Top 50 Returning Boys Division 1 Individuals

(according to time)

Rank		Time	Athlete Name	Team	C/O	Date	Meet
	1.	15:02.36	Zach Wills	OH Mason	2011	09/27/2008	Midwest Meet of Champions

As the best runner in the state of Ohio, Wills returns for his junior campaign to defend his individual and team title from the Cross Country state meet last year.  Wills won every meet in Ohio that he entered last year, with victories coming at Brian Plasman, Mason, Alliance, Malone, Midwest Meet of Champions during the regular season.  Wills then swept the Ohio postseason.  His only loss in Cross Country occured at the Nike Midwest Regional Meet where he finished 8th.  Wills was named the 2008 Gatorade Cross Country runner of the year.  At the Midwest Meet of Champions Wills got dangerously close to joining the sub 15 club when he ran 15:02.  In the Outdoor track season Wills defended his 3200m title by running 9:02.  After the Ohio season Wills went on to finish second in the two mile run at Nike Outdoor Nationals, even beating fresman phenom Lukas Verzbicas.  Wills then qualified for the World Youth Trials in Bressanone, Italy, where he finished ninth in the 3000m run.

2.

15:31.31

Colby Alexander

OH Strongsville

2010

09/20/2008

Strongsville Second Sole Invitational

Alexander put together a nice little resume at the start of the season before he suffered a bad race at the Boardman/GlenOak regional where he finished 25th overall.  Up until the regional meet Alexander finished in the top ten all of his races, including winning the Clay Eagle Invite, and finishing second at his conference meet, Strongsville, and the Michigan State Spartan/Nike Playmaker meet in East Lansing, Michigan.  During the Track season Alexander qualified for the both the Indoor and the Outdoor state meet in the 1600m run, and even finished 18th in the Mile run at the Nike Outdoor Nationals.

3.

15:31.95

Travis Hawes

OH LaSalle

2011

09/27/2008

Midwest Meet of Champions

Hawes quietly put together a great regular season last year, taking medalist honors at his first three meets (Finishtiming.com, Greenville, Springboro) and then again at his conference meet.  In between those races he finished in the top five at Michigan State Spartan/Nike Playmaker meet,  All-Ohio Catholic, Midwest Meet of Champions (where he set his PR of 15:31) and Les Eisenhart.  In the post season Hawes finished third in his district and seventh at the Troy Regional meet before having a dissapointing showing at the state meet.  Hawes will definitely look to show that he belongs to be mentioned with the top Division 1 runners this year and will undoubtedly look to improve on this finish at the Cross Country state meet come November.

4.

15:34.27

Tsehaye Hiluf

OH Reynoldsburg

2012

09/27/2008

Midwest Meet of Champions

Hiluf came onto the Cross Country scene last year with a bang by running sub 16 by mid September as a freshman.  As a freshman Hiluf finished in the top ten in every race he ran in except for the state meet, where he finished 30th overall, but was still the top placing freshman in the meet.  Hiluf's best race cam at the Midwest Meet of Champions, where he finished fifth among stiff competition.  During the Indoor track season Hiluf qualified for the state meet in the 1600m run.

5.

15:39.87

Dylan Papp

OH Green

2010

09/27/2008

Midwest Meet of Champions

Half of the best 1-2 punch in the state, Papp looks to improve on his fifth place finish at the Cross Countyr state meet from a year ago.  While Papp didn't win any meets last year (according to MileSplit records) he did however place in the top five in all but two meets.  Papp's track work from the outdoor season also indicates that he is ready to have another solid cross country season.  Papp finished 7th in the 3200m run at the Outdoor state meet by running sub 9:30.

	6.	15:41.12	Kyle Wheeler	OH Green	2010	09/27/2008	Midwest Meet of Champions
	7.	15:42.92	Jeff Hannaford	OH Westerville North	2011	10/11/2008	Ohio Capital Conference - Cardinal and Central Divisions
	8.	15:44.03	Doug Norris	OH Vandaila-Butler	2010	09/27/2008	Midwest Meet of Champions
*** MILESPLIT US FIRST TEAM ELITE 15:45.00 ***
	9.	15:47.19	Jay McKenna	OH Hilliard Darby	2010	10/18/2008	OHSAA District Cross Country Meet - Watkins Memorial
	10.	15:47.93	Greg Turissini	OH St. Johns Jesuit	2011	09/27/2008	Midwest Meet of Champions
	11.	15:49.59	Nick Schneider	OH Dublin Jerome	2010	10/11/2008	Ohio Capital Conference - Cardinal and Central Divisions
	12.	15:50.07	Luis Carbajal	OH Dublin Scioto	2011	10/11/2008	Ohio Capital Conference - Cardinal and Central Divisions
	13.	15:51.09	Hunter Heaton	OH Medina	2010	10/25/2008	OHSAA Cross Country Regions 2, 6 & 10
	14.	15:52.16	Ethan Bokeno	OH LaSalle	2010	09/27/2008	Midwest Meet of Champions
	15.	15:53.47	Izak Velasquez	OH Oak Hills	2010	09/27/2008	St. Xavier Invitational
	16.	15:56.67	Josh Sabo	OH Revere	2011	09/27/2008	Fairmont Firebird Invitational
	17.	15:58.00	Daniel Garleb	OH Pickerington North	2010	09/06/2008	McGowan Invitational
	18.	15:58.70	Aaron Dinzeo	OH Sidney	2010	09/20/2008	Sidney Invitational
	19.	15:58.75	Nick El-Khoury	OH Turpin	2010	09/27/2008	St. Xavier Invitational
	20.	15:59.09	Sam Deskin	OH Boardman	2010	11/01/2008	OHSAA State Cross Country Championships
	21.	16:00.36	Brian Hannaford	OH Westerville North	2011	10/18/2008	OHSAA District Cross Country Meet - Watkins Memorial
	22.	16:00.79	Ian McNair	OH St. Johns Jesuit	2011	09/27/2008	Midwest Meet of Champions
	23.	16:01.43	Aaron Gehring	OH Lakota West	2010	10/11/2008	Greater Miami Conference Championship
	24.	16:02.81	Dylan Lewis	OH Newark	2010	10/11/2008	Ohio Capital Conference - Ohio and Capital Divisions
	25.	16:02.90	Ben Miller	OH St. Johns Jesuit	2010	11/15/2008	Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regional
	26.	16:03.57	Joivally Turner	OH Maple Heights	2010	11/01/2008	OHSAA State Cross Country Championships
	27.	16:04.31	Tim McConnell	OH Hudson	2010	10/11/2008	Northeast Ohio Conference - Valley Division Championship
	28.	16:04.41	Matthew Kahl	OH Mason	2010	09/27/2008	Midwest Meet of Champions
	29.	16:05.09	Matt Kincaid	OH Mason	2011	09/27/2008	Midwest Meet of Champions
	30.	16:05.29	Nick Hissrich	OH Pickerington North	2010	10/04/2008	Les Eisenhart Invitational
	31.	16:06.15	Jacob Barnes	OH Sylvania Northview	2010	09/20/2008	Strongsville Second Sole Invitational
	32.	16:07.30	Matt Larcomb	OH Mason	2010	09/27/2008	Midwest Meet of Champions
	33.	16:07.60	David Knack	OH Medina	2011	10/25/2008	OHSAA Cross Country Regions 2, 6 & 10
	34.	16:07.64	Kenta Shimizu	OH Hilliard Davidson	2010	10/18/2008	OHSAA District Cross Country Meet - Watkins Memorial
	35.	16:07.70	Greg Black	OH Pickerington North	2010	10/18/2008	OHSAA District Cross Country Meet - Watkins Memorial
	36.	16:08.43	Chadd Kiggins	OH Carroll	2011	09/06/2008	Tiffin Carnival
	37.	16:08.99	Conner Paez	OH Solon	2010	11/01/2008	OHSAA State Cross Country Championships
	38.	16:09.10	Micah Armbrust	OH Big Walnut	2011	10/04/2008	Les Eisenhart Invitational
	39.	16:09.16	John Kieffer	OH Dublin Coffman	2010	10/04/2008	Les Eisenhart Invitational
	40.	16:10.62	Curtis Hanle	OH Louisville	2011	09/06/2008	Tiffin Carnival
	41.	16:12.00	Evan Baum	OH St. Ignatius	2010	09/20/2008	All Ohio Catholic Championships
	42.	16:12.12	Steven Boyd	OH Hilliard Davidson	2011	09/27/2008	Midwest Meet of Champions
	43.	16:12.73	Alex Pritchard	OH Lexington	2010	10/18/2008	OHSAA District Cross Country Meet - Amanns Park
	44.	16:13.70	Josh Makin	OH Elder	2011	10/18/2008	OHSAA District Cross Country Meet - VOA Park
	45.	16:13.86	Hiruy Abraha	OH Reynoldsburg	2011	09/27/2008	Midwest Meet of Champions
	46.	16:15.01	Miles Pittak	OH Amherst Steele	2011	10/25/2008	OHSAA Cross Country Regions 2, 6 & 10
	47.	16:16.00	Aaron Schenk	OH St. Francis De Sales-Toledo	2011	10/11/2008	Toledo City Leage Championship
	48.	16:16.55	Denton Thompson	OH Hilliard Darby	2010	10/11/2008	Ohio Capital Conference - Cardinal and Central Divisions
	49.	16:17.00	Chris Manuszak	OH St. Ignatius	2010	09/20/2008	All Ohio Catholic Championships
	50.	16:17.10	JJ Webber	OH Lakota West	2011	10/18/2008	OHSAA District Cross Country Meet - VOA Park

Top 25 Returning Boys Division 1 Teams

(according to time)  ** Corrected at 9:50pm on 8/26/09**

While most people in the state will agree that Mason is the team to beat, St. Johns Jesuit will have a shot dethroning the reigning champs, especially if the can get three student athletes to run sub 16 and two or more running in the low 16's.  St. Johns Jeuit will need to drop some time, but it won't be impossible.  This team has a great mix of sophomores, juniors and seniors, five of which have state meet experience from last year's sixth place team.

The number one team in most people's minds, the state title is Mason's to lose.  Lead by the phenom Zach Wills, Mason returns six of seven runners from last year's state championship team, and they only lose their number 3 runner from a year ago.  Mason legitimately could have four athletes that run sub 16 this year, as well as one that could run sub 15.  Last year, as a team, Mason finished 10th at the Nike Midwest Regional meet, and this year they start the preseason out ranked 6th in the nation according to The Harrier.  To improve on that number 6 national ranking Mason will need to find a solid number 5 runner amongst their large team.

Last year's tenth place team at the Cross Country state meet, St. Ignatius returns five of seven runners, only losing their sixth and seventh runners to graduation.  St. Ignatius is the only team to return 10 runners that have run sub 17:20 and also has the tightest 1 through 5 pack, with just a difference of 26 seconds between the runners.  If St. Ignatius can run in a pack like this and drop some time together they will have a shot at making the podium as a team come November at the horse track.  This is a very veteran team, with a solid mix of both seniors and juniors that will be running varsity all year long.  Look for the Iggies to make some noise come tournament time.

LaSalle had a rough state meet last year, finishg 15th overall at the state meet, and having only six runners finish the race.  LaSalle will look to climb up the final rankings and will have a good shot being in the top five, and possibly even making the podium come this November.  LaSalle returns all but one runner from last years state meet team, losing their number three runner to graduation.  LaSalle is one of only two teams that return ten runners that have all ran belwo 17:30 (St. Ignatius is the other team).  If LaSalle can have their 3-5 runners drop into the low 16's they could be a team that gets talked about a lot.

Pickerington North finished a dissapointing eighth at the Pickerington Regional race, but they do return six of seven runners from last seasons varsity team, only losing their number seven runner.  In order for Pick. North to be competitive this year they will need to see substantial improvement out of their 4, 5 and 6 runners.  This is an experienced team, as all of the top ten runners are either juniors or seniors.  Look for Pickerington North to perform better at the regional meet this year and make up for last years performance.

Medina is the only team in Division 1 that returns seven runners that have run 17:00 or better last year.  The fifth place team from last year's Cross Country state meet, Medina loses four runners from their state meet team, including their top runner from last year, Donny Roys.  This year's Medina team is lead by Hunter Heaton, who has already made three trips to Scioto Downs and will look to extend that streak to four.  This is a talented and experienced team that is primarily made up of juniors and seniors.  There may even be a freshman or two that might crack the varsity lineup as head coach Milt Place has said that Medina's freshman class this year may be the most talented freshman class that he has ever coached.