BREMEN - A lot has changed in a year's time for Alysha Aalbregtse and the Wawasee girls track team.

Aalbregtse, who led Wawasee to a regional team title last year by winning the 100 and 300 hurdles, has been slowed by an injury this season and really has been back for only a month.

While still getting back into shape, Aalbregtse finished second in the 100 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles. Both performances were good enough to advance Aalbregtse to the state meet on June 7.

"I am happy I qualified, and that is my main goal," Aalbregtse said. "It was kind of upsetting that I didn't repeat, but that is expected because this is my sixth or seventh meet (back). I am on my way back.

"It has been frustrating because I just started running hard a month ago and hurdles haven't been the same because I don't have the confidence I had last year because I am not in top shape," she said. "We are just going to work hard this week on technique. Hopefully that will help me."

Despite the injury, Aalbregtse still gets to return to the state meet.

"I wasn't sure at the beginning of the year about state because I didn't run," Aalbregtse said. "Now, I am just glad I made it because it is my senior year."

A much-younger Warrior squad than a year ago watched as Elkhart Central ended its reign as regional champs. Central won the event with 62 points, 12 better than Penn. Wawasee was fifth.

"I am disappointed that we are not taking any more than two (competitors) to state," Wawasee coach Lisa Dilbone said.

Wawasee's big highlight was turned in by Mandy McGuire, who won the high jump competition.

McGuire battled Bremen's Brooke Swart past the 5-foot-4 barrier when McGuire cleared 5-5, and Swart missed on her three attempts. McGuire tried three times to tie the sectional record of 5-6, but couldn't get it done. That didn't leave McGuire upset at all afterward.

"I felt real good. I felt awesome," McGuire said.

McGuire advanced to the state meet last year and seems to thrive on the big meets with the 5-5 being her best jump of the year - so far.

"I love pressure," McGuire said. "I really want first (at the state meet), but I will settle for top three."

"I feel real good about Mandy's performance tonight," Dilbone said. "She finally cleared the 5-4 barrier that she hasn't hit for several weeks."

Wawasee just missed out on getting a couple more competitors to the state when Aubrey Coy got a fourth place in the 3200 and Alisha Henderson a fourth in the 1600. Henderson lost out in the final 100 meters. Henderson, the top seed in the 3200, faded in the eight-lap race.

"There are some good distance runners out there," Dilbone said. "They did the best they could. That was Alisha's (3200) third race of the night. That is OK at sectional because there is not as much competition. But when you get to the regional, and then you are trying to step up with the first-place people. They run a lot faster than last week for first place. It wears you out. Aubrey put her heart into tonight. She ran the best she has ever ran at a regional."

No other local competitors will advance to the state meet. The top three finishers in each event advance to the state meet.

Whitko's Susan Dome finished in fourth place in the 800 with a school-record time of 2:23.86.

"Susan ran extremely well," Whitko coach Brian Balsmeyer said. "She let them get a little bit too far out in front and couldn't catch them at the end. The school record was a consolation prize. She wanted so bad to be at state. I am thankful just to have been around her, people like her don't come around too often." [[In-content Ad]]