The women’s cross-country team wrapped up its season on Nov. 2, when seniors Gracie Carr and Gillian Cridge ran in the State meet at Terre Haute. 

The team was successful this season as they were Indiana all-Catholic champions, Midwest Catholic champions in the Gold division, third place in the Noblesville Regional and ranked as high as sixth in the State at one point. 

According to an email response to a reporter’s questions to Head Coach Mr. Mark Doctor, the team was led by seniors Carr, Audrey McKinney, Riley Pratt, Katie Rushka and Kendrick Mernitz; juniors Ellie Thor and Maura Flood; and freshmen Grace Bragg, Dearbhla Delaney and Brooke Wojcieszek. 

Doctor expressed nothing but praise for his squad. He said, “The team exceeded my expectations throughout the season tremendously. They routinely placed higher than ranked and battled through illness and injuries all season. I am so proud of them.”

The team placed second at State preview meet and finished first at the Indiana all-Catholic Championship, despite missing key runners for these races.

The team had a huge challenge to overcome at the semistate race, with its Number-5 runner diagnosed with a stress fracture in her leg, which ended her season, and its Number-6 runner sick. The team ran the Semistate in what at times was a driving rainstorm. 

At this point, Cridge is the only senior committed to run in college now, as she is headed to the University of San Francisco, but Doctor said he expects other seniors to make their decisions on where they will continue their academic and athletic careers shortly. 

There is a plethora of runners  returning to lead the team next year, including Ellie Thor, Grace Bragg, Dearbhla Delaney, Sara Wojtalik, Brooke Wojcieszek, Catherine Holtrup, Sally Bradshaw and Maura Flood, among others. These athletes will train in the off season and build on the successes from this fall.