Area runners shine at state XC championships
Sunday, November 9 2014 - IHSA State Meet|
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Davis and Ponder were running side-by-side for the first mile, covering that distance in 4:44. Davis, who repeated as the state champion, pulled away and beat Ponder by 42 seconds.
In the end, he said, “it was me and the wind. The wind was pretty bad, but everything fell into place.”
Davis had pre-determined times in mind for each mile. He was four seconds off the pace after a mile and nine seconds off the pace after 2 miles.
“Then he ran his fastest mile, 4:41 to close,” said former Oakwood runner Justin Jones, who has helped train Davis. “Before the race, he said he thought he could run 14:20, which I thought was a little ambitious. His last 400 (meters) was blazing.
“He found another gear. This place was electric.”
Confidence accompanied Davis to the course on Saturday.
“I had no reason to think I couldn’t get the record,” he said.
For the day’s three boys’ races, only the Class 3A champion (McHenry’s Jesse Reiser in 14:11), was quicker on the course than Davis.
“This year, it’s a different taste in my mouth,” Davis said. “Last year, since it was the first, there was the extra shock value and being the darkhorse made it better.
“This year, the record feels great. I’m happy with my performance.”
Ponder was Tuscola’s highest-ever individual placer.
“Knowing the top two from our regional (at St. Thomas More) were the top two in the state, it was a good day,” he said. “Now, I’m pumped for track. I’ll try to go after Jon in track.”
Tuscola coach Doug Robinson said the best part for Ponder was holding his position and placing second.
“Their was a kid right on his tail with 100 meters to go,” Robinson said. “Eric is one of those kids who knows what he wants and strives to get it.
“His kick was there in the final 100 meters. He’s thrilled, and we’re thrilled.”
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Monticello senior Matt Norvell placed 13th and was the other area boy in 1A to earn all-state honors.
He had instant feedback on his finish when he entered the chute, but had to an endure a wait of nearly 45 minutes to learn his team’s fate.
“Before the race and that part (afterwards) was almost worse than during the race as far as stress,” Norvell said.
The wait was worth it.
The Sages’ five scoring runners crossed the finish line within 40 seconds of one another and it was good enough for the school to capture its fourth boys’ trophy in the sport in the past five years. They had placed third three of the previous four seasons.
“We’ve been in the hunt quite a few years and to finally accomplish it is really satisfying,” Justin Furcich said.
Individually, Furcich was 26th, two seconds beyond the 25th — and final — all-stater.
“I’d much rather see the team be victorious than for me to be 25th,” Furcich said.
For the second straight year, the top-ranked Sages entered the state finals after team crowns in the conference, regional and sectional meets.
Coach Dave Remmert had an inkling how things were going long before his final runner completed the 3-mile course.
“At the 2-mile mark, they looked phenomenal,” Remmert said. “We focused on the preparation and left the rest up to God. I knew we were well-prepared and rested.”
Monticello’s other scoring runners were Zach Mesplay (29th in 15:38), James Kilby (33rd in 15:41) and Will Montgomery (53rd in 16:00).
“Coach’s training plan was very good and got us to peak at the correct time,” Norvell said. “We executed the same way we have been the past two weeks.”
The team’s sacrifices, Mesplay said, were worth it.
“We made a pact, back in August, not to eat junk food all season,” Mesplay said. “It was pretty tough.”
The team’s celebration was sure to include items that hadn’t been on the menu for months.
“They are ecstatic, and I am overwhelmed by it,” Remmert said. “You know they are capable of doing special things, and you hope for the best. I can‘t ask for anything more than this.”
Norvell was in full agreement.
“This was on our radar the whole season,” he said, “but we weren’t sure we were in the mix until halfway through the season when we started to think we could compete.”
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Abby Fisher has always wanted to help St. Joseph-Ogden have the success in cross-country that the school enjoyed in 1990, when it captured a Class 1A state championship.
“Even when I was a freshman, I dreamed about it,” Fisher said. “As I got older, it seemed less and less realistic.”
On Saturday, her dreams came true.
Fisher was among three Spartans who earned all-state honors individually while helping the team secure the top spot on the award’s stand, with an 84-point margin of victory over runner-up Uni High.
“They were very relaxed, and they looked great,” SJ-O coach Jason Retz said.
Former Spartan Alyssa Pridemore liked what she saw from her former teammates before the starter’s pistol sounded.
“She said it was as loose as she’s seen a girls’ team,” Retz said. “Not unfocused. Just loose.”
Freshman Faith Houston led the Spartans, running 12th in 18:02. Junior Abby Gawthorp was 16th (18:15) and senior Fisher was 23rd (18:24).
The team’s other scoring runners completed a pack that was within 63 seconds of Houston. Hayley Grice was 43rd (18:55) and Keely Smith was 53rd (19:05).
“They fought all the way through,” Retz said. “All seven of our runners ran their career-best, our two freshmen (Houston and Grice) by 30 seconds.”
As he looked at the award’s podium, Retz had reason to smile beyond the showing of his team.
“I’m pumped that two schools so close together got to stand on the podium together,” Retz said. “Doug (Mynatt) has done an unbelievable job at Uni.
“That’s what makes Central Illinois so much fun. We face that quality all the time and it makes you ready to go every day.”
Uni High had the area’s top individual placers in 1A. Arielle Summitt was third (17:17) and Annemarie Michael was fifth (17:27), both in lifetime bests.
“There’s no disappointment in second as a team,” Mynatt said. “It was great to see us run like we did.
“Our top two ran the fastest two (3-mile) times in Uni history.”
The best part may be that there was not a senior in the lineup, though Mynatt said, “we have really talented runners eligible to come back, but we’re trying not to jump too far ahead.”
The team placing was the Illineks’ best-ever in girls’ cross-country. The 1988 and 1991 squads each placed third.
The team’s other scoring runners were Katie Tender, Tori Aber and Ha-il Son. Those three ran within 33 seconds of each other.
“We hoped to get a trophy, and it turned out real well,” Michael said. “Everyone pulled together and it all came together.
“I’m so happy, I can’t stop smiling.”
Mahomet-Seymour’s boys had the showing that coach Neal Garrison thought was possible.
All seven of his state runners broke the 16-minute mark and, as a group, they seven finished within 59 seconds of each other.
It was a good enough showing to help the Bulldogs secure the second-place trophy in Class 2A while attaining the school’s top finish.
“The pressure at state is tough,” Garrison said. “Our guys performed well. Our goal was top three (teams) and we’re happy to get that.”
M-S had two athletes earn all-state honors. Alex Keeble was the first junior finisher (14:49), placing fourth. Senior William Wolf was 18th (15:01).
Keeble’s placement is the school’s all-time best. Jonathan Schaap was 10th as a senior in 2012.
“They all gave their best effort and it worked out for us,” Garrison said. “We did what we were capable of.”
M-S’ other scoring runners were Andrew Walmer (41st in 15:25), Jack Hyde (60th in 15:37) and Ben Craw (67th in 15:41). Teammates Brian Butcher and Riley Fortune also eclipsed the 16-minute mark.
Danville’s Caleb Hummer, who was the race leader at the 2-mile mark, finished sixth place in 14:52.
Hummer is the Vikings’ 10th all-time all-stater and the second highest finisher, behind Johnny Leverenz, who was the 2013 runner-up.
Champaign Central’s Ashton Hyatt was 12th (14:55), becoming the school’s first-ever all-state runner.
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Mahomet-Seymour’s Lauren Whitehouse became the school’s fourth female all-stater, all in the past 13 years.
She was eighth Class 2A in 17:42.
Danville’s Mercedes Elliott was 27th in 18:01, and missed all-state honors by three seconds.
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Jessica Franklin, from Arthur Okaw Christian, won the christian school national cross-country meet in Dayton, Tenn. Her time of 19:19 broke the course record of 19:24.15 in a 5-kilometer race on top of the Appalachian Mountains.
It was the third consecutive weekend that Franklin broke a course record.
“I ran my first mile too fast (5:44),” Franklin said. “Since I was ahead of everyone at that point, I wasn’t sure what to do.
“The course was hard because of the trail and all the turns. It definitely wasn’t like a typical Illinois course.”
She took the lead 100 meters into the race and never relinquished it.
Franklin is home-schooled and spent the nine-hour commute doing coursework on her laptop.