Take your mark! 10 Lafayette area high school boys cross country runners to watch

LAFAYETTE - Trekking through rocky terrain and pushing past the elements at a quick pace is what makes high school cross country one of the riveting sports to follow during the fall.

With the first race scheduled at Tippecanoe Amphitheater on Aug. 16, here's a look at the top 10 runners to watch in 2024.

Rankings are based on times and seedings from the 2023 IHSAA State, Regional and Sectional Championships.

1. Hayden Kemple

School: Clinton Prairie

Class: Senior

Best times : 15:54.9 at IHSAA State - personal record (45th), 16.11.2 at IHSAA Regional 3 (28th), 16.23.4 at IHSAA Sectional 11 (1st).

2. Christopher Angeles

School: Frankfort

Class: Senior

Best times: 16:20.6 at IHSAA State (115th), 15:47.9 at IHSAA Regional 3 (13th), 16:37.1 at IHSAA Sectional 11 (2nd).

3. Ryan Miloudi

School: West Lafayette

Class: Senior

Best times: 15.55.2 at IHSAA State - personal record (46th), 15:55 at IHSAA Regional 3 (16th), 16:10.6 at IHSAA Sectional 12 (1st).

4. Ian Lah

School: Harrison

Class: Senior

Best times: 16:24.6 NCC Conference meet - personal record (2nd), 16:24.6 at IHSAA Regional 3 (38th), 16.33 at IHSAA Sectional 12 (4th).

5. Nathan Odle

School: Seeger

Class: Senior

Best times: 16:49.2 at IHSAA Sectional 12 - personal record (10th), 16:46.4 IHSAA Regional 3 (58th), 18.01 at North Vermillion Invitational (5th).

6. Jack Chandler

School: West Lafayette

Class: Senior

Best times: 16:50.3 at IHSAA Regional 3 (62nd), 16:56.4 at IHSAA Sectional 12 - personal record (13th), 17:18.7 at City County (10th).

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7. Darien Olivio-Hernandez

School: Lafayette Jeff

Class: Senior

Best times: 16:52.4 at IHSAA Regional 3 (63rd), 16:51.4 at IHSAA Sectional 12 (11th), 16:25.7 at Harrison Invite - personal record (17th).

8. Elias Rodriguez

School: Lafayette Jeff

Class: Senior

Best times: 16:55.1 at IHSAA Regional 3 (65th), 16:35.8 at IHSAA Sectional 12 (6th), 16:28.7 at Harrison Invite - personal record (19th).

9. Evan Lottes

School: Harrison

Class: Junior

Best times: 16:55.1 at IHSAA Regional 3 (66th), 16:46 at IHSAA Sectional 12 (9th).

10. Luca Reynolds

School: West Lafayette

Class: Sophomore

Best times: 16:56.5 at IHSAA Regional 3 (70th), 17:18.3 at IHSAA Sectional 12 (19th), 17:12.8 at 2023 Wildcat Invitational - personal record (88th).

Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@gannett.com , on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson .

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Take your mark! 10 Lafayette area high school boys cross country runners to watch