Tigers Add To Foundation
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Tigers Add To Foundation
By Anthony [email protected]
Just a few years after the program was struggling to get wins, it’s now sending five individuals and two relays to Saturday’s state finals at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington.
“When you do things right, you don’t know when it’s going to happen, but you know it’s going to happen,” Warsaw coach Matt Thacker said about the turnaround. “We’ve been blessed with a very strong sophomore class that gives us a lot of depth. That allows us to do things with guys like (junior) Jacob Poyner and (senior) Spencer (Rheinhardt) — allowing those guys to concentrate on one or two events. Whereas, when we first came in, if we had a guy like Spencer or Jacob or even (sophomore) Ellis (Coon), we would have run them in three or four events, just trying to score points. In order to be a successful track program, you have to think big picture with all the events.”
Thacker is just one meet shy of wrapping up his fourth season at the head of the boys program, and he credits not only this year’s senior class, but those before it for a change in fortunes.
“I look at last year’s senior group, as far as leadership, really stepped up and filled in that part of foundation with guys like Cameron Huffer, Derek Huffer, Jordan Scroggs and Trevor Callahan,” he said. “Those guys’ work ethic really helped our younger guys’ focus.”
This year’s senior class will have two individuals at the state meet, as Rheinhardt will be the fourth seed in the 800 and will also be a part of the sixth-seeded 1600 relay with junior Wyatt Jones and sophomores Chad Goon and Ryan Goon.
Senior Zach Rooney will also be a member of the 400 relay with junior Nathan Kolbe, junior Gabe Furnivall and sophomore Tristan McClone.
Other individuals at the state meet are Coon and Poyner, who are fifth and seventh seeds in the 1600, respectively, as well as 11th-seeded Jones in the 400 and sophomore Stephen Kolbe, who’s the third seed in the high jump.
While numerous Tigers will have great chances to finish in the top nine, therefore placing, Rheinhardt and Stephen Kolbe will have the best shots at titles.
“I’d like to win,” Rheinhardt said. “I think I’m there. It’s just a two-second gap for me to first and a lot of those guys are running the (3200 relay) and I’ll be fresh.”
In the 800, Pike senior Gary Austin is the top seed with a time of 1:53.29, followed by Lawrence Central junior Matt Dorsey’s 1:54.29, Batesville senior Hayden Merkel’s 1:55.02 and Rheinhardt’s 1:55.07.
“The thing with the 800 is, there’s a lot of guys that are pretty close,” Thacker said. “It depends on how that pack works for or against Spencer. That’s what he’ll have to adust to.”
Based on the fact Rheinhardt will be running at Notre Dame next season and was named academic all-state this season, he may have a plan in place to win.
“I think I have a real good shot at getting a really good place,” he said. “I’m in the outside box and that could actually be a good thing for me — allowing me to get out and not get boxed in.
“I’d like to see one of the guys seeded above me take it out quick and just sit on him until the last 200,” he added. “Then, just go for it.”
At last year’s state meet, Rheinhardt finished 22nd in 1:59.77 and he’s banking on that experience helping out on the big stage.
“It will take down the nerves a little bit,” he said about making his second trip to state. “A lot of other guys have been there too, so I don’t know if it’s an advantage, but it will help me mentally.”
Stephen Kolbe was also at the state meet a year ago, finishing ninth in the high jump by clearing 6-foot-6 as a freshman.
A year later, he’s going into the meet with a third seed based on his jump of 6-7 at last week’s Kokomo Regional.
The only athletes to go higher than 6-7 at the meet are North Central senior Mitch Metzger and Lawrence Central senior Chrisjaan Smith, who’ve cleared 6-7.5.
East Chicago Central junior Kenneth Lloyd also enters at 6-7.
Unlike track events, where it’s hear the gun and run, high jump can be a little more mental, which seems to be what Stephen Kolbe prefers.
“I like it more because it’s more relaxed,” he said. “You just take a jump, then wait a while, then jump again.”
And a good outing can be based on the weather and how an athlete is feeling that particular day.
“High jump is such a technical event,” Thacker said. “When he cleared his 6-7 jump (at regionals), he could have easily cleared 6-8. He had the opportunity before at the Goshen Relays, where he was close to clearing 6-8, but clicked the bar with his heel. There’s not a lot of wiggle room in the high jump.”
There also won’t be much wiggle room for the entire seventh-ranked Warsaw team.
With times listed on heat sheets, coaches can get a pretty good feel on how their team can do.
Thacker said he’s done scenarios in which everything goes well and everything goes bad, but in the end, there’s really no telling what will happen.
“You look at teams like (No. 1) Lawrence Central and (No. 3) Carmel, those big (Indianapolis) powerhouses,” Thacker said. “They have multiple events represented down there, and really, we’re still on our way up. We’re still having those building blocks.”
But if the program continues it’s ascension, it may be up there with those powerhouses soon.
“Guys are just buying into what we have going on,” Thacker said. “Our younger kids with (Warsaw girls track coach Scott Erba) during the day in the weight room, then what we have to do with our freshmen kids during practice and also our speed development in the preseason. It’s just guys buying into wanting to become better athletes.”
A webcast of the finals will be shown at IndianaRunner.com beginning at 2:50 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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Just a few years after the program was struggling to get wins, it’s now sending five individuals and two relays to Saturday’s state finals at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington.
“When you do things right, you don’t know when it’s going to happen, but you know it’s going to happen,” Warsaw coach Matt Thacker said about the turnaround. “We’ve been blessed with a very strong sophomore class that gives us a lot of depth. That allows us to do things with guys like (junior) Jacob Poyner and (senior) Spencer (Rheinhardt) — allowing those guys to concentrate on one or two events. Whereas, when we first came in, if we had a guy like Spencer or Jacob or even (sophomore) Ellis (Coon), we would have run them in three or four events, just trying to score points. In order to be a successful track program, you have to think big picture with all the events.”
Thacker is just one meet shy of wrapping up his fourth season at the head of the boys program, and he credits not only this year’s senior class, but those before it for a change in fortunes.
“I look at last year’s senior group, as far as leadership, really stepped up and filled in that part of foundation with guys like Cameron Huffer, Derek Huffer, Jordan Scroggs and Trevor Callahan,” he said. “Those guys’ work ethic really helped our younger guys’ focus.”
This year’s senior class will have two individuals at the state meet, as Rheinhardt will be the fourth seed in the 800 and will also be a part of the sixth-seeded 1600 relay with junior Wyatt Jones and sophomores Chad Goon and Ryan Goon.
Senior Zach Rooney will also be a member of the 400 relay with junior Nathan Kolbe, junior Gabe Furnivall and sophomore Tristan McClone.
Other individuals at the state meet are Coon and Poyner, who are fifth and seventh seeds in the 1600, respectively, as well as 11th-seeded Jones in the 400 and sophomore Stephen Kolbe, who’s the third seed in the high jump.
While numerous Tigers will have great chances to finish in the top nine, therefore placing, Rheinhardt and Stephen Kolbe will have the best shots at titles.
“I’d like to win,” Rheinhardt said. “I think I’m there. It’s just a two-second gap for me to first and a lot of those guys are running the (3200 relay) and I’ll be fresh.”
In the 800, Pike senior Gary Austin is the top seed with a time of 1:53.29, followed by Lawrence Central junior Matt Dorsey’s 1:54.29, Batesville senior Hayden Merkel’s 1:55.02 and Rheinhardt’s 1:55.07.
“The thing with the 800 is, there’s a lot of guys that are pretty close,” Thacker said. “It depends on how that pack works for or against Spencer. That’s what he’ll have to adust to.”
Based on the fact Rheinhardt will be running at Notre Dame next season and was named academic all-state this season, he may have a plan in place to win.
“I think I have a real good shot at getting a really good place,” he said. “I’m in the outside box and that could actually be a good thing for me — allowing me to get out and not get boxed in.
“I’d like to see one of the guys seeded above me take it out quick and just sit on him until the last 200,” he added. “Then, just go for it.”
At last year’s state meet, Rheinhardt finished 22nd in 1:59.77 and he’s banking on that experience helping out on the big stage.
“It will take down the nerves a little bit,” he said about making his second trip to state. “A lot of other guys have been there too, so I don’t know if it’s an advantage, but it will help me mentally.”
Stephen Kolbe was also at the state meet a year ago, finishing ninth in the high jump by clearing 6-foot-6 as a freshman.
A year later, he’s going into the meet with a third seed based on his jump of 6-7 at last week’s Kokomo Regional.
The only athletes to go higher than 6-7 at the meet are North Central senior Mitch Metzger and Lawrence Central senior Chrisjaan Smith, who’ve cleared 6-7.5.
East Chicago Central junior Kenneth Lloyd also enters at 6-7.
Unlike track events, where it’s hear the gun and run, high jump can be a little more mental, which seems to be what Stephen Kolbe prefers.
“I like it more because it’s more relaxed,” he said. “You just take a jump, then wait a while, then jump again.”
And a good outing can be based on the weather and how an athlete is feeling that particular day.
“High jump is such a technical event,” Thacker said. “When he cleared his 6-7 jump (at regionals), he could have easily cleared 6-8. He had the opportunity before at the Goshen Relays, where he was close to clearing 6-8, but clicked the bar with his heel. There’s not a lot of wiggle room in the high jump.”
There also won’t be much wiggle room for the entire seventh-ranked Warsaw team.
With times listed on heat sheets, coaches can get a pretty good feel on how their team can do.
Thacker said he’s done scenarios in which everything goes well and everything goes bad, but in the end, there’s really no telling what will happen.
“You look at teams like (No. 1) Lawrence Central and (No. 3) Carmel, those big (Indianapolis) powerhouses,” Thacker said. “They have multiple events represented down there, and really, we’re still on our way up. We’re still having those building blocks.”
But if the program continues it’s ascension, it may be up there with those powerhouses soon.
“Guys are just buying into what we have going on,” Thacker said. “Our younger kids with (Warsaw girls track coach Scott Erba) during the day in the weight room, then what we have to do with our freshmen kids during practice and also our speed development in the preseason. It’s just guys buying into wanting to become better athletes.”
A webcast of the finals will be shown at IndianaRunner.com beginning at 2:50 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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