TERRE HAUTE — The best high school cross country runners in the state — including two local athletes — gathered Saturday at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course at the Wabash Valley Sports Center in Terre Haute for the IHSAA State Finals.

Lapel High School junior Luke Combs and Pendleton Heights senior Milan Jones were among 206 male runners competing.

Under nearly perfect conditions for running, with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-50s, Combs ran near the front of the pack and finished 27th with a time of 16:20.4, while Jones had a strong run and came in 93rd with a time of 17:03.3.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

The top individual male runner was Cathedral’s Cole Hocker, who finished in 15:25.1, just ahead of Lowell’s Gabriel Sanchez, who came in with a time of 15:41.1.

Greencastle senior Emma Wilson was top female runner. Wilson covered the 5,000-meter course in 17:53.9 to become the first girls repeat winner since Culver Academies’ Alex Banfich went three in a row from 2005-07.

Erin Strzelecki, a junior from Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, was the girls runner-up in 18:00.6.

In the team standings, Carroll (Fort Wayne) claimed the girls team title after finishing runner-up the past three years. The Chargers collected 85 points for the top spot with three of its runners in the top 10 and outpaced defending state champion Zionsville with 149 and West Lafayette with 176, according to the IHSAA.org.

Carroll was led by Meagan Hathaway, who finished fifth in 18:30.2, Monroe Fruchey in sixth at 18:30.5, and Abigail Green in ninth at 18:34.7.

Other scoring teammates included Mallory Clements in 40th at 19:17.5 and Ashlyn Minton in 66th at 19:32.4.

In the boys team standings, third-ranked Carmel edged out top-ranked Indianapolis Cathedral 136-146 for the crown, its third in the past four years and 16th overall. Second-ranked Fishers placed third with 150 points.