GOSHEN — Luke Kauffman, Goshen High School junior cross country runner, is finding out what it takes to be the frontrunner instead of a follower.

Kauffman finished first in a time of 16:54 for the 5,000-meter course as the Redskins defeated Concord, 19-40, in a Northern Lakes Conference meet Tuesday at Shanklin Park.

“This win will be good for Luke. He needed a confidence booster,” Goshen coach Mike Wynn said. “He is learning how to be the top runner this year after having someone to follow the last two seasons. There is a little more pressure involved in being out front.”

Concord graduated several key runners for last season’s regional qualifying team.

“Goshen did an outstanding job. They have a really nice pack,” Concord coach Jeff Payne said. “They are mostly juniors that have been paying their dues the last couple of seasons. Now they are blossoming into a really nice team. (Coach) Mike Wynn does an excellent job with the Redskins.”

Payne is a former Goshen runner for Wynn.

Also for Goshen, junior Reid Zimmerman was third (17:36), junior Adam Weeden fourth (17:41), senior Stephen Place fifth (17:43) and junior Josh Abbs sixth (17:47).

“Concord is capable of putting a team together at any time so we did not take them lightly,” Wynn said, “I was hoping the guys would do well. We ran on Saturday, but it was not their best effort. Tonight we were more competitive.”

The Redskins were without junior Alfonso Torres.

“He had to sit out tonight, because he missed a practice,” Wynn said. “Because of that I challenged the rest of they guys to step things up tonight.

Concord’s scoring runners were senior Collin Chupp second (17:23), sophomore Jacob Camacho seventh (18:21), junior Hector Valdez (18:26), junior Kennen Burnett 10th (18:40) and senior Josh Troyer 11th (18:41).

“We ran competitively, just not at Goshen’s level,” Payne said. “We are not at the level Goshen is at this point. We are more at the level Goshen was a couple of years ago. We have some young, talented kids, but it is going to take some time before they are ready to compete with some of the stronger teams in the NLC.

“This team is very similar to our 2009 team that won semistate. We have some dues to pay and the kids are just going to have to be patient. They are beginning to see what it takes to win in the NLC. This group before it is all said and done will have their shares of victories. They just can’t get discouraged.”



Top Ten

1, Luke Kauffman (G) 16:54; 2, Collin Chupp (C) 17:23; 3, Reid Zimmerman (G) 17:36; 4, Adam Weeden (G) 17:41; 5, Stephen Place (G) 17:43; 6, Josh Abbs (G) 17:47; 7, Jacob Camacho (C) 18:21; 8, Logan Schlabach (G) 18:23; 9, Hector Valdez (C) 18:26; 10, Kennen Burnett (C) 18:40.

Other Goshen runners: 12, Jesus Castillo 18:41; 14, Shawn Graves 18:45; 17, Gerado Abad 19:03; 18, Gustavo Cuatepotzo 19:10; 19, Marlow Alvardo 19:12; 20, Rolando Alcaraz 19:20; 21, Lane Graves 19:21; 22, Jacob Wiese 19:33; 3, Nick Woodward 19:36; 25, Joel Byler 19:50; 28, Austin Collins 21:24; 31, Christian Soto 231:44; 32, Andre Buller 21:45; 34, Ben Ganger 21:48; 36, Abran Schwinn 21:59; 38, Ben Morrical 23:44; 39, Jeremy Otto 24:03; 40, Dustin Otto 24:26; 42, Grant Simpson 26:18; 43, Matthew Williams 26:37.

Other Concord runners: 11, Josh Troyer 18:41; 13, Dominic Proffitt 18:43; 15, Alec Macri 19:00; 16, Brendan Smith 19:02; 24, Henry Zelaya 19:46; 26, Gavin Longbrake 20:11; 27, Ryan Shank 20:45; 29, Alex Otto 21:38; 30, Giovanny Montoya 21:43; 33, Cole Wilkerson 21:46; 35, Kyle Osbon 21:53; 37, Mark Cisneros 21:59; 41, Ely Herring 25:14.

Records: Goshen (2-0, 1-0 NLC) hosts Bremen and John Glenn Thursday. Concord (2-1, 0-1) competes in the County Clash Saturday at Ox Bow County Park.



Girls

Goshen 28, Concord 28

The first Northern Lakes Conference high school girls cross country meet of Goshen coach Mike Wynn’s career was a nail-bitter.

Goshen and Concord both totaled 28 points with the tie being broken by Goshen’s sixth runner senior Janessa Katzer who finished 10th in a time of 22:47 for the 5,000-meter course at Shanklin Park.

Concord’s sixth runner was junior Janelle Smart who finished 12th (23:09).

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” Wynn said.

“Our girls really stepped up today. We were without (junior) Megan Graves who is out with a dislocated toe.”

Concord freshman Heather Johnson won the race in 21:17. It was the first win of her high school career.

“Heather knows this course and kept pressing the entire race,” Concord coach Dave Juday said. “She has been having a very good season.”

Goshen freshman Adrienne Henke was second (21:23), followed by junior teammate Jessica Wynn fourth (21:43), senior Juni Schirch fifth (22:02), sophomore Andrea Kline eighth (22:39) and junior Morgan Short ninth (22:43).

“Henke, Wynn, Kline, Short and Katzer all stepped up for us,” coach Wynn said. “Schirch was fifth overall tonight and our third runner. That is kind of unusual. We have some talented younger runners that put in some quality miles over the summer. So it could be interesting to see what is going to happen. I can’t say any runner surprised me tonight, because this has been in the workings it was just a matter of when it was going to show up.”

Other scoring runners for Concord were junior Cassidy Field third (21:33), junior Emily Davis sixth (22:06), sophomore McKenah D’Arcy seventh (22:25) and junior Laura Houseman 11th (23:00).

“We gave it a try,” Juday said. “We had the winner, but its your fifth, sixth and seventh runners that have to be up there. I expected the meet to be close. The biggest surprise for me was my girl (Johnson) winning the race. Field was our second runner and this is her first year out for the sport. She played soccer before.”

There are at least two Goshen connections on the Concord team. Juday was a standout runner for the Redskins and Emily Davis is the daughter of former GHS wrestling standout Wes Davis.



Top Ten

1, Heather Johnson (C) 21;17; 2, Adrienne Henke (G) 21:23; 3, Cassidy Field (C) 21:33; 4, Jessica Wynn (G) 21:43; 5, Juni Schirch (G) 22:02; 6, Emily Davis (C) 22:06; 7, McKenah D’Arcy (C) 22:25; 8, Andrea Kline (G) 22:39; 9, Morgan Short (G) 22:43; 10, Janessa Katzer (G) 22:47.

Other Goshen runners: 15, Ellie Hathaway 23:59; 16, Tricia Place 24:06; 19, Maria Corbett 25:20; Beatriz Castillo 25:31; 21, Oma Quintana 26:17; 22, Bethany Pollock 26:21; 23, Sophie Wenz 26:24; 25, Brenna Hockert 26:52; 28, Stephanie Quiroz 28:10; 29, Sandy Camarillo 28:22; 30, Asel Uvaliyeva 29:20; 31, Rebecca Ciavari 30:11; 32, Maria Mares 30:13; 33, Yebin Lee 31;39; 34, Leslie Jarrett 31:48.

Other Concord runners: 11, Laura Houseman 23:00; 12, Janelle Smart 23:09; 12, Tara Lee 23:30; 14, Lindsey Stout 23:53; 17, Melissa Kidulas 24:52; 18, Michelle Detwiler 25:16; 24, Alexa Klopfenstein 26:48; 26, Maddie Cramer 26:55; 27, Sara LaLone 27:39.

Records: Goshen (2-0, 1-0 NLC) hosts Bremen and John Glenn Thursday. Concord (2-1 0-1) competes in the County Clash Saturday at Ox Bow County Park.