Week of 2/15 Boys Recap

It was a relatively quiet week for Central Ohio boys, with only a few standout performances. The highlights included strong showings in the 800m, as well as an impressive effort from Thomas Worthington’s 4x800m relay squad—these were the only three new additions to Ohio’s top 50 list.

Owen Towler, the reigning regional champion in the 800m, recorded the Ohio #3 time in the event this weekend, clocking 1:55.1. Following in the footsteps of Celia Schulte, Towler traveled out of state to post one of Ohio’s top times—though not as far as Boston, he competed in Louisville, Kentucky, where he took the win. Towler has taken a more collegiate approach to the indoor season, focusing on training while racing sparingly. So far, he has competed just twice this winter, but with marks of 4:24 in the mile and 1:55 in the 800m, he will enter the indoor state championships undefeated.

Also in the 800m, Brendan Steele led a strong weekend for Hilliard Darby, which showcased its depth at the Otterbein HS Qualifier #3. Steele ran 1:59.4, an Ohio top-50 mark. While this time may not be quite enough to secure a spot at the indoor state championships, he will have another weekend of racing to make his case. In the 1600m, Logan Behm finished runner-up to Westerville North’s Casey Carlos (4:30), also clocking 4:30. Darby added two more athletes who ran 4:36 or faster, with Dublin Scioto’s McKinley Norman finishing between them.

Finally, up north at the Kent State Qualifier #4, Thomas Worthington’s 4x800m squad of Jonah Hein, Owen Cunningham, Wesley Nash, and Fraser Kirk ran 8:24 for a runner-up finish. This time currently ranks 27th in the state (across all divisions) and, if the indoor state championships started today, would likely be enough to qualify. However, with one weekend of racing left, the Cardinals may need to either hold their breath or make one final push to secure their spot.