LIBERTY TWP. | Valparaiso got its Megan back. Lake Central will have to wait another week.

The return of Megan Ranegar helped the Vikings edge the Indians, who were minus Megan Plenus, 38-43, in Saturday's Duneland Athletic Conference Championship at Sunset Hill Farm.

"Obviously, it would've been nice to win, but we also want to be better for the end," L.C. coach Denise Rush said. "I was really pleased with the girls. They were where they needed to be. When we get Megan (Plenus) back in there, it will give them one more to feed off of. That's what they do. They help each other."

Plenus (tendonitis) trained last week and is on track to run in sectionals. In her absence, classmate Dana Payonk claimed the individual title, overtaking Ranegar in the final 800 to win handily in 19:04.4. Ranegar checked in at 19:21.

"I've been waiting to run against her all year," Payonk said. "It made it a really good race. It was definitely fun."

Ranegar, sidelined for about three weeks with a sore Achilles', led through the middle portion of the race before Payonk kicked past her. Maintaining early contact helped Payonk stay in position for her final push.

"They're always the fastest going out," Payonk said. "There have been races where I lost (Ranegar) in the first 1,000 (meters). She was so far ahead, it was hard to catch up."

"Dana's very smart," Rush said. "She stayed on (Ranegar). It was her goal not to let it get to be more than a certain distance. This should give her confidence to really believe she can do it. We knew she could do it. This proves that she can."

Rachel Zajac finished fourth for L.C. with freshman Shelby Carroll 11th, Anna Kacius 12th and Kailey Jensen 15th.

"Anna's been sick. Kailey and Shelby saw that she was struggling, so they knew they had to step it up," Rush said.

Crown Point's Laicee Pierce (20:08.2) placed fifth, but was looking for more.

"I don't know what it was," Pierce said. "I felt sick before the race, but that's no excuse. I should've stayed with some of the top people more. I just felt really tired. It wasn't a good race day. But it won't happen again. I've got sectionals, regionals, semistate and state to show what I can really do."

On the boys side, Bulldog Brian Witt captured third.

"Better would've been nice, but I can't be really disappointed with third," Witt said. "I kind of expected it. I think I was definitely closer, which is always good."