Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
As has been the story all season, it was youth performing more like seasoned veterans for Warsaw and Wawasee in Tuesday's girls track sectional.
With the top four individuals or teams in each event advancing to Tuesday's Bremen Regional, Warsaw freshman Julie Seiss advanced in four events, while Wawasee freshman Jessie Spearman advanced in three events.
Keeping her undefeated streak alive in the high jump, Seiss, seeded No. 1 in the sectional with a previous jump of 5-6, the talented freshman won last night's sectional championship with a leap of 5-3.
As she did in Thursday's Northern Lakes Conference Meet, Wawasee freshman Tara Clouse finished second to Seiss at the sectional, finishing with a runner-up height of 5-2.
Seiss picked up her second sectional championship by running a time of 2:21.63 in the 800, finishing two seconds ahead of runner-up Megan Jackson of Northridge. Warsaw senior Rachel Rondeau advanced to the regional by finishing third in the event, one spot ahead of Brittany Winchester, who also advanced with her fourth-place time of 2:27.71.
Seiss, the only area competitor to win an individual sectional championship last night, teammed up with seniors Claire Beckett and Rondeau and junior Jaclyn Leininger to win the 1600 relay in a time of 4:08.08.
The sectional championship in the 1600 relay marked the fourth straight year the Tigers have accomplished the feat.
"I thought we had a good shot at it," Warsaw coach Paul Boyd said of winning the 1600 relay. "I was concerned with (Elkhart) Central, they scared us there. They had a lead, but we came back and had Julie on the last leg. That relay team ran a great race."
Other Tigers to advance to the Bremen Regional included Lindsay Francis, who finished second in the 100 hurdles, and the 3200 relay team of Becket, Rachel Rondeau, Andrea Rondeau and Seiss.
The Tiger foursome finished second in the event with a time of 10:17.30.
Francis, a freshman, finished runner-up in the 100 hurdles with a time of 17.23 seconds.
"I couldn't be more excited for Lindsay Francis," Boyd said. "Here's a girl that was running in middle school last year, and now she's going to the regional at the varsity level. I'm very happy for her."
For Wawasee, Spearman advanced with runner-up finishes in the 100 and 200, as well as a fourth-place finish in the 400 relay with teammates Gloria Boesenberg, Jodi Buhrt and Claire List.
Sophomore Rachel Stichter advanced to the regional in the 1600 and 3200, finishing second in both events.
Other Warriors to advance included Shaina Bauman, who finished second in the discus, and Jessica Leach, who finished fourth in the shot put.
In the team scores, Wawasee finished fourth out of 10 teams with 71 points, while Warsaw was fifth with 66 points.
Northridge scored 114 points to win the team title, winning the sectional for the third straight year and fourth in five years.
Elkhart Memorial was second with 81 points, followed by Goshen (79), Wawasee (71), Warsaw (66), Concord (56), Elkhart Central (47), NorthWood (30), Jimtown (24) and Fairfield (17).
WARSAW GIRLS TRACK SECTIONAL
Team Scores - Northridge 114, Elkhart Memorial 81, Goshen 79, Wawasee 71, Warsaw 66, Concord 66, Elkhart Central 47, NorthWood 30, Jimtown 24, Fairfield 17
Note - Top four individuals or teams in each event advance to Tuesday's Bremen Regional.
3200 relay - 1. Northridge (Tiffany Brenneman, Megan Jackson, Lynn Pezzanite, Kayla Yoder) 10:03.80, 2. Warsaw, 3. Goshen, 4. Elkhart Central, 5. Concord, 6. NorthWood
Discus - 1. Stacey Garber (FF) 120-3, 2. Shaina Bauman (Wawa), 3. Hayley boling (EM), 4. Amy Mast (NW), 5. Deanna Kronk (NW), 6. Natasha Mills (EM)
100 hurdles - 1. Kelly Hale (C) :16.83, 2. Lindsay Francis (War), 3. Nicole Latham (G), 4. Julie Jakubowicz (NR), 5. Rebekah Schoolcraft (G), 6. Kim Clay (War)
Long jump - 1. Cassie Bjurstrom (NR) 17-1, 2. Natasha Kinsey (EM), 3. Kami Green (G), 4. Krissy Cramer (J), 5. Beth Harrell (NR), 6. Molly Robinson (EC)
100 - 1. Cassie Bumpus (J) :13.35, 2. Jessie Spearman (Wawa), 3. Beth Brown (G), 4. Kinsey (EM), 5. Brandi McAllister (EM), 6. Kim Mohr (NR)
400 relay - 1. Elkhart Memorial (Renaye Davis, Kinsey, McAllister, Christian Sutton) :52.05, 2. Goshen, 3. Elkhart Central, 4. Wawasee, 5. Northridge, 6. NorthWood
1600 - 1. Brenneman (NR) 5:11.58, 2. Rachel Stichter (Wawa), 3. Yoder (NR), 4. Catherine Bowen (C), 5. Dominique Carmer (EC), 6. Jenna Rozelle (G)
High jump - 1. Julie Seiss (War) 5-3, 2. Tara Clouse (Wawa), 3. Schoolcraft (G), 4. Kendra Ellington (G), 5. Lauren Roberts (War), 6. Davis (EM)
400 - 1. Bjurstrom (NR) 1:01.42, 2. Nichole Mady (EC), 3. Erika Young (EC), 4. Katherine Petersen (EM), 5. Zorina Keyser (G), 6. Nicole Blue (NR)
300 hurdles - 1. Hale (C) :49.25, 2. Elizabeth Bradshaw (C), 3. Davis (EM), 4. Amanda Evans (G), 5. Syon Jones (EM), 6. Jodi Buhrt (Wawa)
Shot put - 1. Mills (EM) 37-0 1/2, 2. Audrey Duncan (NW), 3. Dynisha Jones (C), 4. Jessica Leach (Wawa), 5. Boling (EM), 6. Ashley Sparks (War)
800 - 1. Seiss (War) 2:21.63, 2. Megan Jackson (NR), 3. Rachel Rondeau (War), 4. Brittany Winchester (Wawa), 5. Alissa Werst (C), 6. Jennifer Stanley (EC)
200 - 1. Bjurstrom (NR) :26.32, 2. Spearman (Wawa), 3. Bumpus (J), 4. Brown (G), 5. Mohr (NR), 6. Young (EC)
3200 - 1. Brenneman (NR) 11:08.11, 2. Stichter (Wawa), 3. Stacy Matteson (EM), 4. Aubree Draper (NR), 5. Kristina Trcka (G), 6. Yoder (G)
1600 relay - 1. Warsaw (Rondeau, Jaclyn Leininger, Claire Beckett, Seiss) 4:08.08, 2. Northridge, 3. Goshen, 4. Elkhart Central, 5. Wawasee, 6. Elkhart Memorial
