Center Grove’s Mason Vrshek, left, leans across the finish line just ahead of teammate Jayden Salo to take first place in the boys race at the Johnson County meet on Saturday.
Rob Baker | For the Daily Journal
The finish line in his sights, Mason Vrshek realized he would be leaning on skills carried over from track season.
His two-lap mindset proved imperative since the Center Grove senior, who won Saturday’s morning’s Johnson County meet boys race in 16 minutes, 21.6 seconds, held off four other runners in contention during those agonizing final few meters.
Sophomore teammate Jayden Salo nearly caught Vrshek, posting a 16:21.7 for an as close-as-you-can-get runner-up showing.
“I tried to use my 800 speed because I won county (last spring), so I wanted to be in a good position for the final stretch,” said the 6-foot-3 Vrshek, whose long stride also came in handy against the Franklin duo of Isiah Tunis (16:23.5) and Liam Fennig (16:24.7) and CG junior Cameron Cox (16:27.4).
“I took the lead probably about at 2K. Jayden got me at 4 1/2 K, and the last 500 meters I just kind of kicked it in. It feels pretty great, but I just wanted a good team run, so I wasn’t even looking to win.”
A good team run is exactly what he got. The Trojans, who wrapped up the team title with 32 points, were well ahead of the host Grizzly Cubs with 61 points, while Whiteland was third with 71.
Salo, one of four Center Grove runners to place in the top 10, proved to be Vrshek’s main competition in the late-race drama.
“I was just going to stay behind (Vrshek) when others started falling off because I could tell they were kind of slowing down a little bit. I just gave it all I got,” Salo said. “I’m happy with second, but I definitely wanted first place, for sure. I knew if he picked it up before I did, I wasn’t going to be able to catch him.”
Center Grove’s girls also finished atop the team standings, the Trojans’ 52 points narrowly getting past Whiteland’s 54.
Individually, no suspense existed as Indian Creek junior Libby Dowty, the reigning state champion, started strong and finished stronger. Her time of 17:00.6 proved well over a minute faster than second-place Lily Rollings of Greenwood (18:17.3).
“I guess the first half I didn’t have the best mindset, and then the second half, God helped me change my mindset and be able to push through the last half,” Dowty said. “I like this course. It’s definitely one of the more challenging courses I run. I’ve ran this course so many times that I already know it.”
Indian Creek coach Brady Devine witnesses Dowty’s commitment every day in practice. Her ceiling is high, yet she consistently manages to raise her own bar.
“Her second K wasn’t very good, but then she battled back the third, fourth and fifth. That’s what we focused on all week,” Devine said. “This is not a course meant to run a 17 flat. That’s the course record, I think, by, like, 30 seconds.
“Libby works her tail off, and holds herself to a pretty high standard.”
Center Grove’s fastest runner, senior Hallie Mimbela, came in sixth in 20:03.2 — one spot ahead of sophomore teammate Gretchen Meisberger (20:05.3). Whiteland’s duo of sophomore Lena Shipp (18:57.8) and senior Isabella Fuentes (19:51.0) placed third and fourth, respectively. Ava Ott, a Franklin junior, was fifth in a time of 19:52.3.
Having raced against Dowty on other occasions, Rollings’ mindset coming into Saturday’s race was that second-place would be her first place.
“The goal was to keep (Dowty) as close as long as possible,” Rollings said, laughing. “I probably could’ve been a little better, but it went pretty well overall. Usually, I try to start fast for the first K, and then settle in for the next two, and then in my last two, I kick it as much as possible.”
