It was another banner year for Seymour runner Luke Plummer.
The senior helped pace the Owls all season long and was their top-finishing runner in most events this year. He helped them win their lone home meet of the year, to a third-place finish at the Hoosier Hills Conference meet and to another appearance at the Brown County Semistate.
It’s those kind of results as well as his leadership that helped name him the Jackson County Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Only a few times this season, Plummer wasn’t the top finisher for the Owls, and that was mostly due to an injury suffered later in the season.
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"He was our No. 1 runner seven times until he became injured," Seymour boys cross country coach Randy Fife said. "He was our leader in workouts and in meets."
At the HHC meet in Hanover, Plummer took 11th overall in a loaded field with a time of 16 minutes, 48 seconds. He was one of two Owl runners that day to finish under the 16:50 mark.
A few weeks later at the Brown County Sectional, Plummer had one of his best days of the year.
Hanging with the front of the pack for much of the race, he took third overall with a time of 16:35. It was far and away the best Owl time of the day, and it helped his team to a second-place finish at the sectional with 55 points.
He wasn’t the top runner for the Owls at the Columbus Regional, but his ability to stay with a pack of Seymour runners helped them hang on for a fourth-place finish and move on to semistate.
He finished 33rd at Ceraland Park and was 93rd overall back in Brown County for the semistate meet.
Joining Plummer on this year’s all-county team are teammates Ethan Dippold and Connor Harriss.
Dippold was named to the all-HHC first team and currently ranks 13th in the school record books.
Harriss was named one of the Owls’ most improved runners.
Both also qualified for semistate.
From Brownstown Central, top Brave runner Nathan Koch earned all-county honors as did Andrew Wheeles and Mason Kellogg.
Koch was named to the Mid-Southern Conference first team, while Wheeles earned academic all-state honors, and Kellogg was named all-MSC honorable mention.
All three were regional qualifiers.
The Tigers’ David Rose, who qualified for semistate for the first time in his career, represents Crothersville on this year’s all-county team.
Rose was named the Tigers’ most valuable runner and earned first team all-Southern Athletic Conference distinction.
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Runner of the Year
Luke Plummer, Seymour
Accolades: All-HHC honorable mention, regional qualifier, semistate qualifier, Seymour most valuable runner
All-County
Ethan Dippold, Seymour
Accolades: All-HHC first team, regional qualifier, semistate qualifier, Seymour co-most improved runner
Connor Harriss, Seymour
Accolades: Regional qualifier, semistate qualifier, Seymour co-most improved runner
Nathan Koch, Brownstown Central
Accolades: Brownstown Central most valuable runner, all-Mid-Southern Conference first team, regional qualifier
Andrew Wheeles, Brownstown Central
Accolades: Academic all-state, regional qualifier, Brownstown Central mental attitude award winner
Mason Kellogg, Brownstown Central
Accolades: All-Mid-Southern Conference honorable mention, regional qualifier
David Rose, Crothersville
Accolades: All-Southern Athletic Conference first team, regional qualifier, semistate qualifier, Crothersville most valuable runner
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