Erba Eyes State Title
Warsaw junior state's top seed in 3200
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
After winning the girls cross country state championship in the fall, she’ll be going after another title Friday at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on the campus of Indiana University.
Entering the 3200-meter run as the top seed with a time of 10:33.61, her closest competition is North Central senior Brenna Poulsen, who’s seeded second at 10:36.69.
“I ran against her all cross country season, I’ve run against her multiple times this year and each time I’ve come out on top,” Erba said. “Obviously, she’s running extremely well. I think it will be really good to have someone running closer, but I don’t think it will be too scary.”
Instead of worrying about Poulsen, Erba’s bigger opponent may be a time of 10:20.66, the state meet record set by Culver Girls Academy’s Waverly Neer just last year.
“I’m going after another championship and I’m definitely going after that record,” she said. “I really want to come home with that state record. That’s certainly my goal for Friday.”
At this time last season, going after two state titles in the following year seemed like a pipe dream for Erba.
As a sophomore, Erba did reach the state finals in the 1600, finishing 20th, but didn’t even advance out of the Bremen Regional in the 3200 with her time of 11:32.80, finishing fourth.
“I don’t even like to think about that,” Erba said about last year’s regional time.
Fast forward a year later and Erba won the 3200 at the regional, this time at WCHS, in a time of 10:33.61.
“I had some struggles at the end of my freshman year and sophomore year,” she said. “I was able to come out of that and say, ‘I want to make a change.’ Since the start of last summer, I really got motivated and got dedicated. Since then, I’ve just been building. It’s extremely exciting to think about where I am even compared to where I was just a year ago. It’s incredible to think about how far I’ve come and I can keep going in that direction.”
On top of entering the meet with the top seed in the 3200, she also had a chance for a title in the 1600, but has opted not to run in the shorter race.
“Right now, she wants to stack the deck as much as possible in order to win the 3200,” her father/coach Scott Erba said.
She finished second to Eastern’s Bethany Neeley’s time of 4:53.12 at regionals with a time of 4:55.12.
Her regional time in the 1600 would rank just behind Neeley’s at the state meet and is about two-and-a-half seconds faster than current No. 2 seed Hamilton Southeastern freshman Rachel Nichwitz’s time of 4:58.61.
“She came into the season with the thought of doubling with championships in the 1600 ad 3200,” Scott Erba said. “She has the second-best time in the state right now in the 1600, but she really wants to focus on the 3200. That’s her better event of the two. She does want to win that second championship.”
And Erba will have plenty of friends with her at IU, as sophomore Ann Harvuot will compete in the 100, senior Lauren Burish will be in the discus, sophomore Claire Hickerson will compete in the pole vault, and the 1600 relay and 3200 relay teams will also be there.
The 1600 relay will have its usual foursome of freshman Nicole Eckert, sophomore Jackie Ferguson, freshman Megan Kratzsch and freshman Tennie Worrell, but the 3200 relay will look a little different.
Over Memorial Day weekend, senior Lilly Fleming suffered a injury which required surgery, leaving her out of the state meet.
Early in the season, the relay consisted of senior Brooke Kline, Fleming, freshman Ellie Bearss and junior Kristin Quick.
However, sophomore Anna Bearss recovered from an injury of her own to return for the postseason, filling in at the regional for her sister, who is suffering from stress fractures.
With Fleming out, freshman Kendra Paton will step in, giving the relay a whole new look.
“It’s kind of going down the line,” Scott Erba said about the ever-changing 3200 relay. “This will be the first time this group has run together. Anna, Brooke and Kristin have run together multiple times, but to put Kendra in there, this will be the first time they’ve run together as a group of four.”
With Paton in the mix, the Warsaw coach is as eager as anyone to see what will happen.
“You never know what’s going to happen at a state meet,” he said. “Some people come out and run the best they ever have, but sometimes they freak out and don’t run very well at all.”
If no one freaks out at the meet, Scott Erba is hoping to have a good showing.
“This is the biggest squad we’ve taken (to state),” he said. “I think we have an opportunity, to (No.) 1 win a state championship and (No.) 2 to be in the top nine and be finalists. It’s going to take supreme effort, but I think the girls are feeling good. I think they’re excited for the opportunity to run down there.”
During his tenure as coach at Warsaw, Scott Erba’s high point total at the state meet is nine.
With his daughter on the team, she could score 10 points on her own with a win in the 3200.
And after seeing all the training Ashley’s put in since the end of the cross country season, he has little doubt she can do it.
“She definitely has leaned up from where she was in cross country,” Scott Erba said. “She’s eating very well, and probably eating a lot more than people think. Just her focus and attention to detail, in all areas of running has just been better than it even was in cross country.”
And opposed to cross country, she’s able to use a little more speed and strategy on the track.
“The 3200 is just more speed than the (5-kilometer race), because it’s 1.1-miles less,” Scott Erba said. “The track is also more consistent. It’s flat and it’s always going to be a 400-meter loop you’re running, so you don’t have to worry about hills, mud or sharp corners. The only variables you’re going to have is your opponents and the elements.”
But for Ashley, the longer courses during the cross country season are little more enjoyable.
“The longer the better,” she said. “In college, getting to do 5,000 (meters) and 10,000 (meters) on the track, that will be more my thing. Right now, I’m more of a 5K and the two-mile (race) is fun for me, but anything shorter than that is a little out of my range.”
After bouncing back from last season’s performance, it doesn’t really seem like too much is out of her range.
“It just shows what you can do and what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it and you really believe,” she said.[[In-content Ad]]
After winning the girls cross country state championship in the fall, she’ll be going after another title Friday at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on the campus of Indiana University.
Entering the 3200-meter run as the top seed with a time of 10:33.61, her closest competition is North Central senior Brenna Poulsen, who’s seeded second at 10:36.69.
“I ran against her all cross country season, I’ve run against her multiple times this year and each time I’ve come out on top,” Erba said. “Obviously, she’s running extremely well. I think it will be really good to have someone running closer, but I don’t think it will be too scary.”
Instead of worrying about Poulsen, Erba’s bigger opponent may be a time of 10:20.66, the state meet record set by Culver Girls Academy’s Waverly Neer just last year.
“I’m going after another championship and I’m definitely going after that record,” she said. “I really want to come home with that state record. That’s certainly my goal for Friday.”
At this time last season, going after two state titles in the following year seemed like a pipe dream for Erba.
As a sophomore, Erba did reach the state finals in the 1600, finishing 20th, but didn’t even advance out of the Bremen Regional in the 3200 with her time of 11:32.80, finishing fourth.
“I don’t even like to think about that,” Erba said about last year’s regional time.
Fast forward a year later and Erba won the 3200 at the regional, this time at WCHS, in a time of 10:33.61.
“I had some struggles at the end of my freshman year and sophomore year,” she said. “I was able to come out of that and say, ‘I want to make a change.’ Since the start of last summer, I really got motivated and got dedicated. Since then, I’ve just been building. It’s extremely exciting to think about where I am even compared to where I was just a year ago. It’s incredible to think about how far I’ve come and I can keep going in that direction.”
On top of entering the meet with the top seed in the 3200, she also had a chance for a title in the 1600, but has opted not to run in the shorter race.
“Right now, she wants to stack the deck as much as possible in order to win the 3200,” her father/coach Scott Erba said.
She finished second to Eastern’s Bethany Neeley’s time of 4:53.12 at regionals with a time of 4:55.12.
Her regional time in the 1600 would rank just behind Neeley’s at the state meet and is about two-and-a-half seconds faster than current No. 2 seed Hamilton Southeastern freshman Rachel Nichwitz’s time of 4:58.61.
“She came into the season with the thought of doubling with championships in the 1600 ad 3200,” Scott Erba said. “She has the second-best time in the state right now in the 1600, but she really wants to focus on the 3200. That’s her better event of the two. She does want to win that second championship.”
And Erba will have plenty of friends with her at IU, as sophomore Ann Harvuot will compete in the 100, senior Lauren Burish will be in the discus, sophomore Claire Hickerson will compete in the pole vault, and the 1600 relay and 3200 relay teams will also be there.
The 1600 relay will have its usual foursome of freshman Nicole Eckert, sophomore Jackie Ferguson, freshman Megan Kratzsch and freshman Tennie Worrell, but the 3200 relay will look a little different.
Over Memorial Day weekend, senior Lilly Fleming suffered a injury which required surgery, leaving her out of the state meet.
Early in the season, the relay consisted of senior Brooke Kline, Fleming, freshman Ellie Bearss and junior Kristin Quick.
However, sophomore Anna Bearss recovered from an injury of her own to return for the postseason, filling in at the regional for her sister, who is suffering from stress fractures.
With Fleming out, freshman Kendra Paton will step in, giving the relay a whole new look.
“It’s kind of going down the line,” Scott Erba said about the ever-changing 3200 relay. “This will be the first time this group has run together. Anna, Brooke and Kristin have run together multiple times, but to put Kendra in there, this will be the first time they’ve run together as a group of four.”
With Paton in the mix, the Warsaw coach is as eager as anyone to see what will happen.
“You never know what’s going to happen at a state meet,” he said. “Some people come out and run the best they ever have, but sometimes they freak out and don’t run very well at all.”
If no one freaks out at the meet, Scott Erba is hoping to have a good showing.
“This is the biggest squad we’ve taken (to state),” he said. “I think we have an opportunity, to (No.) 1 win a state championship and (No.) 2 to be in the top nine and be finalists. It’s going to take supreme effort, but I think the girls are feeling good. I think they’re excited for the opportunity to run down there.”
During his tenure as coach at Warsaw, Scott Erba’s high point total at the state meet is nine.
With his daughter on the team, she could score 10 points on her own with a win in the 3200.
And after seeing all the training Ashley’s put in since the end of the cross country season, he has little doubt she can do it.
“She definitely has leaned up from where she was in cross country,” Scott Erba said. “She’s eating very well, and probably eating a lot more than people think. Just her focus and attention to detail, in all areas of running has just been better than it even was in cross country.”
And opposed to cross country, she’s able to use a little more speed and strategy on the track.
“The 3200 is just more speed than the (5-kilometer race), because it’s 1.1-miles less,” Scott Erba said. “The track is also more consistent. It’s flat and it’s always going to be a 400-meter loop you’re running, so you don’t have to worry about hills, mud or sharp corners. The only variables you’re going to have is your opponents and the elements.”
But for Ashley, the longer courses during the cross country season are little more enjoyable.
“The longer the better,” she said. “In college, getting to do 5,000 (meters) and 10,000 (meters) on the track, that will be more my thing. Right now, I’m more of a 5K and the two-mile (race) is fun for me, but anything shorter than that is a little out of my range.”
After bouncing back from last season’s performance, it doesn’t really seem like too much is out of her range.
“It just shows what you can do and what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it and you really believe,” she said.[[In-content Ad]]
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