Tyler Houvener looks to help No. 12 Warsaw win another cross country sectional championship Tuesday at Culver Academies (File photos by Mike Deak)
The Warsaw boys and girls cross country teams know all about bringing home the hardware this time of year.
Both squads, ranked among the state’s best, will start postseason action Tuesday looking for more postseason trophies as heavy sectional favorites.
Warsaw, on both the boys and girls side, are shooting for a third straight sectional championship. The pair headline the 11-team field at the Culver Academies Sectional.
Coach Jim Mills’ team, led by senior star Ellis Coon, is ranked No. 12. The Tigers, who won both sectional and regional titles in 2012 en route to a fourth-place finish at the State Finals, are fresh off winning the NLC Championship Oct. 5.
“We are definitely the favorites,” said Mills. “Ellis has had two great weeks of practice and looks strong.”
Coon has found his stride again after sitting out the New Prairie Inivataional and then struggling in the Culver Academies Invitational and the final NLC regular season meet. The Temple recruit won the NLC race in a time of 16:12.
The Warsaw boys also count on Owen Glogovsky, Tyler Houvener, Nick Bergen and Daniel Messenger.
Warsaw looks to make it three sectional titles in a row on the girls’ side for the first time in program history. The No. 25 Tigers were second to No. 13 Northridge in the NLC Meet Oct. 5 as the Raiders won on the tiebreaker of their sixth runner.
“Our girls are feeling good about the season and these past two weeks in particular,” said Warsaw girls coach Scott Erba. ”Rochester has shown that they can run strong when they are healthy. It should be a great race and we hope to make it three Sectional titles in a row.
“This would be another big step in building the Warsaw Lady Tiger cross country program. To have not have won a sectional since 1985 then winning three in a row would be a great achievement for the entire team.”
Freshman Allison Miller leads the pack for the Warsaw ladies. Miller was second at the NLC Meet at Ox Bow Park with a time of 19:37.
“Allison Miller has had a great freshman season so far,” remarked Erba. ”She is learning to control her pacing, especially in the beginning part of the race, and this has helped her run more competitively at the front of the pack in the last several races. For her, it is a big confidence booster to be or see the race leader. She has the potential to score low points for us in the biggest meets of the year.”
Erba, whose team placed 19th at State in 2012, says his team has high goals for the postseason even with a lot of new faces in the lineup.
“We believe we can win both the sectional and the regional this year if we stay healthy and run like we are capable of running,” Erba said. ”The girls have made going to State one of their season goals and that is going to take a great effort by all seven of our runners on that day at semi state at New Prairie High School. Right now, there are at least 10 schools who have viable chances to make in into the top six spots and it is going to be close for those last positions.”
The pair of Hannah Dawson and Brooke Rhodes, who finished fourth and sixth respectively at the NLC Meet, are big keys for Erba’s team. The duo of Madeline Hooks and Aletheia Burritt completed the top five at the NLC Meet.
The Culver Academies Sectional field includes Warsaw, Caston, Culver Academies, Lakeland Christian Academy, Manchester, North Miami, Plymouth, Rochester, Tippecanoe Valley and Triton.
The top five teams in the sectional and the top 10 individuals advance to the regional at Culver Academies Oct. 19.
The Wawasee harriers return to Ox Bow Park Tuesday evening for sectional action hosted by Elkhart Central.
Coach Doug Slabaugh’s teams should be in good shape in search of a regional qualifying effort. The No. 15 Northridge boys team and the No. 13 Northridge girls team are the defending champions in the 11-team field.
The Wawasee ladies, who placed fourth in the sectional a year ago, were third in the NLC Meet at Ox Bow Oct. 5. Bre Robinson and Bridgette Yoder led their team by placing ninth and 10th respectively.
The Wawasee boys are led by Adam Doll. The senior was third in the NLC race in a time of 16:46 to lead his team to a fourth place finish. Zach Cochrill was 10th at the NLC for the Warriors, who placed third in the sectional in 2012.
The Elkhart Central Sectional field boasts Wawasee, Bethany Christian, Concord, Elkhart Christian, Elkhart Memorial, Fairfield, Goshen, Jimtown, Elkhart Central, Northridge and NorthWood.
The top five teams and the top 10 individuals at Ox Bow Tuesday return there for the regional Oct. 19.
Courtney Linnemeier will be in action for Wawasee Tuesday in the sectional at Ox Bow Park.