The longest championship run in the history of Ohio high school field hockey is alive entering this fall, but the depth of the Columbus area does not stop there.
As Thomas Worthington tries to win an unprecedented fifth consecutive state championship – a year after becoming the first team to win four in a row – the Cardinals return a plethora of talent but must make up for the production lost to graduation with all-time leading scorer and three-time, first-team all-state honoree Sophia Borghese.
Which team will provide the best challenge to Thomas’ superiority?
The answer might come from central Ohio. Local teams have won 11 state titles in a row, seven of those going to Thomas, and five championship games in that time have pitted two Columbus-area
teams, including last year when the Cardinals defeated Upper Arlington 3-1.
Here are 12 central Ohio field hockey players to watch this fall:
Sloane Bunker, Upper Arlington
A junior midfielder and Miami University commit, Bunker is one of four returning starters from last year’s state runner-up team, UA’s first state finalist since 1990. The second-team all-state honoree anchored a defense that gave up only 18 goals in 22 games, posted 10 shutouts and also returns its starting goalie in sophomore Peyton Garvey.
Delaney Casey, Thomas Worthington
A junior defender and midfielder, Casey made a considerable impact in her first full varsity season with 65 steals for a defense that allowed 0.65 of a goal per game on average. Casey started all 23 games, earned second-team all-COFHL and is being recruited by several Division I programs, according to coach Terri Simonetti Frost. Older sisters Reilly and Rowan play collegiately at Bellarmine and Ohio University, respectively.
Mae Conroy, Thomas Worthington
The senior goalie and Indiana commit has started all 69 of the Cardinals’ games the past three seasons, posting 14 shutouts last year – four of which came in the postseason – with 115 saves on 130 shots and only 15 goals allowed in 23 games. Conroy, who has recorded 30 shutouts the past two seasons, earned second-team all-state and this fall is one of 14 goalies among MAX Field Hockey’s top 150 players nationally for her class.
Peyton Frost, Thomas Worthington
A senior attacker and the daughter of Thomas’ coach, Frost made her mark on defense last fall – despite her stated position – with 47 steals. She contributed seven goals and seven assists, was named second-team all-COFHL and entered her senior season with 29 goals, 29 assists and 152 steals for her career.
Avery Garrett, Olentangy Liberty
A junior midfielder and first-team all-COFHL honoree a year ago, Garrett’s 17 goals and nine assists led the Patriots to a regional semifinal. The team’s MVP last season, Garrett won an AAU Junior Olympic Games gold medal in early August with Team Netherlands and earned the event’s Joel Ferrell Award, given to a top achiever in each sport.
Katie Neviaser, Columbus Academy
The senior midfielder and Georgetown commit’s play should be crucial to a Vikings team seeking its first state berth since its most recent title in 2019. A first-team all-state honoree last season, Neviaser had nine goals and five assists during Academy’s run to a regional semifinal.
Caroline Overmyer, Upper Arlington
A senior attacker who, like Bunker, is a Miami commit, Overmyer’s 15 goals and five assists were part of a balanced offense in UA’s second consecutive run to the state tournament. The first-team all-state honoree netted five game-winning goals in 2025 and impresses first-year Golden Bears coach Homero Pardi with her “ability to stretch defenses, create scoring opportunities and attack space with tremendous pace.”
Logan Snyder, New Albany
A senior midfielder and four-year starter who is committed to play lacrosse at Dartmouth, Snyder’s eight goals and five assists in 2025 helped the Eagles to a regional runner-up finish. A second-team all-COFHL selection, Snyder will be one of several key upperclassmen for New Albany, along with another four-year starter in defender and Batten University commit Riley Snead.
Camryn Spears, Thomas Worthington
A sophomore attacker and defender, Spears racked up nine goals, a state-leading 28 assists and 82 steals during a freshman season in which she played every position except goalie. Spears started 21 games, missing two because of illness, and is one of MAX Field Hockey’s top 100 sophomores to watch nationally.
Kennedy Turner, Olentangy Liberty
A junior forward and the Patriots’ MVP on offense a season ago, Turner’s 21 goals and nine assists led an offense that averaged just under four goals a game but posted 10 in a season-opening shutout at Lancaster on Aug. 17. The second-team all-league honoree’s production helped Liberty (12-6) improve by two wins from 2024 and double its win total from 2023.
Grace Walker, Watterson
The senior midfielder and Lynchburg commit missed most of last season because of a knee injury, but coach Janet Baird nonetheless called Walker “my best player” who should return in the coming weeks and make an immediate difference for a team coming off its third consecutive regional runner-up finish. The Eagles entered this season with 50 wins overall and a 24-0-1 mark in the COFHL-East since an overtime loss to Thomas in the 2022 state final.
Alexandra Wong, Dublin Scioto
A junior forward, Wong will be a central figure as the Irish try a resurgence back into varsity play this fall. Wong had six goals and 10 assists a season ago, when Scioto skipped COFHL play due to the majority of the team being new to the sport. A year-round club participant, coach Kailee Sikorski said Wong “has strong stick skills and [is a good] all-around player.”
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at dpurpura@dispatch.com and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio high school field hockey players to watch in 2026 season
