NEW CARLISLE – This Saturday marks the 50th running of Indiana’s largest high school-only athletic event with the New Prairie Cross Country Invitational.

A total of 104 schools and approximately 2,800 runners have entered the meet and will churn over the famed 5,000-meter course at New Prairie High School in nine different races.

The start time for the event is 8 a.m. (CDT).  and admission is $5.

Among the teams entered in the field are the Warsaw boys team, which is ranked No. 17 in the coaches’ poll. Also competing will be the boys teams from Triton and Tippecanoe Valley, along with the girls teams from Warsaw, Triton and Valley.

It will be a special day in New Carlisle.  In addition to the races, a ceremony at approx. 9:15 a.m. (CDT) will celebrate some of the greatest runners in Indiana history, each of whom ran in the New Prairie Invitational during their high school careers.

Carey Pinkowski, state champion from Hammond High School in 1973-1974, is one of the guests. He’s currently director of the Chicago Marathon. He won at New Prairie in 1974.

Celeste (Susnis) Robinson, the first Indiana runner to win a national high school cross country championship, will be there also. Running for Kankakee Valley High School, she won three state titles from 1987-1989. She also won four New Prairie championships.

There will be a marching band and other festivities to celebrate 50 years of Indiana’s best regular-season cross country meet.  At the end of the meet, there will even be a race for coaches.

For a good historical perspective, please view the New Prairie Invitational Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/NPCCInv/

—

50th NEW PRAIRIE CROSS COUNTRY INVITATIONAL

Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017

At New Prairie High School, New Carlisle, Ind.

SCHEDULE

8:00 a.m. – National Anthem

8:10 a.m. – Girls varsity Class A

8:40 a.m. – Boys varsity Class A

9:15 a.m. – Introduction of Special Guests

9:25 a.m. – Girls varsity Class AA

9:55 a.m. – Boys varsity Class AA

10:25 a.m. – Girls varsity Class AAA

10:55 a.m. – Boys varsity Class AAA

11:25 a.m. – Boys freshman-sophomore

11:55 a.m. – Boys reserve

12:25 p.m. – Girls reserve

12:55 p.m. – Alumni/Coaches race

THE SPECIAL GUESTS

(Each competed in the New Prairie Invitational during their high school days)

Carey Pinkowski, currently director of the Chicago marathon. He was Indiana state champion in 1973 and 1974 from Hammond High School. He won a New Prairie title in 1974.

Kevin Higdon. He ran for Michigan City Elston and won a New Prairie title in 1976. Set records at Indiana University and competed in the 1984 Olympic Trials in the Marathon.

Celeste (Susnis) Robinson. She was the first high school national cross country champion from Indiana, winning the Kinney national championship in 1988. (Foot Locker is the sponsor, now.) She ran for Kankakee Valley and won three state championships from 1987-1989. She also won four New Prairie titles from 1986-1989. She ran at the University of Tennessee.

James Martin. Won four New Haven semistate championships. Other than Futsum, has any Indiana boy ever won four semistate championships? From Carroll-Fort Wayne, he ran the second-fastest time in New Prairie history (15:19) when he won the Invitational in 2010.

Brendan Smith. 1985 state champ from Chesterton High School. New Prairie champ in 1985.

Amanda VanWanzeele. 2000 girls state champ from New Prairie. She is one of only four Indiana girls to win state as a freshman. Never won New Prairie, though!

Pete Bieghler. 1987 state champion from Plymouth.  Won at New Prairie in 1984 and 1985.

Waverly Neer. National junior 3000-meter champion and set the New Balance indoor 5K record in high school. Also the 2010 girls state champ from Culver Academies. Still holds the Indiana 1600-meter record. Won New Prairie in 2010. A three-time All-American at Columbia and the University of Oregon.

Jordan Chester. Won four New Prairie titles while running at Boone Grove from 2007 to 2010. Only four runners ever did that — Celeste Susnis, Alex Banfich and Jordan Chester. She went to Grand Valley State U in Michigan and was a 4-time Div. II All-American.

Anna Weber. Never won a New Prairie title while running for Michigan City, but has since blossomed into one of the nation’s top women’s marathoners. She ran the 2016 Olympic Trials and is in serious training for 2020.