Cross country: Xochitecatl, Logan push Wheaton North to state
Wheaton North seniors Mauricio Xochitecatl and John Logan competed together at their first Class 3A boys track and field state meet in May with the 3,200-meter relay.
When Xochitecatl was the Falcons' top cross country finisher at the Lake Park sectional Saturday, Logan was one second behind in the quest for a top-five state-qualifying team finish.
"I knew John was right there for me, but after that I didn't know because I was very much in pain," Xochitecatl said.
"I was wondering if it was enough (for us). Once we all went for a cool down, I was thinking to myself, trying to add up the scores. I had a good feeling."
The seniors will indeed have another new state experience next weekend in Peoria. The Falcons earned the fifth and final berth from a sectional with eight late-season state-ranked teams.
Making its first team trip since 2015, Wheaton North edged Loyola Academy 164-167 with Glenbard West seventh at 170 and Jones eighth at 172.
Xochitecatl and Logan were 27th and 29th with Ryan Schreiner 31st and Will Roth, Ryan Zydek and Josh Gorup 38th through 40th. Loyola finished 7-37-38-43-46 overall.
"I'll be going with a whole bunch of teammates that I enjoy being with and goofing off with. Not that I didn't have that with track, but this is going to be much bigger," Xochitecatl said.
Glenbard West senior Katelynne Hart will seek a fourth individual state title after celebrating her 18th birthday by winning Saturday's muddy 3.0-mile race in 16:34.6.
The Hilltoppers girls took the sectional 53-65 over Wheaton Warrenville South.
Hart is aiming to break the girls all-time Detweiller Park course record of 15:54 after running 15:59 at 2018 state.
"I just need to focus on what's ahead of me. I'm sure after (state) it'll be an emotional time, but right now I'm just excited and ready to go," Hart said.
Defending Class 3A boys team champion WW South and York hope to challenge top-rated St. Charles East for the title.
WW South senior Billy Hauenstein's 15:06.2 won the sectional by 7.3 seconds, but the Dukes captured the team championship 40-62 after the Tigers won regionals 25-31.
All-sectional York seniors Daniel Klysh and Ethan Kern were 3-4 and junior Colin Hill sixth as well as seniors Michael Moriarty and Will Yasdick 12th and 15th.
"Closing the gap on (WW South) was big. Just working together as a team and to compete with them was fantastic," Kern said. "Slowly getting better and better (from injury) and moving up to where I used to be in fantastic, but the big thing at York is always the team finish."
The Tigers' other top-five finishers were seniors Ethan Seng, David Zeller, Jared Peaslee and Jacob Kluckhohn in 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th.
Hauenstein and Kern finished 8-9 at state in 2018. Kluckhohn was an all-state 15th.
"We've done really good this year. With all of the hard work and stuff we've put into doing what we do, we want to win it again. I think we've got a chance," Hauenstein said.
The Glenbard West girls again received great races from all-sectional sophomores Audrey Allman and Delaney Engel going 3-4. Ava Powell was 22nd and Anna Nickoley 25th in probably the Hilltoppers' best team race.
The Tigers also were solid with junior Sam Poglitsch second in 17:12.5 and senior Kaitlyn Nenninger an all-sectional seventh. Haley Ansiel, Becca Hauenstein and Erica Emmerick were 15th, 21st and 23rd.
Poglitsch was a program-best seventh at 2018 state.
"I'm really excited to see what I and the team can do because really during state series we've just been getting better week by week," Poglitsch said.
York sophomore Kaitlyn Winton was an all-sectional 10th with freshman Bria Bennis and senior Lydia Hickey 13-14.
"(Qualifying is) awesome. We've been working for this all season so it's a really nice accomplishment," Bennis said.