Boys AA Top Team
Summaries
*Post-season edition (Final one) Oct. 30,
2005
1)
2) York (Elmhurst)- How
many statements can the Dukes make? It is of opinion that they are top team in
the country because they havenÕt fell off. When one of their guys run sub-par
someone will pick them up. Take
for instance, Nick Kuczwara picking up Matt Dettman at the finish line. And the beat goes onÉ The mighty Dukes demolished a solid
field at the Niles West Sectional when they werenÕt even trying. Look at this: 3,4,5,6,10, (19),
(22). Number #6 scorer Mike Fry
was kicked somewhere in the very early going and fell down. After collecting himself, he was still
able to beat nearly every other teamÕs 2nd runner! The Dettmans are still trying to sort
out their ÒissuesÓ after not feeling too particularly well after the first
mile; next is PEORIA.
3) Glenbard South (Glen Ellyn)- Although it may not look like it, but the Raiders ran much
better this week at the Niles West Sectional. Once again Bruce MacTaggart ran well and beat the Dettman
twins. GBSÕ seventh man was 17th
and that is very solid. The team
1-5 spread 54 seconds and all five scorers were under 15:45 on the not-so fast
NW course; next is PEORIA.
4) Palatine- It has been
documented over several weeks now that Prospect was in the process of chipping
away at the Pirates and finally the bad news came. It started with the dual meet, then on to conference, then
to regionals, and finally ended with a loss for the Pirates at the Schaumburg
Sectional 60-84. Steve Finley led
the Pirates, finishing third in 15:00- his first race where he didnÕt finish at
least second; next is PEORIA.
5) St. Charles North- In
many observers eyes the Stars may be the second best team going in the post
season. Their performance at the
Waubonsie Valley Sectional actually might tell truth to that. The Stars were absolutely impressive as
they crushed runner up Neuqua Valley and closely watched Waubonsie Valley
48-103 and 105. Matt DeSilva once
again led his squad at 15:08 and fifth man Scott Spear checked out at 15:42
(thatÕs a sweet 34 second spread).
The Stars are just too good; next is PEORIA.
6) Sandburg (Orland Park)- It is evident that the Eagles are good. After defeating Naperville North for the Bremen Sectional
title, they have to be labeled very good.
The Eagles are much like the Chicago White sox were in terms of being
the best team that no one wants to recognize. Although they narrowly edged NN 77-85 they did something
that few people thought was possible.
Kevin Adamowski did his usual part but his teammates matched the NN pack
and that was the difference; next is PEORIA.
7) Naperville North- The
Huskies did not have a bad race- they actually ran well enough to win. Their pack ran down to Sandburg and it
cost them a victory. The results
indicated that the 2-5 scorers were ahead time wise. Things could change and be the opposite at state with the
same results; next is PEORIA.
8) Barrington- The Broncos
earned a trip back to Peoria after missing out last year with a solid 3rd
place effort this time at the Schaumburg Sectional. Nick Farina led his team his Bronco team with a well-earned
10th place finish; next up is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
9) Prospect- provided the
school with a Schaumburg Sectional victory over a MSL dominated field that
included #3 Palatine. Star runner
Ryan Craven led the Knights in 14:45.
Craven held back in the early going to help ensure his team gets a good
start in determining a spot for next week. The overall spread was 1:10 but the 2-5 split was just 26
seconds! Finally, the Knights were
able to break through against the only team that has been standing in their way
throughout the season. The Knights
next road trip is the big one in PEORIA.
10) Neuqua Valley (Naperville)- Neuqua is nearly ten years old but have already been to
several state championships. ItÕs
time to add another one after NV finished third at Bremen Sectional. The goal was achieved with solid pack
running from start to finish.
Amazingly, is NV doesnÕt have one knockout runner but they somehow
finished just 11 points behind the winner and only 3 behind a Naperville North
team many think will earn a trophy; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
11) Lincoln Way East (Frankfort)- ran reasonably well at Bremen Sectional with the exception of
the sixth runner being almost a minute back. The Griffins are a young team that wasnÕt fazed by the
amazing competition they had to endure; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
12) Waubonsie Valley (Aurora)- Brent Carius led the way for the Warriors in 7th
place with a 15:17. Two other
Warrior runners were among the top 20 as the team from Aurora punched their
ticket to Peoria. The Warriors
were nipped by Wheaton South by two points despite running reasonably well; next
is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
13) Downers Grove South-
the run for the state championship ended at Bremen Sectional with a 7th
place finish. DGS may have been
hurt by strength of schedule during the regular season and the fact they were
in a loaded sectional. Team leader
Ben Bouman advanced as an individual; SEASON OVER.
14) New Trier (Winnetka)- Everything
was on the line at Niles West Sectional.
Last weekÕs scare at the Niles North Regional should have been the wake
up call The Trevians needed.
Instead, they finished in the worst possible spot- 6th place;
SEASON OVER.
15) Wheaton North- The
Falcons squeezed the last spot from Cinderella Crystal Lake Central by the
slimmest of margins 180-183 over at Waubonsie Valley. The Falcons achieved a 1-5 split of 38 seconds and that was
the difference; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
16) Benet Academy (Lisle)- The
Redwings copped the final spot for Peoria on the strength of superior running
by Matt McCabe at the Bremen Sectional.
However, the pack gets credit too as 2-5 gutted it out. The Redwings had three runners under
16:00 and that may have been the difference despite fifth man Nick Marchese
closing out score with a concerning 16:26; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
17) Fenwick (Oak Park)- It
was amazing the amount of observers who had the Friars left for dead at the
Niles West Sectional. For a while
they were right until the last half-mile of the race. ThatÕs when #Õs 4,5,6 over took Evanston (4th in
unofficial team scoring at the time) and seized a tie with Catholic school
brethren Loyola Academy. A very
emotional team effort to say the least; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
18) Wheaton-Warrenville South- Some of the Tigers strength probably has been in proving the
naysayers wrong for a portion of the year. Certainly, Jon PopejoyÕs second
place effort and Kyle BradyÕs solid placing was a factor but their cast members
stepped up at the Waubonsie Valley Sectional. The fact that the Tigers donÕt appear to have a cast of
15:00 runners is amazing. What
they do have is resolve and the ability to come through in the clutch. The 3,4,5 Tiger runners were within 30
seconds of each other was the difference; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
19) Lockport- SEASON
OVER.
20) Schaumburg- Veteran
coach Jim Macnider acknowledged that his team was peaking at the right
time. He was right as the Saxons
placed fourth overall in the deep field hosted by his school. Team ace Mike Spain led the Saxons with
a ninth place tally; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
21) Stevenson (Lincolnshire)- The Patriots embattled Patriots are state bound once again
thanks to James EmbreeÕs awesome performance at the Schaumburg Sectional. Embree reportedly past 20 runners in
the last mile to help his team earn a tie with Hersey, and a trip to
Peoria. Team leader Tim Entwistle
led the Patriots in 7th place; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
22) Rock Island- The Rocs
came, sought, and conquered the E. Peoria field that featured a nice field
including fellow ranked opponent Bloomington. Really, it wasnÕt any competition for the Rocs who dominated
like opponents all season long.
The field started with Austin Green finishing 5th and
stopping with 5th runner Scott Sparkman in 36th
place. The Rocs scored a measly 85
points to Rockford JeffersonÕs 165; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
23) Edwardsville- The
Tigers won the sectional they hosted in fine fashion over runner up Springfield
High. The Tigers put on a flurry:
1,7,9,16,23. Dustin Davis ran
15:36 over 5k and established himself as once again to finish among the best in
Peoria; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
24) Hersey (Arlington Heights)- The Huskies have been a rise and fall team the entire
season. Their highs and lows took
them from losing to inferior teams to slaying some of the better teams. Most importantly, it is better to be
judged by what is done in the post-season. The young Kevin Havel has put his team on his back and
guided the Huskies to a fifth place team position at the Schaumburg Sectional-
tied with Stevenson and a trip to the state finals. Havel was second overall to Craven in 14:54; next is
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
25) Bloomington- The Purple
Raiders finished 4th in the East Peoria Sectional with 174
points. Perhaps, the bad day was
due in part to key runner Rob Barkulis being sick as he placed 80th
overall; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
25)
Cary Grove- The Trojans persevered quite a
bit over the past few weeks, especially from their coach Layne Holter. Coach Holter proclaimed that his team
was better than Crystal Lake Central, even though they were soundly beaten by
them two weeks in a row. However,
when it was time to step up his team come through and they were rewarded with a
trip to state for the first time in school history. Ryan Weber led his team with a fifth place finish overall at
the Waubonsie Valley Sectional; next up is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
25) Crystal Lake Central- The Tigers just missed advancing from the Waubonsie
Valley. They missed making
the coveted trip down state by a scant three points and that hurts. The Tigers over the last three weeks
surged to the point they would be a shoe in to advance downstate to Peoria. Unfortunately rival CG beat them (CLC
had their number over this around). The consolation prize is Derek Ericson
advancing; SEASON OVER.
Girls AA Top 25
summaries (Regular Season Rankings)
*Post-season
edition- week of Oct. 31, 2005
1) Palatine- The Pirates
made it look easy without two of its top runners. Carly Bates was held out to heal up for state. Kaitlin Millin incurred a DNF at the
2-mile mark at the Schaumburg (Busse Woods) course. Amy Laskowske led the way by finishing first and nearly one
minute ahead of teammate Colleen Standridge. The pack was able to stay close to each other and maintain a
comfortable point victory over Barrington; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
2) Sandburg (Orland Park)- suffered a defeat at the expense of Naperville North. The once invincible feeling of a
definite top two placing is no longer guaranteed. The Eagles are going to actually race their best races of
their careers now. The team is of
veteran elk now and has been there and done that. They should be ready this weekend; next is STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP.
3) Wheaton North- The
Falcons solidified them selves as a team with serious aspirations of a state
championship. They won the talent
rich Waubonsie Valley sectional and now will take aim at the state title. Amanda and Jackie Laesch as well as
Cassidy Wagner will lead the charge; next up is the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
4) Naperville North-
appears to be back on track and back to serious championship form after
dismantling the field to take the toughest sectional in the state- Bremen. The Huskies used a second place finish
from its top runner Shannon Phelan to put things out of reach. The Huskies have to be a state title
contender again; next is the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
5) Barrington- The real
Barrington Fillies team showed up this weekend. Sometimes a hard lesson is being humbled. Coach Debbie Revolta was visibly upset
by her teamÕs performance last week at Libertyville. ItÕs easy to say that she had the girlsÕ attention during
the week. It translated into a
solid performance and second place overall; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
6) Edwardsville- won the
Edwardsville sectional with 48 points.
The Tigers were led by Courtney Smith, Lauren Heidbrink, and Liz
Speicher (4,5,7)- all sectional performances here. All wasnÕt gravy though as top runner Jamie Kantner, who has
been hampered by a bum knee the last several weeks limped home and will now be
shelved for the season; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
7) Benet Academy (Lisle)-
It is sad that some of the top teams in the state donÕt qualify for state. Such is the case for the Redwings after
finishing a respectable but sixth at the incredibly tough Bremen
sectional. This sectional could
very well be a state preview. So
devastated were the Redwings they didnÕt even qualify one individual for the
state meet; SEASON OVER.
8) Hinsdale Central- The
Red Devils advance to Peoria but they havenÕt been running like they are
capable of. While finishing 4th
in the Bremen sectional should be commendable but for a team shooting for a top
5 spot at state, they have to run better.
HinsdaleÕs 3,4,5 runners did not run well as they were far off their
table setters in Roey Hines and Lauren Zumbach. The 30-second gap must be closed by another 15 seconds or so
to ensure a shot at state top 5; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
9) Lincoln Way East (Frankfort)- Even after finishing 5th and earning the final
state berth at Bremen, the Griffins still make a strong case to finish in the
top 10. Senior leader Amanda Beggs
placed 5th which solidifies her teamÕs chances of obtaining at least
one runner with a low score next weekend.
The key in advancing over Benet was a stronger pack that placed higher
up front as runners 2,3,4 were 38 seconds apart; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
10) Cary Grove- CG is for
real as the girls from the far NW suburbs easily advanced through the sectional
round at Waubonsie Valley with a solid third place finish. Most observers thought their ranking
was too high but thatÕs not case.
Being a TEAM is more important than having a few great individuals-
especially this time of the year.
The Trojans have a #1 runner in Caitlin Woolridge and she finished 23
overall but her scoring teammates checked in less than 20 seconds. The entire top seven produced a split
of 49 seconds- thatÕs a team; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
11) Lockport- The Porters
have some superior talent in Liz Phillips, Janna Mitsos, Erin Lakie, and
Lindsay Kotovsky (well, was once a prodigy 2 years ago) but they only finish 3rd
at Bremen sectional. This isnÕt
the coachÕs fault for the girls not running what they are capable of on paper,
but it is a matter of Òputting it togetherÓ on the big day. Maybe if the Porters realize if they
can somehow can get their top four runners down to 45 seconds instead of over a
solid minute they can make a run at a trophy- maybe next year; next is STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP.
12) St. Charles East- Coach
Kevin Collins team ran very well at Waubonsie Valley sectional against a great
Wheaton North team. There are only
three teams who are better than WN (the top three ranked in front of them). The Saints finished with 72 points
(just 16pts back) with great individual efforts from ÒLizzyÓ Hynes and Kirsten
Lang. Hynes torched the field by
over 20 seconds. More importantly
is the fact that 1-5 split was under a minute despite the top guns running
super fast times. All five scorers
were under 19:00! How about this
for depth: #6 and #7 Saint runners were better or at 19:30. Any normal team in the state could use
runners of this elk for their scoring machines; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
13) Lyons Township (LaGrange)- The Lions were just short of conference rival York by just
two points 67-69 at Niles West. It
doesnÕt matter though because they gain confidence for the state meet. The York team has been running extremely
well, and is hot as any team in the state right now so placing second was
positive. Jane Simpson placed in
the top 10 to lead her team; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
14) Stagg (Palos Hills)-
Another team that is victim to being in a very strong sectional (Bremen). Stagg is good but didnÕt have the
horses to make it out despite having a proven runner in Annette Glaz (she did
qualify individually for state).
The team is young and the confidence from this meet and the season in
general should carry over to next year; SEASON OVER.
15) Wheaton-Warrenville South- The Tigers was another team that was low key during much of
the regular season. However,
upperclassmen were served to the masses at Waubonsie Valley. Coach Rob HarveyÕs squad was made up of
four seniors and a junior. They
allowed their pack to complete its mission under 40 seconds and earn a trip
downstate; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
16) New Trier (Winnetka)-
The Trevians got by on the strength of a pack. The teamÕs #1 runner Jill Roettinger didnÕt even place in
the top 10 but yet they finished a healthy 3rd overall as a team at
Niles West. Look for top 20 status
down state; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
17) Evanston- One of the
biggest surprises this season is Evanston. This is a school that is a track powerhouse, not cross
country- that is until this season- the Wildkits are led by Katherine Page (9th)
and Natalie Fenn (13th).
This is a good team overall with a blend of front-runners and roll
players (3,4,5 runners among the top 40 scoring wise); next is STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP.
18) Palatine Fremd- The
Vikings it appears have redeemed them selves and salvaged their once promising
season that had signs of finishing among the top 10 and better. After finishing third overall and just
14 points behind a better Barrington team renewed hopes of top 10 again. Chelsea Bolton is running her end of
the deal by placing in the top 5 and her teammates did enough to earn the
golden trip to Peoria; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
19) York (Elmhurst)- The
Lady Dukes remain hot by winning another meet, this time a coveted sectional-
Niles West. Molly Sullivan and
Maggie Sack probably rehearsed a plan to bolt out front and it worked for a
very long time as they both finished in the top 5. Realistically, the Dukes have a chance at finishing higher
than what anyone things. DonÕt be
surprised if you see them in the top 10-15 after being left for dead much of
the year; next is STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
20) Prairie Ridge (Crystal Lake)- Just missed out on the big dance. Prairie Ridge was a team that came on in the late going but
either ran out of gas or didnÕt have enough front running talent to get it
done; SEASON OVER.
21) Conant (Hoffman Estates)-
22) East Peoria- rebounded
from a not so good and confusing performance at the Metamora Sectional. This time EP made it a no doubter over
runner up Normal Community 81-112 at the sectional they hosted; next is STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP.
23) Mother McAuley (Chicago)- The Macs picked the wrong time to run bad; finishing 9th
at the Bremen Sectional was not what the girls ordered. Perhaps, the Macs peaked the weekend
before when they dominated the competition; SEASON OVER.
24) Downers Grove South-
SEASON OVER.
25)
Andrew (Tinley Park)- finished 8th at the Bremen Sectional. However, the season should not be
diminished because the Tinley Park crew did well; SEASON OVER.
Super 25-AA Boys
*Post-season edition- Oct. 31, 2005 [state
final edition]
1) Ryan Craven (Sr.) Prospect (Mt. Prospect)-
2) Evan Jager (Jr.) Jacobs (Algonquin)-
3) Jon Popejoy (Sr.) Wheaton-Warrenville South-
4) Kevin Havel (So.)
Hersey (Arlington Heights)-
5) Jesse Luciano (Sr.) Willowbrook-
6) Steve Finley (Sr.) Palatine-
7) Bruce MacTaggart (Sr.) Glenbard South (Glen Ellyn)-
8) Eric Dettman (Sr.) York (Elmhurst
9) Mark Battista (Jr.) Lincoln Way Central (New Lenox)-
10) Luke Ryan (Jr.) Downers Grove North-
11) Kevin Adamowski (Jr.) Sandburg (Orland Park)-
12) Jacob Kolacz (Sr.) Naperville North-
13) Ryan Jacobs (Jr.) Rockton (Hononegah)-
14) Matt DeSilva (Sr.) St. Charles North-
15) Matt Dettman (Sr.) York (Elmhurst)-
16) Dan Chenoweth (Jr.) Geneseo-
17) Nick Kuczwara (Jr.) York (Elmhurst)-
18) Luke Rygh (Jr.) Oswego-
19) Christian Escareno (Sr.) Rolling Meadows-
20) Tom Achtien (So.)
York (Elmhurst)-
21) Dustin Davis (Sr.) Edwardsville-
22) Ben Bouwman (Jr.) Downers Grove South-
23) Jacob Nachel (Sr.) Lyons Township (LaGrange)-
24) Jeff Schirmer (Sr) Triad-
25) Brent Carius (Sr.) Waubonsie Valley (Aurora)-
Girls Super 25 (AA)
(Post-season edition- FINAL ONE)- Oct. 31,
2005
[Revised for state final week]
1) Caitlin Comfort (So.) Peoria Notre Dame-
2) Shannon Phelan (Sr.) Naperville North-
3) Amy Laskowske (Sr.) Palatine-
4) Lauren Haberkorn (So.) Chicago (Marist)-
5) Amber Stack (So.)
Wheeling-
6) ÒLizzyÓ Hynes (Fr.) St. Charles East-
7) Kristin Sutherland (So.) Sandburg-
8) Chelsea Bolton (Jr.) Palatine Fremd-
9) Christina Schaefer (Sr.) Buffalo Grove-
10) Amanda Beggs (Sr.) Lincoln Way East-
11) Nefeteri Williams (Sr.) Proviso West-
12) Kali Dalton (So.)
Conant-
13) Janna Mitsos (Fr.) Lockport-
14) Amanda Laesch (Sr) Wheaton North-
15) Sequoia McKinney (Sr.) Thornridge Coop-
16) Haley Staples (Fr.) Crystal Lake Central-
17) AÕseret Dokubu (Sr.) Conant
18) Michelle Stratton (Fr.) Naperville North-
19) Stephanie Peisker (Fr.) Crystal Lake Central-
20) Liz Phillips (So.)
Lockport-
21) Emily Gustafson (Fr.) East Peoria-
22) Jackie Laesch (So.)
Wheaton North-
23) Molly Sullivan (Sr.) York (Elmhurst)-
24) Nicole Benson (So.)
Limestone-
25) Stephanie Hughes (Jr.) Chicago Lane Tech-