Warsaw Seniors Eye State Track Finals
BLOOMINGTON – The Class of 2016 has done some amazing things for the Warsaw boys track program over the past four years.
It’s only fitting that a handful of those seniors will get to showcase their skills as Tigers one final time on the state’s biggest stage come Saturday.
Warsaw will be well represented at the 113th edition of the IHSAA State Finals in Bloomington, led by its senior group.
The Tiger seniors, who are slated to compete in five events, have won conference, sectional and regional championships a plenty. The group never lost a Northern Lakes Conference meet, stretching the program’s win streak to 41 in a row. The contingent also won four NLC Meet titles, four sectional crowns and three regional championships in their prolific prep careers.
“Overall, I’m just excited for our guys,” said Warsaw coach Matt Thacker earlier this week. “There is the potential there for great things to happen.
“We’re at the point now as a program where we are past just happy to be there. Hopefully, the experience that these guys have had this season competing against some of the state’s best at Southport and at Franklin Central pays off for them. We’ll see.”
Warsaw will be led to state by senior Ross Armey. The gutty backbone of the senior class will compete in the 300 hurdles, where his time of 38.83 is the eighth fastest in the field. Armey won a regional title at home last Thursday night as he just edged out NorthWood senior Derek Parker. He will also team with senior Brandon Reinholt and juniors Will McGarvey and Rane Kilburn in the 4 X 100 relay for the Tigers.
Owen Glogovsky is another stellar senior who will be in action at the State Finals. The Lipscomb University recruit is seeded fifth fastest in the 1,600 at 4:17.89. Glogovsky placed 23rd in the 1,600 at the State Finals in 2015 and also competed in the cross country state finals last fall.
The senior duo of Lucas Cone and Tommy Hickerson will be in the field events for Warsaw. Cone will compete in the pole vault and Hickerson in the long jump.
Whitko, which had an outstanding season, will be represented by junior Alex Morales and senior Walker Hobbs. Morales will compete in the 110 hurdles and Hobbs in the shot put. The pair helped the Wildcats win the Three Rivers Conference meet and a second straight sectional championship.
There will be plenty of area flavor in the season finale. NorthWood star sprinter Bailey Gessinger will be in the 200 and also the team’s 4 X 400 relay team. The 400 field will include Northridge junior Ben Zuercher and Columbia City senior Andrew McFarland. Rochester senior Wesley Meyer is in both the 800 and 1,600.
The trio of Northridge senior Conner Sandt, Rochester senior Eli Pugh and Westview sophomore Matthew Yoder are in the 3,200. Morales will be joined in the 110 hurdles by Parker and Goshen junior Josuel Sanchez. Armey will be joined by both Parker and Sanchez in the 300 hurdles.
The biggest noise from a Northern Lakes Conference athlete could come from Nate Patterson of Plymouth in the high jump. The sophomore cleared 6-6 at the Warsaw Regional last week, but went seven feet at the Goshen Relays earlier this Spring. The high jump will also included Goshen junior Rummel Johnson and Westview senior Lindon McDonald.
The pole vault will have Cone, along with the Goshen duo of seniors Brenn McKee and Hudson Kay. The long jump has Hickerson and regional champion Mitch DeWitt of Fairfield. The shot put includes Northridgesenior Mikey Kyle and the discus field has Elkhart Central senior Riley Norris and Goshen senior Jordan Holley.
The action begins Saturday at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on the IU campus with the pole vault, long jump and discus events at 3 p.m. The high jump and shot put start at 3:30 with the track trials at 4:15. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 6:10 with the track finals at 6:15.