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SYRACUSE - Boys track and field coaches in the Northern Lakes Conference are well aware of how much Anthony Argentino and Kyle Johnson mean to Wawasee.
Warrior coach Scott Lancaster certainly knows, and Tuesday's home NLC meet with rivals Warsaw and Plymouth was a definite reminder.
With Argentino, Johnson and John Adams sidelined with injuries and or illness Warsaw ran away from the undefeated Warriors, scoring 71 points to Wawasee's 49. Plymouth finished the meet with 47 points.
Had Argentino competed Tuesday and ran the same times he did in Wawasee's last meet, the senior speedster, one of the top prep hurdlers in the nation, would have won the 110 hurdles by 1.6 seconds and the 300 hurdles by nearly three seconds.
Johnson's times from the Warriors' last meet would have had him tied for first in the 100 Tuesday and placed him third in the 200. Both Argentino and Johnson also compete in the 400 relay.
Tuesday wasn't a case of Lancaster making excuses, or for that matter Warsaw coach David Hoffert celebrating Wawasee's absences. Both coaches said after the meet they looked forward to the teams meeting again when both squads were healthy.
"Argentino tried to talk me in to letting him run," said Lancaster, whose Warriors fell to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in NLC competition. "If he had ran tonight he might not be ready for the next meet. We know how much he means to us, and we want him healthy so we don't lose him for a week."
Said Hoffert, whose Tigers improved to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the NLC, "We were really excited about this meet and were looking forward to some of the races to see what we could do. This isn't the last time we'll see Wawasee this year. They have a great team and some great individuals, and we look forward to seeing them again."
Both teams compete Saturday in the Fort Wayne North Side Relays.
Though the absence of Argentino and Johnson was a key storyline for Wawasee, take nothing away from the Tigers who won seven of the 16 events in the three-team meet, including the pole vault competition where Warsaw swept the top three spots.
Senior Kyle Boley won the pole vault with a height of 13-0, while junior Scott Sands improved a foot from last week to take second with a height of 12-0, while Tiger senior Phil Anuta also went 12-0 and finished third in the tie-breaker system.
Taking the top three spots, the Tigers scored 10 points in the pole vault.
"This was huge for our vaulting program," said Warsaw pole vault coach Tony Boley. "Sands and Anuta the last few weeks have really made some strides. Sands has improved a foot already. We didn't expect that but we'll take it."
Warsaw also finished one-two in the lone jump with senior Nate Miller (20-9) and sophomore J.W. Maierle (20-5 1/2), as well as the 200 with junior Thomas Balestri (:23.2) and Miller (:23.5).
Balestri, Miller and senior Dan Erickson were all absent from Warsaw's last meet, a win over Penn, and certainly made their impact felt Tuesday against rivals Wawasee and Plymouth.
Balestri and Miller teamed up with sophmore Tyler Hamman and junior Tony Castillo to win the 400 relay in 44.0 seconds.
The quartet of Erickson, Balestri, Castillo and Miller won the 1600 relay in a time of 3:33.3, nearly three seconds faster than second-place Plymouth.
Balestri also won the 100 in a time of 11.3 seconds, while senior Austin Caudill took first in the discus with a distance of 138-6 1/2, three feet better than runner-up Rob McKibben of Wawasee.
Wawasee put together first-place finishes in six events.
Junior Jordan Swain won the 110 hurdles in a time of 15.8 seconds, while teammate Tom Brown won the 300 hurdles in 42.7 seconds.
Also for Wawasee, Luke Stoffel won the 1600 in a time of 4:45.8 and the 3200 in a time of 10:32.1, Alex Similton the high jump with a height of 6-2, and Jason Smith the shot put with an effort of 51-6 1/2.
Plymouth's three first-place finishes came in the 3200 relay, 400 and 800.
Warsaw is in action again Thursday at Columbia City, while both the Tigers and Warriors will be in the Fort Wayne North Side Relays Saturday.
WARSAW 71, WAWASEE 49, PLYMOUTH 47
3200 relay - 1. Plymouth (Alex Quintana, A.J. Sullivan, Dan Avalos, Mark Byelick) 8:24.1, 2. Wawasee
110 hurdles - 1. Jordan Swain (Wawa) :15.8, 2. Kyle Boley (War), 3. Tom Brown (Wawa)
100 - 1. Thomas Balestri (War) :11.3, 2. Jerod Gaul (P), 3. Tyler Hamman (War)
1600 - 1. Luke Stoffel (Wawa) 4:45.8, 2. Ryan Holbrook (War), 3. Baxter Burnworth (War)
High jump - 1. Alex Similton (Wawa) 6-2, 2. Kevin Messmore (War), 3. Austin Kaiser (Wawa)
400 relay - 1. Warsaw (Hamman, Tony Castillo, Balestri, Nate Miller) :44.0, 2. Plymouth
400 - 1. Sullivan (P) :52.3, 2. Castillo (War), 3. David Slabaugh (Wawa)
300 hurdles - 1. Brown (Wawa) :42.7, 2. David Burroughs (P), 3. Tim Jamriska (P)
Shot put - 1. Jason Smith (Wawa) 51-6 1/2, 2. Kevin Stoneburner (P), 3. Kaiser (Wawa)
800 - 1. Byleick (P) 2:06.4, 2. Holbrook (War), 3. Avalos (P)
Long jump - 1. Miller (War) 20-9, 2. J.W. Maierle (War), 3. Michael Kerby (Wawa)
Discus - 1. Austin Caudill (War) 138-6 1/2, 2. Rob McKibben (Wawa), 3. Stoneburner (P)
200 - 1. Balestri (War) :23.2, 2. Miller (War), 3. Tim Popenfoose (Wawa)
Pole vault - 1. Kyle Boley (War) 13-0, 2. Scott Sands (War), 3. Phil Anuta (War)
3200 - 1. Stoffel (Wawa) 10:32.1, 2. Burnworth (War), 3. Dan Neidlinger (P)
1600 relay - 1. Warsaw (Dan Erickson, Balestri, Castillo, Miller) 3:33.3, 2. Plymouth
