Boys Cross Country
2025 Season Review
The young Royal squad entered the 2025 season with 12 new runners. The season began at the Hamilton Southeastern Hokum Karem, facing two of the best teams in the state, host HSE and Lawrence North. Junior Will Lewis established his role as the team’s top runner with a 5:06 average over the 3 miles. Senior Owen Lewis, sophomore Chris Jerry and junior Jim Buchmeier also ran strong in their season debuts.
After a 4k meet with Zionsville, the Royals finished 6th out of 15 teams at the Marion County Championship. Will Lewis earned All-County honors with the 7th fastest time ever recorded at Roncalli with a time of 16:16. He is now the second fastest RHS junior runner of all-time. The freshman team, led by Sammy Perkins, finished 6th in the freshman race.
The Royals began their September by celebrating a Senior Day win over Southport. Will and Owen Lewis ran 1-2 as the Royals took eight of the top nine spots. The team next raced at Guerin Catholic, finishing 5th in the All-Catholic meet. Will Lewis won the race, and 10 of the 22 Royal runners set personal best times.
Next on the schedule was the Shelbyville Invite, where the Royals placed 2nd in the Gold Division, and nine runners ran faster than last season. The Royals ended September with a 4th place finish at the Circle City Conference meet at Brebeuf. Will Lewis fought through a calf injury to finish 3rd and earn All-Conference honors. The team closed the regular season with a 3rd place finish at the Greensburg Invite.
The Royals completed their season with a 6th place finish at the Shelbyville sectional. Four runners, Will Lewis, Jim Buchmeier, junior Thomas Mallers and Chris Jerry advanced and ran strong races at the regional meet. With eight of the top ten runners returning, and a strong freshman class, the Royals look forward to the 2026 season.
End-of season Roncalli awards went to the following Royals:
MVP: Will Lewis
Mental Attitude Award: Chris Jerry
Leadership Award: Senior Emmett Burkhardt
Sportsmanship Award: Junior Cliff LaMarca