Lake Zurich aims for smoother run downstate
The road to the Class 3A state meet was definitely not an easy one for the Lake Zurich boys cross country team.
But after finishing in a fifth-place tie with host Schaumburg last weekend at sectionals, the Bears will line up for the 3-mile race Saturday at Peoria's 3-mile Detweiller Park course beginning at 2 p.m. Class 3A awards will be held at 3 p.m.
Lake Zurich is coming off a 13th-place finish at state last fall, but the loss of Gerardo Perez (10th in 2008) to graduation has been difficult to overcome.
Senior Andrew Morrison has been a great leader for the Bears in 2009 with a North Suburban Conference individual crown under his belt, but a fall at sectionals resulted in a 37th-place individual finish last weekend.
Lake Zurich had the luxury of running Francisco Soto (seventh in NSC in 2008) early in the season, but injuries put an end to Soto's promising senior campaign.
With Morrison finishing as the Bears' No. 2 runner at sectionals, senior Paul Geimer stepped up as Lake Zurich's No. 1 runner.
Morrison and Geimer will be joined downstate by sophomore Jon Smith, and juniors Ryan Moncrieff, Victor Delatorre, Alex Brend and Jordan Pavlovich.
"We're just going to go out there and give it our best," said Lake Zurich coach J.B. Hanson. "We're going to have to run a smarter race (than sectionals) and get out a little faster."
Besides Lake Zurich's team, Round Lake junior Juan Carrera will also be making the trek south for his first Class 3A state meet as Carrera placed 10th in the Schaumburg sectional.
Like so many individuals, Carrera will be trying to earn a place on the prestigious top 25 all-state team.
"I think I can do really well at state, and I'm just glad I made it," Carrera said. "I need to practice hard the rest of the week, but you have to relax when you are out there."
Round Lake coach Kevin Brady likes Carrera's chances downstate.
"He's really progressed from last season to this season and he's begun to realize what it takes to be an elite runner," Brady said. "I think based on (sectionals) this has shown him that he is probably going to be one of the top runners in the state."
In the Class 2A boys state meet, Lakes freshman Ryan Prais will be competing after he earned the fifth at-large berth with a ninth-place finish at the Belvidere sectional.
The Class 2A boys race is at noon with 2A awards starting at 1 p.m.
Prais has had a great season with an eighth-place finish in the North Suburban Conference meet, but junior teammate Blake Franson (34th in 2008) just missed making a return trip to Peoria this fall.
"(Prais) has definitely got some incredible talent, he's young so he's still learning, and it's a great opportunity because not many freshman get to run downstate," said Lakes coach Andrew Schroeder. "If he runs his race in Peoria the top 25 is definitely a possibility if he stays with the two Richmond-Burton guys."