Track and Field is in full swing, and the Warsaw athletes continue to put forth efforts that are causing some to ask if this is the golden-age of Warsaw T&F.  

Jordan Randall continues to, literally, set the bar high every week.  After finishing the Indoor season ranked #4 in the USA and setting the school record, Randall has continued to impress the nation this outdoor season.  With just a few meets under the belt, Randall currently sits at #10 in the nation.  The sophomore standout remains on the shortlist of “who to watch for” in the Class of 2026.  Kameron Kauffman currently sits at #14 in the state for shot put.  On the girls side, Pole Vaulter Elliana Transparenti is currently ranked 14th as well and in the discuss Abbi Koehler holds the #20 spot.
The distance crews continue to take advantage of the two early season showcase events on their schedule. Two weeks ago, both the Girls and Boys teams competed in what is known as the Miracle Mile. This event, hosted by Franklin Central High School in Indianapolis showcases the best talent not only in the state of Indiana, but also the surrounding area. The 17th annual Flashes Showcase included Notre Dame signee and nationally ranked Nicki Southerland, soon to be Florida Gator Reagan Gilmore (Kentucky), and Warsaw’s Joey Rastrelli (future Indiana University Hoosier).
The “fast heat” also included numerous Top 15 XC runners and several Nike and Foot Locker national contenders. Despite 10-15 mph winds, the elite field produced four girls under 5 minutes. Rastrelli stepped up to the challenge, using the same strategy she had at last year’s state meet where she let Southerland set the pace. As the race began, Rastrelli, Southerland, and Gilmore would separate from the pack and create a race of three. Rastrelli would finish in 3rd place, with a true-mile time of 4:56.17, currently #39 in the nation.
The boys and girls squad would then compete in the 3200 meter distance the following week. On Friday, seven boys and six girls qualified for the Carmel Showcase. Again racing against the best of the best, the combined group set numerous personal and program bests. Over the course of 16 heats (all the 3200 distance), Warsaw fans were able to witness the mid-season results of the hard work and training these athletes and coaches have put forth thus far. The field included nearly every Top 25 finisher in cross country and the top distance finishers at the IHSAA state meet. The final times showed just that, as the level of competition was phenomenal. For the first time ever, the girls roster can now boast 4 girls that have run sub-11:45 at this distance. Joey Rastrelli continued to dazzle, besting her previous #2 Warsaw ranking with a 6th place finish and a time of 10:34.91. To put in perspective how deep this field was, the top 3 finishers put forth times that rank #6, #7, and #11 All-time in the state of Indiana. The distance crew continued to set new bests, with sophomore Eden Metz clocking a personal best time of 11:33.45; junior Ella Laput setting a new PR at 11:44.52, and junior Sammi Rastrelli establishing a new career best time of 11:44.86. Senior Elizabeth VanderBie set a season best of 12:27 and junior Bryce Eherenman clocked in at 12:54.
Simply said, the Warsaw boys had an epic night. Sophomore Jackson Gackenheimer set a new Warsaw sophomore record, running a 9:14.40 and just missed setting the overall school record by 0.2 seconds. The level of competition drove Gackenheimer to run 14 seconds faster than his previous best. Junior Tyler Mimnaugh finished with a time of 9:27.06, placing him the 4th fastest junior all-time and 5th fastest all-time in Warsaw history. Clark Meridew also set a new personal best by 15 seconds, running the 1tth fastest time in school history with his 9:44.87 finish. Tyler Swartz, who will be running D1 at Valparaiso next year, took 7 seconds off of his previous best with a time of 9:45.56 (7th fastest Warsaw time ever). Junior Rick Orr continued the night of bests, improving by 11 seconds over his prior time and moving to the #15 all-time spot in the Warsaw history book. Senior Andrew Potter started the night off for all with a very strong race. Potter set a new personal best by 29 seconds, finished at #17th all time with a mark of 9:51.40. Senior Gabe Klein pushed forward with a time of 10:23.89, his second fastest ever.
The Warsaw T&F groups continue their season with conference meets mid-week and the another round of strong competition this Friday. The girls will travel to Mishawaka for the Princess Relays, while the boys team will host the Max Truex Invite.