INDIANA STATE MEET

Cameron Todd, Libby Dowty Win Indiana Cross Country Finals; Carmel Boys Win 18th State Title; Homestead Girls Win First

By David Woods for DyeStat

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS | PHOTOS by Bobby Goddin

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Terre Haute calls itself Cross Country Town USA. After running the undulating LaVern Gibson Course as often as Cameron Todd and the Carmel Greyhounds have done, they call it home.

Todd became Brebeuf Jesuit’s first individual champion, and Carmel repeated as team winner Saturday at Indiana’s 78th boys state meet. Both triumphs were emphatic.

Against a deep field, Todd ran 5,000 meters in 14:55.5, building all of his eight-second margin with a closing kilometer of 2:53. It was the No. 2 time on this course at state after 14:48.8 in 2011 by Futsum Zienasellassie, a former national champion and 2024 Olympic marathon candidate.

Todd was third last year behind Carmel’s Kole Mathison, also a national champion, and Tony Provenzano. Todd finished 30th – after training on a stationary bike while recovering from a stress reaction – for Brebeuf’s 2021 state champions. And he won in 14:48.4 at the Nike XC Town Twilight race Sept. 30.

“I know all the ins and outs,” said Todd, a Notre Dame recruit. “Where the fence is, where the fence is not going to be. There’s times you can go to the outside, and times when you really want to stick to the inside. Knowing the course has got to help.”

It helped Carmel. That, and being Built by Biltimier.

That would be Thomas Biltimier, a No. 3 runner for a team that won by 109 points – largest margin in 43 years and third-largest in Indiana history. Coach Colin Altevogt said his runners are so supportive of each other that 100 of them traveled to cheer for teammates, and 70 are still training with the top seven.

Seniors Provenzano (fourth), Kyle Grove (seventh) and Biltimier (21st) earned all-state medals for top 25. Those three plus junior Jack Capes and sophomore Carter Buhr scored 3-4-14-20-35 with individuals displaced.

“This is really Thomas Biltimier’s team,” Altevogt said. “He’s run in five state meets, between cross country and track. To go out and run the best race he’s ever run in his life was incredible.”

To familiarize themselves with the course, the Greyhounds held a training camp at nearby Rose-Hulman Institute and twice traveled to Lavern Gibson during fall break.

After Carmel, the rest of the top five were from the Hoosier Crossroads Conference in Indianapolis’ collar counties: Fishers 185, Brownsburg 218, Zionsville 232, Hamilton Southeastern 242.

Heading into the week, Indiana’s three runners in the DyeStat Top 30 – Todd (seventh), Fishers junior Sam Quagliaroli (24th) and Floyd Central’s Will Conway (26th) – were exceeded only by California’s four.

Conway was second in 15:03.3 and Quagliaroli third in 15:06.0. Provenzano clocked 15:15.3, followed by juniors Aaron Richter of Elkhart and Shane Conroy of Portage, 15:15.3 and 15:15.6.

Jasper freshman Calvin Seitz was ninth in 15:23.1, or two seconds faster than Zienasellassie did in finishing second as a freshman.

Todd said he followed his pre-race plan of gradually moving up from one pack to the next. Brebeuf coach Karl Knerr said Todd was positioned to win when he climbed to fourth with a kilometer to go. Then Todd overtook Conway.

“Honestly, he was just kind of gone,” Conway said.

This won’t be the last such gathering of talent – not this season nor in 2024. Most will return here Nov. 12 for the Nike Cross Regional Midwest.

Altevogt said Carmel has been playing “the long game,” aiming for a later peak. The 13th-ranked Greyhounds have not qualified for Nike Cross Nationals since 2017. 

This was the fifth boys title for Altevogt, tying him with his mentor, Columbus North coach Rick Weinheimer. Only Carmel’s Chuck Koeppen (11) and Anderson’s Carl Bonge (eight) have more.

Todd was sixth at Foot Locker (then Champs) last year and tentatively plans to run in both nationals.

So does Conway. He and Martinsville’s Martin Barco both said they want to run a sub-4-minute mile, something no Indiana high schooler has ever done.  They have committed to Tennessee and Washington, respectively.

Last year Barco ran a 4:08.78 mile and won a state 1,600 title. Conway ran 1,600 meters in 4:05.72.

Barco, after playing soccer all fall, surprised himself by finishing 22nd in a PB of 15:34.8. He said it “feels better than anything I’ve accomplished,” given his limited preparation.

“It’s going to be a fast season this spring in Indiana,” Barco said. “There are a lot of guys who are really fast.”

Sophomore Libby Dowty upsets Nicki Southerland

In the 43rd girls state meet, Indian Creek sophomore Libby Dowty upset senior Nicki Southerland, the favorite from Delta.

Dowty finished in 17:06.7 to Southerland’s 17:15.8. Bishop Chatard sophomore Julia Score was third in 17:23.7, Homestead senior Addison Knoblauch fourth in 17:37.6 and Valparaiso freshman Whitney Anderson fifth in 17:46.1.

In a duel between Fort Wayne schools, Homestead won its first title by beating Concordia Lutheran 108-115 in the third-closest margin in meet history.

Valparaiso (146), North Central (152) and Franklin Central (178) took the three other podium spots. Noblesville, ranked No. 1 and defending state champion, finished eighth with 226.

Dowty led throughout the first four kilometers before being overtaken by Southerland, the reigning state 1,600 champion with a 2:05.06 PB at 800. But Dowty reclaimed the lead and pulled away.

“Nicki is a strong finisher,” Dowty said. “I just wanted to do the best I could and see where that would take me.”

Southerland said it was simply not her day.

“I’ve had a great high school career and I’m proud of that,” she said. “This race doesn’t define what I’ve been doing.”

Coincidentally, Southerland and Knoblauch are both committed to Notre Dame and both own 2022 victories over Addy Wiley at 3,200 meters. Wiley this year set a collegiate record in the 1,500.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on X: @DavidWoods007