Warsaw senior Lucas Howett will compete in the State Finals Saturday (File photo by James Costello)

WARSAW – The pressure is off now.

The local trio of Lucas Howett, Mia Beckham and Luke Griner should be able to just go in Saturday and let it rip for one final race.

The outstanding runners are set to compete in the State Finals at the Lavern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute. The boys race begins at 1 p.m. with the girls event at 1:45. A field of 208 runners will take part in each race over the tough 5,000-meter course.

Seniors Howett and Beckham of Warsaw punched their state tickets last Saturday at the New Prairie Semistate. Griner, a Wawasee junior, earned his spot with a strong effort at the New Haven Semistate at IPFW.

Howett has been the heart and soul of a Warsaw team that has endured much throughout the past several seasons. The hard-working Howett was one of five seniors who ran last Saturday for coach Jim Mills’ team, which placed eighth to just miss a team berth at State by two spots. Competing for the final time at semistate were Taylor Mills, Justin Fleming, Nathaniel Gottschalk and Xavi Ramirez.

“Lucas just has that inner drive that coaches love to coach,” said Mills. “That gun goes off and he just runs with a lot of heart and inner drive. He’s workman like. That’s how I would describe him. He hasn’t surprised me at all with where he’s at.

“This senior class has been amazing with what they have had to deal with and Lucas is the leader of that group. It’s great that he made it and it’s a tremendous accomplishment. But, all of our seniors this season have really worked hard and persevered through a lot. That’s a testimony to all of them.”

The Tigers, who won NLC, sectional and regional championships this fall, saw No. 1 runner Zeb Hernandez suspended from the team midway through the season. Hernandez was a state qualifier each of the past two years.

Howett is one of those selfless kids that any coach would love to have on his side.

“All of our seniors deserve this as much, if not more, than I do,” said Howett. “I really wanted our team to go to State. We’ve been through thick and thin together and they have kept on working. We tried not to think about the bad things this year and just tried to have more fun this season.

“I just go into every race thankful and not taking it for granted. I want to go out there on Saturday and race for my team, my family, Warsaw and the Lord. I want to make sure that I glorify him.”

Warsaw senior Mia Beckham will be at State for a fourth straight year (File photo by James Costello)

Howett was 13th in a field of 179 runners at the semistate in a time of 16:02.

“I’ve thought about running at State a lot,” said Howett, who has been at the season finale each of the last three years as a spectator. “I’ve thought about how to race the course and how to maneuver in the pack there.

“It’s an honor to me to be in there with all the great Warsaw runners who have gone to State. I’ve always looked up to guys like Owen (Glogovsky), Jake (Poyner), Ellis (Coon) and Robert (Murphy). I got to run with Owen for two years and he was my biggest mentor.

“I want to PR Saturday and would like to compete for an All-State spot. But, mainly I want to have fun and see what happens.”

Beckham will cap her sensational cross country career with a fourth trip to Terre Haute. The senior, who committed earlier this week to run at Butler next year, was third in the semistate field of 180 runners with a personal best time of 18:20.

“I felt good and pushed it at the semistate and that makes me feel better for State,” said Beckham. “It’s an honor and exciting to go there every year and compete.”

Beckham won the NLC title each of the past three years and then added her first sectional championship this season after having not run in the sectional previously in order to rest. She led her team to its seventh straight sectional title and fifth straight regional crown as she also was the individual regional champion at Culver Academy for the third consecutive year.

“Mia has just been amazing in workouts the last month,” said Warsaw coach Matt Campbell. “She’s been a Lone Wolf this season in her training because she was just way ahead of the rest of our team. She’s on a mission and motivated to finish her career on a high note. She should go into Saturday confident. We will see what happens because anything can happen at State. But she has already impressed me enough.”

Wawasee junior Luke Griner will represent the Warriors (File photo by Mike Deak)

Beckham, was was seventh in the 1,600 at the Track State Finals back in June, is ready to go out there and just do it one final time.

“It would be cool to break 18:00 and be in the top 15 Saturday,” noted Beckham. “But, there’s not really pressure. I just need to go out and just do it and not think about it.”

Griner, who was ninth in the 800 at the State Finals for track in June,  picked a good time to run his best race of the season last weekend. He was 12th overall (seventh among individuals from non-qualifying teams) in a top performance of 16:19.