Gabelman’s feat among top storylines
Dublin Coffman, Lancaster and Westerville North are among the central Ohio boys cross country teams that appear to be headed for strong postseasons in Division I.
Among individuals, North’s Ben Gabelman recently broke the 36-year-old program record. It was a major goal for the senior as he tries to top his fourth-place finish at state (15:31.4) last fall.
Bexley and Mount Gilead have been going strong in Division II and Division III, respectively.
Here are some storylines from the boys cross country season so far:
Gabelman sets record
Westerville North’s Ben Gabelman entered the season with lofty goals, including breaking the program record of 14:53 that was set by Bob Kennedy in 1987.
Gabelman did that last week with his first-place effort of 14:49.4 in the Bob Reall Invitational at Lancaster. He also helped the Warriors (71) win the 21-team meet ahead of Coffman (98), Worthington Kilbourne (104), Lancaster (108) and Dublin Scioto (122).
Kennedy, a 1988 North graduate, won individual state titles in 1986 and 1987 after finishing second as a sophomore.
“I thought I would be more excited after breaking the school record,” Gabelman said. “I feel like there’s more left for me to do in high school, so I’m still not super satisfied. The ultimate goal is a state title, but there’s lots of competition around the state.”
Kennedy went on to compete at Indiana University. He finished sixth in the 5,000 meters in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta after placing 12th in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Gabelman’s next major pursuit is winning his first individual state championship Nov. 4 at Fortress Obetz. The postseason begins with the district meet Oct. 21 at Hilliard Darby.
Coffman No. 2 in rankings
Despite losing its top two 2022 state finishers to graduation, Dublin Coffman is the top-ranked area team in the Division I state poll. The Shamrocks are second behind Mason.
Junior Jacob Bolton has been the top runner, followed by seniors Caden Ozbun, Jeremy Bons and Zac Heyob and junior Dylan Mastny. All five competed at state last season.
Shaughnessy (11th, 15:45.2) and William Mcgraw (39th, 16:22.6) helped Coffman finish fourth at state a year ago behind champion Mason. Both are running at Ohio State, along with 2020 Coffman graduate Alex Dediu.
Bexley gearing up
Bexley hopes to make another strong postseason run after finishing 18th at state in Division II last season.
“We’re where we need to be at this point,” coach Eric Acton said. “We’re over some of our aches and pains from the summer, but more importantly, having the chance to compete a half dozen times or so makes a difference.”
The Lions are ranked 13th in the state. Bexley has been led by senior Solomon Mcdow, who was in contention last season at state before being forced to withdraw late in the race because of a health issue.
Senior Athanasius Young, juniors Holden Gohs and Dylan Horn and sophomore Everett Lynch are other key runners.