After Storm Delay, Westville Blackhawks Finally Get Their Chance to Race

Westville’s cross country season finally got out of the starting blocks Saturday morning at the Dave Walker Invitational at Hebron High School.

After the Blackhawks’ scheduled season opener at Wheeler was canceled in the aftermath of last week’s severe storms and widespread power outages across Northwest Indiana, Westville made its 2026 debut against a competitive field made up predominantly of larger schools.

Conditions were cool early in the morning before temperatures and humidity began to climb as racing continued.

Freshman Tobi Bradney led the Westville boys in his high school 5K debut, placing 32nd in 18 minutes, 59 seconds despite battling muscle cramps during the race. Bradney was the only freshman from a small-school program to finish among the top 32 in the 80-runner varsity field.

The performance also moved Bradney into third on Westville’s all-time boys cross country list in his first varsity race.

Junior Jayden Couture, one of Westville’s returning veterans, followed in 23:15, while senior Connor Keen finished in 25:17. Freshman Anthony Ahnefeld joined Bradney in making his varsity debut and crossed the line in 29:46.

On the girls side, sophomore Abigail Barbahen opened her season with a 26:22 performance. Senior Allyson Martin finished in 29:12 as the pair represented the Blackhawks in the varsity girls race.

For Westville, the meet provided a long-awaited starting point after an unusual opening to the season and an opportunity to compete against a deep field before returning home.

The Blackhawks will host Michigan City and South Central for Senior Night at Bluhm Park on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 5 p.m.