Tiger Relay Teams Find Stride At Right Time
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
It was almost an overnight transformation. The Warsaw 1600 and 3200 relay teams went from average to dominant in 17 days.
At the Northern Lakes Conference meet May 12, the 1600 relay team placed fourth, about what they expected. However, after winning the sectional, Warsaw placed second at the regional and is seeded fifth for Friday's IHSAA State meet. The 3200 relay team went through a similar transformation and is 10th.
There are a number of reasons that can explain this sudden improvement. With three underclassmen on each relay, it can take a while to settle down and feel comfortable about running against bigger and stronger opponents.
Also, injuries caused a lot of the troubles. The two relay teams had to adjust to new runners in many different ways, whether through handoffs or just knowing what to count on for each athlete during the race.
Finally, senior P.J. Wiley's return can be attributed to the turnaround. Wiley, injured most of the year, returned to run on both relays at the sectional meet in Goshen.
"It's a big boost for the team (to have Wiley back)," David Hoffert said. "It just changed the whole team around. It built everybody up quite a bit."
"That's why we're going to the state," Gregg Seiss said. "Because of his leadership and everything that he brings."
Sophomore David Fussle was running the relay in Wiley's spot. He is an alternate at the state meet now that Wiley has returned.
"It's for the best of the team," Fussle said. "I'll still be here next year and the year after that, so no hard feelings."
Of the six athletes running the two relay teams, only Jon Hill will go to the state in an individual event also. For each of the members, it takes a different approach to run a relay as opposed to an individual event.
"It's more of a team," Hill said. "You have to be able to do your part. One person can't do it all himself."
"You have three other guys depending on you," Justin Rice said. "When you're running and you think you can't do it anymore, you have to say, 'Wait a minute. I have three other guys out there busting it. I can speed it up a little bit more, just do my part.'"
An important part to a good race is getting out quickly. Wiley runs the first leg of the 3200 relay and Jose Esquivel runs the first leg of the 1600 relay. Both are relied on to put the team in a solid position.
"There's a lot more pressure there to have the lead," Esquivel said. said. "That's what I like. I think I run better on the first leg than I would on any other."
The second leg is manned by Seiss in the 3200 relay and Wiley in the 1600 relay. In the 1600 relay, teams can break from their lanes about midway through this leg after passing a cone.
"After the first leg gets it done," Wiley said, "I have to get out as hard as I can to get to the cone and be the first guy to get around the cone."
Rice handles the third leg of the 3200 relay and Hoffert runs that leg in the 1600 relay.
"The first two runners will give me a pretty good lead hopefully," Rice said. "I've had some tendinitis in my knee, so I'll probably try to keep it or see if I can gain some more."
The anchor leg is entrusted to Hoffert in the 3200 relay and Hill in the 1600 relay.
"You just try to stay behind until you have a good chance to pass," Hoffert said. "It's just all out from there. You try to move up as far as you can."
Each runner is optimistic about the chances of the team at the state meet. They realize that with a good race, a state championship is not far away.
"I feel that once we get down there, get focused, get in that big atmosphere," Esquivel said. "We can really put the pressure on."
"We're pretty close as it is now," Rice said. "Once you see how close you are, it's just that extra effort to push yourself and say, 'Hey, we're going to be the best in the state if I give it now and go.'"
The relay teams, along with Hill in the 200, will compete on Friday evening at North Central High School. Wiley, the only senior among the group heading to the meet, has looked forward to this for a long time.
"It means everything. I've worked for this for four years. It's what I've dreamed about. I'm just glad to be there." [[In-content Ad]]
It was almost an overnight transformation. The Warsaw 1600 and 3200 relay teams went from average to dominant in 17 days.
At the Northern Lakes Conference meet May 12, the 1600 relay team placed fourth, about what they expected. However, after winning the sectional, Warsaw placed second at the regional and is seeded fifth for Friday's IHSAA State meet. The 3200 relay team went through a similar transformation and is 10th.
There are a number of reasons that can explain this sudden improvement. With three underclassmen on each relay, it can take a while to settle down and feel comfortable about running against bigger and stronger opponents.
Also, injuries caused a lot of the troubles. The two relay teams had to adjust to new runners in many different ways, whether through handoffs or just knowing what to count on for each athlete during the race.
Finally, senior P.J. Wiley's return can be attributed to the turnaround. Wiley, injured most of the year, returned to run on both relays at the sectional meet in Goshen.
"It's a big boost for the team (to have Wiley back)," David Hoffert said. "It just changed the whole team around. It built everybody up quite a bit."
"That's why we're going to the state," Gregg Seiss said. "Because of his leadership and everything that he brings."
Sophomore David Fussle was running the relay in Wiley's spot. He is an alternate at the state meet now that Wiley has returned.
"It's for the best of the team," Fussle said. "I'll still be here next year and the year after that, so no hard feelings."
Of the six athletes running the two relay teams, only Jon Hill will go to the state in an individual event also. For each of the members, it takes a different approach to run a relay as opposed to an individual event.
"It's more of a team," Hill said. "You have to be able to do your part. One person can't do it all himself."
"You have three other guys depending on you," Justin Rice said. "When you're running and you think you can't do it anymore, you have to say, 'Wait a minute. I have three other guys out there busting it. I can speed it up a little bit more, just do my part.'"
An important part to a good race is getting out quickly. Wiley runs the first leg of the 3200 relay and Jose Esquivel runs the first leg of the 1600 relay. Both are relied on to put the team in a solid position.
"There's a lot more pressure there to have the lead," Esquivel said. said. "That's what I like. I think I run better on the first leg than I would on any other."
The second leg is manned by Seiss in the 3200 relay and Wiley in the 1600 relay. In the 1600 relay, teams can break from their lanes about midway through this leg after passing a cone.
"After the first leg gets it done," Wiley said, "I have to get out as hard as I can to get to the cone and be the first guy to get around the cone."
Rice handles the third leg of the 3200 relay and Hoffert runs that leg in the 1600 relay.
"The first two runners will give me a pretty good lead hopefully," Rice said. "I've had some tendinitis in my knee, so I'll probably try to keep it or see if I can gain some more."
The anchor leg is entrusted to Hoffert in the 3200 relay and Hill in the 1600 relay.
"You just try to stay behind until you have a good chance to pass," Hoffert said. "It's just all out from there. You try to move up as far as you can."
Each runner is optimistic about the chances of the team at the state meet. They realize that with a good race, a state championship is not far away.
"I feel that once we get down there, get focused, get in that big atmosphere," Esquivel said. "We can really put the pressure on."
"We're pretty close as it is now," Rice said. "Once you see how close you are, it's just that extra effort to push yourself and say, 'Hey, we're going to be the best in the state if I give it now and go.'"
The relay teams, along with Hill in the 200, will compete on Friday evening at North Central High School. Wiley, the only senior among the group heading to the meet, has looked forward to this for a long time.
"It means everything. I've worked for this for four years. It's what I've dreamed about. I'm just glad to be there." [[In-content Ad]]