NORTH VERNON
It is not clear if the Seymour boys cross country team’s invitation to Paris fashion shows is in the mail, but their outfits did turn heads Saturday morning at the Hoosier Hills Conference championships.
The wide purple-and-white stripes on jerseys resembled prison garb enough that the runners’ self-proclaimed nickname of “jailbirds” was deemed accurate.
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Rarely used, the Owls dusted off the tops and reckoned they would be noticed.
“That’s the point,” said Connor Harris, who was one of the squad’s scorers on the 5-kilometer Muscatatuck County Park course. “A throwback a little bit.”
The Owls did not run as quickly as if they were participating in a jail break, but placed third in the team race with some runners challenging their personal best times, some setting new ones, and others having comparative off-days.
Sophomore Jude Bane placed 7th among 82 boys while establishing a new personal record for the distance in 16:27, an improvement of about 12 seconds. The first seven finishers were automatic all-league selections and earned plaques.
“All-conference, that was amazing,” said Seymour coach Randy Fife of Bane’s run against a high-caliber field.
The sun was out, the temperature hovered in the high 50s, and there was no wind.
“It was a great day to race,” Bane said.
Floyd Central was the dominant team with 28 points. Jennings County was second, Seymour third, New Albany fourth, with Bedford North Lawrence, Jeffersonville, Columbus East and Madison following.
In large invitationals and championship races like this one, and the upcoming state events beginning with Sectionals at Brown County next Saturday, the wisest strategy is to run to the front of the pack when the starter’s gun sounds. That worked for Bane.
“I went out as fast as possible,” he said. “You need to get out fast or else you get boxed in.”
Michael Proffer, the Owls’ second scorer in 10th, who also timed a personal best of 16:35, said Seymour as a team tries to avoid those type of logjams.
“What we always do is go out to be in the first pack,” Proffer said. “There are a lot of decent teams here.”
Seymour’s scorers besides Bane and Proffer were Brandon Kleber, 11th in 16:39, also in the ballpark of his fastest time, Ethan Dippold, 15th in 16:55, a bit slower than usual, and Harriss, who was 20th in 17:17, just a few seconds off his best.
Rounding out Seymour’s top seven were Clay Greenawalt, 23rd in 17:28, and Sam Rockey, 28th in 17:52.
“It was kind of a strange meet for us,” said Fife, besides the use of the jailbird jerseys. “I’m just proud of the kids for competing. Kids are stepping up, always pushing.”
Running well as a group is how teams place high in big meets and Kleber said that approach has been coming through for the Owls.
“That’s what we need to do,” he said. “I think we’re improving. We’re getting better and better every day.”
Kleber said he is aiming for a sub-16:30 time at sectionals and then for Seymour to move on to regionals and beyond, with more big-field opportunities to push the Owls.
“Then faster,” Kleber said.
He dreams of breaking 16 minutes, just as Harriss has set the goal of breaking 17 minutes on the clock before the season ends.
“The competition is definitely there to push you,” Harriss said.