Warsaw Boys, Girls Win XC SectionalCULVER – For Warsaw's boys and girls cross country teams, the outcome of Saturday's sectional races was as beautiful as the weather. In near-perfect fall conditions on the picturesque campus of Culver Academies, the Tigers and Lady Tigers each extended their sectional championship streak to six years. Warsaw's girls team, led by Allison Miller's second-place time of 19:53, won the team title with 24 points as all five scoring runners finished in the top eight of the 65-person 5K event. The Lady Tigers' sixth and seventh runners finished 13th and 14th, capping their domination of the rest of the field. On the boys side, Zeb Hernandez led Warsaw with a second-place time of 16:09, lifting the Tigers to a team total of 36 points. The Tigers' five scoring runners all placed in the top 13, while their sixth and seventh runners finished 17th and 21st, respectively, in the 70-person race. “We had some girls drop some serious time today,” said Warsaw girls coach Matt Campbell. “We had girls that didn't improve as much as I thought they would, and we had some that dropped 30 or 40 seconds.” Asked about extending the sectional win streak, Campbell said the program expects to win. “We expect it now,” said Campbell. “The competition isn't as good. That's nothing against the other teams ... we're just a bigger school, and we expect to win. It feels good, but yeah, it's expected.” Warsaw's Megan Metzger finished third in a time of 20:18, while the rest of the Lady Tigers' lineup included Angie Sanchez-Vigil (5th, 20:25), Remi Beckham (6th, 20:30), Mallory Hooks (8th, 20:38), Lauren Orr (13th, 20:50) and Amanda Herman (14th, 20:52). Manchester's Rae Bedke won the girls race in a time of 19:12, leading the Lady Squires to a second-place team score of 67 points. Rochester finished third with 85 points, followed by Culver Academies (115), Plymouth (138), Caston (148), Triton (151), North Miami (226) and Tippecanoe Valley (250). The top five teams, as well as the top 10 individuals not on an advancing team, qualified for Saturday's regional, which will also be held at Culver Academies. Manchester's second-place team finish in the girls standings was aided by all five scoring runners finishing in the top 27. The Lady Squires' Tahnee Fuentes finished ninth in a time of 20:39, followed by teammates Jaelyn Webb (10th, 20:40), Clara Burdette (20th, 21:44), Sydney Diefenbaugh (27th, 22:25), Katie Barker (31st, 22:57) and Maddy Evans (42nd, 23:59). Despite not advancing as a team, the Triton Lady Trojans' top five runners advanced to the regional as individuals. Baylee McIntire finished 24th in a time of 22:15, followed by teammates Whytnie Miller (25th 22:16), Briana Wilhite (32nd, 23:09), Michaela Best (34th, 23:25) and Aimee Gladieux (37th, 23:50). In the boys team standings, the host Eagles finished second with 53 points, followed by Rochester (72), Plymouth (96), Caston (141), Manchester (166), Triton (190), North Miami (220), Tippecanoe Valley (250) and Argos (313). Caston's Mitchell Rans won the boys race in a time of 15:59, 10 seconds ahead of Warsaw's Hernandez. The Tigers were able to capture the boys team title, in large part, because Xavi Ramirez (16:53) and Lucas Howett (16:56) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. The rest of Warsaw's lineup included Taylor Mills (12th, 17:45), Justin Fleming (13th, 17:46), Nathaniel Gottschalk (17th, 17:56) and Ridley Lemon (21st, 18:08). “We can get down to Terre Haute (to the state finals) if we put it all together,” said Warsaw boys coach Jim Mills. “Maybe a month ago, we were like 'oh my gosh, I don't know whether this is gonna happen or not.' But then Gottschalk went 17:19, almost a PR for him. There's one guy that we needed to get up there, and he has. My son (Taylor Mills), had a great two-mile today. I think he went through the first two miles in about 10:15. And he just couldn't finish the race out. Now we're gonna work on that third mile for him. We have the team that can make it, it's just every year when we go to New Prairie (for the semistate), there's a lot of teams that choke big-time up there. Last year we ran the worst race of our life and finished seventh, almost made it out, and we almost passed out in the stands when we heard that. We just have to close the gap, and put it all together.” The Tigers were the only local squad to advance to the boys regional, but Manchester did advance six runners as individuals, while three Triton runners advanced. Manchester’s Drew Jones finished 25th in a time of 18:29, followed by teammates Ethan Davis (33rd, 18:57), Hunter Miller (34th, 19:17), Ben Reichenbach (36th, 19:40), Montgomery Pattison (38th, 20:01) and Reece Adamiec (39th (20:01). Triton’s Bailey Watkins (18:45) finished 29th, while teammates Russell Reichard (18:45) and Josiah Page (19:20) were 30th and 35th, respectively.
CULVER ACADEMIES SECTIONAL Note – top 5 teams, as well as top 10 individual not on advancing team, qualify for Oct. 14 regional.
(Girls) Team Scores – Warsaw 24, Manchester 67, Rochester 85, Culver Academies 115, Plymouth 138, Caston 148, Triton 151, North Miami 226, Tippecanoe Valley 250 Race Winner – Rae Bedke (Manchester) 19:12 Warsaw – 2. Allison Miller 19:53, 3. Megan Metzger 20:18, 5. Angie Sanchez-Vigil 20:25, 6. Remi Beckham 20:30, 8. Mallory Hooks 20:38, 13. Lauren Orr 20:50, 14. Amanda Hermann 20:52 Manchester – 1. Rae Bedke 19:12, 9. Tahnee Fuentes 20:39, 10. Jaelyn Webb 20:40, 20. Clara Burdette 21:44, 27. Sydney Diefenbaugh 22:25, 31. Katie Barker 22:57, 42. Maddy Evans 23:59 Triton – 24. Baylee McIntire 22:15, 25. Whytnie Miller 22:16, 32. Briana Wilhite 23:09, 34. Michaela Best 23:25, 37. Aimee Gladieux 23:50, 38. Abigail Powell 23:51, 62. Makayla Greenwalt 30:28 T. Valley – 45. Haley Hoover 24:51, 47. Valeria Jimenez 24:56, 51. Claudia Ramos 25:11, 55. Alyssa Bell 25:59, 59. Lexi Durkes 27:37, 60. Lauren Sponseller 27:37, 61. Abbi Miller 28:38
(Boys) Team Scores – Warsaw 36, Culver Academies 53, Rochester 72, Plymouth 96, Caston 141, Manchester 166, Triton 190, North Miami 220, Tippecanoe Valley 250, Argos 313 Race Winner – Mitchell Rans (Caston) 15:59 Warsaw – 2. Zeb Hernandez 16:09, 4. Xavi Ramirez 16:53, 5. Lucas Howett 16:56, 12. Taylor Mills 17:45, 13. Justin Fleming 17:46, 17. Nathaniel Gottschalk 17:56, 21. Thomas Lemon 18:08 Manchester – 25. Drew Jones 18:29, 33. Ethan Davis 18:57, 34. Hunter Miller 19:17, 36. Ben Reichenbach 19:40, 38. Montgomery Pattison 20:01, 39. Reece Adamiec 20:01, 42. Wilson Nettleton 20:08 Triton – 29. Bailey Watkins 18:45, 30. Russell Reichard 18:45, 35. Josiah Page 19:20, 41. Shaun Honeycutt 20:06, 55. Brock Watkins 21:30, 57. Ty Perry 21:34, 67. Jeremiah Goodrich 23:51 T. Valley – 45. Jared Mikel 20:24, 46. Justin Peconga 20:27, 49. Mitchell Smith 20:37, 52. Colt Demske 21:08, 58. Tristen Nuest 21:47, 60. Evan Lowman 21:49, 64. Chevy Teeter 22:47
