NEW PALESTINE — A young group of runners are working to get New Palestine’s boys cross country team back toward the top of the result sheet.
Coach Chuck Myers’ team has only two seniors on an 18-member roster, so the climb will be lead by runners he hopes to have around for a few seasons.
“I think we’ll have a strong No. 1 with Jake Cooper (a junior), but after that we’ll need to make sure we’re getting some of the others moving up spots,” Myers said.
With five runners scoring at the meets, the coach added his team will need to improve on the back end of the seven-runner varsity lineup. But, he feels good about Cooper, who was the team’s No. 1 last year at the Mt. Vernon Sectional, where the Dragons earned the fifth and final team spot into the regional.
“I think (Cooper) can be in that mix of the top five, top 10 in the conference,” Myers said. “He had a good track season and broke 10 minutes in the two-mile. That’s a good start. He’s had a good summer. He’s moving in the right direction and should be competing with the (top runners). We’ve just got to get the rest of the pack near him. He can be a very, very good runner.”
That pack of runners includes the most veteran of the team, senior Jake Collins, who was the team’s No. 1 runner at last year’s regional.
Myers also likes what he’s seen from sophomore Sam Ragsdale and junior Gavin Smith, who are also candidates for the next spots behind Cooper.
Junior Charlie Rigsbee and sophomore Hayden Taylor are expected to be in the varsity mix, too. Both competed in varsity meets last season.
The team’s other senior, Liam Cleveland, is returning to cross country after not competing in the sport the last two seasons.
The team will open the season Saturday, Aug. 19 at the John Cleland Invitational in Carmel.
To wrap up the regular season, the boys and girls programs will host the New Palestine Invitational.
It will be the program’s first home meet in five years. Formerly the host of county, conference and sectional meets, New Palestine has not hosted since the school began construction projects five years ago that forced changes to the cross country course.
Myers said he expects six-to-eight teams that will compete in the Oct. 7 event, one week prior to the Mt. Vernon Sectional.
“It’s nice to get back out and have a home meet,” Myers said.
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2023 New Palestine boys cross country schedule
Date;Opponent;Time
Aug. 19;at John Cleland Invitational (Carmel);8:30 a.m.
Aug. 23;at Arabian Roundup (Pendleton);6 p.m.
Aug. 26;at Mt. Vernon Invitational;9 a.m.
Sept. 2;at Marion Invitational (IWU);8:30 a.m.
Sept. 9;at Whiteland Invitational;9 a.m.
Sept. 16;at Golden Bear Invitational (Shelbyville);8:30 a.m.
Sept. 23;Hoosier Heritage Conference (Shelbyville);9 a.m.
Sept. 30;at Nike Valley Twilight (Terre Haute);TBD
Oct. 7;Dragon Invitational;10 a.m.
