COMING...
---Baron Classic, Saturday, April 30 at DeKalb HS, Panther Run at Prairie Heights HS...
---Summer Nights 5K/1M set for August 30 in Ligonier...
---Bee Bumble 5K/10K, September 27, in Burnettsville...

RunIndiana.com "Runners-of-the-Week" (August 24)...
   Homestead senior Evan Hanley and Columbia City sophomore Renee Menzie aren't new to cross country but their names and faces may not be recognized by northeast Indiana fans. As an exchange student in Germany last year, Hanley missed his junior year. Menzie ended last year 37th at semistate.
   This week Hanley placed 7th at the DeKalb Invitational in 17:19 and then 10th at the Huntington Invitational in 16:49. He beat Carroll seniors Austin Kilmer, Nick Card, and Michaal Nussa at DeKalb and was the #2 Spartan runner at both meets.
   Menzie placed 6th at DeKalb where she outran Natalie Spahr and Meghan Terrell, frontrunners for Huntington and Homestead. She also beat DeKalb seniors Emily Iddins and Rachel Hissong, as well as Carroll's Brianna Johnson and Ciersten Deardorf. Menzie cut her time from 22:30 in 2007 to 20:09 in 2008.
Carroll teams dominate Huntington Invite...
Comments from Huntington North's Ross Ochs --- HERE
Girls Varsity Results --- Guys Varsity Results
Girls Reserve Results --- Guys Reserve Results
HUNTINGTON - Carroll's varsity cross country teams each took five of the top nine spots to dominate the Huntington Invitational Saturday, August 23. The girls, led by Brianna Johnson in second at 19:00, went 2-3-5-7-9 to score 26, while the guys, led by Robby Kleber in second in 16:20, went 2-4-5-8-9 for 28 points.
   Homestead was second in the girls race with 80 and edged DeKalb by one point.  Huntington North was second in the boys race with 52, led by individual champion Ross Ochs in 16:17. Dekalb's Autumn Beachy won the girls race in 18:44.
   Other scores in the girls race were Huntington with 94, followed by Lafayette Jefferson (153), Delta (180), Leo (200), New Haven (229), Kokomo (230), South Side (234), and Norwell (237).
   Homestead placed third in the guys race with 93, beating DeKalb (132), Lafayette Jeff (141), Kokomo (157), Norwell (166), Delta (177), South Side (233), New Haven (311), and Leo (336).
Fun Fest One-mile results --- HERE
NORTH MANCHESTER - forty-five youngsters competed Saturday, August 8, in the Fun Fest one-mile fun run.
   Ashley Erba, 12, of Winona Lake set a new course record of 5:50. Mathew Fahs-Brown, 12, of North Manchester was second in 6:28, while David Fahs-Brown, also 12, was third in 6:31. Claudel Dickantone, 12, of North Manchester  was fourth in 6:34
   Elen-year-ol Brigit Nemitz of Pierceton placed fifth and was the second female in 6:58.

DeKalb Invitational - Photo Gallery

Huntington teams take lead at DeKalb Invitational...
Girls results - Guys results
Comments from Coach Cotton --- Comments from Coach Hines
AUBURN - Although official scores were not kept at the DeKalb Invitational Tuesday night, Huntington girls and guys got off to a good start of the 2008 high school cross country season.
   The Lady Vikings, led by Natalie Spahr in seventh (20:12), took five of the top 26 places. The guys, led by individual champion Ross Ochs in 16:37, put six runners in the top 21.
   In the girls race, Valparaiso again dominated the meet. Expected to be a top-five state finalist team this year, they went 1-3-4-12-13 with Megan Ranegar setting a new course record of 18:58. Ranegar won last year in 19:18. DeKalb's Autumn Beachy, who also broke the old record, was second in 19:13. East Noble's Jessica Dennison was fifth in 20:07 and Columbia City's Renee Menzie placed sixth in 20:09. Dennison was also fifth last year in 20:12.
   Ochs, who placed fifth last year, cut nearly a minute off his 2007 time, despite holding himself to ninth place through the first mile. His teammate Josh Graham was second in 16:56.
   Kodi Mullins of Homestead finished third in 17:04 and was followed by Huntington's Austin Roberts in 17:08. DeKalb's Austin Fisher was fifth in 17:13.
   Carroll, considered to be one of the area's top team this year, was led by Austin Kilmer in ninth (17:30). James Martin and Robby Kleber opted not to run but are expected to compete Saturday at the Huntington Invitational.

Elias Rojas and Laurissa Dalrymple win Kernal Klassic 5K...
VAN BUREN - Elias Rojas, 21, of Marion won the 22nd annual Kernal Klassic 5K in 15:55. Rojas outran Chuck and Jeff Wysong of Ligonier by 14 (16:09) and 16 (16:11) seconds. All three are former West Noble HS runners. Their former coach, Brian Shepherd, 42, of Ligonier was the masters champion in 16:15.
   Laurissa Dalrymple, 25, of Bluffton was the overall female champion in 19:27. Denise Conrad, 47, of Decatur was the female masters winner in 20:22.
   Other age group winners included Matt Murray (M14-under,19:56), Warren Faith (F14-under,33:22), Janet Redderg (F15-19,21:23), Alyssa Johnson (F20-24,20:30), Brad Macracken (M25-29.18:50), Zoll Bernie (M30-34,19:28), Pheny Bryon (M35-39,21:27), Angela Lockwood (F35-39,22:25), Tammy Bennett (F40-44,28:10), Garrett Davenport (M45-49,19:59), Brad Altevogt (M50-59,18:57), Kim Longstreth (F50-59,32:02).
Photos below: Taylor University runners and Gene Teel, West Noble Middle School coach.