Girls OCC Preview 2

The Ohio Capital Conference Championships are here, and the girls' distance races across the Capital, Buckeye, and Ohio divisions are loaded with talent. Big Walnut’s Grace Buskirk and Leighton Coey headline the Capital Division, while Lancaster’s Harper Allen and Marisa Heil lead a strong Buckeye crew. In the Ohio Division, Gahanna Lincoln’s Ruby Lewis looks to dominate both the 1600 and 3200, with Westerville Central’s Tiffany Zuehlke favored in the 800. With postseason around the corner, this weekend is all about who’s ready to rise.

Ohio Division 

1600: This race looks like one of the more competitive matchups we’ll see this weekend. Gahanna Lincoln's Ruby Lewis comes in with a seed time of 5:01, which is admittedly vastly different from her official mile personal best of 5:14, which I’d convert to roughly 5:12 for 1600 meters. I have no doubts about Lewis’s fitness, however, she just recently ran a massive 3200-meter time of 10:42 at the Wayne Invitational. The next best time belongs to Grove City’s Aubrey Smith at 5:06. While Smith hasn't run 5:06 (or even under 5:10) this outdoor season, she has slowly been rounding into better and better shape each weekend.

800: For this one, I’m going with Westerville Central’s Tiffany Zuehlke. Zuehlke is a true 800 specialist, and consequently, this is the only event she will be contesting. For that reason, I’m picking her to come out on top this Saturday. Oh, and she’s run 2:20 (800) this year, which is a good three seconds faster than the next fastest competitor. 

Keep an eye on the Gahanna Lincoln duo of Abby Landrum and Abigail Young, who have run 2:23 and 2:24, respectively. I’m a big fan of team tactics (even at the high school level) and if Zuehlke falters, expect the Lion duo to capitalize. 

3200: Yeah, give me Gahanna Lincoln’s Ruby Lewis here. 

Lewis’s 10:42 personal best is good, really good. Frankly, Lewis has had one of the best improvement curves of anyone in the state this season. Unless something crazy happens, or the 1600 ends up being crazy fast, then Lewis should take home the conference title. The next best athlete in the field is fellow Gahanna runner, Olivia Smeck, who has had quite a solid season herself, running 11:10 for 3200 meters this outdoor season. 

Buckeye Division 

1600: I for one am very happy to see Lancaster’s Marisa Heil back in action over the shorter 1600 meter distance. Heil has appeared in the Golden Gales' various relays this season, but has only run one individual event, a confidence-boosting 10:49 performance over 3200 meters at the Bradley Invitational, where she took down an under-the-radar quality field. In my mind, this race could swing either way between Heil and her teammate Harper Allen. Allen ran 5:02 this past weekend, and while I think Heil is overall fitter, the 1600 meters might be a short enough difference for the younger athlete to pull off the win. 

800: I’ve got to go with Harper Allen for this race. Allen’s 2:18 mark is a massive six seconds on the next fastest athlete entered, who just so happens to be her younger sister, Hadley Allen, who comes in with a 2:24. 

It is worth noting that there really isn’t much time between the 800 and the 1600, with only one hour between guns on Saturday morning. The older Allen is entered in the 1600, which looks to be a very competitive race. All this to say it’s entirely possible that Hadley Allen might be able to capitalize on a tired Harper and pull off an upset.

3200: Once again, it’s another distance event in the Buckeye Division dominated by the Lancaster Golden Gales. In this one, the top seeds are Marisa Heil, who has run 10:49, Brooke Derringer, who has run 11:19 and Ava Parrett, who has run 11:51. Although I do think there’s a world where Derringer could pull off an upset win with Heil coming off a much more competitive 1600 earlier in the day. All in all, I’m quite curious to see how this plays out for Heil this weekend, as this will be a great indicator for the fast-approaching State Meet.

Capital Division 

1600m:  Big Walnut’s Grace Buskirk enters as the clear favorite with a 5:11 personal best, a mark that places her more than seven seconds ahead of the rest of the field. While she’s still only a sophomore, Buskirk has raced well under pressure this spring and looks primed to control this final from the front.

Delaware Hayes’ Cali Kent is the only other girl in the field with a sub-5:20 personal best, though her season best sits at 5:18. She’s a strong bet for runner-up honors, assuming she returns to early-season form. One sleeper to watch? Abigail Gerschutz of Worthington Kilbourne. Her seed time isn’t listed among the top few, but her personal best of 5:20 suggests she’s more than capable of challenging for the podium.

800m: This is shaping up to be a potential breakout race for Leighton Coey. The Big Walnut sophomore owns a personal best of 2:19 and is seeded nearly five seconds ahead of the rest of the field. She hasn’t been over-raced this season, and if she gets out clean, she should win this one with a bit of breathing room.

Behind her, the real battle is for second. Westerville North’s Lexy Lawrence and Delaware Hayes’ Abbie Boey both sit in the 2:28 range and have shown flashes of potential this season. Add in Naomi Hoover of Worthington Kilbourne — who owns a 2:26 PR — and we could see a tight kick for second place if the pack stays together through 600 meters.

3200m: There’s a bit more depth in this field than initially meets the eye. Buskirk returns here as well and is the top seed with her 11:36 mark, but she’s expected to double back from the 1600. That opens the door for others, notably Delaware Hayes’ Cali Kent, who has run 11:24 in the past and might be fresher for this longer event.

Keep tabs on Abigail Gerschutz again. She’s flown a bit under the radar but has an 11:44 personal best that could put her in the mix if the pace is honest. Alexa Fell (12:04) and Kaitlyn Bradshaw (12:09) of Worthington Kilbourne add to the intrigue and round out a surprisingly competitive top five.

From Ruby Lewis in the Ohio to Lancaster’s distance depth in the Buckeye, and Big Walnut’s double threats in the Capital, these races are packed with contenders. Expect tight finishes, breakout runs, and a few statement wins as athletes gear up for the final stretch of the championship season.