Grouping helps pack All City championships
A tactic in cross country is to stay together in a pack and cross the finish line in a tight group. The closer the finishers, the fewer the number of points towards a team title. In cross country, more is less. The Bishop McNamara High School boys¹ cross country team earned the lowest score possible in a meet while on their way to another All City championship Thursday, Sept. 16. When a team captures first through fifth place, they are awarded 15 points and that is a perfect score. McNamara¹s reign as an area powerhouse program was given more foundation with their seventh consecutive boys¹ title as the Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School girls¹ team ended the Irish¹s two-year title holding. A score of 15 points was earned by the Irish with the Boiler boys¹ group placing second with 46 while Kankakee had two runners and was unable to field a complete team. ³Work the details when you¹re tired and the payoff comes at the end of the year,² was heard from McNamara coach Ken Klipp as he gave words of instruction during the second lap. Sophomore Alex Frye and junior Micah Dorn, along with the entire Irish running program, heeded those words for an impressive one-two finish. The two stayed together the entire race and pushed each other during the final 75 yards. A sprint to the finish had Frye getting an edge on Dorn and taking the individual title with a time of 16:36, one second ahead of Dorn. Junior Houston Wheeler came across the line next in 17:15 as junior Justin Shirley was fourth at 17:33 and freshman T.J. James fifth at 17:59 for the perfect performance from the Irish. Sophomore Pat O¹Brien would place seventh for the Irish at 18:13 followed by the tenth place time of 18:37 from junior Matt Chandler. Junior Matt Ekhoff posted a 19:32 for 15th while freshman Nick Hasik was 17th with a 19:45. Freshman Tyler Wheeler paced himself for 19th at 20:00, four seconds better than junior Pat Lavelle in 20th. More grouping came as freshman Spencer Barr was 21st (20:10), freshman Troy DeChenne 22nd (20:13), junior Nick Reno 25th (20:55), sophomore Drew Holyman 27th (21:37), sophomore Kyle Miller 28th (22:00), sophomore Andy Giardina 29th (22:10), sophomore Joe McGrath 30th (22:31), freshman Jeremiah Anderson 31st (22:47), sophomore Aaron Hammond 32nd (23:21) and freshman Tim McGrath 34th (26:22). The Boilermakers, although starting a smaller group than the Irish, had great success and were paced by a sixth place 18:10 from freshman Chris Sheets. Senior Brandon Honey headed the close packing of the next group of finishers with an 18:20 for eighth as junior Dan Lane was ninth after an effort of 18:32 and senior Matt Mills in 11th at 18:41. Junior Chris Verdi was 12th following an 18:58, a second and one place better than teammate sophomore Aric Homberg. Sophomore James Chesterfield followed next at 19:09, junior Stefan Fox sprinted out a 19:44 for 16th place, freshman Mike Henze was 18th at 19:58, Ryan Peters 23rd at 20:25 and Derek Ferrebe 26th at 21:06. The girls¹ side of the meet saw another super-human effort from the area¹s best long distance runner. Taylor Bennett set a pace that wasn¹t for the rest of the field, but it was for herself, considering the junior finished 2:02 faster than any one else. McNamara¹s top runner finished in 18:25 and had almost caught her breath before fellow Irish runner senior Lindsey Sulzberger finished in 20:27. BBCHS laid claim to the team title with 26 points, seven better than McNamara¹s total. The Boilers used grouping and packing at the finish line for their ending of McNamara¹s two-year hold of the girls¹ crown. Running three wide, junior Amanda Potter, sophomores Samantha McConnaughy and Alicia Lundmark closed in on the finish line. The three took third, fourth and fifth for BBCHS at 20:50, 20:51 and 20:53 respectively. Junior Alison Gremar cruised in sixth place at 20:56 before a sprinting junior Ashley Mulligan was eighth (22:52), junior Ashley Williams ninth (22:56) and junior Sarah Cox tenth (23:05). Sophomore Kira Plotts came across in 14th at 24:27 and Jessica Martin was 17th at 25:54. Bishop McNamara cut into the Boiler finishing group with sophomore Melanie Meents in seventh place at 21:20 while sophomore Hayley Rainbolt was 11th at 23:22 and Kayle Storr 12th at 24:20. Ashley Page was 13th at (24:23), Lauren Slingerland 15th (25:27), junior Andrea Funk 16th (25:43) and Kelly Lara 18th (27:24). There was another form of grouping during the annual meet. It seems no matter the opposition, each runner is cheered for by everyone else. A great example came as Kankakee¹s sole varsity runner Derek Beck came down the stretch in 24th (20:51). Applause from the group and other runners reinforced how those who run are a family of travelers |
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