Prospect nets MSL East crown

Prospect's boys cross country team has been lurking in the shadows in the early part of the season.

But the Knights showed on Wednesday at the Rolling Meadows triangular they are ready for the bright lights.

Prospect formed a blue wall in defeating Hersey 20-38 and Rolling Meadows 15-46 while rolling to the Mid-Suburban East Division title at Salk Park.

Senior Ryan O'Donnell (15:43) took first overall, leading Hersey to a 23-33 victory over host Rolling Meadows.

Prospect left no doubt who was in charge as junior Mike Thill (16:01), senior Greg Netols (16:02), senior Matt Ashton (16:03), junior Josh Campos (16:05), and senior Kellan Strobel (16:06) took second through sixth in leading the Knights' charge.

"Our guys reacted to what (Hersey) did today," said Prospect coach Mike Stokes. "They kept their poise and ran fast, but it was smooth.

"It's nice to win the division, always a big win."

Prospect's pack proved to be unpenetrable.

"That's our strength," said Thill of the Knights' attack. "We feel pretty good about our team right now; our pack helps us push through the race."

The Knights took a distant second behind host and No. 1-ranked Oak Park-River Forest on Saturday at the Gummerson Invitational, but they proved Wednesday that they will be a threat in the MSL race.

"Oak Park wasn't our strongest race," said Strobel, who finished seventh on Saturday. "We got separated from the beginning. Today we were practicing running as a group. That's what we're going to have to do at the end of the year."

Palatine, Schaumburg, and Barrington have all made early statements regarding the MSL race. Prospect, with its solid pack, can be added to that group.

"We've all been running together for almost three years," Ashton said. "Our biggest goal is to minimize our gap between our first and sixth man. We didn't do that at Oak Park. We fixed that today."

Now the Knights are hoping to fix their sights on an MSL title run.

O'Donnell had no competition in leading the race from start to finish. The senior was held back a bit at the Palatine Invitational on Saturday, finishing 19th, but there was no holding back Wednesday.

"I just wanted to take the first mile out fast," said O'Donnell, who also pounded the second mile in making his separation. "I knew I had to make a surge and I just went with the flow of my body."

Nick McKee (16:06) and Nate Knautz (16:17) finished seventh and 10th to aid Hersey.