Obstacles Haven't Slowd Warsaw CC Team
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
All cross country teams face obstacles such as training, preparation and competition during a season. The Warsaw cross country team, however, has faced much tougher obstacles than that.
The Tigers have watched their coach fight to recover from a tumor between his spinal cord and his spine.
The team has watched Melonie Albert fight stomach problems for quite some time. Jennifer Finch has asthma. Hillary Barlow battled back from a hip injury last year possibly sustained in a car accident.
While driving to the bus to go to the regional last week, Albert was involved in a car accident. Albert, who usually places fourth or fifth for Warsaw, finished 64th overall and sixth on the Tiger squad after experiencing more stomach cramps.
"Melonie is fine," said Warsaw coach Paul Sibray. "She has always had a problem with stomach cramps. It's just one of those things you can't control. Last week it was just one of those things."
And last week the Tigers watched their top runner Hillary Barlow finish the regional with a time 22 seconds slower than her second-place time at the sectional a week before. Barlow blacked out and does not remember finishing the race.
"We think Hillary was dehydrated last week," said Sibray. "We hope she's over it by Saturday."
But the Tigers hope the old adage "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" will apply at the Manchester semistate this weekend. Sibray hopes his team will be healthy for one of the biggest meets of the year.
"I certainly hope everyone is healthy," said Sibray. "It's do or die this week. Even if we are all healthy we need to run a good race to get out."
The Tigers hope to be in top form as they face teams from Bellmont, Bishop Luers, Carroll, Concordia, DeKalb, Delta, Goshen, Homestead, Huntington North, Kokomo, New Castle, Northfield, Northridge, Northrop, Richmond, Southwood, West Noble, Winchester and Yorktown.
"There are 20 very strong teams in the semistate," said Sibray. "I think it is the best semistate in the state. The field is very good. DeKalb and Northridge are very strong. Then Northrop and Homestead are very good as well. We will definitely need to be ready to run.
"Last year there were six or eight strong teams at the regional, and we were in the mix, but this year there are 10 to 12 teams competing for the top spots. We'll just go in with the attitude that we can do it. We'll run our race and see what happens. We'll leave it all on the course and hope it's good enough to move on."
But Warsaw, like many of the other semistate teams, has seen the Manchester course before.
"We have had the chance to run on the course several times," said Sibray. "It's flat and very fast, so times tend to be a bit faster on it. Some girls really like a flat course, and they should do fairly well on it."
Two other area runners are familiar with the Manchester course as well, and they hope to use that to their advantage as they run as individuals in the semistate.
Lydia Flora of Manchester and Laura Lash of Tippecanoe Valley hope their experience with the Manchester course will help them to advance to the state finals as individuals.
Fred Miller, Flora's coach, hopes running on her home course will be an advantage for her.
"I think running on her home course will be an advantage for some degree," said Miller. "But sometimes it not. When you run a course over and over, sometimes you psych yourself out. You know where your weak spots are, and that can be difficult.
"But when you know a course well, you also know where your strong points are. You know where to make your move, and you know where you are strongest."
The Warsaw team as well as Flora and Lash will hit the course tomorrow at 11 a.m. in North Manchester. The top five teams and top 15 individuals will advance to the state finals in Bloomington.
MANCHESTER SEMISTATE
Competing teams -ÊBellmont, Bishop Luers, Carroll, Concordia, DeKalb, Delta, Goshen, Homestead, Huntington, Kokomo, New Castle, Northfield, Northridge, Northrop, Richmond, Southwood, Warsaw, West Noble, Winchester, Yorktown
Individuals competing -ÊJenny Furge, Angola; Sarah Thompson, Bethany Christian; Stephanie Huffman, Columbia City; Sabrina Bousman, Cowan; Rebekah Leichty, East Noble; Ashley Keener, Eastside; Stacy Matteson, Elkhart Memorial; Megan Hardenbrok, Garrett; Carol Zeilinga, Knightstown; Lydia Flora, Manchester; Lydgia Greiner, Muncie Central; Charissa Kinsser, Southern Wells; Cassandra Jones, Southern Wells; Laura Lash, Tippecanoe Valley; Casey Butler, TIpton; Amber Copeland, Wabash; Christan Bahler, Western [[In-content Ad]]
All cross country teams face obstacles such as training, preparation and competition during a season. The Warsaw cross country team, however, has faced much tougher obstacles than that.
The Tigers have watched their coach fight to recover from a tumor between his spinal cord and his spine.
The team has watched Melonie Albert fight stomach problems for quite some time. Jennifer Finch has asthma. Hillary Barlow battled back from a hip injury last year possibly sustained in a car accident.
While driving to the bus to go to the regional last week, Albert was involved in a car accident. Albert, who usually places fourth or fifth for Warsaw, finished 64th overall and sixth on the Tiger squad after experiencing more stomach cramps.
"Melonie is fine," said Warsaw coach Paul Sibray. "She has always had a problem with stomach cramps. It's just one of those things you can't control. Last week it was just one of those things."
And last week the Tigers watched their top runner Hillary Barlow finish the regional with a time 22 seconds slower than her second-place time at the sectional a week before. Barlow blacked out and does not remember finishing the race.
"We think Hillary was dehydrated last week," said Sibray. "We hope she's over it by Saturday."
But the Tigers hope the old adage "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" will apply at the Manchester semistate this weekend. Sibray hopes his team will be healthy for one of the biggest meets of the year.
"I certainly hope everyone is healthy," said Sibray. "It's do or die this week. Even if we are all healthy we need to run a good race to get out."
The Tigers hope to be in top form as they face teams from Bellmont, Bishop Luers, Carroll, Concordia, DeKalb, Delta, Goshen, Homestead, Huntington North, Kokomo, New Castle, Northfield, Northridge, Northrop, Richmond, Southwood, West Noble, Winchester and Yorktown.
"There are 20 very strong teams in the semistate," said Sibray. "I think it is the best semistate in the state. The field is very good. DeKalb and Northridge are very strong. Then Northrop and Homestead are very good as well. We will definitely need to be ready to run.
"Last year there were six or eight strong teams at the regional, and we were in the mix, but this year there are 10 to 12 teams competing for the top spots. We'll just go in with the attitude that we can do it. We'll run our race and see what happens. We'll leave it all on the course and hope it's good enough to move on."
But Warsaw, like many of the other semistate teams, has seen the Manchester course before.
"We have had the chance to run on the course several times," said Sibray. "It's flat and very fast, so times tend to be a bit faster on it. Some girls really like a flat course, and they should do fairly well on it."
Two other area runners are familiar with the Manchester course as well, and they hope to use that to their advantage as they run as individuals in the semistate.
Lydia Flora of Manchester and Laura Lash of Tippecanoe Valley hope their experience with the Manchester course will help them to advance to the state finals as individuals.
Fred Miller, Flora's coach, hopes running on her home course will be an advantage for her.
"I think running on her home course will be an advantage for some degree," said Miller. "But sometimes it not. When you run a course over and over, sometimes you psych yourself out. You know where your weak spots are, and that can be difficult.
"But when you know a course well, you also know where your strong points are. You know where to make your move, and you know where you are strongest."
The Warsaw team as well as Flora and Lash will hit the course tomorrow at 11 a.m. in North Manchester. The top five teams and top 15 individuals will advance to the state finals in Bloomington.
MANCHESTER SEMISTATE
Competing teams -ÊBellmont, Bishop Luers, Carroll, Concordia, DeKalb, Delta, Goshen, Homestead, Huntington, Kokomo, New Castle, Northfield, Northridge, Northrop, Richmond, Southwood, Warsaw, West Noble, Winchester, Yorktown
Individuals competing -ÊJenny Furge, Angola; Sarah Thompson, Bethany Christian; Stephanie Huffman, Columbia City; Sabrina Bousman, Cowan; Rebekah Leichty, East Noble; Ashley Keener, Eastside; Stacy Matteson, Elkhart Memorial; Megan Hardenbrok, Garrett; Carol Zeilinga, Knightstown; Lydia Flora, Manchester; Lydgia Greiner, Muncie Central; Charissa Kinsser, Southern Wells; Cassandra Jones, Southern Wells; Laura Lash, Tippecanoe Valley; Casey Butler, TIpton; Amber Copeland, Wabash; Christan Bahler, Western [[In-content Ad]]