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Glenbard South's Wold completes second straight sweep

Last week John Wold completed a 4-for-4 sweep of conference championships. On Saturday at Kress Creek Farms in West Chicago, the Glenbard South senior made it 4-for-4 in regional titles also.

The defending state champion flew through the Class 2A Wheaton Academy regional course in 14:54.8, defeating Yorkville's Jake and Luke Hoffert by eight seconds and 13 seconds, respectively.

Four runners broke away from the pack at the beginning, with Wold looking a very comfortable second much of the way.

“It was really comfortable, everyone ran a really smooth, controlled pace,” Wold said. “Little surges on the downhills, but nothing unexpected. I just sat on him and just waited until I was feeling it on the downhill and then I took off with about 800 (meters) to go and it was just perfect.”

“With the conditions the way they were and the course being a little longer and hilly, we just wanted to wait, let the guys go out and see what he's got left,” Raiders coach Doug Gorski added. “I don't think anyone can hang with him with about 800 to go, which they didn't. It was a smart race by him.”

Once he took the lead, he kept expanding it all the way to the finish line.

“I had to make a definitive move,” Wold said. “Once I made it, I know that with the Hoffert guys or anyone else, I have to just go. Once you make your move you can't second-guess yourself. You're always worried and a little cautious to pick it up. But once you do, my body responded perfectly and it was not bad.”

Yorkville won the team championship with 32 points, with Wheaton Academy second at 63.

“It's an amazing accomplishment,” said Warriors co-coach Chris Felinski. “It's the highest we've ever finished for the regional.”

The Warriors had Noah Van Dyke, Brandon Lach and Jacob Robleski place 7-8-9.

“We had a great pack there,” Felinski added. “Our top three ran really strong, only a couple seconds spread between them. ... Even our four and five (runners) had excellent races today.”

Glenbard South took third with 94 points. That was easily enough for the Raiders to advance to next week's Class 2A Wheaton Academy sectional, also at Kress Creek Farms. By then they hope to have Nos. 2 and 3 runners Joe Singleton and Andrew Kladiva back from injury, Gorski said.

Without Singleton and Kladiva, Joe Meade was the second Raider to cross the finish line, taking 13th in 16:20.7. Jon O'Rourke was 22nd in 16:47.4

Benet took fourth with 100 points led by 14th-place Brady McLaughlin. St. Francis advanced to the sectional in fifth place, with Andrew Hallet leading the way with a sixth-place finish in 16:03.6.

Follow Orrin on Twitter @orrin_schwarz

  St. Viator’s Nick Brey takes fourth place in the Class 2A cross country regional on Saturday, October 26. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Wheaton Academy’s Noah Van Dyke takes seventh place in the Class 2A cross country regional on Saturday, October 26. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  Benet Academy’s Brady McLaughlin and Aurora Central Catholic’s Javier Montelongo battle to the finish line in the Class 2A cross country regional on Saturday, October 26. Montelongo took 11th place and McLaughlin took 14th. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
  St. Francis’ Andrew Hallet takes sixth place in the Class 2A cross country regional on Saturday, October 26. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
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