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Teays Valley's Katy Zang runs to records at New Balance nationals
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- Teays Valley's Katy Zang runs to records at New Balance nationals
This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.
A record-setting indoor track and field season has set up what figures to be a memorable outdoor season for Teays Valley senior Katy Zang .
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The Indiana signee heads into the spring coming off three record performances during her final prep indoor season.
Zang set a national record in the 2-mile at the New Balance indoor nationals March 13 in Boston. Her time of 9 minutes, 37.15 seconds eclipsed the previous mark of 9:38.68 set in 2013 by Mary Cain, a New York City native who went on to compete in that year's World Championships in Moscow.
Teays Valley's Katy Zang, shown competing in the Division I regional cross-country meet in October 2025, turned in two record-setting performances at the New Balance indoor nationals in Boston.
"I was the favorite," Zang said. "I really don't like being the favorite. I feel like there's a lot more pressure. I prefer not to be the favorite."
Zang closed the New Balance meet by winning the 1-mile on March 15 in a meet-record 4:35.02.
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In the Ohio high school Division I indoor state meet, Zang won the 3,200 meters on March 6 at SPIRE Institute in Geneva in a state-record 9:42.84, well ahead of runner-up Elena Aldrink of Olentangy Liberty (10:24.05).
Zang is less than two years removed from suffering a stress fracture to her left tibia during the 2024 Division I regional cross-country meet.
"I didn't think I would be doing what I'm doing now, but I'm very grateful that I've been able to recover and put myself back to where I was," Zang said.
Zang closed 2025 by winning the New Balance RunningLane XC Championships gold race (17:04.28) – the top event in the meet – on Dec. 6 in Huntsville, Alabama.
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"The sky is the limit for her," said Zach Frank, Teays Valley's girls cross-country and track distance coach. "I think she's the most talented kid aerobically in the nation in high school. There's just a few things she has to put together to show the rest of the nation what she can do. She was able to do that [March 13]."
Teays Valley's Katy Zang gets set to run the 3,200 meters during the 2025 Division I state meet.
Zang capped the 2025 high school cross-country season by finishing 30th (18:58.57) at the Division I state meet after placing second at regional (17:37.27) behind Aldrink (17:13.74), who went on to win at state (17:25.9).
Following a brief break, according to Frank, Zang will prepare for outdoor track, in which she was fifth in the 3,200 (10:37.59) in the Division I state meet last spring.
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"I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of the spring season," Zang said. "I'm ready for the challenge."
High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio high school runner breaks records at New Balance nationals
