SHELBYVILLE
A state finals berth, a distinction that for decades sidestepped one Center Grove boys cross country team after another, is now expected.
This isn’t to imply the second-ranked Trojans aren’t relishing a third consecutive trip to Terre Haute, because they are – and their goals have never been loftier.
On Saturday, coach Howard Harrell’s squad placed four runners in the top 20 at the Shelbyville semistate at Blue River Park to secure runner-up status in the team standings.
Center Grove is confident it is equipped physically and mentally to make a serious run at a title at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course. It will be the fourth time this season Trojan runners have raced there after placing a program-best fourth in the 2020 team standings.
“Our goal is generally to win the race. I think we have a good shot at that because we’re ranked second in the state, and most of the best (semistate qualifiers) are right here,” said Raef Sauer, the lone senior in Center Grove’s lineup, after placing 20th at semistate in a time of 16 minutes, 3.4 seconds.
“Every time we run at state, we treat it like we know we’re going to be more careful than the other teams because we’re willing to go the distance. I think our team, it may be cliché to say, has a lot of willpower and we can fight through adversity better than a lot of teams.”
Junior Parker Mimbela led the Trojans by taking fourth in 15:29.6. Harrell rested Mimbela as the Trojans won both sectional and regional at Franklin, meaning he was more than ready to compete again.
“I think (rest) was actually good. I knew that I needed a little bit of rest so I could be at my best,” Mimbela said. “I couldn’t do it without us having a deep roster this year, because we wouldn’t have won regional and sectional without those guys.”
And next week’s objective?
“We’re looking for the win,” Mimbela said.
Juniors Griffin Hennessy and Jarret Rockwell earned ribbons for seventh (15:44.9) and 19th (16:02.5), respectively, for Center Grove. Kyle Montgomery, a sophomore, placed 35th, Gavin Rockwell 6oth and Chase Ennis 101st.
Whiteland was 17th in the team standings, led by Ashton Spoonamore’s 44th-place effort and Michael Perkins in 87th. Eighteenth-place Indian Creek received a 52nd-place finish from senior Caden Ringer; individual qualifier Owen Harder of Greenwood Christian was 66th, while Greenwood’s Conner Watson was 96th and Franklin’s Ty Murphy 117th.
In the girls semistate, Center Grove senior Bella Hodges extended her high school career another week with an 11th-place performance in 18:53.4. She is Johnson County’s lone female state qualifier; Franklin placed 10th as a team on Saturday, Whiteland 13th and the Trojans 14th.
Hodges felt she had to be among the top 20 individuals to move on.
“I think for most of the race I was between the 20th and 30th spots, and then coming up to the 3K, I felt good so I starting picking off people,” Hodges said. “After we hit those hills at the end, I sprinted out because I’m an 800 runner, so I was going to use my kick.
“This feels really cool. I went to state my freshman year on a team because I used to go to Pike High School. This is my first time individually. I just want to place as high as possible and have a good last high school cross country race.”
Trojans coach Wes Dodson said Hodges’ personal-best time was a result of her competing in a manner that was vintage Hodges.
“Bella did an awesome job of getting in the race from the start, and, if you’ve ever seen her race, you know she’s going to pass five to 10 (competitors) at the end,” Dodson said. “That’s her every time. At track or cross country, she’s always going to pass people. It was a great race.”
Whiteland sophomore Victoria Jackson followed up winning regional by placing 26th at semistate in 19:21.1, with Indian Creek junior Samuela Grosso 36th and Grizzly Cubs freshman Kathleen Lacy 42nd. Greenwood’s lone runner, freshman Makena Cruse, placed 136th.
