The Pilot News - Academies earn dual semistate berths; Lady Pilgrims advance with 3rd

“We ran just a little bit better, but not significantly better,” said Academies cross country head coach Michael Chastain. “I’m pleased with where we are at this point. We’ve been talking about stepping up a little more each week, and we did today for both teams. We’re hoping that we can do it a little more next week. We’re looking forward to semistate.”
Plymouth’s girls team also showed improvement at the Academies Regional, sneaking into third place one point ahead of Northwestern to earn an appointment at the New Prairie run with room to spare. The Pilgrims missed the cut in the boys race, earning seventh overall Saturday to finish out their season. Senior pace-setter Calvin Cook made the individual cut, however, recording a strong time of 16:39 to place fifth overall at regional. Triton placed 10th in the team standings to close out a solid season as well.
CGA placed four runners in the top 15 Saturday, and five Lady Eagles broke into the top 20 as the team breezed to a dominant 34-point victory. Alternate runner Mary Margaret Peter finished 14th in just her third race of the year, while Stephanie Burian gutted out illness to turn in a personal-best 20:37 in sixth, and Kaye Sitterly finished two seconds faster than her teammate in fifth. Sophomore Waverly Neer was in a league of her own at the race, outpacing the field by a near two-minute margin to win the individual regional championship in 18:41.
“Waverly looked smooth today,” said Chastain. “I haven’t looked at her kilo splits yet, but she looked smooth, and she came on pretty strong the last K as well. I was feeling pretty good about that. But she’ll have her work cut out for her next week because three or four of the top in the state are there, and they’ll be vying not only next week, but the week after for the state title as well. It’ll be good for her.”
With several runners struggling with illness the past two weeks, the Lady Pilgrims were back at full strength Saturday.
“We knew the girls were on the bubble, that we could get in,” Plymouth head coach Allen Shockney said. “We’re at full force in terms of numbers. We had the full team here today, so that helps.”
In her first regional, Plymouth freshman Gabbi Ramirez traded places with usual team number one Allasyn Slater to lead the team in 18th place at Culver.
“I was really nervous because one of the girls on the team had said, ‘Oh, don’t worry. My freshman year I got last place at regional, so if you get last don’t worry, you’re just a freshman,’” laughed Ramirez. “But I did good, so I’m happy.”
Ramirez was troubled by a nasty toe injury during the race, but the young runner was able to tough it out in the last leg of the run, finishing strong with a 21:32.
“When I was finishing the last 400 it was bugging me really bad,” she said. “My nail was starting to fall off yesterday. It came off, too, so it was hurting.”
Cook earned his semistate berth with flying colors in the boys run, but the Pilgrim pace-setter’s time was 7 seconds slower than his sectional time and 15 seconds off of CMA rival Alejandro Arroyo, who placed third Saturday. Shockney said Cook’s early pace at regional wound up costing him as the race wore on.
“The pace went out so fast, and that’s the last thing I told him when we got off the bus,” he said. “Don’t be sucked into the exuberance of an early pace and pay for it halfway through the race when you’re sucking air.”
Cook has another chance to get back to form at semistate, and Shockney said the rugged terrain at New Prairie will suit his talents as the senior tries to earn a berth at the state finals in his final year with Plymouth.
“New Prairie plays into Calvin’s hands a little bit better,” said Shockney. “It’s a strength course. This is for the speed guys out here (at the Academies) on the flat. They do the hills and down in the ravine, so we’re excited about the possibilities for Calvin.”
Running in the number one position for the Trojans, Blake Lemler recorded a competitive 17:38 Saturday, but the sophomore fell 32 seconds short of making it out to semistate. Culver Community had an individual regional qualifier in both races Saturday, although both fell short of making it out to New Prairie. Solitary Lady Cav runner Lauren Shaffer finished 24th with a time of 22:04, and Austin Welch placed 48th in the boys run with an 18:37.
• CULVER ACADEMIES CROSS COUNTRY REGIONAL
At Culver Academies
GIRLS RACE
Team results (Top 5 advance): 1. Culver Girls Academy 34, 2. Western 42, 3. Plymouth 108, 4. Northwestern 109, 5. Manchester 153, 6. Northfield 164, 7. Pioneer 170, 8. Oak Hill 177, 9. Maconaquah 181, 10. Rochester 248.
Individuals (Top 15 advance): 1. Waverly Neer, CGA, 18:41; 2. Jenna Norris, O, 20:26; 3. Ashley Gaskins, W, 20:26; 4. Ashley Baber, Lewis Cass, 20:30; 5. Kaye Sitterly, CGA, 20:35; 6. Stephanie Burian, CGA, 20:37; 7. Annika Taber, Kokomo, 20:48, 8. Hannah Ault, NW, 20:49, 9. Cady Caudle, P, 20:50; 10. Corianne Myer, W, 20:57, 11. Jennifer Elliott, W, 20:58; 12. Molly Wright, Tippy Valley, 20:59; 13. Kristina Durr, W, 21:00.1; 14. Mary Margaret Peter, CGA, 21:00.7; 15. Kayla Gaskins, W, 21:07.
CGA (34): 1. Waverly Neer 18:41, 5. Kaye Sitterly 20:35, 6. Stephanie Burian 20:37, 14. Mary Margaret Peter 21:00, 16. Carson Canonie 21:11, 45. Sophia Smith 21:43.
PLYMOUTH (108): 18. Gabriela Ramirez 21:32, 20. Kastelynn Brashere 21:49, 21. Mae Christiansen 21:49, 31. Allasyn Slater 22:19, 37. Olivia Houin 22:34, 63. Sarah Griewank 24:33, 66. Emily Walden 25:00.
CULVER COMMUNITY (No score): 24. Lauren Shaffer 22:04.
BOYS RACE
Team results (Top 5 advance): 1. Western 59, 2. Culver Military Academies 74, 3. Maconaquah 111, 4. Oak Hill 118, 5. Kokomo 132, 6. Northfield 143, 7. Plymouth 177, 8. Rochester 183, 9. Logansport 183, 10. Triton 226.
Individuals (Top 15 advance): 1. Cameron Balser, O, 16:07; 2. Corey Scott, W, 16:21; 3. Alejandro Arroyo, CMA, 16:24, 4. Kyle Overway, L, 16:32; 5. Calvin Cook, P, 16:39; 6. Aaron Garretson, Peru, 16:41; 7. Jacob Bingham, M, 16:42; 8. Kory Kennedy, NW, 16:46; 9. Bryce Comp, M, 16:51; 10. Coleman Zimmerman, CMA, 16:53; 11. Seth Murphy, R, 16:54; 12. Ian Holtson, K, 16:58; 13. Zacaria Martinez, W, 17:01; 14. Austin Young, W, 17:05; 15. Chris Trennepohl, CMA, 17:06.
CMA (74): 3. Alejandro Arroyo 16:24, 10. Coleman Zimmerman 16:53, 15. Chris Trennepohl 17:06, 21. Ramsey Bradke 17:31, 37. Alex Burke 18:05, 43. Michael Buschman 18:32, 48. Austin Welch 18:37.
PLYMOUTH (177): 5. Calvin Cook 16:39, 42. Declan Fox 18:21, 46. Andrew Kurtz 18:35, 47. Jordan Winkler 18:36, 57. Derrick Lee 19:06, 62. Matthew Lee 19:33, 63. Nelson Wagner 19:38.
TRITON (226): 26. Blake Lemler 17:38, 34. Curtis Nordmann 17:54, 61. Race Berkey 19:32, 64. Travis Riffey 19:46, 67. Matt Sechrist 20:00, 71. Nick Nordmann 20:37, 74. Anthony Salazar 20:53.
CULVER COMMUNITY (No score): 48. Austin Welch 18:37.