Lots On The Line For Tigers, Warriors
The Warsaw boys track team won a regional championship a year ago on the very last event of the night.
Coach Matt Thacker sure would not mind if somehow history repeats itself come Thursday night at South Bend St. Joseph.
The Tigers, who have won two regional championships in a row and three of the last four, will be one of a host of teams in the mix for team bragging rights.
Action in field events competition begins at 5 p.m. Thursday at the beautiful St. Joe track facility just east of downtown South Bend. The top three finishers in each event will earn a spot in the State Finals set for June 5 at Indiana University in Bloomington.
Warsaw claimed its fifth straight sectional title at Goshen last Thursday night, topping runner-up Northridge 93-81. The Tigers, led by its stellar senior class, edged past Penn 77-76 for the regional crown in 2014.
“It is going to be as close as you can get as far as how many teams have a shot to win the regional,” said Thacker. “If you look at a team like Northridge who has many top flight athletes in the field events and with what they’re capable of in the 4 x 800, 110 and 3200 they have a great shot at winning the regional, especially if they continue to get better as they displayed last week. Kokomo is always there this time of year, plus, they’re young and very well coached. South Bend St. Joe has a lot of guys that can do very well and they are running on their home track. On top of that there will be plenty of point stealing throughout the night, so whomever is the most consistent on the night has the best opportunity to come out on top. The fortunate thing for us is that we have put ourselves into position to compete for a regional championship and that is all you can ask for as a coach.”
The Tigers have a pair of top seeds in Owen Glogovsky in the 1600 (4:29.26) and Daniel Messenger in the 800 (1:58.20). Ross Armey, who was fifth at the regional a year ago, is the second seed in the 300 hurdles. Warsaw’s 4 X 400 relay team boasts the fourth fastest time and its 4 X 100 team has the fifth best mark heading into the regional.
Andrew Scheidt is also seeded second in the discus for the Tigers. Glogovsky is fourth in the 3,200 and Riley Rhoades seventh in the 400. Scheidt placed fifth in the discus at St. Joe in 2014.
Wawasee will be well represented Thursday by standouts Clayton Cook and JJ Gilmer. Cook won a pair of sectional titles at Goshen and is the top seed for both the 110 hurdles (14.63) and 200 (22.37). Cook was second in the 110 hurdles at the regional last year, despite not being 100 percent healthy. Gilmer is seeded fourth in the high jump. He was regional runner-up in 2014 to Treyton Harris of Elkhart Central, who is back this year, along with top seed Brock Downey of Northridge, whose seed is at 6-6. Gilmer placed third at the Goshen Sectional behind Downey and Harris.
The duo of Cook and Gilmer also combine with Tyler Courter and Cole VanLue on the 4 X 100 relay team that is seeded third for the Warriors.
Jonathan Walker has the fourth best effort in the discus entering the regional for Wawasee.
“JJ Gilmer and Clayton Cook have both been down this road, and for them the mission is clear – finish third or make the standard to get to Bloomington,” said Wawasee coach Scott Lancaster. “Each of them also understands that once there, anything can happen, both good and bad. This is a fast and talented regional, but Clayton and JJ seem to rise to the occasion in these types of circumstances. The real positive aspect of having Clayton and JJ running in the regional on the 4 X 100 relay is that they can provide that regional expertise and help Cole VanLue adapt to the intensity of this meet. They have one of the top times coming in and if they perform they head to Bloomington where Clayton and JJ have known success and that will be a valuable asset for Cole and Tyler Courter to rely on if the 4 X 100 makes it down there. Jon Walker is going to have to improve about 10 feet in order to have a shot to advance, but he did just that this past week in getting ready for sectional. If he can do that, he will certainly be presented with an opportunity.”
The regional field will also feature competitors from Whitko and Tippecanoe Valley. The top seed for Whitko is Walker Hobbs, who has the sixth best effort in the shot put event. Michael Thacker is seeded 11th in the 100 for Valley.
Action Thursday night at Leighton Field at St. Joe begins at 6 p.m. with track trials, field events and the 3200 relay. Finals in track events are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.