Didn't catch all of the action from this past weekend? Don't worry, we've got you covered with the weekend recap of the top individual performances.
Reece Gibson, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran
In one of the biggest races of the weekend, Reece didn't disappoint with an early sub-16 performance. The junior put 20 seconds on the 2nd place finisher after staying with the front pack for the first mile of the race. This field included many talented runners as well including Cole Powers and Ryan Ruppert, so this dominance was a huge takeaway this early in the season.
Ian Shaw, Wil Zinkan, Jack Gillard, and Josh Miller
Nearly 4 Bloomington South runners went under the 13 minute mark for a 4k, so you cannot headline a single runner from this race. The Panthers were one point away from a perfect score against a good North Central team and an incomplete Carmel team. This team had the best performance this weekend on the boys side and should not be taken lightly.
Isaiah Hollars, Bloomington North
The Edgewood 11th Hour Meet had one of the biggest upsets of the day as Isaiah Hollars won in a 16:29 over Austin Haskett. In the early stages of the season, it's more about racing rather than what time you run and Hollars showed that he was ready to race.
Quinn Gallagher, Guerin Catholic
Everyone loves to watch photo finishes, and Gallagher provided one in the Circle City Classic. After pacing with his team for about the first 3k of the race, he managed to catch Nick Perkins of Roncalli at the final stretch of the race. He ended up winning by 0.29 seconds in the closest finish you'll see for a while.
Bates didn't miss a beat in her XC opener at the North Central Warm-up from her success in the spring. She won in a 14:29 for 4k as the next finisher was fellow teammate Lindsey Roper in a time of 16:05. You can say that it was a pretty dominant performance for the Footlocker qualifier.
A talented field did not stop Kayla Mcculloch from winning the Huntington North Invitational in a time of 18:13.0 in her 5k opener. The senior made her move in the last mile of the race as she separated from Abby Green to take the victory. This may be the first of many wins for McCulloch this season.
Simmons had herself a day by winning the Circle City Classic by 40 seconds with an 18:40. This race didn't have the same ending as the boys did, but this performance shouldn't be overlooked. The Braves also won by 25 points over a good Guerin Catholic team, so this showing in their first meet of the season was very impressive by Brebeuf.
The temperature rose tremendously from the Freshman/Sophomore race to the Junior/Senior race, but that didn't prevent Gutwein from laying down the best time at the Zionsville Invitational. The senior ran 15:08 for 4k to win the Junior/Senior race. From start to finish it was a strong race as she won by 17 seconds over Mary Schultz of West Lafayette.
Abby Green, Fort Wayne Carroll
Although she did not win, finishing third in her first XC race after only running one meet last season is an accomplishment in itself. It's good to see the 2016 runner-up back to form as her team has high expectations this year and will need her to be in top form to accomplish those goals.