Dublin Jerome, Upper Arlington Lead Central Ohio Runners Bound for State Meet

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Central Ohio’s cross country season came down to one afternoon at Pickerington North on Saturday, Oct. 31, and when it was over, dozens of local runners had earned the trip every Ohio high school runner works toward: the state meet on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Fortress Obetz, according to The Columbus Dispatch’s regional results published Nov. 1.

In Division I boys, Dublin Jerome scored 132 points to secure its second consecutive regional title, edging Gahanna Lincoln at 134, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Westerville North (174), Olentangy Berlin (177), Olentangy Liberty (196), Thomas Worthington (204), New Albany (228) and Dublin Coffman (275) also advanced as teams.

New Albany’s Austin Benedict won the Division I boys individual title in 15:10.2, the Dispatch reported. Hilliard Darby’s Logan Behm was second in 15:14.7, and individual qualifiers from non-qualifying teams included Olentangy Orange’s Cowen Allender, Hilliard Bradley’s Griffin Ley, Pickerington Central’s Andrew Sorge and Lancaster teammates Gabriel McNeil and Luke Taylor, according to the Dispatch.

The Division I girls race produced a milestone. Upper Arlington scored 86 points to win its first regional title since 2004, finishing ahead of Hilliard Davidson (136), Gahanna (136), Berlin (219), Darby (253), Marysville (254), Westerville South (277), Lancaster (291) and Westerville North (302), The Columbus Dispatch reported. Davidson’s Mackenzie Kline won the individual title in 17:55.8, with Upper Arlington’s Josie Cox second in 17:58.9, the Dispatch reported.

Division II belonged to familiar names on both sides. Big Walnut’s boys, led by meet champion Ethan Shultz in 15:26.5, cruised to the team title with 98 points, ahead of Watterson (150), Granville (158) and DeSales (173) among the qualifying teams, according to the Dispatch. Watterson’s girls won their second consecutive regional title with just 36 points, led by defending state champion Kaitlyn Van Zandt, who finished first in 17:57, the Dispatch reported.

The smaller divisions sent their own strong contingents. Fairfield Union’s boys finished second in Division III (126), led by Connor Runkle’s runner-up 15:16.8, and will be joined at state by Utica and Centerburg, The Columbus Dispatch reported. In Division IV, Mount Gilead’s boys won with a commanding 27 points, while Grandview’s girls finished first with 44, led by Julia Albright’s third-place 18:53.4, according to the Dispatch.

The qualifying math explains why Saturday mattered so much. In Division I, the top eight boys teams and top nine girls teams advanced, along with the top 16 boys and top 18 girls not on qualifying teams, the Dispatch reported. Divisions II, III and IV each had their own team and individual cut lines — which means a handful of seconds, or one place, was the difference between a state trip and the end of a season.

Central Ohio’s depth is the story underneath the results. The qualifying lists run from Dublin and Olentangy to Lancaster, Mount Gilead and Cardington — big suburban programs and small rural ones sharing the same state course next Saturday. It is the same depth on display across the fall postseason in Ohio, from the Southwest Ohio runners who punched their own state tickets to the football teams opening the playoffs in our Southeast playoff slate coverage.

For the seniors on these lists, Nov. 7 is a final high school race. For the underclassmen — and there are plenty of sophomores and juniors among the qualifiers — Obetz is both a finish line and a measuring stick for next fall. Coaches will spend the week balancing rest, course familiarity and the taper that distance runners plan months in advance.

What we know — and what we’re still waiting on: the regional team scores, individual champions and qualifying lists above are final, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch from the Oct. 31 meet at Pickerington North. What is not yet known is how those qualifiers will be seeded across Saturday’s four divisional races at Fortress Obetz, and what course conditions — after a warm, dry start to November — will greet them there.

What happens next: the OHSAA state cross country meet runs Saturday, Nov. 7, at Fortress Obetz, with all four divisions contested on the same course. Central Ohio’s qualifiers — team and individual — race there for state titles and All-Ohio honors to close the 2026 season.

Photo: jenaragon94, CC BY