Fall Sports Previews: Boys and Girl’s Cross Country

Boys soccer wants to regain MVL title

Boys Soccer Preview

Tipp runners ready for big cross season

The success of the Tippecanoe cross country program is no secret to anyone. Not only are they always competitive at the MVL level, but they have also won the individual state championship the last two years.

Now, as Landon Kimmel and an outstanding senior class has graduated, a new wave of success is waiting to shine for Tipp this fall. Boys cross country coach Matt Lieber is ready for what the future holds for the Red Devils.

“I am excited to get the season started,” Lieber said. “We had a great summer, and I have been really pleased with the work the team has put in.”

“Some of our younger guys have shown a lot of growth over the summer, and I think we have a good mix of returning experience and new athletes who are ready to step into bigger roles. The season will be where all of that hard work is put to the test.”

For Lieber, he knows the boys will be working hard to maintain what has been built and keep improving.

“Our expectations remain high, but our focus will be on continuing to get better every day,” he said. “We know there is a lot of work ahead of us, and we want to make sure we stay focused on the things that have made this program successful: effort, being a good teammate, and having the right attitude. I am excited to see what this group can accomplish once we get out there and start racing.”

Not only is losing Kimmel a major loss from last year, Lieber said that class was special in the history of Tipp cross country.

“We addressed not only Landon, but our entire senior class graduating, right away,” he said. “We know that Landon and that group had a historic run with Tipp cross, and their success has certainly made an impact on the younger athletes in our program. They have seen firsthand what is possible when you commit to the work and hold yourself to a high standard.”

“At the same time, that standard was here well before Landon and those seniors arrived. Our message this summer has been that the standard remains the same. We have high expectations for our runners, and we believe they will rise to those expectations. We also have a couple of seniors who are ready to make their own mark on Tipp XC this year. Landon helped raise the bar, but now it is up to the next group to carry that standard forward.”

The Tipp seniors coming back are led by a pair of talented runners, Eli Ramos and Everett Muhlenkamp, both a big part of the historic run Tipp has enjoyed.

“This will be an opportunity for them to cap off great careers,” Lieber said. “They are not only great runners, but they have become two of the leaders of our team. They understand what it takes to compete at a high level, and they have a responsibility to pass that knowledge and experience on to the younger runners.”

Fellow seniors Lukas Heitbrink and Noah Heisey also look to be a major factor this season.

“They are also ready to be strong contributors for us this year,” the Tipp coach said. “Both have continued to improve and are going to be important pieces of our team. This senior class has the potential to go down as a great class of leaders, not just because of what they accomplish individually, but because of the example they set for the runners who will come after them.”

Milo Green and Isaac Lesher are juniors being counted on this fall to add to the Tipp success.

“They are two juniors who have really stepped up in big ways for our team,” Lieber said. “They are both extremely hardworking and have dealt with some adversity during their Tipp careers, which has helped them grow as runners and as leaders. They have continued to show up and put in the work, and I think they are ready to take another step forward this season.”

Underclassmen expected to compete with solid times are sophomores Jaden Long and Oliver Ranly, along with freshman Seth Shroyer.

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Girls Soccer preview

Tipp girls running toward MVL title

With the girls cross country starting this weekend, Tippecanoe has a lot of high hopes this year according to coach Pam Ranly. Despite losing some quality seniors just like the boys team, this group will have a good mix of returning players ready to make a solid push this year.

“While the girls lost several strong seniors, we are still left with the majority of our varsity intact,” Ranly said. “We have also gained back a few of our previously injured athletes that were not able to run last year that will add to our varsity team.”

“The girls spent their summer strength training and gaining endurance for the fall season. We have set up our meet schedule to face some of the teams that beat us out at Regionals last year. We are hoping to race against them earlier in the season to help us better prepare for our postseason.”

“It is very exciting to see our seasoned and new runners work together to create a positive and strong team that will help us have a great season.”

One of the big goals for Tipp this year is to again compete for a conference championship, after losing to Troy last season for the crown. Ranly expects her team to challenge both Troy and Butler for a chance to bring home the gold in the Miami Valley League.

“The girls came in second last year to Troy,” she said. “Both teams lost some key seniors, but we gained back three runners that will be able to challenge Troy and Butler this season. We have a strong team of girls that want and can take the MVL title.”

Three seniors lead the way for the Red Devils this season, as Kali Greth, Abby Hogge and Lucia Ranly will be counted on to lead Tipp to not only the league title but a nice run into the postseason.

“Greth and Ranly both were sidelined last season but are coming back strong this year,” the Tipp coach said. “Hogge was a strong consistent varsity runner last year, and Greth and Ranly were both former varsity runners that were able to come back this year. All three have been running smoothly with confidence. I am hoping they will continue to be great leaders for the girls.”

Just as important are the juniors who will rely on their experience and leadership to help Tipp accomplish their goals.

“We have five juniors that will all be vying for top varsity spots this year,” Ranly said. “Sydney LaBreck, Mary Waibel, and Delia Parrott are all returning as varsity runners with last year’s alternate Aubrey Davis. Ela Van Oss also had a great 2025 season with having personal bests at every meet.”

“Van Oss also enters into the mix of girls working to be on the varsity team. It is very exciting to see the girls working together and pushing each other to make themselves better.”

The Red Devils will also have plenty of underclass talent coming up in the program, including last year’s top girls runner according to Ranly, sophomore Delainey Stout.

“She was the girls’ top runner last year (her freshman year) and is looking to return to that top position again this year,” Ranly said. “She runs focused, has been working hard and it has been fun watching her grow this summer.”

“Violet Ramsay is also a sophomore that has been working hard this summer. She had to sit out last year due to injury but coming back this year, she has worked to strengthen her body, she pushes herself and has been running well this summer. She will be a good addition to our varsity runners.”

Both the boys and girls teams run this weekend in different night races, then will be together for the first time next weekend at the Greenville Treaty Invitational.