Boys cross country: Glenbard West, Hersey impress at Earlybird
The boys cross country teams from Glenbard West and Hersey made nice impressions in the 37th annual John Kurtz Earlybird Invitational at Fenton High School on Saturday.
The Hilltoppers and Huskies made separation from the 19-team field going 1-2 on a pleasantly cool early Septmember morning.
Junior Stephen Moody set the tone for Glenbard West by taking control in the final mile to earn the individual title in 15:30. He paced a Hilltoppers effort that featured five runners in the top 13, generating a low score of 39 points.
"I wanted to stick with the front pack and see what I could do in the final mile," said Moody, who won his first invitational title. "I'm pretty excited and I felt really good after the first 2 miles."
Hersey was not far behind, placing five runners in the top 19 to take second with 48 points. And the Huskies still have more to offer, as they had two of their top runners competing in the sophomore race (including Josh Methner, who finished 30th in Class 3A last season).
Buffalo Grove had a nice run in taking third with 111 points, followed by Fremd (136) and Oak Park-River Forest (149). Vernon Hills (191), host Fenton (225), Lake Park (232), Conant (255), and Leyden (259) rounded out the top 10.
A deep and talented Hersey squad seems to be in a pretty special place this season. The defending MSL champions have a nice blend of experience and youth that is meshing nicely.
Junior Ryan Buch (15:43), senior Nate Mayo (15:44) and senior Ryan Theisen (15:44) led the way Saturday by placing 5-6-7.
Both Buch and Theisen were injured last season, but both were back in fine form on Saturday.
"We are definitely motivated this season," said Buch, whose team finished 17th in Class 3A last season but has the potential for a top-five state finish this fall. "Fenton is not our goal - state is our goal and we all know our jobs."
Senior Jack Fredian (15:51) and junior Thomas McCarthy (16:15) finished in 11th and 19th place to complete the Huskies' scoring, with senior Quinn Cunningham (16:26) adding a 25th-place finish.
"Our main goal is to work together as a team," said Theisen, "We don't really have a set top seven. We just want to keep pushing together and working together."
Junior Rory Caven (15:39) and junior William O'Brien (15:47) supported Moody in Glenbard West's winning effort by taking third and 10th place.
Buffalo Grove finished seventh in the Mid-Suburban League last season, but the Bison opened this season with a hard run at Fenton, placing three runners in the top 25.
Senior Zach Gazda (16:02), senior Alberto Rivera (16:11) and senior Mitchell Guittar (16:20) gave the Bison a nice lift by taking 16th, 18th and 22nd place.
"We came in with confidence today," said Gazda who ignited the Bison attack.
"This year we offer a solid pack of three guys," Guittar said. "All three of us are competitive and push each other."
Fremd was not too far off BG pace in taking fourth place. The Vikes were led by senior Ed Worthem (15:58) and senior Matt Wallace (15:59). Junior Charlie O'Brien (16:18) followed with a 21st-place finish.
Worthem has found a different gear this season and was running up front for the first 2 miles. Last spring, he was part of the Vikings' 3,200 relay that finished ninth in Class 3A, and that seemed to light the senior's fuse.
"I pushed it hard for the first 2 miles," Worthem said of his initial burst. "I think track really gave me some confidence that I can run with these top guys and I had a good summer of training."
Senior James McDonald (15:44) gave Vernon Hills a lift by taking eighth place and pushing the Cougars to a sixth-place team finish.
Senior Colin Kirkham (15:43) also had swift run. He placed fourth in helping Lake Park to an eighth-place team finish.
Conant senior Chris Floyd (15:45) provided the Cougars with a jolt by taking ninth place. The senior used a nice start and then continued to work the final 2 miles.
"I just wanted to connect with the front pack and stay with them as long as I could," said Floyd. "I'm really looking forward to doing well this season."
Junior Tyler Polak (16:08) led Wheeling's effort by taking 17th.
"I wanted to run with the top guys and I did that for the first mile," said Polak, who later found a faster pace over the final mile to finish strong. "End of the race I picked it up a bit. My time definitely gives me confidence for the rest of the season."
Senior Shreeker Patel (16:26) paced Hoffman Estates by taking 24th place.