Greencastle squad, Clovers' Monnett advance to semi-state

Monday, October 15, 2012
GHS freshman Corrie Romer finished 47th to secure a fifth place finish for the Tiger Cubs Saturday.

By CAINE GARDNER

Sports Editor

INDIANAPOLIS -- High drama was on full display at the Ben Davis Girls' Cross Country team regional. Greencastle hovered around fifth place during the meet and it came down to the 200 meter and a freshman to decide their fate.

Greencastle and Brownsburg finished with matching scores of 120, so the result went to the teams' sixth runners. With 200-meters left, freshman Corrie Romer passed Brownsburg's Jamelyn Wieder for 47th place, thus giving the Tiger Cubs the fifth spot.

Greencastle head coach Garry Anderson said he looked at the teams on paper the night before and realized the fourth and fifth spots would come down to his team, Ben Davis, Brownsburg and Plainfield. He said he told his girls what they needed to do and did exactly what he suggested.

He noted how Romer batted back from an issue in the middle of the race to get the deciding position.

"Corrie Romer, she's a freshman, had a stitch in her side midway through the race and finally started coming out of it and passed the one girl right on the hill, about 200 meters away from the finish. That's what did it for us. It's incredible," Anderson said.

Colleen Weatherford was second overall for the meet with a time of 18:27, with Kayla Cash finishing in 19th with a time of 20:10. Hannah Brattain was 32nd with a time of 21:04, while Sammie Haynes was 35th in a time of 21:27.

Alex Stoffregen finished the day in 39th place with a time of 21:36. Romer was 47th in a time of 22:07 and Brittany Love rounded out the Greencastle runners with a time of 22:25, good enough for 50th place.

Cloverdale's Claudia Monnett will also advanced to the semi-state after placing 10th on the day with a time of 19:34.

Cloverdale head coach Kyle Walter was optimistic heading into Saturday's race and got the performance out of Monnett he expected.

"Thursday we came up here and ran the course just so that she was comfortable with it," Walter said. "I told her she should run 19:40 and she outran my goal by a few seconds. I expected her to run well today. That's the fastest time from a Cloverdale girl -- ever. (She's the) first from Cloverdale to qualify for the semi-state, so she's pumped about that.

"Yeah. We have a pretty good sectional with all the west side schools that come in there and I thought she could finish about the same place because I didn't think she ran that great at sectional. I thought she could have run better, but she ran great today."

Even with his teams having success in the past, Anderson was beaming and praising his team following the match.

"I'm as excited as I've ever been for this bunch. Couldn't happen to a better bunch of kids. They've worked themselves so hard this summer and this fall. They won a lot this year. They're tough kids. They would make any coach proud. I guarantee you that," Anderson said.

The Greencastle team and Monnett with compete at the Carmel Semi-state Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

At Ben Davis

Girls Cross Country Regional

1. Avon 45, 2. Zionsville 73, 3. Pike 102, 4. Plainfield 114, 5 Greencastle 120

Individual Results

1. Abramson (A) 17:52, 2. Weatherford (GHS) 18:27, 3. Keer (A) 18:31, 4. Woodford (P) 18:46, 5. Newcomer (D) 19:12, 6. Price (A) 19:13, 7. Magana (Pike) 19:26, 8. Olinger (P) 19:31, 10. Monnett (CHS) 19:34, 11. Uebele (Z) 19:38, 12. Meyers (Z) 19:55, 13. Popenfoose (B) 19:56, 14. Eberle (Pike) 19:59, 15. Jennings (A) 19:59

Greencastle -- 19. Cash 20:10, 32. Brattain 21:04, 35. Haynes 21:27, 39. Stoffregen 21:36, 47. Romer 22:07, 50. Love 22:25

*http://www.bannergraphic.com/gallery/2012-cross-country-ben-davis-regional*