VOTE for the Ohio MileSplit Female Athlete of the Year- It's very close between Two Athletes!

Mark Stonecipher





The Girl's vote is just like the boys.  It's very close between two great athletes athletes.  Get your vote in by Dec. 24th at 6:00pm to make sure your choice for the Ohio MileSplit Athlete of the Year wins.  See your Winner on Tuesday, the 26th.  


Cast your vote for the "2016 Ohio MileSplit Female Athlete of the Year."  Who was the Best of the Best in 2016?  Five athletes make up the list.  The school year encompasses the 2015 XC season and the 2016 Indoor and Outdoor T&F seasons.  The overall 2016 year encompasses both the 2015 & 2016 XC  seasons in the case of an athlete that was an undergraduate in 2015.  The award should not be based solely upon someone setting a record, but upon their overall achievements in XC and T&F in 2016. Please take a close look at what each of the five candidates accomplished.  Vote as often as you like.  The pole closes December 24th at 6:00pm.  Get your vote in,  The winner will be announced on Monday, December 26th.  Congratulations to all our athletes.


Micaela DeGenero  Granville


(photo Mary Ann Magnant)

Granville's Micaela DeGenero had an incredible 2016.  Indoors, she was 3rd in the MileSplit Scholastic Showcase at Spire in the 800 with a time of 2:13.97, repeated as the D1 1,600m Champion in the OATCCC  State Indoor Championships, running a 4:54.40 and was 8th at the NBNI in the Mile, winning her heat in 4:47.96.  Her 4:47.96 was US #9 and an Ohio All-Time #1 Indoor Mile, passing the 2009 mark of 4:53.13 by Stephanie Morgan of Barnesville.

Outdoors, she won the OHSAA  D1 1,600 in a time of 4:53.08  and went on to win the NBNO Mile in a time of 4:42.22.  Her 4:42.22 was US #2 and an Ohio All-Time #2 behind Stephanie Morgan's 4:41.22.  Michaela's NBNO mile time converted to a 1,600 was 4:40.58.  This is an Ohio #1 All-Time 1,600, besting Emily Infleld's 2007 time of 4:41.37.


Personal Records
  • 400m - 57.40
  • 800m (in) - 2:13.97
  • 800m - 2:10.99
  • 1600m (in) - 4:54.50
  • 1600m - 4:53.08
  • 1 Mile - 4:42.22
  • 3200m - 11:28.95
  • 5K (xc) - 18:20.00


India Johnson  Hilliard Davidson



Hilliard Sr. India Johnson had an incredible 2016.  On the track, she was the D1 OATCCC Indoor State Champion in the 3,200 with a 10:55.90.  She was the D1 outdoor OHSAA State Champion in the 3,200 with a 10:29.80.  She followed her Ohio #,200m State championship up with a 4th place at the NBNO in the 5K with a 16:53.78.
In Cross Country, India was undefeated in Ohio, and followed up her 2015 D1 2nd place finish with a 2016 win 17:28.60, setting a new National Trails course record.   She was 2nd at the Nike Cross  Nationals Midwest Region in 17:07.50 and 9th at the Nike Cross Nationals in 17:53.60.  She was 2nd in the Foot Locker Midwest Regional in 17:36.10 and  4th at Footlocker nationals with 17:45.44.  She was selected to run for the U20 USA Team in January at the Edinburgh XCountry Challenge in Edinburgh Scotland.

Personal Records
  • 400m - 1:01.27
  • 800m (in) - 2:22.21
  • 800m - 2:22.63
  • 1600m (in) - 4:59.84
  • 1600m - 4:58.26
  • 3200m (in) - 10:55.90
  • 3200m - 10:29.80
  • 5K (xc) - 17:07.50

Grace Norman  Legacy Christian


Grace Norman had her dreams come true in 2016 as a Paralympic Athlete.  She won the first ever Gold Medal in Women's Paratriathlon PT4 at the Rio Paralympics!  Grace, who graduated from Legacy (Xenia) Christian Academy also placed 26th in the 2015 D3 OHSAA State Cross Country Championships and just missed getting on the podium for the 2nd year in a row in the OHSAA State D3 1,600 with a 5:14.46.  She was 8th in 2015 with a 5:14.09.  

Personal Records
  • 400m - 1:05.66
  • 800m - 2:22.28
  • 1600m (in) - 5:45.30
  • 1600m - 5:14.09
  • 2K Steeple - 8:09.65
  • 3200m (in) - 11:54.74
  • 3200m - 11:47.53
  • 5K (xc) - 19:25.80


Abby Steiner  Dublin Coffman


(photo Phil Grove)

Dublin Coffman freshman Abby Steiner burst onto the scene in the 2015 Indoor season as a Freshman. As a sophomore in 2016, she was nothing but outstanding.  Indoors she repeated her 2015 OATCCC State Meet performance, winning both the D1 60 (7.38) and 200m (24.07).   At NBNI, she was 14th in the 60m finals running a 7.58 after running 11th in the prelims with a PR of 7.53.  In the NBNI 200m finals, she was 6th in 24.14 after setting an indoor PR of 23.93.  

Outdoors in the 100m, she ran an 11:87 in winning the D1 State title.  She repeated as the D1 200m champion with a 23.92 and ran an incredible come from behind anchor to lead the Coffman girl's to the D1 State 4x200 title in 1:38.53.  She was invited to the Adidas Boost Boston Games Dream 100 where she finished 4th in 11.81.

Personal Records
  • 60mH (in) - 9.45
  • 60m (in) - 7.38
  • 100m - 11.58
  • 200m (in) - 23.97
  • 200m - 23.63
  • 400m - 57.21


Athena Welsh   St. Thomas Aquinas

(photo Chris Greene)

St. Thomas Aquinas' Athena Welsh had an outstanding 2015 Cross Country and  2016 Track season.  She won the D3 OHSAA State Cross Country Championship with an 18:17.60, leading the Aquinas girls to the D3 Team Title.  

On the track indoors, she was 2nd in the MileSplit Scholastic Showcase 1,600 with a 4:56.36 and 5th in the OATCCC State Indoor D2/3 1600 with a 5:12.16.  She  capped off her HS 1,600 career outdoors running undefeated in the 1,600 and the 3,200.  In the 1,600, she won her 3rd straight D3 1,600m State title with a 4:49.06.  In the 3,200 she won the State title with a 10:56.80 after back to back 2nd place finishes in 2014 and 2015.  She helped the Aquinas girls set a new D3 and D3 State Meet record in the 4x8 with a 9:05.84, winning their 3rd straight D3 4x8 title.   In addition, she was a crucial member of the Aquinas team, helping lead them to their 2nd straight D3 Team Title.  

Personal Records
  • 800m (in) - 2:20.90
  • 1600m (in) - 4:56.36
  • 1600m - 4:49.06
  • 1 Mile (in) - 5:32.10
  • 3200m (in) - 11:05.95
  • 3200m - 10:38.34
  • 5K (xc) - 17:36.20
  • 6K (xc) - 21:58.10