Oak Hill High School

In preparation for the upcoming championship season the Class 2a #1 ranked OHXC Golden Eagles stepped up Saturday to compete in the Big School Open Division at the 44th Annual Culver Academy Invitational. The elite race Saturday featured 25 teams in the boys race including 3 Top 25 Ranked teams from Indiana and one of the Top ranked teams from Illinois. The Golden Eagles who came in on paper ranked / predicted to be just inside the Top 10 posted a strong day to take 5th with 202 points. #6 Penn won the event with 55 points while Illinois's State Ranked Lagrange was 2nd with 64. Top 25 State Ranked Northridge was 3rd with 89 and West Lafayette was 4th with 180. Coming in behind the Golden Eagles to round out the Top 10 were New Prairie with 230 points, Warsaw with 244, Top 10 State Ranked Harrison 262, Fort Wayne Northrop 267, and Mishiwaka 272. #2 State Ranked Fort Wayne Carroll was in the event but did not run their full roster. The Golden Eagles were led by 2 Top 30 Medalist - Freshman Brantley Blair 3rd and Senior Wyatt Hart 12th. Blair competed in the lead pack from the start and was trying to become the 1st 9th grader to ever win the event. Blair ultimately was an impressive 3rd overall behind the individual winner from New Prairie who ran 15:55 - a senior, and the top runner from Lagrange. Blair's time on the tough course with tougher conditions Saturday was 16:13 which is the fastest time ever recorded on the course by a Golden Eagle not named Cameron Balser, but his 3rd place finish is the best ever by a Golden Eagle in the "Big" School Division as Balser was 8th in 2009. His time was the best time by a Golden Eagle on the course since 2007. Owen Jackson won the small school Division in 2023 in 16:17. Hart seeded just inside the Top 20 posted another impressive run taking 12th overall after moving up throughout the event. Hart was clocked in 16:51. Juniors Josh Clark and Bret Hueston were 49th and 65th both having strong days and moved up considerably from their rankings. Senior Eli Leak continued his last season surge with a 96th overall. Juniors Gavin Key and Grant Melton rounded out the Varsity in 99th and 102nd. The remaining 9th and 10th grade Golden Eagles competed in the Frosh/Soph race where they finished 10th out of nearly 20 teams. Brekyn Pritchett led the way posting a time of 18:25 good enough for Top 20 and a Top 30 Medal in the event. The Golden Eagles compete in the Central Indiana Conference Saturday October 3rd at Indiana Wesleyan.