Kokomo Tribune - Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Strong Western teams lead delegation to Logansport

Honestly, folks, it's almost over.

Really.

It's been a year of changes and realignments by the IHSAA for area teams in a handful of single-class sports, including track and field and now cross country.

In an effort to make postseason tournaments in both sports more closely resemble each other, the final move will send Howard County's five schools from Marion to Logansport for the sectional level, starting today at 5 p.m. with the girls race..

The top five teams and top 15 individuals advance from there to the Culver Academies Regional on Saturday and then farther northwest to the New Prairie Semistate.

The tournament climaxes with the State Finals on Oct 27 in Terre Haute.

Fortunately for the teams from Eastern, Kokomo, Northwestern, Taylor and Western, they are all familiar with who the favorites will be.

Oak Hill, another refugee from the Marion Sectional, has been tabbed by several coaches as the team to beat on the boys side.

The Golden Eagles return three runners who were among the top 12 finishers at Marion in 2006, including individual champion Matt McClain and runner-up Cameron Balser. They recently helped their team win its second Central Indiana Conference title in as many years.

"Oak Hill will just kill everybody," Kokomo coach Ricke Stucker said bluntly. His Wildkats would have been the returning champions at Marion, winning their first sectional tide

last year since 2000. Kokomo' was third at the recent North Central Conference meet

"Nobody will be dose to Oak Hill. Western will be second, then we'll probably be fighting it out with Peru for third"

The Panthers warmed up for today's meet by winning their first Mid-Indiana Conference championship since 2003 last Tuesday, putting five runners among the top 12 at Oakbrook Valley Park.

"It's going to be hard to beat [the Golden Eagles]," said coach Joe Orr, who has returned to Western as a coach and teacher. "We're just going to have to hope we can put some runners between their fourth and fifth runners in order for us to win, but we're going to give it our best shot

"I think we've got a chance to win. That would be fantastic:"

Last season Kokomo could rely on senior Ryan Perry to challenge front-runners like Balser and McClain. Stucker said he doesn't have that luxury this year.

"We have a nice pack, but we get hurt on points because our first person is so far back," Stucker said, noting that Brandon Sheline, Devin White and Ian Holtson have been his lead group all season.

"We just need to get the second group [of runners] up there with the first group. Those three have pulled away from some of the other kids, and those other kids need to step up and tighten we'll up our gap. Then be a lot better."

The Bengal Tigers are the top returning team at Logansport. They were second a year ago and return Aaron Garretson, who was the individual champion of the MIC this year.

On the girls side, the Panthers are once again the team to beat, looking for their fifth straight title under first-year coach Heather Yentes. The first four came courtesy of former coach Dana Neer, now an assistant at Westfield.

Yentes explained the transition was a smooth one and the team has moved forward quickly.

"I was the assistant coach with Dana for two years, and so there was at least some common things with what was going on," said Yentes. "I knew what was happening before to continue with that tradition. [Other than that] we didn't really talk about [the coaching change]"

Western demolished the MIC field last week by finishing five girls among the top nine places, led by junior Jenn Elliott, who was the individual winner of the 2006 Marion race.

Three of the Panthers' top five are freshmen - Corianne Myer, Bre Nicholas and Kayla Gaskins. Another talented frosh, Ashley Gaskins, is expected back for regional on Saturday.

"They have done a great job of filling in where we needed them and improving throughout the year," Yentes said of her ninth-graders. "They've kind of been nervous every meet but it's just kind of part of it and it actually seems to motivate them to do better."

The Purple Tigers missed a return visit to regional last year by one place and 11 points, finishing sixth at Marion. Led by senior Jennifer Claudio, they are making plans to end that trend this year.

"The girls are focused on going to the regional," said coach Dave Stevens. "That's not an if we're going, it's we are going to the regional as a team. They're excited about the opportunity and they'll definitely be ready."

Claudio was second at the MIC meet and was sixth in last year's sectional race at Marion.

The Kats finished fourth at Marion in 2006 but need help for No. 1 runner Nicky Parry if they hope to return to regional. Parry was fifth overall at Marion last year.

Kokomo started the season with only four girls but is up to seven now. The Wildkats were fifth in the NCC meet

"They've come a long way," Stucker said. "There's just a huge gap between No. 1 and 2 and we have to tighten that up. Ifs going to be a real shootout for that fifth spot and we hope we have outstanding performances and can grab that spot"