Girls District 3 Recap

The District 3 girls distance events lived up to the hype, delivering fast times, thrilling finishes, and a few breakout performances. With only four regional spots on the line in each event, the pressure was on—and the top athletes rose to the occasion when it mattered most.

4x800 Regional Qualifiers: Lancaster, Olentangy Berlin, Delaware Hayes, and Gahanna Lincoln

This one belonged to Lancaster. The team of Marisa Heil, Hadley Allen, Harper Allen, and Amelia Fries led from the gun and never looked back, finishing in a season-best 9:30 and claiming the district title. Olentangy Berlin and Delaware Hayes battled for second, with Berlin just edging Hayes by one-hundredth of a second — both teams finishing in 9:40 and moving on to regionals. The final qualifying spot went to Gahanna Lincoln, who broke 9:50 to hold off Teays Valley, who finished fifth and just outside the cutoff.

1600 Regional Qualifiers: Marisa Heil, Harper Allen, Morgan Hamlton, Cali Kent

Lancaster’s Marisa Heil made a major statement in this race, winning with authority in a career-best 4:54 — the fastest time across all Central District meets. Her teammate Harper Allen doubled back from her 800 victory to finish second in 4:59, giving Lancaster a dominant 1-2. Upper Arlington’s Morgan Hamilton had one of the most impressive breakthroughs of the meet, dropping her PR from the 5:20s to 5:05 to secure third. Delaware Hayes’ Cali Kent ran a big personal best of 5:06 to take the final regional qualifying spot. Gahanna Lincoln’s Olivia Smeck (5:14) and Teays Valley’s Addison Keplar were close behind but narrowly missed advancing.

800 Regional Qualifiers: Harper Allen, Reese Galinger, Elliana Alonso, Josie Cox

This event turned into one of the most exciting races of the weekend, with less than a second separating the top four finishers — all of whom earned regional spots. Lancaster junior Harper Allen claimed the win in a personal-best 2:17, just edging out a surge of challengers. Teays Valley sophomore Reese Galinger, Olentangy Berlin’s Elliana Alonso, and Upper Arlington’s Josie Cox all ran personal bests and crossed the line virtually together to round out the four qualifiers. Westerville Central’s Audrey Nowell ran 2:19 for fifth, while Lancaster freshman Hadley Allen impressed with a 2:22 for sixth. Though they just missed the cut, both posted strong performances heading into the offseason or potential relays.

3200 Regional Qualifiers: Katy Zang, Marisa Heil, Ruby Lewis, Brooke Derringer

This race delivered one of the most thrilling finishes of the entire weekend. Teays Valley’s Katy Zang and Lancaster’s Marisa Heil battled stride for stride through all eight laps, but Zang made the final move when it counted, edging Heil at the line by just one-tenth of a second — both clocking 10:44 and earning regional berths. Gahanna Lincoln’s Ruby Lewis cruised to third in 11:07, while Lancaster freshman Brooke Derringer rounded out the list of qualifiers with an impressive 11:13 PR. The remaining field ran well but couldn’t crack the top four in this stacked race.

As the postseason heats up, the District 3 qualifiers head to regionals with confidence and momentum. From dominant wins to narrow qualifications, this group showed they’re ready to compete at the next level—and potentially earn a spot on the state stage.