The Chesterton Lady Trojans opened the 2026 cross country season with a strong performance at the Larry James Invitational, finishing 4th as a team in a competitive field. Chesterton was led by junior Natalie White, who finished 14th overall in 20:09.68, followed closely by junior Hannah Haring, who placed 15th in 20:11.80. Junior Natalie Williams continued the team's strong pack with a 20th-place finish in 20:21.74, while sophomore Evie Fortney crossed the line 21st in 20:23.28. Junior Paige Clancy rounded out the team's top five, finishing 29th in 20:55.59. The Lady Trojans showed impressive depth, with their five scoring runners finishing within 46 seconds of one another. Senior Natascha Lepinasse also turned in a strong performance, finishing 35th overall in 21:07.07, while senior Eshaal Ali placed 67th in 23:16.50. Strong Depth from the JV Girls Chesterton's JV runners also made their presence felt with a solid showing in the second race. Junior Kate Meyer led the way for Chesterton, finishing 9th overall in 23:24.12. She was followed by senior Grace Basich, who placed 20th in 24:03.86, and senior Abby Wilson, who finished 25th in 24:39.48. The Lady Trojans continued to show depth throughout the race, with senior Julia Fox finishing 33rd in 25:05.49, followed by junior Lizzy Koehnen in 38th at 25:32.03 and junior Adriana Perez in 46th at 25:45.65. Junior Riley Pacilio also finished strong in 57th with a time of 26:16.90. The JV effort provided valuable racing experience and showed that Chesterton has plenty of depth to build on as the season progresses. Recognizing Our Seniors Chesterton is proud to recognize its seven seniors beginning their final cross country season as Lady Trojans: Natascha Lepinasse, Eshaal Ali, Grace Basich, Abby Wilson, Julia Fox, Alyia Boothe, and Mikay-Lah Ponce. Their leadership, commitment, and dedication to the program are an important part of the team's culture, and we are grateful for all they bring to Chesterton Cross Country. The Lady Trojans are back in action next Saturday at the Tom Miller Hokum Karem hosted by Penn High School. LARRY JAMES MEET RESULTS - https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/169559/#resultSetId-681012;perpage:100