Richland 200: Kicking off the Top 50 with hyped up Nos. 41-50

MANSFIELD — It is always fun seeing that the hype is real.

The athletes coming in at Nos. 41-50 had a ton of hype surrounding them last athletic season and they all lived up to it in a major way. Now, they come in with even more in 2024-25 and they have the talent to do it again. Let's meet our next batch of Richland 200 athletes as we officially enter the Top 50.

41. Davion Mack, Mansfield Christian

Mack lived up to the hype and then some. In his freshman debut with the Mansfield Christian Flames, Mack earned honorable mention All-Ohio, third team All-Northwest District, first team All-District 6 and first team All-Mid-Buckeye Conference during the 2023-24 basketball season. Mack averaged 18.7 points and 7.4 rebounds helping the Flames win 20 games for the first time in 34 years. With three years left to play, Mack has a bright future and one that should make him a four-time All-Ohioan.

42. Ray Caudill, Lucas

Caudill was one of the best defensive football players in Richland County last season piling up 89 tackles, two sacks, eight tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for the Cubs. He was an honorable mention All-Ohioan while also adding second team All-Northwest District honors to his list. Caudill is also a standout wrestler and a second team All-Mid-Buckeye Conference baseball player making him a rare three-sport athlete in today's world. He enters his senior season with some very high expectations and the ability to live up to them.

43. Naomi Gearheart, Crestview

Just a freshman last year, Gearheart had a huge debut wrestling season where she finished fifth in the state at 155 pounds. Gearheart won her first match at state before falling in her second by a 7-6 decision. She went on to win three more matches to finish in fifth place nabbing All-Ohio honors in the process. She finished the year 31-5 and has to be considered a favorite to compete for a state championship next year and beyond.

44. Cooper Brockway, Crestview

Brockway earned All-Ohio honors as a member of the 4x800 crew at Crestview. He joined Bransen Hider, Everett Smith and Logan Friges to take sixth place in Division III with a time of 8:05.47 to finish the season on the podium. Brockway also had a nice cross country season where he finished 74th in Division III with a time of 17:09.3. Now that he is back for his senior year, Brockway will look to get into the Top 30 in cross country and maybe even lead that 4x800 team to state title contention.

45. Cooper Watters, Lexington

Watters is an All-Ohio swimmer for Lex who took 12th in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:46.22 showing great speed. He also showed his stamina in the 500 yard freestyle taking 11th in that event with a time of 4:50.26 all while being an integral part of the 200 yard freestyle relay team that finished in fourth place at state with a time of 1:28.26. He joined teammates Ivan Prykhodko, Oden Bell and Isaac McFadden. And finally, Watters joined McFadden, Bell and Trey Nickoli on the 400 yard freestyle relay team that finished 11th with a time of 3:18.70 to finish the 2024 state swim meet as a four-event All-Ohioan. Oh, and he was only a sophomore when he did all that.

46. Grantham Trumpower, Ontario

Trumpower had quite the freshman swim season. First, he was an All-Ohioan in the 50 free with a time of 22.05 which netted him 12th place in Division II. He then took 13th in the 100 free with a 48.68before earning All-Ohio honors as a member of the 200 free relay and 400 free relay teams. He joined Logan Bernat, Evan Ruhe and Owen Walter in the 200 free relay taking sixth overall with a time of 1:29.17 before the same quartet teamed up in the 400 relay with a time of 3:19.29 to take eighth. Trumpower ended his sophomore season as a four-event All-Ohioan setting the stage for some amazing things to come in the next two years.

47. Logan Friges, Crestview

Friges was on that sixth-place 4x800 relay team with Brockway and was also a state track qualifier as a member of the 4x400 team that took 13th in the prelims to miss out on a shot at the finals. As a sophomore, Friges was also an All-Ohioan in the 800 and will likely return to form in that event during his senior year. He is also expected to be a huge part of the football team this fall and with it being his senior year, expect Friges to have the best year of his career across all of his sports.

48. Bransen Hider, Crestview

Hinder ran the second leg of that All-Ohio 4x800 relay crew for the Cougars and put the team in prime position to finish on the podium during the Division III state track meet. Hinder is the youngster of the group and will only be a junior heading into the 2025 track season so expect him to take a huge step forward and give the relay squad a legit chance at a state title.

49. Everett Smith, Crestview

Smith ran the third leg of the 4x800 relay. He was a huge part of why the Cougars kept things so close and finished just five seconds off of the lead. Every one of the Top 5 4x800 relay teams in Division II had at least one senior on the squad while the Cougars will bring back everyone and with Smith being one of the team leaders as a senior, it wouldn't be shocking to see this team finish atop the podium in 2025.

50. Logan Bernat, Ontario

Bernat was part of the 200 free relay and 400 free relay squads at Ontario that took All-Ohio honors. He also took 21st in the 100 backstroke in the prelim missing out on a chance to compete in the finals, but with the 2024-25 season being his senior year, Bernat is about to break out in a major way and help the Warriors do some amazing things as a team.

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland 200: Kicking off the Top 50 with hyped up Nos. 41-50