Winamac Athletics- Home of the Warriors

When championship season arrives, cross country runners aim to peak at just the right time... and at this year's Hoosier North Athletic Conference (HNAC) Meet, the team delivered a masterclass in timing and execution. With course conditions ripe for fast times, runner after runner shattered their previous lifetime bests to set new Personal Records (PRs) on the conference stage. From steady early-mile pacing to fierce home-stretch kicks, both the girls' and boys' squads left everything on the course, earning top team honors alongside a wave of personal milestones. Girls' Race: PR Wave Leads Team to Strong Finish The girls set the tone for the day with dominant individual breakthroughs across the line, securing a 4th-place team finish. Leading the charge were four runners who logged brand-new lifetime personal bests: Jillian Burns led the squad home, pacing through to clock 25:42.50... a new lifetime PR and an impressive 19th-place finish. Katelyn Burgess executed a textbook late-race surge, passing competitors in the final mile (~8:27 pace) to secure a new career PR of 26:26.87 (22nd place). Brooklynn Jachim delivered one of the strongest early starts of the day with a 7:39 opening mile, cruising through to cross in 26:33.03 for her new personal record (23rd place). Kallie Kasten rounded out the PR avalanche, dropping a negative split on her final section to lock in a personal-best time of 26:36.01 (24th place). Jaelyn Huddleston battled through a tough field to also clench a PR while closing out the scoring effort in 34:24.52. Boys' Race: Bonnell Leads Squad to Conference Runner-Up Finish In the boys' division, strategic racing and mid-race moves paid huge dividends as the team captured a 2nd-place overall finish. Four individual runners stamped their mark on the day by setting new personal records at the conference clash: Brody Bonnell put together a phenomenal performance at the front of the pack. Opening with a swift 5:25 first mile and holding a sharp 5:43 split for Mile 2, Bonnell powered home in 17:30.16 to earn a 3rd-place, All-Conference, podium finish and a new PR. Ethan Showley executed a massive mid-race move, carving up the course with a 5:43 opening mile and holding strong to cross in 19:53.45 (13th place)—setting a brand-new personal record in the process. Braylen Becker ran a tactically disciplined race, negative-splitting his final 1.1 miles at a 6:38 pace to cross the line in a lifetime-best 20:14.26 (15th place). Elisha Burns kept composure through the mid-pack, holding consistent sub-7:00 splits to establish his new lifetime PR of 20:19.58 (18th place). Evan Burgess pushed through to stop the clock at 20:27.01 for 19th place, dropping his pace over the final mile and claiming his PR as well. Austin Pratt and Joel Showley closed out the team's strong showing, crossing in 21:30.61 (21st place) and 22:34.84 (24th place) respectively. Looking Ahead With 8 lifetime personal records set in a single morning, the team demonstrated the strength, depth, and preparation built up over weeks of rigorous training. As post-season momentum builds, these peak performances set a high standard for what this group can accomplish on the postseason trail! The Sectional race will be Saturday October 17th at Rennselaer Central High School.