Preview of 2023 cross country season

Aug. 6—This fall, area cross country runners have a tough act to follow as both Pendleton Heights teams and six athletes qualified for semistate, and five athletes advanced to the state finals.

Three of those state finalists — Lapel's Cameron Smith and Sophie Goodwin and PH junior Ava Jarrell — are back as is Daleville's Faith Norris, who missed state one transfer position.

Jarrell is seeking her third straight Madison County championship, and all runners will need to adjust to a different look to the postseason with the elimination of the semistate.

Here is a glance at area cross country teams ahead of the season, which gets underway next weekend:

ALEXANDRIA

Coach: Jay McFall (first season); Key losses: Lilly Thomas, Logan Hill; Key returning athletes: Kylan McFall, Jacklynn Hosier, Lukas Sullivan; Newcomers to watch: J.J. Hughes, Kenden Miller; Potential breakout: Avery Thomas, Blake Thomas.

Outlook: "Everyone has worked hard through the summer and has shown considerable improvement," Coach McFall said. "We are hoping to build on that throughout the season."

ANDERSON

Coach: Kevin Hook (first season); 2022: three regional qualifiers; Key loss: Connor King (injury); Key returning athletes: Kaleb Dean, Spencer Proctor, Jacob Rust, Owen French; Newcomer to watch: Cooper King; Potential breakout: Dean.

Outlook: "(A) good goal for the team is for the team to qualify for regional," Hook said in an email. "It will be harder than later, but I believe we will do it. We are going to be Hook'd on running this year."

ANDERSON PREP

Coach: Mark Stevenson (ninth season); Key returning athletes: Jason Settlemyer, Peyton Taylor, Jacoby Bradford, Jack Fisher, Will Antrobus, Jaylen Jones, Hayden Blevins, Clara Fulton; Newcomers to watch: Jacob Tyler, Isaac Likens.

Outlook: "We are excited to have a full (boys) team for the first meet of the season," Stevenson said. "We are still young and inexperienced, but we have some very dedicated runners that ran all summer. The boys are led by returnees Jason Settlemyer and Peyton Taylor, who have been in the program since middle school. There hasn't been a full girls' team for five years. Clara is our lone runner and continues to show improvement. Last year as a freshman, she qualified for regional."

DALEVILLE

Coach: David Beard (35th season); 2022: Girls team advanced to regional; Key Losses: Joel Reyes, Zach Cooper, Brayden Quinn, Kadence Aikin; Key returning athletes: Ethan Colvin, Noah Colvin, Nick Pugsley, Corin Withers, Isaac Elam, Austin Ryder, Norris, Kinley Keffer, Jenna Brand, Macy Kirkpatrick, Makenna Corbin; Newcomers to watch: Elam, Keffer.

Outlook: "Our team goals are to embrace each other and put others ahead of ourselves," Beard said. "To look competition in the eye and conquer it, to go out and run the best we can, each and every time, and not be concerned with the things we have no control over. This team will have an amazing season."

ELWOOD

Coach: Mark Lickliter (second season); Key Losses: Jayden Reese, Kaitlyn Foor; Key returning athletes: Dustin Maseman, Isaac Capshaw, Gabe Thomason, Alora Coble, Emma Vanover, Olivia Simmons, Ava Vanover; Potential breakout: Coble, Emma Vanover, Capshaw.

Outlook: "We will keep working to try establish a program that our harriers can say that they were proud to be a part of and laying the foundation for the future," Lickliter said.

FRANKTON

Coach: Brian Williams (13th season); 2022: Hunter Smith to semistate; Key losses: Jack Melvin, Brock Stephens, Emma Sheward; Key returning athletes: Smith, Will Young, Evelyn Croy, Alexis Finney, Alecia Finney, Macie Shephard, Chelsea Newton; Newcomers to watch: Blake Niccum, Camden Falink, Owen Young, Dillon Pratt, Joslyn Karnes-Hatfield, Abigail Stewart-Smythe; Potential breakout: Niccum, Pratt, Young, Newton, Croy, Karnes-Hatfield, Finney, Shephard.

Outlook: "We struggled on both teams to field a complete team in many meets last year," Williams said. "Our first goal is to score as a team in most of our meets. We currently have seven girls and six boys. Our other goal is simply to improve on last year's individual performances. Based on the work ethic and competitiveness I have seen in just two days of practice, each team member will see growth this year, which will bring team growth."

LAPEL

Coach: Darrel Richardson (34th season); 2022: boys team advanced to regional, two state qualifiers; Key losses: None; Key returning athletes: Cameron Smith, Braxton Burress, Simon Nickelson, Elijah Stires, Goodwin, Hannah Combs, Bennett Contos; Newcomers to watch: Jack Combs, Luke Beghtal, Luke Pearcy, Elle Contos; Potential breakout: Nickelson, Contos, Jack Combs, Beghtal, Avery Johnson.

Outlook: "With the three Seniors — Smith, Burress and Stires — returning and with the improvement of Nickelson and Bennett Contos and the addition of the three freshmen, we will look to improve on the upcoming season," Richardson said of his boys team. "The IHSAA did not do us any favors by sending us south for the state tournament, but that will fuel the fire for us to get better. Smith looks to return to state finals to improve on his 63rd place.

"If we can stay healthy we should be able to compete in most of our meets this year," he added on the girls squad. "Sophie looks to return to the state finals healthy. She had a stress fracture in her foot and still ran, so she has some unfinished business in Terre Haute."

MADISON-GRANT

Coach: Jared Owens (first season); Key returning athletes: Hannah Warrell, Liz Winchester, Pat VanMatre, Dylan Hofherr, Gavin Kelich, Aiden Durr, Mason Seward; Newcomers to watch: Abby Winchester, Annastasia Earlywine, Haylee Fry, Grant Hofherr, Zack Marcum, Clayton Rainey, Wyatt Williams, Kyler Musselman, Jeb Moore, Luc Neal.

Outlook: "After practicing all summer, I feel exceptionally prepared for the season ahead. We have done a lot of team bonding to strengthen our team physically and mentally," Warrell said. "All of the girls are eagerly looking forward to our first 5k where we can compete and cheer each other on."

"I think we've built a great base coming into this season, and with continued hard work and determination, I think we can expect great things," Dylan Hofherr said.

PENDLETON HEIGHTS

Coach: Rod Hagerman (first season); 2022: Madison County champions, Andrew Blake and Ava Jarrell advanced to state finals; Key losses: Blake, Jason Lyst, Jack Goehring; Key returning athletes: Will Coggins, Lucas Pardue, Benson Davis, Ashton Smith, Zack White, Devin Koperczak, Jarrell, Jaycee Thurman, Abby Davidson, Olivia Welpott, Hadley Walker, Raya Conway, Lily Hessler; Newcomers to watch: Maddie Marsh, Ashlyn Walker; Potential Breakout: Davis, Marsh, Ashlyn Walker.

Outlook: "The girls' team was fortunate not to lose any runners from the varsity team to graduation and have added some runners that will fight for a varsity spot," Hagerman said. "The girls have worked hard all summer and will be ready to start racing mid-August. ... The girls team has placed second in the HHC (Hoosier Heritage Conference) meet two years in a row and is working to regain the title. Ava Jarrell has her eyes on the state meet and would like to be on the starting line with her team with her.

"The boys' team is still relatively young, with only two seniors from the varsity team returning and the rest are sophomores. They all had a successful track season and came into the summer workouts in much better running condition. The goal is to stay healthy, be patient and be ready for the tournament."

SHENANDOAH

Coach: John Davis (eighth season); Key losses: Kenyan Troxel, Sam Hinshaw, Darren Croffie, Logan Renz, Korbyn Wood, Michael Poffenbarger, Kaitlyn Ashby, Shaley Delk; Expected to return: Landen Troxel, Madison Cooper, Halle Sanders, Charley Davis.

Contact Rob Hunt at rob.hunt@heraldbulletin.com or 765-640-4886.