BREMEN - Though his team qualified for the track and field state finals in four events, Warsaw coach Scott Erba left Tuesday's Bremen Regional with mixed feelings.
On one hand, the Tigers are sending two relay teams and two individuals to Indiana University in Bloomington for the May 30 state meet.On the other hand, his team competed in 13 of 16 events at the Bremen Regional and Erba was hoping to advance to state in a few more events.
"I'm kind of disappointed in some of the results and ecstatic with some of the other results," said Erba, whose Tigers finished third as a team with 54 points. "We wanted to get as many girls as possible to the state meet. We were hoping to get all three relay teams out and our throwers, Megan Davis and Sarah Shilling. Tonight just wasn't the night to do that. But have two relay teams and two individuals going to state. We're happy about that."
The top three individuals or teams in each event, as well as those that meet the state standard, advance to the state finals at Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex.
In the first running event of the evening, the Warsaw foursome of Courtnie Lyke, Ashley Henry, Cendall Ogle and Erica Ridderman won the 3,200 relay in a time of 9:38.40. The Tigers' winning time was 19 seconds better than their seed time.
In the final running event of the evening, the Tiger quartet of Sam Carter, Emily Hickerson, Leah Moore and Lauren Pridgen finished second in the 1,600 relay with a time of 4:04.36.
Advancing individually for the Tigers are Ridderman and Pridgen.
Riddmerman, a junior, finished second in the 1,600 with a time of 5:10.40, while Pridgen, a senior, advanced by finishing third in the 400 with a time of :58.36.
The 400 was one of the more anticipated events of the evening, as three of the top five 400-meter runners in the state competed last night at Nierste Track at Bremen High School.
In last week's Northern Lakes Conference Meet at Warsaw, Pridgen came away the winner, beating Goshen's Kaila Stevens.
It was the only time this season Stevens hadn't won the 400.
She made up for it by winning the regional in a time of 57.49 seconds, followed by runner-up Elese Daniel of South Bend Clay in a time of 57.86 seconds.
Stevens, Daniel and Pridgen finished the evening by running the anchor leg of the 1,600 relay for their respective team.
Goshen won the 1,600 relay in a time of 4:03.36.
Manchester, Tippecanoe Valley, Triton and Wawasee all had participants in the regional meet, but failed to advance anyone to the state finals.
In the overall team standings, Penn scored 81 points and came away with its first-ever Bremen Regional championship.
Mishawaka was second with 58.33 points, followed in the top 10 by Warsaw (54), Elkhart Memorial (50), S.B. Clay (41), Culver Girls Academy (36), Plymouth (35), Northridge (34.33), Goshen (31) and S.B. Riley (29).
In all, there were 41 schools represented at the Bremen Regional.
Last year, Warsaw and S.B. Clay shared the team championship.
With participants in 13 of 16 events, Erba was hoping his team would have played more of a factor in the overall team standings.
"Our goal was to get as many girls to state as possible," said Erba. "We had girls in 13 events. Our big focus was to get girls in the top three, and we could score a lot of points that way. Tonight just wasn't our night to do that."
Team scores - Penn 81, Mishawaka 58.33, Warsaw 54, Elkhart Memorial 50, South Bend Clay 41, Culver Girls Academy 36, Plymouth 35, Northridge 34.44, Goshen 31, South Bend Riley 29, South Bend St. Joseph's 28, South Bend Adams 21, Western 16, Fairfield 13, Northwestern 12, Kokomo 11, Elkhart Central 11, Concord 9, Mishawaka Marian 7, Bremen 7, Logansport 7, Oak Hill 6, Eastern (Greentown) 6, Manchester 6, Glenn 3, Culver Community 2, Madison-Grant 2, Wawasee 1, North Miami 1, Tippecanoe Valley 1, LaVille 1, South Bend Washington 1, Jimtown 1, Maconaquah .33.
