Hamilton County has arguably been the strongest cross-country county in Indiana over the past few years.
This year is no exception. As runners prepare for their first meets, teams across the area have high expectations that their seasons will finish at the state meet, again to be held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute.
Cross-country experts in Indiana have those same high expectations. Indianarunner.com rated four boys teams in the top 10 of its Pre-season Top 50 rankings. Leading the way is Hamilton Southeastern, which is ranked No. 3 in the pre-season list. The website also has a pre-season All-State Top 25 for individuals, and the Royals’ Nolan Satterfield is No. 10 in that list. Three more Southeastern runners – Bennett DuBois, Garrett Hicks and Will Marquardt – received Honorable Mention.
Brebeuf Jesuit is ranked No. 1 for the boys, while defending state champion Columbus North is No. 2. Meanwhile, Carmel is rated No. 4 on the list; the Greyhounds were runners-up last season, their ninth straight year finishing in the top two at state.
Carmel junior Kole Mathison will be the focal point for his team again, and he is No. 2 on the pre-season All-State list. Defending state champion Izaiah Steury of Angola is No. 1. The Greyhounds’ Charlie Schuman is No. 16 on the All-State list.
Fishers is No. 7 on the Indiana Runner pre-season team list; the website names seniors Nick Pulos and Alec Foster and junior Tate Meaux as the Tigers’ returning runners. Noblesville holds the No. 9 ranking pre-season, with Joel Mumaw and Asher Propst receiving Honorable Mention individually.
Westfield is No. 15 as a team, and has a top returner in Kai Connor. The senior is listed at No. 19 on the individual pre-season ratings. Guerin Catholic is also on the team pre-season list, at No. 34; Evan McNeany and Ethan Hines are back for the Golden Eagles.
On the girls side, defending state champion Carmel is Indiana Runner’s No. 1 pre-season team. The Greyhounds have three individuals ranked on the website’s pre-season All-State list: Jasmine Klopstad is No. 10, Cara Naas is No. 12 and Alivia Romaniuk is No. 15. Jamie Klavon was named Honorable Mention.
Hamilton Southeastern is the No. 6 team on the pre-season list; with Maggie Powers on the Honorable Mention list as an individual. The Royals also return Allie Latta, Grace Newton and Katherine Kesler.
Noblesville is ranked No. 10 by Indiana Runner, on the strength of three sophomore returners (Summer Rempe, Nadia Perez, Kennedy Applegate). Fishers is No. 15, with Elizabeth Barrett, an Honorable Mention runner, coming back.
Guerin Catholic is rated No. 33, with the website rating Bridget Gallagher No. 14 on the individual pre-season list. Westfield is ranked No. 36; junior Robyn Schemel returns for the Shamrocks.
A list of cross country schedules for each school now follows, with information from the respective schools’ athletic website. Carmel and Westfield travel to Terre Haute South for the Valley Cross Kickoff on Saturday, with Southeastern competing in the Fort Wayne Snider Hokum Karem.
CARMEL
Aug. 14: at Terre Haute South Valley Cross Kickoff, 9 a.m.
Aug. 21: at Zionsville Invitational, 8:30 a.m.
Aug. 31: Hamilton County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 4: at Brownsburg Invitational, 8:30 a.m.
Sept. 11: Eagle Classic, 8:30 a.m. at Brown County
Sept. 18: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 25: Metropolitan Conference meet, 9 a.m. at Ben Davis
Oct. 2: Nike Valley Twilight Meet, 6:15 p.m. at LaVern Gibson Course
FISHERS
Aug. 21: at Brownsburg Invitational, 9 a.m.
Aug. 31: Hamilton County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 4: Boys at State Preview meet, 8:30 a.m. at LaVern Gibson Course
Sept. 4: Girls at Marion Asics Invitational, 9 a.m. at Indiana Wesleyan
Sept. 11: Boys at Wildcat Classic Invitational, 9 a.m. at Indiana Wesleyan
Sept. 18: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 25: Hoosier Crossroads Conference meet, 10 a.m. at Brownsburg
Oct. 2: Nike Valley Twilight Meet, 6:15 p.m. at LaVern Gibson Course
GUERIN CATHOLIC
Aug. 21: Circle City Conference meet, 8:30 a.m. at Brebeuf Jesuit
Aug. 31: Hamilton County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 4: State Preview meet, 8:30 a.m. at LaVern Gibson Course
Sept. 11: All-Catholic Invitational, 10 a.m. at Guerin Catholic
Sept. 18: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 25: at Culver Invitational, 8:45 a.m.
HAMILTON HEIGHTS
Aug. 19: Hot Dog Invitational, 5:30 p.m. at Frankfort
Aug. 21: at Logansport, 9 a.m.
Aug. 28: at Oak Hill Invitational, 10 a.m.
Aug. 31: Hamilton County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 2: Landes Invitational, 5:30 p.m. at Hamilton Heights
Sept. 9: Charger Classic, 5 p.m. at North Mongomery
Sept. 11: at Maconaquah Invitational, 9 a.m.
Sept. 18: at Tipton Invitational, 9 a.m.
Sept. 25: at New Haven Invitational, 9 a.m.
Oct. 2: Hoosier Conference meet, 9 a.m. at Lafayette Central Catholic
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
Aug. 14: at Fort Wayne Snider Hokum Karem, 9 a.m.
Aug. 21: Hamilton Southeastern Hokum Karem, 9 a.m.
Aug. 31: Hamilton County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 11: Wildcat Classic Invitational, 9 a.m. at Indiana Wesleyan
Sept. 18: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 25: Hoosier Crossroads Conference meet, 10 a.m. at Brownsburg
NOBLESVILLE
Aug. 21: Boys at Huntington North Invitational, 9 a.m.
Aug. 21: Girls at Zionsville 4K, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Aug. 28: Girls at Avon Hokum Karem, 9 a.m.
Aug. 31: Hamilton County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 4: at Columbus North Classic, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 11: Wildcat Classic Invitational, 9 a.m. at Indiana Wesleyan
Sept. 18: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 25: Hoosier Crossroads Conference meet, 10 a.m. at Brownsburg
Oct. 2: Twilight Meet, 6:15 p.m. at LaVern Gibson Course
SHERIDAN
Aug. 28: Sheridan Invitational, 8 a.m.
Aug. 31: Hamilton County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 2: Landes Invitational, 5:30 p.m. at Hamilton Heights
Sept. 9: Charger Classic, 5 p.m. at North Mongomery
Sept. 11: at Maconaquah Invitational, 9 a.m.
Sept. 16: Tiger Invitational, 5 p.m. at Lebanon
Sept. 18: at Tipton Invitational, 9 a.m.
Sept. 22: North Montgomery and Tri-West, 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 25: at Delta, 8:30 a.m.
Sept. 30: Hoosier Heartland Conference meet, 5 p.m. at Rossville
UNIVERSITY
Aug. 21: Small School Invitational, 10:30 a.m. at Southwestern Shelby
Aug. 28: Sheridan Invitational, 8 a.m.
Aug. 31: Hamilton County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 2: Landes Invitational, 5:30 p.m. at Hamilton Heights
Sept. 11: at Ben Davis Invitational, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 16: Tiger Invitational, 5 p.m. at Lebanon
Sept. 18: at Tipton Invitational, 9 a.m.
Sept. 25: Pioneer Conference meet, noon at Northview Church
Oct. 5: University Invitational, 5:30 p.m.
WESTFIELD
Aug. 14: at Terre Haute South Valley Cross Kickoff, 9 a.m.
Aug. 21: at Plainfield Invitational, 8:30 a.m.
Aug. 28: David Bannon Invitational, 9 a.m. at Franklin Central
Aug. 31: Hamilton County meet, 5:30 p.m. at Noblesville
Sept. 4: at Brownsburg Invitational, 8:30 a.m.
Sept. 11: Wildcat Classic Invitational, 9 a.m. at Indiana Wesleyan
Sept. 18: Riverview Health Invitational, 9 a.m. at Northview Church
Sept. 25: Hoosier Crossroads Conference meet, 10 a.m. at Brownsburg
Oct. 2: Twilight Meet, 6:15 p.m. at LaVern Gibson Course