By George Bremer, Herald Bulletin Sports Writer
TERRE HAUTE — The scariest thing at Saturday’s cross country state finals was the course.
Notoriously difficult even in ideal conditions, the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course was inundated by rainfall throughout the day Friday.
The result, less than 24 hours later, was a swampy marsh that left overly taxed runners covered in mud.
“This was definitely something along the college level,” Highland’s DJ Taylor said moments after his 60th-place finish. “This is going to prepare me more for whatever college I go to.”
That decision, which is currently led by St. Joseph’s College and Anderson University, likely will wait until after track season this spring.
That’s when Taylor will again match up against Pendleton Heights’ Nathan Hendershot and Hunter Mills.
The star duo led the Arabians to a 17th-place team finish in the school’s first full appearance at the state finals.
“This was the icing on the cake, getting here,” Pendleton Heights coach Alan Holden said of his team’s historic season, which also included the school’s first regional crown. “I’ve felt like we were a top 20 team the whole season. You don’t get much respect unless you’re in Indianapolis.”
The Arabians earned a measure of respect Saturday.
Hendershot, predictably, was the area’s top finisher in seventh place overall. His race, however, was anything but predictable.
The Johnny Wilson Award winner planned to stay with the frontrunners early in the race.
But when favorite Futsum Zeinasellassie made his break early in the race, Hendershot declined to follow.
The move, or lack thereof, paid off.
Even with clumps of mud weighing down his every step, Zeinasellassie set a blistering pace. He finished in 15:51.6, nearly 10 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
Fort Wayne Carroll’s James Martin, the only runner to beat Hendershot at last week’s New Haven Semistate, attempted to stay with Zeinasellassie in the early going. Martin finished 10th.
Hendershot was 20th just past the mile-and-a-quarter mark and was still running 12th with 3,000 meters remaining.
But he turned on his signature kick and passed several competitors down the stretch.
In the end, he was happy with his time of 16:20.4.
“I couldn’t ask for a better race,” he said. “This was the last race of my career, and I wanted to hold nothing back. It worked out perfectly. This was a good day.”
Hendershot, who also stars in basketball and track, has yet to decide on a school or sport at the next level.
His many suitors for cross country and track include Clemson, Butler, Tennessee and the Air Force Academy.
The senior will run for the Indiana All-Star team at the Midwest race in two weeks. Then he plans to squeeze in a couple of official visits before starting basketball preparation.
“Hopefully, (PH basketball) Coach (Brian) Hahn will give me a break,” Hendershot said, then laughed. “I’ve got one more (all-star) race left.”
The most interesting area race Saturday took place farther back in the field between Taylor and Mills.
The two have enjoyed a mostly friendly rivalry throughout the fall, and Taylor pulled past Mills in the final 600 meters at the state finals.
Taylor finished 60th in 17:20.4. Mills checked in at No. 66 in 17:23.4.
“Hunter Mills said it was his dream to beat me,” Taylor said with a sly smile. “He didn’t make it.”
Taylor, who also qualified for the state track finals last spring, said he was pleased with the final cross country performance of his career.
“I went out there and finished with no regrets,” he said. “This was a great season.”
The same is being said at Pendleton Heights, where the Arabians backed up Holden’s prediction three years ago that this would be the first team to qualify for state.
The coach praised his team’s character as much as its performance Saturday.
“This team has accomplished so much,” he said. “But this is also one of the most caring teams I’ve ever coached.”
Holden battled prostate cancer throughout the season and spent time in the hospital after surgery to remove the disease before the start of the postseason.
His runners were the only people outside of his family to visit him in the hospital, and they were the first to drop by and see him at home.
“To run for him the past three years,” Hendershot said, “I’ve been blessed.”
It’s safe to say the feeling is mutual.
“They’re growing up into responsible adults,” Holden said. “I think it’s unbelievable how much they’ve done, but that (character) is the best of all.”
