Girls' Week of 5/8 Recap

Girls’ Week of 5/1 Runner of the Week:

Your girls’ Week of 5/1 Runner of the Week is Gahanna Lincoln freshman Claire LaCross! She earned your vote after a strong showing at the Wayne Invitational, finishing 5th in the Rising Stars 1600 in an impressive mark of 5:21. Given the potential she has already shown, we’re excited to see what her future holds!

Delaware County Invitational:

While lacking the traditional star power of previous years, the Delaware County Invitational still yielded several notable results. The 1600 saw absolute domination, with Big Walnut’s star freshman Lindsay Cochran breaking the 5:00 barrier in 4:58. The 800 saw similar results, with Big Walnut’s Grace Buskirk cruising to the win in 2:15, 10 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

Bradley Invitational:

Returning after a short hiatus, the Bradley Invitational featured several strong performances. Lancaster’s Harper Allen dominated the field in the 1600 with a time of 4:57, finishing nearly 30 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Dublin Jerome’s Ella Watson prevailed in the 800 with a time of 2:21, while Teays Valley’s Reese Galinger secured the win in 10:57 across 3200 meters.

Larkin and Crosten Classic:

Another of many competitive invitationals this week, the Larkin and Crosten Classic did not disappoint. The 1600 saw an incredibly tight finish, with Granville’s Elsa Tonnessen narrowly defeating Watterson’s Kaitlyn Van Zandt in 5:05, while Dublin Coffman’s Emma Donovan also broke the 5:10 barrier in 5:09. The 800 was absolutely stacked, with six runners breaking 2:20: Upper Arlington’s Morgan Hamilton and Josie Cox in 2:15, Hilliard Darby’s Elizabeth Elsass in 2:18, Worthington Kilbourne’s Sarah Lundine in 2:18, Dublin Coffman’s Nora Crabtree in 2:18, and Bexley’s Amelia Lynch in 2:19.

Mason Rod Russell Invitational:

Several area runners competed in the annual Bizzari Mile at the Mason Rod Russell Invitational, known as one of the fastest 1600-meter races of the season. Leading the way was Olentangy Orange’s Brooke Chapman, who finished 3rd in 4:51, followed by Dublin Jerome’s Natalie Fouts in 5:01 for 9th place, and Hilliard Davidson’s Mackenzie Kline and Erica Kaulen in 5:02 and 5:07, respectively. Additionally, Davidson’s Laken Wenclewicz and Gemma Pusateri showed out in the 800 with marks of 2:14 and 2:19.