The IHSAA cross country season begins one week from today, and several schools will begin the season at the course they hope to be racing on at the end of the season.
The Carmel and Fishers boys teams, plus the Westfield boys and girls teams, will compete at the Valley Cross Kickoff next Saturday, Aug. 15. The meet takes place at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, site of the IHSAA state finals.
Two other schools will begin their campaigns next Saturday. Hamilton Southeastern is set to race at the Fort Wayne Snider Hokum Karem, while Sheridan travels to South Putnam for the Puckett Invitational.
Hamilton Heights opens its season on Aug. 20 with a meet at Frankfort. Everyone else will begin on Aug. 22: The Carmel and Fishers girls both are set to compete in the Zionsville Invitational, which will take place at Carmel’s Northview Church. The Noblesville girls will also open their season at that invitational.
Noblesville’s boys team will start at the Huntington North Invitational. Guerin Catholic’s boys and girls will travel to Brebeuf Jesuit for the Circle City Conference meet.
IndianaRunner.com, the well-respected cross country/track and field website, announced its pre-season top 50 girls and boys teams earlier this week. Several county teams are ranked highly.
In the boys top 50, Fishers is rated No. 2, behind Columbus North; the Tigers have six returning runners from the semi-state, including all-state runner Will Clark. Carmel is third and Noblesville is fourth. The Greyhounds have All-State runner Kole Mathison returning, while the Millers have their own All-State runner, Travis Hickner, back for his senior year.
Hamilton Southeastern is ranked eighth in the pre-season list, while Westfield is 12th in the ratings and Guerin Catholic is 32nd. A link to the full pre-season list can be found here.
Meanwhile, Carmel leads the website’s girls top 50 list; the ‘Hounds have seven runners back who competed in state or the semi-state, the website said. Southeastern is rated fourth, with six returning semi-state runners. Noblesville is sixth and Fishers is ninth. Westfield is 18th in the ratings, while Guerin Catholic is 36th. A link to the full pre-season list can be found here.
Here is a list of schedules, with information from each school’s athletic website.
CARMEL
Aug. 15: Boys at Valley Cross Kickoff, 9 a.m. at LaVern Gibson Course, Terre Haute
Aug. 22: Zionsville Invitational, 8:30 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 1: County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 5: at Marion Invitational, 8:30 a.m.
Sept. 12: at Brown County Eagle Classic, 8:30 a.m.
Sept. 19: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 26: MIC meet, 9 a.m. at Eastbrook ES
Oct. 3: Nike Valley Twilight Meet, 6:15 p.m. at LaVern Gibson Course, Terre Haute
FISHERS
Aug. 15: Boys at Valley Cross Kickoff, 9 a.m. at LaVern Gibson Course, Terre Haute
Aug. 22: Zionsville Invitational, 8:30 a.m. at Northview Church
Aug. 26: Girls at Arabian Round Up, 6 p.m. at Pendleton Heights
Aug. 29: Boys at Noblesville Hokum Karem, 8:30 a.m.
Sept. 1: County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 5: Boys at Varsity State Preview, 8:30 a.m. at LaVern Gibson Course, Terre Haute
Sept. 5: Girls at Marion Asics Invitational, 9 a.m. at Indiana Wesleyan
Sept. 12: Boys at Peoria Woodruff Invitational, 8 a.m.
Sept. 19: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 26: HCC meet, 10 a.m. at Noblesville
Oct. 3: Nike Valley Twilight Meet, 6:15 p.m. at LaVern Gibson Course, Terre Haute
GUERIN CATHOLIC
Aug. 22: Circle City Conference meet, 9 a.m. at Brebeuf Jesuit
Sept. 1: County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 5: State Preview, 8:30 a.m. at LaVern Gibson Course, Terre Haute
Sept. 12: All-Catholic Invitational, 11 a.m.
Sept. 19: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 26: at Shelbyville Golden Bear Invitational, 8:30 a.m.
Oct. 6: North Central JV Invite, 6 p.m.
HAMILTON HEIGHTS
Aug. 20: at Frankfort, 5:30 p.m.
Aug. 22: at Monroe Central Invitational, 10 a.m.
Aug. 29: at Rushville, 9 a.m.
Sept. 1: County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 3: Landes Invitational, 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 10: Charger Classic, 5 p.m. at North Montgomery
Sept. 12: at Maconaquah Invitational, 9 a.m.
Sept. 19: at Tipton Invitational, 9 a.m.
Sept. 26: at New Haven Classic, 9 a.m.
Oct. 3: Hoosier Conference meet, 9 a.m. at Lafayette Central Catholic
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
Aug. 15: at Fort Wayne Snider Hokum Karem, 9 a.m.
Aug. 22: Southeastern Hokum Karem, 9 a.m.
Aug. 26: at Arabian Roundup, 6 p.m. at Pendleton Heights
Sept. 1: County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 12: Wildcat Classic Invitational, 9 a.m. at Indiana Wesleyan
Sept. 19: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 26: HCC meet, 10 a.m. at Noblesville
NOBLESVILLE
Aug. 22: Boys at Huntington North Invitational, 9 a.m.
Aug. 22: Girls at Zionsville Invitational, 8:30 a.m. at Northview Church
Aug. 29: Noblesville Hokum Karem, 8:30 a.m.
Sept. 1: County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 5: Girls at Marion Invitational, 8:30 a.m. at Indiana Wesleyan
Sept. 5: Boys at Columbus North Classic, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 12: Girls at Brown County Eagle Classic, 8:30 a.m.
Sept. 12: Boys at Wildcat Classic Invitational, 9 a.m. at Indiana Wesleyan
Sept. 17: Girls at JV Lawrence Central Twilight Relays, 6 p.m. at Sunnyside ES
Sept. 19: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 26: HCC meet, 10 a.m. at Noblesville
Oct. 3: Nike Valley Twilight Meet, 6:15 p.m. at LaVern Gibson Course, Terre Haute
SHERIDAN
Aug. 15: Puckett Invitational, 10 a.m. at South Putnam
Aug. 22: Small School Invite, 10:30 a.m. at Southwestern Shelby
Aug. 29: Sheridan Invitational, 8 a.m.
Sept. 1: County meet, 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 3: Landes Invitational, 5:30 p.m. at Hamilton Heights
Sept. 10: Charger Classic, 5 p.m. at North Montgomery
Sept. 12: at Maconaquah Invitational, 9 a.m.
Sept. 19: at Tipton Invitational, 9 a.m.
Sept. 26: Eagle Invitational, 8:30 a.m. at Delta
Sept. 29: at Lafayette Central Catholic (with Clinton Prairie), 5 p.m.
Oct. 3: Hoosier Heartland Conference meet, 10 a.m. at Camp Sycamore, Lafayette
WESTFIELD
Aug. 15: Valley Cross Kickoff, 9 a.m. at LaVern Gibson Course, Terre Haute
Aug. 22: at Plainfield Hokum Karem, 8:30 a.m.
Aug. 29: at Franklin Central Invitational, 9 a.m.
Sept. 1: County meet, 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 5: at Brownsburg Invitational, time TBA
Sept. 12: Wildcat Classic Invitational, 9 a.m. at Indiana Wesleyan
Sept. 19: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 26: HCC meet, 9:30 a.m. at Noblesville
Oct. 3: Nike Valley Twilight Meet, 6:15 p.m. at LaVern Gibson Course, Terre Haute
Oct. 6: at JV North Central Invite, 6 p.m.
NOTE: University will not be competing against other schools in cross country; it will instead be conducting intramurals in the sport.
The Carmel girls cross country team placed third in the state last season. (Kent Graham/File photo)