PODIUM WATCH | 2026 PRESEASON RANKINGS
RETURNING STRENGTH | SIMULATED CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD | PRESEASON STARTING POINT
The opening view
Division I begins with a clear leader and a chase that becomes interesting almost immediately. Mason owns the first Podium Watch ranking with 151 points, a total built from two scorers inside the first eight places and enough support behind them to protect the advantage. Springboro is second at 214, while Thomas Worthington is only eight points farther back at 222. That is a healthy opening margin for Mason, but it is not a reason for anyone else to concede August.
The shape of this race matters as much as the order. Springboro and Thomas Worthington both put two runners near the front. Olentangy Berlin, New Albany, Mentor, Dublin Coffman, and Dublin Jerome form a compact second tier where the fifth scorer and the sixth runner can shift several positions. Beavercreek and Westerville North complete a Top 10 in which the difference between ninth and tenth is just three points.
For runners, this is a reminder that a team ranking is created one place at a time. For parents, it is a way to see why five strong performances matter more than one headline time. For coaches, the preseason question is direct: which lineup can turn its fourth, fifth, and sixth positions into fewer points when the field gets crowded?
How the rankings were created
These rankings use returning runners and recorded 2025 5K performances. Teams were placed in their official 2026 OHSAA divisions. The twenty five fastest eligible teams by five runner average formed each simulated field, with up to seven returners entered per team.
Five runners scored. Sixth and seventh runners displaced opponents and decided ties. The lowest score won, with ties settled by the sixth runner and then the seventh. The number beside a team is its simulated cross country score, not its total time or five runner average.
The recorded performances came from different courses, meets, weather conditions, and points in the 2025 season. No course adjustment was applied. The result measures returning strength through one consistent scoring model, but it does not guarantee what will happen when teams race in 2026.
Official Podium Watch Top 20: The Race Board
The Race Board keeps the official order while showing what creates it. Gap is the number of points separating a team from the team directly ahead. The fifth and sixth columns show scoring place, not runner time. Lower numbers are better.
| Rank | Team | Score | Gap | 5K Avg | Spread | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mason | 151 | Leader | 15:56.68 | 77.00s | 80th | 96th |
| 2 | Springboro | 214 | +63 | 16:10.39 | 64.93s | 88th | 100th |
| 3 | Thom. Worthington | 222 | +8 | 16:08.25 | 77.94s | 90th | 105th |
| 4 | Olen. Berlin | 240 | +18 | 16:14.33 | 78.03s | 103rd | 124th |
| 5 | New Albany | 256 | +16 | 16:13.72 | 101.04s | 119th | 128th |
| 6 | Mentor | 264 | +8 | 16:21.34 | 43.18s | 71st | 81st |
| 7 | Dub. Coffman | 269 | +5 | 16:20.44 | 63.61s | 74th | 106th |
| 8 | Dub. Jerome | 280 | +11 | 16:25.10 | 30.16s | 82nd | 85th |
| 9 | Beavercreek | 303 | +23 | 16:26.35 | 74.31s | 130th | 133rd |
| 10 | Wester. North | 306 | +3 | 16:24.05 | 110.82s | 145th | 153rd |
| 11 | Gah. Lincoln | 318 | +12 | 16:27.45 | 74.68s | 122nd | 125th |
| 12 | Sycamore | 327 | +9 | 16:26.32 | 74.00s | 117th | 132nd |
| 13 | Lebanon | 344 | +17 | 16:33.11 | 40.83s | 93rd | 95th |
| 14 | Wester. Central | 378 | +34 | 16:34.53 | 91.66s | 139th | 151st |
| 15 | Olen. Orange | 393 | +15 | 16:35.40 | 99.40s | 138th | 152nd |
| 16 | Lancaster | 399 | +6 | 16:36.61 | 76.33s | 123rd | 126th |
| 17 | Del. Hayes | 402 | +3 | 16:40.22 | 66.87s | 136th | 147th |
| 18 | Northmont | 404 | +2 | 16:39.45 | 132.30s | 156th | 157th |
| 19 | Perrysburg | 406 | +2 | 16:40.34 | 35.91s | 104th | 111th |
| 20 | Little Miami | 427 | +21 | 16:34.45 | 193.50s | 167th | 171st |
The championship favorite
Mason has the strongest combination of early scoring power and support through seven in this simulated field. Mason does not need every scorer at the front because its first four create room for the fifth.
Mason scores 151 points from places 5, 8, 24, 34, and 80. Eligh Amshoff leads the returners at 15:24.40. Zachary Hayden completes the scoring five at 16:41.40 and 80th in the simulation. The five runner average is 15:56.68, and the first to fifth spread is 77.00 seconds.
The depth continues because sixth runner Thomas Moran places 96th and seventh runner Ojas Parekh places 114th. They can displace opposing scorers and give the lineup protection if its order changes.
How the Race Was Won
This view follows the current top five teams as each scorer is added. It is not a prediction of race order at every moment. It shows which part of the lineup creates the final simulated advantage.
| Team | After 1 | After 2 | After 3 | After 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason | 5 | 13 | 37 | 71 | 151 |
| Springboro | 14 | 37 | 69 | 126 | 214 |
| Thom. Worthington | 6 | 18 | 66 | 132 | 222 |
| Olen. Berlin | 11 | 44 | 86 | 137 | 240 |
| New Albany | 3 | 30 | 77 | 137 | 256 |
Among the current top five, the scoring lead develops this way: after scorer 1, New Albany leads at 3; after scorer 2, Mason leads at 13; after scorer 3, Mason leads at 37; after scorer 4, Mason leads at 71; after scorer 5, Mason leads at 151. The leader owns a 55 point advantage after four scorers, and the fifth scorer adds another 8 points to the final margin.
The closest challengers
Springboro and Thomas Worthington are the first teams with a realistic path toward cutting into Mason's margin, while Olentangy Berlin is close enough to make the podium race a four team conversation if its fifth scorer moves.
Springboro is number 2 with 214 points, 63 behind the leader. It gives away 24 points across the first two scorers, concedes another 31 through scorers three and four, and then gives away 8 at the fifth position. Tyson Andrews is the fifth returner and scores 88th. The five runner spread is 64.93 seconds. Evan Beatty is the sixth runner at 100th.
Thom. Worthington is number 3 with 222 points, 71 behind the leader. It gives away 5 points across the first two scorers, concedes another 56 through scorers three and four, and then gives away 10 at the fifth position. Owen Cunningham is the fifth returner and scores 90th. The five runner spread is 77.94 seconds. Jude Seed is the sixth runner at 105th.
Olen. Berlin is number 4 with 240 points, 89 behind the leader. It gives away 31 points across the first two scorers, concedes another 35 through scorers three and four, and then gives away 23 at the fifth position. Tyson Mount is the fifth returner and scores 103rd. The five runner spread is 78.03 seconds. Mano Vegendla is the sixth runner at 124th.
The Fifth Runner Factor
The fifth scorer is where a strong front group becomes a complete team score. The place gap below compares each contender's fourth and fifth scorers. A smaller gap usually gives the lineup a steadier championship shape.
| Team | Fifth Returner | 2025 5K | 4th Place | 5th Place | Place Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason | Zachary Hayden | 16:41.40 | 34th | 80th | 46 |
| Springboro | Tyson Andrews | 16:44.14 | 57th | 88th | 31 |
| Thom. Worthington | Owen Cunningham | 16:44.96 | 66th | 90th | 24 |
| Olen. Berlin | Tyson Mount | 16:53.07 | 51st | 103rd | 52 |
| New Albany | Kal Meek | 17:00.45 | 60th | 119th | 59 |
Thom. Worthington has the smallest fourth to fifth place gap among the first five teams at 24. New Albany has the largest at 59, which identifies the clearest place where one advancing runner could reshape the top of the standings.
The battle inside the Top 10
Several teams inside the Top 10 are separated by only a handful of points. These are the groups most likely to change when one scorer moves through a pack.
The first close group is Olen. Berlin at 240, New Albany at 256, Mentor at 264, Dub. Coffman at 269, and Dub. Jerome at 280. Only 40 points cover the teams. Their fifth scoring places are Olen. Berlin at 103rd, New Albany at 119th, Mentor at 71st, Dub. Coffman at 74th, and Dub. Jerome at 82nd. One move from a fifth scorer could change the entire group.
The next scoring cluster is Beavercreek at 303 and Wester. North at 306. Only 3 points cover the teams. Their fifth scoring places are Beavercreek at 130th and Wester. North at 145th. One move from a fifth scorer could change the entire group.
The Displacement Report
Sixth and seventh runners do not score when the first five finish, but they still occupy places in the field. That can push an opponent's scorer backward, protect a team when its order changes, and decide a tie. These are the earliest sixth runners in the simulated field.
| Team | Sixth Runner | 6th Place | Seventh Runner | 7th Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mentor | Will Vosen | 81st | Nicholas Penkowski | 84th |
| Dub. Jerome | Carter Hutchinson | 85th | Mathieu Ricchiuti | 120th |
| Lebanon | Ethan Otis | 95th | Cannon Williams | 134th |
| Mason | Thomas Moran | 96th | Ojas Parekh | 114th |
| Springboro | Evan Beatty | 100th | Quintin Harty | 115th |
| Thom. Worthington | Jude Seed | 105th | Weston Mehl | 107th |
The tiebreaks matter here. Olen. Liberty ranks ahead at the shared score of 446 because its sixth runner places 118th, ahead of Watkins Memorial at 148th.
Sleepers outside the Top 10
These sleepers are selected from returning lineup evidence rather than reputation. Each has a visible route toward the Top 10.
Number 13 Lebanon scores 344, which is 38 points from the current tenth place total. Its 40.83 second spread is already one of the most controlled packs in the field. The average is 16:33.11, the spread is 40.83 seconds, and the fifth scorer lands 93rd. Ethan Otis is the sixth runner at 95th.
Number 17 Del. Hayes scores 402, which is 96 points from the current tenth place total. The first four scorers combine for 266 points before the fifth is added, leaving a specific closing target. The average is 16:40.22, the spread is 66.87 seconds, and the fifth scorer lands 136th. Eli Pacheco is the sixth runner at 147th.
Number 19 Perrysburg scores 406, which is 100 points from the current tenth place total. Its 35.91 second spread is already one of the most controlled packs in the field. The average is 16:40.34, the spread is 35.91 seconds, and the fifth scorer lands 104th. Bennett Shultz is the sixth runner at 111th.
Honorable mentions
The honorable mentions are the next five teams in the same simulated standings. They are not selected separately. They finish from twenty first through twenty fifth after all scoring and displacement are complete.
| Rank | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Hil. Darby | 436 |
| 22 | Olen. Liberty | 446 |
| 23 | Watkins Memorial | 446 |
| 24 | Pick. North | 460 |
| 25 | Milford | 467 |
The cutoff is close. Hil. Darby is only 9 points behind number 20 Little Miami. Its fifth scorer places 155th, so even a modest move at the end of the scoring five can cross the line. Olen. Liberty follows with a fifth score of 109th and a five runner spread of 17.10 seconds.
Watkins Memorial, Pick. North, and Milford complete the honorable mention group. Their fastest route into the Top 20 is the same one visible throughout the standings: preserve the front, reduce the fifth score, and bring the sixth runner close enough to displace opponents or protect against a changed lineup.
What could change
Summer development, health, race execution, and normal improvement can change this order. One runner moving through a crowded pack can lower a team score while also displacing rival scorers.
The current lineups show several specific opportunities: Mentor currently has a 43.18 second spread and a fifth score of 71st, Dub. Jerome currently has a 30.16 second spread and a fifth score of 82nd, and Perrysburg currently has a 35.91 second spread and a fifth score of 104th. A tighter fifth position or a stronger sixth runner could produce an immediate reward. The raw times still require context because courses, weather, meets, and timing within the season differed. No course adjustment was applied.
Podium Watch Reader Predictions
The preseason numbers create the starting point. Now the Ohio cross country community gets a vote. The website version of this article can display live results after each reader makes a selection.
| Prediction | Choices |
|---|---|
| Who finishes first? | Mason (151), Springboro (214), Thom. Worthington (222), Olen. Berlin (240) |
| Which sleeper rises the most? | Lebanon (No. 13), Del. Hayes (No. 17), Perrysburg (No. 19) |
| Which honorable mention enters the Top 20 first? | Hil. Darby (No. 21), Olen. Liberty (No. 22), Watkins Memorial (No. 23), Pick. North (No. 24), Milford (No. 25) |
Vote, share the article, and explain which part of the lineup makes your choice possible.
Final outlook
Mason deserves the opening number one because its front runners create low numbers and its lineup keeps scoring through seven. Springboro and Thomas Worthington are the closest challengers, but the most volatile portion of Division I may be the group from Olentangy Berlin through Dublin Jerome. A modest improvement by one fifth runner could rewrite that entire order. The preseason table is the starting line, not the finish. Share this preview with runners, parents, and coaches, then tell us which Division I team is most likely to make the biggest jump.
