Cross country: Hersey's Methner a national champion; Glenbard West's Hart finishes 4th

Once Josh Methner hit his stride it was all downhill.

At the 41st Foot Locker Cross Country Championships National Finals the Hersey senior broke from the pack on a decline shortly after the mile mark and was not challenged thereafter. In a time of 15 minutes, 8.8 seconds over 5 kilometers, Methner won the national title Saturday at Balboa Park in San Diego.

"It feels great," Methner said. "I'm definitely very happy to finally end my cross country season on a high note. It's very special and I'm very excited for all the hard work that my coach (Kevin Young) and I have put in this season."

In the girls championship, Glenbard West superstar Katelynne Hart led at the 2-mile mark before finishing fourth overall.

Methner, who in November broke Craig Virgin's 47-year-old state record to win his second straight Illinois Class 3A cross country title, is Illinois' fifth Foot Locker champion, with Sandburg's Lukas Verzbicas repeating in 2009-10.

On Saturday Methner jostled early with four-time qualifier Graydon Morris of Aledo, Texas. Through the first mile the 40-man field was nearly in tact until Methner bolted on a downhill stretch and left the pack in his wake.

The Notre Dame recruit held nearly a 4-second lead after two miles and finished nearly 8 full seconds ahead of second-place runner Carter Solomon of Canton, Michigan. Methner finished sixth at the 2018 Foot Locker Nationals and was runner-up at last weekend's Nike Cross Nationals.

"My coach was telling me that I'm strong aerobically," Methner said. "He said my best chance to win would be taking it out earlier than most people would like it."

St. Charles East's Wisconsin-bound Bob Liking, capping the top individual cross country season of any male Saints runner, placed 24th at 15:52.6.

In the girls race, Hart did much of the work for the field before fellow Midwest runner Zofia Dudek of Ann Arbor, Michigan, won the title. Hart finished fourth at 17:14.4.

"Obviously I fell a little short, but in the end I was happy with how it went overall," said the Michigan-bound Hart.

The Foot Locker runner-up in 2017 and 2018 and four-time Illinois Class 3A champion, Hart took the lead at the half-mile mark and maintained it until Dudek matched her near the 2-mile mark. Dudek needed a late kick past Marlee Starliper of Wellsville, Pennsylvania to win in 16:45.0.

Thus ends the prep cross country tenure of one of Illinois' finest female distance runners of all time.

"It's been a great four years," Hart said. "I feel I learned a lot about myself and my love for running has grown. It's definitely sad, but I've got one more track season, and it's a lot of the same people. The people have really made the experience for me as far as Glenbard West running goes. Everyone's very supportive and fun to be around."