Submitted photo
Eastern Hancock’s boys cross country team couldn’t have asked for a better way to open the season.
The Royals won the Meister Family Invitational in Parker City at Monroe Central High School Saturday.
Sophomore Preston Markley led Eastern Hancock with a third-place finish and 5K time of 17-minutes, 50-seconds. Junior Brandon Metz was fifth with a career-best run of 18:04.
Frosh Caden Powers finished 22nd. Junior John Henry Gray placed 29th. Andrew Metz was 35th.
The Royals won by 14 points, finishing with 84. Monroe Central was second with 98. There were 10 teams in the event.
“Brandon did his best to stay with Preston and getting two runners in the top five of a field of 79 runners was critical for our success,” Eastern Hancock coach Rex Putt said. “Our other three were also in the top half of the field and hopefully they can close the gap a little more on our top two in future meets for continued success for the rest of the year. I’m very pleased to start the season with an impressive showing.”
Along with a strong performance from the high school team, eighth-grader Sydney Johnson was the winner in the girls middle school level competition.
On a 3200-meter course, Johnson finished with a time of 13:35, 24 seconds quicker than the second-place runner.
Marauders win Hokum Karem
Mt. Vernon’s boys cross country team won the Plainfield Invitational Saturday.
In a Hokum Karem style event, the Marauders won with 18 points, six less than second-place Westfield. There were 12 teams in the event.
Leading for Mt. Vernon was the second-place team of Colin Strachman and Tristan Trevino. The Marauder tandem finished with a combined time of 30:15.85.
Ahmed Saleh and Austin Baugh were seventh in 31:29.39. Xaiden Jenson and Isaiah Njau placed ninth in 31:48.18. Caden Cassada and Landon Willis were 20th in 32:57.13. Daylon King and Cooper Hunziker were 23rd with an overall time of 32:59.01.
In the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (IATCCC) poll, the Marauders are ranked No. 22 in the state.
Cougars are Hare and Hounds champions
Greenfield-Central finished first in the Hare and Hounds Invitational hosted by Richmond High School Saturday.
The Cougars won with 37 points. Northeastern was second with 50. Marion scored 85.
There were six teams in the 5K race.
Individually, Greenfield-Central had a 1-2 finish with Griffen Wheeler (16:32.30) and Liam Brinkruff (16:44.30).
Luke Haffner was fourth in 17:14.30. Carter Crouch placed 10th in 18:08.50. Rounding out the Cougar scoring, David Wasson placed 20th (19:04.20).
New Pal teams 10th at Cleland Invitational
New Palestine’s boys cross country program started the season at the John Cleland Invitational, held at Northview Christian Life Church in Carmel.
The race was broken down into two 4K events. One race included freshmen and sophomores. The other had juniors and seniors.
Both Dragon teams finished 10th. There were 15 teams in the frosh/soph race and 12 in the junior/senior race.
Carmel won the underclass race with 42 points. New Palestine had 271, just seven points behind ninth-place Ben Davis.
Gavin Smith (51st, 14:49.2) and Jacob Cooper (69th, 15:08.1) were the top two New Palestine runners.
In the junior/senior race, Zionsville won with 28 points. New Palestine had 297.
The best runs for New Palestine came from Cody Crawmer (59th-14:49.7) and Jacob Collins (88th-15:21.3).
Girls cross country
MV girls fourth at Plainfield Relays
Mt. Vernon’s girls cross country team was fourth in an 11-team field at the Plainfield Relays Saturday.
The Marauders scored 50 points in the Hokum Karem style race. Cathedral won with 21. Westfield had 22 and Franklin Community scored 25.
The tandem of Emma Gale and Hannah Hauser led Mt. Vernon with a fifth-place finish. They had a combined time of 36:32.48.
G-C girls finish sixth
Greenfield-Central’s girls cross country team finished sixth at the Hare and Hounds Invitational in Richmond on Saturday.
Lexie Copeland (23:15) and Reagan Crouch (23:19.4) placed 23rd and 24th, respectively.
New Pal girls finish 9th, 10th
At the John Cleland Invitational held at Northview Christian Life Church in Carmel, New Palestine earned ninth and 10th place finishes.
In the 4K freshmen/sophomore race, won by Noblesville, New Palestine was 10th with 302 points.
Heidi Bloomer led the Dragons with a 98th place finish (19:12.6).
In the junior/senior race, won by Zionsville, New Pal was ninth with 281 points.
Courtney Study was 34th in a time of 17:05.8.
Girls golf
New Pal wins invitational
With a score of 358, New Palestine won the six-team New Palestine Invitational, held at Blue Bear Golf Club in Shelbyville.
Greenfield-Central’s Sydney Wherry was the individual champion with a round of 82. The Cougars were fourth with a 411. Mt. Vernon placed fifth with a 413.
A second New Palestine team, NP White placed third with a 410.
New Pal’s first-place team was led by Zoe Nelson with an 87. Katie Kelley shot an 88. Lily Kirchner led NP White with a 90. Mt. Vernon was led by Izzy VanHeel with a 93.
Boys soccer
Mt. Vernon wins HHC opener
Mt. Vernon won 1-0 at New Castle Saturday in the Hoosier Heritage Conference opener for both teams.
The Marauders goal came from Akseli Huopalahti and was assisted by Carsen Brandon.
Goalkeeper Bryce Glazier had six saves.
G-C earns come-from-behind win
Down 1-0 at halftime, Greenfield-Central rallied to earn a 2-1 win over visiting Decatur Central on Saturday.
Dalton Evanoff had the tying goal. Gavin Jack scored the game-winner.
G-C is 2-0-2 on the season.
New Pal beats Warren
Elliott Canova had both New Palestine goals in a 2-1 victory at Warren Central Saturday.
Brendan Tanksley had an assist on a corner kick. The first Canova goal came on a penalty kick.
Goalkeeper Blake Bobrow had seven saves.
Girls soccer
Mt. Vernon wins big at Franklin
Mattie Isger had a hat trick to lead Mt. Vernon to a 5-0 victory at Franklin Saturday.
Addy Wong and Kylie Brandes added goals. Mariam Konate, Hannah Monroe and Brandes each had assists. Goalkeeper Khloe Patterson had one save.
Dragons lose to LN
New Palestine (2-1) suffered its first loss of the season, 2-1 to visiting Lawrence North Saturday.
Lydia Sams scored for the Dragons. Nevaeh Gebhart had an assist.
Volleyball
Mt. Vernon goes 1-2 at Western Boone
Mt. Vernon defeated Hamilton Heights and lost to Western Boone and Heritage Christian at Western Boone on Saturday.
The Marauders beat the Huskies 2-0 by set scores of 25-15, 25-16. Kate Ferguson had eight digs. Abby Herman had 10 digs.
Against the host school, the Marauders lost 2-0 by scores of 25-19, 25-22. Ferguson led the attack with five kills. Herman had 11 digs.
Versus Heritage Christian, Mt. Vernon lost 2-0 by set scores of 26-24, 26-24. Alivia Morgan and Ferguson had five kills each. Herman had 12 digs.
Royals lose to Lincoln
As part of the Shenandoah Invitational, Eastern Hancock lost 2-0 to Cambridge City Lincoln.
Set scores were 25-16, 27-25.
Boys tennis
Cougars second at Franklin
Greenfield-Central finished runners-up in the four-team Franklin Community Invitational Saturday.
Heritage Christian won the event.
Greenfield-Central defeated Franklin 3-2 and Mooresville 5-0. The Cougars lost 3-2 to Heritage Christian.
Singles players Chris Long and CJ Michalek both went 3-0 on the day.
Marauders go 2-1 at Center Grove Shootout
Mt. Vernon defeated Terre Haute South (3-2) and Perry Meridian (5-0) and lost to No. 10 Center Grove (5-0) at Saturday’s Center Grove Shootout.
Adam Koon (6-2, 6-2), Manny Downs (6-2, 6-0) and Robbie Moore (6-1, 6-2) won singles matches against South.
All three won against Perry Meridian. Koon was victorious by a count of 6-3, 6-1. Downs won 6-0, 6-2. Moore had a 6-2, 6-2 match.
Both doubles teams added wins. Matthew Jones and Bryndan Wylie won 6-2, 6-7 (4), 10-8.
At No. 2 doubles, Max Orelup and Eli Muterspaugh won 6-4, 6-2.
The Marauders are 4-1 on the season.
