HUNTINGTON - The Whitko Wildcats boys track and field team didn't bring home the Huntington North Sectional, but it did seem happy with a third-place finish Thursday.
"We're pretty happy with it," Whitko coach Ron Cherry said. "I looked at the seeds, which most coaches do, and Marion and Huntington North were just a little too far in front of us. We have three high schools in Whitley County, so we set our goal to win the 'Whitley County Meet' and get third place."
While Whitko did defeat Churubusco and Columbia City, Huntington North and Marion proved to be too much, tying for the title with 129.5 points each, while Whitko got third, tallying 84.5.
"I think it's more than we anticipated," Whitko senior Chase Stouder said. "As a team, we did awesome. We knew we had a chance at the top three, and we got it."
Individually, Chase Stouder advanced to Thursday's Fort Wayne Regional in the 100, as well as a part of the 400 and 1600 relays.
"He didn't feel well tonight, and probably ran his worst 200 of the year," Cherry said, mentioning the one event Chase Stouder didn't advance in. "I talked to him about pulling him from the mile relay, but he was very adamant. He said, 'Coach, last year I didn't run really well at the sectional, but I ran a terrific 4x400. Let me do it again this year,'."
Chase Stouder credited a late night working on homework and his stomach turning into knots during the meet as reasons for feeling less than 100 percent, but he still wanted to compete in the night's final event.
"I knew, no matter how you feel, you don't know how each race is going to go," he said, mentioning how last year he struggled in the 200, then turned around and helped the team set a school record in the 1600 relay. "I definitely wanted to run the 4x400, because it's one of my favorite events. I told coach, 'I'm running this,'."
After running his 200, Chase Stouder returned to anchor the 1600 relay, but by the time he received the baton, the Marion Giants were too far in front, taking first, leaving Whitko's team of freshman Connor Stouder, senior Seth Christoffel, junior Scott Skiles and Chase Stouder second place with a time of 3:32.61.
In the 400 relay, it was Marion that once again got the best of Whitko, setting a meet record with a time of 43.52. Whitko's Connor Stouder, junior Max Elder, Skiles and Stouder crossed the finish line in 43.77, taking second.
The foursome of sophomore Dallas Archer, sophomore Jude Stieglitz, Sean Eberly and sophomore Trapper Mize also advanced the 3200 relay to the regional, placing third in a time of 8:34.41.
Along with the relay teams advancing, other top four finishers at the meet that qualified for the regional were Elder (high jump, long jump) Mize (1600), senior Bryan Slusher (pole vault), sophomore Jordan Sims (300 hurdles) and sophomore Brody Wilson (3200).
"We all did great," Chase Stouder said.
The Fort Wayne Wayne Regional begins at 4:45 p.m. Thursday, with the top four finishers in each event qualifying for the state finals June 5 in Bloomington.
HUNTINGTON NORTH 129.5, MARION 129.5, WHITKO 84.5, CHURUBUSCO 78, SOUTHWOOD 58, EASTBROOK 55.5, COLUMBIA CITY 55, WABASH 18, BLACKFORD 15, MISSISSINEWA 1
(Top 4 Advance to FW Wayne Regional; Winners and Local Results)
3200 Relay - 1. Huntington North (Sean Lewis, Darius Vogelman, Kaylan Newcomb, Ross Ochs) 8:20.99, 3. Whitko (Dallas Asher, Jude Stieglitz, Sean Eberly, Trapper Mize) 8:34.41; 100 - 1. Ray Humphrey (Ma) 11.19, 3. Chase Stouder (Wh) 11.46, 7. Connor Stouder (Wh) 11.68; 110 Hurdles - 1. Dionta Morrell (Ma) 15.36; 200 - 1. Humphrey (Ma) 22.89, 6. Ch. Stouder (Wh) 23.63, 7. Scott Skiles (Wh) 23.73; 1600 - 1. Josh Graham (HN) 4:17.65, 3. Trapper Mize (Wh) 4:38.19, 5. Brian Menzie (Wh) 4:40.89; 400 Relay - 1. Marion (Phillip Walker, Humphrey, Marcus Marble, Devante Mayor) 43.52*, 2. Whitko (Max Elder, Ch. Stouder, Co. Stouder, Skiles) 43.77; 400 - 1. Adam Dubuque (S) 51.61, 5. Seth Christoffel (Wh) 52.71, 16. Colin Donner (Wh) 56.75; 300 Hurdles - 1. Michael Dice (S) 40.16, 4. Jordan Sims (Wh) 41.73, 12. Caleb Licata (Wh) 43.94
800 - 1. Newcomb (HN) 2:00.90, 8. Sean Eberly (Wh) 2:08.59, 10. Stieglitz (Wh) 2:10.34; 3200 - 1. Ochs (HN) 9:27.70, 3. Brody Wilson (Wh) 10:22.50, 7. Asher (Wh) 10:51.10; 1600 Relay - 1. Marion (Cedric Bell, Thomas Reason, Terry Riley, Cortland Weatherspoon) 3:30.24, 2. Whitko (Christoffel, Ch. Stouder, Co. Stouder, Skiles) 3:32.61; Long Jump - 1. Marque Beckford (E) 21-4.5, 4. Elder (Wh) 20-9, 8. Sims (Wh) 19-9; High Jump - 1. Larry Chain (S) 6-3.5, 3. Elder (Wh) 5-10.5, 6. Brent Busz (Wh) 5-8.5; Discus - 1. Travis Gerding (HN) 163-4, 7. Joe Haywood (Wh) 122-3; Shot Put - 1. Gerding (HN) 52-10.5; Pole Vault - 1. Dylan Miller (CC) 12-6, 4. Bryan Slusher (Wh) 12-0, 9. Alec Wilkinson (Wh) 11-0
