WINONA LAKE - On a day temperatures reached 90 degrees, the action was also red-hot in the Tiger Invite at Grace College's Miller Field.
In a boys 5K cross country meet that featured 141 runners from nine schools, the first- and third-place teams were seperated by a mere eight points.In the girls 5K event, a race in which 107 runners from eight different schools crossed the finish line, the first- and third-place teams were seperated by just 16 points.
"They were all good teams," said Warsaw boys coach Jim Mills, whose team finished second with 46 points. "When you've got a smaller invite, and there's not a lot of runners in-between, it's pretty much a three-team meet."
Tuesday's Tiger Invite certainly looked like a three-team meet.
Huntington North won the team championship in both races, but not without serious challenges in both events from the host Tigers. Columbia City's girls team, as well as Whitko's boys team, also made things interesting.
The Vikings won the boys championship with 41 points, followed in the top five by Warsaw (46), Whitko (49), Northfield (118), and Wabash (129).
"We ran OK," said Mills, whose team was led by the third-place finish of Jordan Scroggs (16:47) and sixth-place finish of Trevor Callahan (17:05.90). "We're still trying to get our top five set. We've got a solid four, but we're looking for a fifth guy."
Jacob Poyner (17:37.80) finished ninth for the Tigers, while Spencer Rheinhardt (17:39.20) was 10th and Ellis Coon (18:09.80) finished 18th.
Columbia City finished sixth as a team in the boys event with 156 points, while NorthWood (166), Peru (232) and Tippecanoe Valley (285) rounded out the field.
Whitko's Brian Menzie won the boys race in a time of 16:35.70, while Trapper Myze ran a fourth-place time of 16:50.80 for the Wildcats, whose five scoring runners all finished in the top 17.
The Wildcats' other three scoring runners were Jude Stieglitz (12th, 17:55.80), Brody Wilson (15th, 18:05.70) and Dallas Asher (17th, 18:08.80).
Brandon Tolson led Tippecanoe Valley with a 67th-place time of 20:27.40, while teammate Brody Cook ran a 92nd-place time of 21:44.10.
On the girls side, Huntington North took first as a team with 42 points, followed in the top five by Warsaw (52), Columbia City (58), NorthWood (79) and Northfield (184).
Whitko (188), Tippecanoe Valley (194) and Peru (195) rounded out the field.
"This is Huntington North's fourth meet, and it's the first time their five runners didn't all finish together," said Warsaw girls coach Jerry Gackenheimer. "We broke up their pack. Brooke Kline finished ahead of their No. 5. In cross country, you have to be close together, and Huntington North is very good at that."
Warsaw had two girls finish in the top five, with Ashley Erba running a second-place time of 20:46.50 and Anna Bearss crossing the line in 20:59.70, but Huntington North won the team title as their top four runners finished sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth.
The Lady Vikings' fifth runner, Cassie Hacker, finished 14th.
Warsaw's other three scoring runners - Brooke Kline, Creigh Ogle and Kara Millington - finished 11th, 15th and 19th, respectively.
"We're talking more and more every day about running in a pack," said Gackenheimer. "Huntington North is a very good team, and I'm very happy with the way our whole team ran. We've got a couple girls fighting injuries, but I was pleased with our effort."
NorthWood's Cynthia Medina won the girls race in a time of 20:27.
Aubrie Smith led the Whitko girls with a 23rd-place time of 22:33.20, while Robyn Eacklin led Tippecanoe Valley with a 41st-place time of 23:50.20.
GIRLS
Team Scores - Huntington North 42, Warsaw 52, Columbia City 58, NorthWood 79, Northfield 184, Whitko 188, Tippecanoe Valley 194, Peru 195
