YORKTOWN, Ind.-- For more than four decades, the IHSAA State Cross Country Meet was nothing more than a myth for Delaware County schools. Time and time again, teams would come agonizingly close to breaking what felt like a curse. None were closer than the 2024 Yorktown Boy’s team, who fell just one spot short of doing so. But after another solid regular season in 2025, it felt like it couldn’t happen again. And it didn’t.
After a stellar run at the New Haven Regional Meet, the Tigers would break through, ending a drought that started long before they were born. It was also the first time that Yorktown qualified for the state meet.
Junior Wyatt Turner– who qualified as an individual his freshman year– was excited by the fact that he could line up with his teammates on the starting line.
“Going as a team made the experience that much better,” Turner said. “It’s one thing to make state as individuals, and then it’s another to go as a team.”
Turner also said that he felt partially responsible for the team coming up short in 2024– despite running while battling pneumonia– which made making state even better.
“I really felt kind of responsible after what had happened and the reason why we didn’t go to state,” Turner said. “So it was definitely a huge weight off my back.”
For Owen Fouts, the one senior runner on the squad, this meet was it. There was no next year. So when the Tigers clinched their spot at state, it came as relief in the form of joy.
“We had heartbreak my junior year, so getting it this senior year was awesome,” Fouts said.
That season has come and gone though, and despite the fantastic accolades, the focus now turns to track & field. Fouts believes that another special moment is in hand for the Tigers due to their previous runs.
“We have experience in the big meets,” Fouts said. “We’ve all run against people way taller, way bigger. We’ve run under pressure, and I know we can perform well under it.”
There’s belief from the coaches too that the Tigers are primed for more success this track season, according to Yorktown head coach Jared Turner.
“I think the future remains bright because we have eight of our top nine coming back next year,” Turner said. “I think with the kids having the experience this year and getting over that hump, now that that’s off of their back, there’s no more you’ve never done this before. They can maybe take it to an even more special level.”
Breaking a curse is one thing, but keeping it away is another. For Yorktown, they might just have the capabilities to do so, but only time will tell as the track season gets into full swing.
Contact Jake Dickman with comments at jacob.dickman@bsu.edu.
