Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Against Northern Lakes Conference rival Wawasee Tuesday afternoon, the biggest threat Warsaw's boys track team saw came from the weather.
Even that was brief.
The Tigers hosted their county rivals and won in convincing fashion, 95-37. Warsaw, now 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the NLC, finished its fourth consecutive undefeated season and won its 29th straight regular-season meet. Wawasee falls to 4-3-1 overall and 4-2 in conference action.
So convincing was Warsaw's win, members of the team found time to play Frisbeeª in the infield while waiting for their respective events.
Fifth-year Warsaw coach Troy Akers told his team afterward he didn't understand why the team that lost by 58 was more excited than the team that won by 58. One Wawasee runner made the comment, "at least we scored more than most teams."
"Wawasee is a good team up and coming," Akers said. "They're youthful and excited. We had some very good times, but we need to turn it up a notch before Friday."
Friday the Tigers will host the Max Truex Invitational, a 20-plus-team meet that will feature some of the state's best.
Wawasee took two first-place finishes against the Tigers Tuesday. Both came from senior distance runner Rob Chalfant.
Chalfant won the 1600 with a time of 4:32.87, followed by teammates Flaco Perales and Luke Stoffel in second and third, respectively. Chalfant then won the 3200 with a time of 10:18.59, again followed by Perales and Stoffel.
Just as strong as Wawasee was in the distance events, the Tigers were in the remaining 14 events.
"The sprints were good for us. We thought they would be," Akers said. "I thought the hurdlers ran well. Ryan Hill was sick last week and ran exceptionally well tonight."
Warsaw placed 1-2-3 in the 100, with junior Brad Seiss winning in a time of 11.04 seconds, followed by classmates Adam Sisson and Grady Randall.
Seiss, who along with classmate Chris Clay was being looked at by Division I football coaches Tuesday, won the 200 in a time of 23.28 seconds. Wawasee's Rhett Mikel and Travis Klenke finished second and third, respectively.
Ryan Hill won both hurdle events, taking the 110 hurdles in a time of 14.97 seconds and the 300 hurdles in a time of 40.47 seconds. Randall took second in the 300 hurdles.
To go with 14 first-place finishes, Warsaw took six seconds and four thirds.
Other first-place finishes for Warsaw came from Arnel Frantz (high jump, 6-1), Ryan Brennan (discus, 149-5), Adam Bott (long jump, 20-6), Chris Clay (400, 52.19 seconds), Cory Gackenheimer (pole vault, 12-6), Jon Dock (800, 2:00.26), Brent Satterly (shot put, 47-6), the 3200 relay team of Matt Krallman, Jake Sweatland, Rob Peters and Dock (8:33.75) and the 1600 relay team of Clay, Dock, Peters and Randall (3:29.34).
Warsaw will host the Max Truex Invitational at 6 p.m. Friday.
WARSAW 95, WAWASEE 37
110 hurdles - 1. Ryan Hill (War) :14.97, 2. Anthony Argentino (Wawa), 3. Cory Hill (War)
high jump - 1. Arnel Frantz (War) 6-1, 2. Nick Bolesky (War), 3. Chris Cline (Wawa)
discus - 1. Ryan Brennan (War) 149-5, 2. Jarod Leasure (War), 3. Jimmy Meyer (Wawa)
100 - 1. Brad Seiss (War) :11.04, 2. Adam Sisson (War), 3. Grady Randall (War)
1600 - 1. Rob Chalfant (Wawa) 4:32.87, 2. Flaco Perales (Wawa), 3. Jerid Stoffel (Wawa)
long jump - 1. Adam Bott (War) 20-6, 2. Frantz (War), 3. Travis Klenke (Wawa)
400 - 1. Chris Clay (War) :52.19, 2. Paul Clerkin (Wawa), 3. Sisson (War)
pole vault - 1. Cory Gackenheimer (War) 12-6, 2. Grant Gibson (Wawa), 3. H.B. Adams (Wawa)
300 hurdles - 1. R. Hill (War) :40.47, 2. Randall (War), 3. Argentino (Wawa)
800 - 1. Jon Dock (War) 2:00.26, 2. Chalfant (Wawa), 3. Rob Peters (War)
200 - 1. Seiss (War) :23.28, 2. Rhett Mikel (Wawa), 3. Klenke (Wawa)
shot put - 1. Brent Satterly (War) 47-6, 2. Leasure (War), 3. Meyer (Wawa)
3200 - 1. Chalfant (Wawa) 10:18.59, 2. Perales (Wawa), 3. Stoffel (Wawa)
3200 relay - 1. Warsaw (Matt Krallman, Jake Sweatland, Peters, Dock) 8:33.75, 2. Wawasee
400 relay - 1. Warsaw (R. Hill, Seiss, Randall, Sisson) :43.72, 2. Wawasee
1600 relay - 1. Warsaw (Clay, Dock, Peters, Randall) 3:29.34, 2. Wawasee
JV - WARSAW 97, WAWASEE 35
110 hurdles - 1. Tom Schulz (Wawa) :17.0, 2. Brent Lamb (Wawa), 3. Drew Evans (Wawa)
high jump - 1. Joel Popenfoose (War) 5-6, 2. Paul Finnegan (War), 3. Derek Sweazy (Wawa)
discus - 1. Austin Caudill (War) 123-9, 2. Nick Hanlin (Wawa), 3. Ken Anderson (Warsaw)
100 - 1. Popenfoose (War) :11.81, 2. Billy Sale (War), 3. Nate Miller (War)
1600 - 1. Brian Stutzman (Wawa) 5:11.56, 2. Peter Mansfield (War), 3. Kyle Johnson (Wawa)
long jump - 1. Miller (War) 18-9 1/2, 2. Micah Siesennop (War), 3. Kris Hueber (War)
400 - 1. Brandon Stogsdill (War) :55.63, 2. Guy Simmons (Wawa), 3. Randy Shilling (War)
300 hurdles - 1. Schulz (Wawa) :44.56, 2. Kyle Boley (War), 3. Evans (Wawa)
800 - 1. Ross Parker (War) 2:15.25, 2. Matt Dunithan (Wawa), 3. Mansfield (War)
200 - 1. Popenfoose (War) :24.0, 2. Hueber (War), 3. Tony Bachtel (Wawa)
shot put - 1. Hueber (War) 41-10, 2. Austin Caudill (War), 3. Frank Pineda (War)
3200 - 1. Stutzman (Wawa) 11:05.97, 2. Michael Jenks (War), 3. Landon Geiger (War)
3200 relay - 1. Warsaw (Freels, Parker, Mansfield, Erickson) 9:15.43, 2. Wawasee
400 relay - 1. Warsaw (C. Hill, Sale, Miller, Popenfoose) :46.09, 2. Wawasee
1600 relay - 1. Warsaw 3:41.48, 2. Wawasee
