Columbus North High School

October 29, 2022 - Both the girls and boys cross country teams from Columbus North had high aspirations for the IHSAA Cross Country State Championship, and both earned a spot on the awards podium at the end of their respective events. The girls team scored 153 points to finish second to Noblesville (122), while the boys team finished fourth (157 points), behind Carmel (103), Zionsville (106), and Center Grove (143). The girls team was once again led by seniors Julia Kiesler and Lily Baker who each earned top-ten finishes. Kiesler finished fourth overall and first among those fighting for the team title in a time of 17:36.4. Baker grabbed a ninth-place overall finish (fifth among team competitors) in 18:07.5. Also scoring for the Bull Dogs were Brianna Newell (32nd overall), Julie Klaus (92nd overall), and Ainsley Sherlock (96th overall). Also competing for North were Ellen White (103rd) and Sydney Morlock (110th). While the Bull Dogs had three runners finish before Noblesville’s second place finisher, Noblesville depth proved to be the deciding factor in the outcome. The Millers had all six runners finish in the top 29 positions among team competitors. The girls champion, for the second straight year, was Lily Cridge from Bishop Chatard, who finished in 17:14.6. In the boys’ division, Columbus North had only one runner in the top 20 as Mateo Mendez grabbed a 20th place finish overall (14th among team competitors with a time of 15:50.0. However, the Dogs used their depth to their advantage placing all five scoring runners in the top 50 among team competitors. Clayton Guthrie finished 24th overall (17th among team competitors), Neal White was 53rd overall (36th), Will Russell finished 58th overall (40th), and Adler Larson took the 78th overall spot (50th). Also competing for the Bull Dogs were Draven Martinez, who finished 100th overall, and Kellen Hottell, who grabbed the 120th overall position. The boys individual champion was Carmel’s Kole Mathison (4:50.6). Complete results for both competitions can be found at https://www.directathletics.com/results/xc/21046.html or through the IHSAA website.