New Prairie Boys Take Runner-Up, Girls Compete Strong at Bearcat Invitational New Prairie’s boys team delivered a balanced, high-impact performance Saturday morning at the 15th Annual Wheeler Bearcat Invitational, finishing runner-up with 79 points in a competitive 11-team field. The girls team added a solid showing of their own, placing sixth overall with 44.5 points against a deep field led by Morgan Township and Washington Township. The day belonged to New Prairie’s depth, particularly in the middle-distance events, hurdles, and relays on the boys side. Boys Recap New Prairie’s top individual finish came in the 800 meters, where Braden Bachmann turned in a breakthrough performance, placing second in 2:07.55, just off the winning pace. He was joined by teammate Aidan Jaronik, who added a strong fifth-place finish (2:15.52), continuing the Cougars’ distance presence. That strength extended into the 1600 meters, where Lukas Hannewyk led the team with a fifth-place finish in a time of 5:13.43, followed closely by Ayden Carpenter (5:28.08). In the 3200 meters, Isaac True (4th, 11:12.26) and Evan Thibodeau (6th, 11:32.60) delivered key points to keep New Prairie near the top of the standings. On the track, the Cougars found success in the hurdles, where Noah Oberle continued his strong season with a victory in the 300-meter hurdles (43.09). Freshman Graham Wiard added a seventh-place finish in the 110 hurdles (19.10) and came back later for a strong 300 hurdles (52.10). The sprint group showed continued progress, led by Sullivan Young, who placed seventh in the 100 meters (12.14) and later ran a 56.55 to finish sixth in the 400. Evan Wiesemann added another strong 400 performance (57.64), giving New Prairie two top-10 finishers in the event. Relays played a major role in the Cougars’ runner-up finish. The 4x400 relay team of Braden Bachmann, Evan Wiesemann, Sullivan Young, and Aidan Jaronik turned in a strong effort to place second in 4:00.49, while the 4x100 team of Leone Gennari, Landon Halderman, Noah Wroblewski, and Graham Wiard added a third-place finish (49.30). In the 4x800 relay, the quartet of Chase Shelton, Ryese Lake, Ricky Corbett, and Noah Wroblewski placed fifth (9:46.58), contributing valuable team points. Field events added critical depth throughout the meet. Elijah Schuck led the way in the shot put with a third-place throw of 39-8, while Landon Halderman added a sixth-place finish (37-8.5). Halderman also shined in the discus, taking second overall with a 129-2, while Schuck added an eighth-place finish. Girls Recap On the girls side, New Prairie competed well in a tightly contested meet, finishing sixth overall while showing strength in the sprints, relays, and middle-distance events. Freshman Isla Wood led the Cougars in the short sprints, placing seventh in the 100 meters (13.50) and sixth in the 200 (28.46). Eliza Leslie also added a strong performance in the 100 (13.83), giving New Prairie two strong finishes in a deep field. In the 400 meters, Mikaela Wilson turned in one of the team’s top performances of the day, placing fifth in 1:08.10, while Olivia Rice added another top-12 finish. The 800 meters saw Janice Felker lead the way with a fifth-place finish (2:43.35), while Angel Patterson also contributed. In the 1600, Madelyn Lower ran a personal-best 6:07.22 to place eighth, followed by Afton Maynes in 10th. In the 3200 meters, Chloe Woodrick (9th) and Cora Buss (10th) added depth in the distance events. The relays were a key highlight for the girls. The 4x800 relay team of Elise Zelasko, Ella Sanford, Natalie Klemczak, and Jillian Firanek delivered a strong performance to place second in 11:02.28, one of the team’s top finishes of the meet. In the 4x400 relay, Mikaela Wilson, Janice Felker, Izzy Young, and Aubrey Schelstraete combined to place fourth (4:47.41), while the 4x100 team of Olivia Rice, Isla Wood, Izabelle Young, and Eliza Leslie added another fourth-place finish (55.90). In the hurdles, Aubrey Schelstraete placed second in the 300 hurdles (53.41) and added an eighth-place finish in the 100 hurdles. In the field events, Eliza Leslie tied for fourth in the high jump (4-4), contributing additional team points.