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MENTONE - In the movies, Kenny Rogers was known as "The Gambler."
Last week, Tippecanoe Valley High School track coach Terry Screeton was asked if he was a gambing man, who he thought would place in the top four of Tuesday's girls sectional at Valley.
His response in order: Plymouth, Manchester, Culver Military Academy and Valley. Other teams competing Tuesday include Argos, Caston, Culver, Northfield, Oregon-Davis, Rochester, Triton and Whitko.
In his 13th year at Valley, Screeton is still looking for his first sectional championship. According to Screeton, this gives his team two advantages.
"For one thing, it's on our track, and that's a mental edge for us," said Screeton. "Second, we don't have to travel and it's in front of our fans. We've performed well as a team, but the title has been controlled by Plymouth over the years."
Last year the Vikings finished third as a team, with their best performances coming from Sarah Kindig in the 400, Kristi Rudd in the 400 relay and 100 hurdles and Lynette Wilcox in the 1600 relay.
Four of the teams, Northfield, Rochester, Manchester and Whikto, all ran at Valley Friday night in the Three Rivers Conference track meet, where the Vikings placed second among the eight teams.
Of the aforementioned Vikings, Kindig placed first in the 400 and Rudd finished fourth in the 100 hurdles at the TRC meet Friday, where they ran against teams they will compete with tommorrow.
Screeton was asked how much of an advantage it is that much of the sectional field is conference teams or teams the Vikings have seen this year.
"I guess I like the fact that we know who we have to beat in the individual races," said Screeton, "and our team has to perform up to its ability having seen them before. I don't know if it's an advantage or disadvantage, but I mark certain girls in certain races. It gives our kids goals to shoot for."
The Vikings will enter Tuesday's sectional with a 7-2 record.
Among other local teams, Warsaw will host a 10-team sectional that includes Concord, Elkhart Central, Elkhart Memorial, Fairfield, Goshen, Jimtown, Northridge, NorthWood and Wawasee. The first four places in all events at Tuesday's Warsaw Sectional will advance to the Bremen Regional. Last year, Concord won the Warsaw Sectional, the Tigers tied for sixth. Warsaw, whose 1,600 relay team enters the sectional as the top seed, currently owns a 5-5-1 season record. NorthWood finished second in last year's Warsaw Sectional.
LOCAL TRACK TEAMS AND THEIR SECTIONALS
Listed below are current records and last year's sectional placings for the area teams competing in Tuesday's Tippecanoe Valley and Warsaw Girls Track Sectionals.
TIPPECANOE VALLEY SECTIONAL
May 18
Field events 5:30 p.m, running trials 6 p.m., finals 7 p.m.
Tippecanoe Valley 7-2, third in last year's sectional
Whitko (record N/A), second in last year's sectional
Triton 8-3, fourth in last year's sectional
Manchester 4-2, seventh in last year's sectional
WARSAW SECTIONAL
May 18
Field events start at 5:30 p.m.
Warsaw 5-5-1, tied for sixth in last year's sectional
NorthWood 6-1-1, second in last year's sectional
Wawasee 3-6-1, sectional finish N/A
