Both the Warsaw boys and girls cross country teams qualified for the state finals with strong runs at the regionals at Huntington University Saturday.
Click
HERE for a link to the final results for both races.
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GIRLS RACE RECAP
At the IHSAA Regional finals at Huntington University on October 26th, the Lady Tigers secured a 4th-place finish out of 25 teams, earning a spot at next weekend's State Meet at the Lavern Gibson course in Terre Haute. This marks the Lady Tigers' 5th consecutive State Finals appearance and their 6th in the last 7 years.
Junior Sammi Rastrelli led the team, setting a new personal record with a time of 18:49.6, finishing 9th overall and landing a spot on the top 20 podium. Senior Ella Laput followed with a strong 27th-place finish at 19:27.1. Junior Eden Metz was next for the Tigers, finishing 40th at 20:06.4, followed by senior Bryce Eherenman in 75th at 21:06.1 and junior Hannah Fisher close behind at 21:09.8 for 78th.
Seniors Annie Parker (21:36.3) and sophomore Stephanie Malagon-Juarez (21:39.0) rounded out the team effort, helping secure the Tigers' trip to the State Finals.
"It was a great team effort today," said Coach Fleming. "The girls were determined to make it to state and truly pushed each other. All credit goes to their hard work and commitment; I couldn't be prouder." The Lady Tigers will race again on November 2nd at Lavern Gibson in Terre Haute.
BOYS RACE RECAP
Wearing bright pink singlets to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Tigers made a statement at the New Haven Regional, securing second place and missing the title to a strong Homestead team.
"The Tiger boys tied the school record with five consecutive state meet qualifications," Coach Campbell remarked on the achievement. "This streak is truly special because the last time we saw something like this was during the 2-Mile Era, between 1957 and 1961."
Junior Jackson Gackenheimer made Tiger history by winning the Super Regional individual title, becoming only the third Tiger to achieve this feat.
"What a huge win for Jackson," Coach Campbell shared. "Couldn't have happened to a better kid. I've never coached an athlete with his level of ability. He's a gamer, a smart racer, and he's gotten pretty darn good at listening to his body. He keeps progressing and learning, and we're excited for him next week at Terre Haute. Indiana has a lot of talented runners, and Jackson's right up there. He's going to represent Warsaw well."
Rounding out the remaining Top 7 were Senior Tyler Mimnaugh in 18th place (16:20.6), Senior Alex Schrock in 22nd (16:27.6), Senior Noah McPhail in 43rd (16:57.6), Senior Clark Meridew in 49th (17:13.2), Senior Mattias Niebbia in 71st (17:33.7), and Junior Sam Allebach in 88th (17:47.7).
Coach Campbell commented on the team's season-long journey: "We've felt confident all season that we'd qualify for State, but we had to stay healthy; we didn't have much room for error. Last season, we had 10 guys under 17:00; this year, we've got 6, but we've been a little inconsistent—3 guys on, 3 guys off. We hadn't quite put together a complete team race." Going into the race, the team had to face a last-minute setback as Rick Orr, the team's number 3 runner, was out with the flu. "Rick wanted to run, he didn't want to let the team down, but after talking to him, we knew it was best for him to stay home and rest. We trusted the guys to get the job done, but it did add a little more nerves heading in. We just needed at least five guys to be solid, and they delivered."
Coach Campbell praised Tyler Mimnaugh, who came back strong after a challenging performance the week before. "It was a solid day for Tyler. He looked strong, raced confidently, and delivered a crucial Top-20 finish for us. He's one of the best runners ever to wear the Warsaw jersey, and we're looking forward to him giving it his all one last time next weekend at Terre Haute. He's not done yet."
Perhaps the biggest surprise came from Senior Alex Schrock, who set a 22-second personal record at just the right moment. "This couldn't have come at a better time. We needed it," Coach Campbell said, beaming with pride. "Schrock had only broken 17 minutes three times before, and to see him come out and deliver this kind of performance when we needed it most—it's hard to put into words. When he came across the 4K just behind Mimnaugh, I was going crazy. It's the first time I've seen him race like that. Just epic."
The Tigers conclude their season at the IHSAA State Meet next weekend, aiming for a strong finish and competing for a spot in the Top 10.
