Kokomo Tribune - Friday, October 19, 2007

Local boys and girls race Saturday in the New Prairie Semistate

Whether any of the athletes from the Howard County area advance beyond the IHSAA New Prairie Cross Country Semistate this Saturday remains -to be seen.

Some have high hopes, others are being realistic - the step from regional to semistate is more like a quantum leap in terms of raw competition.

But all agreed the sublime di-max of what has been a memorable 2007 would be nothing short of a maximum effort, and to let the chips fall where they may.

"If we get out, that's fantastic," said Western boys coach Joe Orr. His Panthers have been runners-up to Oak Hill twice this post-season, first at the Logansport Sectional and last Saturday at the Culver Academies Regional.

Only the top six teams – that number being expanded by one this season – and top 15 individuals of each gender at New Prairie earn the right to advance to the state meet Oct 27 in Terre Haute. The girls race begins at 11 a.m. Eastern time, with the boys race to follow.

"There's no pressure on us to get out and some teams may feel that pressure and not run as well," Orr said. "As long as [our boys] run the best they can, they have to realize it's been a fantastic season"

Western's boys will be joined by the girls team, which will mark its seventh straight semi-state run, although the girls have never advanced to state.

The Kokomo boys will also beon hand for their third year in a row, as well Wildkat senior Nicky Parry and Northwestern senior Jennifer Claudio on the girls side.

Also competing will be Cass freshman Ashley Baber, Peru junior Aaron Garretson and Maconaquah freshman Bryce Comp.

Among the boys team favorites are No. 2-ranked LaPorte, No. 3 McCutcheon and No. 11 Munster, No. 16 Chesterton and No. 24 Oak Hill.

It's the first semistate appearance for the Panthers since 2003 and Orr's first trip back to that level in his first year returning to Western after a coaching absence of more than 10 years.

That's when several area teams, including the Panthers, used to travel to Manchester for the regional and semistate. From 2003 to 2006 county teams went through the New Haven Semi-state in Fort Wayne.

"It is exciting for me but more so for the kids. It's going to be a new experience for the boys," Orr said. "I'm not telling the kids they can't be in the top six, but I tell them anytime you could finish in the top half it would be a great accomplishment'

Michael Ladd, one of two Western seniors, has waited a while for this opportunity. He's helped guide the team that couldn't get out of sectional his sophomore year.

"We worked so hard this summer and have grown together as a team," Ladd said after Saturday's regional. "It wasn't ever just me leading them. I needed their input all the time. The guys really stepped it up and matured quickly and did what we needed to do to get here"

Kokomo coach Ricke Stucker has been satisfied with his team's ability to hang with better teams despite not having a frontrunner.

"I knew we'd have a rough time all season because we didn't have a true No. 1 runner and our pack would have to lead us," Stucker said. "I'm not used to that at all. Normally we have at least one kid that's going to place in the top five no matter where we go"

Stucker said strategy and position on the New Prairie course will be important

"I'm worried that we're going to be back a little bit and when we go through that narrow, wooded area we'll be so far back that we might have to be forced to slow down," said Stucker. "We're going to try and pass legally in the woods.

"I'm hoping everybody has a season's-best and comes home with a smile on their face"

No. 2-ranked Lake Central, No. 10 West- Lafayette and No. 13 Valparaiso, which has finished either first or second in the state since 1999, should be front-runners among the girls.

Culver Girls Academy is ranked 14th behind two-time state champ Alex Banfich.

Stucker paid the Panthers a compliment by saying they could be a surprise on Saturday. First-year Western coach Heather Yentes is taking a more cautious approach.

"I think it will be hard for us to get out," Yentes said. "[The object is to] go out and get some PRs and put everything out there"

The Panthers should be at or near full strength for the first time in several weeks with the return of senior Katie Hollingsworth and Ashley Gaskins, one of four freshmen in the lineup.

Western's best semistate finish was sixth at New Haven in 2005when juniors Jenn Elliott and Lacey Myer were freshmen. "The girls really do like this course and that's a positive," said Yentes. "It's a new experience for [the freshmen] to be at this level and that puts pressure on them. It helps that we have been in some big invitationals this year with that many people on the starting line'

Parry and Claudio have been practically glued to each other in the postseason. They finished 1-3 at sectional and 34 at regional.

They're both among the top 25 times entered Saturday after .each set school records for 5,000 meters at regional, Parry in 19:50.1 and Claudio in 20:00.6.

"That means we've got a good shot at that top 15 if she's got those girls to run with," Tigers coach Dave Stevens said of Claudio's chances. "She's had a lot of faith in the things we were doing this year and she wants another week of this. She's not laying back, thinking this thing is about done"

Stucker keeps a wary eye on times coming from the Crown Point Regional, where the competition can be deceiving.

"There are a couple regionals that are really good," he said. "It's going to be a task, but we're going to go up there and run as fast as we can."

After trimming almost a full minute off her sectional-winning time at the Culver Regional, Parry put Saturday's semistate into perspective.

I just expect to go out there and do what I can and get top 15," she said. "If I do it, cool. if I don't, I'm going to try and get close enough."