Smith, Hoover, K. Wegner finish in top 10 in girls race; Fredel, Pierzchalski, Guilford finish 4 seconds apart
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
The Winamac girls cross-country team won the second sectional title in school history Saturday, scoring 47 points to top a 10-team field at Rensselaer Saturday, and their boys also earned a spot at the New Prairie regional.
Senior Maggie Smith was the Winamac frontrunner in the girls race, taking third in a field of 75 runners in 20:32. Kankakee Valley’s third runner crossed the line before Winamac’s second runner, and their fourth beat Winamac’s fourth. But Winamac’s fifth, sixth and seventh runners crossed before Kankakee Valley’s fifth.
Kankakee Valley took second with 70 points, and Benton Central (94), Twin Lakes (102) and Tri-County (119) also advanced to the regional, which will start at 11:30 a.m. Eastern this Saturday.
Smith was one of three Winamac runners in the top 10. Kadence Hoover was sixth in 21:26, and Kelsey Wegner was ninth in 21:50. Other Winamac runners included Kandace Kroft, who was 15th in 22:35; Avery Wegner, who was 17th in 22:54; Claire Goodman, who was 22nd in 23:24; and Lily Bennett, who was 37th in 24:58.
Winamac’s other sectional title occurred in 2020, when they competed at the Logansport sectional. The IHSAA reassigned Winamac to the Rensselaer sectional this year as part of their overhaul of the state tournament series.
Winamac scored 144 points and took fourth place out of 13 complete teams in the boys race. Rensselaer won the title on their home course with 44 points, and DeMotte Christian (67), Kankakee Valley (74) and fifth-place Benton Central (149) also advanced.
The three-man Winamac pack of Logan Fredel, Nathan Pierzchalski and Dylan Guilford finished within four seconds of each other and took fifth, seventh and eighth places, respectively. Fredel was timed in 17:42, Pierzchalski ran a 17:45, and Guilford was on his heels in 17:46.
Other Winamac runners included Joel Showley, who was 57th in 21:02, and Corbin Holehan, who was 71st in 21:57.
Both individual champions hailed from Kankakee Valley: Freshman Krista Sytsman won the girls title in 19:00, and senior Ethan Ehrhardt won the boys crown in 16:30.
In addition to Winamac, other new teams at the Rensselaer sectional included Benton Central, Frontier, North White, Tri-County and Twin Lakes. Morgan Township, whose girls team made the 2022 state finals, was moved to the Chesterton sectional.
RENSSELAER GIRLS SECTIONAL RESULTS (POINTS IN PARENTHESES): WINAMAC 47, Kankakee Valley 70, Benton Central 94, Twin Lakes 102, Tri-County 119, Rensselaer 131, West Central 165, Frontier 203, North Judson 215, Knox 274
Incomplete teams: DeMotte Christian, North Newton, North White, South Newton
Winamac results (47 points, champions)
3. Maggie Smith – 20:32 (3), 6. Kadence Hoover – 21:26 (6), 9. Kelsey Wegner – 21:50 (8), 15. Kandace Kroft – 22:35 (14), 17. Avery Wegner – 22:54 (16), 22. Claire Goodman – 23:24, 37. Lily Bennett – 24:58
TOP 15 INDIVIDUALS ON NON-ADVANCING TEAMS: 1. Sable George (North White) – 21:33, 2. Hope Hurley (Rensselaer) – 21:36, 3. Brook Thompson (Frontier) – 22:03, 4. Katie Scholz (West Central) – 22:55, 5. Kendall Bridwell (Frontier) – 22:56, 6. Emma Rentschler (North White) – 23:28, 7. Audrey Korniak (Rensselaer) – 23:37, 8. Riley Rentschler (North White) – 23:48, 9. Macyn Dyer (South Newton) – 23:51, 10. Gracie Stinson (North White) – 23:55, 11. Tessa Ventrello (Rensselaer) – 24:38, 12. Mara Sharpe (West Central) – 24:48, 13. Kayla Schlatter (West Central) – 24:52, 14. Alvianna Barricks (South Newton) – 25:01, 15. Maisie Toosley (West Central) – 25:09
Individual champion: Krista Sytsma (Kankakee Valley) – 19:00
RENSSELAER BOYS SECTIONAL RESULTS (POINTS IN PARENTHESES): Rensselaer 44, DeMotte Christian 67, Kankakee Valley 74, WINAMAC 144, Benton Central 149, Twin Lakes 157, Tri-County 176, West Central 182, Frontier 228, Knox 294, North Newton 315, North White 319, North Judson 354
Incomplete team: South Newton
Winamac results (144 points, fourth place)
5. Logan Fredel – 17:42 (5), 7. Nathan Pierzchalski – 17:45 (7), 8. Dylan Guilford – 17:46 (8), 57. Joel Showley – 21:02 (55), 71. Corbin Holehan – 21:57 (69)
TOP 15 INDIVIDUALS ON NON-ADVANCING TEAMS: 1. Stephen Hershberger (South Newton) – 17:57, 2. Braylon Sipkema (North White) – 18:19, 3. Chayse Andrews (Twin Lakes) – 18:20, 4. Jonah Miller (Tri-County) – 18:23, 5. Trae Haworth (Twin Lakes) – 18:35, 6. Weston Maddox (Frontier) – 18:45, 7. Jacobie Mills (West Central) – 18:49, 8. Riley Warren (Knox) – 18:52, 9. Avery Condo (Twin Lakes) – 19:04, 10. Aiden Conley (West Central) – 19:11, 11. Luke Lehman (Tri-County) – 19:13, 12. Jeffrey Bulington (Twin Lakes) – 19:19, 13. Tyler Burns (Tri-County) – 19:25, 14. Hayden Fritz (West Central) – 19:42, 15. Devin Bushman (Frontier) – 19:57
Individual champion: Ethan Ehrhardt (Kankakee Valley) – 16:30
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