Concordia Lutheran High School capped off an incredible boys cross country season by winning the 2019 IHSAA Boys Cross Country State Championship on Saturday, November 2, in Terre Haute.
The Cadets scored 93 points in the 5,000-kilometer race, beating out back-to-back defending state champion Carmel's 112. Indianapolis Brebeuf Jesuit Prep (135) finished 3rd, Columbus North (161) placed 4th, Brownsburg (214) scored 5th and Homestead (215) came in 6th.
Concordia scored 5 runners in the Top 47 scoring positions. Senior Reece Gibson finished 5th (scored 2nd) with a 15:44.5, senior Drake Kropf finished 17th (scored 11th) with a 16:00.7, senior Wilson Whicker finished 18th (scored 12th) with a 16:04.7, sophomore Karsten Schlegel finished 29th (scored 21st) with a 16:18.4 and junior Luke Bentz finished 67th (scored 47th) with a 16:35.0.
The average 5-runner finish was 16:08.
Additionally sophomore Daniel Adair placed 97th (scored 69th) and senior Kalen Schlegel finished 198 (scored 158th) to round out the 7 competitors representing the Cadets.
It is the first state title for Concordia, which finished the season a perfect 168-0 its first semi-state and regional championships. The Cadets finished 4th in 2018, 18th in 2017 and 5th in 2016. The team is coached by Scott Steffen.
Local teams West Noble finished 21st as a team (462 points), Columbia City placed 22nd (464 points).
Concordia is the first private school to win the boys state title, and is the third Fort Wayne school to win the boys cross country state title - joining Carroll in 2016, North Side in 1968.
Concordia is one of 26 high schools that partners with Parkview Sports Medicine for athletic training, nutrition, sports performance training, nutrition and other orthopedic sports medicine services for Cadet student athletes.