Warsaw Continues NLC Dominance
Tigers, Lady Tigers run away with conference championships
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Hosting the NLC Championships, the Lady Tigers won their eighth-straight conference crown, while the boys made it three-in-a-row.
“Both teams are competitive, both teams want to do well,” Warsaw boys coach Matt Thacker said. “(Warsaw girls coach Scott Erba) wants to do well and our coaches want to do well. Their coaches work hard and our coaches work hard. We work well together. Everything works out for us. We’re blessed with talented kids.”
Keeping their eight-year string of NLC titles going, the Lady Tigers went 7-0 in the regular season, winning the dual meets by an average of 80 points each.
At the conference meet, the Warsaw girls kept it up, generating 202 points, with Northridge a distant-second with 128 points.
“It’s fun,” Erba said when asked if any of the excitement is dulled by the dominance. “It’s a testament to the girls and what they’ve been able to do, especially with what a mess this spring has been with the weather. (It’s also a testament) to the coaching staff – getting them ready to go. Even with as goofy of a spring season at it’s been, we had some lifetime-best performances tonight.”
With the Lady Tigers winning 10 of the possible 16 events, Warsaw junior Ann Harvuot won her third-straight 100-meter dash (12.51 seconds) NLC title and her second-straight 200 (25.93), while also helping defend Warsaw’s 400 relay championship (49.85) title, which included sophomore Mariah Harter, freshman Samantha Alexander and senior Brittney Rhodes.
Another star for the girls was senior Sarah Ray.
In her first year of running track, she won the 1600 (5:06.76) and 3200 (11:01.66).
Senior teammate Ashley Erba won those events a year ago, but while Erba was suited with a walking boot at the meet, the distance events belonged to Ray.
“It’s great for Sarah to step in and have this experience of being a conference champion,” Scott Erba said. “To have that sort of experience before she leaves high school to help her, not only later this season, but as well as going into college. To say, ‘I’ve got something on my résumé more than being runner-up behind Ashley Erba.’”
After finishing second at the cross country state finals in the fall, a foot injury has sidelined Ashley Erba in the track season, leaving her unable to defend her 3200 state championship.
“I know Ashley would love to be out here, but it’s not the way it worked out this year,” her father/coach said. “But I know she’s thrilled for the girls.”
Also claiming NLC titles for the Warsaw girls were sophomore Tennie Worrell (400, 59.47), senior Jamie Lacheta (high jump, 5-3), senior Samantha Jensen (discus, 119-11) and senior Megan Dearlove (pole vault, 10-4).
“It was just event after event that the girls were performing at a high level,” Erba said. “That’s what I wanted to see.”
The Warsaw boys also competed at a high level.
After a 7-0 regular season, the Tigers won the conference meet with 169.3 points, as Northridge was second with 116.5.
Warsaw won six events, and senior Robert Murphy was certainly on top of his game, winning the 1600 in 4:22.41, then coming back four events later to set a new meet record with his 1:54.21 in the 800.
The time in the 800 broke the previous mark of 1:55.22, set by Wawasee’s Ryan Stichter in 2003.
“Robert just does it over and over again,” Thacker said. “I think (Warsaw boys cross country coach Jim Mills) said it best. He said it was the smoothest 1:54 800 he’s seen. You have to admit that it was pretty smooth. He’s just a blessing to watch.”
Murphy’s running mate, senior Jacob Poyner, was also strong at the meet, winning the 3200 (9:31.01) and being a part of the winning 3200 relay, along with junior Ismael Calderon, sophomore Daniel Messenger and junior Tyler Houvener.
Warsaw’s 400 relay of senior Wyatt Jones, senior Nathan Kolbe, junior Gabe Furnivall and Tristan McClone took first in 42.92, and junior Seth Fouts also finished first in the shot put (53-5).
“In a big meet, you know there’s going to be bright spots,” Thacker said. “You know there’s going to be spots where something unexpected happens. For example, in the long jump, where we had (sophomore) Caleb Klusman and Nate Kolbe both place for us. Nate got third and Caleb got eighth, so that was a huge bonus for us.”
The Wawasee boys finished fifth and the girls were seventh, both of which seemed to please coach Scott Lancaster.
“I think we had a really good meet,” he said. “We had a lot of (personal records) tonight, which is what you need at a conference meet. I think we improved our places, which was one of our goals. We had kids scoring points in positions that we really needed to score points if we wanted to move up.”
Wawasee’s top point-getter was sophomore Clayton Cook, who won the 110 hurdles (15.19) and 300 hurdles (40.07).
“We expected him to do what he did in the 110,” Lancaster said. “We’ve been trying to get him back into some kind of rhythm. Most hurdlers, with the lack of being able to run before Spring Break, it’s hard for them to get into their rhythm. To be honest, with our meets having to be moved to Mondays, throwing off our training schedules, it was hard for us.”
Wawasee sophomore J.J. Gilmer was second in the high jump (6-4) and for the Lady Warriors, their top finish was the third-place effort by senior Jordan Edington in the shot put (37-0.5).
The Warsaw and Wawasee girls will be back at the TAC Tuesday for sectional action, followed two days later by the boys sectional at Goshen.
Before that, the Warsaw teams will be able to not only soak in what they’ve done to this point, but what may still lie ahead.
“I’d like to keep this thing going as long as possible,” Erba said.
And his colleague shared that sentiment.
“You build for the future, and we continue to do that,” Thacker said. “You don’t really look ahead, as far as being disrespectful, but you look ahead at what you can as far as talent level. We knew we had a special group when these seniors were freshmen. It’s just coming together, and hopefully we can keep at it next year and after that.”
NORTHERN LAKES CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Boys)
Team Scores – Warsaw 169.3, Northridge 116.5, Elkhart Memorial 101.8, Goshen 88.5, Wawasee 84.3, Concord 63.5, Plymouth 53, NorthWood 52
3200 Relay – 1. Warsaw (Ismael Calderon, Jacob Poyner, Daniel Messenger, Tyler Houvener) 8:00.74, 2. Goshen 8:04.03; 110 Hurdles – 1. Clayton Cook (Waw) 15.19, 2. Taylor Cone (War) 15.34, 3. Austin Healey (Nr) 15.70; 100 – 1. Davontea Millsaps (EM) 10.99, 2. Wyatt Jones (War) 11.16, 3. Tristan McClone (War) 11.34; 1600 – 1. Robert Murphy (War) 4:22.41, 2. Jacob Poyner (War) 4:25.25, 3. Reid Zimmerman (G) 4:27.43; 400 Relay – 1. Warsaw (Wyatt Jones, Nathan Kolbe, Gabe Furnivall, Tristan McClone) 42.92, 2. Goshen (Mykal Kauffman, Cameron Kline, Cristian Barron, Abraham Medellin) 44.28; 400 – 1. McNeal Stewart (EM) 49.60, 2. Michael Hartman (P) 50.05, 3. Gabe Furnivall (War) 50.35; 300 Hurdles – 1. Clayton Cook (Waw) 40.07, 2. Cristian Barron (G) 40.27, 3. Ryan Goon (War) 40.82
800 – 1. Robert Murphy (War) 1:54.21*, 2. Reid Zimmerman (G) 1:57.03, 3. Nick Skwarcan (NW) 1:57.70; 200 – 1. Davontea Millsaps (EM) 22.16, 2. Wyatt Jones (War) 22.53, 3. Caleb Platz (EM) 23.12; 3200 – 1. Jacob Poyner (War) 9:31.01, 2. Blake O’Dell (Nr) 9:38.77, 3. Jacob Frost (Nr) 9:51.86; 1600 Relay – 1. Memorial (Davontea Millsaps, Blake Kramer, McNeal Stewart, Jared Peek) 3:20.32*, 2. Warsaw (Chad Goon, Gabe Furnivall, Nathan Kolbe, Ryan Goon) 3:20.59; High Jump – 1. Will Stueve (NW) 6-5, 2. J.J. Gilmer (Waw) 6-4, 3. Bennett Parker (NW) 6-2; Long Jump – 1. David Doyle (EM) 20-9.75, 2. J.J. Gilmer (Waw) 19-8.75, 3. Nathan Kolbe (War) 19-7.5; Discus – 1. Dan Samuelson (P) 143-10, 2. Ethan Brown (Waw) 141-.4, 3. Adam Lacefield (P) 136-2; Shot Put – 1. Seth Fouts (War) 53-5, 2. Dan Samuelson (P) 51-7.25, 3. Tyler Hoffman (C) 48-9.75; Pole Vault – 1. Josh Rheinheimer (Nr) 13-8, 2. Devin Puckett (Nr) 13-0, 3. Albert Gongwer (NW) 12-6
(Girls)
Team Scores – Warsaw 202, Northridge 128, Elkhart Memorial 112.5, Concord 94, Plymouth 70, Goshen 46.5, Wawasee 41, NorthWood 37
3200 Relay – 1. Northridge (Mandy Campbell, Olivia Golden, Mackenzie Gray, Corinne Cominator) 9:30.72, Plymouth 9:40.42; 100 Hurdles – 1. Jessica O’Connell (C) 15.49, 2. Jackie Ferguson (War) 16.28, 3. Brittney Rhodes (War) 16.50; 100 – 1. Ann Harvuot (War) 12.51, 2. Mariah Harter (War) 12.92, 3. Mariah DeFreese (C) 12.95; 1600 – 1. Sarah Ray (War) 5:06.76, 2. Sierra Moore (EM) 5:13.31, 3. Olivia Golden (Nr) 5:24.42; 400 Relay – 1. Warsaw (Mariah Harter, Samantha Alexander, Brittney Rhodes, Ann Harvuot) 49.85, 2. Concord (Mariah DeFreese, Michelle Detwiler, Cianna Bonfiglio, Jessica O’Connell) 50.98; 400 – 1. Tennie Worrell (War) 59.47, 2. Allie Wright (P) 59.59, 3. Megan Kratzsch (War) 1:01.52; 300 Hurdles – 1. Jessica O’Connell (C) 45.36*, 2. Jackie Ferguson (War) 47.98, 3. Nicole Eckert (War) 48.68; 800 – 1. Sierra Moore (EM) 2:17.88, 2. Meagan Fisher (P) 2:20.18, 3. Hannah Dawson (War) 2:21.24; 200 – 1. Ann Harvuot (War) 25.93, 2. Mariah DeFreese (C) 26.38, 3. Cianna Bonfiglio (C) 27.24; 3200 – 1. Sarah Ray (War) 11:01.66, 2. Morgan Blyly (Nr) 11:28.21, 3. Jennifer Schrock (Nr) 11:34.63; 1600 Relay – 1. Warsaw (Nicole Eckert, Megan Kratzsch, Jackie Ferguson, Tennie Worrell) 4:03.94, 2. Concord (Mariah DeFreese, Casey Buchanan, Janell Smart, Jessica O’Connell) 4:07.73; High Jump – 1. Jamie Lacheta (War) 5-3, 2. Kaydon Fosler (P) 5-2, 3. Michelle Detwiler (C) 5-1; Long Jump – 1. Stephanie Bettis (EM) 16-4, 2. Samantha Alexander (War) 16-2, 3. Christina Juroff (Nr) 15-2.5; Discus – 1. Samantha Jensen (War) 119-11, 2. Deanna Cornelius (EM) 111-4, 3. Madison Stewart (Nr) 109-0; Shot Put – 1. Madison Stewart (Nr) 38-8.5, 2. Brooklyn Harrison (War) 37-7.5, 3. Jordan Edington (Waw) 37-0.5; Pole Vault – 1. Megan Dearlove (War) 10-4, 2. Chelsea Bettis (EM) 9-4, 3. Tricia Place (G) 9-4
* – Meet Record[[In-content Ad]]
Hosting the NLC Championships, the Lady Tigers won their eighth-straight conference crown, while the boys made it three-in-a-row.
“Both teams are competitive, both teams want to do well,” Warsaw boys coach Matt Thacker said. “(Warsaw girls coach Scott Erba) wants to do well and our coaches want to do well. Their coaches work hard and our coaches work hard. We work well together. Everything works out for us. We’re blessed with talented kids.”
Keeping their eight-year string of NLC titles going, the Lady Tigers went 7-0 in the regular season, winning the dual meets by an average of 80 points each.
At the conference meet, the Warsaw girls kept it up, generating 202 points, with Northridge a distant-second with 128 points.
“It’s fun,” Erba said when asked if any of the excitement is dulled by the dominance. “It’s a testament to the girls and what they’ve been able to do, especially with what a mess this spring has been with the weather. (It’s also a testament) to the coaching staff – getting them ready to go. Even with as goofy of a spring season at it’s been, we had some lifetime-best performances tonight.”
With the Lady Tigers winning 10 of the possible 16 events, Warsaw junior Ann Harvuot won her third-straight 100-meter dash (12.51 seconds) NLC title and her second-straight 200 (25.93), while also helping defend Warsaw’s 400 relay championship (49.85) title, which included sophomore Mariah Harter, freshman Samantha Alexander and senior Brittney Rhodes.
Another star for the girls was senior Sarah Ray.
In her first year of running track, she won the 1600 (5:06.76) and 3200 (11:01.66).
Senior teammate Ashley Erba won those events a year ago, but while Erba was suited with a walking boot at the meet, the distance events belonged to Ray.
“It’s great for Sarah to step in and have this experience of being a conference champion,” Scott Erba said. “To have that sort of experience before she leaves high school to help her, not only later this season, but as well as going into college. To say, ‘I’ve got something on my résumé more than being runner-up behind Ashley Erba.’”
After finishing second at the cross country state finals in the fall, a foot injury has sidelined Ashley Erba in the track season, leaving her unable to defend her 3200 state championship.
“I know Ashley would love to be out here, but it’s not the way it worked out this year,” her father/coach said. “But I know she’s thrilled for the girls.”
Also claiming NLC titles for the Warsaw girls were sophomore Tennie Worrell (400, 59.47), senior Jamie Lacheta (high jump, 5-3), senior Samantha Jensen (discus, 119-11) and senior Megan Dearlove (pole vault, 10-4).
“It was just event after event that the girls were performing at a high level,” Erba said. “That’s what I wanted to see.”
The Warsaw boys also competed at a high level.
After a 7-0 regular season, the Tigers won the conference meet with 169.3 points, as Northridge was second with 116.5.
Warsaw won six events, and senior Robert Murphy was certainly on top of his game, winning the 1600 in 4:22.41, then coming back four events later to set a new meet record with his 1:54.21 in the 800.
The time in the 800 broke the previous mark of 1:55.22, set by Wawasee’s Ryan Stichter in 2003.
“Robert just does it over and over again,” Thacker said. “I think (Warsaw boys cross country coach Jim Mills) said it best. He said it was the smoothest 1:54 800 he’s seen. You have to admit that it was pretty smooth. He’s just a blessing to watch.”
Murphy’s running mate, senior Jacob Poyner, was also strong at the meet, winning the 3200 (9:31.01) and being a part of the winning 3200 relay, along with junior Ismael Calderon, sophomore Daniel Messenger and junior Tyler Houvener.
Warsaw’s 400 relay of senior Wyatt Jones, senior Nathan Kolbe, junior Gabe Furnivall and Tristan McClone took first in 42.92, and junior Seth Fouts also finished first in the shot put (53-5).
“In a big meet, you know there’s going to be bright spots,” Thacker said. “You know there’s going to be spots where something unexpected happens. For example, in the long jump, where we had (sophomore) Caleb Klusman and Nate Kolbe both place for us. Nate got third and Caleb got eighth, so that was a huge bonus for us.”
The Wawasee boys finished fifth and the girls were seventh, both of which seemed to please coach Scott Lancaster.
“I think we had a really good meet,” he said. “We had a lot of (personal records) tonight, which is what you need at a conference meet. I think we improved our places, which was one of our goals. We had kids scoring points in positions that we really needed to score points if we wanted to move up.”
Wawasee’s top point-getter was sophomore Clayton Cook, who won the 110 hurdles (15.19) and 300 hurdles (40.07).
“We expected him to do what he did in the 110,” Lancaster said. “We’ve been trying to get him back into some kind of rhythm. Most hurdlers, with the lack of being able to run before Spring Break, it’s hard for them to get into their rhythm. To be honest, with our meets having to be moved to Mondays, throwing off our training schedules, it was hard for us.”
Wawasee sophomore J.J. Gilmer was second in the high jump (6-4) and for the Lady Warriors, their top finish was the third-place effort by senior Jordan Edington in the shot put (37-0.5).
The Warsaw and Wawasee girls will be back at the TAC Tuesday for sectional action, followed two days later by the boys sectional at Goshen.
Before that, the Warsaw teams will be able to not only soak in what they’ve done to this point, but what may still lie ahead.
“I’d like to keep this thing going as long as possible,” Erba said.
And his colleague shared that sentiment.
“You build for the future, and we continue to do that,” Thacker said. “You don’t really look ahead, as far as being disrespectful, but you look ahead at what you can as far as talent level. We knew we had a special group when these seniors were freshmen. It’s just coming together, and hopefully we can keep at it next year and after that.”
NORTHERN LAKES CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Boys)
Team Scores – Warsaw 169.3, Northridge 116.5, Elkhart Memorial 101.8, Goshen 88.5, Wawasee 84.3, Concord 63.5, Plymouth 53, NorthWood 52
3200 Relay – 1. Warsaw (Ismael Calderon, Jacob Poyner, Daniel Messenger, Tyler Houvener) 8:00.74, 2. Goshen 8:04.03; 110 Hurdles – 1. Clayton Cook (Waw) 15.19, 2. Taylor Cone (War) 15.34, 3. Austin Healey (Nr) 15.70; 100 – 1. Davontea Millsaps (EM) 10.99, 2. Wyatt Jones (War) 11.16, 3. Tristan McClone (War) 11.34; 1600 – 1. Robert Murphy (War) 4:22.41, 2. Jacob Poyner (War) 4:25.25, 3. Reid Zimmerman (G) 4:27.43; 400 Relay – 1. Warsaw (Wyatt Jones, Nathan Kolbe, Gabe Furnivall, Tristan McClone) 42.92, 2. Goshen (Mykal Kauffman, Cameron Kline, Cristian Barron, Abraham Medellin) 44.28; 400 – 1. McNeal Stewart (EM) 49.60, 2. Michael Hartman (P) 50.05, 3. Gabe Furnivall (War) 50.35; 300 Hurdles – 1. Clayton Cook (Waw) 40.07, 2. Cristian Barron (G) 40.27, 3. Ryan Goon (War) 40.82
800 – 1. Robert Murphy (War) 1:54.21*, 2. Reid Zimmerman (G) 1:57.03, 3. Nick Skwarcan (NW) 1:57.70; 200 – 1. Davontea Millsaps (EM) 22.16, 2. Wyatt Jones (War) 22.53, 3. Caleb Platz (EM) 23.12; 3200 – 1. Jacob Poyner (War) 9:31.01, 2. Blake O’Dell (Nr) 9:38.77, 3. Jacob Frost (Nr) 9:51.86; 1600 Relay – 1. Memorial (Davontea Millsaps, Blake Kramer, McNeal Stewart, Jared Peek) 3:20.32*, 2. Warsaw (Chad Goon, Gabe Furnivall, Nathan Kolbe, Ryan Goon) 3:20.59; High Jump – 1. Will Stueve (NW) 6-5, 2. J.J. Gilmer (Waw) 6-4, 3. Bennett Parker (NW) 6-2; Long Jump – 1. David Doyle (EM) 20-9.75, 2. J.J. Gilmer (Waw) 19-8.75, 3. Nathan Kolbe (War) 19-7.5; Discus – 1. Dan Samuelson (P) 143-10, 2. Ethan Brown (Waw) 141-.4, 3. Adam Lacefield (P) 136-2; Shot Put – 1. Seth Fouts (War) 53-5, 2. Dan Samuelson (P) 51-7.25, 3. Tyler Hoffman (C) 48-9.75; Pole Vault – 1. Josh Rheinheimer (Nr) 13-8, 2. Devin Puckett (Nr) 13-0, 3. Albert Gongwer (NW) 12-6
(Girls)
Team Scores – Warsaw 202, Northridge 128, Elkhart Memorial 112.5, Concord 94, Plymouth 70, Goshen 46.5, Wawasee 41, NorthWood 37
3200 Relay – 1. Northridge (Mandy Campbell, Olivia Golden, Mackenzie Gray, Corinne Cominator) 9:30.72, Plymouth 9:40.42; 100 Hurdles – 1. Jessica O’Connell (C) 15.49, 2. Jackie Ferguson (War) 16.28, 3. Brittney Rhodes (War) 16.50; 100 – 1. Ann Harvuot (War) 12.51, 2. Mariah Harter (War) 12.92, 3. Mariah DeFreese (C) 12.95; 1600 – 1. Sarah Ray (War) 5:06.76, 2. Sierra Moore (EM) 5:13.31, 3. Olivia Golden (Nr) 5:24.42; 400 Relay – 1. Warsaw (Mariah Harter, Samantha Alexander, Brittney Rhodes, Ann Harvuot) 49.85, 2. Concord (Mariah DeFreese, Michelle Detwiler, Cianna Bonfiglio, Jessica O’Connell) 50.98; 400 – 1. Tennie Worrell (War) 59.47, 2. Allie Wright (P) 59.59, 3. Megan Kratzsch (War) 1:01.52; 300 Hurdles – 1. Jessica O’Connell (C) 45.36*, 2. Jackie Ferguson (War) 47.98, 3. Nicole Eckert (War) 48.68; 800 – 1. Sierra Moore (EM) 2:17.88, 2. Meagan Fisher (P) 2:20.18, 3. Hannah Dawson (War) 2:21.24; 200 – 1. Ann Harvuot (War) 25.93, 2. Mariah DeFreese (C) 26.38, 3. Cianna Bonfiglio (C) 27.24; 3200 – 1. Sarah Ray (War) 11:01.66, 2. Morgan Blyly (Nr) 11:28.21, 3. Jennifer Schrock (Nr) 11:34.63; 1600 Relay – 1. Warsaw (Nicole Eckert, Megan Kratzsch, Jackie Ferguson, Tennie Worrell) 4:03.94, 2. Concord (Mariah DeFreese, Casey Buchanan, Janell Smart, Jessica O’Connell) 4:07.73; High Jump – 1. Jamie Lacheta (War) 5-3, 2. Kaydon Fosler (P) 5-2, 3. Michelle Detwiler (C) 5-1; Long Jump – 1. Stephanie Bettis (EM) 16-4, 2. Samantha Alexander (War) 16-2, 3. Christina Juroff (Nr) 15-2.5; Discus – 1. Samantha Jensen (War) 119-11, 2. Deanna Cornelius (EM) 111-4, 3. Madison Stewart (Nr) 109-0; Shot Put – 1. Madison Stewart (Nr) 38-8.5, 2. Brooklyn Harrison (War) 37-7.5, 3. Jordan Edington (Waw) 37-0.5; Pole Vault – 1. Megan Dearlove (War) 10-4, 2. Chelsea Bettis (EM) 9-4, 3. Tricia Place (G) 9-4
* – Meet Record[[In-content Ad]]
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