Will Jefferson won his first cross country meet of the season in September at his own school’s invitational.
The Whiteland sophomore enjoyed the experience so much he went on to win three more.
Individual champion of the Johnson County, sectional and regional meets, Jefferson is Runner of the Year for the Daily Journal’s boys All-County team.
Jefferson, named to the honor squad a year ago, takes top billing this time after carving over 26 seconds off his personal record — 16 minutes, 21 seconds as a freshman to this season’s 15:54.6 accomplished taking first at the Shelbyville Regional.
“I was really pleased with how much better I got,” Jefferson said. “My tempos and my (offseason) workouts were a lot harder than they were my freshman year. My coach keeps us on a strict plan and he gets us building every year.
“Next season I definitely want to go in the 15:30s and maybe the 15:20s.”
This would enable Jefferson to shatter the Whiteland school record of 15:41 run by Phil Hallett in 1986.
Warriors coach Gerry Emerson said Jefferson’s improvement since last season is in many areas.
“It’s a lot of little things,” Emerson said. “A lot of kids learn the 5k as a freshman, and as a sophomore you learn what your body can handle. When Will started winning this year, he kind of got addicted to that feeling and it pushed him harder.
“Instead of going for third or fourth, you’re going for first.”
Jefferson aimed for the top 25 when he became the first Warrior since 2002 (Justin Reuter) to qualify for the state meet in Terre Haute. Unfortunately for Jefferson, he was under the weather and wasn’t able to stick with his strategy and wound up 85th.
“I went out too fast, and there were some other factors,” Jefferson said. “It was just a bad race. I just took it out too fast and it just kind of fell apart. But it definitely motivates me for next year.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="All-County team" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
The 2018 All-Johnson County team for boys cross country:
<strong>Andrew Bixler, Franklin senior:</strong> Second at Mid-State Conference and county meets and third at Shelbyville Regional … Secured a fifth-place performance at sectional and took 21st at semistate.
<strong>Will Jefferson, Whiteland sophomore:</strong> Finished county, sectional and regional meets in first place and was eighth at semistate … Lone Johnson County runner to make it to state, coming in 85th.
<strong>Isaiah Lindsay, Franklin senior:</strong> Seventh at Mid-State Conference meet … Finished in fifth place at Franklin Sectional, 13th at regional and 39th at semistate.
<strong>Mika Long, Whiteland senior:</strong> Came in sixth at Johnson County meet … Placed ninth at sectional, seventh at regional and 29th at Shelbyville semistate.
<strong>Archit Malik, Center Grove junior:</strong> Repeat All-County performer duplicated his fourth-place Johnson County meet effort with another fourth at Franklin Sectional.
<strong>Wyatt McCullough, Franklin junior:</strong> Came in fourth at conference meet and third at county … In the postseason he finished runner-up at sectional, fifth at regional and 13th at semistate.
<strong>Raef Sauer, Center Grove freshman:</strong> Followed seventh-place performance at county meet by coming in sixth at sectional … finished in the 10th spot at Shelbyville Regional.
Honorable mention
Drew Hargis, Franklin; Sebastian Martin, Center Grove; Ethan Pheifer, Franklin; William Tucker, Franklin; Nick Wilson, Center Grove
[sc:pullout-text-end]
