Carmel’s boys and girls teams, plus a couple of sophomore runners, stayed on course Saturday for state cross country titles.

The No. 1-ranked Carmel girls beat No. 4 Noblesville by the smallest margin possible at the Brebeuf Jesuit Regional. The teams scored 36 points each, and Carmel won on the basis of highest-placing No. 6 runner.

The No. 2 Carmel boys ran their record to 3-1 against preseason state favorite North Central, beating the No. 3 Panthers 68-89. It was the Greyhounds’ 30th regional title in 37 years.

Carmel sophomore Renee Wellman repeated as girls regional champion, running 5,000 meters in 18 minutes, 30.2 seconds. The lone Hoosier who has beaten her this year is Lake Central senior Dana Payonk.

“I’m still feeling very fresh at this point in the season,” Wellman said.

North Central sophomore Futsum Zeinasellassie remains the boys favorite. Zeinasellassie, who hasn’t lost to an Indiana runner since last October’s state meet, poured it on from the start and won by nearly 25 seconds in 15:19.3.

He was aiming at the course record of 15:02.9 he set in last year’s regional. He said the muddy, slippery path — along with no one to push him — made it “really hard” to race.

“If it was normal weather and the course was really good, I could have run under 15:00 today,” Zeinasellassie said.

Cathedral senior Hale O’Herren was second — he said he was racing for second — and Westfield junior Connor Martin third.

“I wasn’t going with him. Save that for state,” O’Herren said of Zeinasellassie.

The top five teams and top 15 individuals advanced to the Carmel Semistate. The state meet is Oct. 31 at Terre Haute.

Eight boys teams in the Top 25 intersected in this regional. Also advancing were No. 8 Noblesville, No. 14 Hamilton Southeastern and No. 10 Zionsville.

No. 25 Lawrence North was sixth, No. 17 Cathedral eighth and No. 22 Lawrence Central ninth out the 10 teams.

Zionsville survived, partly because Ian Boggs (40th) was the third-best No. 5 runner.

“Just to be able to get out, you have to run well and do the right things,” Zionsville coach Gabe Porras said.

Also getting out on the girls side were No. 14 Westfield, Cathedral and Lawrence Central.

Noblesville freshman Kendra Foley finished second to Wellman, and the Millers followed with a 7-8-9-10 cluster that nearly overcame the defending state champs for the second time in five days.

The regional crown was Carmel’s 24th in 28 years, denying the Millers their first.

“This is the bottom line: We’re getting better,” Noblesville coach Dennis Scheele said. “A lot of races still to go.”

Elsewhere . . .

At Ben Davis: Twins Lydia and Sophia Greene finished third and sixth, helping the No. 9 Pike girls to their first regional title. Avon junior Maya Nagy was first in 18:44. In the boys race, No. 19 Ben Davis won the team title and Brownsburg senior Scott Vicenzi was first in 15:52.

At Greensburg: No. 1 Columbus North featured the top six boys and scored a perfect 15. No. 24 Center Grove was second. Freshman Tori Schoettmer won the girls race in 19:05.20, helping No. 17 Center Grove place second to No. 2 Columbus North.

At Rushville: Winner Dani Sullivan (19:22) led a parade of five girls among the top nine for No. 3 Franklin Central. In the boys standings, No. 20 Warren Central edged No. 23 Franklin Central 32-48.