The expectations are high for the Noblesville girls cross country team this season, but that’s nothing new to the Millers.
Noblesville always seems to have a good team that is ready to challenge for a place in the IHSAA state finals, and this year’s group is no exception. Indiana Runner, the highly-regarded cross country/track and field website, has the Millers ranked eighth in its list of pre-season top 50 teams.
Noblesville coach Dennis Scheele said his team is counting on a group of five returners to “propel the Millers back to the State Finals.” They are seniors Anna Hazelrigg, Sophie Reichard and Madison King, and juniors Sophie Stahl and Bella Sharples-Gordon.
Richard, King, Sharples-Gordon and Stahl all ran in the state finals last year, leading Noblesville to a ninth-place finish. Hazelrigg and Sharples-Gordon also had excellent track and field seasons, running on the Millers’ 4×800 team, which finished sixth at the state meet.
Scheele noted a couple freshmen, Paige Hazelrigg and Brooke Lahee, who the coach said “figure to make strong and quick contributions to the team.” In addition, several athletes from last year’s team are also ones to watch out for as they move up the roster.
The Millers will begin their season Wednesday, Aug. 21 at the Brown County Invitational, a meet they won last year. After that, Noblesville will settle in to a mostly Saturday schedule, with a couple of Tuesday exceptions: The Harrison 8 Way on Aug. 27 and the Hamilton County meet on Sept. 3. The Millers will travel to Brownsburg for the Hoosier Crossroads Conference meet on Sept. 28, then host the sectional on Oct. 12.
Noblesville roster
Seniors: Brynna Eaton, Emma Fetz, Margaret Fisher, Anna Hazelrigg, Grace Judy, Kaylah Keating, Isabelle Keller, Madison King, Tanuja Nair, Kelly Reagin, Sophie Reichard, Charis Siefert.
Juniors: Emma Blackburn, Chloe Click, Andrea Costa, Sarah DeMann, Natalie DeRolf, Mary Dombroski, Kiersten Freeman, Megan Hoffman, Callie Howell, Deirdre Leib, Abigail Line, Mya McGavic, Mary Molnar, Audrey Rinker, Lauren Sandys, Millikan Setmeyer, Bella Sharples-Gordon, Sophie Stahl.
Sophomores: Alaina Balciunas, Zoe Bruns, Alexis DeJong, Lauren DeRolf, Zoe Dinius, Brooke Dunn, Taylor Gossard, Sara Hacker, Abigail Helsloot, Madison Klinker, Amelia Moor, Ashley Newcome, Makenzie Pursch, Rowan Wolke.
Freshmen: Paige Hazelrigg, Zoe Heston, Brooke Lahee, Adalynne Robbins.
Noblesville’s Madison King is one of four athletes that run for the Millers at the state meet last year. Noblesville is rated eighth in the Indiana Runner pre-season rankings. (Kent Graham/File photo)