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MENTONE -ÊManchester's boys track and field team enjoyed winning the Three Rivers Conference title so much a year ago, the Squires look like they may follow it up with another one.
The Manchester boys, who won the TRC and sectional team titles one year ago, beat Tippecanoe Valley 86-46 on Thursday. The win pushed Manchester's record to 3-0 in the TRC.
That the Squires beat Valley was not a surprise. Before the season started, Valley coach Terry Screeton said his team "had too many holes." With the people Manchester had returning, the Squires again figured to challenge for the TRC title.
And it looks like they will. Even without Nick Iden competing in the hurdles, even without Rex Reimer competing in the long jump and 400, Manchester still beat Valley by 40.
All Iden and Reimer typically do is combine for four to six first places at every meet.
But Iden is suspended until Saturday, and Reimer competed in only the 400 relay as first-year coach Ned Bowman shuffled his lineup.
Leading the way against Valley were Jeremy Stacy, Michael Hendrix, Andres Bueker and Greg Groombridge. Stacy, Hendrix and Bueker were each involved in three first places, while Groombridge won two.
Stacy shined in the distance runs, winning the 1,600-meter and 3,200 runs. He also was a member of the winning 3,200 relay team.
Hendrix took care of the short distances, winning the 100. He also ran legs for the winning 400 and 1,600 relay teams.
With Iden, who went to the state finals in the hurdles a year ago, out, Bueker took over for him. Bueker won the 110 high hurdles and 400. Along with Hendrix, he ran a lap for the first-place 1,600 relay team.
Groombridge was the field events man, winning the shot put and discus.
Joey Manns had two of Valley's five first-place finishes. He won the long jump and 300 low hurdles.
"Joey Manns had a real good meet," Screeton said. "He won the long jump at 20 feet, and he beat (Manchester's Annon) Gaerte in the hurdles, and he's tough."
Valley's Noah Silveus performed well in the high jump, winning that with a leap of 6 feet.
Still, Screeton talked holes afterward.
"We have some guys who are strong up front," he said, "but we still have a few too many holes to be a good dual meet team."
Manchester, 3-1 overall, competes in the Marion Invitational at 11 a.m. Saturday. Valley, 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the TRC, competes in the Fort Wayne Invitational at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Girls: Tippecanoe Valley 81, Manchester 42
The Tippecanoe Valley girls track and field team has what its boys team doesn't have: depth.
It showed up Thursday, as the Vikings took two of the top three places in 11 events.
Teri Neer won the 100 and 200 for Valley, while teammate Jenny Day won the 1,600 and 3,200 runs. All told, Valley won 11 of the 15 events.
"I was real impressed with our girls," Screeton said. "We got a lot of points everywhere. Our sprints haven't been real strong, but we scored points there. It seemed like we were scoring everywhere. Our girls are going to be real good in dual and triangular meets."
Tippecanoe Valley, 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the TRC, is at Northridge at 10 a.m. Saturday. Manchester, 1-1 in the TRC, competes in the Marion Invitational at 11 a.m. Saturday.
BOYS: MANCHESTER 86,
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 46
3,200 relay - 1. Manchester (Hileman, Kern, Stacy, Walter) 9:20.33, 2. Tippecanoe Valley
110 high hurdles -Ê1. Bueker (M) :16.7, 2. Smith (TV), 3. Gaerte (M)
100 - 1. Hendrix (M) :12.0, 2. McNeal (TV), 3. Barrett (M)
shot put - 1. Groombridge (M) 47-7, 2. Smith (TV), 3. Winters (M)
1,600 - 1. Stacy (M) 5:07, 2. Haywood (TV), 3. Hileman (M)
long jump -Ê1. Manns (TV) 20, 2. Bechtold (M), 3. Barrett (M)
400 relay -Ê1. Manchester (Reimer, Barrett, Peden, Hendrix) :46.7, 2. Tippecanoe Valley, 3. Manchester
high jump -Ê1. Silveus (TV) 6-0, 2. Gaerte (M), 3. Bechtold (M)
pole vault -Ê1. Rhodes (M) 11-0, 2. Groombridge (M), 3. Wiley (M)
400 -Ê1. Bueker (M) :55.3, 2. Silveus (TV), 3. Prater (TV)
300 low hurdles -Ê1. Manns (TV) :43.2, 2. Gaerte (M), 3. Carlin (TV)
800 -Ê1. Heyman (TV) 2:10.6, 2. Walter (M)
discus -Ê1. Groombridge (M) 113-2, 2. Moore (TV), 3. Rhodes (M)
200 - 1. Patterson (TV) :24.9, 2. Peden (M), 3. Miller (M)
3,200 -Ê1. Stacy (M) 11:52.6, 2. Riccius (M), 3. Fawley (M)
1,600 relay - 1. Manchester (Bueker, Bechtold, Barrett, Hendrix) 3:47, 2. Tippecanoe Valley
Records: Manchester 3-1, 1-0 TRC; Tippecanoe Valley 2-1, 0-1 TRC
GIRLS: TIPPECANOE VALLEY 81,
MANCHESTER 42
long jump - 1. Wilcox (TV) 15-1 1/2, 2. Parker (M), 3. Kindig (TV)
high jump - 1. Sanders (TV) 4-10, 2. Pratt (TV), 3. Drudge (TV)
discus - 1. Rose (TV) 107-4, 2. Stambaugh (M), 3. Poe (M)
shot put - 1. Poe (M) 31-8, 2. Parker (TV), 3. Fox (TV)
3,200 relay - 1. Tippecanoe Valley (Kindig, Walters, Sanders, Day) 12:42
100 hurdles - 1. McFarren (TV) :17.5, 2. Ch. Markstahler (M), 3. Rudd (TV)
1,600 relay - 1. Manchester (Ch. Markstahler, Ca. Markstahler, Spann, Parker) 4:49, 2. Tippecanoe Valley
100 - 1. Neer (TV) :14.9, 2. Hendrix (M), 3. Biltz (TV)
1,600 -Ê1. Day (TV) 6:03, 2. S. Knecht (M), 3. Kindig (TV)
400 relay -Ê1. Tippecanoe Valley (Jones, Biltz, Day, Kindig) :56.5, 2. Manchester
400 - 1. Pontious (TV) 1:11, 2. Wilcox (TV), 3. Riffle (TV)
300 hurdles - 1. Ch. Markstahler (M) :54.5, 2. McFarren (TV), 3. Law (TV)
800 -Ê1. Ca. Markstahler (M) 2:47, 2. Walters (TV), 3. Whetstone (TV)
200 - 1. Neer (TV) :31.2, 2. Parker (M), 3. Osterman (TV)
3,200 -Ê1. Day (TV) 13:20, 2. M. Knecht (M), 3. Strohschein (TV)
Records: Tippecanoe Valley 3-0, 1-0 TRC; Manchester 1-1, 1-1 TRC
