GOSHEN - Warsaw's girls cross country team added another chapter to its historic season Saturday. Four days after winning the program's first sectional championship since 1985, the Lady Tigers won their first regional title. Led by the one-two finish of junior Ashley Erba and sophomore Anna Bearss, 16th-ranked Warsaw won the 10-team Elkhart Regional at Ox Bow Park with 40 points. The top five teams and the top 15 individuals advance to Saturday's New Haven Semistate at IPFW. The 19th-ranked Warsaw boys, fresh off their first sectional title since 1990, advanced to the semistate with a third-place finish. Erba won the girls 5K race in 18:10, finishing 49 seconds ahead of runner-up and teammate Bearss, who crossed the line 17 seconds ahead of third-place runner Corrine Cominator of Northridge. All five of Warsaw's scoring runners finished in the top 20 in the 75-person race, as Brooke Kline was 10th (19:40), Kristin Quick was 14th (19:46) and Creigh Ogle was 20th (20:31). Also for the Lady Tigers, Madeline Hooks finished 34th (21:10) and Michelle Feng was 41st (21:23). In the girls team standings, No. 14 Penn was second with 61 points, followed by No. 21 Northridge (72), South Bend St. Joe (115), Mishawaka (150), Fairfield (174), NorthWood (179), Wawasee (196), Mishawaka Marian (214) and Bremen (230). Bre Robison led Wawasee with a 17th-place time of 20:09, while Courtney Linnemeier finished 21st in a time of 20:31. In the boys race, the 19th-ranked Tigers were the only local team competing. Wawasee's Reid Stichter competed indivdually, but didn't qualify for the semistate after finishing 20th in a time of 17:01. Mishawaka's Miguel Lozano won the boys 5K race in a team of 15:51, leading the fifth-ranked Cavemen to the regional title with 26 points. Mishawaka's five scoring runners all finished in the top nine. St. Joe, ranked No. 11, finished second with 52 points, followed by 19th-ranked Warsaw (76), Northridge (91), Goshen (132), Penn (156), Concord (213), South Bend Riley (238), Fairfield (240) and Mishawaka Marian (241). Jacob Poyner led Warsaw with a third-place time of 16:12, while Robert Murphy was 12th (16:40), Ismael Calderon was 18th (16:58), Michael Smolen was 19th (16:58) and Michael Compton was 30th (17:09). Other runners for Warsaw included Brysten James (37th, 17:18) and Cam Hoskins (41st, 17:28).
ELKHART REGIONAL Ox Bow Park Note – the top five teams and top 15 indidividuals advance to semistate GIRLS Team scores – Warsaw 40, Penn 61, Northridge 72, South Bend St. Joe 115, Mishawaka 150, Fairfield 174, NorthWood 179, Wawasee 196, Mishawaka Marian 214, Bremen 230 Top 15 – 1. Ashley Erba (War) 18:10, 2. Anna Bearss (War) 18:59, 3. Corinne Cominator (NR) 19:16, 4. Lauren Pottschmidte (P) 19:30, 5. Cynthia Medina (NW) 19:32, 6. Kristina Galat (P) 19:33, 7. Jennifer Schrock (NR) 19:34, 8. Madison Woods (P) 19:34, 10. Brooke Kline (War) 19:40, 11. Michaela Lewis (SB Adams) 19:45, 12. Amanda Farrough (SB Clay) 19:45, 13. Kayla Casaletto (Elk. Chr) 19:46, 14. Kristin Quick (War) 19:46, 15. Sierra Moore (Elk. Memorial) 19:47 Warsaw – 1. Erba 18:10, 2. Bearss 18:59, 10. Kline 19:40, 14. Quick 19:46, 20. Creigh Ogle 20:31, 34. Madeline Hooks 21:10, 41. Michelle Feng 21:23 Wawasee – 17. Bre Robinson 20:09, 21. Courtney Linnemeier 20:31, 55. Hannah Wilczynski 22:00, 58. Jen Slabaugh 22:11, 68. Kaely Bame 23:16, 69. Sarah Jones 23:17, 73. Brittany Robinson 24:14
BOYS Team scores – Mishawaka 26, South Bend St. Joe 52, Warsaw 76, Northridge 91, Goshen 132, Penn 156, Concord 213, South Bend Riley 238, Fairfield 240, Mishawaka Marian 241 Top 15 – 1. Miguel Lozano (M) 15:51, 2. Joey Zielinski (St. Joe) 16:05, 3. Jacob Poyner (War) 16:12, 4. Eric Hancock (M) 16:15, 5. Jordan Annis (M) 16:15, 6. Josh O'Brien (St. Joe) 16:19, 7. Justin Duvall (M) 16:26, 8. James Bradberry (NR) 16:33, 9. Austin Ganger (M) 16:35, 10. Blake O'Dell (NR) 16:36, 11. Connor Method (St. Joe) 16:40, 12. Robert Murphy (War) 16:40, 13. Jordan Holloman (St. Joe) 16:41, 14. Anthony Spalding (Marian) 16:43, 15. Luke Kaufman (G) 16:43 Warsaw – 4. Poyner 16:12, 12. Murphy 16:40, 18. Ismael Calderon 16;58, 19. Michael Smolen 16:58, 30. Michael Compton 17:09, 37. James Brysten 17:18, 41. Cam Hoskins 17:28
