The Warsaw Tigers wrapped up their regular season at the Northern Lakes Conference Championships with a 4th place team finish in the Varsity race and a team victory in the Junior Varsity race — a strong step forward as they head into the postseason. In the Varsity race, Senior Jackson Gackenheimer led the way with a Runner-Up finish in 15:32, crossing the mile in 4:43 and the halfway point at 7:28. “Jackson ran with confidence and took a chance early,” said Head Coach Matt Campbell. “He might have gone out a little fast, but that’s what good racers do — they’re not afraid to take risks. He battled all the way through, and I know this race will fuel him heading into the tournament. He’s in a great spot, and I have no doubt his best races are still ahead.” Rounding out Warsaw’s Top 7 were Junior Jaxon Lehman (19th, 17:21), Junior Nolan Stump (25th, 17:32), Junior Jack Boggs (31st, 17:56), Senior Sam Allebach (40th, 18:13), Freshman Spiros Christos (42nd, 18:16), and Junior Alex Hoover (50th, 18:43). Coach Campbell acknowledged the challenge of replacing last year’s strong senior class, noting, “We knew when that group graduated, we’d be in a little bit of trouble at the Varsity level — especially based on who other teams returned. But I’m really happy with how our guys competed today. On average, Lehman, Stump, Allebach, and Boggs ran nearly 45 seconds faster than last year, and that’s with this year being much warmer. That’s super encouraging and shows they’re making progress.” In the Junior Varsity race, Warsaw’s depth shined as the Tigers took the top team spot. Freshman Eli Swinehart led the charge with a 2nd-place finish (18:21), followed closely by Sophomore Keenan Lyions (3rd, 18:24), Junior Ben Mort (7th, 18:43), Freshman Clint Douglas (12th, 18:52), Senior Trevor Vosberg (13th, 19:09), Junior Caleb Poorman (17th, 19:17), and Junior Owen Meerzo (19th, 19:21). “I don’t think anyone was catching Northridge this year, but I really believe we’re a year away from being right back in the mix as an NLC contender. We return a lot of runners, but there’s still work to do. It’s been a growing year, and I’m hopeful the boys are learning from it and can take that confidence into the postseason and beyond. A new season starts Monday, and we’re excited for a fresh start.” See the team and individual race results by clicking here: https://www.arrowliveresults.com/NLCChampionshipMensRace