Olympic ties to Lavern Gibson Cross Country course

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Before he won a gold medal in the 1500 meter run in the Paris Olympics, Cole Hocker was winning races at Lavern Gibson cross country course in Terre Haute.

Hocker is a 2019 graduate of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis and won the 2018 boys cross country state championship in Terre Haute.

“We were rooting for him because he’s an Indiana boy to begin with but the ties that he has here to the course and the Wabash Valley made it extra special,” Facility director at Lavern Gibson Jeff Martin said.

Martin also is the associate head coach for Indiana State University track and field.

ISU alum Erin Reese finished 14th in the women’s hammer throw for Team USA in Paris and former Sycamore Noah Malone will try and defend his gold medal in the Paralympics later this month.

“It shows that Indiana State athletics can produce Olympians and yes we’re not a large power 4 school, but we can recruit, and we can develop and cultivate an environment for them to succeed,” Martin said.

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