The Chesterton High School Girls Cross Country Team participated in the IHSAA Cross Country State Finals this past weekend. 

“We had a chip on our shoulders from last year’s state meet. It was a disappointment to finish 20th in the state after winning DAC, Sectional, Regional and Semi-State. We were motivated to redeem ourselves and show we are capable of being one of the best teams in the state,” Head coach Lindsey Moskalick said. 

A total of twelve Trojan girls participated along with twenty-four total schools. Senior Bailey Ranta ran a time of 18:56.3, placing 12th in the State finals, and Senior Catherine White ran a 19:44.2, placing 52nd. Chestertons two Juniors, Grace Carpenter and Alyssa Dunlap ran times of 19:56.2 and 19:57.5 ranking 63rd and 69th place. Sophomore Ciara Bonner achieved a time of 20:47.5 placing 136th. And the remaining runners, Seniors Bree Gentry and Isabella Smith ranked 136th and 158th with times of 20:52.8 and 21:22.6. 

The combined place finishes of the Lady Trojans resulted in a total score of 221 and the team, therefore, placed third in the State Finals, with Carmel High School in second, and Columbus North High School in first. This was a major milestone for the Girls Cross Country team. 

“Bailey [Ranta] did a great job conquering her fears and Catherine did great when leading the team,” said junior Alyssa Dunlap. 

By finishing top 20, Ranta received individual awards in her final cross country race as a Chesterton high school student. Moreover, until now, Chesterton hasn’t ranked top five in the IHSAA State Finals since 2003, 18 years ago. 

The team is satisfied with their results and pleased with the performance of themselves and their teammates. Their hard work helped them conquer the 2021 season.

“The girls did a fantastic job this season. During the regular season, we won the team races, when we weren’t using them as a workout, and went into the postseason and defended some of our titles like DAC, Regional and Semi-State.  The girls worked extremely hard for 20+ weeks and it showed,” Moskalick later added. 

 In summation, the girls placed first at the IHSAA Semi-State Championships, first at the Regionals meet, second in Sectionals, and first in the Cross Country DAC competition. Chesterton Girls Cross Country is one big family where each individual contributes significantly to the success and sportsmanship of the team. The XC seniors are finishing their last high school season. The coaches along with the athletes are excited to see their seniors go off to do bigger and better things while looking forward to the next season.