Dom Ellis and Loveland Relay Team Shine at Ohio State Track Championships

COLUMBUS, OH — The 2026 Ohio High School Athletic Association track and field state championships faced disruptions from Mother Nature, as weather delays pushed numerous events to Sunday, June 7. Despite the setbacks, the third day of competition saw Cincinnati athletes adding to their city’s accolades.

St. Xavier's senior, Dom Ellis, captured the Division I title in the 3,200-meter race, further solidifying his legacy in distance running at the school. Committed to Indiana University, Ellis led a strong pack of Cincinnati competitors, including Ryne Reynolds from Little Miami and Caden Winship from Mason. "We have a lot of really good runners down in Cincinnati, which makes it really fun to be able to compete with them all the time," Ellis remarked after his race.

Ellis adopted a strategic approach to the race, initially pacing himself in 15th place at the 800-meter mark. He surged forward to claim second by the halfway point and ultimately dominated the final laps, finishing with a time of 1:00.53 for the last 400 meters. If he secures victory in the 1,600-meter event on Sunday, he will become only the second boy from Cincinnati to achieve a distance triple crown, a feat last accomplished by Doug Bockenstette in the 1993-1994 season.

In Division II, the Loveland girls' 4x800-meter relay team set a new state record, thanks in part to strong performances from seniors Delaney Cilley and Caroline Murnan. Cilley started off with a fast split of 2:16.74, while freshman Brynleigh Scherman maintained the lead with a time of 2:16.77. "I knew we had a chance to be state champs," said Cilley, who has been racing with Murnan since seventh grade. Murnan capped off the relay with an impressive 2:08.01, leading the team to a record-breaking finish of 9:05.14.

Talawanda's Abra Mills also made headlines by finishing third in the 3,200-meter run, breaking a long-standing school record with a personal best of 10:37.62. Reflecting on her performance, Mills expressed surprise at her success, stating, "I was not expecting that at all." She has emerged as a key member of her team, contributing to back-to-back regional titles in cross country.

With a strong showing from Cincinnati athletes and several records broken, the state championships highlighted the depth of talent in the region's track and field community.