Palatine, Prospect's Wolfe shine in Nike meet
Prospect sophomore Brooke Wolfe and the Palatine girls cross country team added an exclamation point to their successful seasons on Saturday at the Nike Cross National meet in Portland, Ore.
Wolfe, who finished fifth at the Class 3A state meet, finished 18th in 19:18 on a windy and cold day at the Nike Nationals.
Wolfe used a strong start, putting herself in the top 25 at the half-mile mark, and she maintained her pace with a strong finish.
“Before the race she was very excited,” said Prospect coach Dave Wurster, who was not allowed to coach Wolfe due to IHSA rules. “She ran very tough and moved up well throughout the race. It will be a great experience not only for her but for the entire team next season. Great end to the season.”
Palatine, the Class 3A runner-up, took eighth place with 262 points. It was a major improvement from a 19th-place finish last year at the Nike Nationals.
Fayetteville-Manlius, N.Y., claimed its fifth consecutive Nike Cross National title, dominating the 22-team field with 27 points. Junior Rachel Johnson of Plano, Tex., won the individual title in 18:18.6.
Senior Courtney Brown finished 57th (20:06.1) to lead a Palatine team that won the Nike Midwest regionals in November.
“Last year we were not real happy with the results,” said Brown, who described the course as very muddy and challenging. “This year we were mentally tough and we wanted to at least finish in the top 10; it's pretty exciting to accomplish that goal.
“We ran to our potential this year.”
Senior Sarah McIntosh (75th, 20:20.1), sophomore Tess Wasowicz (94th, 20:37.3), junior Emily Schulte (104th, 20:43.9) and freshman Jessica Lincoln (127th, 20:56.3) packed together for Palatine.
“I think we were more focused this year,” added McIntosh, “We didn't focus on the cold, mud, or wind; we just focused on running.”
Senior Becca Sund (144th, 21:12) and junior Ellen Smith (176th, 21:54) also competed for Palatine.
It has been an impressive two-year run for the Palatine team that won the Class 3A state title in 2009.
“I couldn't think of a better way to end my senior year,” added Brown.
Woodstock senior Kayla Beattie, who set a state record in winning the class 2A state title, finished 12th in 19:08.6.
Wheaton Warrrenville South, which finished third in Class 3A, took 18th place with 399 points. Sophomores Mikayla Kightlinger (63rd, 20:11.5) and McKenna Kiple (74th, 20:19.7) powered the Tigers.
Sandburg senior Lukas Verzbicas, the two time defending Class 3A state champion, continued his dominating postseason run by taking first in the Nike Cross National boys race in 15:59.2.
Verzbicas will be going for his second consecutive Foot Locker championship in San Diego next weekend.
Arcadia, Calif., took the boys team title with 92 points.
Senior Josh Antonson (88th, 17:41.1), junior Mark Derrick (94th, 17:43.6), and junior Taylor Soltys (102nd, 17:47.1) led Neuqua Valley, which finished third in Class 3A, to 12th place with 320 points.
Senior Jack Driggs (16:45.8) finished in 18th place, leading Class 3A state champion York to a 14th-place finish with 326 points.