Warsaw Girls Advance
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
DUNLAP - The biggest obstacle Warsaw's girls cross country team faced in Saturday's Elkhart Central Sectional was not the race itself but the drive to the race.
Because of miscommunication between Warsaw coach Paul Sibray and the bus driver, the Tigers fell behind in their trip to Ox Bow Park.
"Wayne (Berkey) is a terrific driver," Sibray said. "I should have called him (Friday) night. He thought it was a late meet like last week. Last week's conference meet was at 10 a.m., and next week the regional is at 10:30. This one was at 9.
"But we made it."
Made it and made some noise. If Sibray wants his team to run a little late from now on, who can blame him? Warsaw finished second in the race to move on to the regional.
And second is the place teams have to shoot for in this race, because for the eighth straight year, Northridge won it. Northridge scored 45, while Warsaw scored 69. NorthWood took a distant third place with 109. The top five teams and top 15 individuals compete at Saturday's regional at Ox Bow Park.
A week ago Warsaw finished second to Northridge in the Northern Lakes Conference Tournament.
"We're inching our way up," Sibray said. "We were pleased to be second today, and with the distance between us and the third-place team, I feel good about that."
Asked the last time the Warsaw girls went to the regional, Sibray cracked, "I don't have a memory that goes back that far. It's been a while, at least seven or eight years."
Sibray jokes because he knows the way it used to be. As coach four years ago, he had five girls - total - on his team. With five girls, Warsaw never even sniffed the top half, let alone the top five.
Now Sibray has 22 girls.
"Not only are our numbers increasing, but we have some good talent to go with it," he said. "We've always had good kids, but we couldn't compete like we wanted to."
That talent is headed by Summer Boyd, who finished fifth with a time of 16:01. Goshen's Josie Caton won the race with a time of 15:38. Northridge's Betsy App and Monica Spangle took second and third respectively with times of 15:51 and 15:57.
Northridge placed three girls in the top six; Warsaw placed three in the top eight. Also for Warsaw, Hillary Barlow took seventh and Jennifer Finch eighth, both with times of 16:04.
"I was worried coming in, because we had a late start," Sibray said. "So I was worried about the psychology of the girls. Jennifer Finch, a freshman, steps up and is right there around Summer and Hillary. I guess I was more nervous than they were."
Funny thing that happens when you see your team improve. You up your expectations. This is happening now with Sibray and his Tigers.
"We were shooting to do well in the NLC, so this is all icing on the cake," Sibray said. "Now we have our sights set on getting out of regional to semistate.
"Northridge will be up there again next week. West Noble and Westview are coming in. I think we can run with those three."
1998 ELKHART CENTRAL CROSS COUNTRY SECTIONAL
Saturday at Ox Bow Park in Dunlap
Course record -ÊAmy Yoder (East Noble) 14:05, 1995
Team results -Ê1. Northridge 45, 2. WARSAW 69, 3. NORTHWOOD 109, 4. Fairfield 117, 5. Goshen 123, 6. Elkhart Memorial 146, 7. WAWASEE 154, 8. Concord 194, 9. Elkhart Central 197
Top 15 individual times - 1. Josie Caton (GOS) 15:38, 2. Betsy App (NR) 15:51, 3. Monica Spangle (NR) 15:57, 4. Cortnie Sandy (NW) 15:59, 5. Summer Boyd (WAR) 16:01, 6. Tara Juntunen (NR) 16:02, 7. Hillary Barlow (WAR) 16:04, 8. Jennifer Finch (WAR) 16:04, 9. Stephanie Huffman (WAW) 16:05, 10. Kristen Miller (GOS) 16:11, 11. Lindsay Banks (EC) 16:18, 12. Rashelle Simpson (EM) 16:23, 13. Megan Hoffman (WAW) 16:27, 14. Julie Whirledge (FF) 16:31, 15. Angela Callander (NW) 16:33
Other Warsaw results -Ê20. Melonie Albert 16:57, 29. Amy Robertson 17:20
Other NorthWood results - 26. Nina Bearss 17:13, 27. Heidi Schneider 17:18, 37. Ann-Marie Zell 17:43
Other Wawasee results -Ê38. Krista Bestul 17:46, 46. Mandie Sawyer 17:56, 48. Brenda Wong 18:13
The top five teams and top 15 individuals advance to Saturday's 10:30 a.m. regional at Ox Bow Park in Dunlap. [[In-content Ad]]
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DUNLAP - The biggest obstacle Warsaw's girls cross country team faced in Saturday's Elkhart Central Sectional was not the race itself but the drive to the race.
Because of miscommunication between Warsaw coach Paul Sibray and the bus driver, the Tigers fell behind in their trip to Ox Bow Park.
"Wayne (Berkey) is a terrific driver," Sibray said. "I should have called him (Friday) night. He thought it was a late meet like last week. Last week's conference meet was at 10 a.m., and next week the regional is at 10:30. This one was at 9.
"But we made it."
Made it and made some noise. If Sibray wants his team to run a little late from now on, who can blame him? Warsaw finished second in the race to move on to the regional.
And second is the place teams have to shoot for in this race, because for the eighth straight year, Northridge won it. Northridge scored 45, while Warsaw scored 69. NorthWood took a distant third place with 109. The top five teams and top 15 individuals compete at Saturday's regional at Ox Bow Park.
A week ago Warsaw finished second to Northridge in the Northern Lakes Conference Tournament.
"We're inching our way up," Sibray said. "We were pleased to be second today, and with the distance between us and the third-place team, I feel good about that."
Asked the last time the Warsaw girls went to the regional, Sibray cracked, "I don't have a memory that goes back that far. It's been a while, at least seven or eight years."
Sibray jokes because he knows the way it used to be. As coach four years ago, he had five girls - total - on his team. With five girls, Warsaw never even sniffed the top half, let alone the top five.
Now Sibray has 22 girls.
"Not only are our numbers increasing, but we have some good talent to go with it," he said. "We've always had good kids, but we couldn't compete like we wanted to."
That talent is headed by Summer Boyd, who finished fifth with a time of 16:01. Goshen's Josie Caton won the race with a time of 15:38. Northridge's Betsy App and Monica Spangle took second and third respectively with times of 15:51 and 15:57.
Northridge placed three girls in the top six; Warsaw placed three in the top eight. Also for Warsaw, Hillary Barlow took seventh and Jennifer Finch eighth, both with times of 16:04.
"I was worried coming in, because we had a late start," Sibray said. "So I was worried about the psychology of the girls. Jennifer Finch, a freshman, steps up and is right there around Summer and Hillary. I guess I was more nervous than they were."
Funny thing that happens when you see your team improve. You up your expectations. This is happening now with Sibray and his Tigers.
"We were shooting to do well in the NLC, so this is all icing on the cake," Sibray said. "Now we have our sights set on getting out of regional to semistate.
"Northridge will be up there again next week. West Noble and Westview are coming in. I think we can run with those three."
1998 ELKHART CENTRAL CROSS COUNTRY SECTIONAL
Saturday at Ox Bow Park in Dunlap
Course record -ÊAmy Yoder (East Noble) 14:05, 1995
Team results -Ê1. Northridge 45, 2. WARSAW 69, 3. NORTHWOOD 109, 4. Fairfield 117, 5. Goshen 123, 6. Elkhart Memorial 146, 7. WAWASEE 154, 8. Concord 194, 9. Elkhart Central 197
Top 15 individual times - 1. Josie Caton (GOS) 15:38, 2. Betsy App (NR) 15:51, 3. Monica Spangle (NR) 15:57, 4. Cortnie Sandy (NW) 15:59, 5. Summer Boyd (WAR) 16:01, 6. Tara Juntunen (NR) 16:02, 7. Hillary Barlow (WAR) 16:04, 8. Jennifer Finch (WAR) 16:04, 9. Stephanie Huffman (WAW) 16:05, 10. Kristen Miller (GOS) 16:11, 11. Lindsay Banks (EC) 16:18, 12. Rashelle Simpson (EM) 16:23, 13. Megan Hoffman (WAW) 16:27, 14. Julie Whirledge (FF) 16:31, 15. Angela Callander (NW) 16:33
Other Warsaw results -Ê20. Melonie Albert 16:57, 29. Amy Robertson 17:20
Other NorthWood results - 26. Nina Bearss 17:13, 27. Heidi Schneider 17:18, 37. Ann-Marie Zell 17:43
Other Wawasee results -Ê38. Krista Bestul 17:46, 46. Mandie Sawyer 17:56, 48. Brenda Wong 18:13
The top five teams and top 15 individuals advance to Saturday's 10:30 a.m. regional at Ox Bow Park in Dunlap. [[In-content Ad]]