WARSAW – The Warsaw boys cross country program has raised the bar the past two seasons.

Coach Jim Mills expects that type of success to carry on again this fall for the Tigers.

Warsaw, which has been blessed with top tier frontrunners each of the past two seasons, will need to stack the pack this fall in order to continue to meet the high standards established the last two years.

“We are going to be strong at the top with four really solid runners back,” said Mills. We have potential. Our top three runners are very close in terms of ability and their times.”

Warsaw relied on star Ellis Coon as its frontrunner a season ago. Coon led the way as the Tigers won sectional and regional titles before placing second at the semi state and 12th at the State Finals where Coon was third overall. Two years ago, standouts Jake Poyner and Robert Murphy led the Tigers to a program best fourth-place finish at State.

“We don’t have that type of frontrunner this year, but we have a good, solid 5-6 runners,” Mills said. “Early on this season we may not set the World on fire. But we expect to be at State every year.

“It’s important this year that there is very little difference in the time of our top four guys. We need them to come in boom, boom, boom, boom at the finish.”

Junior Owen Glogovsky is expected to lead the way for Warsaw. Glogovsky had a stellar sophomore campaign and has been a force each of his first two seasons.

The Tigers also return seniors Nick Bergen and Daniel Messenger, along with junior Jonathan Beres from the State Finals lineup in 2013.  Both Glogovsky and Messenger have competed at State each of the past two seasons for Warsaw.

Warsaw is a little short on depth as a pair of runners moved out of the area and another promising newcomer chose to play soccer this fall.

“That just opens up opportunities for others,” said Mills. “We have some young kids who will be pretty good in time.”

Senior Jacob DeBoest and sophomore T.J. Day are expected to be in the mix for the Tigers.

Warsaw opens the season in the Huntington North Invitational Aug. 23.

Cockrill Ready, Warriors Hungry

A crushing loss at the New Haven Semi-state may have been the reality check Wawasee’s cross country team needed.

Having not run as a team in a semi-state in five years, Wawasee finished a disappointing 12th and Zach Cockrill missed advancing by one place and one second. While Wawasee may have been happy to be at IPFW running the course last October, the mindset is a little different as the fall approaches.

“That was a little bit of a wake-up call for some of our guys,” Wawasee head coach Doug Slabaugh said of the semi-state performance. “For the guys coming back, they know what advancing to state will take.”

Cockrill returns having missed state two years in a row by heartbreakingly small amounts. After a stellar junior track campaign, the senior will lead Wawasee and is already showing the ability in practices to run at state-level times.

Returning with Cockrill to headline the varsity are Troy Carolus, Bailey Yoder and Jaxon Bame. Slabaugh is looking at the potential from Erik Diaz, Sam Griner and a pool of about a half-dozen other runners would could develop for the top seven.

Wawasee opens the season Aug. 19 at Bremen in a four-team meet which also includes Fairfield and NorthWood.

Wildcats A Young Group

Youth is the key word for the Whitko squad this fall.

Coach Mark Rickerd has just one senior among the six runners listed on his early season roster.

Whitko lost All-TRC runner Derek Miller, who is playing football this year.

The Wildcats added lone senior Jonathan Johnson, who did not run last year.

“I’m trying to bolster and expand our roster,” said Rickerd. “I hope and expect us to be better at the end of the season than at the start of it.”

Sophomore Joshua Wright is expected to be the No. 1 man for the Wildcats. The Whitko roster also includes sophomore Kyle Whelplay and freshmen Collin Bross, Logan Busz and Ezra Miller.

Whitko opens its season by hosting Rochester Aug. 21.

Valley Has Strong Nucelus

The Vikings return four runners from last year’s team that placed sixth in the Culver Academies Sectional.

Valley did graduate its top runner from the sectional lineup in Brandon Maull.

Coach Mike Inglehearn will count on key returnees in juniors Jesse Floor and Tyler Ross and sophomores Tom Solano and Jared Mikel.

The Valley roster at this point is just nine deep with just two seniors in Devin Childers and Gary Long. Also in the mix are juniors Andy Herrera, Shay Merly and Rikko Montalonga.

The Vikings open the season at Goshen on Aug. 21.

Triton Boasts Talent

Hopes are high in Bourbon as the Trojans return four of their top five runners from a season ago.

Key returnees for Triton are seniors Derek Johnston and Landon Kaufman, along with sophomore Bailey Watkins and Cordell Sherow.

“I like the kids to be able to enjoy their summer so we haven’t really seen a lot of each other this summer,” said Triton coach Wes Rettinger. “I know that Derek and Bailey put a ton of miles on their legs this summer. I look forward to seeing how that helps them and the team this season.

“We still have a lot of work to do, but if our 3, 4 and 5 runners can hang close to Derek and Bailey to form a decent pack again this year, it should be another fun and successful season.”

The Trojans did lose Bryce Wanemacher, their top guy in 2013.

“It will be tough to replace Bryce, but I think my kids are up to the challenge,” concluded Rettinger.

Triton opens the season at Knox on Aug. 28.