West Aurora rules City meet
West Aurora left no doubt as to who's the king - and queen - of the city Saturday.
The Blackhawks opened the cross country season in impressive fashion, winning both the boys and girls races with ease Saturday morning at Oakhurst Forest Preserve.
The Blackhawks girls went first, placing four of the top five runners to cruise to the title with 22 points. Waubonsie Valley was second with 65 followed by Aurora Central (77) and Aurora Christian (79).
"The kids did fabulous today," West Aurora coach Angela Cassetto said. "They met any expectations we were hoping for. I think they ran really well. They felt pretty confident. They are excited for the rest of the year."
While this marked the second straight year the Blackhawk girls won the city title, it was the first that West Aurora boys coach Matt Sinnott could remember.
"We've been slowly progressing," Sinnott said. "It's great to have a nice pack."
Junior Matt Muth led the way by taking first in 14:38.2, continuing an impressive individual climb. Muth placed 30th in the frosh-soph race as a freshman, then 16th in the varsity race his sophomore year, now all the way up to first as a junior.
Muth said he ran over 500 miles this summer.
"I just wanted to get better and show to myself and others I'm here and I'm ready to show something," Muth said.
Steve Loren, who Muth trains with, ran with him and finished second, six seconds back.
"When it got to me and Steve we wanted to work together, that's what we've been doing all summer," Muth said.
"My whole team is doing great. Be ready for us. we're coming. We're hoping we can do something."
Ryan Bartell (fourth), David Herrera (10th) and Josh Robinson (18th) rounded out West Aurora's top five, giving the Blackhawks a 35-55 victory over Marmion.
Marmion coach Dan Billish left with the opposite emotion as Muth.
"Pretty disappointed," Billish said. "This is a city meet and this is a team (West Aurora) we dominated last year and I don't see us as being too much at a less level of talent."
After Nolan Dickson provided a bright spot by setting the sophomore course record in the frosh-soph race in 15:59, the varsity race didn't go as Billish planned.
"A lot of guys were spooked a little bit, a lot of guys didn't run the race they were supposed to run," Billish said. "Our order was nowhere near the order it has been or I would have expected."
Like the rest of the teams, the Cadets ran an altered course at Oakhurst after heavy rains forced meet officials to close the part of the course that went through the woods.
Runners generally agreed that the new course was faster.
"No excuses, we didn't run what we are capable of running," Billish said, who praised Matt Wenzel's 12th-place finish.
In the varsity girls race, the same runners who finished 1-2 last year did it again, with West Aurora junior Elisia Meyle topping Aurora Christian's Sarina Oleson a second straight year, this time in 17:21.
Meyle had more fun talking about how her team did.
"I was excited because we had four in the top five," Meyle said. "I just love our teamwork, we are like a family."
In her first race, West Aurora freshman Rachel Cavender finished third. Sophomores Ytai Flores and Greta Meyle placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
"It's been nice because Elisia has a nice person to run and train with her (Cavender) and gives her some good competition," Cassetto said. "I think Rachel will just keep getting better. She has a little more of a kick than Elisia does."
Junior Kelly Keiffer led Rosary by taking seventh in 18:56.
"We had a nice pack on varsity," Rosary coach Vic Mead said. "I told them they can't make a mistake in the first meet. There's no pressure on them. Just get out and run."