Triton C.C. Set For Now, Future
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Triton cross country coach Kurt Kreft is a man in a very comfortable position right now.
His boys and girls cross country teams begin sectional action on Thursday at Logansport. Both teams have to be considered a favorite to secure one of the top three spots to qualify for the regional.
His top three runners, Mason McIntyre, Reghan Kreft and Shelly Miller, are all underclassmen running like seniors.
As a matter of fact, Kreft has one only senior on either team, Liz Miller. She has scored for the Trojans in every meet this year, but she will be replaced by a strong group of eighth graders. On the boys side, everyone will return, and Kreft will add an eighth grade team that won the conference championship this year.
#However, don't look past this season. Kreft still has many reasons to smile ahead before the year is through. McIntyre has led a strong boys team that placed third at the conference meet last week. Despite being only a junior, he has taken on quite a leadership role.
"He's really our leader," Kreft said. "We look to him to set the tone for the team, to get the kids mentally prepared. He's in charge of the warm-ups and the cool-downs."
Kreft expects McIntyre to advance deep into the tournament.
"We're looking for him to place real high at sectionals," Kreft said. "Hopefully, in the top three. We're hoping for him to have a good race all the way to semistate and hopefully qualify for state. We feel real confident that we can get him to semi-state. It's going to take a good race for him to get to state."
The boys team looks to be secure in the third spot at the Logansport Sectional, but adjustments still need to be made.
"It's definitely CMA on the boys side, with Plymouth second and us third," Kreft said. "That's how I see it right now. The boys came into the season really strong and aggressive. They're still running strong, but I think they've lost some of their focus. They've conceded that Mason's going to win. He doesn't have to be our No. 1 runner. They're going to do fine. They'll do well at sectionals, but I don't see the hunger in them that maybe I see in the girls."
That girls team is on an opposite track from the boys team. The girls scared Kreft at the beginning of the season, but have begun to put things together. As evidence, the girls won the Northern State Conference championship for the first time in school history.
"They had me scared at the beginning to the middle of the season that they weren't going to develop into a very good team," Kreft said. "In the last two to three weeks, they've really decided that they were going to set some goals and focus. They've been working hard and I think they know that this is the time of season that they need to concentrate. I knew (the NSC meet) would be close between us and New Prairie. I told them that we needed to have first and second and then our next three runners had to finish ahead of New Prairie's fifth runner. That's pretty much what happened. They were really excited."
Of course those top two runners are the story on the girls team. Kreft, a junior, and Miller, a freshman, have battled each other for the top spot all year, but neither has been able to become the No. 1 runner.
"Those two are very good competitors," Kreft said. "They challenge themselves and use each other to make themselves better. When you have a one-two punch like that it just makes your team so much better. They brought the team together the last few weeks by running some really good races. Neither one has conceded that they're going to be second. It is a very healthy rivalry."
It's even hard for Kreft to decide which is the better runner.
"Three weeks ago, I would have definitely said Shelly," Kreft said. "But Reghan has not conceded anything to Shelly and she's been winning some races. They're really neck-and-neck right now. I think Shelly midway through the season had a small peak. We've changed her training a little bit, so hopefully, we can bring her back around again and have her peak at the right time. Shelly is the work force and Reghan has the competitive spirit."
Plymouth looks to be the favorite in the girls side, while a number of teams will battle for the final two spots. They should be filled by either Triton, CMA, Winamac or Pioneer.
The Logansport Sectional will take place on Thursday. The rest of the area teams will compete on Saturday either at Ox Bow Park or Manchester High School.
Cross Country Sectionals
Thursday, Oct. 16
Triton at the Logansport Sectional, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18
Manchester, Tippecanoe Valley and Whitko at the Manchester Sectional, 9 a.m.
NorthWood, Warsaw and Wawasee at the Elkhart Central Sectional (Ox Bow Park), 9 a.m. [[In-content Ad]]
Triton cross country coach Kurt Kreft is a man in a very comfortable position right now.
His boys and girls cross country teams begin sectional action on Thursday at Logansport. Both teams have to be considered a favorite to secure one of the top three spots to qualify for the regional.
His top three runners, Mason McIntyre, Reghan Kreft and Shelly Miller, are all underclassmen running like seniors.
As a matter of fact, Kreft has one only senior on either team, Liz Miller. She has scored for the Trojans in every meet this year, but she will be replaced by a strong group of eighth graders. On the boys side, everyone will return, and Kreft will add an eighth grade team that won the conference championship this year.
#However, don't look past this season. Kreft still has many reasons to smile ahead before the year is through. McIntyre has led a strong boys team that placed third at the conference meet last week. Despite being only a junior, he has taken on quite a leadership role.
"He's really our leader," Kreft said. "We look to him to set the tone for the team, to get the kids mentally prepared. He's in charge of the warm-ups and the cool-downs."
Kreft expects McIntyre to advance deep into the tournament.
"We're looking for him to place real high at sectionals," Kreft said. "Hopefully, in the top three. We're hoping for him to have a good race all the way to semistate and hopefully qualify for state. We feel real confident that we can get him to semi-state. It's going to take a good race for him to get to state."
The boys team looks to be secure in the third spot at the Logansport Sectional, but adjustments still need to be made.
"It's definitely CMA on the boys side, with Plymouth second and us third," Kreft said. "That's how I see it right now. The boys came into the season really strong and aggressive. They're still running strong, but I think they've lost some of their focus. They've conceded that Mason's going to win. He doesn't have to be our No. 1 runner. They're going to do fine. They'll do well at sectionals, but I don't see the hunger in them that maybe I see in the girls."
That girls team is on an opposite track from the boys team. The girls scared Kreft at the beginning of the season, but have begun to put things together. As evidence, the girls won the Northern State Conference championship for the first time in school history.
"They had me scared at the beginning to the middle of the season that they weren't going to develop into a very good team," Kreft said. "In the last two to three weeks, they've really decided that they were going to set some goals and focus. They've been working hard and I think they know that this is the time of season that they need to concentrate. I knew (the NSC meet) would be close between us and New Prairie. I told them that we needed to have first and second and then our next three runners had to finish ahead of New Prairie's fifth runner. That's pretty much what happened. They were really excited."
Of course those top two runners are the story on the girls team. Kreft, a junior, and Miller, a freshman, have battled each other for the top spot all year, but neither has been able to become the No. 1 runner.
"Those two are very good competitors," Kreft said. "They challenge themselves and use each other to make themselves better. When you have a one-two punch like that it just makes your team so much better. They brought the team together the last few weeks by running some really good races. Neither one has conceded that they're going to be second. It is a very healthy rivalry."
It's even hard for Kreft to decide which is the better runner.
"Three weeks ago, I would have definitely said Shelly," Kreft said. "But Reghan has not conceded anything to Shelly and she's been winning some races. They're really neck-and-neck right now. I think Shelly midway through the season had a small peak. We've changed her training a little bit, so hopefully, we can bring her back around again and have her peak at the right time. Shelly is the work force and Reghan has the competitive spirit."
Plymouth looks to be the favorite in the girls side, while a number of teams will battle for the final two spots. They should be filled by either Triton, CMA, Winamac or Pioneer.
The Logansport Sectional will take place on Thursday. The rest of the area teams will compete on Saturday either at Ox Bow Park or Manchester High School.
Cross Country Sectionals
Thursday, Oct. 16
Triton at the Logansport Sectional, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18
Manchester, Tippecanoe Valley and Whitko at the Manchester Sectional, 9 a.m.
NorthWood, Warsaw and Wawasee at the Elkhart Central Sectional (Ox Bow Park), 9 a.m. [[In-content Ad]]