Girls cross country: Richtman responds to challenge, takes Eddington title
Threatening weather Saturday morning forced race officials to make several adjustments to Kaneland's 50th annual Larry Eddington Invitational, one of which involved running the varsity boys and varsity girls at the same time.
That gave Kaneland senior Rachel Richtman a chance to do something she normally doesn't. As a three-time all-stater used to running in a lead pack, Richtman doesn't get the opportunity to pass many runners. She's already winning, after all.
Richtman again came out victorious Saturday, finishing 18 seconds ahead of Grayslake North's Kelly Tosic.
But this time she had plenty of boys to pass along the way.
"It was actually pretty fun," Richtman said of running against the boys. "I don't know if I've ever done that before. It was really nice getting to pass people as you are going. Usually with the girls you have a pack and stay with the pack and don't get to pass people much. But when you get the boys you pass people and it distracts you. It's like a target, you pass one and then think I'm going to go get that guy."
Richtman broke away from the lead pack of girls about a mile and three quarters into the race. She finished with a strong final mile to win going away.
"My third mile was really what I wanted to focus on today," said Richtman, who also won an invitational this fall at Morris and took second at Reavis.
With a few runners out sick, Kaneland wasn't able to field a full team and entered just four runners. Olivia Ranklin finished ninth.
"We're happy to get it in," Kaneland coach Doug Ecker said after a busy morning trying. "We're thrilled to get it in."
Benet easily won the team title with 22 points. Burlington Central took second at 108 followed by Crystal Lake Central (126), Dixon (135) and Rockford Boylan (138).
"I think it probably helped some of them," Benet coach Scott Brooks said of racing against the boys. "The weather didn't help. The weather was miserable but that's cross country, that's how it works. I thought they handled it well."
Emily Spellman, Joe Jackson, Meaghan Andrews, Amelia Parisi and Louisa Diamond finished in the top eight for Benet, 12th in the Class 3A state meet last year but is classified in 2A this fall.
"I take a really long view," Brooks said. "The meets we have on the way are opportunities for the kids to work on things, experiment with stuff. We're not worried about places or trophies or times right now. We're trying to train well. Certainly we're talented and we want to put it together in November and see where it goes."
Michaela Kruse (16th), Brooke Barkocy (22nd), Jenna Dinges (31st), Jocelyn Victoria (34th) and Avery Andersen (35th) led Burlington Central, who was missing one of its top runners.
"That makes a huge difference as a team but it was really encouraging to see our pack coming together," Rockets coach Vince Neil said.
Alyssa Madera, normally the fifth or sixth runner for Jacobs, stepped up Saturday and took 10th overall.
"She had the race of her life today. That was a breakthrough race for her," said Jacobs coach Kevin Christian, whose team started the year winning the county meet. "Our girls have come out strong but they are tired. We gave them the week off."