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BOURBON - Triton's 32-year drought is over.
The Triton boys cross country is officially one of the greatest sports teams in Triton history.
Here's why: When Triton won last Thursday's Logansport Sectional, the Trojans captured only the second sectional title in school history -Êin any sport. The only other sectional title Triton owns came in 1966, when the basketball team advanced to the semistate.
Cross country has turned into the fall sport at Triton. No Triton cross country team had ever won the Marshall County Tournament. That is, until this year, when the boys and the girls teams won it for the first time in the same year.
Both Triton teams finished second in the Northern State Conference to New Prairie, which traditionally churns out elite cross country teams.
The Triton boys went 11-0 in dual meets, while the girls went 9-2, losing their two by only two points.
And while the boys took first in their sectional, the girls placed third.
"If you look at the whole season, including invitationals, I think our boys were something like 108-8," Triton third-year cross country coach Curt Kreft said. "We lost eight, but three or four of those we lost to teams ranked in the state like Northfield and Marion.
"Our girls started slow, but they've improved each week. We've added biking and hills to our training, which has helped."
Both Triton teams are set up the same way. Each team has two strong runners at the front who typically finish in the top 10.
At the Logansport Sectional, Triton's Mason McIntyre (17:09) and Nathan Gephart (17:32) took third and fourth respectively. Reghan Kreft (16:23) and Shelly Miller (16:37) finished ninth and 10th respectively.
"We can usually count on them to finish high at meets," Kreft said, "but they aren't the key. The key to both teams is the third runners, Wes Rettinger and Cassandra McIntyre.
"Those two are in charge of our second pack of runners. They help bring the other runners along."
The Trojans will find out if they can keep winning at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, when they compete in the Culver Military Academy Regional.
"I think our boys will get out of the regional and go to semistate," Kreft said. "If they run as well as they did at Logansport, they should take second or third. I hope second for our guys.
"Our girls, right now I see us sixth, and only the top five teams advance. It will take an extremely good meet for them."
TRITON CROSS COUNTRY LINEUPS
Boys: Last week's Logansport Sectional times, places listed
Triton finished first
3. Mason McIntyre 17:09, 4. Nathan Gephart 17:32, 14. Wes Rettinger 18:08, 23. Jason Bules 18:27, 33. Matt Savill 18:49, 34. Brandon Zeider 18:45, 40. Jason Lemler 18:53
Girls: Last week's Logansport Sectional times, places listed
Triton finished third
9. Reghan Kreft 16:23, 10. Shelly Miller 16:37, 24. Cassandra McIntyre 17:53, 33. Devan Marsh 18:25, 42. Danielle Kreft 18:43, 50. Alison McClarnon 19:04, 78. Isabel Daniels 23:12
