Local runners dominate Logansport Sectional

Staff report

By the narrowest of margins, Culver Girls Academy beat out the Plymouth Pilgrims for first place at the Logansport cross country sectional, winning 48-49, Tuesday evening. CGA and Plymouth both placed three girls in the top 15.

The top five teams and the top 15 individuals advance to regional. Along with CGA and Plymouth's performances, Triton's Jeanna Sell finished in sixth place and Culver Community's Lauren Shaffer moved on to regionals with a 10th-place finish.

CGA took the team title with Alex Banfich's overall first-place time of 14:19.28. Sandwiched in between CGA's Banfich and Mary Peter (3rd) was Plymouth's Morgan Hite in second place. CGA's Kiley Trennepohl finished the meet in fourth place, with Plymouth's Chara Ballog (5th), Julia Rodriguez (8th) and Amy Jacobs (13th) all finishing in the top 15.

Plymouth and Culver Military Academy also advanced to the boys regional with top five finishes. Plymouth took first-place with a score of 23 points, 40 points better than second-place Peru. CMA took third place with 124 points.

Plymouth's Daniel Neidlinger took first place overall (16:19.09), with David Caldwell taking third (16:58.62). Also finishing in the top 15 for Plymouth were Calvin Cook (4th), Matthew Galt (6th) and Peter Johnson (9th).

The regional is set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Culver Academies.

At Logansport Sectional
Girls race (4,000 meters)
CULVER GIRLS ACADEMY 48, PLYMOUTH 49, WINAMAC 102, MACONAQUAH 113, LOGANSPORT 126, PIONEER 162, CASTON 206, ROCHESTER 212, TRITON 241, CASS 251, PERU 256, CULVER (DNQ)

Individual Regional Qualifiers
1. Alex Banfich (CGA) 14:19.28; 2. Morgan Hite (Plymouth) 15:30.17; 3. Mary Peter (CGA) 15:39.54; 4. Kiley Trennepohl (CGA) 15:48.49; 5. Chara Ballog (Plymouth) 15:55.33; 6. Jeanna Sell (Triton) 16:05.43; 7. Taylor Halleck (Winamac) 16:09.01; 8. Julia Rodriguez (Plymouth) 16:12.93; 9. Kim Horner (Logansport) 16:24.96; 10. Lauren Shaffer (Culver) 16:25.61; 11. Michelle Centers (Caston) 16:41.23; 12. Tabatha Halleck (Winamac) 16:45.72; 13. Amy Jacobs (Plymouth) 16:47.33; 14. Cady Caudle (Pioneer) 16:53.88; 15. Kim Lane (Maconaquah) 16:56.00.

CGA Finishers
1. Alex Banfich 14:19.28; 3. Mary Peter 16:39.64; 4. Kiley Trennepohl 15:48.49; 18. Elise Hoover 17:03. 08; 24. Willow Smith 17:29.57; 25. Hannah Goettle 17:34.05; 27. Kelly Norton 17:38.80.

Boys race (5,000 meters)
PLYMOUTH 23, PERU 63, CULVER MILITARY ACADEMY 124, ROCHESTER 125, PIONEER 134, NORTH MIAMI 138, LOGANSPORT 147, WINAMAC 199, MACONAQUAH 210, TRITON 257, CASS 265, CASTON 322, CULVER (DNQ)

Individual Regional Qualifiers
1. Dan Neidlinger (Plymouth) 16:19.09; 2. Cody Siblisk (Peru) 16:32. 19; 3. David Caldwell (Plymouth) 16:58.62; 4. Calvin Cook (Plymouth) 17:19.05; 5. Ron Thomas (Winamac) 17:23.17; 6. Matthew Galt (Plymouth) 17:23.92; 7. Cole Jackson (Logansport) 17:24.37; 8. Ryan Bice (Pioneer) 17:27.05; 9. Peter Johnson (Plymouth) 17:37.28; 10. Eric Linn (North Miami) 17:38.90; 11. Aaron Garretson (Peru) 17:40.46; 12. Andrew Bedwell (Peru) 17:42.57; 13. Shaun Thevenard (North Miami) 17:47.93; 14. David Rich (Rochester) 17:49.21; 15. Ian Gay (Maconaquah) 17:52.80.

CMA Finishers
16. Coleman Zimmerman 17:56.59; 22. Robert Martin 18:16.31; 27. Alexander Kazer 18:31.87; 29. William Steckelberg 18:39.28; 30. Trace Ostergren 18:43.27; 33. Christopher Trennepohl 18:50.17.