John Cleland 4K Invitational Recaps
Girls Freshman/Sophomore Race
Lucy Kramer of Homestead took an early lead, setting a blistering pace with a 5:36 first mile. She established a gap of at least 10 seconds over the chasing pack, which included Carmel's Annabel Pollert clocking a 5:50 split. Kramer maintained her advantage through 2,400m, but in the final kilometer, Pollert and her Greyhound teammate Larkin Taylor surged to claim the top two spots in 14:47 and 14:57, respectively. Despite a strong 1-2 punch from Carmel, along with support from Margo Halle (4th), Ella Weaver (15th), and Katie Zhuralev (25th), Homestead narrowly edged them out for the team win, 43-47. Kramer finished third in 15:04, with Kaitlynn Hansen (5th), Lindsey Arnold (9th), Ella Antibus (12th), and Kylie Kottkamp (14th) rounding out Homestead's scoring.
Boys Freshman/Sophomore Race
In contrast to the girls' race, the boys stayed tightly packed through a 5:03 first mile. Isaac Smith from Hamilton Southeastern and Keegan Terry from North Central created a small gap by the 2,400m mark as the runners approached the final stretch. Terry unleashed a dominant final kick, with his last 2K clocking 15 seconds faster than anyone else in the field, securing him a 17-second victory. Smith placed third behind Pike's Francis Holohan. Center Grove's underclassmen excelled, placing their scoring five in the top 27 to secure the win with 71 points. Their lineup included Ethan Holbrook (6th), Jayden Salo (7th), Yared Seyoum (15th), Craig Salo (16th), and Riley Dodson (27th). North Central, Homestead, and Avon battled closely for second, scoring 99, 101, and 104 points, respectively.
Girls Junior/Senior Race
Much like the underclassmen races, this race also featured an early frontrunner. Elizabeth Butler from Hamilton Southeastern set the pace with a 5:31 opening mile, closely followed by Carmel's Sadie Foley and Homestead's Caterina Perego. The trio distanced themselves from the rest of the pack, which passed the mile mark just under 6 minutes. As they hit the final section of the course, Foley pulled away to win in 14:37, the fastest time of the day. Perego finished second in 14:47, marking her as a key runner for Homestead following the graduation of Addison Knoblauch.
Foley's victory, her first of the season after narrowly missing out last weekend at the Valley Kick Off, propelled Carmel to the team title with 61 points. The team was rounded out by Katy Dascoli (11th), Ella Gaddis (13th), Kaitlyn Oshimura (16th), and Lilliana Cate (25th). Zionsville, North Central, Homestead, and Hamilton Southeastern vied for runner-up honors, scoring 82, 88, 100, and 102 points, respectively.
Boys Junior/Senior Race
Similar to the underclassmen boys, a tight pack formed through the first mile, with Matthias Smith from Pike leading 10 others through a 4:46 split. By the 2K mark, Zionsville's Jack Turnbull and Valparaiso's Mason Nobles took over the lead. However, the surprise came from Aboubakar Ibrahim from Ben Davis, who unleashed a powerful finishing kick to take the win. Ibrahim ran the most consistent splits in the field, going 6:06 and 6:09 for each 2K.
This breakout performance highlights Ibrahim's rapid improvement, having gone from a 36th place finish at last year's Shelbyville Super Regional (16:20) to a spring season where he slashed his mile PR from 5:07 to 4:21 and qualified for state in the 800m. If he continues this trajectory, Ibrahim could contend for all-state honors in November. Hamilton Southeastern captured the team title with 77 points, led by Liam Powers (6th), Zach Swedarsky (11th), Nick Vega (14th), Isaac Ober (17th), and Michael Chalfant (29th). Homestead secured runner-up honors with 97 points, featuring standout performances from Cooper Knoblauch (5th), Evan McMahon (9th), Aiden Waugh (15th), Alex MacDonald (26th), and Owen Hill (46th).