University School junior Thomas Lodowski enters Friday night's OHSAA Division II Region 6 Championships as Ohio's top-ranked 800m runner after running 1:49.85 to win the district title at Nordonia last week.
The mark ranks No. 16 nationally this season and, according to the MileSplit database, stands as the sixth-fastest 800m ever run by an Ohio high school athlete.
Friday's regional final presents an immediate opportunity to improve upon that mark.
Lodowski's rise has been steady over the last three seasons. As a freshman in 2024, he ran 2:00.65 in the 800m. Last year, he lowered that best to 1:52.65 and placed third at the OHSAA Division I State Championships as a sophomore. This spring, he opened eyes with a 1:52.38 runner-up finish in the seeded section at Arcadia before dropping under 1:50 at districts.
His range extends beyond the 800m. Lodowski owns personal bests of 49.58 in the 400m and 4:17.37 in the 1600m, and he has carried that success across all three seasons. During the winter, he finished second in the 800m at the Ohio Indoor State Championships behind defending state champion Latrell Hughes and holds the Ohio indoor state record in the 600m according to MileSplit rankings.
Away from the track, Lodowski is a straight-A student and an Academic All-Ohio selection.
Now the focus shifts to Friday night. Lodowski already owns Ohio's fastest time this season, but with regionals underway and a 1:49.85 already on the board, there is a chance the mark does not stay there for long.
University School junior Thomas Lodowski enters Friday night's OHSAA Division II Region 6 Championships as Ohio's top-ranked 800m runner after running 1:49.85 to win the district title at Nordonia last week.
The mark ranks No. 16 nationally this season and, according to the MileSplit database, stands as the sixth-fastest 800m ever run by an Ohio high school athlete.
Friday's regional final presents an immediate opportunity to improve upon that mark.
