Warsaw freshman Allison Miller makes her way through the course during the semi state last Saturday. Miller will lead the No. 17 Tigers into the State Finals in Terre Haute on Saturday (File photos by Tim Creason)

WARSAW – Coach Scott Erba is not surprised that his Warsaw girls cross country team will toe the starting line Saturday in the State Finals again.

He’s also not surprised that Allison Miller has been a big part of the success of the squad this fall in her first prep season.

The No. 17 Tigers, led by fabulous freshman Miller, will make a third straight appearance at State come Saturday.

Warsaw will be one of 24 teams in the mix at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute for the 1:45 p.m. race.

The Tigers are back at the State Finals for the fourth time in program history thanks to a tremendous team effort all season long. Warsaw graduated standout Ashley Erba, who was the state champion in 2011 and the runner-up in 2012. They also lost No. 2 runner Sarah Ray, who made a huge impact a year ago in her only season running cross country at WCHS.

“This means a lot for this team to be going back to State,” said coach Erba. “It’s just tremendous and shows where the program has come in the last five years. I know the girls believed they could do this from the start of the season.

“We knew that we did not individuals that would be winning every race like the past few years, but everyone has contributed this season. The strength is in our pace, which we knew it had to be this year. The girls have just done a great job.

“We knew what kind of runners we had coming into the season and that they could accomplish this. We’re to the point where as a program we can reach State with different types of teams. We may have flown under the radar, but I don’t mind that.”

Miller, who missed three weeks of training in the summer due to an injury, has stepped forward to lead the way for the Tigers. The freshman was 16th overall in a time of 19:32 at the New Prairie Semistate Saturday as the Tigers earned a fourth place team finish. She was second in the sectional and 11th in the regional (when she was feeling poorly) as the Tigers won team championships in both at Culver Academies.

“This has been our goal all season and it’s amazing to be going to State,” said Miller. “We set our minds to this and worked together to make it happen. It’s neat to be part of a tradition of going to State.”

Miller, who ran at Edgewood Middle School last year, has gone with the flow this season.

“There’s a lot of talent on this team and I just knew I would be in the mix,” said the modest Miller. “God has given me a gift. Coach Erba is just awesome to run for. He’s so encouraging and just an amazing coach.”

Erba knows he has a special one in his talented freshman.

“I knew Allison would be in our top five and I’m not surprised that she’s our No. 1,” Erba said. “She’s a very strong competitor and wants to get better and be a great runners.

“Allison has done a really good job this season for us. She’s brought a lot to this team in both performance and attitude. She’s very coachable. She was the fastest freshman in the semi state on Saturday and that says a lot about her.”

The Tigers finished in 19th place in the final team standings in 2012. The trio of Hannah Dawson, Emma Hayward and Madeline Hooks return from a year ago to compete again this Saturday.

“I want this to be a good, positive experience for our girls,” said Erba. “I really want them to feel that they can run well at State. This is important for our young girls who will hopefully be back there the next 2-3 years.

“I think with a good day we can finish in the top 20. A top 15 finish would be tremendous for this team.”

Erba said the plan right now is for the same lineup to run Saturday as did at the semi state. That would include seniors Hooks and Aletheia Burritt, along with sophomores Brooke Rhodes, Dawson, Hayward and Claire Kehler and freshman Miller.

“Brooke has been a real difference maker for us this season,” said Erba. “Emma has really filled a void for us. She’s gotten stronger as the season has gone on and had a pr at the semi state.”

Brooke Rhodes has had a stellar sophomore season for state bound Warsaw.