Slicers' Miller races to title

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NEW CARLISLE -- They came; they saw; they conquered. They are McCutcheon. The lads from Lafayette finished with a team tally of 48 to win the New Prairie Semistate.

Valparaiso took second place with a score of 112. The Vikings put seven runners between 14th and 41st. Also advancing to the state championship will be Chesterton (149), LaPorte (157), West Lafayette (197), and Frankfort (198).

LaPorte's Matt Miller finished ahead of more than 150 harriers vying for the individual semistate crown with a time of 15:53. Oak Hill's Cameron Balser took second (15:56) and McCutcheon's Ross Russell, third (16:01).

It was the guy who placed fourth, David Osborn (16:02), who led for most of the race. Hats off to the Trojan. He threw the dice.

At two miles, Osborn came through at 10:08; Miller and Balser 10:15.

"Osborn started really taking off after the first mile," said Miller. "He gapped me and Balser pretty good. At about two miles, we started to gain on him. Then, me and Balser started really coming on in the woods. At about 2 1/2, we passed Osborn. We ran side by side for about a half mile, he (Balser) actually started to gap me a little bit, but as we were making the final sharp turn about 200 meters from the chute, I passed him to win it," Miller continued.

"I believe that's about the seventh or eighth time Miller and Osborn have battled it out this year," LaPorte coach Tim Beres said. "They've made each other stronger runners. It's not very often that you get two of the top runners in the state that go head to head that often. Each time they run, they're pushing each other to the limits. We know if Matt's with David, he's having a good day."

Hanover Central junior David Gladys also had a good day.

"I felt good," said Gladys. "I just wanted to stay up with the lead pack and try to hold on. Some of the turns were completely washed out with mud so you had to take them real wide - slower.

Coach (Steve Foulds) looked the course over before the gun went off and told me the magic number for me to get out would be 16:31. David Gladys finished 12th and ran a 16:30.57.

Other area runners to advance to the state championship unattached were Crown Point's Brian Witt (6th) and Michigan City's Philip Strader (13th).

The closest area runner to not qualify was Boone Grove's Mike Fauser, who placed 18th, but had a fine season and will have another crack at it as he is only a junior.