NEW PALESTINE — Amidst the excitement, sweat and competitive atmosphere, there was an absolute moment when the realization hit him, New Palestine head coach Chuck Myers said.
In the final seconds of Saturday’s race, as the Dragons’ Brenna Shaw came flying across the finish line in first place, Myers suddenly knew he was coaching a team of champions.
In a hairline victory, the Dragons took first place ahead of Franklin Central, seizing the first New Palestine cross-country regional championship in program history.
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It was neck-and-neck with Franklin-Central at the onset of the race, but eventually their crew began to spread out. Toward the end, it felt more like a duel meet between New Pal and Franklin-Central than a regional championship, he said.
“I thought their number three girl really ran well,” Myers said of their opponents. “She was probably sitting about 10th, made a big move and started moving up to the big pack. But that actually helped out our pace overall as they chased after her.”
“It came down to a girl-on-girl battle, and our girls were able to come through and get the victory,” he added.
But it wasn’t a landslide victory, said Haley Rickey, who finished 21.15.7. Tension filled their hearts as they awaited the final results. When they found out they emerged three points ahead of Franklin Central — 31 to their 28 — the whole team screamed with excitement, knowing they’d accomplished what no other Lady Dragons team had before.
From the beginning, the girls believed in their hearts they were capable, Myers said. They set a goal and they chased after it. They wanted to have six runners in the top 15, so they made it happen.
Shaw took first in 18.50.6. Victoria Crowder came in third with 19.07.7. Kendall Mann took seventh place at 19.28.7. Kaylin Casner was at 9th place in 19.45.8. Trailing shortly behind them were Emily Adam and Grace Voelz, who finished in 20.13.6 and 20.31.1 respectively.
The team’s time spread was 18.50.6 to 20.13.6, putting them at a total time of 1:23 and a final score of 31.
“We thought we could put it together,” Myers said. “We’d had some good races here and there throughout the year, and some did well but some were a little off. But I think Saturday was the first time we brought it all together on the same team.”
Shaw said her entire team was right on track throughout the race. She could feel the energy pulsing from the crowd and her fellow teammates, and it gave them a boost of confidence, she said.
After defeating Franklin-Central, the Dragons suddenly had a clearer idea of what they were truly capable of, she said. Everyone on the team instantly felt more confident of their chances at state.
After struggling together through a brutal camp early in the season to improve upon their endurance, Myers said his team has grown extremely close.
“They really run well off each other,” Myers said. “No matter what kind of team you’ve got, when you have two teammates running with you, it’s easier than running alone outside of a pack.
“It has been a great dynamic,” he continued. “Not just the top 12 that are still practicing. But all 26 girls on the team have been fantastic.”
And they aren’t finished fighting yet.
The Dragons continue on to semistate Saturday at Shelbyville, where Myers said he hopes they’ll continue the year of legacy and become the first team to take home a semistate title, too.
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New Palestine celebrated dual victories during Saturday’s cross-country regional championship. The boys team also took first place and won a regional title with a score of 58 points.
This was the second time in three years that New Palestine’s boys cross-country team has been awarded a regional championship title. Similar to the girls team, the boys battled it out with rival Franklin Central until the very end.
While they didn’t take the first-place spot individually, the rest of the team was able to push forward enough to secure a team victory. The Dragons had four runners in the top 15:
2nd;Drew Austin;16.27.8
5th;;Josh Collins;16.43.8
11th;Kyler Harrison;16.52.4
13th;Devon Whitaker;17.01.5
“It was just a great team effort, and winning for the second time in three years is a huge step in the right direction,” Dragons coach Chuck Myers said. “They’re fantastic kids, and just great to work with. They deserve all the credit. I’m very happy with what we’ve done with this program over the past couple years.”
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What: IHSAA Cross-Country Semistate
Where: Shelbyville
When: 10:30 a.m.
Who: The New Palestine boys and girls will be joined by the Greenfield-Central boys and the Mt. Vernon girls cross-country teams.
Individually, Eastern Hancock’s Skyler Schrope will compete in the boys race, and Greenfield-Central’s Audrey Brinkruff and Sarah Muckerheide will compete in the girls race.
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