Girls cross country: Repeat NSC title for Lake Zurich

After winning the North Suburban Conference title by 26 points last year over Vernon Hills, Lake Zurich knew it was definitely a contender to make it two in a row Saturday afternoon at Lake Forest's west campus.

And the determined Bears did exactly that on the slightly muddy and damp 3-mile course as they earned a third NSC championship in the last four years, finishing with 68 points to 89 for runner-up Warren.

It turned out to be an epic battle for that second-place finish in the team standings as the Blue Devils edged Libertyville (93 points) in third, the host Scouts (94) in fourth, and Vernon Hills (96) in fifth.

Libertyville freshman Melissa Manetsch was somewhat of a surprise in winning the race in 17:37; she held off Lakes junior standout Kortney Schardt (17:41) in second, and defending NSC champ Vernon Hills junior Vivan Overbeck (17:42) in third.

Lake Zurich's focus on late-season success once again came up big Saturday, with junior newcomer Caitlin Shepard (17:50) placing fourth in her first NSC meet.

The Bears also got great support from all-conference (top 30) runners senior Nicole Syverson (11th), junior Kristie Houghton (14th), freshman Kelly Ledinsky (19th), and senior Laura McNair (20th) rounding out their scoring.

"They packed up, they came out fast, and we ran tough," said Lake Zurch coach Ian Silverman, whose team will run at the Palatine regional next weekend. "We're a pack-running team and we were able to pull through today. The postseason is our emphasis and I think it has paid off the last few years."

Warren put together a great team effort with senior Becky Haight placing fifth in 18 minutes flat before she collapsed from exhaustion at the finish line.

The Blue Devils were able to barely hold on for runner-up honors behind the strength of Emily Jahn in 17th, Brooke Wilt in 18th, Sammi Jo Nixon in 24th, and Michelle Klimt in 25th. Warren's Elizabeth Abundes just missed the all-conference squad in 32nd place.

"We ran really great, we ran a really smart race, and I'm just really proud of how we ran as a group today," said Warren coach Brett Heimstead. "We ran as a team, and we've been working out as a team all year and it's paying off when everybody is able to feed off each other."

Libertyville's road to success was led by Manetsch and fellow freshman teammate Avryl Johnson, who placed seventh for the Wildcats.

Libertyville also got all-conference finishes from Audrey Paglia (26th), Sarah Pirih (29th), and Hannah Manetsch (30th).

Melissa Manetsch was in first place for pretty much the entire race although both Schardt and Overbeck were right on her trail the whole way.

"I had no idea (of taking first place) because there is amazing competition here, but it helped that I was able to train with my teammates," said Manetsch. "She (Johnson) is a freshman too so we've been working together since we were in middle school."

Having their freshman duo at the front of the pack should be a luxury for the Wildcats' to really look forward to in the future.

"It's really the first time that we've had multiple front-runners and obviously that is helping to push our success at this point," said Libertyville coach Bill Etnyre. "We ran pretty well, Audrey Paglia has been hurt for awhile and she was able to run well today."

Overbeck's strong finish was bolstered by teammates Samantha Hershman in 10th, Shannon Skeoch in 22nd, and Lauren Katz in 23rd.

"I'm extremely pleased with how they ran today and we had a number of personal bests," said Vernon Hills coach Suzanne Curry, whose team is at the Woodstock regional next weekend. "Vivian (Overbeck) had a race plan she executed, she ended up with a personal best time, and it was a great field out there today."

Sixth-place Grant was led by junior Madison Romig in sixth and sophomore Rachael Temple in 16th. The Bulldogs just missed all-conference finishes from Samantha Kaye (33rd), and Lauren Troemel (34th).

Seventh-place Stevenson got an eighth from freshman Isabelle Sparreo, and a 13th from junior Jessica Philipp. Freshman Shea Kirby was the Patriots' third runner in 35th place.

"Isabelle and Jessica are both really hard workers, they race well in practice, and they're always willing to push themselves," said Stevenson coach Maureen LeVanti. "We're heading in the right direction as a team, and they all have positive mental attitudes."

Besides Shardt's strong runner-up finish, Lakes also got an all-conference performance from senior Danielle Griesbaum in 21st place.

Antioch sophomore Tessa Furlong also found her way onto the powerful all-conference team with a 28th-place run for the Sequoits.