NorthWood’s Austin Shapland clears 12 feet to win the pole vault Wednesday at Wawasee. (Photos by Mike Deak)

SYRACUSE – The rotation of the Northern Lakes Conference track schedule allows teams just one shot at a dual matchup. Wednesday afforded both NorthWood and Wawasee to face off mano a mano, the Panthers getting the better of Wawasee up and down the line in a 93-39 boys track result.

NorthWood seemed to be able to match Wawasee’s ace in nearly every event, particularly in the field. Caleb Newcomer won both throws, but barely, holding off Elisha Tipping in both the shot put and discus. Newcomer needed every inch in discus at 135-05 to beat Tipping by an inch, and in shot put, Newcomer’s best of 44-3 was eight inches further, but Tipping’s final throw sailed well past 44 feet, but his footing had him stumble outside the ring for a fault.

NorthWood’s Caleb Darr takes a look for challengers in the mile run.

A similar instance happened in long jump, where NorthWood’s Bronson Yoder sailed 20-8 as the clear cut winner, but Wawasee’s Xavier Ortiz faulted on a jump of 19-4, which forced Ortiz to keep an 18-10.25, falling behind Austin Shapland’s 19-01. Shapland then moved over one runway and claimed the top pole vault of 12-0, topping both Brady Robinson (11-6) and Eric Yankosky (11-0), both Wawasee vaulters hitting their personal bests.

Jason Borkholder’s 5-8 gave NorthWood the field sweep, one raise higher than Dylan Hepler’s 5-6.

“It goes back to our kids competing every night,” said NorthWood head coach Mark BeMiller. “Wawasee had a kid for every event we have an ace. It forced our kids to have to step up even more than usual. When you are matched up against quality kids, and Wawasee has quality athletes on its roster, you have to give your all. But I would say that we showed a lot by digging a little deeper and taking some of those close matchups.”

The Panthers also took eight of the 11 track events, led by a double from Jacob Stump in the 110 (16.81) and 300 hurdles (44.59) and Brayton Yoder in both the 100 (11.5) and 200 (23.25). NorthWood also won the 4×100 (44.18) and the 4×400 (3:41.45), a race that had Wawasee out front for about six turns before NorthWood closed quickly on the back stretch of the second leg and never looked back.

Wawasee’s Elisha Tipping sends the shot put hurtling against NorthWood.

Garrett Griffin won the 400 (52.67) and Caleb Darr won the 1,600 (5:03.47) for the Panthers.

The Warriors came through in the 4×800 relay at 9:15.31, had Spencer Hare take the 800 in convincing fashion at 1:59.07 and Hare had no one within earshot in the 3,200 at 10:45.47.

“Spencer gets lost sometimes when he doesn’t have someone hanging with him,” said Wawasee head coach Scott Lancaster. “He does much better when he has somebody to run with. He’s ran very well with good competition. He’s PRed in maybe four or five meets this year, but may have come in third or fourth but cut six or seven seconds off his best time. It comes down to not knowing how good the race was because he finished behind somebody else, but you look at the clock and you say holy smokes.”

NorthWood, which came out of last weekend’s Goshen Relays as the repeat Small School champion, will really find out what its made of when defending conference champion Warsaw as well as a talent-laden Plymouth squad come to Nappanee next Wednesday. Wawasee will host Elkhart Memorial and Goshen next Wednesday after the boys and girls teams compete Saturday at the John Reed Relays in Kendallville.

Wawasee’s Xavier Ortiz splashes down in the long jump.