GOSHEN - The time of the season where high school cross country coaches talk about surviving and advancing, both the boys and girls squads from Warsaw and Wawasee did just that Tuesday evening.
The top five teams, as well as the top 15 individuals, from Tuesday's Elkhart Central Sectional at Ox Bow Park advanced to Saturday morning's regional competition.Among the regional qualifying teams are the Tigers and Warriors.
Warsaw's boys team led the way with a third-place finish in the 12-team field, as the Tigers posted a five-man score of 102.
"Our goal was to advance," said Warsaw assistant coach Rob Peters, speaking on behalf of head coach Jim Mills, who was out of the country on a business trip with his wife. "The top five make it to regional, and we did that. Saturday is what we're focused on. Our goal all season has been to run well at the regional and make it to semistate."
Saturday's regional gets underway at 9:30 a.m. with the girls race, followed by the boys event at 10 a.m.
All five boys teams that advanced from the Elkhart Central Sectional hale from the Northern Lakes Conference.
Northridge, led by individual sectional champion Ladd Mercer, who toured the 5,000-meter course in 16:06, won the team championship with 30 points.
Joining the Raiders in the top five were Concord (88), Warsaw (102), Wawasee (115) and Goshen (125).
Boys teams that competed but didn't advance included Elkhart Central (156), Elkhart Memorial (167), Fairfield (220), NorthWood (228), Elkhart Christian Academy (271), Bethany Christian (283) and Jimtown (344).
Junior Cody Goshert led the Tigers with a 12th-place finish in a time of 17:07, while Brian Donovan was 14th in a time of 17:09 for Warsaw.
"Cody and Brian are two juniors that are excellent kids," said Peters. "Brian was just two seconds behind Cody tonight, he really closed the gap. We're excited about going to regional. Our goal is to make it to semistate. If we run hard again, I think we have a good chance Saturday."
Other Tiger finishers included Jeremiah Stichter (19th, 17:34), Nathan West (25th, 17:43), Jordan Scroggs (32nd, 17:58), Ryan Connors (33rd, 18:03) and John Tabor (37th, 18:07).
While Warsaw's boys were the highest-area finishing team, Wawasee's boys team had the two highest-finishing area individuals.
Senior Ryan Smythe led Wawasee with a fourth-place time of 16:38, while teammate sophomore Jose Mejia was fifth in a time of 16:48.
"He did a great job," Wawasee coach Jerid Stoffel said of Smythe. "He started out a little slow though and had to catch up. If he wants to run up front with them he has to go out with them. Jose ran a good race but he got boxed in when the race started."
For the second event in a row, the Warriors were running without No. 2 runner Ross Stichter, who was sidelined for last week's conference meet and Tuesday's sectional with a hamstring injury.
"That changes our team a lot," said Stichter. "When you lose your No. 2 runner and put in your No. 6 runner, that changes things. It was a good night for our top two runners, but our three through seven runners need to get a little faster. The regional meet Saturday will be a great test for us."
Stoffel said he didn't know if Stichter would be available for Saturday's regional race.
After Smythe and Mejia, the next Warrior didn't cross the finish line until Daniel Gardner completed the course in a 30th-place time of 17:54.
Also running for the Wawasee boys were Thunder Olson (36th, 18:07), Kyle Denton (40th, 18:09), Luke Thompson (41st, 18:11), and Matt Rensberger (43rd, 18:21).
In the girls' 5,000-meter race, Warsaw finished fourth as a team with 134 points, while Wawasee also advanced by finishing fifth with 146 points.
"We expected to get out," said Warsaw girls coach Jerry Gackenheimer. "We ran strong a week ago at the conference meet and the girls had a good week of practice. We were confident we'd get out. Our top two, Erica Ridderman and Ashley Henry, set the tone for the rest of the girls. The girls passed the people they needed to and ran hard."
Ridderman led Warsaw with an eighth-place finish in a time of 20:26, while Henry ran a 12th-place time of 20:46.
Other finishers for the Warsaw girls team included Molly Pyle (25th, 21:53), Lauren Smolen (37th, 22:26), Katie McNulty (52nd, 23:25), Sena Muta (56th, 23:36) and Lauryn Steffe (58th, 23:52).
"This is two years in a row now we've advanced to regional," said Gackenheimer. "We're going to have to step it up another notch Saturday, there's some awful good teams coming from the South Bend Sectional."
Catherine Giltner led Wawasee's girls team with a 21st-place time of 21:40, while Stephanie Rhodes was 22nd in 21:41.
Other Warrior finishers included Nicole Rhodes (30th, 22:04), Kathrin Follert (35th, 22:24), Ellie Gilbert (38th, 22:31), Jessica Goldsmith (64th, 24:18) and Desi List (71st, 25:05).
Bethany Christian freshman Allison Hochstetler won the girls race in a time of 19:27, while Northridge senior Karissa Cominator was seven seconds behind her in second.
Northridge won the girls team championship with 35 points, followed in the top five by Goshen (76), Fairfield (89), Warsaw (134) and Wawasee (146).
Girls teams that didn't advance included Concord (164), Elkhart Memorial (184), Bethany Christian (199), Jimtown (222), NorthWood (236) and Elkhart Central (243).
ELK. CENTRAL SECTIONAL
(Boys)
Team scores - Northridge 30, Concord 88, Warsaw 102, Wawasee 115, Goshen 125, Elkhart Central 156, Elkhart Memorial 167, Fairfield 220, NorthWood 228, Elkhart Christian 271, Bethany Christian 283, Jimtown 344
Warsaw - 12. Cody Goshert 17:07, 14. Brian Donovan 17:09, 19. Jeremiah Stichter 17:34, 25. Nathan West 17:43, 32. Jordan Scroggs 17:58, 33. Ryan Connors 18:03, 37. John Tabor 18:07
Wawasee - 4. Ryan Smythe 16:38, 5. Jose Mejia 16:48, 30. Daniel Gardner 17:54, 36. Thunder Olson 18:07, 40. Kyle Denton 18:09, 41. Luke Thompson 18:11, 43. Matt Rensberger 18:21
(Girls)
Team scores - Northridge 35, Goshen 76, Fairfield 89, Warsaw 134, Wawasee 146, Concord 164, Elkhart Memorial 184, Bethany Christian 199, Jimtown 222, NorthWood 236, Elkhart Central 243
