The boys cross country team is preparing for the 2019 season with a much different roster from a year ago.
The squad is led by senior captains Alex Frey and Howard Hendricks. Frey, who was ranked 17th in the state a season ago, comes into his senior year ranked sixth. Frey’s personal record for a 5K (3.12 miles) of 15:46.7 came in the annual MIC competition, a race which he won.
Hendricks boasted a season record time of 17:16.0 in what was an injury-plagued junior year. This time was over 25 seconds slower than his record from a year before. Other key runners include juniors Dominik Hickman, team captain Aaron Broderick and Jon Petersen, all of whom have earned 5K times well under the 18-minute mark.
The final two varsity spots are up for grabs, with multiple juniors and sophomores vying for the last slots on the seven-man roster.
The team loses graduates Jack Hawes, Eric Petersen, Aidan Minto and Jon Deem-Loureiro, who were the team’s top fourth finishers in the 2018 State Championship. Varsity runner O’Neel Occenat graduated as well.
The team looks to build off of their second straight ninth place finish at State. Carmel, Cathedral and Fishers placed first, second and third respectively. Coach Chad Wallace and Head Coach Taylor Marshall enter the fall season riding the momentum of the boys track team narrowly winning state in 2018. The regular season kicked off on Saturday at Lawrence Central for a unique Hokum Karem relay race.
