Girls Runners of the Week - Conferences

Winner: Katy Zang 

School: Teays Valley

Highlight: Katy Zang, the junior phenom from Teays Valley, captured the OCC individual title with ease, clocking an impressive 17:14 and winning by a 30-second margin. Her stellar performance also propelled her team to a runner-up finish.

Throughout the season, Zang has risen from being one of Ohio’s top runners to ranking among the best in the nation. With a personal best of 16:55 and a flawless season consisting of only 1st-place finishes, it’s no surprise she’s a top contender for a Nike National qualifying spot. Remarkably, her slowest time of the season was her opener at 17:17, and she has yet to face a close race, consistently winning by 25 seconds or more, including several victories by over a minute.

Zang’s success is hard-earned. As a freshman, she didn’t break the 22-minute barrier and missed the postseason. However, as a sophomore, she clocked a personal best of 18:50 and earned her first trip to the Division 1 state meet. This year, she has only improved, with even more potential for growth.

A quote that fuels her determination is, "Give more than your best every time." Her steady progression proves she embodies this mindset in her training. With her remarkable 16:55, Zang has already secured a spot in the Girls Championship Division race at Nike Regionals in Terre Haute, but she’s aiming for much more.

“My goals for the season are to make it to Nike Nationals, win state, and also make regionals with my girls again.”

While Teays Valley’s girls are expected to qualify for regionals without much trouble, Zang's state title and Nike Nationals goals will be more challenging. She is the favorite at the Pickerington North Regional, but the state championship will likely be a thrilling duel between Zang and Daniela Scheffler, who holds the #1 time in Ohio and a US top-10 mark of 16:41. Their head-to-head battle could push both toward a Nike Nationals berth.

As Zang continues her historic season and chases her ambitious goals, we’ll be following closely to see how far this rising star will go.