By RICHIE HALL
CARMEL – The Carmel 3200 Showcase is still a young event, but it’s already becoming an elite event.
The third edition of the annual Showcase featured five boys runners finish the 3200 run under nine minutes. The girls were even more incredible, as the top four runners all smashed the meet record. All this action happened under clear skies on a cool night at Carmel Stadium – “great weather for the 32,” said the Greyhounds’ Kole Mathison.
The Carmel senior won the Showcase, finally breaking through after a close second in the inaugural event two years ago. Mathison finished the race in a time of 8 minutes, 56.38 seconds, holding off a kick by Martinsville’s Martin Barco. The Artesians junior zoomed to a victory in last week’s Franklin Central Showcase, but Mathison was the winner by 1.30 seconds this week.
“It’s good to come out here against great competition again and have everybody around the state here,” said Mathison. “It’s an exciting, exciting time and good competition.”
Carmel also got a third-place finish at the Showcase, thanks to Tony Provenzano. The junior achieved a personal best on Friday night, clocking in at 8:58.81 for his first-ever sub-nine minute 3200.
“I knew that Kole was going to take it out pretty patiently,” said Provenzano. “And then it’s basically about hanging on from there and sticking with it.”
The past few months have been a remarkable whirlwind for Provenzano. He moved to Carmel from Hopkins, Minn. in August. That was just in time for him to join the Greyhounds for a state championship in cross country.
“It’s been amazing,” said Provenzano. “I love Carmel. Moving here wasn’t really a hard transition at all. The team is amazing. They’ve been really good at helping me make Carmel feel like home.”
Provenzano edged out Brebeuf Jesuit junior Cameron Todd for third place; Todd finished in 8:58.85. Bloomington North senior Kyle Clark was fifth with an 8:59.98.
Fishers sophomore Sam Quagliaroli had a solid meet, placing seventh. Noblesville senior Asher Propst led the Millers by taking 13th. All of the above-mentioned runners competed in the Fast Heat, the fifth heat of the evening for the boys runners.
Fishers’ Sam Quagliarioli (113) and Noblesville’s Asher Propst (224) both had strong finishes in the fast heat of the boys event. (Richie Hall)
Heat winners
There were some good performances in the other heats as well. Carmel’s Charlie Leedke won Heat 3 with a time of 9:25.73. Noblesville’s Jack Strong lived up to his name, as he made a tremendous final-lap kick to win Heat 4 in 9:20.22.
The girls race lived up to the hype, as the top four runners all finished over 10 seconds faster then the old meet record of 10:25.27. Park Tudor senior Sophia Kennedy dominated the race, winning with a time of 10:07.28. Homestead senior Addison Knoblauch was the runner-up (10:12.69), while another Park Tudor star, senior Gretchen Farley, placed third (10:13.86). Delta junior Nicole Southerland was fourth (10:14.61.)
Guerin Catholic senior Bridget Gallagher was the county’s top finishers, placing 11th in 10:51.24, Noblesville junior Summer Rempe was 13th, setting a new Millers school record with her time of 10:54.79. Carmel junior Audrey Ricketts won Heat 2 of the girls event in 11:23.07, while Noblesville senior Paige Hazelrigg was a close second in Heat 3, finishing in 11:04.46.
The competition was intense throughout every heat at the Carmel 3200 Showcase. Pictured her running in Heat 3 of the girls event for Hamilton County are Noblesville’s Brooke Lahee (left) and Carmel’s Olivia Mundt (44) and Sadie Foley (40). (Richie Hall)
BOYS RACE
Heat 1: 12. Joel Spittal (Carmel) 10:02.66, 14. Michael Chalfant (Hamilton Southeastern) 10:04.42, 15. Drew Grogan (C) 10:05.72, 17. Drew Lovelace (Westfield) 10:06.24, 18. Cohen Levy (C) 10:06.44, 20. Dylan Wolf (Fishers) 10:06.88, 23. Cooper Mohr (F) 10:10.70, 24. Adam Warski (HSE), 27. Luke Mumaw (Noblesville) 10:19.96.
Heat 2: 6. Connor Mallon (C) 9:47.77, 8. William Cummings (W) 9:50.28, 13. Ashton Burns (N) 9:54.71, 17. Andrew Smith (HSE) 10:02.06, 18. Josh Cale (C) 10:03.29, 19. Henry Wood (F) 10:04.37, 20. Max Fish (Guerin Catholic) 10:04.74, 21. Landon Jones (W) 10:07.11, 22. Matt Hemmerling (HSE) 10:09.25, 23. Jack Shinneman (N) 10:12.81, 25. Hayden Nagel (C) 10:15.99, 26. Owen Mohler (W) 10:16.49.
Heat 3: 1. Charlie Leedke (C) 9:25.73, 3. Parker Melling (F) 9:33.94, 4. Austin Wilson (F) 9:34.12, 5. Liam Oman (C) 9:36.78, 10. Luke Moster (GC) 9:38.79, 11. Max Meisner (C) 9:38.80, 15. Caden Jackson (N) 9:44.58, 16. Jack Loiselle (W) 9:46.20, 17. Ian Ross (HSE) 9:48.28, 20. Sam Hinds (W) 9:52.52, 23. Kyle Grove (C) 9:59.13.
Heat 4: 1. Jack Strong (N) 9:20.22, 4. Jack Weber (GC) 9:25.27, 9. Ronnie Neal (N) 9:27.10, 12. Thomas Biltimier (C) 9:27.89, 14. Ethan Hines (GC) 9:28.79, 20. Alec Moor (N) 9:31.94, 21. Kiefer Jay (C) 9:33.91, 22. Tate Meaux (F) 9:34.18, 23. Jack Capes (C) 9:38.02.
Heat 5: 1. Kole Mathison (C) 8:56.38, 3. Tony Provenzano (C) 8:58.81, 7. Sam Quagliarioli (F) 9:09.51, 13. Asher Propst (N) 9:16.57, 21. Caden Click (N) 9:32.47.
GIRLS RACE
Heat 1: 4. Isabella Murch (F) 11:51.07, 6. Ellie Smith (C) 11:54.54, 11. Ronni Strzynski (C) 12:19.73, 12. Raya Chauhan (C) 12:25.17, 15. Savannah Paulson (C) 12:31.44, 17. Ella Wirkner (N) 12:43.28, 18. Addison Kane (F) 12:45.57, 19. Grier Swaim (F) 12:49.36, 20. Siri Koszyk (N) 12:59.75, 21. Dana Behlmer (N) 13:07.33, 22. Brooklyn Couch (N) 13:11.14, 23. Megan Meinerding (N) 13:12.18.
Heat 2: 1. Audrey Ricketts (C) 11:23.07, 4. Ava Powers (HSE) 11:37.93, 6. Nola Elling (C) 11:39.49, 7. Cara Naas (C) 11:41.96, 9. Emily Loiselle (W) 11:43.40, 12. Catey Campbell (HSE) 11:44.08, 14. Abby Lotter (F) 11:45.55, 15. Claire Milam (GC) 11:45.60, 16. Camille Morrow (GC) 11:49.51, 18. Kara Wenzler (C) 11:53.86, 19. Kaitlyn Oshimura (C) 11:54.94, 21. Katy Dascoli (C) 11:58.40, 25. Sydney Klinglesmith (W) 12:17.59, 27. Robyn Schemel (W) 12:57.68.
Heat 3: 2. Paige Hazelrigg (N) 11:04.46, 3. Brooke Lahee (N) 11:09.07, 5. Olivia Mundt (C) 11:10.46, 6. Sadie Foley (C) 11:10.74, 8. Bailey Freese (GC) 11:11.48, 14. Kennedy Applegate (N) 11:24.71, 16. Jasmine Klopstad (C) 11:27.42, 19. Charlotte Konow (C) 11:32.99, 20. Riley Flynn (N) 11:35.71, 21. Emersyn Weaver (C) 11:40.63, 22. Ansley Applegate (N) 11:42.10, 24. Katie Kolb (GC) 11:52.05, 26. Brinkley Cooper (N) 11:53.90, 27. Ella Gaddis (C) 11:54.54.
Heat 4: 11. Bridget Gallagher (GC) 10:51.24, 13. Summer Rempe (N) 10:54.79, 16. Nadia Perez (N) 11:03.86, 11. Liz Smith (W) 11:13.79.
BOYS FRESHMAN RACE
Heat 1: 8. Cooper Click (N) 10:23.43, 10. Declan Mohr (F) 10:27.21, 11. Zeke Benedict (HSE) 10:27.38, 12. Josh Montgomery (HSE) 10:28.10, 14. Owen Dilley (W) 10:31.48, 21. Matthan Lemon (C) 10:46.86, 24. Taye Gutwein (W) 11:02.1.6
Heat 2: 3. Nate Thomas (F) 9:47.91, 4. Carter Buhr (C) 9:47.99, 5. Deklin Bowser (C) 9:52.89, 8. Riley Schamp (HSE) 9:57.78, 15. John Libs (N) 10:14.09, 17. Caleb Haney (W) 10:18.27, 19. Noah Melton (N) 10:23.78.