The Rising Sun Shiners cross country team will send four runners to the Shelbyville Regional on Saturday, Oct. 15th.
Senior Zach Martini and junior Trevor Levi will represent the boys’ team as they placed fourth and fifth overall in the South Dearborn Sectional on Saturday, Oct. 8th.
Martini, third a year ago, had a fourth place time of 16:52.9 in only his second meet of the season.
“I definitely wanted to run faster,” admitted the senior state finalist from a year ago. However, this was just an advancing stage.
” Think I’ll go out with Oldenburg’s number two runner this week. It’s good that the regional and semi-state are both at Shelbyville.”
Martini feels fresh and makes sure to ice down his leg after each run. “I couldn’t even jump on it at the first of the season.”
His time was 16:20.3 as a semi state qualifier last year and a time of 16:24.5 made him the final individual to qualify for state. He finished 112 with a time of 16:43.
Levi was fifth throughout most of the race and finished with a personal best time of 16:59.9. Last season he was the final individual to advance with a 38th place time of 19:09 and 19:28 in the regional.
“I thought it was a pretty good race. I was happy,” said Levi who added it was nice to have Zach back. He really helps me in practice. I look to him as my mentor.”
Juniors Kasey Baker and Lucy Carrigan will represent the Lady Shiners in Shelbyville.
Baker led Rising Sun with a 10th place overall finish. “IT was my second best time,” she explained. My plan was to go out fast, settle in
and work my way back up.”
She wasn’t sure of her regional qualifying time of a year ago but knew it wasn’t as good as this year’s 10th place. She battled ankle injuries a year ago but had none this year. That was surprising with (playing) soccer,” she joked, as she prepared to go back to Rising Sun to compete in the soccer sectional final. She was 19th a year ago 21:49.1. Her regional time was 21:45 a year ago.
Carrigan placed 30th but was ninth of 10 runners who advance if they are not on one of the five regional qualifying teams.
“I don’t know,” she said nervously awaiting official results. “It was my personal best.”
Carrigan didn’t have to run to get to volleyball like she did week earlier when she placed ninth in the conference meet in Hanover and had to get back to Rising Sun to play three volleyball matches.
Carrigan waiting anxiously for the results to be read. She missed the regional by one place a year ago, running with a padded cast. She was 32nd in 23:05.6. This year she missed a couple meets with her arm in a cast again.
Oldenburg’s Curtis Eckstein breezed to defense of his sectional title with a time of 14:51.6 (a personal best and best time in the state this season).Teammate Justin Fledderman was nearly two minutes behind in 16:35.4. East Central’s Andrew White overcame Martini in the final stretch to place third in 16:49 and lead EC to the team title with 53 points.
Batesville was runner up with 66 followed by Oldenburg Academy 71, South Dearborn 111 and Greensburg 124 to round out the top five advancing teams. East Central and Batesville accounted for 10 of the top 20 runners.
Milan was sixth with 181 followed by South Decatur 183, Rising Sun 200, Jac-Cen-Del 265, South Ripley 287 and North Decatur 294.
Although Milan and South Decatur missed out on advancing as a team, Milan had three runners and South Decatur four runners advance as individuals.
Rising Sun freshman Peyton Bell placed 57th in 20:40.7 while senior Derak Woystek was 65th (21:32.1) and classmate Colton Henry 69th (22:09).
South Ripley’s Megan Cole had the best time among the 10 automatic qualifiers in 20:26.7. Next was Baker who battled off and on throughout the race with Jac-Cen-Del’s Shianna Bellingham who finished in 20:50.5. Remaining individual qualifiers included North Decatur’s Brianna Snider (21:11), JCD’s Elyse Hunger (22:13.5), South Decatur’s Sierra Kalli (22:16.7), South Dearborn’s Brooke Rohe (22:50.4) and Lauren Weissmann (23:01.9), Carrigan (23:17.5) and South Ripley’s Danielle Smith (24:10).
Batesville was the girls’ team champion with 32 points including individual camp Sarah Poltrack in 19:23. Six of the Lady Bulldogs placed in the top 20 to each all-sectional honors.
East central had four in the top 20 as they finished second with 68. Oldenburg Academy scored 91 followed by Greensburg with 124. Ohio River Valley Conference champion Milan earned the fifth team spot with 155 to edge out ORVC rival Jac-Cen-Del with 161.
South Ripley was next with 200 followed by North Decatur 210, South Dearborn 212, South Decatur 237 and Rising Sun 244.
Other Rising Sun runners included Federica Micocci in 28:38, Jessica Koons in 28:46.9 and Abby Wallace 31:23.4.