Teams and individuals who advanced from cross country sectionals held on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Mount Vernon (Fortville). Noblesville, Rushville, Shelbyville and Southwestern (Hanover) traveled to Shelbyville on Saturday, Oct. 25, morning to run on the Blue River Park Course for the right to advance to the state meet Saturday, Nov. 1, at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana. 

Most of the runners were fighting long odds. Only the top five teams and the top 15 individuals not on an advancing team advance to the state championship meet. 

Banner Barnes from Noblesville won the boys race with a time of 15:30.0.

Final team standings for boys: Noblesville 63, Center Grove 88, Fishers 129, Hamilton Southeastern 135, Lawrence North 137 … (17th) Richmond 456 (Cale Newton 31st, Kenny Li 92nd, Brady Newton 106th, Brayden Villafuerte 113th, Julian Bowden 114th, Cole Hileman 124th, Austin Retter 144th), (20th) Northeastern 595, (Dash Thacker 43rd, Lucas Chamness 103rd, Nicolas Markward 145th, Brandt Benjamin 148th, Kayden Hill 156th, Zachary Wright 157th, Luke Wiley 166nd) (22nd) Hagerstown 619 (Benjamin Smith 105th, Kendrick Herr 116th, Zack Logston 126th, Bryce Tinkle 132nd, Hayden Pruitt 140th, Jack Rector 146th, Hazard Houghton 151st).  

Northeastern’s Hayden Neagle, shown earlier this year, finished 16th in the regional and qualified for the state meet. File photo by DAJO Photos

Libby Dowty from Indian Creek won the girls race with a time of 17:15.1, and Hayden Neagle from Northeastern advanced to the state meet as an individual with a time of 18:51.9.

Final team standings for girls: Westfield 42, Fishers 105, Noblesville 149, Guerin Catholic 153, Franklin Central 166 … (19th) Northeastern 519 (Hayden Neagle 13th, Audrey Neagle 76th, Zella Cook 136th, Madelyn Green 142nd, Isabella Green 152nd, Amiyah Davis 158th), Kendall Patterson 166th) 23rd Hagerstown 734 (Sophie Garvin 144th, Maycee Favorite 146th, Abigail Smith 147th, Makena Lanum 148th, Avery Blunk 149th, Claire Bowen 150th, Emsley Holcomb 154th).  

Six runners from Wayne County programs participated as individuals but none advanced. 

Placements of individuals running from Wayne County schools — Boys: Jonah Cornett, Centerville 144th, Hunter Biava, Centerville 200th. Girls: Anna Nevels, Centerville 119th, Kinley Puckett, Lincoln 124th, Paige Dixon, Centerville 198th, Bowi Frame, 215th.

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A version of this article appeared in the October 29 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.

Dan Harney is a sports reporter at the Western Wayne News.