PENDLETON — Pendleton Heights has a long and storied tradition of prominence in cross county, and this season should add to the history.
Boys coach Alan Holden has a smaller group this season, but in his 35 years of coaching, he knows more runners doesn’t always mean better results.
“It’s not the amount. It’s the quality,” Holden said. With 10 boys on the team this year, Holden said it’s one of his better groups.
The Arabians went to semistate last season, and competing this year from that group are seniors Avry Carpenter and Gabe Holland, junior Andrew Blake and sophomore Will Coggins.
Coggins is currently sidelined with an injury, but Holden said he anticipates he will be back soon.
Junior Jason Lyst is another Holden believes will be a great competitor this year.
“They are showing they really want to improve,” Holden said. “It’s encouraging they are already beating their times from last year.”
Having a seasoned roster makes daily training run smoothly as Holden said the team has been with him a while, and they know how things roll and what they need to do.
One of the things Holden is emphasizing is the team is only as good as it’s fifth runner. A fifth runner in the back of the field doesn’t make the strongest team.
The Arabians have won the Madison County title 17 times, and Holden wants to add another as well as keep the team healthy to the end of the season to make it through the sectional, regional, another semistate and hopefully state meets.
On Aug. 21, Pendleton Heights competed in the County Clash at Taylor University. The team placed third overall and Carpenter lead the Arabians finishing third and Blake was fourth. Lyst was 15th. Holland was 33rd, and Ian McLaughlin was 34th. Jack Goehring was 72nd and Dillon Penrod was 78th.
The Arabian Roundup was set for Wednesday, Aug. 25 (after press time). Because of extreme heat in the forecast, Holden said they would likely use the meet as a training and strategy session instead of the team pushing for a win and possibly risking heat-related injury. He said keeping everyone healthy for the big push at the end of the season is the plan.
Girls team
The Arabian girls are loaded with returning talent again this season. Seniors Katie Jones, Laney Ricker, Catherine Dudley and Berkley Lord are the same talented freshmen team from four years ago, and now will push to make another appearance in the semistate meet.
Joining those four are Olivia Welpott, Abby Davidson and Jaycee Thurman who add depth and strength on the course for the Arabians. Coach Melissa Hagerman also has some freshman standouts to watch.
The team showed just how ready they are for competition by winning the County Clash at Taylor University Aug. 21. Freshman Ava Jarrell paced the team finishing third overall. Ricker finished fifth, and Lord was ninth. Thurman was 13th, Davidson 14th and senior Ella Dixon was 17th.
The girls team also were set to compete in the roundup on Wednesday.
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Pendleton Heights cross country rosters
Boys
Seniors
Shawn Brown
Avry Carpenter
Gabe Holland
Juniors
Andrew Blake
Nick Bronnenberg
Jack Goehring
Jason Lyst
Ian McLaughlin
Sophomores
Will Coggins
Dillon Penrod
Girls
Seniors
Ella Dixon
Catherine Dudley
Katie Jones
Berkley Lord
Laney Ricker
Claire Wittkamper
Juniors
Katy McHatton
Gloria Richardson
Sophomores
Abby Davidson
Olivia Welpott
Freshmen
Ava Jarrell
Julieanne Spejewski
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2021 Pendleton Heights Cross Country Schedule
Date;Opponent;Time
Aug. 21;at County Clash (Taylor U.);9 a.m.
Aug. 25;Arabian Roundup;6 p.m.
Aug. 28;at Avon Hokum Karem;9:45 a.m.
Sept. 4;at Marion Invitational (Indiana Wesleyan);8:30 a.m.
Sept. 11;at Wildcat Classic (Indiana Wesleyan);9:20 a.m.
Sept. 18;at Riverview Health Invitational (Carmel);9 a.m.
Sept. 21;Madison County Meet (at PH);5:30 p.m.
Oct. 2;at HHC Meet (Yorktown);10 a.m.
Oct. 9;Pendleton Heights Sectional;10 a.m.
Oct. 16;at Delta Regional;10:30 a.m.
Oct. 23;at New Haven Semi-State;1 p.m.
Oct. 30;at State Finals (Terre Haute);1 p.m.
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