Larkin boys making great strides
Larkin senior boys’ cross-country runner Pete Lennard is honest with his thoughts about running.
“Running is not the most fun thing to do,” he laughs.
But Lennard and has Larkin teammates have made it fun on several levels this season.
“We’ve definitely had fun this year,” he states. “We have some wacky traditions on this team. We’re a bunch of jokesters. That’s what you need in cross country.”
Lennard reveals the Larkin team takes a page from the movie “Mighty Ducks” by chanting “Quack. Quack. Quack. Go Ducks” before each race.
“My freshman year, the seniors that ran cross-country did that,” he says. “I don’t know where they got it from, but they handed it down to us.”
Fun also has been a byproduct of the Royals’ success this season. Larkin, in what coach Eric Hill believes is a program first, advanced out of regional competition and will run in Saturday’s Class 3A Wheaton North sectional. The top 5 teams and the top 7 individual runners (and possibly the 8th-, 9th- and 10th-place runners) not on qualifying teams qualify for next weekend’s state finals in Peoria.
Larkin has come a long way since Lennard and fellow senior Dan Runzel’s freshman season.
“Some of us didn’t think we wanted to run cross country because the program was so bad,” Lennard admits. “We wanted to do other sports like soccer. Luckily, we stuck with it.”
Runzel heaps major praise on Hill, who had been away from the program for the last three years. Prior to stepping away, Hill had been either the boys or girls head coach at Larkin for a span of five years.
“Having Mr. Hill is a big deal,” Runzel states. “He knows what to do and he knows a thing or two about running. He ran in high school and college. We really trust him.”
Runzel finished 10th at the regional (16:02), while sophomore Cam Powers was (18th place), junior Mitch Pepa (26th) and Lennard (28th). All four runners recorded personal-bests at the regional. Junior Everett Teetor, Larkin’s fifth-score at the regional, just missed a personal record.
“Cam’s a sophomore and he’s super-improved,” Runzel says. “Mitch Pepa is a new guy. He’s been huge for us. He helped us get fifth. Those two and coach Hill are three big reasons why we have improved.”
Pepa had been a known commodity to the Larkin team even before he joined this season.
“Mitch used to play golf,” Lennard says. “We all wanted him to run cross country because he is so fast. He’s stepped up big-time for us and is our No. 3 runner now.”
Lennard has been to the state cross-country meet before as a spectator. Now, he’d like to see some sort of Larkin presence in the actual meet next weekend.
“I’ve went a couple of times and watched,” he says. “It would be amazing if we could get down there. It would really be an honor.”
Lennard knows exactly what the team has to do in order for that to be accomplished.
“Everybody has to PR,” he states. “Everybody has to get their fastest times possible.”
Hill, who has five underclassmen in his top 7, has been impressed with the senior leadership, particularly from Runzel and Lennard.
“We have a pretty strong senior group,” Hill states. “They’ve showed the underclassmen what it takes and how hard you have to work to do this sport well. This is kind of their send-off meet. I hope they have a good day and run well.”
In addition to Larkin, Burlington Central, Jacobs, Huntley, Dundee-Crown, Bartlett, Elgin and South Elgin will all compete as teams at the sectional level Saturday.
Jacobs won a regional title behind top 5 finishes from senior William Hennessy (2nd) and junior Ryan Ross (5th). Burlington Central’s Clint Kliem was second at the regional level.
Local individual sectional qualifiers on the boys’ end include Hampshire junior Ross Seaton, Cary-Grove juniors Dustin Throw and Daniel Sikora and Streamwood senior Jhoan Lino.
On the girls’ side, regional champion Huntley, Jacobs, Dundee-Crown, Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake South, Hampshire, Bartlett and Streamwood all advanced as teams to sectional competition.
Huntley was paced at the regional level by freshman Kelly Meehleib (4th place), while Jacobs was led by freshman Lauren Van Vliergergen (3rd). Hampshire’s Cassie Kruse was fourth at her regional.
Individual qualifiers locally include the Burlington Central duo of Jane Crocetti (junior) and Courtni Neubauer (freshman), Harvest Christian Academy freshman Kylee Knox and the South Elgin quintet of Jordan Tuin, Abby Kenny, Casey Schoenborn, Taylor Warrick and Karina Romo.