Tippecanoe senior wins national cross country title

Last year, it was a chat with the stars from the "Twilight" franchise. This year, it's a meeting with Tiger Woods and a role in his popular golf video game.

Life keeps getting more surreal for American teenager Lexi Thompson, who is in the United Arab Emirates to defend her title at the Dubai Ladies Masters, which begins Wednesday. She won the tournament in 2011 at 16 to become the youngest winner on the LPGA and European Tour. She then lost her LPGA record to Lydia Ko, a 15-year-old amateur from New Zealand who won the Canadian Women's Open in August.

Thompson hasn't won a tournament this year, but with four top-five finishes on the LPGA Tour, her star keeps rising. With that come the perks of celebrity. She got to meet the 14-time major winner Woods this summer at the Notah Begay Challenge in August.

"It was amazing, just meeting a role model. I've always looked up to him so it was great to meet him and talk to him," Thompson said. "And he said I'll play golf with you any time, and that means a lot coming from a person at that level."

Just as "amazing" was being invited to play a role in the video game, "Tiger Woods PGA 14." She grew up with the game and played Woods with her golf-playing brothers. Now Thompson looks forward to playing herself. It should be much like the real Thompson — she strapped on sensors on her body, head and shoes to ensure the game was as realistic as possible.

"It's an honor to be in the video game," Thompson said. "I've seen some of the pictures of my animation and it looks so real. ... It will be interesting to play me in the video game. It will be pretty weird but it will be awesome."

Being a national high school cross country champion is beginning to sink in for Sam Wharton.

The senior at Tippecanoe High School won the Nike Nationals on Saturday in Portland, Ore., over a field of 195 other runners who qualified through regional meets around the country.

“After about 300 meters when you hit the mud you knew it was going to be a rough ride,” Wharton said. “There wasn’t much grass. The course was half mud and half goose (waste). Everyone was slipping and guys were losing their shoes.

“It wasn’t the kind of course you could move up in the pack. So I got up among the leaders early and stayed there. Their course favored my running style because I’m not a speed runner. I got the lead with about 800 meters to go and hoped I could keep my footing until the finish line.”

Wharton usually shows no emotion when winning big races, such as the state Division I cross country title he won in November. But when he hit the finish line, he held up his arms in victory.

“That was out of character for me, but it was built-up emotion coming out. It’s been a long season with one more race to go.”

Wharton took winning the race in stride in Portland. But when he got off the plane in Dayton on Sunday, the Tipp cross country team and a host of well-wishers were waiting.

“It kind of hit me then what a big achievement this was,” he said. “Everyone wanted to look at the trophy and take pictures. Then (Monday) I got congratulations from everyone at school and in town. Everyone was calling my parents, and I was getting text messages and tweets. It’s all pretty cool.”

The Nike is one of two big national post-season cross country races. The other is the Footlocker Nationals this Saturday in San Diego. Wharton will be one of 40 runners in the field who qualified through regional race.

“Winning the Nike nationals was tough because the conditions took a lot out of me,” said Wharton. “But I’m going to go out there and do my best.”