Geneva girls post 2nd best score in state history

PEORIA - The state cross country meet is supposed to be about pressure and experience, thus meaning that the only teams who survive are those with experience that don't fall due to the pressure.

The Geneva Vikings girls team showed that experience doesn't always matter last year when they won the Class 3A state meet with a lineup of six freshmen.

This year the Vikings ran with "targets" on their backs, continually being asked about being able to repeat as state champions, despite fielding a group mostly made up of underclassmen.

Like true champions, the Vikings rose to the challenge and proved that while experience is valuable, sometimes talent, determination and heart are the most important qualities.

Geneva became the first Class AA or 3A team to repeat as state champions since Naperville North in 2004 and 2005. Four Vikings earned All-State honors en route to scoring 51 points, which is the lowest team total since 1984, and the second lowest in state history.

Sophomore Kelly Whitley finished second once again this year, covering the three-mile course in 17:07. Shying away from discussing her own performance, Whitley was eager to talk about how well the team did.

"I ran as well as I wanted to," Whitley said. "I think we really ran well as a team today. We are a really close team and I think we care more about the team than running ourselves. I think being focused on the team really helped us all year."

Senior Sarah Heuer transferred to Geneva from Minnesota, but didn't run with the team last year. She finished third overall in 17:08. Heuer, who ran shoulder to shoulder with Whitley for nearly the entire race, said she was just trying to run with Whitley as long as she could and it ended up better than she planned.

"It was so exciting and my nerves were going on for a long time," Heuer said. "I was just going to try to run with Kelly for as long as I could and she just brought me to the finish line. All of the girls are just so great and great teammates. This has been such a fun year."

Junior Megan Heuer wasn't far behind her older sister, finishing 12th in 17:28.

"It's been really fun with all of the girls and we've worked really hard for it," Megan Heuer said.

Sophomore Tess Ehrhardt also earned All-State honors, finishing 14th in 17:28. While Sarah Heuer ran with Whitley, Ehrhardt said she ran with Megan Heuer to keep her pace up.

"I couldn't have done as well if Megan (Heuer) wasn't with me the entire time and we couldn't have done as well as a team if it wasn't for both of the Heuer sisters," Ehrhardt said. "I think it was more exciting this year because the boys did well also."

Sophomore Liza Tauscher was the Vikings' fifth runner, and it was her placement that might have had the most impact to clinch the victory. Tauscher finished 29th in 17:50.

"There was a lot of pressure on us this year, but we all stayed really positive," Tauscher said. "We all ran our best and it ended up working out really well. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves because we want to improve on what we did last year and we have a lot of pride in the team."

Junior Kelly Shogren, who ran at the state meet all by herself as a freshman, said having a chance to run with her teammates downstate was especially rewarding for her.

"I'm so excited and since I didn't get to be here last year, this has been really exciting for me," Shogren said. "I just tried to help them by telling them about courses I've run before and sharing things like that. They call me the mom of the team."

Geneva coach Bob Thomson was impressed that four individuals earned All-State honors and finished in the top 15.

"I was very surprised that we got four in there (all-state)," Thomson said. "I thought we might get three, but to get four is outstanding. Sarah's been improving all year and today she really ran great. She stayed with Kelly nearly the entire race, and it's always comforting to have a teammate nearby. We talked that each week is a piece of the puzzle, and today we completed the puzzle. It was just a phenomenal day."

Geneva sophomore Megan Brady finished 69th in a time of 18:12.

While the Vikings were a heavy favorite to repeat as Class 3A state meet champions, the St. Charles East Saints worked their way into the third spot with a score of 197, despite entering the race ranked No. 11.

Saints coach Denise Hefferin said she and her team expected greater results than others were predicting.

"We knew that we were coming in ranked 11th, but we feel that we've been underrated all year," Hefferin said. "I told the girls at the line, 'I know what it's like to be here and I know what it takes to get here, and I know you girls have it.'"

Running out of the third box, Hefferin and her team created a slogan that ended up becoming reality on Saturday.

"Today we were in box 3, and we talked about finishing third from box 3," Hefferin said. "The girls are really into signs and symbolism. It's just one of those rare opportunities and we talked about running like this may never happen again."

Senior Lizzy Hynes ran her final cross country race of her career, finishing seventh in 17:20. Hynes, who ran at the state meet all four years, finished 19th, sixth and third, respectively, in her previous three years,

"I was really happy with the way I executed my plan today," Hynes said. "I went out hard and left it all out there. I didn't finish the way I wanted to, but I'm glad that I committed like that."

Freshman Mallory Abel was introduced to the state meet this year, finishing 38th in 18:00.

"I'm so excited that our team got third," Abel said. "It was so much faster than what I expected. Everyone started off so fast and I was really worried for a while. We're just all really excited."

Grace Gordon (70th), Holly Robertson (73rd), Dayna White (76th) and Megan Piemonte (142nd) also placed for the Saints.

Aurora Christian finished 14th in the Class 1A meet. Sarina Oleson led the Eagles, finishing 31st. Kaitlin Bellak (42nd), Amy Berger (76th), Sydney Bennett (127th), Sage Millard (131st), Danielle Gorder (135th) and Jannea Epperson (155th) followed.

Boys race: We've all heard the phrase.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

The Geneva Vikings boys cross country team proved on Saturday that there just might be some truth and wisdom gained from that old phrase.

After not even qualifying for the state meet a year ago, a very determined Vikings team set out this year to prove that they belonged. On Saturday they not only proved that they belong, but came within 11 points of being Geneva's second state champion of the day, finishing third overall as a team with 95 points. Naperville North won with 84 points, while York finished second with 85.

Senior Andrew Nelson led the Vikings, finishing 11th in a time of 14:42, which was a new personal best time. Nelson stayed with the lead pack for most of the race, but admitted that the cold started causing him to stiffen during the last 800 yards.

"Right about the two-and-a-half everything started tightening up because of the cold and then it pretty much goes downhill from there," Nelson said. "The team ran phenomenally today. The guys on this team are all close friends, and I think that's where it starts and ends."

Sophomore Kevin McDowell, who was the Vikings fifth runner last week at the St. Charles East sectional, finished 14th in a time of 14:47.

Senior Chris Higgins, who decided to give cross country a chance over soccer this year, finished 19th in a time of 14:55.

"It's been quite a journey," Higgins said. "At the beginning of the season, I was just hoping to break 16 minutes, and I ended up breaking 15 today. It's just an amazing feeling and I have the greatest teammates."

Vikings coach Bob Thomson watched as four runners from each team finished with all-state honors (top 25).

"We came in ranked that way (third), so you want to do what you're expected to do, and fortunately it came out that way for us today," Thomson said. "Last year didn't end the way we wanted to, but they just worked that much harder this year. I'm excited for the boys, but I didn't really expect four all-staters. Not to take anything away from past teams, this team has been the best that the school's ever had looking at times and how they've finished."

Greg Adelman (24th) earned all-state honors for the Vikings, while Kevin Sparks (48th), Drew Hickey (122nd), and Justin Rodriquez (142nd) rounded out the Vikings seven state contributors.

St. Charles North finished in the top eight for the fourth straight year, earning 8th place with 312 points.

Senior Max Clink led the North Stars, finishing 29th in a time of 15:12, which was his best time on the Detweiller Park course.

"I was pretty much running between 50th and 60th place most of the race, but I just pushed it and that's where I ended up," Clink said. "I'm proud of the team and the fact that we ran such a tight pack today."

Senior Todd VanKerkhoff was the North Stars lead runner most of the year until he suffered a late season injury. VanKerkhoff lamented finishing as the North Stars 7th runner, but focused more on the effort turned in by his teammates.

"I'm really proud of my team," VanKerkhoff said. "I think we can all look each other in the eye and know that we gave it everything we had today. This wasn't the race I wanted to run, and at no point in the race did I give up, but it was just my body giving out."

Kyle Zankowski (60th), Steve Miller (75th), Brad Wheeler (109th), Will Novorolsky (111th), and Kyle Kuczynski (153rd) helped form a solid pack for the North Stars.

Marmion senior Andrew Larson, who transferred from Montini, finished 8th in a time of 14:34.

"The weather wasn't that great, but it was good to get out there and get your blood flowing," Larson said. "I was sitting in third about the mile mark and feeling pretty good, but then I got gapped a little bit, and that's always hard to maintain your focus and try to stay with the pack."

Marmion coach Bob Rebenstorf credited Larson for coming to a new school and adapting so quickly.

"Last year he was 10th in the state in Class 2A," Rebenstorf said. "I think what I admire about him is that he came into a new environment and he's a competitive guy who really believed in his teammates. He really wanted the team to do better than he did. I was just thankful that he was able to compete with us and have such a great year."

The Kaneland Knights also finished 8th in the Class 2A state meet with a score of 221 points.

Junior Matt Reusche finished 20th to earn all-state honors, and credited the leadership provided by his senior teammate as to one of the reasons for the team's success this year.

"We had a lot of great leaders like Paul Davies step up this year and show us what kind of a team we could be," Reusche said. "This is the first time Kaneland has gone downstate in Class 2A, so it felt really great today."

Paul Davies (47th), Dominic Furco (52nd), Logan Markuson (82nd), Edgar Valle (95th), and Trevor Holm (100th) ran for the Knights.