SHELBYVILLE — Playing their version of “Follow the Leader” Hancock County schools qualified three runners to next week’s IHSAA Girls Cross Country State Finals at Terre Haute’s LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.
Mt. Vernon sophomore Hannah Hauser, who has been the county’s top runner all season, and Greenfield-Central freshman Josie Kinnaman and junior Lexie Copeland finished strong enough to be among the qualifiers from Saturday’s Shelbyville Regional at Blue River Park.
The top five teams advanced along with the top 15 individual not associated with the top five teams.
Hauser made the cut with room to spare, finishing 17th overall with a 5K time of 19:22.89. Kinnaman was 11th among the group with a 25th place finish in 19:43.30. Copeland, projected to be outside the top 15 coming in, got the 14th spot, placing 31st with a personal best time of 19:49.23.
“The beginning was a little hard to get around everybody, with the hills, and I got caught up there,” Hauser said. “At the mile mark everybody started to spread out and then I found my people (to race with).”
Kinnaman knew if she could keep an eye on Hauser, her chances were good to advance, too. Similarly, Copeland said she was trying to keep her teammate Kinnaman in her vision.
“I just kept my eyes on Josie,” Copeland said on a key for her being one of the last to advance.
“I knew that today wasn’t about time,” Kinnaman said. “It was about competing. I would have liked to have been higher up, but I was honestly looking for Hannah. I saw her at the beginning, but I let too much of a gap in between us. I was thankful I had a lot of competition around me because throughout the season there’s been a lot of people in front of me and behind me, but not really with me.”
In a field that included eight state-ranked teams, Mt. Vernon placed 12th with 321 points. Greenfield-Central was 16th with 435. New Palestine and Eastern Hancock had runners in the race but not enough to have a team score.
No. 1 ranked Noblesville won the meet with 76 points. No. 5 Hamilton Southeastern followed with 94. No. 7 Franklin Central (118), No. 10 Westfield (160) and No. 13 Guerin Catholic (169) rounded out the qualifying teams.
Three state-ranked teams, including the No. 19 Marauders did not advance. No. 24 Roncalli placed eighth and No. 25 Center Grove finished sixth.
“I think we came in with good spirits, a good week of practice, but that’s running,” Mt. Vernon coach Lydgia Palmer said. “Some weeks are like this. It’s definitely disappointing, but I’m not going to diminish the season they’ve had. They’ve been through a lot and they’ve been very resilient and I am really proud of them. I can’t ask for a better group, and now we know what we need to do in the offseason in track and in the summer.”
Hauser is the first Mt. Vernon state qualifier since Amye Adcock made the finals in 2005.
It’s only the second time Greenfield-Central has had state qualifiers. Audrey Brinkruff made the race in 2019. It’s the first time they’ve had two runners qualify in the same year.
“All week we’ve been telling them, it’s not about time, it’s not about running fast, it’s how you compete and going out and putting yourself in that position,” Greenfield-Central coach Scott Burton said. “Josie came in knowing her chances were pretty strong. With about 400 (meters) to go she wanted me to let her know where she was, and at that point she was in good shape and maintained her line.
“For Lexie, we came into the week where we have a chance if this happens and this happens. (She needed to) put herself in position and go out and run her race and not get caught up in the early pace, advance through the meet like (she did at the sectional). She came in at the two-mile, she had positioned herself in what we thought was that top 15 individuals. That last mile she was able to maintain that.”
New Palestine had four runners in the race. Senior Courtney Study led the Dragons with a 60th place finish in 20:32.71. Eastern Hancock had two runners. Freshman Sydney Johnson was 123rd in 21:43.34.
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2023 IHSAA Shelbyville Regional 4 Girls Cross Country Meet
Team scores: Noblesville 76, Hamilton Southeastern 94, Franklin Central 118, Westfield 160, Guerin Catholic 169, Center Grove 202, East Central 209, Roncalli 280, Whiteland 283, Batesville 284, Pendleton Heights 304, Mt. Vernon 321, Fishers 321, Franklin 370, Cathedral 422, Greenfield-Central 435, Indian Creek 456, Lawrence North 479, Warren Central 494, Centerville 578, Charlestown 596, Richmond 624, South Dearborn 645, Southwestern (Hanover) 652, Rushville 705, Switzerland County 728, Madison 802
Mt. Vernon (321): Hannah Hauser (17th, 19:22.89), Chesnie Willis (64th, 20:33.99), Lillian Quinn (82nd, 21:05.54), Emma Gale (85th, 21:07.66), Makenna Laffey (104th, 21:28.53), Julia Iserloth (106th, 21:30.81), Kenydi Russell (130th, 21:46.99).
Greenfield-Central (435): Josie Kinnaman (25th, 19:43.30), Lexie Copeland (31st, 19:49.23), Adalyn Cole (84th, 21:07.11), Taylor Cooksey (195th, 23:40.46), Kendall Barrett (204th, 24:04.53), Emaline Capen (207th, 24:09.07), Isabelle Hunt (227th, 25:54.94).
New Palestine (No team score): Courtney Study (60th, 20:32.71), Amelia Stone (96th, 21:22.42), Addison Uhl (117th, 21:37.11), Camille Massari (133rd, 21:53.35)
Eastern Hancock (No team score): Sydney Johnson (123rd, 21:43.34), Kaylee Swan (170th, 23:11.97)
