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SOUTH WHITLEY - To be successful against Whitko's boys cross country team Tuesday, Tippecanoe Valley coach Terry Screeton said his team would have to be able to split up the Wildcat runners and not let them finish in packs.
In talking with Whitko coach Steve Hoopingarner, he said his team was running without its normal No. 3 runnner, Daryl Nicodemus, who was at an FFA event.
When all was said and done, Nicodemus' absence didn't seem to hurt the Wildcats as they cruised to a 25-42 victory over the Vikings. North Miami rounded out the three-way meet with a 62.
"We ran OK," said Screeton. "We wanted to split up their guys up in the front; we didn't do that and that cost us the meet. Overall we ran well. We knew it would take a good race to beat Whitko."
The loss drops Valley's overall season record to 4-3. Whitko moves to 5-1.
The Wildcats' Phil Fetro won the event with his time of 17:30, 26 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Mike McKeighan from Whitko. The Wildcats claimed a third-place finish with Tylen Hull and his time of 18:10.
"The kids did a great job," said Hoopingarner. "Phil Fetro had a career-best time and we did that without our third runner, Daryl Nicodemus, who was at an FFA contest. We usually run in packs. We usually run decent."
In all, Whitko had five runners finish in the top 10. Marc Walters finished ninth with a time of 18:36 and Micah Moncrief went home with a 10th-place time of 18:43.
Jerry Ross crossed the line in fourth to lead the Vikings with his time of 18:11. Two other Vikings finished in the top 10: Chris Laiter in sixth with a time of 18:21 and Ben VanLaningham with a time of 18:35.
"Jerry Ross ran well for us tonight," said Screeton. "Really, the top three ran well with Chris Laiter and Ben VanLaningham."
On the girls side of things it was the Vikings who ran away from the rest of the field, for the most part.
Whitko's Angel Puckett took first-place honors with her time of 15:54, but the Vikings won the meet with their score of 24. North Miami came in second with a 49, and Whitko rounded out the three-way meet with a 56.
"I thought we'd be about where we finished," said Screeton of the girls team. "I thought we'd win and we did that. Sara Zehr ran a nice race and finished second. Rochester beat us but the girls team is pretty solid."
Valley improved its overall season record to 6-1 with the win. Whitko falls to 1-5.
Zehr led the Vikings with her second place time of 16:20. Valley's Sarah Kindig came in third with a time of 16:56. Cari McFarron (fifth), Emily Jackson (sixth) and Kelley Allen (eighth), also finished in the top 10 for Valley.
The only other Wildcat to finish in the top 10 was Bunny Puckett and her 10th-place time of 17:57. The next three Whitko runners, Tara Eberhart, Lisa Menck and Tiffany Obregon, finished in 12th, 16th and 17th place, respectively.
"The girls are struggling," said Hoopingarner. "We have one strong runner and she's had problems with her ankle. The girls are starting to move up but our problem is getting everybody there healthy."
Valley's boys and girls cross country team will be in action again Saturday at 9 a.m. in the Wabash Invitational. Whitko will participate in the Fort Wayne Snider Invitational at Shoaf Park beginning at 9 a.m.
BOYS: WHITKO 25, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 42, NORTH MIAMI 62
Top 10 finishers - 1. Phil Fetro (W) 17:30, 2. Mike McKeighen (W), 3. Tylen Hull (W), 4. Jerry Ross (TV), 5. Joel Halterman (NM), 6. Chris Laiter (TV), 7. Kyle Dunphy (NM), 8. Ben VanLaningham (TV), 9. Marc Walters (W), 10. Micah Moncrief (W)
Whitko finishers - 1. Fetro, 2. McKeighan, 3. Hull, 9. Walters, 10. Moncrief, 12. Greg Kessie, 15. Bart Loe, 17. Erikk Bradford, 21. Zach Kessie, 23. Michael Fetro, 28. Jordan Schrader, 29. Adam Bower
Valley finishers - 4. Ross, 6. Laiter, 11. Mike Ross, 13. Evan Boggs, 16. Jeff Whetstone, 20. Aaron Robbins, 24. David Tilden, 27. Nick Miller, 30. Fred Borges, 31. Karl Gast, 34. Aron Kreiger
North Miami finishers - 5. Halterman, 7. Dunphy, 14. Ross Nixon, 18. Adam Werner, 22. Rick Delany, 25. Steve Dunphy, 32. Keegan Laycock, 33. Jeremy Oldfather
GIRLS: TIPPECANOE VALLEY 24, NORTH MIAMI 49, WHITKO 56
Top 10 - 1. Angel Puckett (W) 15:54, 2. Sara Zehr (TV), 3. Sarah Kindig (TV), 4. J. Prather (NM), 5. C. McFarron (TV), 6. Emily Jackson (TV), 7. A. Gidley (NM), 8. K. Allen (TV), 9. Whithers (NM), 10. Bunny Puckett (W)
Valley finishers - 2. Zehr, 3. Kindig, 5. McFarron, 6. Jackson, 8. Allen, 11. S. Tilden, 13. J. Yeiter, 19. A. Gearhart, 20. Francis Katner
Whitko finishers - 1. A. Puckett, 10. B. Puckett, 12. Eberhart, 16. L. Menck, 17. T. Obregon, 18. R. Wilkinson, 21. R. Lehman
