Several Local Girls Compete In State Track Meet
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Hillary Barlow walks slump-shouldered, slightly hunched over. Standing at 5 feet 5 inches or maybe 5-6, she just doesn't look like a distance runner.
"I walk kind of crooked," she said. "Everybody says, 'You don't walk straight, how can you run like that?' Everybody says I don't look like a runner.
"I don't have the distance runner type of figure with long legs.
She may not walk straight or look like a runner, but these things don't slow her once she gets started. Barlow, a Warsaw senior, is competing in the 3200-meter run at the state meet for the second straight year. She took 24th last year with a time of 11:42.64 and is seeded 11th this year. In cross country, she advanced to the semistate three times and to state once.
Barlow is one of several local athletes who will be at Saturday's state girls track and field meet in Indianapolis. Joining her are NorthWood's Carol Duncan, Triton's Rachel Speicher and Warsaw's Kim Kurosky, Rachel Rondeau, Amy Robertson, Jill Wehrly and Claire Beckett.
Duncan competes in the shot put after placing first in the event at the regional. Speicher and Kurosky will be in the high jump competition after taking second and third, respectively, at the regional. Beckett, Robertson, Rondeau and Wehrly race at state after taking third in the regional 1600 relay.
Barlow, who took third in the 3200 with a career-best time of 11:22.31 at the regional, has been one of Warsaw's top scorers at meets.
"I think Hillary has a chance of finishing in the top 10," Warsaw coach Paul Boyd said. "And if she gets in the top nine, she will get a medal."
As talented as Barlow is on the track, she more than matches it off the track. She owns a 13.42 GPA on a 12-point scale, good enough to be named valedictorian.
She will attend Indiana Wesleyan to major in nursing so she can become a nurse practitioner. Her cross country and track careers will continue in college.
Barlow has had to work for any success she's had in sports, overcoming hip problems and back troubles, injuries she believes may have been triggered by a car crash two years ago.
Last year the hip problems aggravated her; earlier this season, her back flared up.
Despite not having the typical runner physique, despite her injuries, Barlow returns to the state meet again.
"I think it's my mental focus," she said. "I think that's my strength since I don't have the distance runner type of figure. A lot of girls don't focus during the race. I try to get out faster, run really hard the first mile at a pace most would think is too fast. Once I get into a pace, I tend to keep it."
And she always thinks back to what her mother, Christi, says. Go to a cross country meet, and Christi runs along the course as well to check her daughter at certain points in the race.
"My mom always tells me my body can do more than I think it can," Barlow said.
All of Warsaw's girls have had the experience of being at the state meet. Last year, Warsaw's 3200 relay team took 16th and the 1600 relay 18th. Kurosky and Rondeau ran in the 3200 relay, and Robertson ran in the 1600 relay. Beckett and Wehrly were relay alternates.
Kurosky, who jumped 5-2 at the regional, is seeded 17th in the high jump, and Warsaw's 1600 relay team of Beckett, Robertson, Rondeau and Wehrly is seeded 14th (4:05.27).
"[Our health] is in top shape," #Warsaw coach Paul Boyd said. "I'd like to see our 1600 relay team run at least what they ran last week."
******
Triton is starting a trend by sending athletes who compete in the high jump to the state meet.
Last year, Triton sent one athlete to the state competition. Triton senior Emily Yankovich advanced to state in the high jump but didn't place.
This year, one Triton athlete will compete at the state meet, and again she will compete in the high jump. Senior Rachel Speicher, who tied Yankovich for the school record then later broke it, high jumps on Saturday.
Speicher and Yankovich each high jumped 5-3, but Speicher broke that record with a high jump of 5-4.
"If she can get 5-2 with her first jump, I think she'll get some confidence," Hunter said. "And if she can get 5-4, she should place in the top 15."
A jump of 5-4 was good enough for 11th last year.
STATE TRACK AND FIELD MEET
Girls
3 p.m. Saturday at IUPUI
3200 -Ê3. Hillary Barlow (WAR) 11:22.31
shot put -Ê1. Carol Duncan (NW) 39-4
high jump - 2. Rachel Speicher (TRI) 5-2, 3. Kim Kurosky (WAR) 5-2
1600 relay - 3. Warsaw (Rachel Rondeau, Amy Robertson, Jill Wehrly, Claire Beckett) 4:05.27
Whitko Softball Team Makes First Regional Trip
By Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Writer
SOUTH WHITLEY - In Whitko's first appearance in the regional round of the state softball tournament, fifth-year coach Marla Burkhart's gameplan will be simple.
It will be nothing more than Whitko worrying about Whitko.
"We're just gonna take care of our business," Burkhart said. "If we hit the ball and play good defense, we'll be in good shape."
The Wildcats topped New Haven 2-0 Saturday in the Norwell Sectional to capture the school's first softball sectional title.
Whitko, now 10-12, will play 9-13 Mississinewa at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Garrett Regional. At approximately 1 p.m., Woodlan (26-3) will square off with Northridge (17-10). The championship game will be played at 8 p.m.
In Saturday's sectional championship game, Whitko junior Laura Keirn struck out 17 in picking up the win. At the plate, junior outfielder Emily Carter hit a double in the sixth inning, tallying two RBIs.
Whitko's roster lists 14 players, only two of whom are seniors. The Wildcats won the school's first sectional championship in history with three juniors, three sophomores and six freshmen.
Recent talk has Burkhart resigning as Whitko's coach in the near future. During a phone conversation Thursday, the only time this season Burkhart was able to be reached for comment, she downplayed the thought of resigning.
"That's purely speculation, and I won't address that," Burkhart said.
Valley Ends Season 16-2
Times-Union Staff Report
Tippecanoe Valley's boys golf team wrapped up its regular season with a 162-180 win over Plymouth at Rozella Ford.
Valley's Drew Shafer shot a 37 to take medalist honors.
Valley competes in Saturday's 11 a.m. Warsaw Sectional.
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 162, PLYMOUTH 180
Valley - Drew Shafer 37, Andy Martin 40, Brian Love 43, Aaron Zolman 42, Anthony Domenico 45
Baseball
Elkhart Central 2, Warsaw 2
Suspended after 11 innings
The Warsaw baseball team will have to wait another day to find out if it will advance to the Elkhart Memorial Sectional final.
After 11 innings, the game between Warsaw and Elkhart Central was tied at 2-all, but the game was suspended due to the late hour.
The Tigers and Blue Blazers will resume play in the top of the 12th inning at 5 p.m. today at Charger Field. The winner will play Concord in the Sectional final at 1 p.m. Saturday.
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Hillary Barlow walks slump-shouldered, slightly hunched over. Standing at 5 feet 5 inches or maybe 5-6, she just doesn't look like a distance runner.
"I walk kind of crooked," she said. "Everybody says, 'You don't walk straight, how can you run like that?' Everybody says I don't look like a runner.
"I don't have the distance runner type of figure with long legs.
She may not walk straight or look like a runner, but these things don't slow her once she gets started. Barlow, a Warsaw senior, is competing in the 3200-meter run at the state meet for the second straight year. She took 24th last year with a time of 11:42.64 and is seeded 11th this year. In cross country, she advanced to the semistate three times and to state once.
Barlow is one of several local athletes who will be at Saturday's state girls track and field meet in Indianapolis. Joining her are NorthWood's Carol Duncan, Triton's Rachel Speicher and Warsaw's Kim Kurosky, Rachel Rondeau, Amy Robertson, Jill Wehrly and Claire Beckett.
Duncan competes in the shot put after placing first in the event at the regional. Speicher and Kurosky will be in the high jump competition after taking second and third, respectively, at the regional. Beckett, Robertson, Rondeau and Wehrly race at state after taking third in the regional 1600 relay.
Barlow, who took third in the 3200 with a career-best time of 11:22.31 at the regional, has been one of Warsaw's top scorers at meets.
"I think Hillary has a chance of finishing in the top 10," Warsaw coach Paul Boyd said. "And if she gets in the top nine, she will get a medal."
As talented as Barlow is on the track, she more than matches it off the track. She owns a 13.42 GPA on a 12-point scale, good enough to be named valedictorian.
She will attend Indiana Wesleyan to major in nursing so she can become a nurse practitioner. Her cross country and track careers will continue in college.
Barlow has had to work for any success she's had in sports, overcoming hip problems and back troubles, injuries she believes may have been triggered by a car crash two years ago.
Last year the hip problems aggravated her; earlier this season, her back flared up.
Despite not having the typical runner physique, despite her injuries, Barlow returns to the state meet again.
"I think it's my mental focus," she said. "I think that's my strength since I don't have the distance runner type of figure. A lot of girls don't focus during the race. I try to get out faster, run really hard the first mile at a pace most would think is too fast. Once I get into a pace, I tend to keep it."
And she always thinks back to what her mother, Christi, says. Go to a cross country meet, and Christi runs along the course as well to check her daughter at certain points in the race.
"My mom always tells me my body can do more than I think it can," Barlow said.
All of Warsaw's girls have had the experience of being at the state meet. Last year, Warsaw's 3200 relay team took 16th and the 1600 relay 18th. Kurosky and Rondeau ran in the 3200 relay, and Robertson ran in the 1600 relay. Beckett and Wehrly were relay alternates.
Kurosky, who jumped 5-2 at the regional, is seeded 17th in the high jump, and Warsaw's 1600 relay team of Beckett, Robertson, Rondeau and Wehrly is seeded 14th (4:05.27).
"[Our health] is in top shape," #Warsaw coach Paul Boyd said. "I'd like to see our 1600 relay team run at least what they ran last week."
******
Triton is starting a trend by sending athletes who compete in the high jump to the state meet.
Last year, Triton sent one athlete to the state competition. Triton senior Emily Yankovich advanced to state in the high jump but didn't place.
This year, one Triton athlete will compete at the state meet, and again she will compete in the high jump. Senior Rachel Speicher, who tied Yankovich for the school record then later broke it, high jumps on Saturday.
Speicher and Yankovich each high jumped 5-3, but Speicher broke that record with a high jump of 5-4.
"If she can get 5-2 with her first jump, I think she'll get some confidence," Hunter said. "And if she can get 5-4, she should place in the top 15."
A jump of 5-4 was good enough for 11th last year.
STATE TRACK AND FIELD MEET
Girls
3 p.m. Saturday at IUPUI
3200 -Ê3. Hillary Barlow (WAR) 11:22.31
shot put -Ê1. Carol Duncan (NW) 39-4
high jump - 2. Rachel Speicher (TRI) 5-2, 3. Kim Kurosky (WAR) 5-2
1600 relay - 3. Warsaw (Rachel Rondeau, Amy Robertson, Jill Wehrly, Claire Beckett) 4:05.27
Whitko Softball Team Makes First Regional Trip
By Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Writer
SOUTH WHITLEY - In Whitko's first appearance in the regional round of the state softball tournament, fifth-year coach Marla Burkhart's gameplan will be simple.
It will be nothing more than Whitko worrying about Whitko.
"We're just gonna take care of our business," Burkhart said. "If we hit the ball and play good defense, we'll be in good shape."
The Wildcats topped New Haven 2-0 Saturday in the Norwell Sectional to capture the school's first softball sectional title.
Whitko, now 10-12, will play 9-13 Mississinewa at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Garrett Regional. At approximately 1 p.m., Woodlan (26-3) will square off with Northridge (17-10). The championship game will be played at 8 p.m.
In Saturday's sectional championship game, Whitko junior Laura Keirn struck out 17 in picking up the win. At the plate, junior outfielder Emily Carter hit a double in the sixth inning, tallying two RBIs.
Whitko's roster lists 14 players, only two of whom are seniors. The Wildcats won the school's first sectional championship in history with three juniors, three sophomores and six freshmen.
Recent talk has Burkhart resigning as Whitko's coach in the near future. During a phone conversation Thursday, the only time this season Burkhart was able to be reached for comment, she downplayed the thought of resigning.
"That's purely speculation, and I won't address that," Burkhart said.
Valley Ends Season 16-2
Times-Union Staff Report
Tippecanoe Valley's boys golf team wrapped up its regular season with a 162-180 win over Plymouth at Rozella Ford.
Valley's Drew Shafer shot a 37 to take medalist honors.
Valley competes in Saturday's 11 a.m. Warsaw Sectional.
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 162, PLYMOUTH 180
Valley - Drew Shafer 37, Andy Martin 40, Brian Love 43, Aaron Zolman 42, Anthony Domenico 45
Baseball
Elkhart Central 2, Warsaw 2
Suspended after 11 innings
The Warsaw baseball team will have to wait another day to find out if it will advance to the Elkhart Memorial Sectional final.
After 11 innings, the game between Warsaw and Elkhart Central was tied at 2-all, but the game was suspended due to the late hour.
The Tigers and Blue Blazers will resume play in the top of the 12th inning at 5 p.m. today at Charger Field. The winner will play Concord in the Sectional final at 1 p.m. Saturday.
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