Geneva runners enjoy unique challenge
Geneva's girls cross country squad will carry some momentum into LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve on Saturday for the Upstate Eight Conference cross country meet.
Last Sunday the Vikings girls won the team portion of the Nike Northside/Southside Challenge — the last 2.62 miles of the Chicago Marathon course. Eighteen high schools including Lincoln-Way Central, Rolling Meadows, Whitney Young and Plainfield South entered teams that set out about 7:45 a.m.
Leading the way for Geneva was junior Mackenzie Williams, whose time of 16 minutes, 7 seconds placed fifth out of the 128 girls who ran in the event. She was joined by Geneva freshmen Kylie Monahan, Brooke Nusser and Marin Leone plus sophomore Kathryn Adelman all in the top 19, with senior Kristi Shogren and freshman Courtney Reynolds placing 21st and 24th, respectively.
Vikings coach Bob Thomson said the girls “were thrilled” to run downtown, an effort which was brought about when assistant coach Peter Raak reached a contact with Nike and got them in.
Thomson said that prior to the Challenge the girls were battling among themselves for the top seven spots and the opportunity to run the street race.
“They were pretty excited about it,” said Thomson, whose athletes received medals they had engraved at the NikeTown store. “In fact, quite a few of the kids over the last week or so wanted to be in it.”
Geneva's top seven boys also participated in the Challenge, and junior Mike Bianchina took second out of 150 boys who ran. Completing the distance in 12:48, Bianchina finished between a pair of Neuqua Valley runners — winner Mark Derrick and third-place runner Taylor Soltys.
Vikings senior Peter Archibald placed 10th overall to help Geneva take third place in the team race behind Neuqua Valley and Sandburg. Right on Archibald's heels in 11th place was junior Dan Herrera. Also representing Geneva were junior Ryan Rasmussen, sophomore Blaine Bartel and juniors Jordan Midgley and Blake Peik.
Running it down
The girls cross country team from St. Charles East was the sole local representative listed among both boys and girls squads on the most recent Illinois Cross Country Coaches Poll.
The lady Saints were ranked sixth going into last weekend's races, following No. 1 New Trier, Lake Park, Wheaton Warrenville South, Glenbard West and Palatine. St. Charles North was listed among the “best of the rest.”
On the boys side, St. Charles North also was among the “best of the rest,” but aside from that it was many of the usual statewide suspects.
Coaches ranked Palatine No. 1 among boys squads as of the poll date of Oct 4, followed by Neuqua Valley, York, Buffalo Grove and New Trier.
Paint it pink
Supportive reader and St. Francis dad Frank Pecora informed us that last Friday St. Francis “painted the stands pink” for the Spartans' home football game against Marmion.
Because St. Francis' cordial host for the “home” game, the College of DuPage, wouldn't necessarily favor a pink stadium, the “painting” was done via pink and white clothing. Fans, cheerleaders and the dance squad — even the players — wore pink as part of their ensemble, an awareness effort for breast cancer.
Pecora, who graduated a son, Andrew, out of St. Francis' Class of 2010, and has a sophomore daughter, Alayna, there now as a cheerleader, said an anonymous donor was going to write a $500 check to the American Cancer Society on behalf of the St. Francis community.
The initial amount was going to be $2 per each yard St. Francis gained on the ground against Marmion. After running for 183 yards and winning 20-14, the donor's generosity exceeded the ratio.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com