Let's talk Ohio HS Track

Can we talk for a minute about the absurd disparity in distance event performances across the 4 regions? Pickerington region should get 8 qualifiers, not 4. That regional meet is better and deeper than either D2 or D3, and better than all other D1 regions combined. And it's not close.

Scoring breakdown for distance events

4x8:

R1 (Youngstown) - 0

R2 (Amherst) - 9

R3 (Pickerington) - 18

R4 (Wayne) - 13

1600

R1 - 5, R2 - 2, R3 - 27, R4 - 5

800

R1 - 0, R2 - 11, R3 - 22, R4 - 6

3200

R1 - 1, R2 - 0, R3 - 31, R4 - 7

For a grand total of...

R1 Youngstown: 6

Just awful. Where were these guys?

R2: Amherst: 22

Most points from some solid 800 guys in Medina and RR.

R3: Pickerington: 98

OHSAA needs to apologize to finishers 7-10 in this region.

R4: Wayne - 30

Only marginally better than R2. Without Evan Trapp, it's half this.

Maybe Pickerington can just be it's own little state meet next year?

Their depth already got them 6. What more do you want. Life ain't fair, bro. Be grateful they even take the plus 2.

I want an auto-time qualifier standard, like Michigan & some other states have. Top ___ finishers in each region, plus anyone else under ___ (established by average 8th place finish at state over the past 3 years, for example).

I also want 24 qualifiers instead of 16.

And 4 divisions instead of 3.

When it's easier to qualify for New Balance Outdoor Nationals in the Championship division than it is to qualify for the Ohio St meet out of Pickerington, something is wrong.

I would have to agree with 4 divisions. D1 needs split in 2. Then do some adjusting of the numbers. The OHSAA doesn’t care about track or XC though. I wouldn’t expect changes anytime soon.

And holy hell, T. Rice accounted for exactly zero of these points.

Ilg from that region didn't exactly turn out either. I assumed he'd front run again, like indoors. Going out in 4:45 and then dropping a 4:22-23 isn't his style, and it played right into the hands of the R3 kids, who all have pretty good speed. Ilg needed to go out in 4:30 and see if he could get away from guys like Guerrera.

Played right into Ackley’s hands. It basically got turned into a 1600 instead of a 3200. And since Ackley had run the 1600 it couldn’t have been a better situation. I was hoping a group of guys might take it out in 4:32-4:33.

I'm happy for Connor. I've never seen his so elated and celebrate the way he did after the 3200. He's been the best runner in Central OH for 3 years. I'm glad he got a few outdoor titles before moving on. Who assumes his place at the top of the pedestal?? Fall XC is going to be interesting! I can see 4-5 guys sniffing 15:00 in region 3 alone...

I think you have to assume it’s Ricchiuti. 2nd in xc and last night and lost to only Ackley in xc last season. His kick has looked elite this past year, ran away from Smith in 3rd with ease last night

I would agree with that.

Gabelman may have something to say about that. He beat Ricchuiti pretty handily at NXR Midwest, finishing 11th - one of the top underclassmen. He's got elite speed too, and is one of the few that can outkick Sam. Saketh as well, but the question will be can Saketh be there at the end.

Eh Gabelmans good but he beat him in one race out of who knows how many. Not sure how you can say he can outkick Sam when he never actually has

I can say it because he's run 1:53 and 4:08.

All this talk of super kicks and elite speed (they're real and they're spectacular). . . is there something in the Franklin County water?

Ricchiuti, Gabelman, R. Smith (good to see him finish third last weekend), Radraraju, Guerrera, etc. all have solid kicks and speed (all of these guys should be top ten finishers in November at Obetz).

Sorry to keep bringing up T. Rice but he fits into this conversation--first, he got outkicked by Ricchiuti in XC, and then this past weekend he got left behind by several Franklin County folks. I didn't realize he was with the lead pack with 300m to go . . . and then he ends up finishing 9th?!?

So Ackley graduates, but pretty much everyone else remains--next season should be just as good as this season. I look forward to November and then June 2024, which will be the end of a terrific era.

They should keep coming along - Tipp City freshman ran the 3200 in 9:14 and 9:16 this season.

Yeah, I am curious to see how Landon Kimmel of Tippecanoe and Charlie Vause of Milford from the SW regional, Ethan Cope of Toledo St. Francis from the NW regional, and Eli Ilg of Massillon Jackson in the NE regional all do in the next year, as well as any Mason and St. X (Trapp) runners.

Rudraraju . . . apologies for the misspelling

Agree with all of this, and throw in Weston Day (9:07) and Steven Miller as well. These too along with Gabelman and R. Smith are all in the same division of the OCC. Weston was right there with the lead group in the 32 with a lap to go, but just couldn't close like the other guys. Regardless... he's def legit.

And last fall, Miller was actually leading this group of 4 with 300 to go at XC OCCs when Gabelman and Smith eventually got by him in the final 150. It doesnt look like he's ever run the 3200, but he's gone 4:18 and 15:32.

Others of note in Franklin Co... Rittenger from Olentangy (4:16), Schroff from Orange (9:21), McMahon from UA (9:24), and super frosh Temple from Pick North (9:26). Maybe not top ten material for state, but perhaps top 30.

Lancaster loses the Lanoys and Thress, but they're returning a few guys (Zane Schorr 4:18, Carter Davis 9:38) who are in the 2nd tier as well.