Whitley, Geneva cruise to regional titles
Don't blink Kelly Whitley is back. You better keep your eyes open or you'll miss her.
The Geneva senior breezed to her second win in as many weeks, taking the title at the Class 3A West Aurora regional in 17:38 Saturday at Waubonsee Community College.
After missing the regular season while transitioning from her world-class triathlon success this summer and fall, Whitley has returned to cross country looking like the runner who finished second in the state as a freshman and sophomore before placing 18th last year.
Whitley's winning time Saturday beat runner-up Alyssa Schneider from Bartlett by 21 seconds to follow last week's Upstate Eight River championship.
“I am focused on being positive this year and I think it's paying off,” Whitley said. “I definitely feel like getting back up where I was. The coaches and my teammates have been so supportive with helping me get back into cross country shape. It's been easier than I thought it would be. I think this year after four years we kind of know what needs to be done.”
Tess Ehrhardt and Liza Tauscher finished third and fourth for Geneva, whose top five was rounded out by emerging sophomore Mackenzie Williams (11th) and Megan Brady (15th). Rachel Hammond, one of the Vikings' normal top-five runners, missed the regional to attend a wedding.
That added up to 34 points, well ahead of the other four teams West Aurora (86), Batavia (91), Bartlett (95) and Metea Valley (119) who qualified for the Class 3A St. Charles East sectional next week at LeRoy Oakes.
“Tess is a little closer to Schneider, she closed the gap, I think she had a good race,” Geneva coach Bob Thomson said. “Liza looks like she's back, she was fighting a little injury midseason.”
After a steady rain most of the morning, the skies cleared just as the girls race was starting. That didn't mean the course wasn't still quite wet, which Batavia's Rachael Spalding found out when she slipped and fell going around the first turn.
That didn't keep the sophomore down. She got up and fought her way back to a seventh-place finish.
“It got pretty slippery,” Spalding said. “I just picked myself up and kept going and it turned out OK. It wasn't as bad as I expected. There were a few spots that were pretty slick and you kind of had to run it defensively but overall it was OK.”
Spalding actually fell twice on the same course last year. She was in with the lead pack in the top seven when she fell and was about 13th when she got up and started running again.
“Last year I fell a bunch, so I had a bit of a score to settle today,” Spalding said. “I wasn't going to let it happen to me again. I just kind of jumped back up and focused on my goal. I knew I couldn't let it stop me from achieving what I wanted to. I knew I had to buckle down and do it.”
Other scorers for Chad Hillman's Batavia team were: Bari Robinson (14th), Jackie Bellandi (17th), Gracie Bell (24th) and C.J. Iwanicki (29th). Bellandi is a junior and the other three are sophomores.
Sophomores Rachel Cavender and Nicole Bartell led West Aurora in ninth and 10th, respectively.
Bartlett coach Beth Emody said her team had experience in wet weather at a race at Lake Park earlier this season.
“Everybody is dealing with it so you are not at a particular disadvantage,” Emody said. “Focus on what you can control, that is what we always talk about.”
Schneider, a winner on this course two weeks ago at the West Aurora Stampede, saw Whitley for the first time.
“We talked with Alyssa to stay with that lead pack and whatever she is comfortable with is fine,” Emody said. “She has seen what Kelly can do and next week if she wants to take it out faster that's something she can do. We'll see how the week goes.”
Bartlett sophomore Nicole Watkins continued her climb from someone in the top seven mix as a freshman to a runner who can stay with Schneider for at least half the race. Watkins wound up in fifth in 18:34.
“We were pretty happy, I think they ran really well,” Emody said. “Nicole especially moved up. We saw some good things out there. We told Nicole to learn everything you can from her (Schneider) because it's her last season. Soak it up and next year people will look at you in that same light.”
Metea Valley's top-five included three freshmen: Analise Carmona (16th, 19:45), Rachael Harris (27th, 20:17) and Kendall Cast (30th, 20:20). Junior Lauren Lindholm placed 20th and Amy Nealon 26th.
While Waubonsie Valley didn't get out, sophomore Ashley Brunder moved on with her eighth-place finish. Teammates Kristina Chapman and Lauren Newmyer also qualified.
“I was hoping for all-regional, top 5,” Brunder said. “It was cold, I don't want to make excuses, but the course was slippery, there was some tough competition. I guess I'm happy with eighth overall and hoping to do a lot better at sectionals and state.”