PENDLETON — The season came to an end for Pendleton Heights’ boys and girls cross country teams Saturday at the New Haven Semistate.
The races took place at Huntington University.
Both teams placed 15th in their respective races. The top six teams and top 10 individuals from non-qualifying teams advanced to this weekend’s Indiana High School Athletic Association Boys and Girls Cross Country State Finals in Terre Haute at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.
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For the Arabian girls, who had no seniors on their varsity seven, junior Katie Jones led the way by placing 70th with a 5K time of 20:42.9. Junior Laney Ricker was 94th at 21:04. Berkeley Lord, also a junior, was 121st, finishing in 21:24.6. Close behind at place No. 123 was freshman Olivia Welpott, who clocked in at 21:25.9. The final scoring runner was junior Catherine Dudley, who finished in 141st with a time of 21:47.4.
Freshman Jaycee Thurman was runner No. 167 with a time of 23:35.5. Junior Ella Dixon rounded out the PH runners, placing in 172nd at 23:55.1.
There were 20 teams in the event, which was won by Fort Wayne Carroll with a score of 46. Hamilton Southeastern (74), Fort Wayne Concordia (124), Fishers (171), Penn (183) and Homestead (200) also advanced.
Pendleton Heights had 410 points.
“Considering their age and experience, they did a great job,” Pendleton Heights girls cross country coach Melissa Hagerman said. “With their youth, they handled it really well. It was a challenging course.
“Attitude-wise, they did great. Their times were fairly consistent with what they ran all year. I was pleased with that. They want to run that course again and want to get back to semistate, and they want to go to state, and that’s what’s important.”
The boys team scored 369 points and finished just one point away from 13th place. NorthWood and Huntington North tied for 13th with 368 points, with NorthWood taking the spot by having the best sixth runner.
Hamilton Southeastern won with 109 points. The Royals advanced along with Fort Wayne Concordia (124), Fishers (124), Carroll (165), Goshen (188) and Penn (206).
Junior Avry Carpenter had the strongest run for the Arabians. He placed 55th overall with a time of 16:54.9.
Sophomore Andrew Blake was 78th overall, finishing in 17:13.3. Senior Kyle Drinkut was No. 85 across the line, clocking in at 17:16.2. Senior Sean Roan was the No. 4 runner, placing 101st in 17:31.4. The final scoring runner was freshman William Coggins, finishing 127th in 17:47.4.
Gabriel Holland, a junior, was 160th in 18:27.8 and junior Elijah Creel was 170th in 18:53.4.
“We ran pretty well,” Pendleton Heights boys cross country coach Alan Holden, in his 34th season, said. “Avry was in the 16s and I was quite pleased to have our top five under 18. That’s what we were looking for.
“This is always the second toughest semi-state. To get out, you’ve done real well. You have to have five in the 16s and we just didn’t have that consistency this year, but I am pleased with how we ran.”
Holden added, with the restraints this season due to COVID-19, he was pleased to be able to finish the year and run all the competitions.
“It was a different kind of season,” he said. “I’m glad we were able to get the season in and we ran competitively.”