GIRLS RACE RECAP
Warsaw Lady Tigers were back in action at Ox Bow Park for the first of two Super Duals between all of the NLC schools.  The Tigers placed 2nd in the dual competition just behind Goshen, moving their record to 6-1 on the season.  Team scores were: Goshen 23,-Warsaw 34, then Warsaw defeated Northridge 26-36, Plymouth 22-39, Wawasee 18-45, Northwood 15-48, Mishawaka 18-43, and Concord 18-45.

The Lady Tigers were led by Sammi Rastrelli 19:51, Ella Laput 20:00, Stephanie Malagon 21:37, Aubrey Bricker 21:40, and Eden Metz 21:40.  The Lady Tigers posted 10 personal records and many season best times on the night.

BOYS RACE RECAP
The boys also went 6-1 on the night at Ox Box. 

The Tigers secured victories over Goshen (22-35), Concord (21-37), Wawasee (16-45), Northwood (15-47), Plymouth (15-50), and Mishawaka (20-43). Their only loss came in a close meet against Northridge, 26-31.
 
"Northridge is the real deal," said Tiger Coach Matt Campbell.  "We were well aware of that coming into this meet. They had an outstanding track season in the spring. With six guys capable of running under 4:30 in the 1600 and sub-10:00 in the 3200, they've got everything needed for a top-tier cross-country team."
 
Despite the tough loss, Campbell was optimistic about his team's potential. "We can compete with 'Ridge, especially in a bigger meet," he noted. "We have strong frontrunning, but our weakness right now is our pack. Losing three of our top seven from last year, we will need some boys to step up to the challenge and latch onto Northridge's 4-5 runners. We have the talent to do it, just need to execute."
 
Leading the way for the Tigers was Junior Jackson Gackenheimer, finishing 2nd, followed by Senior Tyler Mimnaugh in 4th, Senior Clark Meridew in 8th, Senior Noah McPhail in 17th, Senior Mattias Niebbia in 19th, Senior Rick Orr in 22nd, and Senior Alex Schrock in 28th. Campbell praised the team's progress, stating, "Gackenheimer, Mimnaugh, Meridew, and Orr are further along at this point than last season, and that's encouraging. These guys competed at Nike Outdoor Nationals in June, with a 10-day break afterward. We didn't start their slow build-up until late June, so I'm happy with where we are. It takes time to build fitness.  They need to stay locked in, and you will start to see some time drops in the coming weeks."
 
One of the standout performances came from Senior Mattias Niebbia, who ran 5th for the Tigers. Campbell was thrilled with his effort: "Mattias ran an outstanding race once again, shaving nearly 30 seconds off his best time. That was one of the gutsiest races I've seen from an athlete since I've been coaching; he went for it from the start, completely out of his comfort zone. He had a grimace on his face the entire race and never let up. You want to put a guy like that on the line in a big moment."
 
The Tigers saw significant progress, recording 14 new personal records and 9 season bests.


The 2nd round of the NLC cross country regular season is September 17th on the Tigers' home course.