Cross country: Glenbard West, Benet take titles at Kaneland

Rory Cavan and Stephen Moody turned in the two best individual performances Saturday morning at Kaneland's Eddington Invitational, but the duo were much more interested in Glenbard West's team success.

Cavan and Moody finished the race together and gave each other a fist bump as they crossed the finish line first. They both had times of 15 minutes, 31.8 seconds.

Instead of going at their top pace, Cavan and Moody decided to help the Hilltoppers' pack. The plan worked with Glenbard West also getting the third runner in William O'Brien who was only six seconds behind.

"We knew we needed to get our three through six guys to pack it up so we were just trying to pull them to a nice time today and see how close we could get them together," Moody said.

Cavan, coming off an individual title last week in Peoria while helping the Hilltoppers take third as a team, also was glad to help his teammates improve their times.

"Some races we have to kick it more at the end but today we thought we'd stay back with the team for the first couple miles and keep the pack together and Stephen and I said let's go at the mile and finish together," Cavan said. "And that's what we did there. Will getting third was a big confidence booster for him. It was a fun race, we had a plan going in and executed it well and got to finish together which was nice."

The two seniors finished 14th and 18th, respectively, last year at the state meet.

"We want to compete at the highest level as we can, get to state and compete as best as we can and see what happens," Cavan said. "I think individually it is the same for Stephen and I. We have big goals and will be neck and neck again and work off each other and really use that to our advantage."

Ian Repking (10th) and William Hohe (15th) rounded out the Hilltoppers' top five. They finished with 31 points, well ahead of runner-up DeKalb's 81.

While nobody was able to match Glenbard West, there were some other impressive races turned in, including one by the host Knights.

Daniel Occhipinti led Chad Clarey's team to a third-place finish, taking fifth in 15:42.2.

"To be in the top five against the good teams here, that was a nice run for him on his home course," Clarey said. "The single digit makes a difference in the scoring and we're grateful he's running well lately. He's got a lot of confidence in what he's doing. He's found a new gear for himself and we're very excited for him and what he can continue to do."

Kaneland's No. 2 runner, Austin Adams, ran just his third cross country race. He played football a team ago.

Adams was 22nd with the pack of Jacob Wielgos (27th), Ethan Walker (28th) and Aidan Lodwig (29th) not far behind.

"He (Adams) and Jacob and Aidan, I was very happy with how we raced," Clarey said. "Our No. 6, Ethan Neal, he had an exceptional race."

Clarey said that Walker, Kaneland's No. 5 runner, ran a smart race in moving up after the first mile.

"Our pack was so fun to watch," Clarey said.

The first runner in who wasn't wearing a Glenbard West uniform was Mark Lemke who continued his impressive senior season for Jacobs.

With their front-runner Zach Albrecht sidelined by a hamstring injury, Lemke has emerged as a new No. 1 who started the year by winning the McHenry County meet. Lemke took fourth Saturday in 15:41.

"With Zach being out we've had a new No. 1 guy step up and run significantly better than we thought he would," Jacobs coach Kevin Christian said. "Without Zach we've had other people step up and I think it benefitted the team overall and everyone can step into their spots."

Christian said Albrecht likely will return to the lineup next Saturday at Bartlett.

"I was surprised he (Lemke) finished that well today," Christian said. "He had a tough week of training. He looked (rough) early in the race but really refocused himself and got back to fourth. If he would have realized how much energy he had left midrace he could have gone and challenged the front. He's not going to take out those Glenbard West guys but I think he could have been a little closer. He'll be there. They are going to be a nice 1-2 punch going forward."

Junior Anthony Farmer led Burlington Central in 11th place (15:51) after returning from an illness that had him out of school a couple days this week.

Rockets coach Vince Neil said his team didn't follow their race plan as they slipped to eighth place.

"Today was not our day," Neil said. "We had a tough week of practice, but who doesn't? Some of the things we talked about doing we didn't end up doing. We didn't have a good pack mentality. We got out way too slow today. In a race like this where there are so many turns and it's narrow you aren't going to be able to make up that ground. Not packing up well and not getting out well. We were way to spread out and not where we should be."

Hampshire finished 10th and Grayslake North 12th in the 18-team field led by Isai Morales (36th, 16:44) and Connor Riss (13th, 15:52), respectively.

Girls race: Neither DeKalb's Katherine Olsen nor the Benet girls cross country team had much trouble winning titles Saturday morning at Kaneland's Eddington Invitational.

Olsen ran a 17:43 to finish 29 seconds ahead of Grayslake North's Kelli Tosic, and Benet scored 43 points to win by 38 points over DeKalb in the 15-team field.

Sophomores Emily Spellman and Joy Jackson led Benet taking fourth and fifth running an 18:48 and 18:53, respectively. Mae Tully was ninth, Elisabeth Camic 11th and Meaghan Andrews 14th.

Jacobs scored 125 points and Kaneland had 140 to finish fourth and fifth.

Aly Doherty led Jacobs with a 19:02 for seventh just ahead of teammate Elisabeth Kania in eighth.

"The girls ran tired but to have Aly and Elisabeth finish seventh and eighth was a great start," Jacobs coach Kevin Christian said. "Our pack finished in the 30s but if they can move up to the 20s we'll be a real solid team that can contend for conference. We'll see. If they progress like I know they will we'll be in really good shape."

Kaneland junior Rachel Richtman ran an 18:39 to place third overall. Sophomore Olivia Franklin took 10th in 19:14.

Burlington Central finished right behind the Knights in sixth with 146 points. Sophomore Erin Jossart was sixth in 18:58.

"Really excited to see how the girls are doing," Burlington Central coach Vince Neil said. "We had some girls step up today. Our pack was a little spread out. But the girls definitely stepped up today. There's some nice things the girls did."

Neil said Fiona Pedone, normally in the seven to nine range for the Rockets, moved up to fifth with her 21:19 for 48th place overall.