5 Things to watch for at this weekend’s New Haven Regional
Can both New Haven Regional races be won by an ECI Runner?
In the boys race, there is a dealer’s choice of four or five different runners who could be the individual New Haven Regional Champ on Saturday and among them will be Wapahani’s Senior Nick Cook, who is the top returning runner from the 2022 former New Haven Semi-State. Cook this year has won eight individual invites this season including last weekend’s Delta Sectional. Cook’s main competition for the individual crown will be from the likes of Concordia’s Vaughn Hendrickson, Warsaw’s Jackson Gackenheimer and Oak Hill’s Owen Jackson.
The girls race up front figures to be a duel between Delta’s Nicki Southerland and Homestead’s Addison Knoblauch. Southerland is the returning champ out of the 2022 New Haven Semi-State (a race that Knoblauch finished 2nd in) but Knoblauch does have a better posted time than Southerland this season when she outperformed Southerland at the Marion Inv. earlier this year running a 16:59. This Saturday figures to be a great sneak preview of the state meet as both Southerland and Knoblauch will be among the favorites to win the individual state championship at Lavern Gibson.
Who else in ECI can make it to state?
In the boys race, outside of Cook, the ECI runner that figures most likely to advance to next weekend’s IHSAA State Meet is Yorktown’s freshman Wyatt Turner. Turner has run consistently well all season long for the Tigers and has a PR this season of 16:03, which is a time that if it can be duplicated, will for sure be enough to punch a ticket to Lavern Gibson. Following Turner, teammate Jonathon Loney looks to have an excellent chance at advancing to the state meet with Delta’s Tyler Dillon, Wapahani’s Caleb Aber and Mason Tomboni, Burris’ Ryne Wagner, Cowan’s Gavin Ashby and Monroe Central’s Eli Chamberlain all battling for the last couple of state advancing spots.
On the girls side, after Southerland it will be Blue River’s Charlee Gibson and Daleville’s Faith Norris that are ECI’s best chances at advancing to the IHSAA State Meet. Gibson was already a state qualifier in 2022 and has built a nice resume for herself in 2023 including the Individual Marion Sectional Championship last weekend. Norris has had another stellar season with multiple invite wins and a PR of 19:17 run at the Phil Clay Invite that 100% makes her a runner to watch this weekend as she will want to finish her high school career at the state meet in Terre Haute next weekend.
What about the ECI teams?
The boys race at New Haven features three teams out of ECI including Wapahani, Yorktown and Muncie Burris. In particular, it will be the Raiders and Tigers to pay close attention to this weekend as both teams have strong cases to finish in the top 10 in the team race and each team still has a fighting chance for one of the final state qualifying top 5 spots. The girls race includes the ECI teams of Yorktown, Daleville, Blue River, Monroe Central and Wapahani. It figures to be the teams from Yorktown and Monroe Central who will be battling each other for the bragging rights of being the top finishing team out of ECI in the New Haven Regional with MEC conference rivals Daleville, Blue River and Wapahani racing each other once again to establish their own ECI hierarchy as the season draws to a close.
Young Guns
It is always exciting to see how young runners react to the big moments that come from the IHSAA and this year is undoubtedly no exception. For the boys, there is a strong group of underclassmen to watch this weekend including Jay County’s Joseph Boggs and Caleb Garringer, Delta’s Drayton Swanson, Wes-Del’s Johnathon Cook, Muncie Central’s Chet Clark, Wapahani’s Preston McCorkhill, Jason Rahe and Kason Thrasher and Yorktown’s Isaiah Loney and Owen Fouts. On the girls side, there is a plethora of quality runners including Daleville’s Kynlie Keffer, Wapahani’s AnnMarie Gibson and Ava Cook, Monroe Central’s Avery Thomas and Andi Watson, Randolph Southern’s Haileigh Allen and Yorktown’s Tori Oliver, Aurilla Moulton and Sophia Goller to watch out for on Saturday.
Seniors
For seniors, the fate of what could be your last meet is always an interesting piece to the racing mix as emotion and the sense of desperation often take over during the race itself. And with this year, there are several ECI runners who could perhaps be running their last IHSAA cross-country meet this weekend. Fighting to race another day on the boys side (that are not already mentioned above) will be Blackford’s Keaton Walker and Darrius Osborn, Union City’s Conner Walser, Blue River’s Zach Crull and Ethan Blackburn, Muncie Central’s Gabe Reynolds and Yug Thakker, Burris’ Moses Smith, and Daleville’s Ethan Colvin. ECI Seniors for the girls will include Monroe Central’s Addison Coe, Katie Osborne and Mackenzie Pryor. Blackford’s Allie Clamme and Amme Uggen, Randolph Southern’s Allie Black, Union City’s Ava Jefferis, Cowan’s Sara Nichols, Muncie Central’s Samantha Fowler, Yorktown’s Alysha Crouch and Abby Goller, Burris’ Sydney McFarren, Wapahani’s Lilly Neal and Blue River’s Sydney Fellers.
ECI Boys New Haven Qualifying Teams
Wapahani- (Nick Cook, Caleb Aber, Mason Tomboni, Preston McCorkhill, Jason Rahe, Kason Thrasher and DJ Segraves)
Yorktown- (Wyatt Turner, Jonathan Loney, Isaiah Loney, Owen Fouts, Aidan O-Donnell, Callahan Shanayda and Owen Lamb)
Muncie Burris- (Ryne Wagner, Noah Smith, Moses Smith, Judah Branham, AJ Carter, William Huelsenbeck and Woody Rutter)
ECI Boys New Haven Qualifying Individuals
Tyler Dillon (Delta)
Joseph Boggs (Jay County)
Keaton Walker (Blackford)
Darrius Osborn (Blackford)
Eli Chamberlain (Monroe Central)
Conner Walser (Union City)
Drayton Swanson (Delta)
Caleb Garringer (Jay County)
Gavin Ashby (Cowan)
Zach Crull (Blue River)
Gabe Reynolds (Muncie Central)
Jonathan Cook (Wes-Del)
Chet Clark (Muncie Central)
Ethan Blackburn (Blue River)
Ethan Colvin (Daleville)
ECI Boys Shelbyville Regional Qualifying Individuals
Harrison Calloway (New Castle)
Elijah Blankenship (New Castle)
ECI Girls New Haven Qualifying Teams
Blue River- (Charlee Gibson, Sydney Fellers, Lilyan Guffey, LyliaJean Rogers and Lydia Jo Rogers)
Daleville- (Faith Norris, Kynlie Keffer, Jenna Brand, Makenna Corbin and Macy Kirkpatrick)
Monroe Central- (Addison Coe, Avery Thomas, Andi Watson, Mackenzie Pryor, Katie Osborne, Gracie Baker and Addy Puckett)
Wapahani- (AnnMarie Gibson, Ava Cook, Lilly Neal, Judy Dargo, Bella Brimm, Bailey Carpenter and Kareli Hagaman)
Yorktown- (Tori Oliver, Alysha Crouch, Aurilia Moulton, Sophia Goller, Abby Goller, Casey Gifford and Callie Jones)
ECI Girls New Haven Qualifying Individuals
Nicki Southerland (Delta)
Allie Clamme (Blackford)
Haileigh Allen (Randolph Southern)
Allie Black (Randolph Southern)
Alexis Sibray (Jay County)
Erica Grubbs (Winchester)
Ava Jefferis (Union City)
Kylee Robles (Delta)
Mariah Manning (Winchester)
Ammee Uggen (Blackford)
Samantha Fowler (Muncie Central)
Sara Nichols (Cowan)
Beatrice Cooper (Burris)
Sydney McFarren (Burris)
Candice Matsen (Cowan)
ECI Girls Shelbyville Regional Qualifying Individuals
Sylvie Terrell (New Castle)
Lauren Gilman (New Castle)
Catherine Willis (New Castle)
Mallory Owens (New Castle)
Good Luck to everyone this weekend!
Can both New Haven Regional races be won by an ECI Runner?
In the boys race, there is a dealer’s choice of four or five different runners who could be the individual New Haven Regional Champ on Saturday and among them will be Wapahani’s Senior Nick Cook, who is the top returning runner from the 2022 former New Haven Semi-State. Cook this year has won eight individual invites this season including last weekend’s Delta Sectional. Cook’s main competition for the individual crown will be from the likes of Concordia’s Vaughn Hendrickson, Warsaw’s Jackson Gackenheimer and Oak Hill’s Owen Jackson.
The girls race up front figures to be a duel between Delta’s Nicki Southerland and Homestead’s Addison Knoblauch. Southerland is the returning champ out of the 2022 New Haven Semi-State (a race that Knoblauch finished 2nd in) but Knoblauch does have a better posted time than Southerland this season when she outperformed Southerland at the Marion Inv. earlier this year running a 16:59. This Saturday figures to be a great sneak preview of the state meet as both Southerland and Knoblauch will be among the favorites to win the individual state championship at Lavern Gibson.
Who else in ECI can make it to state?
In the boys race, outside of Cook, the ECI runner that figures most likely to advance to next weekend’s IHSAA State Meet is Yorktown’s freshman Wyatt Turner. Turner has run consistently well all season long for the Tigers and has a PR this season of 16:03, which is a time that if it can be duplicated, will for sure be enough to punch a ticket to Lavern Gibson. Following Turner, teammate Jonathon Loney looks to have an excellent chance at advancing to the state meet with Delta’s Tyler Dillon, Wapahani’s Caleb Aber and Mason Tomboni, Burris’ Ryne Wagner, Cowan’s Gavin Ashby and Monroe Central’s Eli Chamberlain all battling for the last couple of state advancing spots.
On the girls side, after Southerland it will be Blue River’s Charlee Gibson and Daleville’s Faith Norris that are ECI’s best chances at advancing to the IHSAA State Meet. Gibson was already a state qualifier in 2022 and has built a nice resume for herself in 2023 including the Individual Marion Sectional Championship last weekend. Norris has had another stellar season with multiple invite wins and a PR of 19:17 run at the Phil Clay Invite that 100% makes her a runner to watch this weekend as she will want to finish her high school career at the state meet in Terre Haute next weekend.
What about the ECI teams?
The boys race at New Haven features three teams out of ECI including Wapahani, Yorktown and Muncie Burris. In particular, it will be the Raiders and Tigers to pay close attention to this weekend as both teams have strong cases to finish in the top 10 in the team race and each team still has a fighting chance for one of the final state qualifying top 5 spots. The girls race includes the ECI teams of Yorktown, Daleville, Blue River, Monroe Central and Wapahani. It figures to be the teams from Yorktown and Monroe Central who will be battling each other for the bragging rights of being the top finishing team out of ECI in the New Haven Regional with MEC conference rivals Daleville, Blue River and Wapahani racing each other once again to establish their own ECI hierarchy as the season draws to a close.
Young Guns
It is always exciting to see how young runners react to the big moments that come from the IHSAA and this year is undoubtedly no exception. For the boys, there is a strong group of underclassmen to watch this weekend including Jay County’s Joseph Boggs and Caleb Garringer, Delta’s Drayton Swanson, Wes-Del’s Johnathon Cook, Muncie Central’s Chet Clark, Wapahani’s Preston McCorkhill, Jason Rahe and Kason Thrasher and Yorktown’s Isaiah Loney and Owen Fouts. On the girls side, there is a plethora of quality runners including Daleville’s Kynlie Keffer, Wapahani’s AnnMarie Gibson and Ava Cook, Monroe Central’s Avery Thomas and Andi Watson, Randolph Southern’s Haileigh Allen and Yorktown’s Tori Oliver, Aurilla Moulton and Sophia Goller to watch out for on Saturday.
Seniors
For seniors, the fate of what could be your last meet is always an interesting piece to the racing mix as emotion and the sense of desperation often take over during the race itself. And with this year, there are several ECI runners who could perhaps be running their last IHSAA cross-country meet this weekend. Fighting to race another day on the boys side (that are not already mentioned above) will be Blackford’s Keaton Walker and Darrius Osborn, Union City’s Conner Walser, Blue River’s Zach Crull and Ethan Blackburn, Muncie Central’s Gabe Reynolds and Yug Thakker, Burris’ Moses Smith, and Daleville’s Ethan Colvin. ECI Seniors for the girls will include Monroe Central’s Addison Coe, Katie Osborne and Mackenzie Pryor. Blackford’s Allie Clamme and Amme Uggen, Randolph Southern’s Allie Black, Union City’s Ava Jefferis, Cowan’s Sara Nichols, Muncie Central’s Samantha Fowler, Yorktown’s Alysha Crouch and Abby Goller, Burris’ Sydney McFarren, Wapahani’s Lilly Neal and Blue River’s Sydney Fellers.
ECI Boys New Haven Qualifying Teams
Wapahani- (Nick Cook, Caleb Aber, Mason Tomboni, Preston McCorkhill, Jason Rahe, Kason Thrasher and DJ Segraves)
Yorktown- (Wyatt Turner, Jonathan Loney, Isaiah Loney, Owen Fouts, Aidan O-Donnell, Callahan Shanayda and Owen Lamb)
Muncie Burris- (Ryne Wagner, Noah Smith, Moses Smith, Judah Branham, AJ Carter, William Huelsenbeck and Woody Rutter)
ECI Boys New Haven Qualifying Individuals
Tyler Dillon (Delta)
Joseph Boggs (Jay County)
Keaton Walker (Blackford)
Darrius Osborn (Blackford)
Eli Chamberlain (Monroe Central)
Conner Walser (Union City)
Drayton Swanson (Delta)
Caleb Garringer (Jay County)
Gavin Ashby (Cowan)
Zach Crull (Blue River)
Gabe Reynolds (Muncie Central)
Jonathan Cook (Wes-Del)
Chet Clark (Muncie Central)
Ethan Blackburn (Blue River)
Ethan Colvin (Daleville)
ECI Boys Shelbyville Regional Qualifying Individuals
Harrison Calloway (New Castle)
Elijah Blankenship (New Castle)
ECI Girls New Haven Qualifying Teams
Blue River- (Charlee Gibson, Sydney Fellers, Lilyan Guffey, LyliaJean Rogers and Lydia Jo Rogers)
Daleville- (Faith Norris, Kynlie Keffer, Jenna Brand, Makenna Corbin and Macy Kirkpatrick)
Monroe Central- (Addison Coe, Avery Thomas, Andi Watson, Mackenzie Pryor, Katie Osborne, Gracie Baker and Addy Puckett)
Wapahani- (AnnMarie Gibson, Ava Cook, Lilly Neal, Judy Dargo, Bella Brimm, Bailey Carpenter and Kareli Hagaman)
Yorktown- (Tori Oliver, Alysha Crouch, Aurilia Moulton, Sophia Goller, Abby Goller, Casey Gifford and Callie Jones)
ECI Girls New Haven Qualifying Individuals
Nicki Southerland (Delta)
Allie Clamme (Blackford)
Haileigh Allen (Randolph Southern)
Allie Black (Randolph Southern)
Alexis Sibray (Jay County)
Erica Grubbs (Winchester)
Ava Jefferis (Union City)
Kylee Robles (Delta)
Mariah Manning (Winchester)
Ammee Uggen (Blackford)
Samantha Fowler (Muncie Central)
Sara Nichols (Cowan)
Beatrice Cooper (Burris)
Sydney McFarren (Burris)
Candice Matsen (Cowan)
ECI Girls Shelbyville Regional Qualifying Individuals
Sylvie Terrell (New Castle)
Lauren Gilman (New Castle)
Catherine Willis (New Castle)
Mallory Owens (New Castle)
Good Luck to everyone this weekend!