Immanuel Lutheran claims state cross country title
The boys cross country team from Immanuel Lutheran School in Palatine brought home its fourth consecutive cross country state title, while the Lady Bobcats captured state runner-up honors.
After a long lightning delay, the Illinois Lutheran Sports Association’s annual cross country state meet, held in Bloomington, Ill., on Saturday, Oct. 13, began with rain and strong winds.
In her two-mile run, eighth-grader Nadya Lloyd claimed the girls individual state championship with a time of 12:53.43, a first for a Lady Bobcat. Also, classmate Nate Izewski placed second overall in the boys race with a run of 11:43.93.
The Immanuel Lutheran boys have won the LSA cross country state title in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Lady Bobcats placed third in 2009, were state champions in 2010 and 2011, and placed second in 2012. Both Bobcat teams have only been competing in the sport for the past four years.
“The weather was certainly challenging for all runners,” said Ken Heinrich, head coach of both the boys and girls teams. “But our boys and girls ran with inspiration and determination knowing that without God, there is no success.”
The Immanuel Lutheran boys and girls open teams also took first place.
LSA Boys Varsity
A total of 130 boys, representing 24 Lutheran grade schools from throughout the state, participated in the varsity meet.
The Immanuel boys top five were Izewski, Dylan Tapia (4th place, 12:21.43), Brian Leonard (6th place, 12:28.33), Josh Turner (8th place, 12:38.87), and Nathan Sisler (13th place, 12:57.96).
The 2012 top-five final boys team results were: Immanuel Lutheran-Palatine (33 points); Zion Lutheran-Marengo (89); St. Peter Lutheran-Arlington Heights (105); Trinity Lutheran-Bloomington (116); and Bethany Lutheran-Naperville (202).
Of the 118 girls representing 21 schools, the top five Lady Bobcats were Lloyd, her twin sister Danya Lloyd (5th place, 13:21.86), Anna LaValle (16th place, 13:57.61), Jane Smith (20th place, 14:10.83), and Claire Fathers (25th place, 14:20.17).
The 2012 top-five girls’ team results were: Cross Lutheran-Yorkville (40 points); Immanuel Lutheran-Palatine (66); Bethel Lutheran-Morton (71); Immanuel Lutheran-Batavia (131); and Trinity Lutheran-Roselle (182).
The assistant coach of the Bobcats is Marcia Mathes. Both teams will compete in the Lutheran Sports Association National Cross Country Championship Meet at Concordia University-Wisconsin, in Mequon, Wis., this Saturday, Oct. 20. Official results are at luthsports.org.