Tori Jackson returns for Whiteland after placing 53rd at state as a junior.
Daily Journal file photo
Rivalries built on the foundation of mutual respect tend to be welcomed with an all-encompassing yawn.
If that’s the case with Tori Jackson and Lauren Klem, well, so be it.
It’s a running competition that dates back to the late summer months of 2020 when the two were ninth-graders at Whiteland and Franklin, respectively.
Seems like yesterday, but it wasn’t.
Now seniors, Jackson and Klem, friends and followers of each other’s social media accounts, remove the smiles for the time it takes each to complete a 5-kilometer cross country course.
There are similarities, as well as differences, in terms of running styles and strategies. More often than not, however, Jackson and Klem are shoulder to shoulder as the finish line becomes closer.
“We are both very strong runners, and Lauren has always been such a sweet person but someone who will definitely push you,” Jackson said. “Lauren does get out a lot quicker, but we basically stay together, and at the end it’s about who has the most left in them.
“Before a race, I kind of tell the runners on the other teams good luck, and that we’ve got this. Lauren and I, we joke around to take the nerves away a little bit.”
The seniors’ respective career arcs have been different.
Klem dominated the local scene her first two varsity seasons, winning Daily Journal girls runner of the year honors both times. She advanced to the state meet as a freshman, placing 27th despite running the majority of the race without one of her shoes after another runner stepped on it.
She then battled tendinitis in her left knee late in her sophomore season, placing seventh at regional and an uncharacteristic 56th at semistate after winning the Mid-State Conference, Johnson County and sectional meets. Last season, Klem wasn’t 100% due to an iron deficiency.
Now completely healthy for the first time since her freshman cross country campaign, Klem wants to return to the LaVern Gibson championship course in Terre Haute, host of the annual state meet.
Jackson got the better of Klem in all of their head-to-head meetings last fall and ventured all the way to state, becoming the first female runner in Whiteland history to do so. She also finished fourth in the 800-meter run at the state track and field meet in the spring.
Maybe the two can find their way back to Vigo County at the same time to cap their high school cross country careers. Standing beside each other on the awards podium? All the better.
“We’re friends, but then when it comes to (meets), we’re always competing against each other,” Klem said. “Tori definitely helps me improve. It’s hard to explain, but in a cross country race, it’s so much easier to have somebody running with you.
“I feel like it’s more about staying consistent with our training and carrying that into races.”
Center Grove Trojans
Coach: Wes Dodson
Last season: Third at county and sectional, fifth at regional, 16th at semistate
Key returnees: Lilly Brunsman, Allison Cohen, Gracie Livingston and Elizabeth Madden, seniors; Karleigh Barlow, Diana Hodges, Hallie Mimbela and Evelyn Ridlen, juniors; Chloe Farmer, Annabelle Kemerling, Adriana Rosales and Andra Veleta, sophomores
Top newcomers: Marissa Pogue, junior; Gretchen Meisberger and Lexi O’Barr, freshmen
Outlook: “We are extremely excited about this year’s team,” Dodson said. “We return all of our runners from last year, and we have some really good newcomers. We realize that Franklin and Indian Creek both beat us last year, but hopefully, with our new runners and some much improved returning runners, that we can give them a run for their money in the county and sectional.”
Franklin Grizzly Cubs
Coach: Ray Lane
Last season: County, Mid-State Conference and sectional champions, fourth at regional, 12th at semistate
Key returnees: Lauren Klem, senior; Ainsley Botkin and Hannah Lindsay, juniors; Ava Ott, sophomore
Top newcomers: Kathleen Lacy, junior; Emma Small, freshman
Outlook: “We are bringing back our core group from last year, and are hoping to repeat some of our late-season success,” Lane said. “The new regional is going to be almost as tough as the old semistate, but we’re hoping to be ready to compete and take a shot at a return to the state finals.”
Greenwood Woodmen
Coach: Tami Nuhfer
Last season: Third at Mid-State Conference meet, fourth at county and sectional, sixth at regional
Key returnees: Ava Rippetoe, senior; Ryann Marker, junior; Addy Burcham, Marin Burton, Kara Ennis, Hailey Lusk, Lily Rollings and Nora Wallischeck, sophomores
Top newcomer: Kendall Adams, freshman
Outlook: “We’re coming off a great summer of training,” Nuhfer said. “We’re looking forward to building from last year’s success as our young team is ready to take the next step — higher team finishes in the top half of the county and conference meets and advancement as a team to regional.”
Indian Creek Braves
Coach: Brady Devine
Last season: Conference, county and sectional runner-up, third at regional, 11th at semistate
Key returnees: Phoebe Dowty, senior; Alivia White, junior; Libby Dowty, sophomore
Top newcomers: Brooke Ulerick, junior; Cloe Leap, freshman
Outlook: After finishing 15th at the state meet as a freshman, Libby Dowty is looking to fare even better this time around after having secured individual wins at county, conference, sectional and regional meets. “We look to have a great year despite the small team,” Devine said. “Libby Dowty is running at a completely different level than she was one year ago, and is poised to lead us along with her sister, Phoebe, to an even more successful season than a year ago. The addition of Brooke Ulerick will be huge for our success. Health will also be a major key for the team, but if it remains healthy, a sectional championship and state qualification is not out of the question.”
Whiteland Warriors
Coach: Scotty Kern
Last season: Fifth at Mid-State, Johnson County and sectional meets, seventh at regional
Key returnees: Tori Jackson, senior; Ramya Flaherty and Isabella Fuentes, juniors; Kayci Woods, sophomore
Top newcomers: Alexis Dyer, senior; Chloe Compton, McKayla Hall, Eden Muhlhauser, Venessa Overfelt, Claire Proctor, Alaina Roll and Lena Shipp, freshmen
Outlook: “We are looking to improve our ranking in both Mid-State Conference and Johnson County championships,” Kern said. “We are bringing in a large class of ladies to be led by our strong group of upperclassmen. We look to improve our standings at sectional, and will try to advance as far as we can as a team in the postseason.”
