Boys give Vikings elite 1-2 punch
The defending state champion girls aren't the only team from Geneva heading to Peoria Saturday.
The Vikings boys have continued to improve each week, and finished second in the sectional last weekend to earn a trip to Detweiller Park as well.
Geneva coach Bob Thomson, who coaches both the boys and girls teams, said he might have to look into getting a larger form of transportation.
"This is the first time both teams will be going to the state meet at the same time," Thomson said. "It's always more fun to take a team, and it's definitely more fun to take both teams. We'll be taking 12 boys, 12 girls, six coaches, so we'll be on a coach bus, but I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a fun weekend."
The boys hadn't lost a race all year until the sectional, but losing to Naperville North, which is ranked fifth nationally, isn't something they're concerned about.
"This has been a momentum builder all year long," Thomson said. "They've beaten everybody except Naperville North, so this was a confidence builder for sure. It's one thing to say on paper you can beat a team, but it's another thing to get out there and toe the line and physically beat them in the race."
Senior Andrew Nelson finished third in the St. Charles East sectional last week, and said finishing second as a team in one of the state's top sectionals gives them a lot of confidence heading downstate.
"We know what we're capable of doing," Nelson said. "We're there and it's there for the taking. We've got just as good a chance at the title as anyone, so we just have to close the gap between our one and five runners this week and try to make a run at the title. I think this team is ready. The sectional is as close to the state meet as you're going to get, so I think we're ready."
Chris Higgins, Greg Adelman, Kevin Sparks, Kevin McDowell, Justin Rodriguez and Drew Hickey will represent the Vikings.
St. Charles North also earned a trip to Peoria this weekend, finishing fourth in the St. Charles East sectional.
The North Stars have created a strong tradition of quality teams, having finished in the top six in the last three state meets. Coach Steve Imig said building on the tradition of North Star cross country is an important part of the team's success, but he also focuses on the individual talent of each new runner.
"I think it's a combination of both (traditional and new runners)," Imig said. "I think you always want to build upon tradition and to realize the people who have gone before you and what they've done and what accomplishments the program has achieved. But at the same time, we have to realize that's the past and we can use what previous teams have used and apply that to our team, but we can't rest on our laurels and be content with what happened. These guys have realized that and are hungry to leave their own mark on the program."
Senior Todd VanKerkhoff was the North Stars' top runner for most of the year until suffering an injury several weeks ago. VanKerkhoff returned for the sectional and finished 30th overall, and hopefully with another week of conditioning he can move up in the ranks.
Max Clink, Kyle Zankowski, Steven Miller, Will Novorolsky, Brad Wheeler and Kyle Kuczynski will run at Peoria for the North Stars and Clink is hoping to make up for missing last year due to an injury.
"My freshman year we were third in the state, and then my sophomore year we were second in the state," Clink said. "I sat out injured my junior year, so my main motivation in getting back there (to the state meet) after sitting out last year."
Only 39 seconds separated the North Stars first through fifth runners at the sectional last weekend, and Imig admitted that running together as a team can be just as important as having a top-10 runner.
"We feel we're a lot better running as a team and together, as opposed to running all by yourself," Imig said. "We don't force it, but we definitely try to encourage it because we just think we're stronger when everyone is running together."
Marmion's Andrew Larson was the Cadets' lone qualifier, and after finishing fourth in the St. Charles East sectional, Larson is looking forward to running on a course he's had success on previously.
"Peoria (Detweiller Park) is my course, so I'm hoping to run well down there," Larson said.
The Kaneland boys will head to the Class 2A state meet for the first time since 1999 when they were second in the Class A state meet. Matt Reusche, Paul Davis, Dominic Furco, Logan Markuson, Trevor Holm, Edgar Valle and Tyler Howland will run for the Knights.