Springs Valley’s Calvin Seitz didn’t just win the IHSAA state championships on Saturday, October 31, he absolutely tore up the LaVern Gibson Course in Terre Haute, finishing with an unbelievable 14:34.7 to take the title by a staggering 26 seconds. This kid, who won last year by a mere .02 seconds, just put down the third widest margin of victory ever at this championship. If you weren’t watching, you missed history.
Seitz’s Record-Breaking Run Leaves Everyone Else In The Dust
Seriously, what Calvin Seitz did out there was unreal. He blazed through his first mile in a blistering 4:17. Let that sink in. He wasn’t just fast, he was in a league of his own, leaving the rest of the field scrambling. The runners who finished in second, third, and fourth place were all within 1.3 seconds of each other, but Seitz was nowhere to be seen, already celebrating. He is the first repeat winner since Carmel’s Ben Veatch back in 2014-15, and honestly, the way he did it makes you wonder how long it will be before we see anything like it again. On the team side, Ft. Wayne Carroll locked up the boys’ title with 66 points, with Carmel (105) and Columbus North (124) rounding out the top three.
County Teams Show Grit, Bloomington North Cracks The Top 20
The Bloomington North boys’ squad showed some serious heart, finishing 17th overall with 411 points, leading the charge for our local area. Jackson Walker was right there, taking 52nd with a 15:50.8, and Shep Jackson wasn’t far behind in 73rd at 16:01.2. Both of those guys were right off their season bests, which is exactly what you want on state day. Tucker Inman hit 121st, and Alex Stosberg, who’s been working his way back, ran a much better 16:39.0 for 170th. Lucas Sinn Trulock rounded out their top five, coming in under 17:00, with coach Justin Helmer saying Lucas is “slowly coming along” and “ran strong.” Helmer was clearly pleased, noting they were “solid all around” and that 17th place was something to be proud of.
South’s PR Party And A Tough Day For The Girls
Bloomington South’s boys’ team had their own moments of glory, snagging 21st place with 481 points, and honestly, their pack delivered some career-best runs. Junior Chase Norris battled through a breathing issue all season to lead the team at 69th with a 15:59.0, pushing harder than he has in weeks. But it was the next five guys who really shined: Luke Reinhart (114th, 16:16.4), Oliver Moore (180th, 16:41.8), Wes Matthews (16:42.8), and Garrett Pitkin (16:46.6) all either hit new personal records or came super close, with Garrett dropping a full 28 seconds off his previous best to get under 17:00! Coach Larry Williams was hyped, saying those guys “really ran well” and all finished under 17. Meanwhile, Edgewood’s Monte Kester finished 235th in 17:20.4.
It was a tougher go for the Bloomington South girls, who finished 24th with 673 points. Senior Lexi Kollbaum, fresh off her regional title, unfortunately fell back to 101st with a 19:09.1. Coach Williams admitted it was a “stacked field” and Lexi “never got engaged with the front group.” While it wasn’t the finish she wanted, Williams stressed she’s had a “great cross country career” and there’s “a lot more ahead for her.” The rest of the Panthers’ squad were state rookies, and as the coach put it, “that showed.” Sometimes you learn the hard way, right? You can bet these athletes are already thinking about how they’ll come back even stronger next season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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