Girls’ OCC Recaps

Last weekend featured the OCC Championships, split between courses at Hilliard Bradley and Pickerington Central. (It was noted by several coaches that Pickerington Central’s course ran noticeably slower than Bradley’s.) Many individuals had impressive breakout performances, shaking up the team rankings as we head toward the Regional Championships. It was a great weekend of racing and another exciting display of the talent showcased in Central Ohio.

OCC Buckeye Recap

Individual Champion: Katy Zang 

Team Champion: Teays Valley

In a nail-biting finish, Katy Zang outlasted Harper Allen to claim the conference title, winning by just over a second. Finishing in the low 18-minute range on a tough Pickerington Central course, the future teammates are poised for a fast rematch at regionals. While there was a sizable gap between the top two finishers and the rest of the field, the next group was tightly packed, with Reese Galinger finishing third in 18:48, followed by Brooke Derringer, Addison Keplar, Claire Speakman, and Grace Thanasack to round out the First Team All-Conference lineup.

Zang’s individual victory set the tone for the team race, where Teays Valley captured its first-ever OCC title by upsetting last year’s state champions, Lancaster. With four First Team All-Conference runners, the Vikings were strong up front, but it took a big personal best from Julie Charter as their fifth runner to secure the win.

OCC Capital Recap

Individual Champion: Grace Buskirk 

Team Champion: Big Walnut

The Capital Division didn’t feature as much drama as others, but there were still several noteworthy results. Grace Buskirk cruised to the win, gapping the field by over 20 seconds. Her teammate Leighton Coey finished second, while freshman Evelyn Cavin claimed third. Rounding out the First Team All-Conference group were Lily Zappin, Katelyn Hogenbirk, Leigha Kay, and Jacalyn Eblin. On the team side, Big Walnut earned a commanding victory, scoring an impressive 26 points, nearly 30 points ahead of runner-up Westerville South.

OCC Ohio Recap

Individual Champion: Ruby Lewis 

Team Champion: Gahanna Lincoln

There isn’t much to summarize here other than Gahanna Lincoln’s sheer dominance. Ruby Lewis continued her stellar season with another individual title, while teammates Olivia Smeck, Abigail Young, and Jillian Gomez followed close behind. Kyla Benedict broke up the sea of yellow with a fifth-place finish, but Dylan Yost and Rebecca Shope helped the Lions finish with an incredible 16 points—just one shy of a perfect score.

It’s not often we see such a feat, and it takes a truly special team to do so. Gahanna Lincoln continues to look like one of the strongest teams in the state heading into the postseason.

OCC Cardinal Recap

Individual Champion: Natalie Fouts

Team Champion: Dublin Jerome

The second girls’ race of the day at Hilliard Bradley featured one of the most commanding team performances of the weekend, as Dublin Jerome dominated the Cardinal Division. Thanks to their exceptional top six runners—each earning either First or Second Team All-Conference honors—the Celtics left no doubt. Hilliard Darby, led by Sienna Carr, finished second, while Thomas Worthington, led by Zoe Kuzio, took third.

Individually, it was a solo effort from Natalie Fouts, who took the lead early and never looked back, running 18:11 to secure the conference title and win by nearly a full minute. In second was Georgia Speelman of Olentangy Berlin with a strong 19:11, followed by Dublin Jerome’s Emma Styn in 19:35. All First Team All-Conference members broke the 20-minute barrier.

While this race may not have produced the fastest times of the day, it’s worth noting that it took place at noon under full sun on a worn-down course—conditions that likely contributed to slower marks overall.

OCC Central Recap

Individual Champion: Elena Aldrink 

Team Champion: Hilliard Davidson

The first girls’ varsity race of the day delivered a dominant showing from Hilliard Davidson, followed by Olentangy Liberty and Upper Arlington, three programs eyeing state meet berths.

Individually, Olentangy Liberty’s Elena Aldrink won decisively in 17:11, one of the largest margins of victory seen this season. She finished nearly 40 seconds ahead of Hilliard Davidson’s Erica Kaulen (17:50) and Olentangy Orange’s Brooke Chapman (18:06), both of whom are seasoned postseason competitors. Two others broke 18:30: reigning 800m state champion Celia Schulte of Hilliard Davidson (18:21) and standout freshman Beth Baker of Upper Arlington (18:28).

On the team side, Hilliard Davidson secured the win with 46 points, ahead of Liberty (57) and Upper Arlington (77). While an 11-point spread might not sound dominant, with only 30 scoring athletes in the race, those margins reflect significant gaps in team depth and performance.

As the final tune-up before the regional championships for many, the OCC meet once again showcased the depth of Central Ohio girls’ cross country. From Teays Valley’s historic breakthrough to Gahanna Lincoln’s dominance and Dublin Jerome’s commanding performance, the postseason is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory.