Geneva's Koskiewicz proves it never hurts to try
If you need a poster child for the benefits participating in high school athletics can provide, look no further than Geneva senior cross country runner Billy Koskiewicz.
Always an avid athlete, Koskiewicz spent his freshman and sophomore years at Geneva on the basketball and baseball B teams.
When his junior year rolled around, Koskiewicz decided he had enough and didn't go out for any sports.
By the spring, though, Koskiewicz was ready to get back in the game. Even if he couldn't crack the lineup for the sports he had always played, Koskiewicz was ready to find a way to get involved.
That meant being a part of the track team last spring, and it has carried over this fall to cross country.
"I quit (sports) my junior year and felt lazy around the house so I thought 'why don't I go out of track?' Koskiewicz said. "They wanted me to go out for cross country so I did."
The start of the cross country season always brings some new faces and surprises, and Koskiewicz provided both Saturday at the Leavey Invitational. In his first big meet, Koskiewicz was the first Viking to cross the finish line, placing 18th overall in 15:55.
"I went out a little too fast," Koskiewicz said. "The adrenaline in the first race I just shot out of there. I was able to hang on (to 18th place). I was pretty happy."
Geneva coach Bob Thomson has had success in the past with first-year senior cross country runners. Chris Higgins made all-state in his first year in the sport two years ago.
Koskiewicz may or may not be at that level but he certainly worked had to make his first year in the sport a success. He said he ran about 40 miles a week this summer, running six days a week from 7 to 9:30 every morning.
The Vikings are missing their top runner Kevin McDowell who is finishing his triathlon season. Thomson said McDowell and Kelly Whitley on the Geneva girls team will rejoin their respective teams in a few weeks.
The two will be back training with Geneva by Kaneland's Eddington Invitational on Sept. 18 but that doesn't mean Thomson will immediately put them back in the lineup.
"We will see where they are at," Thomson said. "They are going to have some adjustment. We're not going to push them into it. The timeline will be up to them. They have been training in a different way."
With Connor Bartel, Ryan Ahern and Peter Archibald back with state experience, Thomson said Geneva has the potential once again to surprise as the season goes on.
"I think you are looking at similar situation (as last year)," Thomson said. "We believe in ourselves, we don't need anyone else to believe. We have more numbers. The back end is closer than it was before."
Fast start: St. Charles North is out of the gates in impressive fashion, winning the Leavey Invitational on Saturday with 78 points.
Ryan Senci opened the season by winning the Elgin Open, then came in 7 seconds behind teammate Billy Clink on Saturday as the duo led the team in fourth and seventh, respectively.
North Stars coach Kevin Harrington said Senci "had a little nagger and backed off a little" in Saturday's race but should be fine going forward.
Harrington also said teamwork is going to be the key to the North Stars maintaining their strong start. The rest of the top five Saturday - Declan Duggan, Zachary Heuer, Grant Markowicz - placed 12th, 26th and 29th.
"We wanted them to pack it up and run off each other," Harrington said. "That has kind of been our team. We are going to do it together."