Warsaw distance stars Jake Poyner and Robert Murphy, shown competing together earlier this season, will represent Indiana in the Midwest Meet of Champions Saturday in Fort Wayne (File photo by Jim Harris)

WARSAW – Jake Poyner and Robert Murphy where mainstays on a Warsaw boys track team that won the Kokomo Regional and finished fifth at the IHSAA state finals.

Now, they’ll try to do it again for the entire state.

The Tiger duo has been named to the Indiana All-Star Boys track team that will compete Saturday at the annual Midwest Meet of Champions in Fort Wayne.

Much like the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star basketball series, the Midwest Meet of Champions brings together top graduating high school track athletes for a unique state vs. state competition.

Indiana takes on Ohio and Michigan at Northrop’s Spuller Stadium starting at noon.

A Parade of Champions kicks things off, followed by field events at 12:30 p.m. and running events at 1 p.m.

Poyner is slated to compete in the 3200-meter run, along with Indiana state cross country champion Connor Sorrells of Barr-Reeve and Jacob Reinking of Fort Wayne Concordia.

Poyner, who will run at Wake Forest, placed fifth in the State Finals in the 3,200 on May 31 at Indiana University in a time of 9:14.20. He was also third in the 1,600 at State in a time of 4:09.95.

Murphy will compete in the 800-meter run. His teammates include state champion Matt Dorsey of Lawrence Central and Robert Sharkey of Ben Davis.

Murphy, who will run at Vincennes University, finished seventh in the 800 at the State Finals on May 31 in a time of 1:55.33. He was also fourth in the 1,600 at State in a time of 4:12.46.

Poyner and Murphy, along with Ellis Coon, led Warsaw to a fourth-place finish last fall in the State Finals for cross country.

Last year, Ohio won the boys title. Indiana finished second.

Wawasee boys track head coach Scott Lancaster is an assistant coach for the Hoosier boys team.

Editor’s Note: Tim Creason contributed to this article