Warsaw’s Ellis Coon was third in the 1,600 at the State Finals Saturday.

BLOOMINGTON – The stellar senior class of the Warsaw boys track program got one final chance Saturday to prove its mettle.

They did not disappoint.

The outstanding group, led by the likes of Gabe Furnivall, Tristan McClone, Ellis Coon, Ryan Goon and Chad Goon, showcased its skill set and mettle to earn medals at the State Finals held at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on the campus of Indiana University.

The Tigers placed in three events, including a pair of relays, to score 10 points to finish in 23rd place in the final team standings. Warsaw was fifth at State in 2013.

Gary West Side edged Carmel 41-39 to claim the team championship in the 111th annual event. Penn placed 13th with 15 points, while Wawasee was 48th with five points.

Coon capped a brilliant career as the top Tiger as he brought home a third-place finish in the 1,600 meter run. The Tulsa bound star, who missed almost his entire junior track season due to a foot injury, went out in style.

Coon, who was also third in the cross country State Finals last October, hit the finish line in a time of 4:15.00. He used his familiar late race surge to pass a handful of runners on the final lap, finishing behind only LaPorte senior Anthony Didion (4:14.63) and state champion Joe Murphy of Lawrence North (4:11.05).

“I didn’t run the smartest race, but it was fun and I’m happy with it,” Coon said. “It was a lack of focus by me on the curves. But, I finished strong.

“I didn’t feel like I had anything to prove today. I may have had a chip on my shoulder at the start of this season, but not today. I just had fun.”

Coon’s time of 4:15.00 was a season best performance. He came in with a seed time of 4:19.76, which was the eighth fastest seed time in the field of 27 runners.

Coon, who placed ninth in the 1,600 at the State Finals in 2012 as a sophomore, also admitted he was going to miss wearing the all-white uniforms the Tigers were sporting Saturday.

“I was thinking that I’m kind of sad about that,” said Coon. “These are the nicest jerseys we’ve ever had.”

Ellis Coon nears the finish line Saturday at the State Finals at IU.

The all-senior quartet of Furnivall, McClone and first-year track performers Michael Miller and Tanner Balazs placed eighth in the 4 X 100 relay with a time of 42.66.

For McClone, the record-setting tailback for the Warsaw football team, it was a great way to end his high school athletic career.

“I’m just very happy to end my senior year on a high note like this,” said the soft-spoken McClone. “Coming into the season we did not know how good we would be and then to have Mike and Tanner on the team has been awesome.

“I have no regrets at all about my high school career. I would do everything over again the same way. It’s just been really cool to have so much success in track as a team. It’s just been really special to be a part of.”

McClone, who will play football at Marian University, earned All-State honors this year in both football and track.

Furnivall also claimed All-State honors in both track and football in his stellar senior year. He was also 16th in the 400 Saturday in a time of 50.17. Furnivall will move on to play football at Saint Joseph’s College in the fall.

“I’m satisfied,” said an exhausted and rightfully so Furnivall. “The 4 X 100 was probably the fastest we could run. I’m just extremely happy to be part of such a great group.”

The team of Furnivall, the Goon brothers and sophomore Landan Perry also earned medals. The quality foursome placed ninth in the 4 X 400 in a time of 3:21.01.

The Tigers also got a strong effort from its 4 X 800 relay team. The group of seniors Ismael Calderon and Tyler Houvener and juniors Daniel Messenger and Nick Bergen placed 16th with a time of 8:02.47.

Miller and McClone each competed in the 100 dash trials, but did not make the finals. Miller ended up in 12th place overall with his the of 11.10 and McClone was 28th in 11.32.

Senior Stephen Kolbe ended up in 25th place in the high jump as he cleared 6-2.

The senior members of the Warsaw team helped coach Matt Thacker’s program win the Northern Lakes Conference and sectional titles all four of their years. The amazing group also won regional championships in three of the last four seasons.

“This senior class set the bar extremely high for our program,” said Thacker. “You just can’t replace guys like Tristan and Gabe and the Goon brothers.

“They all got us going in the right direction and I can’t complain about any of their efforts. The great thing is that they were in it together. They were friends and they did a great job holding each other accountable.

“State is a big meet and in a big meet you are going to have highs and lows. Our 4 X 800 ran their best time tonight. They were tremendous. They have come a long way and I’m extremely proud of them.

“The 4 X 100 was bittersweet. They got on the podium, but missed the school record by three-hundredths of a second. Gabe poured his heart into the 400.

“Ellis’ performances was absolutely fantastic. And our 4 X 400 got on the podium too.”

The Warsaw 4 X 100 relay team of Tristan McClone, Gabe Furnivall, Michael Miller and Tanner Balazs placed eighth at State.