Girls Regional Preview

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Girls Regional Preview

The wait is finally over—the Regional Championship meet is just days away, and we couldn’t be more excited. This year’s storyline has been one of a dominant front-runner, followed by a relentless chase pack just waiting for their moment to strike. As the season has unfolded, we’ve seen new names rise up the rankings, establishing themselves as key players. On the team side, it’s been a two-horse race, and we’re eagerly awaiting this weekend’s showdown to see who will come out on top. Will the Lancaster Gales live up to their on-paper advantage? Will the Hilliard Davidson Wildcats have enough to compete if they’re without their star runner Erica Kaulen? Which teams and individuals will emerge from the bubble to punch their tickets to Fortress Obetz? This Saturday at Pickerington North, all our questions will be answered. With that said, we hope you enjoy our most in-depth preview yet.

Predicted Individual Champion: Katy Zang (Teays Valley)

Predicted Team Champions: Hilliard Davidson Wildcats

Predicted Team Qualifiers: Hilliard Davidson

Lancaster

Dublin Jerome

Olentangy Liberty

Gahanna Lincoln

Bishop Watterson

The most compelling storyline all season has been the clash between the Hilliard Davidson Wildcats and the Lancaster Gales. On paper, it couldn’t be much closer—their top-five averages are separated by just two seconds. The Wildcats face a challenging situation, with Erica Kaulen missing Districts. While we’ll assume she competes for this preview, her status remains uncertain until race day. The team battle will unfold in two parts: the showdown between each team’s front-runners and the critical pack race. Hilliard Davidson is led by Celia Schulte (17:43) and Kaulen (17:54), while Lancaster counters with Marisa Heil (17:28) and Harper Allen (18:29). Heil is the top contender to lead this group, but after her, it’s anyone’s race. While Schulte and Kaulen have faster personal records, Allen ran the fastest time among the trio at Hilliard Darby this past weekend. This front quartet will be the key factor in shaping the team battle early on.

Not far behind them, the second pack of scorers will determine the outcome. Davidson’s back scorers are led by breakout star Sophia Tartaglia, with the team’s 3rd through 7th runners clocking times between 18:33 and 19:14. Lancaster’s Brooke Derringer leads a tight pack that has a spread of 18:46 to 18:55. The Gales will need a strong performance from their middle group, as their 6th runner has a personal best of 20:49. Meanwhile, Tartaglia’s continued improvement could give Davidson the edge, especially if she creates a crucial gap over Derringer. This race is so evenly matched that either team could come out on top, but we give a slight advantage to the Wildcats.

Behind these two powerhouse teams are Dublin Jerome and Olentangy Liberty, who are expected to cruise to state-qualifying finishes. We give the edge to Dublin Jerome, whose setup mirrors that of the top two teams. They’re led by a strong front duo in Natalie Fouts and defending regional champion Helen Randolph, and their depth continues with three more solid scorers, anchored by Helen’s sister, Jillian Randolph. Their depth is impressive, as their 7th runner has run 20:00, giving them a reliable safety net. Olentangy Liberty, on the other hand, doesn’t have a front duo but instead relies on Elena Aldrink as a solo star up front, backed by a strong pack of six runners all under the 20-minute barrier. Aldrink has been in top form recently, and we project her to finish as the regional runner-up. However, Liberty’s scoring pack, ranging from 19:21 to 19:45, will need to beat Jerome’s to secure 3rd place, as they lack a second scorer to match Helen Randolph.

Our bubble watch for state-qualifying teams includes five strong contenders. Our top two picks for these spots are Gahanna Lincoln and Bishop Watterson, followed closely by Olentangy Orange, Marysville, and Teays Valley. Gahanna Lincoln is led by Ruby Lewis, who we have ranked 16th entering the race, while Bishop Watterson’s freshman sensation Kaitlyn Van Zandt is ranked 11th. These two finished just a second apart at Districts, and their individual battle could determine which team comes out on top. However, the deciding factor will likely come down to the back four scorers. Gahanna’s 3rd and 4th runners will face off against Watterson’s 2nd and 3rd, and the group of 8 has PRs ranging from 19:03 to 20:07. Gahanna has both the fastest and slowest ends of this range, while Watterson is clustered in the middle. Whichever team wins this back-pack battle will likely secure the state spot.

Olentangy Orange has taken a different approach, fielding the region’s best duo in Brooke Chapman and Bella Conforti, who are ranked 3rd and 6th, respectively. While Orange boasts the top duo, their 4th and 5th runners are the slowest among the bubble teams, with times of 20:49 and 20:23. If those two runners step up, Orange could secure a state spot. Marysville also relies on a front-running duo—Bailey Gross and the in-form Marguerite Foust—backed by three more scorers in the 19 to 20-minute range. Like Orange, their back two scorers have yet to break the 20-minute barrier, and their performances will be critical to their state-qualifying hopes. Finally, Teays Valley is led by one of the top runners in the nation, Katy Zang, but their 5th scorer, who has yet to crack 21 minutes, could hold them back. If their #5 runner has a breakthrough, Teays Valley could sneak into a state spot.

Now let's turn our attention to the individual race. Teays Valley superstar Katy Zang is expected to run away with the regional title, but the battle for runner-up has become more exciting as the season has progressed. Our predicted chase pack includes six runners (seven if Hilliard Davidson’s Erica Kaulen competes): Elena Aldrink, Brooke Chapman, Marisa Heil, Natalie Fouts, Bella Conforti, and Celia Schulte. We give Aldrink the nod based on her recent form—she won her conference title over Chapman and Conforti, and took home the District title last weekend. The fastest PR in the group belongs to Marisa Heil, who clocked 17:28 at Districts, the second-fastest time of the day. This battle promises to be a thrilling showdown.

Our second pack consists of runners competing for the final top-10 positions, including Mia Eberhardt, Lainey Fauth, Harper Allen, Kaitlyn Van Zandt, Marguerite Foust, Sophia Tartaglia, and Helen Randolph. Our pick to emerge from this group is Mia Eberhardt, who’s been on fire recently, coming off a lifetime best of 18:13 this past weekend. While Van Zandt and Randolph have been steady all year, Foust, Allen, and Tartaglia have surged in recent weeks, with breakout performances at their respective District races.

Our final six projected state qualifiers are Josie Cox, Ruby Lewis, Bailey Gross, Reese Galinger, Brooke Derringer, and Miriam Rule. These are our favorites for the remaining spots, but you can check out the girls' regional rankings to see the other 10 runners chasing them down. One runner to keep an eye on is Olentangy Berlin’s Grace Heitkamp. Once ranked in our top 10, Heitkamp’s PR of 18:00 is the 9th fastest in the region, though she’s struggled with consistency recently. If she can regain her form, she’s a serious threat to not only qualify but crack the top 10.

From the intense team title fight to the five teams battling on the bubble, this year’s team race won’t disappoint. With stars like Katy Zang, Elena Aldrink, Brooke Chapman, and many more, the individual competition is one of the strongest we’ve seen. We’ve been eagerly awaiting this weekend and can’t wait to see what unfolds.

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