Here are 12 Greater Columbus high school boys track athletes to watch in 2024 season
There never seems to be a shortage of elite talent in central Ohio boys track and field, especially when it comes to distance runners.
This spring, the Columbus area features four distance runners who earned top-five finishes in the 2023 Division I state meet.
Westerville North senior Ben Gabelman leads the pack. He won the Division I state title in cross country (14:51.66) last fall and finished first in the 1,600 meters (4:08.79) in the indoor state meet this winter. The Syracuse commit was second in the 1,600 (4:09.07) at state last spring.
Dublin Jerome senior Sam Ricchiuti, another Syracuse commit, finished second in the 3,200 (9:06.59) a year ago. He won the 3,200 (9:07.56) in the indoor state meet and was fourth at state cross country (15:02.22) in the fall.
“Sam has the potential and he feels he’s not finished yet,” first-year Jerome coach Alex Jacobs said. “He’s chasing that outdoor title now.”
Also returning from the state 3,200 are Worthington Kilbourne senior Ryan Smith (third), Olentangy Orange senior Saketh Rudraraju (fifth), Jerome junior Charles Guerrera (sixth) and Dublin Scioto senior Weston Day (10th).
Hilliard Davidson graduate Connor Ackley, now a freshman at Syracuse, won the 1,600 (4:07.1) and 3,200 (9:05.5) last spring.
Jacobs, a 2015 Jerome graduate who holds the program record in the pole vault (14-0), had been an assistant coach in the program since 2020. He became the head coach after Kalvin McRae stepped down to take over the boys and girls teams at Westland.
“It’s some really big shoes to fill sometimes,” Jacobs said. “Kalvin was here for (seven seasons), and he had a really good hold on a lot of things.”
Here are 12 boys track athletes to watch this season:
William Baumann, Westerville North
The junior should be one of the top jumpers in Ohio after he finished fourth in the long jump (23-1 ½) in the Division I state meet last year. That came after he was second (22-9) at district and sixth (22-6) at regional. Baumann also was 14th in the 110 hurdles (14.64) at state.
Ben Gabelman, Westerville North
The senior has won fall and winter Division I state championships, and now he wants to close his prep career with a spring title. Last spring, Gabelman finished second in the 1,600 (4:09.07) at state after winning the event at district (4:17.82) and placing second (4:11.81) at regional. The Syracuse commit won the state title in cross country (14.51.66) last fall and the 1,600 (4:08.79) in the indoor state meet in March.
Dawayne Galloway, Marion-Franklin
The junior is one of the top sprinters in Ohio, having finished second in the 100 (10.42) and 200 (21.32) in the Division II state meet last year. Galloway finished first at district (10.88) and second (10.73) at regional in the 100, and he was first at district (22.51) and fourth at regional (21.97) in the 200. Galloway also is one of the top football recruits in Ohio in the class of 2025.
Charles Guerrera, Dublin Jerome
The junior joins senior Sam Ricchiuti in giving Jerome a solid one-two punch in distance events. Last season, Guerrera finished sixth in the 3,200 (9:10.82) at state after placing third at district (9:24.85) and fifth at regional (9:10.2).
Elijah Harris, Westerville Central
The sophomore hopes a strong showing at the Division I indoor state meet carries into the spring season. He won the indoor high jump (6-7) and triple jump (45-6 ½) after finishing fifth in the high jump (6-6) at state last spring.
Andre Jackson, Whitehall-Yearling
Seeking a return trip to state, the senior should again be one of the Rams’ top performers this spring. Last season, Jackson finished third in the 400 (47.59) in Division I after winning the event at regional (47.31) and district (48.4).
Nadir Langston, Hamilton Township
A first-team all-state running back in Division III last fall, this senior finished sixth in the 110 hurdles (14.35) in the Division I state meet last spring after placing third at district (15.36) and regional (14.31). Langston will compete in track at Southern Illinois.
Solomon McDow, Bexley
One of the top distance runners in Division II, this senior capped his 2023 season by finishing sixth in the 1,600 (4:19.82) at state. McDow won regional (4:25.89) and district (4:25.79) titles in the event. He will run at Middlebury College in Vermont.
Gabe Oppong, Tree of Life
A standout sprinter in Division III, the junior finished third in the 100 (10.85) and fourth in the 200 (22.22) last season at state. He was first at district (11.23) and second at regional (10.92) in the 100 and first at district (22.8) and second at regional (22.33) in the 200.
Sam Ricchiuti, Dublin Jerome
One of the elite Division I distance runners in Ohio, the senior finished second in the 3,200 (9:06.59) at state last spring after placing second at regional (9:06.4) and district (9:23.2). The Syracuse commit won the 3,200 (9:07.56) in the indoor state meet this winter.
Saketh Rudraraju, Olentangy Orange
Another title contender in Division I, the senior is coming off a third-place finish in the 1,600 (4:12.09) in the indoor state meet. Rudraraju, who will run for the Air Force Academy, finished fifth in the 3,200 (9:10.71) at state last spring after placing first at district (9:20.2) and fourth at regional (9:09.34).
Ryan Smith, Worthington Kilbourne
The senior is looking to close his prep career with a return trip to state. Last season, Smith finished third in the 3,200 (9:07.91) after placing second at district (9:15.2) and third at regional (9:07.76). The Furman commit was sixth (9:17.84) in the indoor state meet this winter.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: High school track: 12 central Ohio boys athletes to watch this spring
