Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH MANCHESTER - Northfield showed once again why it is the class of the TRC in cross country on Thursday. The boys and girls both placed first at the TRC meet and had eight team members (four boys and four girls) named to the all-conference team. The Norse were so dominant, in fact, that the 49 total points by the boys and girls teams represent a better score than any other single boys or girls team.
However, Manchester and Whitko both made strong showings in the boys competition, placing second and third overall and the Tippecanoe Valley girls scored a 104 for fourth place, just two points behind Rochester for third.
On the boys side, Northfield took first overall as Chad Andrews placed first, Jason Park took third, Cody McClure took fourth and Jared Meale placed eighth. All of those runners were named to the all-conference team.
Jeremy Stacy's fifth place performance and Josh Hileman's 11th place finish gave Manchester second place with 86 points. Stacy was also named to the all-conference team.
"We ran well when we can take second to Northfield," Manchester head coach Kevin Walter said. "The kids came on as the year ran on. Jeremy Stacy we knew was solid all year. He's worked hard this season. You always want your seniors to go out running well. It will be a nice memory for him (making all-conference). Whitko was the team we knew we had to beat, and they did it."
Whitko took third place with 91 points as Daryl Nicodemus took 12th and Mike McKeighen placed 13th overall.
"The guys did real well tonight," head coach Steve Hoopingarner said. "We were concerned about Daryl (Nicodemus) and how he was going to run. He turned out real well and led the team for us."
Valley ended in seventh overall with a score of 202, just edging North Miami by three points. Kevin Hileman placed 22nd for the Vikings.
On the girls side, Northfield took the top three spots and sixth place to run away with the win.
After Oak Hill and Rochester, Valley was led by Jenny Day and Tamar Strohschein. Day's seventh place performance was good for all-conference honors and Strohschein finished 14th.
Manchester took sixth behind Shay Knecht. Knecht took ninth place, missing all-conference honors by one place.
Whitko placed last with a score of 199 as Brooke Southworth led the Wildcats with a 23rd place finish.
Among boys reserves, Manchester took second as Tom Wion finished fifth and Rod Smith took ninth place.
Walter began to look ahead to the sectional after the event was finished.
"We can still make a dip in our times," Walter said. "Our sectional is loaded. Northfield and Wabash are just off the state rankings. They're awful tough. Then you add Carroll and some other people. We're going to be competing for the last spot."
Whitko, Manchester and Valley will all compete in the sectional at Manchester on Saturday.
BOYS: NORTHFIELD 25, MANCHESTER 86, WHITKO 91, OAK HILL 100, SOUTHWOOD 110, ROCHESTER 128, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 202, NORTH MIAMI 205
Top 10 finishers - 1. Chad Andrews (North) 15:53, 2. B.J. Needler (South) 16:39, 3. Jason Park (North) 16:39, 4. Cody McClure (North) 16:55, 5. Jeremy Stacy (Manch) 17:10, 6. Brett Middlesworth (Oak) 17:21, 7. Ben Cooper (South) 17:25, 8. Jared Meale (North) 17:34, 9. Darrin Haupert (North) 17:35, 10. Jason Cordes (North) 17:37
Other Manchester runners - 11. Josh Hileman 17:42, 17. Derek Miller 18:01, 19. Daniel Walter 18:07, 34. Jan Riccus 18:54, 37. Nate Kerr 19:14, 38. Ryan Accetta 19:20
Whitko - 12. Daryl Nicodemus 17:45, 13. Mike McKeighen 17:48, 18. Jered Deckena 18:06, 23. Tyler Hull 18:10, 25. Micah Moncrief 18:11, 30. Phil Fetro 18:36, 41. Scott Ervin 19:33
Valley - 22. Kevin Hileman 18:10, 32. Ian Fawley 18:49, 47. Mike Ross 20:04, 48. David Tilden 20:07, 53. Nick Miller 20:58, 54. Evan Boggs
BOYS RESERVE: OAK HILL 62, MANCHESTER 67, ROCHESTER 84
Top 10 finishers - 1. Jared Haupert (North) 17:44, 2. Travis Ross (North) 19:04, 3. David Brown (North) 19:30, 4. Todd Wallace (Oak) 19:36, 5. Tom Wion (Manch) 19:51, 6. Greg Kessie (Whitko) 19:57, 7. Jon Stamper (Roch) 20:02, 8. Nic Cain (Oak) 20:08, 9. Rod Smith (Manch) 20:10, 10. Adam Bower (Whitko) 20:11
Other Manchester runners - 13. Lee Shafer 20:41, 15. Ross Fawley 20:51, 25. Luke Thompson 22:05, 27. Scott Holbert 22:43, 31. Joel Hartsough 24:33
Other Whitko runners - 12. Josh Hoffman 20:37, 21. Zack Kessie 21:21
GIRLS: NORTHFIELD 24, OAK HILL 68, ROCHESTER 102, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 104, NORTH MIAMI 111, MANCHESTER 150, SOUTHWOOD 178, WHITKO 199
Top 10 finishers - 1. Natalie Guenin (North) 15:06, 2. Candace Carrothers (North) 15:26, 3. Page Mirante (North) 15:33, 4. Jaymi Hartzler (Roch) 15:36, 5. Christin Tyner (Oak) 15:39, 6. Janna Cordes (North) 15:48, 7. Jenny Day (Valley) 15:53, 8. Brooke Cameron (Oak) 16:06, 9. Shay Knecht (Manch) 16:09, 10. Katie Spencer (Roch) 16:25
Other Valley runners - 14. Tamar Strohschein 16:39, 20. Sarah Kindig 16:56, 29. Emily Jackson 17:41, 34. Julia Honig 18:15, 35. Carrie Whetstone 18:15, 37. Kelly Kamp 18:36
Other Manchester runners - 27. Cassie Markstahler 17:29, 28. Marissa Knecht 17:32, 36. Christy Markstahler 18:27, 50. Alyson Beery 21:53
Whitko - 23. Brooke Southworth 17:04, 42. Tiffany Obregon 19:50, 43. Lisa Menek 19:55, Natlie Ridenour 20:12, 46. Rita Wilkinson 20:18
GIRLS RESERVE: OAK HILL 20, NORTHFIELD 42
Valley - 14. Tiffany Norris 19:22, 18. Frances Kantner 19:43, 19. Alyssa VanCleave 19:48, 22. Stephanie Wilcox 19:59
