Warsaw XC Teams Win Regional; Other Locals Advance
Posted
Dale Hubler-dhubler@timesuniononline.com
CULVER – With a group of underclassmen helping pave the way, Warsaw’s boys and girls cross country teams extended their regional title streaks at Culver Academies Saturday.
Manchester’s girls team finished third, while Manchester’s Carter Bedke and Tippecanoe Valley’s Matthew Howes advanced to the New Prairie semistate as individuals.
The top five teams, as well as the top 10 individuals not on an advancing team, qualified for the semistate, which will be held Saturday at New Prairie High School.
Warsaw’s boys squad won the program’s seventh straight regional championship, eighth overall, and did so with three sophomores among its five scoring runners.
Senior Zeb Hernandez led the Tigers with a time of 16:45, finishing runner-up to Caston senior Mitchell Rans.
Warsaw sophomore Sam Lechlitner (17:10) finished third, followed in the Tigers’ scoring group by sophomore Jacob Kissling (7th, 17:25), senior Jack Horoho (15th, 17:47) and sophomore Tanner Stiver (17th, 17:51).
Junior Fernando Niebbia (34th, 18:32) and senior Noah Marshall (58th, 19:25) rounded out the Tigers’ seven-man lineup.
Warsaw won the team title with 39 points, easily beating runner-up and fellow Northern Lakes Conference school Plymouth’s 73 points.
Culver Academies was third with 103 points, followed in the 10-team field by Caston (109), Rochester (128), Logansport (132), Western (178), Winamac (194), Eastern (213) and Peru (250).
Bedke, a sophomore, advanced with his 14th-place time of 17:44.
Manchester junior Reece Adamiec (19:15) and senior teammate Wilson Nettleton (19:26) finished 54th and 59th, respectively, and did not advance.
Howes, a sophomore at Valley, qualified for the semistate with an 18th-place time of 17:53. Valley junior Mitch Smith finished his season with a 60th-place time of 19:26.
Triton had a pair of runners in the 89-person boys race, but neither advanced.
Junior Russell Reichard finished 48th for the Trojans in a time of 19:03, while sophomore teammate Brandon Kitch crossed the line in a 63rd-place time of 19:32.
On the girls side, the Warsaw Lady Tigers had three runners finish in the top six, as they scored 42 points and cruised to the program’s sixth straight regional title and seventh overall.
Culver Academies was a distant second with 97 points, followed in the team standings by Manchester (98), Rochester (108), Western (138), Maconaquah (142), Lewis Cass (158), Northwestern (176), Plymouth (203) and Winamac (226).
Rochester junior Mallory Hiatt won the girls race in 19:26.
Freshman Wini Barnett led the Lady Tigers with a runner-up time of 19:39, finishing one spot ahead of sophomore teammate Adree Beckham (19:46).
Warsaw’s other scoring runners in the 88-competitor girls race included seniors Remi Beckham (6th, 20:07) and Angie Sanchez-Vijil (11th, 20:24), and junior Amslie Howett (23rd, 21:24).
Junior Taylor Gunter (34th, 21:50) and senior Megan Dawson (62nd, 22:55) rounded out the Lady Tigers’ seven-runner lineup.
Sophomore Torina Runkel led Manchester with a 10th-place time of 20:22, as the Lady Squires finished just one point behind runner-up Culver Academies in the team standings.
Sophomore Halle Briner (20:43) and freshman Kambree Cashdollar (21:21) finished 14th and 22nd, respectively, while seniors Jaelyn Webb (27th, 21:35) and Katie Barker (36th, 21:57) rounded out Manchester’s scoring lineup.
Juniors Sydney Diefenbaugh (22:21) and Maddy Evans (22:44) finished 48th and 56th, respectively, for the Lady Squires.
Among locals competing in the girls race as individuals, Valley junior Valeria Jimenez (22:45) finished 57th, while senior teammate Haley Hoover (25:02) was 82nd.
CULVER ACADEMIES REGIONAL
Note – Top five teams and top 10 individuals not on an advancing team qualify for New Prairie Semistate.
(GIRLS)
Team Scores – Warsaw 42, Culver Academies 97, Manchester 98, Rochester 108, Western 138, Maconaquah 142, Lewis Cass 158, Northwestern 176, Plymouth 203, Winamac 226
