Palatine toughs out a victory against Hoffman Estates
Palatine's girls cross country team is getting tough.
The Pirates are right in the middle of a grinding stretch, and it's not going to get easier. So visiting Palatine, ranked No. 5 in the state, rose to the occasion on Monday, defeating No. 15-ranked Hoffman Estates 23-33 in a key Mid-Suburban West matchup on Macnider Course at Hoover Elementary School in Schaumburg.
Senior Kelly O'Brien led the charge, pulling away in the final mile to secure the victory in 19:16 on a warm afternoon.
Palatine nipped a talented Schaumburg team 24-31 last Wednesday, and the Pirates will be battling at the Peoria Notre Dame Invite this weekend followed by hosting the Palatine Invitational the following weekend.
Sandwiched between the two big invites is a key dual meet against No. 6 Barrington on Sept. 24.
"It's only going to get tougher from here," said Palatine coach Joe Parks, whose team has won eight consecutive MSL West titles. "We knew it was a tough challenge today, but they all executed close to what we thought."
O'Brien, who finished third in Class 3A last season, realizes these early season tests make all the difference in the postseason.
"This is necessary for where we want to go," said O'Brien, "You don't want to forget how it is to race - the pressure, and the toughness."
Hoffman Estates' Meagan Biddle (19:36) finished second, pressuring O'Brien for most of the race before the Palatine senior used a late surge to secure the victory.
"She definitely pushes me," said Biddle of her head-to-head match-up with O'Brien. "She is someone I want to stick with and I'm hoping to keep closing the gap on her."
Palatine junior Anna Buckstaff (19:56) and senior Sam Lechowicz (19:57) then took 3-4, with senior Sabina Yosif (20:29) adding a sixth-place finish.
Stephanie Burciaga (21:52) closed the Pirates' scoring by taking ninth place.
Palatine still is missing two of its varsity runners, but Buckstaff stepped up Monday to supply the Pirates with a needed boost, clinging to the lead pack for the first 2 miles before closing strong.
"The goal is to work hard every race and get stronger," said Buckstaff.
Hoffman Estates ran its third race in six days, and the Hawks definitely show promise.
Sophomore Allison Schrader (20:15) continued to impress, taking fifth place. She was followed by senior Carly Dagen (20:40) and Reena Prabhu (21:28) in seventh and eighth.
Schrader has cemented herself as the Hawks' No. 2 runner.
"She is someone you know you can count on," said Biddle of Schrader. "It is great to see how much she has grown since last year and we can really depend on her."
Hoffman had a so-so race in finishing sixth at the Lake Park Invitational on Saturday, but the Hawks definitely stepped it up to challenge the Pirates on Monday.
"We're working right now," said Hoffman Estates coach Kirk Macnider. "The girls came out and executed the race plan and gave a really great effort."