It’s a long-time NXC tradition the night before the State Meet to gather the top 12 for a meeting before bed. We never talk about the race or strategy; it’s instead evolved over the years as a time to reflect on the journey, to speak frankly about the distance we’ve traveled and how it has changed us, to pause before the bedlam and acknowledge our good fortune and shared sacrifice. Sometimes these meetings are thoughtful and sincere, and sometimes they dissolve into fits of silliness, but they invariably reveal the character of the team hours before it’s put to the test. And so on November 3rd, 2017, we assembled—seven seniors, five juniors, and five coaches—in a hotel meeting room. At first, the athletes were quiet; many had never been in this meeting before and were unsure how to speak. “What are you most proud of?” we asked. There certainly were a number of highlights to choose from the past several seasons—Michael O’Connor’s stunning ascension, Keanan Ginell’s stubborn tenacity, or Chris Keeley’s canny maneuvering. Instead, they talked about traffic cones. Well, one traffic cone in particular. The seniors told a story where they snatched the orange rubber marker from a construction zone, then drove off, evading the police for… reasons? It was hard to follow the narrative as the storytellers kept dissolving into fits of laughter. Then they told a story about tricking Keeley into believing he was being stalked by a clown. Then a story about sneaking through a park forest. Again and again, the memories they returned to involved not running, but teenage shenanigans, friends joined in capers. For the record, no one condones theft or clown impersonations. But there aren’t many adults who don’t have a story about getting away with something. And suddenly, it made sense why a room full of runners would swap stories about chicanery. As athletes, we train our bodies to be strong, swift, tough, and methodical. But the real battle is between the ears, a struggle against the forces of doubt. To win, one must convince himself that he is not a fraud, that he belongs on a podium. That it’s not a trick. These athletes were trained in the shadow of Dan Weiss and Michael Widmann, Connor Horn, Jake McEneaney and Jackson Jett and Matthew Milostan. Athletes whose names sit in trophy cases, whose achievements are recited as proof of the investment in training and devotion to excellence. To join them, each of the top 12 had to overcome their own qualms and skepticism, their own sense of fear and inadequacy. They had to convince themselves, in effect, that they weren’t ‘getting one over.’ Perhaps the thing we’re most proud of in 2017 is how each of these men made that journey. These are their stories. Quentin Quagliano, senior: In his own way, Quinton has often been on the outside looking in. Once a stalwart soldier whose times dipped into the low 16s as a sophomore, he was hamstrung for seasons on end by injury. Rather than despair at his misfortune, Quinton took this period to expand himself, developing interests away from running. His growth sometimes strained his ties to his teammates, a problem compounded by Quinton’s forthright manner. Yet it also led Quinton to grow in confidence and self-assurance, qualities that gave him extra strength during his senior campaign. Quentin didn’t have a bad race in 2017, a season whose highlights included his first place finish in the Open Race at Culver. He raced like a dog refusing to surrender a bone; no matter how heated the fracas or how insistent the pace, Quinton stuck to the leaders of the JV Race at Richard Spring, Twilight, and the DVC Conference Meet. In a way, this stubbornness doubled as an assertion of his selfhood, an identity he had pursued sometimes on his own, but always in accordance with our team’s values and goals. I am Quinton Quagliano, said his races. I will not back down. And I belong. Matt Jett, junior: Now and forever, there will only be one Jackson Jett when it comes to NVXC. Of course, that poses a problem for his younger brother, tasked with following the inimitable barely a year after Jackson had shocked the state. How do you live up to a name that has come to mean ‘doing the extraordinary in ways that don’t make any sense?’ For Matt, it has come to mean making as much sense as possible. Where Jackson could be mercurial and insouciant, Matt has been methodical and earnest. His running logs are more thorough than U.S. tax code, and his reflections on his workouts as intricate as an FBI profiler’s. At times, the pressure of such attention to detail could lead to paralysis—where Jackson’s genius (and folly) could be how little he overthought, Matt sometimes suffered from an abundance of concentration. Yet his 2017 season began promisingly, with Matt finishing just seven seconds behind Michael Madiol. All summer, he’d shown greater surety, a more relaxed posture, a more reasonable frame of expectations. When he was felled by injury, we grew concerned that the old Matt would resurface—that he would grow impatient with his recovery, obsessive with missed workouts, disjointed with anxiety. He didn’t. Matt showed self-awareness, growth, and maturity in his recovery. He didn’t rush back. He put in the rehab work. And when his foot was ready, he carefully selected the correct race to return and the best plan for attack. And he executed. The Thursday before State, Matt led a three-mile time trial from gunshot to finishing tape, gapping the field and running an impressive 15:32 all by himself. It was the sort of gutsy race that could only be run by a runner in full command of his body and mind, aware of the challenges of his craft. Matt Jett had overcome more than injury; he had found a new way to be a Jett. Dakota Getty, senior: Dakota ran 19:44 his first season. He was our 19th best freshman at conference. There was nothing distinctive about his presence as an athlete, save for a cool buzzcut mohawk. But like many runners in our program’s history, Dakota slowly began to discover his talent and interest in the sport over the long winter months. His times began to inch down; while former teammates abandoned the grind for other pursuits, Dakota kept plugging away. By the time he was a junior, Dakota was positioning himself near the front of the JV chase pack. This past summer, he clicked off 60-second 400s as part of a team relay workout. Dakota Getty, it would seem, had arrived. Then came the Hornet-Red Devil Invitational. Dakota had a tough race, falling off the lead pack after the first mile and losing himself to the drift. He ran the 16th fastest Neuqua time that day. Every runner knows the feeling of helplessness when a race gets away, but what’s worse are the whispered doubts that follow. What if that’s all I am—the flailing, the failure? What if I’ve traveled all these miles, and haven’t moved forward an inch? The story of Dakota’s season—and his high school career—was told two weeks later at the Richard Springs Invitational at Detweiller. On a course that offered no respite from a sweltering sun, Dakota broke from the pack to win the Open Race by more than 10 seconds. He ran 15:58 on Illinois’ most famous course on a day that no one particularly wanted to go fast. Dakota quieted his whispers, and he became a trusted substitute, swapped into the top 7 at Conference and Regionals to spell runners in need of recovery. Dakota hasn’t worn a mohawk in years. He hasn’t needed it to stand out. As a senior, he found another way. Keanan Ginell, senior: Height is overrated in distance running. Dathan Ritzenhein is 5’8”; Alan Webb is 5’9”. The taller the man, the heavier the frame, which wears him down over a longer race. And yet, as any diminutive athlete will admit, it can be dispiriting to line up in a box between Goliaths. Clothes look better on tall people; they have more fun at swimming pools; they have less trouble changing light bulbs. Between Dakota Getty, Tyler Bombacino, Alex Johnson, and Danny Winek, the 2017 team was one of our lankiest squads. Standing beside them, Keanan Ginell has always looked small, and it would be easy to overlook him at the starting line. That would be a mistake. In a season defined by the ups and downs of our senior class, Keanan proved the steadiest, flintiest, most reliable competitor (other than Ryan Kennedy). There was never a race where Keanan betrayed doubt or uncertainty—he raced with his fixed straight ahead, his shoulders squared up, his stride confident and relentless. Keanan’s race strategy in every JV race this season was very simple: Win. He pursued this by immediately seizing control of the pace and daring teammates and competitors to match him. When others faded, Keanan surged; when doubt tugged at their calves, Keanan shook it off. He won the JV race at Lockport, finished 2nd at Twilight, 2nd at Conference. He PR’d by 13 seconds at Regionals. On that day, he would have been—at worst—every other teams’ third best runner. Keanan never had much to say about these achievements. He has always been soft-spoken and nonchalant. In the crowded hallways of Neuqua, it is easy to lose track of him. But amidst the hundreds of bodies straining for dominance on Saturday mornings, he’s hard to miss. Keanan Ginell is a giant. Michael O’Connor, junior: Michael O’Connor was buried. During the summer, one of our signature Varsity workouts is to run to a forest preserve three miles from our base, throw in some hill sprints, then tempo back. It can be a brutal, scorching slog, but it reliably teaches discipline, toughness, and grit. And on that day in late June, the Green Valley workout had ground O’Connor to a halt. He had a miserable summer. One year after he’d proved so integral to an ascendant sophomore squad, Michael seemed lost, frustrated, and without answers. Though he never lost his trademark optimism or good cheer, the furnace that had once burned so intensely seemed to have dimmed considerably. But the funny thing about Cross Country races is how a three mile sprint can clarify everything. While some runners excel in workouts precisely because they hold no stakes, there are a few competitors who cannot thrive until the spikes are laced and the bibs are pinned. So it was this season with Michael. He was 43rd at Hornet, then 3rd in the Open Race at Richard Spring. Incredibly, he won the JV Race at Twilight, dropping 40 seconds off his time at Hinsdale. Ten days later, he was the JV Conference Champion. Michael O’Connor wasn’t done. He dropped another 17 seconds to PR at Regionals, then finished 15th in the Waubonsie Valley Sectional, running stride-for-stride with Alex Johnson and Tyler Bombacino, who both beat him by a minute two months earlier. At Sectionals, Michael O’Connor beat 11 other teams’ best runner. He would have qualified for State as an individual. Summer training, of course, is the key to every successful Cross Country season. But greatness doesn’t always show itself by winning the workout. Sometimes a man has to be buried to find out just how remarkable he is at digging. Chris Keeley, junior: One week ago, Chris Keeley had his best race of the season. He finished 7th at Sectionals, finishing seven seconds behind Ryan Kennedy. He was our second man across the line. More importantly, he ran with confidence, canniness, and even a touch of swagger. On Saturday, Chris ran his worst race. It started perfectly—paced by Ryan, the pack came through the mile at exactly the point we’d talked about. Chris was then to move up, to break away and pick up places in the middle of the race, just as he had all season. But this time something was wrong. In the hundreds of variables that go wrong in a race, it’s hard to isolate just one. Maybe his immune system was just a little off. Maybe we waited too long to taper. Maybe it just wasn’t his day. But Chris could feel it, a pebble interfering with a carefully calibrated engine. His mind panicked; his capillaries constricted. It became difficult to get oxygen to his muscles. He entered anaerobic shock. Finally, with about 150 meters to go, Chris Keeley collapsed. Afterwards, everyone told Chris the truth. That the team had only reached this point because of him. That his talent, his dedication, his intensity, his passion had inspired everyone to train, to sacrifice, to believe. That no race—even a first place finish—would have beaten Downers Grove North on that day. That his teammates loved him, that they had his back, that they had carried the load when he had faltered. That his coaches believed in him; that his parents were proud. That he would have another shot next Sunday at NXNs and a year from now as a senior. That one race is not the story of a man; that his name is made of the hundreds of days before hand, where he shows his character through his actions and the causes to which he devotes himself. That State 2017 was a chapter, not the book. All of that was true. And Chris Keeley left Detweiller with a medal around his neck, and a trophy that would one day bear his name. But for ten minutes before the ceremony, Chris lay on the ground alone and wept. This is the hardest lesson to learn, and one we would spare our runners if we could. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we convince ourselves that victory is possible when it is completely out of our hands. Chris Keeley loved this team so much that his inability to consummate his vision felt like dying. Yet the foundation of every great thing that Chris will ever do—as a husband, a father, and a man—exists in what happened next. For a long time on Saturday, he lay on his back gasping. And then, after a while, Chris Keeley got up. Tyler Bombacino, senior: The ancient Greeks had two words for time: Chronos and Kairos. The former refers to sequential time—the order of minutes, seconds, and hours that make up our day. The latter, however, means the right, critical, or opportune moment. While Chronos is quantitative, Kairos has a qualitative, permanent nature—in the New Testament, it is referred to as the “the time appointed for the purpose of God.” Another way of thinking about it: Chronos keeps moving, but Kairos lasts forever. Runners are instinctively concerned about both. We measure our excellence with Chronos, but determine every race with Kairos. This is a clear way to describe Tyler Bombacino’s senior campaign. He was superbly prepared—fit, seasoned, and determined. A leader in workouts, an exacting presence when it came to commitment and dedication. He had already helped steer a State Championship 4x800 relay team. There were few athletes in our halls more willing to pay the price of victory than Tyler. And yet, he often wears his doubts on his face as plainly as his own eyebrows. Tyler is haunted by the mystery of failed races. What allows him to focus in some clashes and yet drift in others? How is it that some battles come easily to him and others painfully slip away? The uncertainty that exists before the gunshot weighs so heavily on him sometimes that he cannot make eye contact with his coaches. It’s not that he’s mentally weak; it’s that he’s in suspense of Kairos. Saturday’s race started well for him; he paced out the first mile perfectly and charged into the back half practically linking arms with Alex Johnson. And yet in the back half, away from the madness of the crowds, Tyler began to slide. His head dipped, his shoulders lost their composure, and a gap appeared between his teammates. No one knows the truth of what happened yet—perhaps not even Tyler—but what we can say for certain is that somewhere in the last 500 meters he came alive. He began moving—fast, hard, through the field of competitors. He caught up to Alex, charging through the chute like a man on fire. Tyler Bombacino had arrived, in the time appointed for our purpose. As Dave Walters reminded us a few weeks ago, every race has a moment of truth. Runners cannot know until that point if they are worthy of victory, and so many come to dread it. The best thing that can be said of Tyler on Saturday—and for his time at Neuqua—is that when Kairos appeared, he seized it. Alex Johnson, senior: Alex’s teammate, Ryan Kennedy, is an impatient runner. He wants to win early, and so he pushes early. It has been that way since he put on Neuqua’s colors, always in a hurry to make Varsity, the top 12, the State Meet. Alex, on the other hand, is extraordinarily patient. You can tell, watching him warm up—his drills are methodical, his habits practiced. He brings each rep to full completion, lowers every push up all the way to the ground. He is unhurried by the sun or discomfort; he is dedicated to his craft. Alex has overcome injury through this persistence; he has shaken off disappointing finishes because of it as well. As a junior, when Coach Vandersteen suggested the time-consuming process of changing his stride, Alex acquiesced and saw it through. He has run more miles than most, accepting the heavy burden of fatigued legs in races, because he knew that when the time was right, we would pull back on the training, and—like springs freed of a heavy weight—Alex Johnson would explode. His patience was rewarded on Saturday, where Alex finished as our fifth man. He crossed the finish line wobbling unsteadily, his powerful frame completely expended by the effort. As he had all season, Alex provided the steadying presence to ballast the dizzying highs and lows of his fast-twitch teammates. And he had raced—once again—patiently, letting the race come to him before a furious final charge. It was a remarkable conclusion to an indelible high school cross country career. “You know, I never thought I’d be one of those seniors tearing up after it was all over,” he reflected afterwards. “But I see why they do now. It goes by so fast. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were running around the field as freshmen, and our coach was saying, ‘Let’s see what you can do.’” Alex Johnson waited a long time to find out. As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. Michael Madiol, junior:
If you develop the absolute sense of certainty that powerful beliefs provide, then you can get yourself to accomplish virtually anything, including those things that other people are certain are impossible. --William Lyon Phelps, American educator (1865–1943) The primary goal of every head coach is to instill “an absolute sense of certainty that powerful beliefs provide.” Every workout, every team retreat, every Tweet linking to an article on nutrition or sleep habits is about convincing our athletes about the validity of the plans we’ve drawn up and the value of our goals. How else can we get teenagers to forgo so many casual pleasures of high school, to commit to the pain and intensity of the Trial of Miles? Of course, a belief extends only as far as its first encounter with doubt. Michael Madiol learned that this season. A talented runner with a gift for the final straightaway, Madiol had glided through our program, arriving in big moments with a furious kick and an unblinking stare. Success seemingly came so easy for him that hesitation never seemed to cloud his gaze, and despite winning the F/S Conference 800 Meter Championship in Track, his coaches were still unsure they’d found his limits. Our limit, of course, is the faith we have in our own bodies. As long as we feel we can endure the pounding and fatigue, we charge on; any pull or tear that deviates from the ordinary, and we teeter on the brink of insecurity. A month ago, Michael began to feel a tug in the popliteal region of his knee. The muscle was hard to pinpoint, and the nature of the pain difficult to isolate. But it was a kink in his otherwise fluid motion. Suddenly, Michael Madiol had lost his absolute sense of certainty. What followed were weeks that mixed in differentiated workouts and rest, lineups that tried to spare him the pounding, race plans conceived to let him build towards success. There were days at a time where he felt like his old self, where he could almost forget the back of his knee. And then it would yank at him again, and Michael tumbled back to earth. The moment of crisis reached its apex in the Regional Race. After sitting out the Conference Meet, Michael returned to the lineup and resumed his habitual position in the heart of the chase pack. He finished 7th that day. The fear of injury had not abated, but his confidence in his toughness was fortified. By the time he took the line on Saturday, he again had the look of a man who could “accomplish virtually anything.” And so he did, running a 12 second PR on a day when we absolutely had to have it. This will not be the last time that Michael Madiol has doubts, nor will it be the last time we need him to step up. But when the time comes again, he can draw on the memory that when he was called to the fray, he plunged in without hesitation, undeterred by the fears pulling at the back of his mind or the pain lodged somewhere behind his knee. Danny Winek, senior: Danny Winek has been around running his whole life. The youngest of three Winek brothers, each who ran for Neuqua Valley, he joined the team in 2014, already decorated in amateur competitions. He has run all over the country, traveled to watch the Olympic Trials, spoken with world-class runners, and filled the split sheets with dizzying accomplishments. Unlike so many other elite performers in our program, Danny had never been anything BUT a distance runner, had never dallied in other sports before discovering his true calling. For Danny, there has only ever been the one true love. But that love often punished him. His light frame and powerful stride made him susceptible to injury, and in the past two years he has missed significant stretches with a variety of reactions and strains. Coming in to the summer, he had to build himself back up slowly, first running only a little at a time, then sliding into a few workouts here and there, then gradually working his mileage up to elite levels. He was never able to endure the pounding of workhorses like Ryan or Zach, but with careful guidance and a little luck, Danny made it through his senior campaign with relatively little time on the shelf. Of course, the pressure of good health can wear someone down as surely as heavy mileage. Having missed so much time, each race gained so much more significance for Danny. He only had one more Conference Meet, one more State series. Unlike Chris Keeley, there was no more next year as consolation for Danny Winek. He would have to be excellent this year, or live with the regret. For the last weeks of October, running grew less fun for Danny. Though he ran reasonably well at Regionals, he was 25th at Sectionals, well behind the pack. Despite his pedigree and ambition, it no longer felt as though he was in control of the story he had been trying to write, and he was running out of time to reassert himself. It’s hard to say what exactly allowed Danny to run almost a minute faster a week later. Perhaps it was the extra rest or a chance to step away from the pressures of college applications. Maybe it was the peace that comes right before the gunshot, the sudden acceptance that you are in this and there is no escaping it. But I believe the answer lies in the bus ride down, the long dinner with his teammates, the laughter that filled that hotel meeting room before bed. Danny is and always has been an elite runner. But he has never been alone. Danny was buoyed by his friendship with Tyler and Alex and Dakota, his respect for Chris and Zach and Michael. He—more than anyone—benefited from Ryan’s unselfish race. He was lifted, I like to believe, by the recognition that though the task was grim and weighty, the journey had truly been a joy. “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,” wrote the Chinese philosopher Laozi, “while loving someone gives you courage.” Danny could love running, but running could never love him back. For that, he needed a team. Ryan Kennedy, senior: More than most, Ryan Kennedy has defined himself by places and times. Even as a freshman, he was aware of the PRs of other notable freshmen in the state. He paid attention to his competitors, measured himself against them, and sought opportunities to ply himself against the best. This went for his teammates, too; despite an absurdly deep Varsity his sophomore year, Ryan pushed himself to match paces with Austin Kinne, Aidan Livingston, and Dominick Dina. He never took his eye off the leaderboard, looking for advantage in extra workouts or weekend form corrections. By the time he was a senior, the team had taken on his persona, and Ryan, more than even Zach, was the engine of excellence. His body had finally matured to the point that it could respond to his expectations, and Ryan approached every race with a furious determination that bordered on violence. He didn’t just want to win; he wanted to dominate. And so he did. He finished 2nd at Hornet-Red Devil, 19th at Richard Springs, 6th at Twilight, 4th at Conference, 2nd at Regionals, 4th at Sectionals. He broke up packs, chased down front-runners, and outkicked athletes with more established pedigrees. Other teams feared and planned around him; Wheaton-Warrenville South’s Conference strategy keyed off Ryan’s race. But for State, we asked something more of Ryan. We asked him to hold back. Ryan’s whole strategy all year had been simply to go; now, we needed him to restrain himself. Instead of positioning himself amidst the pack of all-state potentials, Ryan would have to chase them down. The plan unfolded perfectly through the first mile, with Ryan sacrificing 5-7 seconds to pace the pack into the trapezoid. As they began to move up, Ryan and Danny created some separation, accelerating together. It was a huge confidence boost for Danny, who had run below his own standards the previous two weeks. He ended up running a PR, dipping below 15:00 for the first time, finishing 3rd for our team to solidify our finish. Ryan, meanwhile, picked up nearly two dozen places in the last mile. Yet when he staggered out of the chute afterwards, it was clear he was unsatisfied. He had finished eight spots out of All-State, a North Star goal that had guided him through innumerable periods of doubt. It had been there for him; he could feel it. Instead, he had sacrificed for the team. As the scores were finally confirmed, the significance of Ryan’s forfeiture became obvious. Danny, Michael, Alex, and Tyler each ran their gutsiest race of the season. We narrowly outdueled a primed Wheaton-Warrenville South. As Thomas Stevenson soon tweeted: Sometime in the future on a Friday at the team dinner in Peoria @PVsteen will tell the story of Ryan Kennedy and the 22 places he gained in the last mile to secure the trophy. He’s right. Ryan lost his bid for All State. In return, he gained something far more valuable: a legend. Zach Kinne, junior: One afternoon as a lark, we looked up the qualities identified by clinical psychologists that best describe human genius. In the late 1970s, a researcher named Dr. Alfred Barrious compiled a list of 24 traits most often associated with genius, including Drive, Courage, Devotion to Goals, Knowledge, Honesty, Optimism, Enthusiasm, Willingness to Take Chances, Dynamic Energy, Enterprise, Patience, and Perfectionism. Reading the list aloud, we stopped laughing. Most of the qualities perfectly described Zach Kinne. Drive? Courage? Devotion to Goals? That’s Zach. Willingness to take chances? You don’t put yourself in the lead chase pack at State without that gambler’s mentality. He takes no short cuts. If given a choice between rest and packing in extra miles, he chooses the miles every time. He is boundlessly positive, ruthlessly candid, and supremely confident. He even has a good sense of humor. The most telling quality of genius is the effortlessness with which it performs excellence. True genius makes the inconceivable seem natural, even humdrum. Yet it would be a mistake to claim that Zach went unchallenged this year, that his mind never entertained doubts. The week of Twilight, he forfeited sleep to keep up with his studies and relationships. He subsequently contracted a respiratory infection. When it came time to race, Zach—who was favored—found himself in a dogfight with fellow junior Thomas Shilgalis. Zach tried to gap him at the 2; Thomas kept pace. Zach tried to lose him under the bleachers, but by then Thomas thought he could win. When they hit the track, Zach dipped into his reserves, hoping to find a kick. But what he came up with was no match for the Redhawk. On that night, it was Shilgalis that made it look easy. But Zach was undeterred. He secured some antibiotics, restructured his rest, and kept to his routine. Though he believes he can run with anyone, he agreed to a conservative race plan that put him in a position where he could save something for the final stretch. One of the more stunning sights from Saturday’s meet was Zach Kinne kicking down competitors, elite runners with more feared straightaway bursts. Yet Zach had prepared for the moment; he made it look as straightforward as taking off a pair of socks. And that is what makes Zach Kinne such a special athlete. He makes others believe that there is truly nothing he cannot do in a mile. He will adapt to any strategy, adjust to any pace, and just when you think he’s reached his ceiling, he’ll slip through a skylight and soar. As for the future, it’s hard to say what awaits him in Track or Cross Country. After all, if everyone could see it coming, it wouldn’t be genius. Epilogue: Perhaps the best thing about our sport is how relatively commonplace these stories are. Every runner who laced up on Saturday, regardless of gender or division, weathered a prolonged siege from doubt, tore through the fracas, and emerged from the chute, spent yet standing. Wheaton Warrenville South answered questions about their youth; Downers Grove North proved that, if anything, they were underrated all season. And pity poor Danny Kilrea, who wasn’t just pursued by an entire state, but 40 years of Detweiller ghosts. Our season ended in triumph, but it could have just as easily gone another way. A little less luck, a little more hesitancy, and we may have endured a quiet bus ride home, lamenting our spent fortunes and missed opportunities. Every runner knows with grudging certainty that good intentions and careful preparation are no guarantee, and as surely as Zach Kinne triumphed, in another race he might have ended up in the mud like Chris Keeley. It is this insecurity, this sense of illegitimacy that hounds so many into never trying in the first place. The halls of every high school overflow with never-gonna-try runners undone before the race even starts. True greatness, then, is not the place or the time or the trophy. It is the courage to stand against doubt and resist. “The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting,” wrote the medieval philosopher Pierre Abelard. “By doubting, we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth.” So be it. We answered the question on Saturday. We found out the truth about ourselves. As we drove home in the darkness, we passed through a section of road construction. One of the seniors pointed out a traffic pylon, and the bus redoubled with laughter as the story came out once again. The stolen cone. The mad pursuit. Thieves in the night. But in the end, nothing was stolen. They earned everything they got. Though our schools are separated by less than six miles, few of Neuqua’s athletes or coaches were familiar with Waubonsie Valley’s home course, the site of our 2017 Sectional. When we last raced there in 2003, senior Ryan Kennedy wasn’t even four years old, and Coach Rossi was still in college. Despite our long rivalry with the Warriors, we knew very little about their grounds—the alleyways between fields, the adjacent grounds still verdant with prairie life, the mammoth hill towering over it all. In a season where so much seemed a reprise of previous seasons, this was new. Fortunately, our effort, luck, and finishes prevailed again, and we were proud to claim our third straight Sectional title, and our seventh as a program. It was not an easy day—the field of runners trickled out of the chute wet, chilled, and splattered by mud. But as we all made our way back to the fieldhouse, our spirits lifted. October was ending, and we were headed back to State. Much of the credit belongs to Kennedy (15:36) who, despite never quite finding his rhythm, made a series of critical in-race decisions that secured him a 4th place finish. Chris Keeley (15:43) showed similarly canny instincts, breaking from the pack at the midpoint to mount a furious charge on the second loop. From there, it fell to the trio of Alex Johnson (15:53), Tyler Bombacino (15:54), and Michael O’Connor (15:54) to shut the door. Followed by seniors Danny Winek (16:00) and Keanan Ginell (16:17), the Wildcats fended off an impressive challenge from a determined Naperville Central.
In some ways, this all feels familiar. This is our 16th straight trip to Detweiller. Danny will be the third Winek to race at State in blue and gold. Ryan’s been around high-stakes competitions for as long as his father’s been coaching. Yet, like so much of this gray-skied day, everything is new. Michael Madiol, O’Connor, and Ginell weren’t even in our top 12 a year ago. Six of our top 7 have never raced the first weekend in November. Like so many athletes they’ll share the line with, State racing has thus far been only a hypothetical, nothing more than a square you circle on the calendar in June. But the now mud is real. The cold, the wind, the distance from the chute. ‘We’ve never been here before,’ they’ll all think before the gunshot. ‘Let’s see what all the hype is about.’ Results DyestatIL Recap This week, we were visited by the legendary Dave Walters, a remarkable athlete whose nearly five decade running career has taken him all over the world, most recently completing the Chicago Marathon in 2:52 at the age of 62. From the hillocks of Brussels to the crushed-lava footpaths of Waikiki, Mr. Walters has lived a true runner’s life, and he shared with us some of his life lessons, which our athletes took to heart in our Regional Race. Own the Race: This is a simple but elusive mantra. It means to take responsibility for every aspect of your competition, from training and preparation to execution and result. Good races aren’t accidents—they are the result of a courage to accept the challenge and the results, whatever they may be. From the outset, we could tell that Zach Kinne (14:43) and Keanan Ginell (15:30) were prepared to do this. Kinne led from gunshot to finishing tape, as he often has this season, and Keanan positioned himself in a lead chase pack, defeating through sheer will and nerve many runners of superior pedigree. Set Meaningful Goals: Runners must have a plan—one that combines aspiration with a realistic assessment of what their training has prepared them to do. Before the race, it was clear that Ryan Kennedy (14:55) expected to do something special—and he held himself to this audacious standard by executing perfectly. Coming through the mile two seconds off of Kinne, Ryan ran one of his most complete races of the season, besting the next competitor by more than ten seconds. It was a race that he had readied himself for for many months, and teases a hopeful symmetry for the races to come. Respond to the Moment of Truth: As Craig Virgin is fond of saying, every race contains a moment of truth where a runner, beset by pain and doubt, must choose whether to surge or retreat. This tick of the clock has nothing to do with muscle or aerobic capacity—it is decided by pride, grit, and confidence. That is why it was so thrilling to watch Michael Madiol (15:22) and Michael O’Connor (15:28) come through the two mile—both answered the challenge of exhaustion with a champion’s resolve, and were rewarded with PRs on a gusty day.
Be Extraordinary; Use the Results: Our races teach us about our limits, and, when met with the dispassionate eye of acceptance, can guide us to greater heights. In his second varsity race of the week, Dakota Getty (15:58) improved on his Conference mark, setting a new PR by making adjustments in his plan. And although Danny Winek (15:18) finished an impressive 6th place, he knew almost immediately that he had more to give, and a better race within him. Danny is looking forward with purpose by looking back with thoughtfulness. All that separates an ordinary life from greatness is contained in the 15 minutes of a three mile course. The lessons of life that will make men of honor, valor, and integrity in adulthood are taught by high school sports. And whether you’re a fourteen-year-old lacing brand new shoes or a seasoned runner battling marathons when most seek retirement, there is always another lecture of the race. As the old mariner put it: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” Results There are 63,360 inches in a mile; a little more than 190,000 in a high school Cross Country race. That’s so many inches that it’s hard to pay much attention as they’re swallowed up, dozens per second. No one inch is really any more memorable than any other, and you the pain of running is such that you forget every single one the instant it’s behind you. But, as we are so often reminded, in Cross Country, sports, and life every inch matters. Just ask our Varsity. After the DVC Title had been decided by relatively comfortable margins the past couple of years, the 2017 race came down to a lean at the end of a final sprint, a surge past a determined, focused competitor. Two talented teams scrapping like alley cats for position. As he has all season, Zach Kinne (14:50) led the charge, with the Wheaton-Warrenville South team keying off 4th place Ryan Kennedy (15:04), effectively earning a tie through the first four places. The race was then to be determined by each team’s 3-4-5, with Wheaton South’s #3 sneaking in two places before Chris Keeley (15:12). Danny Winek (15:23) struck next, and Alex Johnson (15:30) stepped in just ahead of Wheaton South’s #4. By the time Tyler Bombacino (15:32) and Dakota Getty (16:02) finished, the score favored the Wildcats by three points. Two teams’ seasons, built of millions of inches, and it all came down to the last clutch. The clash of inches was less fraught at the Frosh/Soph Race, where we finished a distant 4th. Still, the race proved a fitting cap for many athletes’ seasons, as several PRs came out of the race. Led by the ascendant trio of Vasant Fong (16:45), Ramsay Johnson (16:47), and Collin Searls (16:47), the Wildcats also welcomed strong performances from Leif Anderson (17:06) and Dylan Bushelle (17:12). Stephen Smilie (18:12), William Fu (19:29), Jack Wharton (19:29), Guilherme Reginato (19:36), Ethan Lockwood (19:38), Hadi Moukallad (19:55), Jack Ashby (19:58), Max Keenan (20:38), Dominick Gramarosso (20:50), Zaid Fakhruddin (21:03), Pranav Rajaraman (21:06), and Ted Walsh (21:58) all bested their Twilight marks, turning in season’s best times. Perhaps the best part of each of these races was the finish, as the young runners flew into the chute, straining for place, unwilling to yield. Though there are many miles laid out before them, they are already mastering the careful accounting of millimeters that proved so essential in the Varsity race. The Open Race showcased the reaping of such sowing. Taking the pack out hard, a crowd of Neuqua runners took turns leading the pack, each seeking to end his season a Conference Champion. There was Keanan Ginell (15:52), the gnawgahyde-tough mile-chewer; Michael O’Connor (15:51), the single-shoed legend-in-the-making; wily senior Quinton Quaglianao (15:57) and nervy juniors Matt Jett (16:12) and Nick Drechsler (16:18). In the end, O’Connor seized the final straightaway, and his second-straight JV title. Joined on stage by Jack Orengo (16:31), Kevin Daneliak (16:37), “Professor” Matt Lindell (16:41), and Evan McVittie (16:43), the Wildcats proudly claimed their third straight DVC Open Championship. The day belonged, however, to the seniors: Ginell, Quagliano, Lindell, McVittie. Danny Speckels (17:02), Paul McIntyre (17:14), Calvin McIntyre (17:18), DJ Sauer (17:21). Michael Dy (17:52), McKenzie Mitchell (18:00), John Kubicki (18:01), Chris Wiemer (18:12). Matt Thomas (18:54), Joseph Walwer (19:27), Kai Thomas (19:34), Patrick Hong (19:38), Carter Stradling (19:45). Stephen Potoksnak (19:51), Mitch Donahue (20:06), Jeremy Hagerman (20:15), Matt Cowen (20:28). Norman Dong (20:35), Darren Huang (20:37), Ife Oketona (21:40), Ajay Smith (21:44), and Brandon Chow (24:28). For some of these men, it was the end of their first season as Wildcat distance runners; for others, it was the last mile in a journey of four years. As they finished their races, bodies spent and emotions full, they took a little longer to recompose themselves and moved more slowly from the field. It’s not every day that you remember a moment for the rest of your life. Seniors get this.
That is the thing about 190,080 inches, of course. Stretched out before you at age 14, they seem infinite. There’s no way you’ll ever run them all. But the gun is raised, the shot calls out, and off you go. Across the field, around the flag. Into the woods, and out again. Hill and dale, shale and lea. On, on, on—faster, harder, as your coaches, your friends, your parents cheer you on. Until all of a sudden, there’s the chute, the strip, the end of the race. Eighteen years old already. All those inches gone. And not a one was wasted. Dylan Thomas’s most famous poem is “Do not go gentle into that good night.” A villanelle said to have been composed upon seeing his sickly father, its verses famously implore its subject to “rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Although the poem is elegiac in tone, it holds special value for runners, who compete not just against their rivals, but also their own limitations, fragility, and doubt. It is a fitting lyric to consider on the occasion of the annual Twilight Invitational, a race that grows more heated and intense as the sun drops off. Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. The meet opened with a sensational dogfight, where senior Michael Dy (17:37) caught and out-kicked Naperville North’s Matt Cherry, crashing into the turf as he crossed the sensor, his body totally spent. He was pursued by teammate John Kubicki (17:56), Chris Weimer (18:12), Joey Klaips (18:14), Carter Stradling (18:25), and Nate Spencer (18:34). Michael, John, Chris, and Carter were soon joined by Mac Mitchell (18:43) and Vincent Kim (18:52), a sestet of seniors who have more races behind them than ahead. In ten days, they will race one last time in Neuqua colors, a week and a half to prepare n to peak. The lions’ race soon gave way to the cubs of the freshmen/sophomore contest. Vasant Fong (16:34) earned another PR, trailed closely Quinn Kennedy (16:38) Collin Searls (16:53), Ramsay Johnson (16:55), and Ryan Horn (17:01). Dylan Bushelle (17:12) rebounded with a solid race, while David Tassone (17:23) and Brian Jett (17:39) began preparing their case for State Travel Team. A 5th place team finish gave the boys plenty to work on as they make plans to pile the miles on this winter. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Mindful of the ripening of the season, the JV Team challenged themselves to finish their race without regret. Top finisher Michael O’Connor (15:45) ran his previous race with just one shoe; runner-up Matthew Jett (15:46) returned to racing after two weeks on the shelf; third-place finisher Quinton Quagliano (15:51) pushed himself to exhaustion in one of his final senior races. Each of these runners understood their own fragility and the fleeting nature of the opportunity, and each pushed back against the fatigue and doubt that accompany those anxieties. Several juniors followed their example, including Nicholas Drechsler (15:54), Blake Storoe (16:11), Spencer Teske (16:11), and Jack Orengo (16:13). And there, too, were the seniors--Evan McVittie (16:31), DJ Sauer (16:32), and Matt Lindell (16:40)—seizing their last gleaming under the lights to cover themselves in glory. Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. But the lights grew brightest once the sun had vanished—the eyes of the Illinois Cross Country World fixed upon the Varsity Race. The hype had been breathless, and the atmosphere grew more fevered with each races’ eye-popping PRs. “It’s going to be close,” the coaches whispered. But even the most seasoned onlooker couldn’t have guessed how thin the final margin.
Zach Kinne (14:33) led a small lead pack early, threatening to create space, but never quite breaking away. Downers Grove North took it out hard, overcoming an early tripping and proving that the strength of their team lies in the bond of their pack. But the Wildcats found each other and began to once again slowly move up. By the end of the second mile, the team points were nearly even, Zach’s low score offset by the aggressiveness of the Downers Grove pack. Pouring into the stadium like chariots through the gates, it came down to a man-to-man scrap. Jacob Ridderhoff stepped around Ryan Kennedy (14:45), who pushed past three Downers Grove runners. Chris Keeley (14:59), Danny Winek (15:00), and Alex Johnson (15:03) set season’s-best marks, but were narrowly clipped by Downers senior Nick Chudzik. In the end, the race was decided by a single point, the advantage going to Downers Grove North. It was the very best of Illinois Cross Country—two teams embodying the greatness of Illinois, running to the point of collapse, every second precious, every place pivotal. Both teams turn their eyes to Detweiller, knowing that each has more to give, and that this rivalry has already brought out the best in both programs. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. As we waited in the parking lot for our bus, the light towers dimmed and packed away, we reflected on this moment in the season. The remaining miles are numbered; the endless months now seem finite. A few more gunshots; a few more dashes across the line. We’re in the early evening now, but renewed in faith that—with luck and hard work—the brightest moment is yet to come. Results Runnerspace Recap MileSplit Recap Video of all 4 Races The sad truth of most Cross Country races is that they take place in other sports’ fields. It’s rare that an invite doesn’t bend around a soccer pitch or frolf course. Even Detweiller’s legendary lea is marred by football goalposts. That’s why it’s such a joy to bring the team to the Lockport Invitational every year. Because even though the first mile features more diamonds than Jared, the back half offers surprises and curiosities runners won’t find anywhere else in the state.
The day started at 9:00 AM with a memorable Freshman/Sophomore tilt. The trio of Ramsay Johnson (17:37), Vasant Fong (17:37), and Quinn Kennedy (17:42) led the way, finishing 15th, 16th, and 21st. Collin Searls (17:56) continued his impressive freshman campaign, trailed closely by fellow 9th graders Ryan Horn (18:20) and Leif Anderson (18:21). The race also featured a break-through effort from David Towa (18:31) and a 5k PR for Brian Jett (19:13). The 5th place finish gives the crew plenty of motivation moving into Wednesday’s Twilight Invitational. For the second straight week, the Varsity added an extra 0.1 to their racing diet. Zach Kinne (15:13) out-dueled a gutsy Clayton Mendez, at one point passing the pacer cart. Ryan Kennedy (15:58) careened after him, very nearly spilling into the gulch by the two-mile mark. Seniors Tyler Bombacino (16:00) and Danny Winek (16:05) rolled over Dead Man’s Hill, with junior Chris Keeley (16:06) shutting the door for a first place team finish. The race of the day may have belonged to senior Dakota Getty (16:08), who was our 13th man at the Hinsdale Invitational. Meanwhile, junior Michael O’Connor lost a shoe in the first half mile, weathering the rocks and debris of another brutal 4000 meters. It was a reminder that O’Connor’s calamitous misfortune is regularly met by an indomitable toughness and determination. However, there are few men on our team more determined than Keanan Ginell (16:59), who seized the Open Race from the cannon blast and never relinquished his hold. Lacking Bombacino’s stature or Winek’s pedigree, Ginell has built himself into one of the grittiest competitors in program history. However, he had plenty of company at the front of the parade—ten of the first 12 finishers bore the Neuqua logo. Runner-up Nick Drechsler (17:17) was closely pursued by senior DJ Sauer (17:25), juniors Kevin Daneliak (17:32), Blake Storoe (17:31), Spencer Teske (17:38), and Jack Orengo (17:43). Seniors Evan McVittie (17:44), Paul McIntyre (17:52), Matt Lindell (17:53), Danny Speckels (18:18), and Calvin McIntyre (18:23) each produced seasons’ best races, while tenderfooted underclassmen Sam Stuart (19:35), Alex Majus (19:58), Stephen Smilie (20:05), Daniel Gutierrez (20:15), and Luke Suman (20:16) all proved their mettle on the crushed rock hummocks of the second and third mile. Back in the woods, away from the crowds, amidst the loose earth and arduous inclines, the athletes at Dellwood Park often discover things in the third mile that had previously lay hidden. They may find that their training has strengthened their bodies and spirit, that their pride has grown stiffer than rebar. It may surprise them that the names they practiced with all those miles in July are suddenly attached to bodies closer than kin. They may catch hold of—and hang onto—the vision they’d had of themselves when the training first began. It’s no longer an insubstantial visage. It has a face. And it’s climbing. Results “Run for fun and Personal Bests” Often, I think of the underlying wisdom of these six words for those who ultimately absorb the perspective to know yourself, accept who you are, and ultimately make the most of your “God Given Talents” through their work ethic. Do the best you can with the gifts you are given and be yourself.
“The hardest this is to be yourself in a world that is trying to make you into something you are not.” Unknowingly at the time, one of my former athletes had a major influence on me personally and as a coach when he spoke those words while traveling to a track meet. (I believe Emerson was the original source). I can mark the spot on the highway when I first heard them. Fortunately, the message continues to be a reference point for me while walking that fine line between molding athletes into a team, yet not interfering with their individuality. As an athlete, I recognized the importance of knowing who you are while competing at the Milwaukee Journal Games Indoor Track Meet one Saturday in 1962. Keep in mind that Jim Beatty, a world class runner coached by the great Hungarian Mihaly Igloi, had run a 3-minute, 59.7 seconds mile race in the Chicago Daily News Relays the previous night. Prior to the Milwaukee Competition, I was sitting in my hotel room when one of my Illini teammates called to inform me that Beatty was eating right next to him in the hotel restaurant. Needless to say, I rushed down as fast as I could to find Beatty finishing a full course roast beef dinner, topping it off with a dish of ice cream. Back then, it was my pattern to eat a specific light meal with no less than four hours prior to competition. Bolstered by what I saw, I took the risk and ordered everything Beatty was eating. After all, he was world class and would be competing that evening much earlier than myself. What was good enough for a world class runner would certainly be most likely even better for me. Well, it all went downhill from that meal on. Not for Beatty. He won in another world class performance. As for me, after my race I dashed straight to the nearest restroom, sick to my stomach with undigested food, wiped out, and wondering why I was getting a second look at that roast beef dinner. Not surprisingly, at that moment, I realized I was not Jim Beatty. Along this line of thought, there are times in the midst of a workout I will ask an athlete for his name. While thinking coach’s short term memory had just taken a turn for the worst, he states his name with a puzzled response. “Then why are you being influenced to run someone else’s workout?” I ask him. No one’s workout fits everyone perfectly. Trust yourself and run your own practice (dress rehearsal) so you can run your won race. Also, often during meets athletes attach too much importance to other external variables beyond their control, causing them to lose focus over what things they do control (i.e. who is in the race, how many are in the race, weather conditions, etc.) Clearly, the more the athlete is distracted by outside circumstances, the more he gives them the power to influence his race. Next, performance is at its best when one listens to his intuitive signals and is supported within a cooperative team environment. Through it all, this is a tough concept to understand and implement. I’m convinced that letting your intrinsic intuitive feelings guide you, yet supporting selflessly your teammates in pursuing a common goal, is far more influential in achieving personal bests than competing against one another. We need each other to maximize our God given talents in the development of our potential. No one does it on their own. To that end, synergy, on the idea that the whole is greater than its parts, is a powerful unifying performance force. My dad once told me that one horse harnessed to a wagon can pull up to 6 tons of material. In contrast, Dad said two horses working together side by side can pull 32 tons. The math did not make sense to me but the concept was clear. When it really gets down to it, we achieve more working together than working separately. It seems to me it begins with learning who you are, where you want to go, let nothing external distract you, surround yourself with supportive people sharing similar goals, and believe in who you are to become the best you can be to reach personal bests! In other words, Run Your Own Race! As we pulled away from the high school in the early morning darkness, we knew when the sun came up, we were in for a battle. The battle was twofold: Running against some formidable opponents was one, but the greatest opponent this day was the big yellow ball in the sky. Fortunately, despite the hot and humid conditions, our guys ran smart, and we had some good performances. We took 20 upperclassmen to this meet. 10 guys would run in the varsity, 5k race, and the other ten in the Open race which was trimmed down to a 3k due to the heat. Our plan was to run this race very similar to the last two - get out conservative and pick it up the last mile if we felt okay. The varsity race started at 10:50 a.m. (9:50 a.m. our time) and it was already 83 degrees with high humidity, and no breeze. The gun fired to start the varsity race and the guys got out well and settled into a rhythm. As they approached the mile mark, Zach “Zmundo” Kinne had established a clear position in 2nd, ahead of the chase pack, but well behind Danny Kilrea from Lyons. Ryan Kennedy was in the top ten and the rest of the top seven in about 20th-25th. As the race proceeded up an incline on the soft ground, our pack began to inch forward. Zach continued to gap the field behind him and cruised into finish 2nd. Danny Winek was able to catch Ryan and they both captured top ten positions. Juniors Michael Madiol and Chris Keeley (with a wound on his shoulder from getting too close to a tree), rounded out our top five finishing 17th and 20th. Tyler “Bombazine” Bombacino rebounded from his blister-ridden poor performance of last week to finish strong behind Chris. Alex “Cabbage” Johnson ran his best race of the year and Michael “Maurice” O’Connor defied all logic, running very well in the heat. Dakota Getty and Keanan Ginell ran strong, rounding out our top ten, finishing in 38th and 41st in the 160 man field. As our varsity began to try and cool down from their race, our next crew was getting ready. The sun was relentless at this point, but luckily the meet management was smart enough to make the adjustment to a 3k. Our guys started off well, with 4-5 guys bunching up as a chase pack behind a couple guys who got out really hard. At about the mile mark, Quinton “Q squared” Quagliano had caught the leader and moved into the lead. He held that position for his first-ever xc victory. Nicholas Drechsler moved past some guys for 4th. DJ Sauer and Spencer Teske finished 8th and 11th. The race of the day belonged to our 5th man in this race, Matt ‘The Professor’ Lindell, who finished 12th overall. Blake “Blakee” Storoe finished strong in 13th and Paul “Skinny” McIntyre showed some strength after battling the flu the week before last. Calvin McIntrye, Kevin Daneliak, and Erik Thompson rounded out our finishers, all placing 33rd or higher. We won the team title with just 36 points. As we ate sandwiches brought by our parents, and admired the architecture of the buildings around us, we reflected on how fortunate we were to come out of this meet healthy. We hopped into the buses and headed to Culver’s restaurant where we gulped down milkshakes to cap off a great day. Results Carlton Folster (Class of 2010) liked to tell a story about three men, each with a pile of bricks. Their foreman told them that they could build whatever they pleased with their bricks, so long as they did the work themselves. The first man quickly stacked his bricks, one atop the other, and built a wall between himself and the other two. The second man took a bit more time, laying the bricks in a rectangular configuration until he had a simple shed, in which he sealed himself. The third man wasn’t heard from for some time; when the foreman went to check on him, he found the man meticulously tracing a perimeter. “Look, buddy,” said the foreman. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but the other two guys are already finished.” And the third man nodded, looking over at his pile of bricks. “Well, I’m building a cathedral,” he told the foreman. “It’s going to take a little longer, but I’ve got the vision.” I think of that story every year we lace up at the Gary Goss Invitational, hosted by York High School. It’s hard to make much of the results—the distance is irregular (2.1 miles), the teams dulled by the heat of a punishing weekend and the torpor of a Monday spent at school. Yet year after year, it’s a chance to get a preview of the cathedrals under construction by some of the state’s most storied programs. The Sophomore Race ran first. For the second straight meet, Quinn Kennedy (11:14) set a mile PR in the first loop, bringing home a ribbon with an 18th place finish. Teammates Ramsay Johnson (11:23), Dylan Bushelle (11:24), David Tassone (11:49), and David Towa (12:01) filled out the remainder of the score sheet for the Wildcats, repeating last year’s 7th place finish, despite the Rodrigo-shaped hole in the lineup. Josh Rodriguez (12:11) and Sam Stuart (12:10) were the pushers for the team, posting a 1-7 split of less than a minute. The Freshmen Race followed, and for the second straight week, the contours of a potent team came into view. Led by a gutsy race from Vasant Fong (11:08), the trio of Colin Searls (11:27), Leif Anderson (11:30), and Ryan Horn (11:39) each finished in the top 20. With Brian Jett (12:06), Stephen Smilie (12:13), and Daniel Gutierrez (12:42) to shut the door, the freshmen secured a second place finish for the second straight freshman race. The Wildcats in the Open Race similarly laid down markers on future glory with some promising efforts. Luke Suman (12:29), Alex Majus (12:41), Gui Reginato (13:12), Jack Wharton (13:17), Jack Ashby (13:27), Avik Vaish (13:38), Henry Jordan (13:44), Angad Agrawal (13:46), Evan Schmidtgall (13:50), and Jerry Liu (13:51) each showed improved skill, strategy, and chutzpah as freshmen, and Jacoub Letourneau (12:53), Luke Janek (13:04), Hadi Moukalled (13:11), Ethan Lockwoord (13:25), and James Teune (13:35) reaped the benefits of increased mileage and race experience. This year, we brought fewer men and came home with less hardware. But don’t mistake the modesty of haul for shallowness of vision. The kids are pacing the perimeter and measuring the field. They can see something remarkable in the future, and they’re building it—together—one brick at a time. Meet Results After a relatively mild summer with temperatures never consistently surpassing the mid-80's, along with the cool, autumn-esque weather of the past several weeks, the Wildcats faced saturating humidity and blazing temperatures on the dusty Detweiller course of the Richard Spring Invitational this past Saturday, September 16, in Peoria. With the safety of their athletes as their utmost concern, the coaches instructed all runners to hydrate early and often and to run a conservative race against the expansive field of over 60 teams. Thankfully, those instructions were heeded closely as the Varsity squad emerged victorious over top State contenders, and the Open runners notched a near perfect score to dominate that race. With temperatures already inching into the mid-80's by 11:00 am, the Varsity competitors created a veritable dust bowl as they blazed down the rock solid ground of Detweiller Park. Zach Kinne, alongside Logan Hall, chased Dylan Jacobs for the entirety of the race. Ryan Kennedy settled very comfortably and aggressively into the chase pack, and Danny Winek began to show the impressive inklings of his superstar running talent as he continues his return from injury. Chris Keeley, Michael Madiol, and Alex Johnson fought as a pack against the conditions, and Tyler Bombacino was unfortunately hampered by blister-ridden feet. Though Kinne passed Logan Hall in the final 1200, Hall came back to take the runner-up position, and Kinne placed 3rd at 14:39.4. This time ranks him as one of only 9 runners in Neuqua Valley history to ever run 14:39 or faster. Some of those names include the Derrick brothers, Chris and Mark, along with Connor Horn, Danny Pawola, and Jack Jett. Clearly, he is among some rare air with those talented runners! Kennedy pushed hard through the final mile and came through the finish in 19th place at 15:08. Winek was through the timing mats in 30th place for 15:26, and Keeley was just behind him in 32nd place for 15:27. Madiol impressively held close to his teammates for 37th place and 15:30. Johnson was feeling the heat and humidity in the final half mile and closed his race in 57th place for 15:47. Bombacino finished in 118th place at 16:12. When his numerous blisters heel, he will be right back in the pack. The team race proved once again how tough Wheaton Warrenville South and Hersey really are. Only 13 points separated the top 3 teams. Our hats go off to those impressive teams, and we look forward to racing them again down the road. The Frosh / Soph squad kicked off their race in even more stifling conditions at 11:30 am. Ramsey Johnson and Vasant Fong ran stride for stride the entire race, pacing together and leaning on one another in the tough moments. Dylan Bushelle and Ryan Horn served as chasers just behind them. Colin Searls, Quinn Kennedy, and David Tassone fought their races individually among the over 300 hundred competitors out on the course. With temperatures and humidity levels rising, Johnson took 28th place in 16:48, and Fong was 31st in 16:51. Bushelle separated himself from Horn in the final mile and ended the day in 54th place with a time of 17:10. Horn broke the top 100 in 81st place for 17:25. Kennedy was hampered by the heat yet still pushed himself to finish in 105th place for 17:41. Searls was next in 119th place for 17:50. Tassone closed out his day in 177th place for 18:39. Given the conditions and the enormity of the race, placing 10th among 48 Frosh / Soph teams is absolutely an achievement. These young men still need to commit to racing together through the pain and struggle of miles 2 and 3. They will have that opportunity this coming Monday as the Frosh / Soph team travels to Elmhurst for the York Frosh / Soph Invitational. We will see some of the same teams just two days later. The starter's gun sounded at high noon to signal the start of the Open race with temperatures now nearing 90 degrees. It is races such as these that demonstrate the depth of Neuqua Valley Cross Country. According to the official results, 817 runners accounting for 37 different teams competed in this race. A perfect score in a Cross County race is 15 points, meaning that a single team takes the top 5 individual places. On this day, in these conditions, among so many talented athletes, Neuqua Valley runners accounted for 6 of the top 10 runners, and they scored a mere 17 points. The 2nd place team, Naperville Central, accrued 108 points. Yes, we defeated them by 91 points in a race that included nearly 1000 runners. Wow...just wow! Congratulations to individual champion Dakota Getty for his impressive victory in 15:58. Keenan Ginell was the runner-up in 16:11. Michael O'Connor (3rd, 16:14) and Quinton Quagliano (4th, 16:15) raced together and helped to push everyone to great performances. Continuing their sophomore year pattern, Spener Teske (7th, 16:29) and Nick Drechsler (8th, 16:31) were together from the gun to the final stride toward the finish. Each of these young men are vying for top Varsity positions, and all the miles these past summer months are beginning to pay off for them. There were many, MANY more personal bests and amazing races on Saturday. With 75 total runners in this race, it's difficult to highlight everyone, but we will certainly try as the season progresses. We're very happy that everyone came through these conditions successfully and healthy! Full Results Meet Recap by Mike Newman Photos Via our Facebook Page Daily Herald Article Zach Kinne Interview |
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