ELKHART – After sweeping through the regular season without much hassle, Warsaw now has to prove it is built for the postseason.

Both the girls and boys cross country teams went 7-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference round robin, and only Northridge on either side coming within 10 points of the Tigers. In each case, Warsaw beat Ridge by 10 points back on Sept. 1 at Warsaw. Those two programs should battle for one and two at this Saturday’s Northern Lakes Conference Cross Country Championships at OxBow Park. Racing, combined with the Northern Indiana Conference, begins at 9 a.m.

The Tiger girls, bouncing around a top-10 state ranking for most of the year, have quite a front end of the order. Led by Mia Beckham and Allison Miller, the two have traded winners for much of the year when not asked to hang back to help pack runs. Beckham’s run last week at the Culver Invite, a ninth-place finish in the elite race, was an eye-opener.

Giving Warsaw a superior varsity group has been any order of the following in Brooke Rhodes, Hannah Dawson, Anna Craig, Emma Hayward and Claire Kehler. All have been fantastic when needed, and none have to be relied upon to score above their means.

“If we run our best, I feel good about how the NLC meet will go,” said Warsaw girls head coach Scott Erba. “But we can’t just go in there thinking that we have made it. We need to run well.”

The boys have been a minor surprise given who has emerged. Owen Glogovsky has been the ace for most of the year, willing himself to amazing results like the Tiger Classic. Glogovsky, as well as Northridge’s Conner Sandt, should battle for the top spot on the sheet at OxBow this Saturday.

Surprises for the boys team have been Zeb Hernandez, Lucas Howett and Xavi Ramirez, all who were not called upon much last season to perform. Hernandez and Howett have escalated quickly up the ranks, notably when Glogovsky has an off night. Jon Beres has also been steady for the Tigers.

“Coach McClane (Ryan McClane at Northridge) always has his guys ready to run well at the conference meet,” stated Warsaw boys head coach Jim Mills. “If we do not go in there and run well, (Northridge) could creep up on us.”

Wawasee’s boys team (3-4 NLC), still very wet behind the ears, will look to keep pace with some of the conference’s finest. Sam Griner, Luke Griner, Ben Hoffert, Braxton Alexander and Jaxon Bame have all progressed this season, Sam Griner taking the lead of late.

The Wawasee girls team has been competitive, but hasn’t had the team wins to show for it going 3-4 in the NLC. Aubrey Kuhn and McKenzie Smith have been very good for the club, and should be among the second wave in at the NLC. Elizabeth Zorn gives Wawasee a solid third runner, while Yanelly Pizana and Bailey Schroeder give the Lady Warriors a competitive varsity lineup.

“Heading into conference, the girls have been training hard,” said Wawasee head coach Doug Slabaugh. “Now, as we head into tournament season, we will start to look and peak at the right time. We have to get better races from our 4-7 (runners) for us to move up in the conference standings.”

Triton will take part in the first-ever Hoosier North Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships Saturday morning at Winamac. A 10 a.m. girls start and 10:40 a.m. boys start will fire at Winamac Town Park.

It’s been the Bailey and Baylee show for Triton, with Bailey Watkins leading the way for the boys and Baylee McIntire the stable runner for the girls. McIntire has had a fantastic season, earning a top-10 at the monster Culver Invite last weekend and has shown the ability to run with the top runners in the area. Watkins has only improved since August, and could be among the top 10 in the HNAC meet.

Ones to watch at the HNAC are the Collins siblings from Winamac – Kyle and Claire – as both have the ability to win both meets outright.

The Three Rivers Conference will conduct its championships this Saturday at Manchester. A 10:20 a.m. girls launch and 10:50 a.m. boys start will have the 10 teams hustling around the MHS property. Whitko and Tippecanoe Valley will be among the teams racing.

Valley has been led by the talents of Karly Kitch and Jesse Floor, each emerging as the clear-cut course leaders for the Vikings this season. Kitch has shown well, taking a top-20 finish at the Valley Invite and looked good in a competitive field at the Tiger Classic early in the season. Floor has a good chance to finish among the leaders, having run well in conference duals and invites alike. Floor placed eighth at the Valley Invite in a field full of similar athletes.

Whitko, already razor thin in roster, has been dealing with injuries bugs all season. Brigit Nemitz and Suzi Sickafoose have been the lockstep leaders on the girls side and Josh Wright has stepped forward for the boys. Nemitz and Sickafoose could pepper the top 15 with strong runs, and Wright has the ability to post a mid-17, which would be in contention.