Top 5 Teams
1. Lowell: The defending semistate champion Red Devils graduated two of their top three runners, but should have a new front-runner in junior Gabe Sanchez. The depth behind Sanchez includes senior Dustin Hudak, who was an 800-meter state finalist, and junior Jacob Durr, who was Lowell’s No. 5 runner at the New Prairie Semistate.
2. Valparaiso: Only two of the seven Vikings who ran at the 2017 state meet — where Valparaiso placed fourth — are back, but senior Nate Smith and junior Jack Acton lead way. Valparaiso has a knack for finding and developing runners to replace holes in its lineup.
3. Crown Point: Junior Geno Christofanelli gives the Bulldogs a clear No. 1, with senior Drew Holok and junior Martin Marquez among the runners returning to a team that reached the state finals in 2017. Incoming freshman Cameron Zimmerman and Mareo Todd, along with sophomore Noah Thomas — a transfer from Highland — should again have Crown Point on target for reaching the state meet.
4. Portage: Indians took 15th at the semistate meet last season, but could move up the charts dramatically with six runners from that race returning. Junior Kyle Gutierrez leads a veteran group that also includes the senior duo of Dylan Filla and Matthew Zmija and juniors Thomas Elwood and Kalisto Rosales.
5. Chesterton: There are five returning runners from last year’s state qualifier. But one of the openings came after the graduation of Jakob Kintzele, who’s now at Princeton after placing seventh in the state. Coach Tim Ray expressed confidence in an experienced quintet of seniors Matthew Van Kley and Nathan O’Connor and juniors Kyler Haynes, Dylan Draves and Will Shook.
Top 10 Runners
Jack Acton, Valparaiso, junior; Carson Bakker, Covenant Christian, senior; Isaac Beatty, Lake Central, senior; Trevor Braden, Morgan Township, senior; Geno Christofanelli, Crown Point, junior; Kyle Gutierrez, Portage, junior; Dustin Hudak, Lowell, senior; Nathan O’Connor, Chesterton, senior; Gabe Sanchez, Lowell, junior; Nate Smith, Valparaiso, senior.
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.