Here are 12 Columbus-area high school girls cross country runners to watch this fall
Hilliard Davidson girls cross country coach Nate King anticipates another strong season for his team, which has earned 11 top-10 finishes at the Division I state meet in the past 12 years.
The Wildcats return five runners from last season’s state lineup that finished second (91) behind Mason (75).
“We graduated some heavy hitters, but we have a good core back,” said King, who is in his 12th season. “I’ve been coaching the team since 2012 and this is the first fall that we are not returning an all-Ohio runner. We graduated Caitlyn (Jones) and Dillon (Sweetman), who were top 10 in the state. I use that with them to generate some motivation. They’re motivated to show that they’re more than just Caitlyn and Dillon.”
Leading the way should be senior Sophie Lane, who finished 32nd (19:05.9) at state.
Davidson was second in the OATCCC preseason poll behind Mason. The Wildcats opened the season by winning the Buckeye Running Sunset Invitational on Saturday at Oeder Lake in Morrow.
King said his team won't have an easy path to a 13th consecutive state berth.
“(Dublin) Jerome has some firepower,” he said. “(Olentangy) Liberty is going to be strong. (Olentangy) Orange is going to be strong. There could be stud freshmen that come in and change things completely for different teams.”
Jerome finished sixth at state last season and was fifth in the preseason poll.
“I’m feeling pretty happy about this team,” said Celtics coach Kaitlyn Willette, who is in her seventh season. “We have girls who are here and they’re dedicated. They’re telling me that they want to be pushed. They want to take it to that next level, which is exciting to hear as a coach when you have a team saying we want to be even better. We have a competitive and positive mindset from coaches and runners alike.”
The Celtics, however, are competing without junior Milly Leonard, who opted not to run this season. She led Jerome with an 18th-place finish (18:44.2) at state last season.
Marysville was 13th in the preseason poll, followed by Liberty (15th), Orange (17th) and Gahanna Lincoln (20th).
Boys: 12 Columbus-area runners to watch this fall
In Division II, defending state champion Granville was ranked fourth in the preseason poll and Jonathan Alder was 19th.
In Division III, Fredericktown led central Ohio teams at state last season, finishing 14th, while Grandview Heights was 18th. The Freddies were 12th in the preseason poll, four spots ahead of Grandview.
Here are 12 central Ohio girls cross country runners to watch this fall:
Brooke Chapman, Olentangy Orange
The sophomore enjoyed a strong first season with the Pioneers, which included finishing second in the Division I district meet (18:50.46) and OCC-Central race (18:55.2). She was 30th at state (19:04.3) and fourth at regional (18:13.38).
Anna Conrad, Fairfield Union
Competing in her second Division II state meet a season ago, Conrad finished 21st (19:24.5). The senior also finished eighth at regional (19:27.44), fifth at district (20:07.39) and second in the MSL-Buckeye meet (19:26.2). She was 84th at state as a sophomore.
Natalie Fouts, Dublin Jerome
The sophomore played a key role in the Celtics’ sixth-place finish at state last season, placing 39th (19:11.5). She was 13th at regional (18:53.88), sixth at district (19:37.52) and second in the OCC-Cardinal meet (18:49), helping Jerome win district and league championships.
Grace Heitkamp, Olentangy Berlin
The junior emerged as the Bears’ top runner last season. Heitkamp won the OCC-Cardinal meet (18:38.9) then was second at district (19:15), 10th at regional (18:45.13) and 24th at state (18:52.1) in the Division I postseason.
Maddy Johnson, Dublin Scioto
The senior joined teammate Selah White in the Division I state meet last season, finishing 40th (19:12.9) in her first appearance. She was ninth at regional (18:44.7) and fourth at district (19:09.8).
Erica Kaulen, Hilliard Davidson
The sophomore had a strong first season with the Wildcats, playing a key role in the team winning regional, district and league titles. She was 48th at state (19:21.8), 21st at regional (19:25.63), eighth at district (19:30.95) and ninth in the OCC-Central meet (19:31.8). “Our two freshmen from last season (Kaulen and Celia Schulte) have been much more consistent this summer with their training,” King said. “I hope it’s going to translate into their racing.”
Sophie Lane, Hilliard Davidson
With the graduation of Jones and Sweetman, Lane is expected to contend for the Wildcats’ No. 1 spot. Last season, the senior was 32nd at state (19:05.9), 12th at regional (18:49.62), fifth at district (19:10.97) and eighth in the OCC-Central meet (19:25.3). “Sophie was our third runner at state last season,” King said. “We have a really good nucleus of varsity runners back.”
Madeline Palmisciano, Grandview Heights
The senior is looking to cap her prep career in the sport with a return trip to the Division III state meet. Last season, she led the Bobcats at state, finishing 29th (19:43). She was sixth at regional (19:42.68), second at district (19:32.7) and third in the MSL-Ohio meet (20:38.5), helping Grandview win the league title.
Helen Randolph, Dublin Jerome
The junior is the Celtics’ top returning runner who competed at state last season, as she finished 19th (18:44.3). She won regional (18:04.9) and district (18:39.3) titles and finished fourth in the OCC-Cardinal meet (18:57.1).
Reece Savage, Johnstown
The senior competed in her third consecutive Division II state meet last season, finishing 54th (20:15.5). She was 35th (19:17.7) as a sophomore and seventh (18:40.3) as a freshman. She was 15th at regional (19:46.7), third at district (20:39.1) and sixth in the LCL meet (19:39.4) a season ago.
Aubrey Smith, Grove City
In her first year in the sport, Smith finished 68th in the Division I state meet (19:44.4) last season. Another highlight for the sophomore was winning the OCC-Ohio meet (18:50.6). She was fourth at district (19:23.2) and 11th at regional (18:46.5).
Selah White, Dublin Scioto
The senior capped her 2022 season by finishing 13th in the Division I state meet (18:38.6). She was second at regional (18:07.87), second at district (18:46.02) and first in the OCC-Capital meet (18:54.8).
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 12 central Ohio girls cross country runners to watch this fall
