The Carmel boys cross country team has a nice little streak going: The Greyhounds have won the last two IHSAA state championships and have finished in the top the last seven years.
Carmel will try to extend those streaks this year, and has the ability to do so. Coach Colin Altevogt said that the team has three scorers back from last year’s team, all of them seniors for the Greyhounds, who are listed at No. 2 on the Indiana Runner pre-season rankings.
Grant Moon is the top returning athlete for Carmel; he placed 33rd at state next year. Ben Johnson finished 40th and Will Murphy placed 48th. Another runner back is senior Ben Myers, who finished 33rd in the 2017 state finals as a sophomore, but missed the bulk of the regular season in 2018, and competed in the first three rounds of the post-season.
Other returning runners are figuring into the mix as well.
“Senior Austin Throckmorton and junior Hudson Alden also had varsity-level experience two seasons ago while sitting out most of last year before fully returning this season,” said Altevogt. “Alden, in particular, has run as one of the five best runners through summer training. Senior and team captain Nick Schuster is training at a high level and figures to factor into consideration for the top seven.”
Altevogt said the younger athletes on Carmel’s team could contribute as well. Charlie Schuman, a sophomore, shined during the track and field season last year, with a 3200 run time of 9:43; he also ran on the Greyhounds’ state qualifying 4×800 relay.
“Juniors Jacob Fisher and Bing Hudson got extensive varsity action in 2018 and that should continue for each of them in this season,” said Altevogt. “Freshman Kole Mathison should have a quick and successful transition to high school distance running and compete exclusively in varsity competition.”
The Carmel boys cross country team is a two-time defending state champion, and has three of its runners from last year’s state team back for the 2019 season. (Kent Graham/File photo)