LOCAL

Everyone on the course: Catching up after cross country Conference Indiana championships

Jim Gordillo
The Herald-Times

Conference meet weekend for all of the area's teams save Eastern Greene, which has SWIAC's on Oct. 1, happened recently.

The Conference Indiana races were at Columbus's speedy Ceraland Park.

Bloomington South's Ryan Rheam (309) is chased by North's Jacob Mitchell (182) in the Eagle Classic Elite boys race at Brown County on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.

On the boys' side, the No. 3 Bull Dogs (26) led South (56) and North (61). The Cougars actually had their top six in before the Panthers' No. 5 man, but South's top four (3-7-12-14) scored eight points better. South's Ryan Rheam (15:32.5) was third by .1 while North's Kyle Clark (15:50.4) was fifth. Both were career bests.

Also earning All-CI (top 12) were South's Jack Gildea (seventh, 15:55.5) and Hunter Tabor (12th, 16:30.5) and North's Jacob Mitchell (eighth, 16:05.), the only freshman to do so.

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The girls' race saw No. 1 Columbus North (20) dominate, followed by South (55) and North (80). The Panthers put five in top 15 led by a career PR from Lily Myers (18:22.9), who trailed only CN's Julia Kiesler (17:28.3), who broke Mackenzie Caldwell's CI record (17:30) from 2013, and Lily Baker (17:39). Also earning All-CI were North's Rachel Allison (fifth, 19:15.3) and South's Aurelia Martoglio (12th, 19:48.6), who edged her sister Jasmine by a mere .3.

Bloomington South's Lily Myers competes in a regional cross country meet in October 2021. Myers posted the third best time at the Conference Indiana Championships Sept. 17 in Columbus.

Myers is the first South girl to earn four All-CI honors since Alex Warzyniak (2010-13).

At Edgewood, the Mustang boys won their first league title since 2014 in dramatic fashion, nipping Northview and Indian Creek, 50-54-55. All three teams put their top five in the top 23, but the Mustangs had three in the top 10 and that was the difference. Caleb Webb (17:34.13) and Zane Meyer (17:34.90) crossed 6-7 overall with Josh Kohne 10th (18:08.66). It ended a four-year reign by Northview.

The Edgewood girls had to run without usual leader Clara Crain and still ended up a strong third. Northview won a fourth title in a row with 33 points to 41 for Indian Creek and 66 for the Mustangs. Hannah Crain was eighth (21:15.92), with Riley Haskett (21:58.10), Allison Bland (22:32.65) and Ellie Vagedas (22:34.51) going 10-11-12.

Lighthouse Christian hosted the Southern Roads Conference meet and swept both individual titles behind Avery Lueck (19:!3.97) and Zoe Crites (23:42.97). The LCA girls won the team title (15) while Seven Oaks (24) topped LCA (30) in the boys' competition, led by runner-up Emmett Churchfield (19:14.89).

Standing in the polls

Cross country: According to the website inccstats.com, the Brown County Semistate lines up like this: For boys, Columbus North, South, North, Floyd Central, Jasper, New Albany, Northview, Evansville Central and Edgewood. For the girls, Columbus North, Floyd Central, South, Princeton, Northview, North, Edgewood, Corydon, Jasper. Only the top six make it to state.

Volleyball: The Z-Ratings computer index lists North as 50th in 4A and South 53rd. Both trail sectional foes Center Grove (39) and Greenwood (47). In 3A, Northview is seventh, Edgewood in 17th. Indian Creek (56) is the next highest rated team in the sectional. In 2A, Eastern Greene is 57th. Linton (6) and Sullivan (32) lead the sectional. And in 1A, Lighthouse Christian is 70th, with Bloomfield (50th) leading the sectional field.