Brebeuf’s cross-country program is no stranger to great runners. The team won state in 2021 and has sent multiple runners to D1 schools in the past few seasons. But throughout his career, senior Cameron Todd has made a case to be the greatest of them all.

Todd started running when he was in fifth grade. He said a major factor in joining the cross country team was his social studies teacher/coach, “the coolest guy” who had a lot of great stories.

Todd played soccer and basketball growing up but stopped by seventh grade to “give his all to running.” In eighth grade, he ran the second fastest time in Orchard history with a 9:51, second behind only Ezra Burrell 23’, who was also a Brebeuf cross-country great.

Todd then continued his running career at Brebeuf. Here, he joined Burrell, who he says “made the transition from middle school running to high school much easier.”

He describes the culture he joined as having an “almost contagious level of excellence.” And, excellent that team was. Four runners returned from the previous year’s 5th place at state, and he would help the squad to a 3rd place finish at state, running a 16:02 and placing second for the team as a freshman.

For Brebeuf XC Coach Karl Knerr, this performance was a tell-tale sign for Todd’s future.

“He came in as a freshman and made an immediate impact on the team,” Knerr said. “He finished 24th in the state meet and helped us get on the podium in 3rd place. I knew he was going to be special.”

While Todd suffered a serious injury during the track season freshman year, the cross-country team he returned to was poised for greatness. Having returned five of the seven who ran in state the previous year, the state championship seemed like a major possibility.

He and the team would capitalize on that chance, winning Brebeuf’s first cross-country championship in school history.

Todd called this state win “the single greatest day of my life.”

After the triumphant state championship, Coach Knerr describes Todd’s junior year as his “coming out party” after placing 24th at state freshman year and 30th sophomore year. He would place 3rd at state, running a 15:11, and lifting the team to an 11th place finish.

He would also qualify for the Footlocker National Championship in San Diego where he placed sixth, making him a 2nd team All-American.

But Todd would not stop there. According to Coach Knerr, “Cam’s senior season was centered around getting the proper training to win the state title.”

In this process, Todd became champion at several meets including Marion County, the Eagle Classic, the Athletic Annex FlashRock, and the Nike Twilight, where he first smashed the school record, running a blazing 14:48.1.

“You never know for certain,” Knerr said, “but Cameron was poised to win state.”

After a thrilling race, with several runners entering the final chute together, Todd pushed through and captured the individual state title, the pinnacle of achievement for a single runner in Indiana.

Todd described this moment as a great relief.

“I had put all my eggs in one basket,” he said “And that day in late October told me it was all worth it.”

After state, Todd would run at the Nike Cross Regional, winning yet another meet and breaking his own school record with a shocking 14:43.80. He also ran at the Foot Locker Midwest regional championship, placing third with a 15:03 and qualifying for the Footlocker nationals yet again.

Then, on December second, Cam raced in the Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon. He would get an astonishing second overall, running a 15:18.5, only 2 seconds behind first place.

Reflecting on his career so far as a runner, Todd said his favorite memory is “walking into the locker room every day and being surrounded by my closest friends, sitting down on the couch and knowing the best part of my day is about to start.”

Coach Knerr’s favorite memory of Todd is “his efforts his sophomore season, working hard to get back from injury and helping the team win the state championship.”

Looking toward the future, Todd committed to run at Notre Dame, which he chose “because everyone there treated me like family from the moment I got there. Such genuine, kind, and determined people.”

He said he is especially excited for the next step in his running career because he is “looking forward to becoming an even better version of myself.”

Overall, Todd’s career at Brebeuf is one that will be remembered for a long time. He posted the two best times in school history, won state as both a team and an individual, and even ran a top 40 time in the entire nation.

Todd’s future as a runner is bright, and his college career will certainly be one to follow.