St. Charles East starts strong

St. Charles East's boys cross country team picked up right where it left off.

Coming off their first conference championship since 2001, the Saints got their 2014 season started Saturday with an impressive second-place finish at their own 14-team St. Charles East Invitational at Leroy Oakes.

The Saints did it with their depth, placing just one runner in the top 10 but their top six guys all in the top 28.

"I thought we started the season well," said Saints coach Chris Bosworth whose team was fifth in this invite a year ago.

"Where we're going to live and die is our pack. Our split was 31 seconds 1-6. That's always nice to see early on. If we can continue that hopefully we'll do some good things."

Downers Grove North won the meet going away with 51 points. The Saints followed with 91 well ahead of Jacobs (124), Batavia (127) and Waubonsie Valley (163).

Bosworth was impressed with junior Mark Sciurba leading the Saints in 15:36. Another junior Michael Gerkin was next in 15:48.

Bosworth credited senior Will Muckian running a 15:59 with a strong closing kick to really make an impact in the team standings.

"He was the difference maker," Bosworth said. "At two miles he was far back. He passed at least 15. That was the deal that got us second."

Senior Mike Skora, senior Nicholas Hauptmann and junior Jack Rzepecki rounded out the Saints' top six.

Jacobs already had three races under its belt, and the Golden Eagles turned in a strong performance led by senior Matthew Goldby running a 15:31 to take sixth. Kyle Ross and Garrett Brenizer ran together and finished 16th and 17th, respectively.

"The team ran good," Goldby said. "We're at a good spot. Putting our name on the map hopefully after this race."

Plagued by injuries and sickness the last couple times he ran this course, Goldby came out fast Saturday and was in fourth place after a mile.

"I'm happy," Goldby said. "Early in the season and I'm training for the end of the year. I'm happy with where I'm at now.

I had a good fast first mile, struggled in the middle, picked it back up in the woods."

Batavia ran its first big invitational under new coach Bronco Meeks. He wasn't sure until moments before the race if he would have top runner Ryan Wieties, but the senior ran at less than 100 percent and finished fifth in 15:29.

"Wieties ran a personal best," Meeks said. "He's got a sinus infection. He ran the warm-up and he told me he was good to go. We were thinking of pulling him out."

Patrick Redmond finished 22nd and Shea Bastian 30th but it was junior Zach Choffin in 60th with his 16:55 time that caught Meeks' eye.

"Zach is doing a great job," Meeks said. "We're really proud of him. Last year he was around 19 minutes, today sub-17."

Marmion was missing one of its top five and ran two more of them in the sophomore race. The Cadets finished eighth.

The Cadets did place two runners in the top seven including senior Brady Bobbitt who ran a 15:11 to take second, 20 seconds off the winning time. It was a big improvement over his 15:46 time on the same course last year.

"I did not expect that. That's pretty cool," Bobbitt said. "I wanted to be conservative the first mile and after that consistently pick it up and focus on the guys in front of me and getting closer and closer."

Marmion junior Andrew Burroughs ran a 15:34 to finish seventh.

St. Charles North was one spot back of the Cadets in ninth, and Geneva took 11th.

Hayden Joyce led St. Charles North in 21st while Mitchael Deamantopulos paced Geneva in 18th.

Everyone was chasing Downers Grove North senior Ryan Clevenger who won going away in 14:51.

"I decided to take it out fast and see who wanted to go and who wanted to test me," Clevenger said. "Up the hill I didn't hear anybody and after that I was doing my own race and focusing on myself. I just focused on my form. I'm fit and 14:49, 14:50 is right where I need to be. The goal for the season is low-14s by state."

Clevenger also liked what he saw from a largely new group of teammates.

"Our team ran great," Clevenger said. "We executed on all levels. We had a young guy step and get fourth (sophomore Alec Danner). Losing four of our top seven we're trying to battle back this year and get another trophy."