Lady Tigers Roll To NLC Title
By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews
WARSAW – They did it in the regular season, and backed it up in the first ladder of the second season.
Warsaw’s girls and Northridge’s boys, both undefeated in the regular season Northern Lakes Conference track round robin, held up their ends of the bargain by winning titles Tuesday night at the Tiger Athletic Complex.
Lady Tigers, No Doubt
It was about as convincing as convincing can get in a conference track meet. Maybe not Carmel swimming convincing, but the point was made in Warsaw winning 12 of the 16 events and lurking in the other four.
Perhaps the moment of the meet for Warsaw, and those who are chasing her, came at 7:24 p.m. when Marin Hart completed her final attempt of high jump. Already the conference champion after clearing 5-2 and Plymouth’s Claudia Marohn unable to match mark, Hart gave her three tries at 5-6.25 to attempt to catch both Julie Seiss’ and Alexie Day’s program records of 5-6.
Hart wasn’t able to get it, barely wobbling the bar off her third chance, but left the mat after her final attempt, sprinted to the start line of the 100 hurdles, and demolished the field for a 15.61 championship.
“My first priority is high jump, and I’m not worried about what’s after it because it’s just too much stress,” said Hart after the high jump and 100 hurdles titles were complete. “I’m focused on the current objective, and today it was high jump. If I make it, then run over to hurdles and today it was qualifying for the finals. Did that. Then came back, and I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. I just trust in God to get me through it. Today, I was blessed to do that.”
Hart later made easy work of her third title of the day, blazing to a 48.64 title in the 300 hurdles.
Warsaw had another double event champion in Joey Rastrelli, who won the mile at 5:21.06 and the two-mile at 12:03.71. Wini Barnett would be part of three titles, helping the 4×800 relay (9:57.04) and the 4×400 relay (4:07.87) to championships and winning her own in the 800 (2:26.39).
Also adding to the collection for the Lady Tigers were Lilly Boston in the 100 (12.93), Josie Niebbia in pole vault (10-4), Abby Sanner in discus (120-6.5), and the 4×100 relay team (51.69).
Warsaw scored 205 points to Northridge’s runner-up 124 and Mishawaka’s 106.
“I think tonight was encouraging for me to see all of the girls really supporting each other,” said Warsaw girls head coach Megan Davis. “The girls are definitely individually driven. But their success is just as important as their teammate’s success, and that was very apparent tonight. I can’t tell you how many times I saw a Lady Tiger walk up to another one and congratulate, or even to some of the other girls from other schools. That is more important to me than just a team trophy, it shows we are doing things the right way.”
NorthWood had just one event crack the top three, its 4×800 relay team posting a 10:36.66 for third place. The 4×400 was fourth (4:26.17), as were Reagan Koble in the 100 hurdles (16.51), Kady Hutsell in the 100 dash (13.29) and Kaitlin Burden in the mile (5:36.74).
Wawasee had a similar results set in terms of placement, but all of its top finishes were fourth places, and three were in the field, Dylan Konieczny in the high jump (4-10), Alissa Gill in long jump (15-4.25), Emma Yoder in discus (97-2) and Bailey Mayhew in the 400 dash (1:03.97).
Raiders Don’t Look Back, Outpace Tigers
Warsaw had a pair of individual titles on the track Tuesday, but couldn’t keep pace with Northridge’s seven. The 171-140 triumph by the Raiders over the Tigers was highlighted by a pair of wins from Mason Floria in hurdles and Carter Bach in throws.
Atop Warsaw’s list of accomplishments Tuesday was a big win by Tanner Stiver in the 800, winning the race in a full blown sprint to the line to beat Mishawaka’s Mark Crooks with a 1:59.44. Stiver also was runner up in the mile (4:29.01) and rallied Warsaw to second in the 4×400 relay with a final leg coming home at 3:32.96.
Cam Harness kept his undefeated high jump streak in the NLC alive with another win, the only contestant to make the 6-0 level.
Andrew Frush was second in both the 110 hurdles (15.65) and 300 hurdles (42.75).
Jeremy Johnson sailed 20-5.5 for second in long jump.
“Right now, it’s about survive and advance,” said Warsaw boys head coach JW Maierle. “Top three, top three. I told the guys the other day that I don’t care what the times and distances are, I want to see what place you are in. Just about all of these teams will be in the sectional. We had a lot of guys move up tonight, and that’s what it’s about in the sectional. If you get top three, great, if not, well, nobody wants to sit around and wait for a callback. Earn your spot, keep competing.”
NorthWood had an individual champion on the day, seeing Brad Demitruk once again fly high in pole vault. The NorthWood senior went 13-8 to best Northridge’s Mason Puckett by four inches.
Also in the field, Brevin Miller was third in shot put (47-2.5) and Seth Russell was fourth in high jump (5-3). Jordan Burden had NorthWood’s best individual track placement with a fourth in the two-mile (9:58.57).
Wawasee struggled in the meet, putting just one individual among the top four in any event. Mason Possell had the honor in finishing fourth in the 400 dash at 53.79.