Athletic, Experienced Tigers Storm Into Regional
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Some time ago, a TV commericial character named Max Headroom told everyone not to say the "P-word." Monday night in a phone conversation, Warsaw girls track coach Paul Boyd wasn't talking about name brand soda. He was using the "A and E words."
"We have a lot of two and three-sport athletes," Boyd said. "Our athleticism is really showing as we move along in the state tournament. We have a lot of good athletes on this team. They make me look good."
Warsaw, along with participants from Tippecanoe Valley, Triton, Manchester, NorthWood, Whitko and Wawasee, will compete in tonight's Bremen Regional. Field events and the 3200 relay begin at 6 p.m. Trials for the running events are slated to start at 6;30 p.m., with the finals at 7:30 p.m.
Not only are the Tigers athletic, but they're experienced. And Boyd is quick to point it out.
"Experience is a big factor," Boyd, in his second year with the Tigers, said. "Particularly for Brittney (Raber), Summer (Boyd) and Chelsea (Boyd). They know what it takes and the excitement in accomplishing it (making it to state). The cross country girls know what it takes."
Seven girls who will compete for the Tigers tonight - including two alternates - ran on Warsaw's state qualifying cross country team last fall.
Senior Jartu Schulterbrandt was at the track regional last year - another Tiger with the state tournament experience Boyd said was ever so key. Junior Kim Love participated on Warsaw's regional qualifying gymnastics team - yet another experienced Tiger.
"It's (number of Tigers in the regional) a good reflection of our season," Paul Boyd said. "The girls have worked hard. They started running back in January. It's a reflection of the cross country season. They just took a short break from November to December."
The Tigers, who won Northern Lakes Conference and sectional championships for the first time since 1992, will be represented in 10 of the 15 events. The top three teams or individuals in each event, along with those who make the state-required cut, advance to the state finals June 2 in Indianapolis.
"It shows our team depth," Paul Boyd said. "Everybody has said we have team depth. That's what got us through the Churubusco Relays. We won two events and we won the meet."
Warsaw took four first-place finishes at the sectional a week ago, including all three relay events. Ginny Gardonio had the other first with her performance in the shot put.
Tippecanoe Valley, which hosted and finished second in the sectional to Plymouth, will be represented in nine events tonight at Bremen.
"That's the most we've had in probably five years," Valley coach Terry Screeton said.
In 15 years, Screeton has coached one girl who advanced to the state finals - Nicole Black in 1991 in the high jump.
Amber Drudge will represent the Vikings in the high jump at tonight's regional. Valley will also participate in all three relay events, as well the 100, 200, 400 long jump and 100 hurdles.
Junior Lynette Wilcox will compete in the 400 relay, 200 and long jump. Wilcox finished second in the sectional in both the 200 and long jump. The Viking quartet of Wilcox, Holly Green, Kristi Rudd and Tara Pratt finished first in the 400 relay.
"The competition (at the regional) is extremely tough," Screeton said. "The Warsaw Sectional with all the Elkhart Schools is tough. It should be an honor to make it to the state meet. The sprinters come in from South Bend and that makes it tough."
Wawasee will be represented in the 1600 relay as well as in the 100 and 300 hurdles by Erica Auker, and in the high jump and long jump by senior Staci Weisser. Weisser won both events at the Warsaw Sectional and finished third in the state a year ago with a high jump of 5-foot-5.
Sophomore Ann Harms will participate in three events for Manchester. Harms won the long jump and finished second in both the 100 and 300 hurdles at the Tippecanoe Valley Sectional. The Squires will also be represented in the 3200 relay, as well as the 200 by Tina French and the 3200 by Lydia Flora.
Four Triton Trojans advanced to the regional. Betsy Salyer (shot put) and Emily Yankovich (high jump) took seconds at Valley, while Rachel Speicher (high jump) and freshman Ashli Senff (long jump) took third-place finishes.
Whitko will be represented by Angel Puckett in the 800, as well as Karin Tinkel in the shot put and discus.
2000 BREMEN GIRLS TRACK REGIONAL
When: Today. Field events and the 3200 relay start at 6 p.m. Trials and finals for running events begin at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m., respectively.
Where: Bremen High School
Who: Listed below are the area participants in the Bremen Regional. The top four, along with those who made the required time or distance, advanced from the sectional. The top three, or those who make the required state time or distance, advance from the regional to the state finals June 2.
Note - Names of participants are listed with event and sectional finish in parentheses.
MANCHESTER -ÊTina French (200, 4th); Lydia Flora (3200, 4th); 3200 relay team (Flora, Jill Kambs, Amber Volk, Katie Purdy); Ann Harms (100 hurdles, 2nd; 300 hurdles, 2nd; long jump, 1st)
NORTHWOOD -ÊNatalie Nunemaker (shot put, 3rd; discus, 2nd); Carol Duncan (high jump, 3rd; shot put, 2nd); Michelle Stichter (high jump, 4th); 400 relay team (Katie Chamberlin, Natalie Youcks, Kim Yoder, Laura Hibschman); 1600 relay team (Chamberlain, Yoder, Youcks, Kelly Easton)
TIPPECANOE VALLEY -ÊHolly Green (100, 4th); Lynette Wilcox (200, 2nd; long jump, 2nd); Sarah Kindig (400, 3rd); Dana McFarren (100 hurdles, 4th); 400 relay team (Wilcox, Green, Kristi Rudd, Tara Pratt, 1st); 1600 relay team (Wilcox, Pratt, Kelley Allen, Kindig, 2nd); 3200 relay team (Kindig, Erica Pontious, Sara Zehr, Allen, 3rd); Amber Drudge (high jump, 4th)
TRITON -ÊBetsy Salyer (shot put, 3rd); Ashli Senff (long jump, 3rd); Emily Yankovich (high jump, 2nd); Rachel Speicher (high jump, 3rd)
WARSAW -Ê3200 relay team (Rachel Rondeau, Hillary Barlow, Kim Kurosky, Summer Boyd, 1st); 400 relay team (Jartu Schulterbrandt, Kim Love, Amy Robertson, Claire Beckett, 1st); 1600 relay team (Chelsea Boyd, Robertson, Brittney Raber, S. Boyd, 1st); Jana Knisely (discus, 3rd); Rachel Rondeau (1600, 2nd; 3200, 3rd); Jartu Schulterbrandt (100, 4th); Summer Boyd (800, 2nd); Claire Beckett (200, 4th); Hillary Barlow (3200, 2nd); Ginny Gardonio (shot put, 1st)
WAWASEE -ÊErica Auker (100 hurdles, 3rd; 300 hurdles, 2nd); Staci Weisser (high jump, 1st; long jump, 1st); 1600 relay team (Ashley Zumbrum, Auker, Meagan Wallen, Weisser, 2nd)
WHITKO -ÊAngel Puckett (800, 4th); Karin Tinkel (shot put, 4th; discus 4th) [[In-content Ad]]
Some time ago, a TV commericial character named Max Headroom told everyone not to say the "P-word." Monday night in a phone conversation, Warsaw girls track coach Paul Boyd wasn't talking about name brand soda. He was using the "A and E words."
"We have a lot of two and three-sport athletes," Boyd said. "Our athleticism is really showing as we move along in the state tournament. We have a lot of good athletes on this team. They make me look good."
Warsaw, along with participants from Tippecanoe Valley, Triton, Manchester, NorthWood, Whitko and Wawasee, will compete in tonight's Bremen Regional. Field events and the 3200 relay begin at 6 p.m. Trials for the running events are slated to start at 6;30 p.m., with the finals at 7:30 p.m.
Not only are the Tigers athletic, but they're experienced. And Boyd is quick to point it out.
"Experience is a big factor," Boyd, in his second year with the Tigers, said. "Particularly for Brittney (Raber), Summer (Boyd) and Chelsea (Boyd). They know what it takes and the excitement in accomplishing it (making it to state). The cross country girls know what it takes."
Seven girls who will compete for the Tigers tonight - including two alternates - ran on Warsaw's state qualifying cross country team last fall.
Senior Jartu Schulterbrandt was at the track regional last year - another Tiger with the state tournament experience Boyd said was ever so key. Junior Kim Love participated on Warsaw's regional qualifying gymnastics team - yet another experienced Tiger.
"It's (number of Tigers in the regional) a good reflection of our season," Paul Boyd said. "The girls have worked hard. They started running back in January. It's a reflection of the cross country season. They just took a short break from November to December."
The Tigers, who won Northern Lakes Conference and sectional championships for the first time since 1992, will be represented in 10 of the 15 events. The top three teams or individuals in each event, along with those who make the state-required cut, advance to the state finals June 2 in Indianapolis.
"It shows our team depth," Paul Boyd said. "Everybody has said we have team depth. That's what got us through the Churubusco Relays. We won two events and we won the meet."
Warsaw took four first-place finishes at the sectional a week ago, including all three relay events. Ginny Gardonio had the other first with her performance in the shot put.
Tippecanoe Valley, which hosted and finished second in the sectional to Plymouth, will be represented in nine events tonight at Bremen.
"That's the most we've had in probably five years," Valley coach Terry Screeton said.
In 15 years, Screeton has coached one girl who advanced to the state finals - Nicole Black in 1991 in the high jump.
Amber Drudge will represent the Vikings in the high jump at tonight's regional. Valley will also participate in all three relay events, as well the 100, 200, 400 long jump and 100 hurdles.
Junior Lynette Wilcox will compete in the 400 relay, 200 and long jump. Wilcox finished second in the sectional in both the 200 and long jump. The Viking quartet of Wilcox, Holly Green, Kristi Rudd and Tara Pratt finished first in the 400 relay.
"The competition (at the regional) is extremely tough," Screeton said. "The Warsaw Sectional with all the Elkhart Schools is tough. It should be an honor to make it to the state meet. The sprinters come in from South Bend and that makes it tough."
Wawasee will be represented in the 1600 relay as well as in the 100 and 300 hurdles by Erica Auker, and in the high jump and long jump by senior Staci Weisser. Weisser won both events at the Warsaw Sectional and finished third in the state a year ago with a high jump of 5-foot-5.
Sophomore Ann Harms will participate in three events for Manchester. Harms won the long jump and finished second in both the 100 and 300 hurdles at the Tippecanoe Valley Sectional. The Squires will also be represented in the 3200 relay, as well as the 200 by Tina French and the 3200 by Lydia Flora.
Four Triton Trojans advanced to the regional. Betsy Salyer (shot put) and Emily Yankovich (high jump) took seconds at Valley, while Rachel Speicher (high jump) and freshman Ashli Senff (long jump) took third-place finishes.
Whitko will be represented by Angel Puckett in the 800, as well as Karin Tinkel in the shot put and discus.
2000 BREMEN GIRLS TRACK REGIONAL
When: Today. Field events and the 3200 relay start at 6 p.m. Trials and finals for running events begin at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m., respectively.
Where: Bremen High School
Who: Listed below are the area participants in the Bremen Regional. The top four, along with those who made the required time or distance, advanced from the sectional. The top three, or those who make the required state time or distance, advance from the regional to the state finals June 2.
Note - Names of participants are listed with event and sectional finish in parentheses.
MANCHESTER -ÊTina French (200, 4th); Lydia Flora (3200, 4th); 3200 relay team (Flora, Jill Kambs, Amber Volk, Katie Purdy); Ann Harms (100 hurdles, 2nd; 300 hurdles, 2nd; long jump, 1st)
NORTHWOOD -ÊNatalie Nunemaker (shot put, 3rd; discus, 2nd); Carol Duncan (high jump, 3rd; shot put, 2nd); Michelle Stichter (high jump, 4th); 400 relay team (Katie Chamberlin, Natalie Youcks, Kim Yoder, Laura Hibschman); 1600 relay team (Chamberlain, Yoder, Youcks, Kelly Easton)
TIPPECANOE VALLEY -ÊHolly Green (100, 4th); Lynette Wilcox (200, 2nd; long jump, 2nd); Sarah Kindig (400, 3rd); Dana McFarren (100 hurdles, 4th); 400 relay team (Wilcox, Green, Kristi Rudd, Tara Pratt, 1st); 1600 relay team (Wilcox, Pratt, Kelley Allen, Kindig, 2nd); 3200 relay team (Kindig, Erica Pontious, Sara Zehr, Allen, 3rd); Amber Drudge (high jump, 4th)
TRITON -ÊBetsy Salyer (shot put, 3rd); Ashli Senff (long jump, 3rd); Emily Yankovich (high jump, 2nd); Rachel Speicher (high jump, 3rd)
WARSAW -Ê3200 relay team (Rachel Rondeau, Hillary Barlow, Kim Kurosky, Summer Boyd, 1st); 400 relay team (Jartu Schulterbrandt, Kim Love, Amy Robertson, Claire Beckett, 1st); 1600 relay team (Chelsea Boyd, Robertson, Brittney Raber, S. Boyd, 1st); Jana Knisely (discus, 3rd); Rachel Rondeau (1600, 2nd; 3200, 3rd); Jartu Schulterbrandt (100, 4th); Summer Boyd (800, 2nd); Claire Beckett (200, 4th); Hillary Barlow (3200, 2nd); Ginny Gardonio (shot put, 1st)
WAWASEE -ÊErica Auker (100 hurdles, 3rd; 300 hurdles, 2nd); Staci Weisser (high jump, 1st; long jump, 1st); 1600 relay team (Ashley Zumbrum, Auker, Meagan Wallen, Weisser, 2nd)
WHITKO -ÊAngel Puckett (800, 4th); Karin Tinkel (shot put, 4th; discus 4th) [[In-content Ad]]