Maconaquah boys, Eastern girls lead area squads in CC regional

Kokomo Tribune - Sunday, October 18, 2009

CULVER — It’s been a trying fall season around the state for many high schools and their athletes, what with so many students out sick with the flu.

Cross country runners aren’t immune. One team returning for the Culver Academies Regional here Saturday, Tippecanoe Valley, didn’t even have five healthy girls to field a full team after having finished fifth Tuesday at the Culver Academies Sectional.

Illnesses along with some key injuries have conspired to bring an early end to the season for a pair of local titans.

There were few surprises at Saturday’s regional for the area teams — the healthy or the semi-healthy ones — that had a realistic expectation of finishing among the top five to earn berths in next week’s New Prairie Semistate.

Eastern’s girls and Maconaquah’s boys, both winners of Tuesday’s Logansport Sectional, each were third to comfortably advance.

Ditto for the Northwestern girls and the Western boys, both finishing fourth, with a smattering of individuals also among the top 15 finishers that earned semistate bids.

But for the Kokomo boys and Western girls, Saturday’s competition marked not only their final meet in 2009, but also an end to lengthy semistate streaks.

The Kats, who were sixth Saturday with 147 points, hadn’t missed a semistate since 2004.

“We had a kid go down 20 minutes before race time,” said long-time Kokomo coach Ricke Stucker. “And the kid I replaced him with was the only one to run a personal-best.

“We just weren’t healthy enough to [advance]. It’s an experience for us. We’re really disappointed because we’re better than this, but it happens.”

The Panthers, runners-up only a year ago, dropped all the way to eighth with 170. Their impressive string of semistate runs had dated back to 2002.

“Injuries and illnesses,” said first-year coach Bo Britton, who was without the services of Ashley Gaskins all season long. She was third here individually a year ago.

“I’m just proud of the way the girls fought through it. I’ve got no complaints with them there. They’re a great bunch of young ladies.”

Eastern, NW girls advance

The Comets came here with a set of individual goals and one collective goal — to become the first girls team in school history to advance beyond regional.

“Before the meet we tried to give the girls goals and every one of them matched or beat their goals we had for them,” coach Brandon Mink said. “They showed up and we’re really pleased to go on another week.”

The freshman trio of Neeley twins Bethany and Brittany and Sarah Wagner again led the Comets (100), who were behind winner Culver Academies (44) and Manchester (97).

Waverly Neer won the individual championship with a time of 19 minutes, 16.3 seconds.

Bethany Neeley continued her incredible run of consistency in the postseason, placing third in 19:56.6. She ran 19:57 to capture the Mid-Indiana Conference title and 19:58 to win the Logansport Sectional.

Brittany Neeley was fourth in 20:35.2 and Wagner was 22nd in 21:35.4.

“These new girls, they just don’t crack under pressure,” said Mink. “That last mile, once again, they come so hard. We’re doing the passing in the last 800 meters, pouring out everything they have into it. It’s a great experience for all of us.”

Also for the Comets, Emily Wilcox (22:42) was 41st and senior Lindsey Reprogle (22:51) was 43rd.

The Purple Tigers (122) got a sixth-place finish from freshman Heidi Freeman in 20:40.9 and a 12th-place from Hannah Ault in 21:06.0.

“[Freeman] ran to the front really well,” said coach Dave Stevens. “She pushed herself to see if she could go with the front-runners.

“Hannah did the same thing. She ran up to the front and helped [Freeman], so those two in the top 15 is a good thing for us.”

Next for the Tigers were Brittany Jocius (21:47) 25th, Lauren Dewhurst (22:39) 39th and Gretchen Catron — only 11 days ago walking in a cast-like boot — was 53rd in 23:49.

“Seven good races — that’s what we talked about [before Saturday], and I was proud of all seven of them,” Stevens said. “We’re still trying to get stronger and we’ll have another week to do that.”

Western was led by Corianne Myer. She was 26th in 21:50.1 while Krissy Durr was 27th and Kayla Gaskins 29th.

“Our top three ran real well,” Britton said. “Our fourth runner, Erin [Weber], had over a 100-degree [fever Friday] night. She ran and toughed it out [but] she just wasn’t herself [Saturday].”

The team from Lewis Cass finished sixth with 139 points, just behind fifth-place Oak Hill (128), but junior Ashley Baber qualified for her third semistate. She was ninth in 20:55.9.

Maconaquah senior Kim Lane finished 11th in 21:01.8, punching her first semistate ticket.

“It’s been [Lane’s] goal for four years to make it,” Braves coach Charlie Hubler said. “I told her, ‘Go out there and enjoy the day, just run for yourself. I know you’re going to make it.’”

Kokomo senior Kellie Miles competed Saturday but could muster only a 31st-place finish in 22:10.7.

Mac, Western boys move on

The Braves (96) had hopes of upending the host Eagles, who won with 48 points, but their own slow pace doomed their chances.

Shortly after the start of the race, nearly all seven Maconaquah runners could be seen at the back of the pack.

“I wasn’t surprised [our guys] were so near the back, but they went out a little too slow looking at their mile splits,” said assistant coach Jeff Bingham, who manages strategy for the Braves. “I’m not sure what happened.

“Last year we kind of ran like this at sectional and got fourth, then we came up here and got third. I’m going to have to go back and look at the training logs.”

Maconaquah’s top five consisted of Jacob Bingham (17:01) in eighth place, Chad Gregory (17:26) 19th, Austin Wise (17:29) 21st, Zac Butts (17:47) 25th and Bryce Comp (18:03) 31st. “We’re still going on next week, so that’s a positive,” coach Melanie Bingham said. “It’s not like they didn’t do anything. It just didn’t happen [Saturday].”

Northfield nabbed second place with 78 points, with the Braves third, Western (111) fourth and Oak Hill (135) fifth.

Alejandro Arroyo of Culver Academies won the boys race in 15:43.2, a regional record. Logan’s Kyle Overway (16:06) was second.

Austin Young turned in a seventh-place finish in 16:54.5, followed by Chris Love (17:10) 12th, Kody Harmon (17:58) 30th, Braxton Bagwell (18:04) 32nd and Christopher Nunan (18:33) 42nd.

“I’m not disappointed,” said first-year Panthers coach Gary Jewell. “We’re moving on, that’s the important thing for right now.

“There’s lots of things we want to accomplish in our program and it all starts with running in the semistate every year. From there it tends to gain momentum. I would like to have been third, but Northfield ran really well.”

Kokomo didn’t go home completely empty handed. Adrian Glover led the way with a ninth-place finish in 17:01.8.

“I went out fast, probably too fast,” he said. “I felt tired the whole time.”

Glover, a junior, not only will make his first semistate start, but this is his first year to run cross country.

“[Glover] ran a smart race, pretty much on pace, and then kicked it in past some key people in the last 400 [meters],” Stucker said. “It’s nice that he got through.”

Eastern (214) took its team to regional for the first time since 2004 and finished 10th but also wasn’t shut out.

Junior Ryan Horner came in 13th in 17:16.4 to reach his first semistate.

“That’s what we’ve been working for all season, putting in the mileage during the summer, trying to get to semistate,” said Horner. “I just want to run a fun race [next Saturday] and not worry too much about qualifying or anything.”

Mitch Padfield was 44th for the Comets and Hansen Martin was 49th.

Cass junior Nate Wilson competed as an individual and finished 26th in 17:51.0.