The idea Tuesday night, as it always is this time of year, was to survive and advance. Warsaw’s girls track team did that and then some, winning the program’s third regional championship and first since 2007. For years, the regional was held at Bremen High School. This season, Warsaw was the host, and being home was certainly sweet for the 14th-ranked Lady Tigers. The top three individuals or teams in each event, as well as those who meet the state standard, advance to the state meet at Indiana University on June 1. Warsaw won just one of the 16 events Tuesday, as junior Ashley Erba cruised to the win in the 3200, but team depth allowed the Lady Tigers to score 70 points. A total of 34 teams scored at least one point. Defending regional champion and 20th-ranked South Bend Adams finished second with 57 points, while St. Joe (49), Mishawaka (40), Fairfield (36), Penn (31), Northridge (28.5), No. 13 Eastern (28), Goshen (24) and Concord (24) rounded out the top 10. Wawasee tied for 19th with nine points, while Manchester, Tippecanoe Valley and Triton were all tied for 30th with two points. “The big thing tonight was that we had kids in 14 events,” said Warsaw coach Scott Erba, whose team qualified four individuals and two relay teams for the state meet. “We scored in 12 events, and that was very helpful to us winning the championship.” “We thought coming into the season we could have our best season ever,” added Erba. “That’s why we put that on our shirts. We felt good about who we had coming back and what we did in cross country in the fall and in the indoor (track) season. With all those parts, we thought this could be the best team ever in Warsaw girls track history. So far they’ve shown that week after week.” The Lady Tigers, who wear black T-shirts with the words Best Season Ever printed in white on the back, have won the Kokomo Relays, Turtle Town Classic, Northern Lakes Conference, Warsaw Sectional and Warsaw Regional championships. In winning the team title Tuesday night, the Lady Tigers got 18 of their 70 points from Erba, who won the 3200 in a time of 10:33.61 and finished second in the 1600 in a time of 4:55.12. In the 1600, Erba finished second to 2011 state runner-up Bethany Neeley of Eastern, but did set a new school record and ran the second-best time in the state this year. An hour later, Erba won comfortably in the 3200, beating runner-up Corinne Cominator of Northridge by 33 seconds. Her two-mile time Tuesday was also the second-best time in the state this year – second only to her own time of 10:31.16 at last week’s sectional. Erba has set a number of records this season. She was hoping to add the regional record in the 3200 to that list. “I wanted to break the 10:24 in the 3200,” said Erba. “The last mile wasn’t great. I was having some stomach issues.” At next week’s state meet, she’ll only have to compete in the 3200, as her coach/dad scratched her from the 1600. “The purpose of that is to give her a chance at another state title,” said Scott Erba, whose daughter set a state record in winning the cross country state title in October. “Could she be on the podium in both events? Yes. But we want to give her the best opportunity to win the 3200.” Other Warsaw individuals to advance to the state meet included Ann Harvout (2nd, 200), Lauren Burish (3rd, discus) and Claire Hickerson (4th, standard, pole vault). Warsaw’s 1600 relay team of Nicole Eckert, Jackie Ferguson, Megan Kratzsch and Tennie Worrell finished second in a time of 4:03.44. The 3200 relay team of Brooke Kline, Lilly Fleming, Anna Bearss and Kristin Quick took third with a time of 9:37.48. Outside of Warsaw’s finishers, the best area performer was Wawasee’s Breanna Robinson, who finished sixth in the 800 (2:19.04). Triton’s Megan Howdeshell, the defending regional champion, finished seventh in the shot put (36-11.25). Valley’s Jazzmine Brown was seventh in the 400 (1:01.55). Manchester’s Lindsey Budnik finished seventh in the long jump (15-6). WARSAW REGIONAL Note – top three finishers in each event, as well as those who meet state standard, advance to state finals at Indiana University June 1.
Team scores – Warsaw 70, S.B. Adams 57, S.B. St. Joe 49, Mishawaka 40, Fairfield 36, Penn 31, Northridge 28.5, Eastern 28, Goshen 24, Concord 24, Plymouth 23, Elkhart Memorial 22, Culver Girls Academy 22, Kokomo 21, Mishawaka Marian 19, Northwestern 18, Bremen 16, S.B. Riley 16, Elkhart Central 9, Wawasee 9, S.B. Clay 8.5, NorthWood 8, Rochester 6, S.B. Washington 6, Cass 6, Culver 6, Maconaquah 5, Western 4, Tipton 4, Manchester 2, Tippecanoe Valley 2, Triton 2, Northfield 1, Logansport 1
