West Aurora wins city title

After graduating the front runners from its first state team in 35 years, the West Aurora cross country program could have pointed to 2011 as a rebuilding year.

If the Aurora City Meet is any indication, it's going to be much more of a reloading season for Matt Sinnott's Blackhawks.

Junior Omar Gomez and senior Josh Robinson, who ran in the middle of the Blackhawks' lineup last year, stepped up with a 1-2 finish to lead West Aurora to a convincing win Saturday morning at Marmion.

Gomez won the race in 16:26 with Robinson following in 16:42. Despite a few problems late in the race keeping its top five together, the Blackhawks won with 32 points, 15 better than runner-up Marmion. Waubonsie Valley (66), Aurora Central (86) and Aurora Christian (143) rounded out the top five.

“I feel our team is still talented,” Robinson said. “We have to step up pretty high to get to where they (last year's seniors) were. I think we've raised our goals since they are gone. Our best season last year that was more of a stepping stone. It showed just what the future holds and how we have to keep working hard to get back there (to state).”

Sinnott is looking for balance, for his top five being able to run as a pack and for any of them to step forward.

Gomez did just that Saturday, breaking free from Robinson at the two-mile mark.

“I didn't think I was going to win,” Gomez said. “There's a bunch of other good people, more experienced people in the city. Other people (on my team) can do it as well. We're a good team, very close. Others can do just as well.”

Robinson said he got out a little too quickly and wasn't able to run the way he wanted to his last mile on a hot and sunny morning at Marmion.

“I could have done better but at least one of my guys passed me and our team got the same score,” Robinson said. “We were running together and I started cramping up. I told him to just go (Gomez). I didn't want to slow him down.”

Junior Robert Hererra placed seventh, and seniors Calvin Robinson and Vontrel Hawkins took eighth and 14th, respectively for the Blackhawks' top five. Sinnott would like to see a tighter 1-5 gap next time.

“Somewhere in the last half mile we got more strung out,” Sinnott said. “This week it looked like a couple guys were really tired. I'm glad Omar was tough enough to stick it out and take the win. Omar is a tough competitor.

“We wanted to have fun. We wanted to establish where we are at at 3 miles and hopefully bring back the city title again. That was kind of secondary to race hard and finish as close together as possible.”

Like his runners, Sinnott is looking for big things this fall even without runners like Matt Muth and Steve Loran.

“We know we aren't the same team as we were last year with three studs at the front,” Sinnott said. “We're hoping to see if our pack of five is going to be as tight as I think it is going to be. We still have some work to do. I'm glad it is in November the big test comes and not right now.”

Marmion coach Dan Billish also is glad to have time to see his team come together. The Cadets finished third in the state in Class 2A last year but started Saturday without triathletes Nolan Dixon and Carter Dixon.

“We let race strategy get the best of us today,” Billish said. “West got out, the gap they opened early there is no way we could have recovered. But it is a good starting point.”

Will Graft and John Graft led Marmion in third and fifth. Matt Choice also was in the top 10 in ninth while Eric Lifka just missed in 11th.

With 75 runners out for the team — up from 21 just five years ago when Billish started coaching — it hasn't been the easiest year so far.

“We've had some rocky weeks in managing a team of 75 which is new to us,” Billish said. “You aren't going to perfect everything in the first week. It has been a choppy few weeks. Hopefully now the season started, we'll move on.”

Billish said the Dickson brothers will be back next week for the Jeff Leavey meet at LeRoy Oakes.

Alex Foote led third-place Waubonsie Valley (66 points) by taking sixth in 16:52.

Aurora Central finished fourth with 86 points. Matthew Meyers covered the course in 16:49 to place fourth just two seconds behind Will Graft.

Jake Wert paced Aurora Christian's fifth-place finish by taking 20th.