Ansonia senior Bennett Lehman won the Southwest Regional in 15:28.0. Saturday he goes for a second state title. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
A year ago the OHSAA ran its first Division IV state meet, and it gave us a course record and a first-time champion. Ansonia's Bennett Lehman ran 15:17.91 to win the boys race. Convoy Crestview won the first team title in school history, Columbus Grove was runner-up, and Minster took 2nd in the girls race.
Fast forward to this Saturday at Fortress Obetz. Lehman is back as a senior and still the fastest boy in the field. Convoy Crestview is back too, but it finished 2nd at its own regional. On the girls side, Minster won Troy and an Ottawa Hills junior is running times nobody else in the division has touched.
Girls go at 3:30 PM and boys close the day at 4:10 PM. 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
- Can anyone hang with Lehman? Russia's Paxson Bixler and Legacy Christian's Stephen Wojtowicz have finished within 7 seconds of him twice this postseason. Nobody else has.
- A dead heat for the boys title. Mount Gilead and Russia both project to 98 points. If it ends tied, the sixth runner decides it, and Mount Gilead's sixth ran 26.2 seconds faster on paper.
- Nixon against the clock. Natalie Nixon's 17:28.7 at Tiffin was 47.8 seconds faster than any other Division IV girl ran on Oct. 31.
- Five girls teams in range. Liberty Center projects 1st at 113. Grandview Heights, Ottawa Hills, Rittman and Minster all project between 151 and 206.
- The sophomore wave. Three of the top five boys by regional time are 10th graders.
- Season bests break the tie. On each runner's fastest 2026 time, Mount Gilead projects 98 and Russia 130.
Team projections are Projected · not official.
Boys Individual Race: Catch Him If You Can
The resume. Lehman was 6th at the Division III state meet as a sophomore in 15:30.32. Last fall he won the first Division IV title in a course-record 15:17.91, beating Rittman's two-time defending champion Luke Snyder. This fall he won his district in 15:33.0 on Oct. 24 and Troy in 15:28.0 a week later. His 15:21.1 season best is the fastest in the field.
The Troy trio has seen him twice. Russia sophomore Paxson Bixler and Legacy Christian senior Stephen Wojtowicz have raced Lehman in back-to-back weeks. At districts, Wojtowicz was 3.5 seconds back (15:36.5) and Bixler 3.9 back (15:36.9). At Troy, Bixler was 4.9 seconds back (15:32.9) and Wojtowicz was 6.4 back (15:34.4). Nobody else in the state has run that close to him this postseason.
Russia sophomore Paxson Bixler was 2nd at Troy, 4.9 seconds behind Lehman. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
The ones he has not seen this postseason. McDonald sophomore Owen Cappuzello won Boardman in 15:48.2, and his 15:24.1 season best is only 3.0 seconds off Lehman's. Smithville junior Nigel Wenger was 2nd behind him in 15:52.6 with a 15:29.7 best. Up at Tiffin, Convoy Crestview junior Derek Young won in 15:49.2 (15:26.2 best) and Sherwood Fairview senior Malaki Neilson was 2nd in 15:51.7.
McDonald sophomore Owen Cappuzello won the Northeast Regional in 15:48.2. His 15:24.1 season best is 3.0 seconds off Lehman's. Photo: Christian Lisle (@lislephotog)
Smithville junior Nigel Wenger was 2nd at Boardman in 15:52.6. Photo: Christian Lisle (@lislephotog)
Here is the field's top 12 by regional time.
| # | Runner | School | Regional | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bennett Lehman, SR | Ansonia | Troy (1st) | 15:28.0 |
| 2 | Paxson Bixler, SO | Russia | Troy (2nd) | 15:32.9 |
| 3 | Stephen Wojtowicz, SR | Legacy Christian | Troy (3rd) | 15:34.4 |
| 4 | Owen Cappuzello, SO | McDonald | Boardman (1st) | 15:48.2 |
| 5 | Liam Schumann, SO | Botkins | Troy (4th) | 15:49.1 |
| 6 | Derek Young, JR | Convoy Crestview | Tiffin (1st) | 15:49.2 |
| 7 | Malaki Neilson, SR | Sherwood Fairview | Tiffin (2nd) | 15:51.7 |
| 8 | Nigel Wenger, JR | Smithville | Boardman (2nd) | 15:52.6 |
| 9 | Elijah Scales, JR | Springfield Emmanuel Christian | Troy (5th) | 15:52.8 |
| 10 | Noah Meyer, SR | Tinora | Tiffin (3rd) | 15:59.3 |
| 11 | Titus Young, SR | Anna | Troy (6th) | 16:02.9 |
| 12 | Henry Bartlett, JR | Mount Gilead | Pickerington (1st) | 16:04.0 |
The sophomores are the story behind Lehman. Bixler, Cappuzello and Botkins' Liam Schumann are all 10th graders in the top five, and all three ran at Boardman or Troy.
Botkins sophomore Liam Schumann was 4th at Troy in 15:49.1. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
Boys Team Race: Too Close to Call
Mount Gilead and Russia, 98 apiece. Score the state field with regional times and the top two come out dead even at 98 (Projected · not official). Mount Gilead won Pickerington with 27 points, the lowest team score at any Division IV regional. Junior Henry Bartlett won (16:04.0), junior Brycen Gabriel was 3rd (16:19.7), senior Ethan Turner 8th (16:37.9), sophomore Aiden McLain 10th (16:42.5) and sophomore Andrew Gannon 11th (16:43.4).
Russia won Troy with 57 behind a different shape. Bixler was 2nd, senior Samuel Phlipot 7th (16:06.2), junior Evan Smith 12th (16:28.7), senior Owen Sargent 16th (16:41.5) and senior Keagan Baldridge 27th (16:58.8). Russia has the bigger front end. Mount Gilead has the pack, 39.4 seconds from one to five, compared with 1:25.9 for Russia.
The Division IV boys state qualifiers at Troy, led by regional champion Russia. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
If it truly ends in a tie, the sixth runner breaks it. Mount Gilead's sixth, junior Grayson Smith, ran 16:43.8, just 0.4 seconds behind its fifth. Russia's sixth, freshman Francis Phlipot, ran 17:10.0. Different courses, but that is a 26.2-second edge on paper for Mount Gilead.
The Troy contenders. Legacy Christian was 2nd at Troy with 86 and projects 3rd at 156. Wojtowicz leads senior Elam Sparks (16:26.2), junior Ethan Michael (16:36.8) and senior Lucas Thompson (16:56.8). Botkins was three points behind at 89 and projects 4th at 172, and it is young: sophomore Liam Schumann, freshman Tyler Arnold (16:40.1), sophomore Sawyer Braun (16:47.0) and junior Wesley Gutman (16:54.7).
Cedarville ran the tightest pack at Troy. Senior Nathan Sultan (16:53.0), sophomore Isaac Sultan (16:54.0), senior Asher Stewart (17:08.3), senior Gabriel Duncan (17:15.7) and junior Owen Cole (17:29.0) were 36.0 seconds apart, good for 4th with 139.
The defending champions. Convoy Crestview won last year's title and Derek Young won Tiffin this year, but the team was 2nd there with 127, five points behind Tinora (122). Crestview's second runner, senior Kale Vining, was 13th (16:33.0), and its next three were 40th through 46th. Tinora, led by seniors Noah Meyer (3rd, 15:59.3) and Nolan Rittenhouse (5th, 16:14.8), projects 5th at 188 and Crestview 6th at 202.
Columbus Grove, last year's runner-up, was 4th at Tiffin with 216. Senior Caiden Squillante, 11th at state a year ago, was 9th there in 16:22.0.
Boardman's best. Maplewood won the Northeast Regional with 86 behind junior Micah Sparks (3rd, 16:17.1) and projects 8th at 272. Independence was 2nd with 104 and might be the youngest team in the field: freshmen Archer Dlugolinski (10th), Jayden Musni (17th) and Liam Polter (35th) are three of its five scorers.
| Projected | Team | Regional finish | Projected points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Gilead | 1st at Pickerington (27) | 98 |
| 2 | Russia | 1st at Troy (57) | 98 |
| 3 | Legacy Christian | 2nd at Troy (86) | 156 |
| 4 | Botkins | 3rd at Troy (89) | 172 |
| 5 | Tinora | 1st at Tiffin (122) | 188 |
| 6 | Convoy Crestview | 2nd at Tiffin (127) | 202 |
| 7 | St. Henry | 3rd at Tiffin (164) | 257 |
| 8 | Maplewood | 1st at Boardman (86) | 272 |
Projected · not official. Scored on Oct. 31 regional times across four courses.
Girls Individual Race: Nixon and Everybody Else
A 48-second cushion. Ottawa Hills junior Natalie Nixon won Tiffin in 17:28.7. Liberty Center senior Colbie Strayer was 2nd in 18:17.1, 48.4 seconds back, and that was the third-fastest time in the whole Division IV field. Only Nixon and Shenandoah senior Ida Estadt (18:16.5 at Pickerington) ran faster.
The chase pack, through Boardman and Troy. McDonald junior Naomi Sheesley won Boardman in 18:20.6, 51.1 seconds ahead of Ashtabula St. John senior Marlee Beacom (19:11.7). Fort Loramie sophomore Elaina Borchers won Troy in 18:31.5, a year after placing 13th at state. Seven Hills senior Campbell Coyne (18:37.7) and Minster freshman Elizabeth Niekamp (18:41.3) were 2nd and 3rd.
McDonald junior Naomi Sheesley won the Northeast Regional by 51.1 seconds. Photo: Christian Lisle (@lislephotog)
Fort Loramie sophomore Elaina Borchers won the Southwest Regional in 18:31.5. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
Troy sent a deep group. Summit Country Day had two in the top five, junior Anna Wiltshire (18:45.7) and freshman Emma McCormick (18:48.8). Ansonia had two individual qualifiers, sophomore Anna Yeomans (18:49.3) and Claire Barga (19:27.4), so Lehman will not be the only runner from Ansonia at Obetz.
Ansonia and Summit Country Day runners on the hill at Troy. Summit Country Day put two runners in the top five. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
| # | Runner | School | Regional | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natalie Nixon, JR | Ottawa Hills | Tiffin (1st) | 17:28.7 |
| 2 | Ida Estadt, SR | Shenandoah | Pickerington (1st) | 18:16.5 |
| 3 | Colbie Strayer, SR | Liberty Center | Tiffin (2nd) | 18:17.1 |
| 4 | Naomi Sheesley, JR | McDonald | Boardman (1st) | 18:20.6 |
| 5 | Elaina Borchers, SO | Fort Loramie | Troy (1st) | 18:31.5 |
| 6 | Chloe Meholovitch, SR | Shadyside | Pickerington (2nd) | 18:35.2 |
| 7 | Campbell Coyne, SR | Seven Hills | Troy (2nd) | 18:37.7 |
| 8 | Elizabeth Niekamp, FR | Minster | Troy (3rd) | 18:41.3 |
| 9 | Anna Wiltshire, JR | Summit Country Day | Troy (4th) | 18:45.7 |
| 10 | Emma McCormick, FR | Summit Country Day | Troy (5th) | 18:48.8 |
| 11 | Anna Yeomans, SO | Ansonia | Troy (6th) | 18:49.3 |
| 12 | Aubrey Ritzler, SO | Seneca East | Tiffin (3rd) | 18:51.4 |
Nixon is the clear favorite, but the race for 2nd through 10th might be the best in the division. Eleven runners sit between 18:16.5 and 18:51.4.
Girls Team Race: North vs. South
Liberty Center on paper. On regional times Liberty Center projects 1st at 113, ahead of Grandview Heights (151), Ottawa Hills (174), Rittman (201) and Minster (206) (Projected · not official). Liberty Center won Tiffin with 61. Strayer was 2nd, sophomore Mya Stark 9th (19:13.9), sophomore Castyn Miller 11th (19:18.2), junior Ryley Miller 25th (19:57.3) and freshman Brynn Gyurasics 27th (20:06.1).
Ottawa Hills was 2nd at Tiffin with 93 and has the best one-two in the field. Nixon and sophomore Piper Padgett (4th, 18:57.9) can put up two low numbers, and the question is the back of the pack. Juniors Emily Chen (19:49.9), Sofia Elfituri (20:07.0) and Evelyn Sandretto (21:02.0) rounded out the five.
Grandview Heights won Pickerington with 44 behind senior Julia Albright (3rd, 18:53.4), junior Adalyn Calvin (9th, 19:36.5), senior Sydney Hatta (10th, 19:49.8) and junior Hadley Mickley (13th, 19:51.4).
Minster, one spot short last year. Minster was the 2025 state runner-up and won Troy with 82 this year. Freshman Elizabeth Niekamp was 3rd, and senior Claire Bohman, 10th at state a year ago, was 8th in 19:10.2. Junior Joanna Topp (19th, 19:57.8), freshman Olivia Blindauer (35th, 20:44.1) and junior Ava Colter (39th, 20:54.5) closed it out.
Minster, last year's state runner-up, won the Southwest Regional with 82 points. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
Fort Loramie was 2nd at Troy with 107 behind Borchers, and Summit Country Day was 3rd with 121 behind Wiltshire and McCormick.
Fort Loramie took 2nd at Troy with 107 points. Photo: Lauren Palmer (@laurenpmedia)
Rittman's pack. Rittman won Boardman with 64 and never had a runner in the top seven. It did not need one. Seniors Ryver Ramsier (8th, 19:40.7), Adyson Fosen (11th, 20:01.7), Annabelle Snyder (14th, 20:08.2) and Selah Amos (17th, 20:11.9) and junior Eilash Widmer (16th, 20:10.6) finished 31.2 seconds apart.
Rittman and the Division IV girls field leave the line at Boardman. Photo: Christian Lisle (@lislephotog)
Behind Rittman, the Boardman race for 2nd came down to one point: Maplewood 96, Kirtland 97. Maplewood scored with sophomore Melody Richards (9th, 19:42.7) and three freshmen. Kirtland was led by junior Kylie Sayle in 3rd (19:26.3).
| Projected | Team | Regional finish | Projected points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberty Center | 1st at Tiffin (61) | 113 |
| 2 | Grandview Heights | 1st at Pickerington (44) | 151 |
| 3 | Ottawa Hills | 2nd at Tiffin (93) | 174 |
| 4 | Rittman | 1st at Boardman (64) | 201 |
| 5 | Minster | 1st at Troy (82) | 206 |
| 6 | Bellaire | 2nd at Pickerington (85) | 245 |
| 7 | Maplewood | 2nd at Boardman (96) | 258 |
| 8 | Kirtland | 3rd at Boardman (97) | 263 |
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. Bennett Lehman is still the fastest boy in the field at 15:21.1. The Boardman and Tiffin winners move up behind him: Owen Cappuzello (15:24.1), Derek Young (15:26.2) and Nigel Wenger (15:29.7) all have faster season bests than the Troy pair of Paxson Bixler and Stephen Wojtowicz. Russia senior Samuel Phlipot climbs from 13th by regional time to 7th.
| # | Runner | School | Season best | Regional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bennett Lehman, SR | Ansonia | 15:21.1 | 15:28.0 |
| 2 | Owen Cappuzello, SO | McDonald | 15:24.1 | 15:48.2 |
| 3 | Derek Young, JR | Convoy Crestview | 15:26.2 | 15:49.2 |
| 4 | Nigel Wenger, JR | Smithville | 15:29.7 | 15:52.6 |
| 5 | Paxson Bixler, SO | Russia | 15:32.9 | 15:32.9 |
| 6 | Stephen Wojtowicz, SR | Legacy Christian | 15:34.4 | 15:34.4 |
| 7 | Samuel Phlipot, SR | Russia | 15:43.1 | 16:06.2 |
| 8 | Malaki Neilson, SR | Sherwood Fairview | 15:44.8 | 15:51.7 |
Boys team. Season bests break the tie. Mount Gilead projects 1st at 98 and Russia 2nd at 130, 32 points back. Defending champion Convoy Crestview climbs from 6th to 3rd at 150, and Legacy Christian slides from 3rd to 6th.
| Team | On season bests | Rank on regional times |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Gilead | 1st, 98 | T-1st |
| Russia | 2nd, 130 | T-1st |
| Convoy Crestview | 3rd, 150 | 6th |
| Tinora | 4th, 164 | 5th |
| Botkins | 5th, 182 | 4th |
| Legacy Christian | 6th, 191 | 3rd |
Girls. Natalie Nixon's 17:15.4 season best is 36.9 seconds faster than anyone else in the field. Naomi Sheesley is 2nd at 17:52.3 and Colbie Strayer 3rd at 18:09.2. Seven Hills senior Campbell Coyne moves from 7th by regional time to 4th.
| # | Runner | School | Season best | Regional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natalie Nixon, JR | Ottawa Hills | 17:15.4 | 17:28.7 |
| 2 | Naomi Sheesley, JR | McDonald | 17:52.3 | 18:20.6 |
| 3 | Colbie Strayer, SR | Liberty Center | 18:09.2 | 18:17.1 |
| 4 | Campbell Coyne, SR | Seven Hills | 18:15.8 | 18:37.7 |
| 5 | Ida Estadt, SR | Shenandoah | 18:16.5 | 18:16.5 |
| 6 | Paisley Farrier, FR | Bellaire | 18:23.7 | 19:31.3 |
| 7 | Anna Wiltshire, JR | Summit Country Day | 18:25.6 | 18:45.7 |
| 8 | Emma McCormick, FR | Summit Country Day | 18:30.4 | 18:48.8 |
Girls team. Liberty Center is still 1st, but its lead shrinks to 11 points, 146 to Grandview Heights' 157. Ottawa Hills (189), Minster (193) and Rittman (195.5) are 6.5 points apart for 3rd.
| Team | On season bests | Rank on regional times |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty Center | 1st, 146 | 1st |
| Grandview Heights | 2nd, 157 | 2nd |
| Ottawa Hills | 3rd, 189 | 3rd |
| Minster | 4th, 193 | 5th |
| Rittman | 5th, 195.5 | 4th |
| Maplewood | T-6th, 264 | 7th |
| Kirtland | T-6th, 264 | 8th |
Around the Regionals: Tiffin and Pickerington
Tiffin, boys. Convoy Crestview junior Derek Young won in 15:49.2, 2.5 seconds ahead of Sherwood Fairview senior Malaki Neilson, with Tinora senior Noah Meyer 3rd in 15:59.3. Tinora won the team title with 122, five points ahead of Convoy Crestview. Tiffin sent eight teams to Obetz, more than any other Division IV boys regional, and Hicksville took the last spot with 307, eight points ahead of Pettisville.
Tiffin, girls. Behind Natalie Nixon's 17:28.7, Liberty Center won with 61 and Ottawa Hills was 2nd with 93. Seneca East sophomore Aubrey Ritzler was 3rd in 18:51.4 and goes as an individual, because Seneca East missed the ninth and final team spot by 22 points. Tinora got that spot with 304.
Pickerington, boys. Mount Gilead's 27 started with a 1-3 finish. Junior Henry Bartlett won in 16:04.0 and junior Brycen Gabriel was 3rd in 16:19.7. Shenandoah sophomore Joel Tewksbary split them in 16:06.3, and Shenandoah was 2nd as a team with 99. Southern (Racine), South Webster, Northmor and Grandview Heights also qualified, and Lynchburg-Clay missed by 32 points.
Pickerington, girls. Shenandoah senior Ida Estadt won in 18:16.5, 18.7 seconds ahead of Shadyside senior Chloe Meholovitch, and both go to Obetz as individuals. Grandview Heights won with 44, Bellaire was 2nd with 85, and Mount Gilead, Mechanicsburg and Fairbanks filled out the field. Fairbanks held off West Union for the last spot by 16 points.
Every Team Headed to Obetz
Regional team scores in parentheses.
Boys
- Boardman: Maplewood (86), Independence (104), Lake Center Christian (159), Kidron Central Christian (205), Black River (219)
- Pickerington: Mount Gilead (27), Shenandoah (99), Southern (Racine) (151), South Webster (181), Northmor (208), Grandview Heights (234)
- Tiffin: Tinora (122), Convoy Crestview (127), St. Henry (164), Columbus Grove (216), New Bremen (229), Seneca East (267), Sherwood Fairview (297), Hicksville (307)
- Troy: Russia (57), Legacy Christian (86), Botkins (89), Cedarville (139), Lehman Catholic (153)
Girls
- Boardman: Rittman (64), Maplewood (96), Kirtland (97), McDonald (136), Ashtabula St. John (156)
- Pickerington: Grandview Heights (44), Bellaire (85), Mount Gilead (160), Mechanicsburg (193), Fairbanks (195)
- Tiffin: Liberty Center (61), Ottawa Hills (93), Archbold (168), Edison (Milan) (217), Crestline (226), St. Henry (266), Lincolnview (296), Margaretta (301), Tinora (304)
- Troy: Minster (82), Fort Loramie (107), Summit Country Day (121), West Liberty-Salem (142), Dayton Christian (159)
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) and season bests: podiumwatch.org district results and mock postseason state tab, as of Oct. 31, 2026, 7:00 PM ET.
- Lehman's 2025 title: MyCountyLink, Nov. 2, 2025. Lehman's 2024 6th place: MyCountyLink, Nov. 5, 2024.
- 2025 Division IV team and individual places: Hometown Stations and Minster Community Post.
