Cross Country: Kingsmen lace up for New Prairie race

The Penn Boys and Girls Cross Country teams are set to lace up at the New Prairie Invitational on Saturday morning at New Prairie High School.  

The Penn Boys are set to race first, taking the course at 11:50 a.m. EDT. 

The Kingsmen Girls are set to take the course 30 minutes later at 12:20 p.m. EDT.  

Penn will also compete in the Boys Freshmen/Sophomore race at 12:55 p.m. EDT, the Boys Reserve race at 1:30 p.m. EDT, and the Girls Reserve race at 2 p.m. EDT.   

 Although this race won’t be as tough of competition as the prior weeks, this race is set to be a good look into how both Kingsmen will do at IHSAA Cross Country Regionals come late October. 

On the Girls side, Penn’s varsity is set to battle it out with No. 8 Lake Central, No. 22 Valparaiso, and No. 24 Kankakee Valley. The Kingsmen are currently ranked No. 5 in this week’s poll and are eager to see how they fare against the competition after a four-point loss to Lake Central in last year’s IHSAA Regional Finals. 

The No. 16th ranked varsity boys take on No. 8 Northridge, No. 23 Crown Point, and No. 25 Chesterton. This is sure to be a showdown and a great look at their ability to earn a Regional title later this season as they took second place in the 2024 season.  

 This course is known to be extremely tough, featuring a hill known to all runners as “Agony Hill.” Getting experience on this course now makes Sectionals and Regionals all that easier for the Kingsmen come Post-season. 

All tickets are $6 per person and are available online. To avoid phone buffering or lag, be sure to pull up your tickets BEFORE arriving on campus.  Gates will open at 8am EST.

Be aware – Exiting Traffic Pattern: 

Cougar Road is a one-way road from SR 2 to New Prairie H.S. and has two-way traffic southbound from U.S. Highway 20 to the school.

 This means that all traffic will need to turn right towards US 20 when leaving New Prairie High School.

•  Please purchase your ticket before arriving at New Prairie High School.
• No pets are allowed and service animals will need to have proper paperwork to be let onto the course.
• Coolers are not allowed at the finish line chute area – Spectators must stay clear of the chute exit.
• Please be aware that we are in bee season.  If you are allergic, please be sure to have your Epi-Pen with you.