Advertisement

PREP CROSS COUNTRY: Regionals set to take place at New Prairie Saturday

matt lucas, goshen news, ind.
·4 min read

Oct. 19—The mid-point of the cross country postseason has arrived. Without the semi-state round, the New Prairie regional round this Saturday serves as the stage to help determine who joins the action at the state finals next weekend.

With all of our area teams still cheering on their athletes in either team or individual capacity, the action at New Prairie will be extremely close and the cutoff line for advancing will be razor thin.

With the boys race scheduled for 10:30 a.m. CT and the girls to follow at 11:15, the anticipation for both will be boiling until the flag is waved at the start Saturday.

BOYS RACE

25 teams make up the competition Saturday as well as the 75 individuals who helped place in the top-15 runners outside of advancing teams last weekend in the sectional round.

That makes for a loaded slate to begin the action Saturday.

Of the 25 teams, five are ranked in the latest poll from the Indiana Association of Track and Cross County Coaches (IATCCC). Those five include No. 11 Valparaiso, No. 12 Northridge, No. 18 Lake Central, No. 19 Penn and No. 20 LaPorte.

The Raiders sport the best chance for our area teams to advance. All seven runners placed in the top-20 at the Elkhart sectional last weekend, winning the competition at Ox Bow Park by a wide margin. Goshen, Westview, Elkhart and NorthWood followed Northridge as advancing teams.

Two of Northridge's runners actually lead the top competition entering the field this weekend. Compiling the sectional times, Baylor Miller (9) and Marc Hernandez (14) place inside the top-15 runners this weekend. Other area standouts making the top-15 in sectional performance are Noah Bontrager (1, Westview), Dorian Diaz (6, Goshen) and Levi Schlegal (15, Goshen).

The RedHawks will also be in the mix to fight for a team spot at the state finals.

On a course known for the inclusion of "Agony Hill" and other challenge aspects, it'll make for a good decider on which runners advance to the final round. With rain being questioned to make an appearance, another soggy battle for our area runners may be in store.

GIRLS RACE

Holding the same format as the boys race, the girls, who expect to run after the completion of the boys race Saturday, also bring in a talented field that will be a tough one to break into for our area schools.

Four ranked teams join the field, including No. 8 Valparaiso, No. 11 Morgan Township, No. 16 Lake Central and No. 22 Penn. With five teams advancing, the opportunity to pass one of those teams, or simply take the fifth spot, is up in the air.

Using last week's sectional times, Northridge's Dakotah Moore holds the slight edge for the top-15 runners competing. She's joined by other area runners Kassandra Ortega (4, Goshen) and Mia Hodgson (15, Wawasee).

The Raiders edged Goshen at the sectional as the two teams finished at the top. Concord, Elkhart and Fairfield followed.

The top five teams and 15 individuals on non-advancing teams in each race Saturday will make it to the state finals at LaVern Gibson in Terre Haute on Oct. 28.

TEAMS PARTICIPATING (BOYS): Benton Central, Chesterton, Crown Point, DeMotte Christian, Elkhart, Goshen, Highland, Hobart, Illiana Christian, Kankakee Valley, Lake Central, LaPorte, Lowell, Merrillville, Mishawaka, Northridge, NorthWood, Penn, Portage, Rensselaer Central, South Bend Adams, Trinity, Valparaiso, Westview, Winamac Community

TOP 15 RUNNERS (by sectional time): Noah Bontrager (15:31, Westview), Max Malloy (15:31, Elkhart), Aaron Richter (15:55, Elkhart), Shane Conroy (15:56, Portage), Joseph LaPatra (15:58, Griffith), Dorian Diaz (16:03, Goshen), Jalen Strietelmeier (16:14, Highland), Mason Nobles (16:16, Valparaiso), Baylor Miller (16:19, Northridge), Weston Hulen (16:24, Crown Point), Evan O'Connor (16:24, Chesterton), William Bauschke (16:27, Mishawaka), Ben Perschon (16:27, Lake Central), Marc Hernandez (16:28, Northridge), Levi Schlegal (16:29, Goshen)

TEAMS PARTICIPATING (GIRLS): Benton Central, Chesterton, Concord, Crown Point, Elkhart, Fairfield Goshen, Highland, Illiana Christian, Kankakee Valley, Kouts, Lake Central, LaPorte, Mishawaka, Morgan Township, Munster, New Prairie, Northridge, Penn, Portage, South Bend Adams, Tri-County, Twin Lakes, Valparaiso, Winamac Community

TOP 15 RUNNERS (by sectional time): Dakotah Moore (18:54, Northridge), Whitney Anderson (18:59, Valparaiso), Krista Sytsma (19:00, Kankakee Valley), Kassandra Ortega (19:14, Goshen) Elizabeth Ehrhardt (19:19, Valparaiso), Elora Bliss (19:21, Munster), Addison Roth (19:27, Lake Central), Dana Abbring (19:32, Morgan Township), Brigid Crowley (19:33, Lake Central), Cassandra Cohen (19:34, Hobart), Destiny Lopez (19:41, Crown Point), Emersyn Bland (19:45, Morgan Township), Peyton Bucher (19:47, Morgan Township), Avery Olthof (19:50, Illiana Christian), Mia Hodgson (19:51, Wawasee)

Reach Matt Lucas at 574-533-2151, ext. 240325, or at matt.lucas@goshennews.com.