Unlike the IHSAA state finals, IR gives you coverage of both the boys and girls state finals at the same time! Here are our previews for the state meet:
Girls 2004 Cross Country State Meet Preview
Teams in the Mix to Win
* Carmel - The Greyhounds have been a clear number one all year and rocked the Brownsburg Regional with an 18:00 average last week. The trio of Sadie Foley, Annabel Pollert and Larkin Taylor should all finish in the top 25 and more teammates could join them. It will be very difficult, but not impossible, to beat Carmel this weekend.
* Fort Wayne Concordia - If there is one team capable of edging out the ‘Hounds, it’s Concordia. The Cadets were the number one team all of last year and lost a close race to cross-town rival Homestead. Concordia has potentially two newcomers this year that could help keep pace with Carmel. Junior Mallory Weller helps the Cadets score four and sister Daphne, a freshman, is a likely All-Stater as well.
Teams in Good Podium Position
* Brebeuf - The Braves could go from outside the state meet to the podium in just one season, a rarity in cross country. Junior Lucy Wood should give Brebeuf at least one in the top 25 with potential for more with the Braves’ depth.
* Fort Wayne Homestead - The Spartans are the defending champs and returned to a full lineup at the regional for the first time in over a month. Homestead won’t challenge for the win here but could finish as high as third with good pack running.
* Lake Central - LC is another surprise team. This is a very young group that has typically scored all freshmen and sophomores this season. Sophomore Macey Thompson helps LC to score four, and while the depth has floundered a bit in recent weeks it could be good enough to stave off the other contenders with the strong frontrunning.
Teams with an Outside Shot at the Podium
* Chatard - The Trojans looked like a state meet hopeful but have raced way better in the tournament. Junior Julia Score gives Chatard great frontrunning.
* Columbus North - The BullDogs have been solid all fall. Senior Carys Glyn-Jones should finish in the top 25 to get CN off to a good start.
* Franklin Central - The Flashes were a surprise podium team last year and could pull a similar feat this season. FC had its best race of the season last week at the regional, per inccstats’ team ratings.
* Noblesville - The Millers won two years ago and were among the contenders last season. Noblesville has an excellent top four and will look to be good enough at five to close up scoring.
* North Central - The Panthers have made the podium three of the last four years after a ten-year drought from competing in Terre Haute as a team. Junior Maddie Rocchio’s improvement in the tournament could be huge for NC’s medal hopes.
Ranking All 25 Qualifying Teams:
1. Carmel
2. FW Concordia
3. FW Homestead
4. Lake Central
5. Brebeuf
6. Columbus North
7. Franklin Central
8. Noblesville
9. North Central
10. Chatard
11. Penn
12. Valparaiso
13. Zionsville
14. Bloomington South
15. Hamilton Southeastern
16. Westfield
17. Columbia City
18. Morgan Township
19. Floyd Central
20. East Central
21. Jasper
22. Bloomington North
23. Goshen
24. Warsaw
25. FW Carroll
Individuals in the Mix to Win:
* Libby Dowty (Indian Creek) - The junior from Indian Creek was a (somewhat) surprising winner last year when she sprinted away from Delta’s Nicki Southerland in the last stretch. A win this year would surprise no one. Statistically, Dowty might be having the best season of any girl in state history for cross country.
Individuals In the Chase Pack:
* Ava Jarrell (Pendleton Heights) - Jarrell was the state champion over 3200 meters and has run some incredible performances this fall. If anyone can beat Dowty, it’s her.
* Julia Score (Chatard) - Score has consistently been at the front of state meet races, and this weekend should be no exception. Like some others on this list, she is also running with the added motivation of team consideration.
* Macey Thompson (Lake Central) - Thompson is the breakout star of this season. She is coming off a win at the New Prairie Regional and has run her two best performances in her last three races, per inccstats’ adjusted ratings.
* Mallory Weller (FW Concordia) - Weller finished very high last year in this race and continues to make progress with each season. Her team is also in the mix for the title, and her best teammate is her sister. This seems like a recipe for a successful state meet.
* Anya Zoeller (Pendleton Heights) - Zoeller has exceeded some very lofty expectations as the top incoming freshman. She’s not yet ready to challenge for the win, but she will certainly have a presence in the chase pack.
Ranking the Top 25 Individuals:
1. Libby Dowty, 11, Indian Creek
2. Ava Jarrell, 12, Pendleton Heights
3. Julia Score, 11, Chatard
4. Mallory Weller, 11, Concordia
5. Macey Thompson, 10, Lake Central
6. Anya Zoeller, 9, Pendleton Heights
7. Jenna Walker, 9, Kankakee Valley
8. Kenya Leitch, 10, Columbia City
9. Daphne Weller, 9, Concordia
10. Sadie Foley, 11, Carmel
11. Whitney Anderson, 10, Valparaiso
12. Alivia Lozier, 10, Westfield
13. Annabel Pollert, 10, Carmel
14. Carys Glyn-Jones, 12, Columbus North
15. Elizabeth Butler, 12, Hamilton Southeastern
16. Larkin Taylor, 10, Carmel
17. Sawyer DeWitt, 12, Harrison (WL)
18. Callie Bentley, 11, East Central
19. Shreya Nayee, 9, Penn
20. Lexi Kollbaum, 10, Bloomington South
21. Lana Bruggeman, 9, Lake Central
22. Hannah Crain, 11, Edgewood
23. Alice Friesen, 10, Huntington North
24. Eve Schurr, 12, Avon
25. Olivia Mundt, 12, Carmel
Boys 2004 Cross Country State Meet Preview
Teams in the Mix to Win
* Bloomington North- It has been 44 years since Coach Charlie Warthan won the 1980 team state title in boys cross country. Can he win bookend championships - at the beginning and end of his Hall of Fame career? The Cougars are favored and running strong. Jacob Mitchell is often the frontrunner on this star-studded varsity team of juniors and seniors. This is a squad that could have 3 or 4 individual podium finishers in Mitchell, Caleb Webb, Caelen D’Onofrio and mid-distance specialist Caleb Winders. Will Coach Warthan raise his second state title trophy?
* Noblesville- The Millers have been one of Indiana’s best programs over the past generation, but the boys team title has proven elusive. They finished as high as 2nd back in 2010. Junior John Libs is a legit frontrunner and young runners Banner Barnes and Isaiah Vos are running great. Seniors Jack Strong and Ronnie Neal give the team experienced depth in the top 5. This looked like a state contender early in the season and after a strong regional performance they are back in the winning conversation.
* Brownsburg- This has quickly become one of the best teams in Indiana over the past few years and they are full of experienced juniors and seniors. Ian Baker and Brandon Haas lead the squad up front, as both are podium level runners. There is a considerable drop off between #5 and #6 on this team, so there is no room for error on Saturday. If all of these top 5 hit it on the same day, the Bulldogs could contend for the state title.
Teams in Good Podium Position
* Evansville Reitz- This team had its best race in school history last week at the Mater Dei Regional. Senior Jackson Nolan is an elite frontrunner and their 2-4 (Zieren, Dierlam, and Mossberger) are very good. Senior Brice Johnson had a great race at regional. This is definitely a podium-level team if they are able to put together another good race at Terre Haute.
* Columbus North- It is not surprising at all for the Bulldogs to be in the mix in October. This is one of Indiana’s very best cross country programs and they seem to always run their best late in the season. Senior Neal White is great and junior Jace Works has been solid all season. This is a veteran squad of mostly juniors and seniors. They should be a top 5 team Saturday.
Teams with an Outside Shot at the Podium
* Hamilton Southeastern- Liam Powers is having a great junior season as the Royals are right on the cusp of another podium finish. They were a podium team last year and they are hoping to return. At regional they were solid through 5 and like many of the top teams, this is a junior/senior heavy squad.
* Carmel- Coach Colin Altevogt has never failed to make the podium in his tenure as the head coach and the Greyhounds are hoping to keep that streak alive this year. Carmel will probably not have any individual podium finishers on Saturday, but if they can stack a bunch of guys between 30th and 70th place they will be in the mix for the podium.
* Fishers- The Tigers have the potential state champion in Sam Quagliaroli and Nate Thomas is typically their #2 runner. Fishers has a pack of seniors behind that. Those 3-5 runners will be the key on whether Fishers can reach the podium or not.
* Northridge- The Miller twins are running great up front and the Raiders turned in an impressive victory at New Prairie last week. They need big races from their 4-5 runners if they are going to challenge for a top 5 team finish. The last time Northridge finished on the podium was in 2007 when they grabbed 4th.
* Homestead- This is a great Spartans squad, potentially the best team in school history. The Spartans have never finished on the podium, with a 6th place finish in 2019 as their nearest miss. Junior Cooper Knoblauch has been running very well. Seniors Evan McMahon and Aiden Waugh and sophomore Jace Trevino are solid at 2-4. With a great team race they are right in the mix.
* Franklin Central- Senior Evan Farmer is a potential podium runner and junior Justin Reedus is a solid support in second. The Flashes will need big races from their 3-5 runners to push up toward the top 5. They are racing well at the right time, as their regional performance was arguably their best race of the year.
Ranking All 25 Qualifying Teams:
1. Bloomington North
2. Noblesville
3. Brownsburg
4. Evansville Reitz
5. Columbus North
6. Hamilton Southeastern
7. Carmel
8. Fishers
9. Northridge
10. Homestead
11. Franklin Central
12. Valparaiso
13. Mt. Vernon (Fortville)
14. Penn
15. Zionsville
16. Warsaw
17. Edgewood
18. Avon
19. Lake Central
20. Ben Davis
21. Portage
22. Floyd Central
23. Wabash
24. Carroll (FW)
25. Concordia Lutheran
Individuals in the Mix to Win:
* Sam Quagliaroli, 12, Fishers- Quagliaroli has been the most consistent runner this season, which is why we are ranking him at the top. He is the top returning this year, having finish 3rd last year behind two runners who have since graduated. Quagliaroli has finished sub-15 multiple times this year, including 14:57 at the Shelbyville Regional last week.
* Noah Bontrager, 11, Westview- Bontrager has emerged in 2024 as a state title contender. He is coming in to this race with super high confidence after a huge win at New Prairie Regional last week. He also boasts a sub-15:00 season best at Marion Invitational.
* Jackson Nolan, 12, Evansville Reitz- Nolan won a super competitive Mater Dei Regional last week in 5:09. He was 19th in this race last year and he has made a huge jump in his senior season.
Individuals In the Chase Pack:
* Liam Bauschke, 12, Mishawaka- Bauschke is poised for a big finale to a great high school career. He finished 2nd at New Prairie Regional last week, behind Bontrager.
* Jacob Mitchell, 11, Bloomington North- Mitchell gave Nolan a run for his money last week in the Mater Dei Regional. He is running very well right now.
* John Libs, 11, Noblesville- Libs was the runner-up at Shelbyville Regional in 15:21 last week.
* Neal White, 12, Columbus North- White ran a great race at Mater Dei last week, finishing in 15:18.
* Shane Conroy, 12, Portage- Conroy was 6th last year in this race and he should be in that same range again this year.
Ranking the Top 25 Individuals:
1. Sam Quagliaroli, 12, Fishers
2. Noah Bontrager, 11, Westview
3. Jackson Nolan, 12, Evansville Reitz
4. Liam Bauschke, 12, Mishawaka
5. Jacob Mitchell, 11, Bloomington North
6. John Libs, 11, Noblesville
7. Neal White, 12, Columbus North
8. Shane Conroy, 12, Portage
9. Aboubakar Ibrahim, 11, Ben Davis
10. Max Malloy, 12, Elkhart
11. Liam Powers, 11, Hamilton Southeastern
12. Jack Hearld, 12, Danville
13. Hayden Kemple, 12, Clinton Prairie
14. Zane Meyer, 12, Edgewood
15. Caleb Webb, 12, Bloomington North
16. Kraedyn Young, 12, Jennings County
17. Jackson Gackenheimer, 11, Warsaw
18. Baylor Miller, 11, Northridge
19. Carson Brown, 12, Springs Valley
20. Mason Nobles, 12, Valparaiso
21. Christopher Angeles, 12, Frankfort
22. Ahmed Saleh, 12, Mt. Vernon (Fortville)
23. Ian Baker, 12, Brownsburg
24. Bryan Garcia, 11, New Haven
25. Luca Cirincione, 12, Floyd Central