Posted on 30 July 2008 by pennstatefan33.
Mike McGraw
Hoosier Authority
It is difficult to accurately handicap the Conference
Indiana girls’ golf season. In this conference, the title is decided at the
conference meet which will be held at South Grove Golf Course in Indianapolis in
mid-September. However, the conference teams will face each other on a VERY
limited basis before that day. The fact is the Marion County
schools do not have duel meets with any of the three southern schools in the
conference. The teams do not even play the same courses on very many occasions.
One thing is for sure. Everybody in the conference will be
shooting to knock off Columbus North on that Saturday in September. The Bull
Dogs return one of the most potent 1-2 punches in Indiana. That duo consists of junior Taylor
Gohn and sophomore Erin Sutton. Both of these young ladies have played extensively,
and successfully, on regional youth tours during the offseason. They will be
joined by a large group of players moving up from the JV ranks. It is a safe
bet that Columbus North will be among the top teams in Indiana when the rankings come out next
week.
Bloomington South should post serious competition to the Bull
Dogs. However, Bloomington North was devastated by graduation and will be
extremely young this season. Coach Brian Muehlhaus is one of the very best at
developing talent, but he has a big job in front of him in 2008.
At the northern end of the conference, look for Perry
Meridian to be the strongest force. The Falcons return at least three of their
top five players and have also had some tournament experience since the last
campaign. Southport was the surprise of the
league last season when they navigated a tough sectional field and qualified
for regionals. Look for the Cardinals to be at least equally as competitive this
time around. Pike, Lawrence Central and Franklin Central all return at least
some portion of their varsity players from last season. However, all three look
to be at least a year away.
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Posted on 26 July 2008 by pennstatefan33.
Mike McGraw
Hoosier Authority
Although fans of the metropolitan and Duneland might beg to
differ, it can be argued that from top to bottom Conference Indiana
is annually the toughest girls’ cross country league in Indiana. As evidence, three Conference Indiana teams finished
in the top fifteen at last year’s state championship meet. This year very few
people might even care to debate the issue. The top teams in the conference
will all be strong again. There will be a horde of talented individual runners,
and at least one team might be ready to take that next step forward.
Here is an example of just how tough it is in this circuit.
Bloomington North finished sixth in last year’s state meet. They had finished
fourth in the conference race. The Cougars are likely to be heard from again
this year. Sophomore Ann Zerfas will step up to replace the graduated Molly
Hirt as the top runner. Zerfas will bring good credentials to the job. She
finished fourth in the conference meet in 2007. There is a swarm of young
Cougars ready to be the supporting cast.
Tradition and depth are the hallmarks for Columbus North.
2008 will be no different. The Bull Dogs will attempt to defend their
conference title with a number of talented harriers. Junior Siri Retrum should
be the top gun for North.
Bloomington South will compete the southern power trio. The
Panthers will pin their hopes on a formidable duo at the top of their roster.
Sophomore Brooke Bierhaus finished fifth in the conference meet as a freshman.
Junior Carly Derheimer was right behind in sixth. The key for the Panthers will
be finding quality depth.
Franklin Central may be a bit of a surprise this time
around. How can a program as renowned as the Flashes be a surprise? Well, how
about the emergence of two runners that were in essence absent during the 2007
campaign. Senior Karleen Ritchie had her junior season riddled by injury.
However, as a sophomore she finished third in the conference. Then there is
incoming freshman Jasmine Al-Ansi. All I will say is remember the name. Those
two join returning stalwarts Allison Blanck and Dani Sullivan.
The big move this season may belong to Perry Meridian. The
Falcons return six of their top seven runners from a year ago. They will be led
by the trio of senior Sarah Riley, senior Katelyn Walker and sophomore Emily
Daly.
Southport, Pike, and
Lawrence Central are the teams looking to break into the upper division in the
conference. Southport will build around
sophomore Emily Odle. Pike will also be led by a sophomore. Jaclyn Lahr will be
the Red Devils top returnee. Erica Carlson will be the top veteran at Lawrence
Central.
There are a number of big invitational meets that might give
some clue as to how all this power will play out. In the early weeks of the
season, keep an eye on the Rushville Invitational and the Eagle Classic in Brown County. Then mid-season, follow the results of the
Flash-Rock meet hosted by Franklin Central and Westfield. The conference meet will be at Southeastway Park
in suburban Indianapolis.
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Posted on 25 July 2008 by pennstatefan33.
Mike McGraw
Hoosier Authority
Saying that competition in boys cross country within
Conference Indiana
will be stiff is a little bit like saying the sun will rise tomorrow morning.
The statement is correct, but it sure isn’t groundbreaking news. Year in and
year out Conference Indiana
is among the toughest leagues in the state. Last season CI placed four teams in
the state finals. They could easily do the same this season. Individually, the
conference boasts several runners who will be among Indiana’s elite. The crown will be decided
at the conference meet to be held at Southeastway
Park in Indianapolis September 20th. In
the meantime, here is a peak at what to expect this year
Defending champion Columbus North should be strong again.
The Bull Dogs return a number of top runners led by senior Zach Gates. They
also have a group of talented harriers moving up from the reserve level a year
ago. Cross country is a sport that places value on depth and Columbus has plenty of it.
Franklin Central is a real threat. That is no surprise.
Coach Eric Kellison has built one of the premiere programs in the state. The
Flashes are always a threat both in conference and at the state level. This
time around they are led by one of the favorites for the individual state crown
in Scott lassiter.
Most people see Pike and Perry Meridian tangling to see who
will round out the top three in Conference Indiana. Perry Meridian is a balanced team
that one coach called “a team ready to take that next step”. Meanwhile, Pike
will be strong at the top of their order as they almost always are. Michael
Jordan should be the Red Devils top runner.
The remaining teams in the conference all return talented
front runners, but carry with them questions about depth. Bloomington North
suffered heavy graduation losses but returns Andrew Buzzelli, a threat for the
individual title. Southport will be led by
Lance nelson and Bloomington South by the talented Joe Holihan.
As always, cross country is an unpredictable sport because of
the immediate impact that newcomers to a program can have on competition. Hoosier Authority will keep an eye on early
season results and report on any unexpected performances. .
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