BOYS XC: Nike Twilight

Kokomo Tribune October 7, 2024

By Tribune Sports Staff

BOYS XC

HC MEET

Led by the 1-2 finish of Camden Raab and Miles Rudy, Western edged West Lafayette to win the Hoosier Conference meet at Rensselaer. The Panthers had a score of 47 and the Red Devils had 51.

Hamilton Heights (60) was third followed by Benton Central (130), Lafayette Central Catholic (139), Rensselaer (154), Tipton (162), Logansport (174) and Twin Lakes (215).

Raab covered the course in 15:58.8 to win the individual title. He joins Josh Everetts (2016) and Brayden Curnutt (2020) as Panthers who won HC titles. Rudy was second in 16:08.

Also scoring for Western were Maddox Carver in seventh (16:55.8), Beck Bennett in 15th (17:27.2) and Lincoln McKillip in 22nd (18:00.2).

"Honestly, we just wanted to run well leading into [the postseason] and as it turned out you couldn't want a better start," Jewell said. "We discovered upon arrival Saturday morning that West Lafayette's top runner was out with an injury. Something similar happened when we last won back in 2020. The difference between 2020 was I knew about their injury before the team did and this time everyone knew about it before me.

"You have to feel for West Lafayette because just last week they competed well in the Championship Race at the Nike Twilight meet only to have a major let-down mid-week with an injury to their top guy."

Jewell said Raab took control after the first mile as he picked up the pace to 5:05 per mile. He said Rudy "had his best race to date" and used a strong finish to and overtake West Lafayette's lead runner on the closing stretch.

"Maddox Carver had a monster race," Jewell added.