West Geauga's Ian Res and Nordonia's Anderson Seredick in the final stretch at Boardman. Res won by 1.5 seconds. Photo: Christian Lisle (@lislephotog)
Division II gave us a two-point regional title and a 35-point team score on the same afternoon. At Tiffin, Lexington beat Bowling Green 74 to 76. At Pickerington, the Watterson girls scored 35. And if you line up every Division II girls regional time, the five fastest all belong to sophomores.
Saturday at Fortress Obetz, the girls run at 11:50 AM and the boys at 12:30 PM. Boardman sent 10 boys teams and nine girls teams, more than any other regional, so the Northeast photos will be all over this race.
Every time below is a real 2026 result. When a team "projects" somewhere, that is the actual 24-team state field scored with each runner's Oct. 31 regional time. Four different courses, not course-adjusted, so it is Projected · not official.
What to watch Saturday
- The most open boys race at Obetz. Findlay's Russell Stine ran the fastest regional time, 15:18.8, and seven more runners sit between 15:26.5 and 15:33.8.
- The Shultz-Heithaus rubber match. Mount Vernon's Calvin Heithaus won their district. Big Walnut's Ethan Shultz won Pickerington by 2.2 seconds.
- Lexington vs. Bowling Green, again. Lexington won Tiffin 74-76. On regional times Bowling Green projects 1st at 133 and Lexington 2nd at 141.
- Sophomores own the girls race. The five fastest Division II girls regional times all belong to sophomores, led by Celina's Elle Miesse (17:32.0) and Sylvania Southview's Julia Bocik (17:33.3).
- Watterson's to lose. Watterson scored 35 at Pickerington and projects 81 points clear of 2nd.
- A different favorite on season bests. Turpin's Carson Spencer has the fastest 2026 time in the boys field, 15:08.3. Stine is 4th by that measure.
Team projections are Projected · not official.
Boys Individual Race: Wide Open at the Top
Stine has the fastest regional time. Findlay senior Russell Stine won Tiffin in 15:18.8, the best Division II time of the regional round. Sylvania Southview senior Steven Owen was 9.1 seconds back (15:27.9), and St. Francis de Sales (Toledo) junior Brennan Higgins was 3rd in 15:29.8. Stine and Owen both go as individuals.
Shultz and Heithaus, one apiece. Big Walnut junior Ethan Shultz won Pickerington in 15:26.5, 2.2 seconds ahead of Mount Vernon sophomore Calvin Heithaus. A week earlier at districts, Heithaus won in 15:13.33 and Shultz was 2nd in 15:18.95. Saturday is the rubber match.
Troy. Turpin junior Carson Spencer won in 15:31.0. Tippecanoe senior Everett Muhlenkamp was 2nd (15:42.1) and Loveland senior Ian Trombley 3rd (15:44.9), with Anderson's Elijah Trickey (15:49.3) and Turpin senior Caleb Anderson (15:55.4) next.
Carson Spencer (1st), Everett Muhlenkamp (2nd) and Ian Trombley (3rd) on the Division II boys podium at Troy. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
Boardman. West Geauga senior Ian Res won in 15:32.3, 1.5 seconds ahead of Nordonia junior Anderson Seredick (15:33.8). Tallmadge's Donevan Noah was 3rd (15:46.3), and CVCA senior Isaac Solomon and Nordonia senior Aiden Flynn both ran 15:49.1.
CVCA senior Isaac Solomon and Nordonia senior Aiden Flynn both crossed in 15:49.1 at Boardman. Photo: Christian Lisle (@lislephotog)
| # | Runner | School | Regional | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russell Stine, SR | Findlay | Tiffin (1st) | 15:18.8 |
| 2 | Ethan Shultz, JR | Big Walnut | Pickerington (1st) | 15:26.5 |
| 3 | Steven Owen, SR | Sylvania Southview | Tiffin (2nd) | 15:27.9 |
| 4 | Calvin Heithaus, SO | Mount Vernon | Pickerington (2nd) | 15:28.7 |
| 5 | Brennan Higgins, JR | St. Francis de Sales (Toledo) | Tiffin (3rd) | 15:29.8 |
| 6 | Carson Spencer, JR | Turpin | Troy (1st) | 15:31.0 |
| 7 | Ian Res, SR | West Geauga | Boardman (1st) | 15:32.3 |
| 8 | Anderson Seredick, JR | Nordonia | Boardman (2nd) | 15:33.8 |
| 9 | Lucas Steele, SR | Columbus DeSales | Pickerington (3rd) | 15:36.3 |
| 10 | Will Hooper, SR | Lexington | Tiffin (4th) | 15:37.5 |
| 11 | Christian Estep, JR | Lexington | Tiffin (5th) | 15:40.6 |
| 12 | Sam Wiles, SR | Bowling Green | Tiffin (6th) | 15:41.0 |
Seven runners sit between 15:26.5 and 15:33.8. That is 7.3 seconds for spots two through eight, which is about as open as a state title race gets.
Boys Team Race: Two Points at Tiffin, Again on Saturday?
Lexington 74, Bowling Green 76. The Northwest Regional title came down to two points. Lexington won it behind senior Will Hooper (4th, 15:37.5), junior Christian Estep (5th, 15:40.6), senior John Bartone (10th, 15:50.5), sophomore Mathias Bender (16th, 16:12.8) and junior Chidalu Ezike (42nd, 17:00.7).
Bowling Green answered with four in the top 14: senior Sam Wiles (15:41.0), junior Lloyd Waldron (15:48.9), sophomore Rece Simon (16:00.9) and junior Adam Proulx (16:07.3). Score the state field on regional times and the order flips. Bowling Green projects 1st at 133 and Lexington 2nd at 141 (Projected · not official).
Big Walnut has the top runner. Big Walnut won Pickerington with 97 behind Shultz, senior Frank Evener (18th, 16:14.1), sophomore Jalen Jones (20th, 16:16.1), junior Jason Shady (25th, 16:24.5) and senior Samuel Cochran (41st, 16:52.9). It projects 3rd at 173. St. Francis de Sales (Toledo), 3rd at Tiffin with 111 behind Higgins and senior Spencer Frangou (7th, 15:45.5), projects 4th.
The Troy teams. Loveland won Troy with 80 and projects 5th at 245. Trombley led, then junior Keene Wolfer (16th, 16:34.2), sophomore Quinn Mentzer (19th, 16:36.3), sophomore Benjamin Slater (21st, 16:41.8) and freshman Trey Strole (25th, 16:49.6). Turpin was 2nd with 91 behind Spencer and Anderson, two of the top five.
Loveland won the Southwest Regional with 80 points. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
Turpin took 2nd at Troy with 91, with Carson Spencer and Caleb Anderson in the top five. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
Boardman sends 10. Kenston won the Northeast Regional with 173 without a runner in the top 13. Senior Matthew Collins was 14th (16:15.9), then sophomores Tyler Cingcade (26th), Huck Rundo (28th) and Ian McCallin (36th) and senior Porter Fontana (73rd). Kenston projects 6th at 254.
Behind Kenston came Massillon Perry (212), CVCA (251) and Uniontown Lake (256). Shaker Heights and Hoover tied at 265 for 5th, and Shaker Heights won the tie on the sixth runner. Cloverleaf ran the tightest pack at Boardman, 34.8 seconds from one to five.
| Projected | Team | Regional finish | Projected points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowling Green | 2nd at Tiffin (76) | 133 |
| 2 | Lexington | 1st at Tiffin (74) | 141 |
| 3 | Big Walnut | 1st at Pickerington (97) | 173 |
| 4 | St. Francis de Sales (Toledo) | 3rd at Tiffin (111) | 240 |
| 5 | Loveland | 1st at Troy (80) | 245 |
| 6 | Kenston | 1st at Boardman (173) | 254 |
| 7 | Unioto | 3rd at Pickerington (149) | 263 |
| 8 | Turpin | 2nd at Troy (91) | 267 |
Projected · not official. Scored on Oct. 31 regional times across four courses.
Girls Individual Race: The Sophomore Class
Seven of the top 10. Line up the Division II regional times and sophomores hold the first five spots and seven of the top 10. The two fastest came from the same race. Celina's Elle Miesse won Tiffin in 17:32.0, and Sylvania Southview's Julia Bocik was 1.3 seconds behind in 17:33.3. Both go to Obetz as individuals.
Boardman's best. Aurora sophomore Audrey Miller won Boardman in 17:46.3 and Bay sophomore Maya Gonzalez was 1.8 seconds back (17:48.1). Copley sophomore Kaylee Ingratta (18:02.1), Medina Highland senior Katherine Schuler (18:05.7) and Brecksville junior Annalise Costin (18:15.2) made it five Northeast runners in the state's top 12.
Aurora's Audrey Miller beat Bay's Maya Gonzalez by 1.8 seconds at Boardman. Photos: Christian Lisle (@lislephotog)
Copley sophomore Kaylee Ingratta was 3rd at Boardman in 18:02.1. Photo: Christian Lisle (@lislephotog)
The rest of the contenders. Fremont Ross sophomore Lily Kiser was 3rd at Tiffin in 17:51.7. Watterson junior Kaitlyn Van Zandt won Pickerington in 17:57.0, ahead of Granville junior Elsa Tonnessen (18:10.4) and Canal Winchester senior Peyton Hughey (18:11.2). At Troy, Turpin sophomore Colby Lewis won in 18:51.9 over Indian Hill sophomore Emily Shea (18:55.5).
Turpin's Colby Lewis won the Southwest Regional in 18:51.9, 3.6 seconds ahead of Indian Hill's Emily Shea. Photos: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
| # | Runner | School | Regional | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elle Miesse, SO | Celina | Tiffin (1st) | 17:32.0 |
| 2 | Julia Bocik, SO | Sylvania Southview | Tiffin (2nd) | 17:33.3 |
| 3 | Audrey Miller, SO | Aurora | Boardman (1st) | 17:46.3 |
| 4 | Maya Gonzalez, SO | Bay | Boardman (2nd) | 17:48.1 |
| 5 | Lily Kiser, SO | Fremont Ross | Tiffin (3rd) | 17:51.7 |
| 6 | Kaitlyn Van Zandt, JR | Watterson | Pickerington (1st) | 17:57.0 |
| 7 | Kaylee Ingratta, SO | Copley | Boardman (3rd) | 18:02.1 |
| 8 | Katherine Schuler, SR | Medina Highland | Boardman (4th) | 18:05.7 |
| 9 | Elsa Tonnessen, JR | Granville | Pickerington (2nd) | 18:10.4 |
| 10 | Gabi Twedt, SO | Lexington | Tiffin (4th) | 18:11.0 |
| 11 | Peyton Hughey, SR | Canal Winchester | Pickerington (3rd) | 18:11.2 |
| 12 | Annalise Costin, JR | Brecksville | Boardman (5th) | 18:15.2 |
Girls Team Race: Watterson's to Lose
Thirty-five points. Watterson won Pickerington with 35, the lowest girls score at any Division II regional. Van Zandt won, sophomore Karine Bhowmick was 5th (18:24.2), junior Campbell Retzke 6th (18:28.1), junior Berkley LaCount 8th (18:55.0) and freshman Bernadette Dziewiatkowski 17th (19:33.5). On regional times Watterson projects 1st at 75, a full 81 points clear of 2nd (Projected · not official).
Fremont Ross and Aurora chase. Fremont Ross won Tiffin with 66 behind three underclassmen in the top seven: Kiser, sophomore Julia Norris (5th, 18:37.7) and freshman Brooklynn Eisenhauer (7th, 18:46.2). It projects 2nd at 156. Aurora won Boardman with 111 behind three sophomores in the top 11, Miller, Claire Jenkins (18:47.5) and Evelyn Jenkins (18:53.2), and projects 3rd at 177.
Pickerington's depth shows up next. Granville (87), Big Walnut (85) and Canal Winchester (96) project 4th, 5th and 6th. Big Walnut ran the tightest pack of the three, 48.6 seconds from one to five.
Troy. Bellbrook won with 94 behind seniors Morgan Dalton (5th, 19:23.4) and Allison High (7th, 19:27.3), with its five inside 58.5 seconds. Turpin was 2nd with 108 behind Lewis, and St. Ursula Academy was 3rd with 123 behind sophomore Caroline Josshua (4th, 19:10.3).
The Division II girls state qualifiers at Troy, led by regional champion Bellbrook. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
Boardman's nine. Behind Aurora came Avon (183), Cleveland St. Joseph Academy (206) and Westlake (211). Westlake might be the youngest team in the race, with freshmen Jayna Less (12th, 18:53.3), Sheila Snyder (15th, 18:59.8) and Penelope Redmon among its five. The host school got in too: Boardman took the eighth spot with 328, led by senior Olivia Brady (7th, 18:42.5).
Avon took 2nd at Boardman with 183. Photo: Christian Lisle (@lislephotog)
| Projected | Team | Regional finish | Projected points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Watterson | 1st at Pickerington (35) | 75 |
| 2 | Fremont Ross | 1st at Tiffin (66) | 156 |
| 3 | Aurora | 1st at Boardman (111) | 177 |
| 4 | Granville | 3rd at Pickerington (87) | 193 |
| 5 | Big Walnut | 2nd at Pickerington (85) | 196 |
| 6 | Canal Winchester | 4th at Pickerington (96) | 232 |
| 7 | Lexington | 2nd at Tiffin (111) | 248 |
| 8 | Bowling Green | 4th at Tiffin (114) | 275 |
Projected · not official. Scored on Oct. 31 regional times across four courses.
The Season-Best View
Regionals were one race on one course. Season bests use each runner's fastest 2026 time from the Podium Watch season-best roster, the Oct. 24 district or the Oct. 31 regional, whichever is fastest, as of Oct. 31 at 7:00 PM ET. Different courses, not course-adjusted, so it is Projected · not official.
Boys. On season bests Turpin junior Carson Spencer is the fastest boy in the field at 15:08.3, and Russell Stine moves from 1st to 4th. Calvin Heithaus (15:13.4) and Steven Owen (15:16.9) are 2nd and 3rd, and the first seven are all under 15:22. Loveland senior Ian Trombley makes the biggest jump, from 16th by regional time to 8th.
| # | Runner | School | Season best | Regional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carson Spencer, JR | Turpin | 15:08.3 | 15:31.0 |
| 2 | Calvin Heithaus, SO | Mount Vernon | 15:13.4 | 15:28.7 |
| 3 | Steven Owen, SR | Sylvania Southview | 15:16.9 | 15:27.9 |
| 4 | Russell Stine, SR | Findlay | 15:18.0 | 15:18.8 |
| 5 | Ethan Shultz, JR | Big Walnut | 15:19.0 | 15:26.5 |
| 6 | Ian Res, SR | West Geauga | 15:20.3 | 15:32.3 |
| 7 | Anderson Seredick, JR | Nordonia | 15:21.6 | 15:33.8 |
| 8 | Ian Trombley, SR | Loveland | 15:23.0 | 15:44.9 |
Boys team. Bowling Green and Lexington stay 1-2 either way, 163.5 to 186.5 on season bests. Loveland climbs from 5th to 3rd and Turpin from 8th to 5th, while Big Walnut slides from 3rd to 4th.
| Team | On season bests | Rank on regional times |
|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | 1st, 163.5 | 1st |
| Lexington | 2nd, 186.5 | 2nd |
| Loveland | 3rd, 203.5 | 5th |
| Big Walnut | 4th, 212.5 | 3rd |
| Turpin | 5th, 226.5 | 8th |
| Kenston | 6th, 233.5 | 6th |
Girls. Aurora sophomore Audrey Miller has the fastest season best in the field, 17:17.6, with Julia Bocik (17:20.6) and Elle Miesse (17:27.6) next. The sophomore story holds up: five of the top eight on season bests are sophomores. Canal Winchester senior Peyton Hughey climbs from 11th by regional time to 5th.
| # | Runner | School | Season best | Regional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audrey Miller, SO | Aurora | 17:17.6 | 17:46.3 |
| 2 | Julia Bocik, SO | Sylvania Southview | 17:20.6 | 17:33.3 |
| 3 | Elle Miesse, SO | Celina | 17:27.6 | 17:32.0 |
| 4 | Kaitlyn Van Zandt, JR | Watterson | 17:40.9 | 17:57.0 |
| 5 | Peyton Hughey, SR | Canal Winchester | 17:46.3 | 18:11.2 |
| 6 | Annalise Costin, JR | Brecksville | 17:46.4 | 18:15.2 |
| 7 | Maya Gonzalez, SO | Bay | 17:48.1 | 17:48.1 |
| 8 | Kaylee Ingratta, SO | Copley | 17:49.4 | 18:02.1 |
Girls team. Watterson is 1st either way, 83 points clear on season bests. Aurora moves up to 2nd at 164, Avon climbs from 10th to 5th, and Fremont Ross slides from 2nd to 6th.
| Team | On season bests | Rank on regional times |
|---|---|---|
| Watterson | 1st, 81 | 1st |
| Aurora | 2nd, 164 | 3rd |
| Granville | 3rd, 206.5 | 4th |
| Big Walnut | 4th, 212 | 5th |
| Avon | 5th, 214 | 10th |
| Fremont Ross | 6th, 221 | 2nd |
Around the Regionals: Tiffin and Pickerington
Tiffin, boys. Findlay senior Russell Stine won in 15:18.8, 9.1 seconds clear of Sylvania Southview senior Steven Owen. Lexington edged Bowling Green 74 to 76, and St. Francis de Sales (Toledo) and Sylvania Northview took the other two spots. Lima Shawnee missed by seven points. Stine has company from Findlay, because junior Camden Stechschulte also qualified as an individual (11th, 15:54.0).
Tiffin, girls. Celina sophomore Elle Miesse beat Sylvania Southview sophomore Julia Bocik by 1.3 seconds, and Fremont Ross sophomore Lily Kiser was 3rd. Fremont Ross won with 66. Lexington (111), Anthony Wayne (113) and Bowling Green (114) took the last three spots, three points apart. Celina missed as a team, but Miesse and junior Sophie Gudorf (12th, 19:08.6) both qualified.
Pickerington, boys. Big Walnut junior Ethan Shultz beat Mount Vernon sophomore Calvin Heithaus by 2.2 seconds, and Columbus DeSales senior Lucas Steele was 3rd in 15:36.3. Big Walnut won with 97. Watterson (147), Unioto (149), Granville (155) and Columbus DeSales (169) also qualified, so Watterson sends both its boys and girls to Obetz. Dublin Scioto missed by four points.
Pickerington, girls. Watterson junior Kaitlyn Van Zandt won in 17:57.0, 13.4 seconds ahead of Granville junior Elsa Tonnessen, and Watterson put all five scorers in the top 17 for 35 points. Big Walnut (85), Granville (87), Canal Winchester (96) and Columbus DeSales (194) also qualified. Athens junior Zoe Wayner was 4th in 18:15.9 and goes as an individual.
Every Team Headed to Obetz
Regional team scores in parentheses.
Boys
- Boardman: Kenston (173), Massillon Perry (212), CVCA (251), Uniontown Lake (256), Shaker Heights (265), Hoover (265), Nordonia (274), Salem (297), Cloverleaf (308), Hudson (314)
- Pickerington: Big Walnut (97), Watterson (147), Unioto (149), Granville (155), Columbus DeSales (169)
- Tiffin: Lexington (74), Bowling Green (76), St. Francis de Sales (Toledo) (111), Sylvania Northview (184)
- Troy: Loveland (80), Turpin (91), Bellbrook (137), Carroll (164), Bellefontaine (187)
Girls
- Boardman: Aurora (111), Avon (183), Cleveland St. Joseph Academy (206), Westlake (211), CVCA (256), Shaker Heights (286), Wadsworth (322), Boardman (328), Hoover (332)
- Pickerington: Watterson (35), Big Walnut (85), Granville (87), Canal Winchester (96), Columbus DeSales (194)
- Tiffin: Fremont Ross (66), Lexington (111), Anthony Wayne (113), Bowling Green (114)
- Troy: Bellbrook (94), Turpin (108), St. Ursula Academy (123), Indian Hill (143), Talawanda (183), Loveland (197)
Photo Credits
All Troy photos by Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia). All Boardman photos by Christian Lisle (@lislephotog).
Sources
- Regional places, times and team scores: Athletic.net official results, Oct. 31, 2026 regionals at Boardman, Troy, Pickerington and Tiffin, pulled Oct. 31.
- District times (Oct. 24): podiumwatch.org district results.
