochran led a sweep of the top three in 2:19.81 ahead of Leighton Coey (2:22.66) and Kylie Cochran (2:24.30), while Westerville South’s Ziriah Johnson remained competitive in 2:25.05. Worthington Kilbourne’s Abigail Gerschutz also delivered a strong performance in the 3200, finishing runner-up to Buskirk in 11:05.71.