By Colin Altevogt
Girls Coordinator
Honorable mention: 2002 Valparaiso, 2003 Chesterton, 2005 Valparaiso, 2005 Carmel, 2007 Lake Central, 2009 Columbus North
10. 2003 Valparaiso
After being defeated by Carmel in ’01, the Vikings got back to their winning ways at the 2002 state finals with a narrow six-point victory over Northridge. Valpo returned five of seven from that state championship team, but a big boost came in the form of incoming freshmen Lauren and Amanda Hardesty. The ’03 Vikes had three All-Staters and four individual state qualifiers, including both of the Hardesty Sisters.
9. 2005 Westfield
Winning a state championship in cross country is solely about being the best team on one single day, and the ’05 Shamrocks proved that after losing in its sectional, regional and semistate before emerging with the title when it mattered. The team that ended the Valpo dynasty, the Shamrocks dominated the state championship with just 88 points. The ‘Rocks had been close in previous levels of the tournament, but a buried fifth runner was ultimately their demise. That changed at the state finals with senior Katlin Luter’s 65th place when she finished right with the fifth runners from Carmel and Valparaiso, the two pre-meet favorites. The ’05 ‘Rocks were the first girls team to represent Indiana in the Nike Cross Nationals.
8. 2007 Westfield
The last of the Shamrocks’ trio of titles may have been their best. Westfield breezed through the regular season unbeaten for the second year in a row. The ‘Rocks overcame the graduation loss of three-time All-Stater Kristina Krasich when freshman phenom Waverly Neer joined the team, eventually finishing 23rd at the state meet. Senior Maggie Bingham led the way for Westfield, finishing fourth. Bingham had run in four state finals for the ‘Rocks, helping the team to one runner-up and three titles while placing eighth, third, second and fourth in each of those seasons.
7. 2001 Valparaiso
Fresh off back-to-back championships, the ’01 Vikings could not thwart a Carmel squad that had put five runners in the top 15 at the Franklin Central Semistate the previous week. Valpo scored just 72 points at the state finals in ’01, its second-lowest tally of the decade, but the graduation of multiple-time All-Staters Jilly Scully and Jamie Higginbotham proved to be too much. Hurting the Vikes’ position on the all-time list was a loss in the regional this season to Chesterton, who finished fourth at the state finals behind Carmel, Valpo and Columbus North.
6. 2004 Valparaiso
In ’04, the Vikings won their third straight title and fifth in six years. Led by the Sisters Hardesty, Valpo had four All-Staters in comfortably beating runner-up Westfield (who would subsequently go on a three-year tear.) Though the Vikings brought back all four of those All-State runners, it would not be enough to hold off the charging Shamrock dynasty the next season as Westfield dethroned the champs in ’05.
5. 2000 Carmel
Fourth the previous year, the Greyhounds utilized two surprise freshman in Katie Harrington and Magin Kebert in nearly upending the biggest preseason favorite of the decade. Perhaps the best non-champion of all-time, 2000 Carmel had four All-Staters and five individual state meet qualifiers. In the regular season, Carmel actually beat Valpo at the Culver Invitational. The early parts of the tournament were successful as well, with the ‘Hounds posting perfect scores in the sectional and regional. With six back from this squad, however, Carmel would turn the tables on Valparaiso the next year.
4. 2006 Westfield
Coming off a surprise win in ’05, the ’06 ‘Rocks left no doubt this time around. Unbeaten in the state of Indiana, Westfield put three individuals on the podium, including junior Maggie Bingham, who finished runner-up to three-time champ Alex Banfich. The frontrunning trio of Bingham, senior Kristina Krasich and sophomore Kaitlyn Love put the ‘Rocks up early in every meet, though a slight lack of depth hurt Westfield at Nike Team Nationals. The ‘Rocks were in second through four runners but ended up as the seventh best team in the country.
3. 2008 Carmel
In the last year of legendary coach Chuck Koeppen’s career, the ’08 version of the Greyhounds was dominant all season. Led by senior Kelly McCurdy’s third place finish overall, the ‘Hounds had four girls finish All-State, including three in the top 15. Carmel’s 105 point victory over runner-up Lake Central was the second widest margin in state finals history. Beyond that demolition, just 41 points separated second through ninth place. The ‘Hounds were equally as good during the regular season and rest of the tournament. Carmel scored only 44 in the state’s toughest semistate and tallied just 20 in a sectional that included another podium team. Even on an off-day, Carmel still won the Culver Invitational easily over county rival Westfield.
2. 2000 Valparaiso
The Vikings returned five All-Staters, and its entire varsity line-up, from the state championship team of 1999 and looked like a mortal lock to retain their crown. Valpo certainly looked tough early, dominating a competitive sectional and regional that included three other top ten teams. At the semistate, the Vikes put six in the top 15. The state meet was not quite the blowout that it would have appeared to be coming into the season, but Valpo repeated by beating Carmel 57-69. The Vikes had all five scorers finish All-State, the only team in the decade to do so.
1. 2001 Carmel
The ’01 Greyhounds avenged a narrow loss the previous season at the state finals to Valparaiso with a 16 point win. Despite the small margin of victory, Carmel still only scored 56 points at the meet, the second-lowest total of the decade. Senior Michelle Rafferty placed third overall to lead four Greyhounds to All-State honors, including sophomore Katie Harrington, who went on to win as an individual the next season. At the highly competitive Franklin Central semistate, Carmel scored just 25 points with the team’s first four runners going 1-3-4-6. Five seniors ran in the line-up for the ‘Hounds at the state finals.