GOSHEN – Jim Mills is confident he has the best 1-2-3 combination in the state. He certainly has the best trio of runners in the Northern Lakes Conference – junior Ellis Coon and seniors Robert Murphy and Jake Poyner proved that again Saturday. In the NLC Meet at Ox Bow Park, Coon, Murphy and Poyner claimed the top three spots in the 5K, leading the sixth-ranked Tigers to a second-straight conference championship. Coon won in a time of 15:56, followed by Murphy in 15:58 and Poyner in 16:01. “They showed up to run today,” said Mills. “It’s like ‘oh my gosh, Jake got beat,’ but we have three all-state runners. They are three very different personalities. Jake is the meticulous one. Robert is always right where he needs to be. And Ellis is one of the most fiery competitors I’ve ever coached. If the finish line is in sight, I would bet on Ellis every time. He sees blood.” Their brilliant performance in the 55-person race helped Warsaw score 29 points, beating runner-up and 13th-ranked Northridge by seven points. The Raiders finished fourth, fifth and sixth individually with Blake O’Dell, James Bradberry and Jacob Frost. Goshen finished a distant third with 74 points, followed by Wawasee (95), Concord (159), NorthWood (165), Plymouth (219) and Elkhart Memorial (220). “We wanted people to know we meant business,” said Coon. “We wanted people to know Warsaw was here.” Each team can have seven runners in the race. The top five runners from each squad are used in the team scoring. The Tigers’ five scoring runners all finished in the top 15. Warsaw’s Brysten James was eighth in a time of 16:36, while Daniel Messenger was 15th in 17:03. “It is gratifying to win,” said Mills. “All the credit goes to the guys, they deserve it. Great runners like we have make coaches look good.” The Tigers went through the regular season NLC schedule with a 7-0 record. Wawasee was led by the ninth-place finish of Reid Stichter (16:41). Adam Doll was the Warriors’ second runner to cross the line, finishing 18th in a time of 17:13. In the girls 5K race, the 15th-ranked Lady Tigers took the top two spots with seniors Ashley Erba and Sarah Ray. Erba, the defending state champion, set a new course record of 17:17, while Ray crossed the line in 18:59. “I like it here,” Ashley Erba said of Elkhart County’s Ox Bow Park. “We usually run here three or four times per year. It’s a course I’ve always really liked.” While Warsaw claimed the top two individual spots, Northridge’s depth led to another meet win and conference championship. The ninth-ranked Lady Raiders’ five scoring runners finished fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and 13th. Northridge won the team title with 35 points, while the Lady Tigers finished second with 56 points. Warsaw’s other scoring runners included Hanna Dawson (20:01) in 11th, Emma Hayward (20:33) in 17th and Madeline Hooks (20:46) in 25th. “I feel content where we ended up,” said Warsaw girls coach Scott Erba. “Northridge is a great team, and a great program. It’s back to the work bench now. Time to get ready for the sectional and regional. We have a good team, and our focus now is on the state tournament.” Elkhart Memorial finished third with 76 points, followed by Goshen (116), Wawasee (128), Plymouth (136), Concord (159) and NorthWood (222). Wawasee was led by Breanna Robinson’s eighth-place finishing time of 19:52. Courtney Linnemeier was the second Lady Warrior to cross the line, finishing 19th in 20:34. Following Saturday’s meet, Ashley Erba and her mom, Karen Erba, flew to Washington D.C. for a visit to Georgetown University. Ashley Erba, a little more than a week ago ran the fastest time in state history when she won in 17:13 at the Culver Invitational, will visit the University of Washington this weekend. “Running is something that’s very special to me,” said Ashley Erba. “It’s not just something I do, it’s part of who I am. It’s a big priority in my life.” Erba’s course record Saturday broke the record of Mishawaka sophomore Anna Rohrer, who a half hour earlier in the Northern Indiana Conference Meet ran a first-place time of 17:38. Rohrer is the only girl this season to beat Erba, when they ran head-to-head at the New Prairire Invite. Rohrer ran a time of 17:14 that day – at the time it was the fastest 5K girls time in state history. One week later, Erba not only avenged the loss by beating Rohrer in the Culver Invite, but upped the state’s fastest time to 17:13. “It’s great for the sport,” Scott Erba said of what his daughter and Rohrer have done this season. “To be able to see both of them at the same venue, that’s neat for people watching. We’re talking about the two fastest girls cross country runners in state history. To see them both here today at the same venue, that’s pretty special.”
