Warsaw Track Team Handles Penn
WARSAW – The much-anticipated debut for the Warsaw boys track team finally happened Tuesday night.
The host Tigers definitely did not disappoint either.
Warsaw showcased its strength in topping rival Penn 88-43 in non-conference action at the Tiger Athletic Complex.
The Tigers, who edged Penn 76-73 to claim the Kokomo Regional title a year ago, dominated the meet.
Warsaw, which had a pair of outdoor meets cancelled last week due to the weather, took first-place finishes in 10 events versus the Kingsmen.
“It was nice to get a meet in before spring break to give us an idea of where we are at in specific events,” said Warsaw coach Matt Thacker, whose team finished fifth at the State Finals in 2012.
“Overall, things went pretty well, especially on the track where we did very well. Plus, it was nice to see some guys step up that are not our usual point scorers. Landon Perry ran very well for us in the open 400 and in the 4×400, plus Alex Wilkie a senior did well in the high jump giving us more depth than we thought we may have had in that event.
There are a few injuries as of now and hopefully after spring break we’ll get some guys healthy and get a better look at our team.”
Senior star Ellis Coon had a strong debut in his return. Coon, who missed basically all of last track season due to a foot injury, claimed first in the 1,600 with a top time of 5:23.19. Coon, who placed third in the cross country State Finals in the fall and will run at Tulsa, was also second in the 3,200.
The Tigers, who feature a deep and talented veteran roster, got contributions from a host of athletes in the win.
Winners for the Tigers included Caleb Klusman in the 110 hurdles (16.57), Michael Miller in the 100 (11.22), Landon Perry in the 400 (53.06) and Storm Stapleton in the 200 (24.15).
Warsaw also got strong performances, as expected, from its outstanding distance runners. Coon won the 1,600, while Tyler Houvener claimed the 800 (2:04.89) and Nick Bergen won the 3,200 (10:27.42).
Senior Stephen Kolbe won the high jump with a top effort of 6-2. The Tigers also won the 3,200 relay with the team of Daniel Messenger, Houvener, Ismael Calderon and Owen Glogovsky in 8:28.80 and the 400 relay with Miller, Gabe Furnivall, Tristan McClone and Tanner Balazs in a top time of 43.65.
Warsaw returns to action April 17 by hosting NorthWood and Plymouth in the Northern Lakes Conference opener.
