5.
Athlete: Conant Smith
Year: Class of 2019
School: Middletown, OH
Analysis: With the depth in Ohio last year Conant Smith was under the radar for most of the 2017 cross country season. It wasn't until the Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regional and even the National meet that he jumped into the national spotlight. Smith was the runner-up at the OHSAA Ohio State Cross Country Championship just hundredths of a second off of Dustin Horter from Lakota East (OH). Smith then placed third at the NXN Midwest Region meet again not far off Horter and runner-up Danny Kilrea of Lyons Township High School (IL). All signs indicate that Smith is going to be the guy who steps up and carries the torch this year for Ohio at the national level.
