#4 Columbus North Bull Dogs
State champion: 2009
Podium: 2000 (4), 2001 (3), 2002 (4), 2004 (5)
State finalist: 2003 (7), 2007 (7), 2008 (6)
Semistate champion: 2002
Regional champion: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Sectional champion: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Fab five: Julie Eckerly (3), Lauren Pence (9), Jessica Richardson (9), Siri Retrum (11), Rachel Stark (12)
The Columbus North girls shocked Indiana and themselves in '09 with an upset victory at the state finals
An incredibly solid program since the inception of girls cross country and operating under the same coach for all of their existence, the Bull Dogs had finished on the podium four times in five years to start off the decade. After four years of heartbreak first in missing the state finals in '05 and '06 then by finishing seventh in '07 and sixth in '08 at Terre Haute, the latter by just five points, North slammed the door on the competition in underdog fashion to win its first ever girls title in '09. This came after a season of being ranked mainly sixth in the Internet rankings and finishing just third in the semistate.
Julie Eckerly, who finished third as a junior, was the leader of some of the Dogs’ best teams and combined with Lauren Pence to lead North to the podium multiple times. Jessica Richardson and Siri Retrum formed the Dogs’ other great duo, and the two finished ninth and 16th in North’s upset bid this season. North has also had a string of other All-State performers in the decade, and the Dogs’ roster has a couple returners who could make the jump next season.
The best North team yet takes a hit next season with the loss of two seniors. How a state title will help an already well-established program is anyone’s guess, but it certainly will help as the Dogs move into the next decade attempting to add to their legacy.