Cross country: Geneva's Rodgers runs away with SCN title

While Josh Rodgers stopped just short of calling it a perfect race, there wasn't much about the 20-team St. Charles North invite Saturday that the Geneva junior didn't like.

Rodgers altered his strategy slightly, going out harder. The result was a 9:59 for the first two miles and a lead throughout the race, holding off Wheaton Warrenville South's Sean Maison to win, 15:11.4 to 15:12.8.

"I felt like I went out faster but I felt like I didn't pay much of a price for it," Rodgers said. "I was always worried about going out hard on this particular course because it's really easy to. Overall I'm glad I went out harder. I didn't expect to be in the front of the pack. But I didn't feel like I went out too hard."

Rodgers took advantage of the sunny day at Leroy Oakes to keep track of his lead.

"I could look down and see his shadow and see his head sneaking up on me," Rodgers said. "Coaches usually tell you not to (look back) but I practiced it today going around turns. It was something I wanted to see if it worked."

Geneva will run at Naperville's twilight meet Wednesday before Rodgers gears up for the upcoming conference meet and state series.

Rodgers likes where he's at.

"I'm feeling good, making sure I'm well rested, getting a lot of sleep especially," Rodgers said. "The more I sleep the better my legs feel."

Maison closed the gap on Rodgers over the final two miles. He made quite an improvement after finishing 15th in this race as a sophomore.

"I pushed harder on the downhills," Maison said. "I should have pushed up to Rodgers sooner."

The second place finish for Maison was his best this season following a fifth at Hinsdale Central and 18th at Peoria Notre Dame.

He was happy with his race, and it was a good day for his teammates too who scored 32 points to easily win the team title over runner-up Batavia (82), Waubonsie Valley (92), Marmion (149) and St. Charles East (166).

Billy Hauenstein took third, Maison's twin brother Scott Maison was fourth, Jacob Kluckhohn ninth, John Keys 14th and David Zeller 15th.

"Scott fell off a little, he's with me usually. He just had a bad race," Sean Maison said. "Billy ran great today. Jake ran great today. We're hitting most of our goals. We just have to get the pack a little closer together. We have some big goals but I think we can get it."

Three of Batavia's top five runners were sophomores including Adam Kennedy who was fifth in 15:31. It was quite an improvement from a 15:55 the last time he ran at Leroy Oakes.

"He did a real nice job," Batavia coach Bronco Meeks said. "He's looked great the last few weeks. He did real well in the 800 (in track), a 1:57 as freshman. He gained some confidence there and it was just a matter of carrying it over to cross."

Batavia sophomore Damian Rodriguez was 11th, junior Chris Levario 12th, senior Shane Knanishu 24th and sophomore Eamon Samsami 30th.

Metea Valley's Ralph Papa (sixth), Waubonsie Valley's Cedric McGuire (eighth) and Wesley Beitler (10th) and Marmion's Jack Brewster (ninth) also finished in the top 10.

Girls race: A top-heavy field that included several of the best 3A and 2A runners in the state made Saturday's St. Charles North invitational a learning experience for a talented Batavia team.

The Bulldogs scored 100 points to finish behind Hinsdale Central (68), Lyons (80) and Belvidere North (82).

Sophomore Mia Gianfrancesco took seventh and Marygrace Golden 14th to lead Batavia.

"We did OK," Batavia coach Chad Hillman said. "I don't think they are very happy with it. We got spread out pretty good right from the start and never really came back together. The lead pack got out really fast and our two girls got in it but it was tough to keep the next group together."

Hinsdale Central sophomore McKenna Revord won the race in 17:29, teammates Reilly Revord and Grace McCabe were third and sixth, respectively, and 2A power Belvidere North placed the second and fourth runners in Madison Diercks and Gianna Sagona.

"This one was front heavy too with certain individuals," Hillman said. "These are all-state caliber kids that will push the pace out if they can, and they did."

Gianfrancesco was happy with how she competed with those elite runners. She and McCabe ended up in a sprint to the chute, with both runners going all out over the final 100-plus meters.

McCabe ended up slightly ahead, 18:11.0 to 18:11.2.

"That's the first time I've gone head to head with a girl like that," Gianfrancesco said. "I just kind of got a rush through my body and went for it to see how it went. It's kind of hard to describe how it felt but I kind of felt like I was flying a little getting in there."

Gianfrancesco's best time this year came in Peoria at 17:49 and her best finish was fourth at Minooka. Erin O'Brien took 23rd, Alexa Andrews 25th and Jenna Schifferer 31st to round out Batavia's top five.

"Our splits were a little off from where they usually are but overall we did pretty well and this coming week we will just build off this meet and get stronger as a unit," Gianfrancesco said.

Geneva junior Sophia McDonnell came in right after Gianfrancesco in eighth place as she continues working her way back from injury.

"She ran really well today," Geneva coach Bob Thomson said. "Each week she runs she's gotten a little stronger and that's all we can ask at this point in time. Stay injury free and get better.

"Having gone downstate twice in cross country and last year in indoor track and track, she has high expectations. She's rounding back into form because she was and still is fighting some IT band issues."

Emily Burns ran an 18:28 to take 10th and lead Lake Zurich to a sixth-place team finish. Cary-Grove was seventh, and Natalie Galvan took 18th place to pace host St. Charles North's ninth-place finish in the 18-team field.