The 2020 Gibson Southern Cross Country season came to an end on October 3rd in Petersburg, Indiana. The final meet of the season concluded with the PAC. The girls had 2 runners in the top 10 out of 60 in the varsity 5000 meter run. The boys finished with 3 runners in the top 15 out of 73 in the varsity 5000 meter run.

Junior Taylor Hart came in 3rd with a time of 19:45.60. Freshman Courtney Hedlt finished in 9th with a time of 20:40.15. The meet ended with a total of 54 points. The Lady Titans finished their 2020 season as PAC champions.

“We set our goals as winning the PAC, being a top team in the sectional and regional and to advance to semi-state,” head coach Jeremy Aydt said.

These goals are very probable, since the girls were close to being semi-state qualifiers in 2019. According to Aydt, the girls were more competitive this year since two freshmen, Aleksandra Parmer and Courtney Heldt, were added into the top seven runners on the girls varsity team.

The boys varsity team ended the PAC meet in 3rd place with 85 points. Sophomore Ethan Spindler finished in 14th place and ended with a time of 17:38.11. Freshmen Hayden Pennigton and Alex Spindler finished in 11th and 12th place with times of 17:10.96 and 17:20.43 respectively. The top seven boys varsity runners graduated last year, leaving only four returnees. With 13 freshmen joining the team, Aydt said the expectations and talent level for the freshmen were high, since they won the PAC their eighth grade year. 

“With all the new freshmen, I thought we would do well,” junior Griffin Mercer said.

The boys’ goals were being a top 5 team in the conference, sectional and regional.

Many members of the team, including Aydt, would say that their biggest strength wasn’t speed or times, but the leadership and connection between the team.

“We are a family on the cross country team and that helps so much,” Hart said.