BOYS XC: GOLDEN BEAR INVITE

Kokomo Tribune September 23, 2025

By TRibune Sports Staff

Western won the Gold Division of Shelbyville's invitational with a score of 53. Combining the Gold and Black divisions, Western was fourth with 97 points, behind heavyweights Fishers (85), Lawrence North (91) and Carmel (96).

"We faced some pretty stiff competition from the big schools but I think we held up well," Western coach Gary Jewell said. "It’s not the first time we’ve raced against this kind of competition this season. It only makes you more resilient in October."

Western's Camden Raab and Miles Rudy finished 1-2 in the Gold Division and 1-3 overall. Raab covered the course in 15:46.5 and Rudy clocked 15:57.5.

"Camden and Miles ran a patient race and were in the lead pack the entire race," Jewell said. "At the 4-kilometer mark there were only three runners left in the lead group. Camden pulled away over the last kilometer to secure the win."

Jewell noted his four other runners all had personal-best times. Beck Bennett was seventh in the division (16th overall) in 16:26.6, Maddox Carver was 10th (24th overall) in 16:45, Avery Franklin was 33rd (82nd overall) in 17:45.2 and Ethan Echelbarger was 43rd (99th) 18:10.5.

"We had six goals coming in and we achieved all of them with the biggest ones getting our cumulative time under 1:23:00 and our 1-5 split under 2:00," Jewell said.

"Our cumulative time of 1:22:41 is a new program record," he added.