New Palestine cross country preview

New Palestine cross country

Head coach: Daniel Weimer (8th year as head coach. Floyd Central 1995/Hanover 1999)

2011 accomplishments: Boys regional qualifiers, county champion/semistate qualifier Seth Eagleson; girls semistate qualifier. 

The New Palestine cross country teams have been markers of consistency in recent years, especially on the girls side. The NPHS girls have advanced to the regional every year since 2006, and to the semistate each year since 2007. The boys were also regional qualifers and sent Seth Eagleson to the semistate a year ago.

That gives coach Daniel Weimer a strong foundation to build from as the 2012 season begins.

The girls team, which finished 19th at semistate and won the Hancock County title for the sixth straight season last year, is led by seniors Emily Trimpe and Chloe Kirchner. Trimpe was all-county, all-HHC and all-sectional in her junior year. Kirchner moved up the depth chart to become a reliable varsity runner.

But a strong junior class of Natalie Shields, Caroline Voelz and Kayla Medaris is backed up by a trio of sophomores, Marissa Crosby, Brianna Komornik and Izzy Fleetwood.

Shields was all-county, all-HHC and all-sectional a year ago. Fleetwood and Voelz were also all-county runners.

Look for freshmen Bailey Wallace, Sarah Swartz and Mattie Waggoner to have an impact.

On the boys side, Eagleson returns for his junior season after winning the Hancock County title and having an all-conference, all-sectional and all-regional year and qualifying for the semistate as an individual. There are veterans around him -- senior Austin Dodd, juniors Sam Jones, Mitchell Lawson, Dominic Basciano, Nick Love and Chase Tuggle among them. Sophomore Drew Gohmann will also be a key varsity performer to give the team depth. Also, expect senior Kevin Laetsch and freshmen Riley Wilson and Kyle Frank to have an impact this year.

"We will be successful if we work hard and believe in ourselves," Weimer said. "And we will be successful if we will run our best in the championship meets."

Schedule link: www.ihigh.com/newpaldragons/document_24978.html?view