SOUTH BEND – Never underestimate the heart of a champion.

The Warsaw boys track team proved that Thursday night.

It was all about heart as the Tigers provided a heart-pounding finish to cap off another regional championship in heart-stopping fashion.

With the championship hanging in the balance, Warsaw got a hearty effort from its 4 X 400 relay team in the final event of the night to claim the title at South Bend St. Joseph.

The team of seniors Ryan Goon, Chad Goon and Gabe Furnivall, along with sophomore Landan Perry edged past Penn to claim first in a time of  3:20.56. The outstanding Warsaw quartet was seeded second in the event to Penn with a time of 3:23.95.

Warsaw, by virtue of outscoring the Kingsmen 10-8 in the relay, topped the Kingsmen 77-76 to claim its second straight regional title and third in the last four years.

The Tigers edged past Penn 76-73 last year to win the Kokomo Regional. The Kingsmen beat Warsaw 83-82 in 2012 and Warsaw edged Kokomo 58-57 in 2011.

The top three finishers in each event advance to the State Finals on June 7 at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Furnivall provided the thrilling finish to a tremendous night of competition in the final race. He outraced Penn senior star Tim Deal in the anchor leg down the final stretch and held his arms aloft as he crossed the finish line just .61 seconds ahead of Deal.

“I knew if the guys gave me the baton with the lead that I was going to bring it home,” said Furnivall.  “This is what we’ve been going for all year. I just had to run my race.  I had a chip on my shoulder after the 4 X 100 (in which Warsaw placed fourth). This was a team effort for us to win it tonight.”

The Tigers, who placed fifth at the State Finals in 2013, won the regional title thanks to its depth and a complete team effort. The 4 X 400 relay team was the only event won by the Tigers.

“That race shows what kind of competitor that Gabe is,” said Warsaw coach Matt Thacker. “He’s going to do whatever to help the team win. He showed phenomenal heart and courage. Deal is a great runner. That was a phenomenal finish.

“We love competing versus Penn. We’ve done it all year, head-to head, at the Goshen Relays, at our own Max Truex meet and here tonight. It’s great competition with Penn. They are a class act with great coaches. If I had to lose, I would want to lose to them.

“This senior class has left a legacy with what they have done. They’ve done some tremendous things. Guys like Tristan McClone. He wanted nothing more than to go to State and he is in the 100. He’s poured his heart and soul into it.”

The Tigers also got big points from senior standout Michael Miller. The first year track performer was third in the 100 in 10.98, anchored the 4 X 100 relay team that placed fourth in 42.76 and was sixth in the 200 in 22.70.

The 4 X 100 team of seniors Miller, Furnivall, Tristan McClone and Tanner Balazs did get added to the field for the State Finals following the regional meet Thursday night.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it’s pretty amazing to be going to State,” said an exhausted Miller after the finals of the 200. “I could have done better here tonight, but nothing is better than going to State. That’s been our goal all year.”

“I’m dead. This was a lot of running for me. I’m exhausted. I knew coming in here how fast it would be. I was not surprised. The 100 prelims was my best all year, it was a PR. Then in the finals, I got a horrible start out of the blocks, but finished well.  We all ran well in the 4 X 100.  Our handoffs were not good though.”

South Bend Adams star Shaq Vann was the man on the track. The senior won the 100 in a blistering time of 10.85. He also won the 200 in 21.86 and anchored the winning 4 X 100 relay team of the Eagles, which clocked in at 42.51.

McClone earned a State Finals berth in the lightning quick 100 by meeting the state standard with a fourth place time of 11.09.

The Tigers started the night strong as its 4 X 800 relay team of Ismael Calderon, Nick Bergen, Daniel Messenger and Tyler Houvener placed second in a time of 8:01.81.

Warsaw needed every point it got to squeeze past Penn, which won three events.  Deal won the long jump and the 300 hurdles to pace the Kingsmen.

Senior Ellis Coon placed second in the 1,600 in a time of 4:19.76 for the Tigers. Furnivall turned in a gutty third-place finish in the 400 in a time of 49.77. The duo of Dylan Campbell and Ross Armey got huge points by placing fourth and fifth respectively in the 300 hurdles in times of 40.53 and 40.80.

The Tigers also got big points in the field events. Stephen Kolbe was third in the high jump to earn a trip to State. Rashaan Jackson was fifth in the long jump, Andrew Scheidt fifth in the discus and Ben Plummer sixth in the shot put.

Warsaw was without senior Seth Fouts in the shot put. Fouts, who won the event at the regional last year, is out for the season after a violation of school rules. The University of Kentucky recruit, who did not compete at the sectional last week, placed fifth at State in 2013 and would have been a contender for a state title this year.

“We got big points from a lot of places tonight,” said Thacker. “Points from guys like Rashaan and Andrew and Ben that we had to have to win this thing. And if we don’t have Mike Miller on this team, we don’t win tonight.”

 

TEAM SCORES 

WARSAW 77, PENN 76, MISHAWAKA 51, SOUTH BEND ADAMS 46, KOKOMO 38, WESTERN 26, NORTHRIDGE 24, WAWASEE 24, SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON 22, ELKHART MEMORIAL 21; ELKHART CENTRAL 20, SOUTH BEND RILEY 20; GOSHEN 18, FAIRFIELD 15, BREMEN 14, SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 14; GLENN 13, MACONAQUAH 12, NORTHWESTERN 12, LOGANSPORT 11, CULVER ACADEMY 10, NORTHWOOD 9, EASTERN OF GREENTOWN 9; MARIAN 8, CONCORD 7, PLYMOUTH 6, CASS 6, NORTH MIAMI 4, ROCHESTER 4, PIONEER 2, TIPTON 2, MANCHESTER 2, JIMTOWN 1.

TOP THREE ADVANCE TO STATE FINALS (Saturday, June 7, at Indiana University). Also, anyone advancing by meeting a state standard is indicated by (STANDARD).

 

SUMMARY

4×800 relay: 1. Penn (Jon Koellner, Tyler Krathwohl, Christian Wittendorf, Thomas Gales) 7:59.04; 2. Warsaw (Ismael Calderon, Nick Bergen, Daniel Messenger, Tyler Houvener) 8:01.81; 3. Western (Jacob Bradshaw, Auston Davenport, Matt Grider, Josh Everetts) 8:05.45; 4. Goshen (Ricardo Castillo, Andrew Pillow, Colton Potter, Gerardo Abad) 8:06.19; 5. Northridge (Jailyn Rolle, Conner Sandt, Blake O’Dell, Neel Patel) 8:11.31; 6. Kokomo (Jadyn Whitehead, Jordan Fivecoate, Colten Pearce, Ethan Sharp) 8:17.74; 7. St. Joseph (Matt Morris, Jacob Klaybor, Max Otiato, Grayson Radvansky) 8:22.51; 8. Fairfield (Trever Yoder, Adrian Torres, Alex Oberlin, Nathan Miller) 8:29.47.

110 hurdles: 1. Cameron Kitson (Fairfield) 14.72; 2. Clayton Cook (Wawasee) 14.98; 3. Troy Bradley (Mishawaka) 15.26; 4. Steven Johnson (Elkhart Memorial) 15.36; 5. Jordan Nix (Kokomo) 15.54; 6. Donald Swanson (Washington) 15.71; 7. Austin Healey (Northridge) 16.12; 8. Timothy Clark (Mishawaka) 16.75.

100: 1. Shaq Vann (Adams) 10.85; 2. Deon Whitherspoon (Washington) 10.92; 3. Michael Miller (Warsaw) 10.98; 4. Tristan McClone (Warsaw) 11.09 (STANDARD); 5. William Porter (Eastern of Greentown) 11.14 (STANDARD); 6. Prince Gee (Adams) 11.17; 7. Michael Hartman (Plymouth) 11.21; 8. Daniel Campbell (Riley) 11.22.

1600: 1. Jeremy Breedlove (Kokomo) 4:15.19; 2. Ellis Coon (Warsaw) 4:19.76; 3. Blake Kramer (Elkhart Memorial) 4:20.10; 4. Lucas Runyan (Glenn) 4:22.24; 5. Wesley Meyer (Rochester) 4:28.97; 6. Robert Duke (Eastern of Greentown)    4:31.74; 7. Taylor Neff (Penn) 4:37.82; 8. Clayton Thornton (Bremen) 4:38.74.

4×100 relay: 1. Adams (Joel Nyirongo, Prince Gee, Brian Otieno, Shaq Vann) 42.51; 2. Washington (Torreq Rice, Denottus Crumbley, Anthony Brazier, Deonne Whitherspoon) 42.58; 3. Mishawaka (David Carlos, Cameron Thomas, Tanner Bradley, Kylan McCullough) 42.73; 4. Warsaw (Tanner Balazs, Tristan McClone, Gabe Furnivall, Michael Miller) 42.76; 5. Kokomo (Hanif Burnett, Jordan Nix, Jordan Rawlins, Andrecus Eddington) 43.13; 6. Concord (Tevin Williams, Darrell Bean, Ramon Johnson, Jerrell Pointdexter) 43.67; 7. Western (Christian Glenn, Cameron Dessing, Braedon Cannon, Zach Shahan) 43.98; 8. Penn (Austin Laughman, Kyle Kreiger, Nathan Ohlson, Gregory Higgins) 44.03.

400: 1. Thomas Capers (Riley) 48.65; 2. Sam Lacher (Bremen) 49.00; 3. Gabe Furnivall (Warsaw) 49.77; 4. Zach Oakley (Penn) 50.16; 5. Darnell Bean (Concord) 50.37; 6. Aaron Hensley-Miller (Mishawaka) 50.93; 7. Sam Byler (Goshen) 50.97; 8. Owen Munson (Northwestern) 51.63.

300 hurdles: 1. Tim Deal (Penn) 38.27; 2. Max Weaver (Penn) 40.18; 3. David Carlos (Mishawaka) 40.37; 4. Dylan Campbell (Warsaw) 40.53; 5. Ross Armey (Warsaw) 40.80; 6. Diante Swanson (Washington) 41.66; 7. Chase Bess (Tipton) 41.86; 8. A.J. Styers (Plymouth) 41.98.

800: 1. Blake Kramer (Elkhart Memorial) 1:55.72; 2. Thomas Gales (Penn) 1:56.42; 3. Alex Calisto (Logansport) 1:56.72; 4. Zach Cockrill (Wawasee) 1:57.35; 5. Nicholas Skwarcan (NorthWood) 2:00.37; 6. Landrum Neer (Culver Academy) 2:01.53; 7. Steven Siade (Riley) 2:02.39; 8. Ethan Sharp (Kokomo) 2:03.05.

200: 1. Shaq Vann (Adams)  21.86; 2. K.J. Walton (Maconaquah) 22.41; 3. Cameron Oden (Northwestern) 22.51; 4. Prince Gee (Adams) 22.54; 5. Sam Lacher (Bremen) 22.55; 6. Michael Miller (Warsaw) 22.70; 7. Colin McNeeley (Manchester) 22.89; 8. Samuel Byler (Goshen) 23.23.

3200: 1. Jeremy Breedlove (Kokomo) 9:38.89; 2. Andy Timmons (Adams) 9:42.28; 3. Matt Grider (Western) 9:46.83; 4. Blake O’Dell (Northridge) 9:48.57; 5. Jacob Turner (St. Joe) 9:49.26; 6. Alejandro Tumoine Villalobos (Culver Academy) 9:51.11; 7. Gerardo Abad (Goshen) 9:53.00; 8. Travis Kulczar (Riley) 9:59.73.

4×400 relay: 1. Warsaw (Landan Perry, Chad Goon, Ryan Goon, Gabe Furnivall) 3:20.56; 2. Penn (Tim Deal, Christian Wittendorf, Thomas Gales, Zach Oakley) 3:21.17; 3. Mishawaka (Cameron Thomas, Robert Lambert, David Carlos, Aaron Hensley-Miller) 3:23.62; 4. NorthWood (Bailey Gessinger, Reid Yoder, Nicholas Skwarcan, Matthew Proncho) 3:25.37; 5. Maconaquah (Cody Hicks, Luke Hann, Daltyn Childers, K.J. Walton) 3:26.25; 6. Plymouth (Mason Reed, Taylor Fulton, Jack Barron, A.J. Styers) 3:26.56; 7. Eastern of Greentown (William Porter, Riley Haupert, Robert Duke, Joshua Sommers) 3:27.62; 8. Riley (Matt Cuskaden, Nick Austin, Yoshua Reed, Thomas Capers) 3:28.72.

Long jump: 1. Tim Deal (Penn) 23-2; 2. Haki Woods (St. Joseph) 22-8.5; 3. Sabin Gorset (Penn) 22-0; 4. Adam Trejo (Mishawaka) 21-10.5 (STANDARD); 5. Rashaan Jackson (Warsaw) 21-9.75; 6. Jacob White (North Miami) 21-5; 7. Blake Johnson (Pioneer) 20-8; 8. Marquis Schieber (Jimtown) 20-7.

Discus: 1. Corey Hinkle (Western) 153-0; 2. Michael Fickert (Northridge) 147-0.5; 3. Codey Campbell (Cass) 146-0; 4. Alex Emmerd (Logansport) 145-3; 5. Andrew Scheidt (Warsaw Community) 143-3.5; 6. Jon Walker (Wawasee) 142-11.5; 7. Hunter Schuman (Glenn) 137-4; 8. Eric Duran (Bremen) 135-08.5.

Pole vault: 1. Tanner Bradley (Mishawaka) 14-6; 2. Jacob Burnham (Marian) 13-6; 3. Avery Barrett (Kokomo) 13-6; 4. Cameron Kitson (Fairfield) 13-0; 4. Darren Curry (Northwestern) 13-0; 4. Jacob Isnogle (Goshen) 13-0; 7. Caleb Nash (Culver Academy) 13-0; 8. James Alexander (Mishawaka) 12-6.

High jump: 1. Treyton Harris (Elkhart Central) 6-5.25; 2. Jacob Gilmer (Wawasee) 6-4.75; 3. Stephen Koble (Warsaw) 6-4.75; 4. Yoshua Reed (Riley) 6-4.75 (STANDARD); 5. Robert Lambert (Mishawaka) 6-2; 6. Adam Trejo (Mishawaka) 6-1; 7. Eric Burns (Culver Academy) 6-0; 8. Josh Perry (Northwestern) 6-0.

Shot put: 1. Keion Johnson (Elkhart Central) 55-2; 2. Isaiah Cook (Penn)    55-1; 3. Hunter Schuman (Glenn) 54-8.5; 4. Michael Fickert (Northridge) 52-5.25; 5. Mitchell Watts (Goshen) 48-2.25; 6. Ben Plummer (Warsaw) 48-0.75; 7/ Russell McDorman (Western) 46-2.5; 8. Kevin Huffman (North Miami) 45-11.