Warsaw’s Zeb Hernandez and Owen Glogovsky make their way into the first straightaway of the Culver Academy Boys Cross Country Regional Saturday morning. Glogovsky and Hernandez would finish second and third, respectively, and the Tigers would go on to win the team title. (Photos by Mike Deak)

CULVER – With its full roster back in rotation, the Warsaw boys cross country team reigned once again at the Culver Academy Boys Cross Country Regional. The Tigers claimed the team title with 46 points and again peppered the top 20 with its compliment of racers.

After winning the sectional on the same course last week without its ace, Owen Glogovsky, who was taking a college visit, Warsaw needed to dig deep to hold off Rochester. With “Comrade” back in tow, Warsaw looked like a unit ready to compete among with the big boys next week at the semi-state. Glogovsky was second overall in the regional, running step for step with sectional champion Wesley Meyer of Rochester until the final 100 meters. Meyer would pull away for a 16:00 win, Glogovsky two seconds behind at 16:02.

Zeb Hernandez, who staged a great race with Meyer last week, finished third for the Tigers at 16:10.

Race leaders stroll past the Vaughn Equestrian Center on the campus of Culver Academy.

From there, the pack work for the Tigers was the key to yet another regional title, the programs fourth in a row and fifth overall. Lucas Howett clocked in at 16:59 in one of his better showings of the season and just behind were Xavi Ramirez at 17:15 and Nathan Gottschalk at 17:18. Jon Beres (17:24) and TJ Day (18:04) concluded the Warsaw times.

“What was most important was getting to the semi-state, and now that we’ve done that, we just have to be smart in training and focus on our next goal, getting to state,” said Glogovsky, pausing between thoughts to work on an enchilada before boarding the team bus. “The semi-state is going to be incredibly competitive. That’s what we’ve been crunching numbers for, because if we can get through New Prairie, then we should be solid for state.

“The goal right now is be strong for that race. We’ve been throwing the dice since the beginning of the season. Knock on wood, I’m not going to say we are good to go, but I like what we have right now. With Zeb and our pack, I have faith.”

The Warsaw boys cross country team struck a pose for the third straight week, winners of the Culver Academy Boys Cross Country Regional.

The stars of the show did not disappoint the large fan base sprinting around the Academy course. Caston’s Mitchell Rans (16:15) was fourth, followed by Rochester’s Eli Pugh (16:23), Winamac’s Zen Zupin (16:25), Western’s Joshua Everetts (16:27), Jacob Graf of Logansport (16:34), Winamac’s Kyle Collins (16:39) and Thomas Rohr of Manchester (16:42) to round out the overall top 10.

Rochester pieced together 72 points to land in second in the team standings, followed by Culver Academy (90), Winamac (91) and Logansport (145) as the four plus Warsaw will advance to the New Prairie Semi-state next week.

Joining as individuals are Rans, Rohr, Cail Brown of Lewis Cass, Ethan Sharp of Kokomo, Jesse Floor of Tippecanoe Valley, Jeff Oliver of Plymouth, Josh Scott of Western, Max White of Kokomo and Jacob Maroney of Caston.

Floor made up some ground in the race to get back to the semi-state, sprinting in with four other runners to land in 22nd place overall at 17:30 and sixth on the individuals list of those making next week. Teammate Jared Mikel was well off the pace with a time of 20:01.

Triton had a trio of runners working at Culver, led by Bailey Watkins with a time of 18:07 and teammate Cordell Sherow at 18:09, taking 39th and 40th overall. Watkins was 13th in the individual standings. Teammate Shaun Honeycutt finished up at 19:25.

Lakeland Christian Academy had a pair of runners in Alex Plastow and Josh Gervasi, working together virtually the entire 5,000 meters. Plastow finished at 19:36, a couple steps ahead of Gervasi at 19:37.

The teams and individuals from Culver Academy will move to New Prairie’s semi-state, considered by many as the toughest and most balanced in the state. Feeding into the semi-state with Academy are Crown Point, Harrison (West Lafayette) and New Prairie regionals.