Girls Runner of the Week from Regional Championships 

Winner: Erica Kaulen  

School: Hilliard Davidson 

Highlight: Erica Kaulen bounced back after missing the District Championships to secure a 4th-place finish and lead the Wildcats to a runner-up spot. Kaulen’s time of 18:01 marked the second-fastest 5K of her career, and the junior has her sights set on achieving big goals for the rest of the season.

Kaulen has shown steady progress during her years with Hilliard Davidson’s storied girls cross-country program, and she’s poised to make this season her best. As a freshman and sophomore, she posted solid regular seasons but struggled to deliver peak performances in the biggest races.

“After disappointing postseasons my freshman and sophomore years, I was determined to change that this year,” Kaulen shared, reflecting on her past postseason performances. And change she did, turning in what might be her best race yet, finishing just seven seconds shy of her personal record set earlier this year at the Les Eisenhart Invitational. Her 18:01 on the challenging Pickerington North course earned her an impressive 4th-place finish.

Now a veteran of postseason racing, this year marks Kaulen’s third straight regionals appearance. She used that experience to her advantage, running a smart, disciplined race in what is often a chaotic field. “My goal was to run a smart, disciplined race. When the lead pack broke away early, I didn’t panic,” she said. This strategy paid off, as she steadily moved up from 7th to 4th place over the second and third miles. Her finish was a lone bright spot on what was an unusual off day for the national-caliber Wildcats, who have major postseason goals.

“As a team, we’re hungry to bring home the championship trophy.” Revenge is certainly on the Wildcats’ minds heading into this weekend’s State Championships after conceding the Regional title to the Lancaster Golden Gales. But Kaulen believes her team has what it takes to reclaim the top spot in Ohio. As for her own goals, she stated, “My goal is to be top 10 at states,” a feat well within reach in this year’s highly competitive field.

With one final race in the quest for Ohio supremacy, Kaulen and the Wildcats are determined to bring home the state title. We’ll be closely watching both the team battle and Kaulen’s individual performance at Fortress Obetz this weekend!