Boys Soccer
Warsaw vs. Harrison
A fantastic season for the Warsaw boys soccer team came to an end Saturday evening in a 3A regional final game at Kokomo, as the Tigers fell 2-1 to undefeated Lafayette Harrison. Warsaw ends the year with a 14-3-3 record.
Harrison opened up the scoring with a goal three minutes into the game before adding a second one in the second half. The Tigers answered with a score by Sam Lara with 13 minutes to go in the contest, but the team was unable to find an equalizer in the final minutes.
Warsaw will return next season.
Boys Cross Country
Warsaw/Manchester/Tippecanoe Valley/Triton/Whitko/Lakeland Christian at Manchester Sectional
The Tigers captured their 14th consecutive IHSAA Sectional Championship on Saturday at Manchester High School, led by standout Junior Jackson Gackenheimer. Gackenheimer secured his second straight Sectional title, dominating the race from start to finish. He crossed the 1600-meter mark in 4:48 and the 3200 in 9:51, ultimately winning with a time of 15:36.4, his second-fastest career performance. The rest of the Tigers' Varsity 7, all seniors, delivered strong finishes: Noah McPhail took 5th place (16:23.4), Rick Orr 8th (16:28.1), Tyler Mimnaugh 10th (16:38.0), Alex Schrock 12th (16:59.7), Clark Meridew 14th (17:12.9), and Mattias Niebbia 18th (17:34.6).
Manchester also advanced as a team, finishing in fourth place. The team’s top finisher was Kyler Dale, who finished the race in ninth place. Oliver Fitzpatrick finished 15th.
Tippy Valley’s top finisher was Christopher Marquez at 35th, while Whitko’s Kendal Bollinger took 41st and Caden Large of Triton finished 42nd.
Warsaw and Manchester are next in action next Saturday at the New Haven Regional (Huntington University XC Course). If the Tigers advance to state, it would tie a school record for most consecutive appearances (5).
Girls Cross Country
Warsaw/Manchester/Tippecanoe Valley/Triton/Whitko at Manchester Sectional
The Lady Tigers XC team put forth a valiant effort at the IHSAA Sectional, finishing second behind a strong Columbia City team with a score of 35-50. Despite the tough competition, the Tigers showed grit, pride, and determination, advancing to the IHSAA Regional with several standout performances and personal records (PRs).
Junior Sammi Rastrelli led the charge for the Tigers, crossing the finish line in a personal best of 18:55.6 to take 4th overall. Her relentless drive set the tone for the team. Senior Ella Laput, in her final sectional race, left everything on the course with a PR of 19:12.6, securing 7th place. Her leadership and determination have been cornerstones for the team all season, and she stepped up when it mattered most.
Manchester also advanced to regionals with a fifth place finish. The team was led by Ayla Cashdollar, who was the highest area finisher in the race, as she finished third. Kadence Fox also earned a top-10 finish, taking ninth place.
The regional will be held next Saturday at New Haven.
Wawasee at Elkhart
Wawasee earned a fourth place finish at the Elkhart sectional Saturday morning, advancing to regionals with the performance.
The team was led by Mia Hodgson, who won the race by 18 seconds. She was followed by Leah Hurst, who finished 22nd.
The Lady Warriors will compete at the New Prairie Regional.
Volleyball
Manchester vs. Oak Hill
A fantastic season for Manchester volleyball came to an end Saturday, as the team fell 3-1 to Oak Hill in the semifinals of their 2A sectional at Southwood. The Lady Squires end the season with a 25-7 record.
Mya Metzger led the team with 12 kills Myla Crozier had 15 digs, while Peyton Ream added 13 digs and 31 assists.
Manchester will return next season.
Whitko vs. South Adams
Whitko’s season was ended in the semifinals of their 2A sectional at Woodlan Saturday afternoon, as the team fell 3-0 to South Adams. The Lady ‘Cats end the year with a 13-17 record.
Jillian Culp had seven kills to lead the team, while Meredith Hindbaugh had three aces, as well as 17 assists.
Whitko will return next season.
Triton vs. Culver Community
A great season for Triton volleyball came to an end in a nail biter of a five-set match Saturday night in the championship game of their 1A sectional, as the team lost 3-2 to host school Culver Community. The Lady Trojans end the season with a 23-11 record.
Triton dropped the first two sets of the match before winning the next two to force a winner-take-all game five. Culver was able to escape with a 18-16 win to advance to the regional.
Triton will return next season.