Focusing on 3rd mile, Rochester girls, boys finish 2nd at Wabash Invite

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

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Adison Hayes Parker Smith

WABASH — The Rochester girls and boys cross-country teams both finished second at the Wabash Invitational at Wabash City Park Sept. 22.

In the girls race, Wabash won with 17 points while Rochester had 40. Northfield and Whitko had incomplete teams.

Wabash also had the top five runners in the boys race and won with 15 points. Rochester had 66, Lewis Cass had 76, Northfield had 77, and Whitko had an incomplete team.

Katelyn Conliff was the Rochester girls frontrunner, finishing seventh in a field of 25 runners in 23:22. Adison Hayes ran stride for stride with Conliff and was eighth in 23:22, Daniela Ochoa was 10th in 24:33, Vivian Miller was 11th in 24:47, Jane Gottschalk was 16th in 26:30, Addisyn Zimmerman was 17th in 27:03, Trinity Baine was 18th in 27:06, Chloie Tyler was 19th in 27:22, Jocelynn Shafer was 21st in 28:51, Serenity Howard was 22nd in 29:02, and Addyson Hake was 24th in 34:06.

Wabash’s Teresina Cordes was the individual champion in 18:46. Wabash had four of the top six finishers.

Warner DuBois was the Rochester boys frontrunner, finishing eighth in the field of 32 runners in 19:12. Other Rochester runners included Leandro Javier, who was 13th in 20:31; Tyson Wachtmann, who was 14th in 20:40; Parker Smith, who was 15th in 20:47.0; Caden Biernacki, who was 16th in 20:47.5; Lucas Scorsone, who was 20th in 21:08; and Tommy Schwenk, who was 27th in 23:06.

Wabash’s Ezra Church was the individual champion in 17:30.

Assistant coach John Wachtmann served as acting head coach. Troy Pryor stayed home to administer a middle school meet.

This marked Rochester’s only midweek race of the season and came right after the New Prairie Invitational and before the New Haven Classic.

Coach Wachtmann said he stressed the last mile to see if the kids could drop time over the last mile while feeling tired.

“We were kind of using today as a workout,” coach Wachtmann said. “We run New Haven on Saturday, so that’s the one we’re focusing on. Today, boys and girls, our top five went out on what we would call a threshold-type run. And then the goal was to then go and drop the last mile as hard as they could finish. So run out pretty conservatively. It should have been hard enough that they felt like they were working but not hard enough that we were normally at race pace. … Everybody across the board just dropped that last mile today, so I’m super happy with how that worked out.”

Wachtmann also said the girls fighting for the sixth and seventh spots on the conference and sectional teams to go out at a race pace. Wachtmann praised sophomore Jane Gottschalk, who ran a 26:30 and finished 16th.

“Jane Gottschalk ran a huge PR (personal record) today,” Wachtmann said. “She went out with that faster group and was right behind them, and then she was able to just hang onto that pace and run a good time. So our girls in the back of the pack were out there racing today, and they ran great.”

As for the boys team, Wabash has demonstrated dominance over conference foes covering nearly a decade. They and Northwestern are expected to vie for the Three Rivers Conference title at Manchester Oct. 3.

“In two years, we want to be Northwestern,” Wachtmann said. “We want to be Wabash.”

WABASH INVITATIONAL GIRLS RESULTS (POINTS IN PARENTHESES): Wabash 17, ROCHESTER 40, Northfield (incomplete team), Whitko (incomplete team)

Rochester results (40 points, second place)

7. Katelyn Conliff – 23:22 (5), 8. Adison Hayes – 23:22 (6), 10. Daniela Ochoa – 24:33 (8), 11. Vivian Miller – 24:47 (9), 16. Jane Gottschalk – 26:30 (12), 17. Addisyn Zimmerman – 27:03, 18. Trinity Baine – 27:06, 19. Chloie Tyler – 27:22, 21. Jocelynn Shafer – 28:51, 22. Serenity Howard – 29:02, 24. Addyson Hake – 34:06

WABASH INVITATIONAL BOYS RESULTS (POINTS IN PARENTHESES): Wabash 15, ROCHESTER 66, Lewis Cass 76, Northfield 77, Whitko (incomplete team)

Rochester results (66 points, second place)

8. Warner DuBois – 19:12 (8), 13. Leandro Javier – 20:31 (13), 14. Tyson Wachtmann – 20:40 (14), 15. Parker Smith – 20:47.0 (15), 16. Caden Biernacki – 20:47.5 (16), 20. Lucas Scorsone – 21:08, 27. Tommy Schwenk – 23:06