**Lake Central Girls' Cross Country Wins Regional Championship and Lucca Neves Wins Individual Title for the Boys Both the boys and girls teams advanced to the IHSAA State Finals as the girls captured their third consecutive regional championship and Lucca Neves claimed the individual regional title. Lake Central High School cross country continued its outstanding postseason run at the IHSAA Regional at New Prairie, with both the boys and girls teams earning their place in the IHSAA State Finals at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute. The girls team captured its third consecutive IHSAA Regional team championship, while the boys team secured a fourth-place finish to earn its own advancement to the state’s biggest stage. Adding to the excitement, senior standout Lucca Neves won the individual regional championship. The Lake Central girls continued their excellence, bringing home their third straight regional team title with an impressive team performance at New Prairie. Macey Thompson led the way with a second-place overall finish, followed closely by a tremendous group of Lake Central runners who helped secure the championship: Lana Bruggeman (5th), Chloe Neal (8th), Willow Bruggeman (12th) and Sara Filippo (19th) were the other all regional runners. Lake Central Girls Regional Results: Macey Thompson – 2nd 18:04 Lana Bruggeman – 5th 18:13 Chloe Neal – 8th 18:30 Willow Bruggeman – 12th 18:52 Sara Filippo – 19th 19:22 Aubrey Neal – 37th 19:56 Isla Eggering – 58th 20:20 With their third consecutive regional championship secured, the Indians now turn their attention to the state finals and the opportunity to compete against Indiana’s best teams. The girls will race on Saturday at 11 a.m. CST at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute. The Lake Central boys also delivered an impressive performance, finishing fourth as a team to qualify for the IHSAA State Finals. They were 1 of 3 DAC teams to advance, highlighting the depth of the conference. Leading the way was Lucca Neves, who captured the individual regional championship. His victory marked a special milestone for the Lake Central program, as he became the first Indians runner to win the state qualifying race since Aaron Crague in 1998. Vincenzo Pomilia narrowly missed the all regional team with his 21st position finish. Neves' championship performance highlighted a strong day for the boys, who battled through a competitive field to secure their spot among Indiana's top teams. Lake Central Boys Regional Results: Lucca Neves – 1st 15:39 Vincenzo Pomilia – 21st 16:28 Roman Kaszowicz – 50th 17:11 Trevor MacFarlane – 64th 17:21 James Baxter – 89th 17:36 Luka Manojlovic – 102nd 17:46 Patrick Grady – 134th 18:03 With the team finishing fourth overall, the Indians earned the opportunity to compete at the state finals and cap off their season against the state's best competition. The boys will race on Saturday at 12 p.m. CST (following the girls' race) at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute. Send-Off for State-Bound Indians The Lake Central community will have an opportunity to recognize and celebrate both teams as they prepare for the state finals. The boys' and girls' cross country teams will receive an escort out of town on Friday at 10 a.m. as they head toward Terre Haute. Congratulations to both teams, their coaches, and everyone who has supported the Indians throughout the season. Regional Results: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/772816-ihsaa-cross-country-regional-1-2026/results?type=formatted Boys' and Girls' Cross Country State Finals Information: https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/cross-country/2026-27-tournament?round=state-finals