Hope Rising For Warrior XC
SYRACUSE – In a position the team thought it might be in when training started in the summer, the Wawasee boys cross country team now has its fate in its hands. Run well, go to state.
After slipping out the Elkhart Central Boys Cross Country Regional as the fifth and final team to qualify, Wawasee knows a performance like it had last Saturday won’t fly. But the function of qualification still felt good for the program, which will run in its first semi-state since 2008.
“Yeah, I expected the guys to be in this position when the season began, given how experienced we were coming in,” began Wawasee head coach Doug Slabaugh. “We were only 15 points away from second place at the regional (from Penn), so that showed the ability we have even though we were fifth. I think we have a really good chance to place well at semi-state.”
Leading the march for Wawasee will be senior Adam Doll and junior Zach Cockrill, who placed fifth and sixth, respectively, at the regional last weekend. Slabaugh likes their chances among the 180 runners that will run at 1 p.m. this Saturday afternoon at the New Haven Semi-state on the grounds of IPFW. Regardless of team success or falter. The top six teams and 10 individuals from a non-advancing team will qualify for the state finals next weekend in Terre Haute.
“Adam and Zach had good days at the regional, and can build off that,” Slabaugh said. “Both of them can push for the top 15, and it’s huge to have a one-two punch like that. We really need the three through seven runners to fight for it. We’re too far back right now if we want to compete for state, but we have the ability from our scoring guys. We just need to move up further.”
Seniors Austin Yoder, Jacob Tucco and Austin Krizman along with junior Bailey Yoder and sophomore Jaxon Bame will look to solidify the scoring positions for the Warriors.
The field of teams at the semi-state will feature some powerhouses from the Fort Wayne area, including No. 7 Fort Wayne Carroll, No. 19 Fort Wayne Dwenger, No. 22 Homestead as well as Elkhart Central sectional and regional champion No. 15 Northridge and Delta Regional champion No. 25 Mt. Vernon (Fortville). Toss in experienced teams from Penn, Marion Regional champion Huntington North, West Noble and Fort Wayne Concordia – which has maybe the top runner in the state in Zach Panning – and the workload will be fierce.
The last time Wawasee qualified for state in boys cross country was 2006, which Slabaugh was on the roster. Slabaugh, who points to Carroll, Dwenger and Northridge as virtual locks to advance to state, feels his team has a shot at one of the remaining three places among the six teams from New Haven to advance to Terre Haute next weekend.
“The boys are really fired up and ready to race,” Slabaugh stated. “There really are about nine teams that are pretty lumped together as far as how the scoring could pan out, and we’re among that group. I really think we can get one of the six spots to get to state.”