Falcons trio crowds out opponents at Classic

It's said three is a crowd, and a Wheaton North trio made it crowded near the top of the final results at the Falcon Class girls cross country invitational Saturday in Wheaton.

Wheaton North's trio of Kelsey Tharnstrom, Jackie Laesch and Jaime Orewiler finished fourth, first and first in the top three flights, respectively.

"We knew (Wheaton North) was going to be tough. They were another team people were underestimating a little bit. We certainly weren't and we certainly aren't now. They're a great team," Hinsdale Central coach Mark McCabe said.

For Laesch, the victory in the second flight was especially meaningful because it was her first dominating performance since mononucleosis ended her season prematurely last season.

"I've had a couple so-so races. Today I wanted to prove that I didn't lose it all after mono," Laesch said. "It's exciting because I've never won a big race."

Wheaton North finished third as a team with 28 points and secured a second straight victory over DuPage Valley Conference rival Naperville North, which finished fourth with 35 points.

"We didn't have any rough flights. We ran solidly everywhere. This is by far the most stacked field I've ever seen at this meet," Huskies coach Dan Iverson said of the field that included 10 of the top 12 teams in state.

While the format forces runners to race without the help of teammates, others found allies on the course. Naperville Central sophomore Shelby Pealor ran with Naperville North junior Michelle Stratton in the first flight. The duo finished fifth and seventh, respectively.

"We're pretty good friends. We ran the whole race together and we were pushing each other. It helps to have a friend out there, especially at this meet," Pealor said.

Wheaton Warrenville South finished fifth with 47 points, followed by Lyons Twp. in sixth and Downers Grove South in seventh.

"We ran well today, but we still have to get better if we want to move on in the state series," said Mustangs coach Doug Plunkett. "But it was a good step for us."

Top-ranked Hinsdale Central won the invitational to stay perfect versus Illinois competition.

It was an all-too familiar feeling for the Red Devils as they held off runner-up Stagg 20-27. It was the third meet this year where the two teams finished a close 1-2.

While the finish may have seemed familiar, the format wasn't. The meet is divided into seven "flights," pitting each team's 1-7 ranked runners against one another.

For Hinsdale Central top runner Elaine Kuckertz, the format is challenging because she typically works with teammates Roey Hines and Lauren Zumbach in races. On Saturday she was alone in the top flight.

"It was a little bit tough. But what I did was, when a girl would come up on me, I would picture one was Roey and the other was Lauren. It helped enormously," said Kuckertz, who continues to position herself as one of the top runners in the state.

She was second to Stagg's Annette Glaz at the Hornet-Red Devil Invite in early September. On Saturday she beat Glaz by 18 seconds.

"This was a breakthrough cross country race for (Elaine)," McCabe said.