Challenges fine for Palatine girls
Palatine first-year girls cross country coach Joe Parks may be wondering what he got himself into.
Four Mid-Suburban League schools are currently ranked in the top 10 according to dyestat.com, with Prospect and Palatine going 1-2.
Palatine started quickly by taking first at the Hinsdale Central Invite last Saturday.
The Pirates kept their momentum going on Thursday by nipping Hoffman Estates 27-28 in a Mid-Suburban West dual meet at Deer Grove East in Palatine.
"We knew it was certainly going to be tough," said Parks of his team's matchup with No. 10 ranked Hoffman. "But that is what makes it fun, knowing we have to be at our best when it counts. It's going to be a challenge all year."
Hoffman's Melissa Schmidt was up to the challenge, cruising the 3-mile course in 17:07 to take first.
Schmidt trailed Palatine junior Sarah McIntosh halfway through the race but the Hoffman senior regained the lead before the 2-mile mark and increased her advantage in the final mile.
"Right now we're just proving what we can do," said Schmidt of her team. "We haven't had an invite yet, so we just have to keep working at the dual meets."
McIntosh (17:19) and junior Courtney Brown (17:37) went 2-3 for Palatine, with senior Ruth Allen (17:46) adding a fifth place and junior Becca Sund (18:11) swiping seventh place for the Pirates.
"They're pretty much veterans now," said Parks of Palatine's top four returning runners. "It's exciting to have that type of talent in my first year."
Sophomore Haley Goers (17:39) and senior Hannah Worman (18:06) kept things interesting by taking fourth and sixth for Hoffman.
"We just wanted to run a good solid, patient race," said Hoffman coach Kirk Macnider, "We finished good."
The Palatine boys took the top 10 spots to cruise to a 15-50 MSL West dual meet victory over Hoffman.
Senior Chano Bernardo (15:27) and senior Alec Bollman (15:36) paced the Pirates by going 1-2.
The fifth-ranked Pirates pack ran a patient first mile before exploding the final two miles.
"That was the race plan," said Bernardo, who finished 21st in Class 3A last season. "I think we are going to be a dangerous team."
Palatine finished second at the Hinsdale Central Invite on Saturday and the Pirates kept it going on Thursday with Jeff Larson (15:43), Ryan Wojdyla (15:52), and Justin Smith (15:57) going 3-4-5.
"We feel good about our depth," added Palatine coach Chris Quick of his team's numbers. "We have a lot of seniors that have just stepped it up."
Senior Kyle Gonzales (16:21) paced Hoffman's attack taking 11th place.