CHICAGOLANDPREPS.com
By Rob Valentin
ChicagolandPreps.com
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Northside College Prep may have been competing in its first state meet on Saturday, but they didn’t show any first-time jitters.
The Mustangs saved their best for last, running some of their best times of the season at the three-mile Detweiller Park course in Peoria in the IHSA Class 2A state finals.
Leading the way was freshman Elizabeth O’Conor, who was 126th place in a time of 19:24, a whopping 52 seconds faster than her time at the Fenton Sectionals a week earlier.
“It was really amazing, a really great experience,” O’Conor said. “I was just so happy we could be her. I knew it was going to be a fast course so I was just trying to PR, which I did. I am definitely thrilled. I was just trying to keep up with girls who I knew were faster than me from previous races.”
Fellow freshman Madison Weatherly was right on O’Conor’s heels, finishing in 127th place, also with a time of 19:24, which easily beat her sectional time of 19:55.
“It was definitely a new experience because I’ve never been to state,” Weatherly said. “You knew there would be a ton of girls way faster than you so you just tried to run our best race.”
The very fast downhill start at Peoria can be tough to navigate but Weatherly and her teammates conquered that challenge.
“All season we’ve been really good at getting out really fast and just trying to stay at the front even if it feels like you’re going too fast,” Weatherly said. “I didn’t feel too bad about the start because we all got up there.”
Just getting the opportunity to run in the state was gratifying to Weatherly.
“It means a lot,” she said. “Even if we all came in very last at state we’d still be really proud of ourselves just for getting here.”
Third across the line for Northside was sophomore Mary Coomes, who took 169th in a time of 19:59, 41 seconds faster that she was at sectionals.
“I think the most exciting part was that we made it to state and got this far,” Coomes said. “The start was intense and it felt like we were in one huge pack. Everyone was so fast here. It was probably the fastest start I had this year. I wasn’t even expecting to break 20 (minutes this season) because of my injury but I did and I’m really happy about that.”
Also competing at state for the Mustangs were Caroline Owens (192nd, 20:39), Taylor Provax (197th, 20:54), Lisa Wendt (206th, 21:38) and Karly Raber (207th, 21:49)
Not having cross country practice after school and meets every weekend will definitely be a little strange for the girls.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself now after school,” said O’Conor, who will also run track for the Mustangs. “I’m excited to have a break. In grade school I ran the 800 as well as the 100 so I’m not sure which one. I think I’m pretty good at sprinting but we’ll have to see what coach thinks I’m better at.”
ChicagolandPreps.com Editor
October 29, 2011
Northdside College Prep continued its spectacular postseason run on Saturday by taking third place in the 21-team Class 2A Fenton Sectional, which qualified them for the state meet held next Saturday at Detweiller Park in Peoria.
Madison Weatherly had another strong race for the Mustangs, taking 7th place with a time of 19:55
“The race was good but it felt really, really hard,” Weatherly said. “I didn’t feel too strong the first half mile and that started to worry me but I knew I just had to keep pushing so I stayed with Mary (Coomes) and Elizabeth (O’Conor).
“Then once I started to feel better, I just went. I really tried to pass people and usually you don’t have much opportunity to pass. But in this race there were so many girls who ran in my time range so I tried to pass.
Weatherly focused on Resurrection’s Hannah Witczak who had won the regional meet wire-to-wire. But on Saturday, Weatherly kept Witczak in her sights and even was ahead of her for a while.
“She was my pacer,” Weatherly said. “Last night my dad I were trying to figure out exactly who I needed to keep an eye on and we decided the Resurrection girl would probably good. At one point I passed her. I knew she would probably pass me and she did but it felt really good to keep up with her.”
O’Conor was next across the finish line for Northside, taking 10th place in a time of 20:16.
“We were just trying to stick together and all get places near each other so we can place well and go to state, which we are,” O’Conor said. “I’m just really happy. Keeping Madison in sight and sticking to Mary was my main goal for this week.”
While running with the pack helps, when it starts to break up, the strategy changes.
“Just run my race and try to PR,” O’Conor said. “I wanted to beat my time from last week.”
Third across the line for the Mustangs was Coomes, who took 20th place after running a time of 20:40.
“My first mile I felt strong but my second and third laps were kinda weak,” Coomes said. “I could feel my knees, they were having some pain at the end. I couldn’t quite hold it with Madison and Elizabeth at the end.”
Also scoring for the Mustangs were Caroline Owens (30th, 21:20) and Karly Raber (32nd, 21:23). Also contributing for Northside were Taylor Provax (21:46) and Lisa Wendt (22:09).
Fenwick won the team title with 33 points. Jones was second with 79 points followed by the Mustangs (99), Regina (133) and Walter Payton (144).
After winning regionals last week, expectations were very high for Northside.
“Since we were ranked second, we kind of expected to go to state,” Coomes said. “The problem was that the second to fifth team were all in the same time ranges so we knew it was really going to be a fight to get there.”
Weatherly is extremely excited for the state meet.
“We’re going to try and really have fun with it and do it for the experience,” she said. “We’re really going to go for a PR and do our best as a team.”
“It’s definitely going to be a lot of pressure with a lot of people,” O’Conor added. “It’s a good point to work at our pace and try and get another PR.”
By Rob Valentin
ChicagolandPreps.com
Saturday, October 22
It was a special day for Northside College Prep's girls cross country team as the Mustangs won their first ever regional title by placing first in the Mather Regional at Legion Park on Saturday.
Northside easily won first place with 49 point ahead of runner-up Resurrection (74 points). Madison Weatherly led the way for the Mustangs, taking second place in the three-mile course with a time of 19:54.18.
"It's really, really, really exciting," Weatherly said. "We were going in hoping to win. It's the first win (at regionals) for the girls so we were just really ecstatic."
Weatherly spent the first half of the race running with teammates Mary Coombs and Elizabeth O'Conor.
"I'm really really happy," Weatherly said. "We just started off and Mary, Elizabeth and I were like 'Lets run together as long as we can.' They were my motivation and we all just pushed.
"Halfway through the second mile a girl from Elmwood Park came up and we had to race next to each other," Weatherly said. "And I beat her at the end, which was nice. But it was a really hard race."
Coomes, racing in just her second meet of the season was equally impressive. She hung with Weatherly for much of the race and was the second Mustang across the line, taking 5th place with a time of 20:11.
"I'm really glad with how the whole team did," Coomes said. "It was nice to be running with Madison and Elizabeth for the first two miles. We kind of split it off but we still did real well overall because of our strong team and the three of us in the front."
Coomes had been battling and IT band injury this season was thrilled she was able to return to action.
"Since it's an IT band problem, it's one of those thing I have to keep working on, building the muscles around it, stretching it out," Coomes said. "This race felt really good and so far the problems haven't been coming back. I he to continue running strong for the rest of the season."
O'Conor had a solid race for Northside as well. She was third across the line for the Mustangs, taking 6th place in a time of 20:15.78 and all she could think about after the race was Northside's regional title.
"We're very excited because our coach (Jon Gordon) said were getting a banner and a pep rally and I'm pumped," O'Conor said.
As for the race, Northside's pack really helped push the Mustangs to victory.
"We want to all stick together to have places near each other so we do really well," O'Conor said. "I tried to stay with Mary and Madison but I got tired on that last loop a little bit. I just tried to stick with it and go in for a fast finish."
The final two scoring finishers for Northside were Karly Raber (12th, 20:45.63) and Lisa Wendt (24th, 21:21.81). Also contributing for the Mustangs were Taylor Provax (27th, 21:33.41 and Jordan Micus (47th, 22:52.25).
Northside advances to the Fenton Sectional held next Saturday at 10 a.m. in Bensenville.
Mustangs battle through muddy meet
By Rob Valentin
Chicagolandpreps.com editor
Saturday Oct. 1, 2011
Northside College Prep hung tough in the ultra-competitive Pat Savage Invite last Saturday taking 17th to finish ahead of 21 other teams.
Leading the way for the Mustangs was Madison Weatherly, who completed the muddy course in a time of 20:11.09, good for 22nd place.
“I’d say this is one of the most competitive races I’ve done,” Weatherly said. “The mud made it really hard. I know to go out really, really fast. Even going out fast I still got stuck in a group of 40 girls.
“There were a lot of turns so your brain had to be really quick. I wanted to get to the inside of this turn and then you immediately had to move to the other side to be on the inside. And with the mud you just had to push through. You had to be on your feet, quick thinking.”
Elizabeth O’Conor (52nd, 20:51.95) was second across the finish line for the Mustangs while Taylor Provax (106th, 21:48.95) was third.
“The beginning was so difficult,” Provax said. “It was like herding cattle with all those girls. As people started to string out a little more it felt a little better but then those mud patches were just horrendous but it was okay overall.”
Provax kept her strategy pretty simple to deal with the hectic beginning.
“I try my best to get around people,” she said. “Going around is usually the best strategy. But if it’s too crowded I wait until the herd gets a little longer and then I’ll start passing people.”
After the first mile, it’s game on.
“The second mile I slow down a little bit and try to just keep my breathing steady and keep it going,” Provax said. “By the third I just try to push through the last 25 percent of energy I have left and finish strong.”
Northside will now prepare for the city meet Saturday, Oct. 15 at Washington Park.
“We feel pretty confident going into the city meet,” Weatherly said. “I think there’s going to be really stiff competition. We’ve realized this as racing has gotten harder. But we’re going to go in confident and make sure everyone is in the best shape possible.”
“For city I definitely want to give it my best of this season,” Provax added. “20:25 would be something that would be some awesome. And for the team just to work their hardest and come in with so much positive energy.”
Karly Raber (22:04.5), was fourth across the line for Northside Lisa Wendt (22:39.94) was fifth and Jordan Micus (23:28.06) was sixth.
Northside fights hard at Libertyville Invite
By Rob Valentin
ChicagolandPreps.com editor
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Northside College Prep showed absolutely no fear competing with some of the best runners in the state of Illinois on Saturday as they took sixth place in the ultra-competitive Libertyville Invite at Adler Park.
Leading the way for the Mustangs was the duo of Elizabeth O’Conor (31st, 21:06.6) and Madison Weatherly (32nd, 21:15.23)
“This one was definitely more difficult than last week,” O’Conor said. “There were more hills and the ground was soft. But I just tried to do my best and pull through it.”
O’Conor was able to feed off the tough competition from so many good runners.
“I think it pushes me to go harder and try a little bit more,” she said. “It’s also good practice when we race them for the bigger titles.”
The start of the race features a big downhill slope. That can speed up the early stages of the race.
“I think I went out a little too fast,” O’Conor said. “I felt really good on my first hap and was dying down on the second one. The third one I was just trying to pull it together for the sprint in.”
Weatherly couldn’t definitely tell that the three-mile course pushed her to the max.
“It was a pretty tough race,” Weatherly said. “The course was really tough too because it had all sorts of different material like wood chips, which are really hard to run on. I was a little bit more cautious than usual.”
“I just kind of took it and tried to stay as close to Elizabeth as possible. It was like they were trying to test you with every type of hill. It was interesting to run and it tested your abilities. My first mile was a little bit off but then I figured out what I was supposed to do and tried to make up my time in the second and third mile, which felt more normal.”
Karly Raber was third across the line for the Mustangs, finish in 40th place with a time of 22:17.68.
“The race was pretty good,” Raber said. “I like staying together and Taylor (Provax) was in front of me and that just pushed me to do a lot better. As I was going I could here them cheering for the people behind me.”
Raber also noticed the difficulty of the course.
“There were a lot of hills,” Raber said. “It’s all about making up the time you lose on the hills on the flat part.”
Raber’s race broke down a little different than it usually does.
“I felt really good on the second mile, but I think I probably could have gone faster,” Raber said. “Usually on the second mile, I’m completely out of it and dead but I felt pretty good.”
Raber is trying to work her way back from a broken foot she suffered while playing soccer a couple months ago.
“It’s all about getting back to where I was,” she said. “Slowly I’m getting there. I think it’s going to come one of these races. It’s going to hit.”
The next two runners across the finish line for Northside were Lisa Wendt (43rd, 22:39.6) and Taylor Provax (47th, 23:08.61). Claire Scheib-Feeley (50th, 23:29.33) and Jordan Micus (56th, 24:27.65) were also key contributors for the Mustangs.
robvalentin@hotmail.com
Mustangs cruise to win at Horner Park
September 10, 2011
By Rob Valentin
Sports editor
Northside College Prep was as good as gold Saturday afternoon as they cruised to an easy win in the Gordon Tech Invitational at Horner Park.
The Mustangs had three runners in the top 10 and finished with 32 points, easily outdistancing themselves from runner-up University High (62) and third place finisher Payton (76) in the nine-team meet.
Leading the way for Northside was Madison Weatherly, who navigated the three-mile course in a time of 20:46.5 and edged out teammate Elizabeth O’Conor at the line for fourth place.
“I went out fast and I realized I could stay with Elizabeth,” Weatherly said. “We kind of had a partner thing going. We started out together and finished together. I ran my best and it was better than I expected.”
Weatherly enjoyed being able to run with her teammate. While they don’t talk much during the race, they do encourage each other.
“It’s pretty much quiet but we might say ‘Push it’ or ‘Let’s go’ depending on the situation. If she starts moving faster, I’ll go faster. I’m sure my race would be a lot slower if I didn’t run with her.”
Weatherly was able to set a personal record and setting one so early in the season bodes well for the freshman’s future.
“It feels pretty good,” she said. “I want to keep beating my personal record, keep going with Elizabeth and try and get our team go as far as possible, maybe state.”
O’Conor was also pleased with her race. She was just half a second behind Weatherly at 20:47, which was good for fifth place overall.
“The first mile I felt really strong, but then it got a little difficult,” O’Conor said. “I was trying to stay with Madison so we could have a good finish. I wanted to get a good start, get in the front, have a nice easy pace for the next bit and then a fast sprint in.”
O’Conor, who is also a freshman was definitely surprised by how solid her time was.
“I wasn’t expecting to do very well because I’m a freshman and I hadn’t done as well in previous races,” O’Conor said. “It feels really good and I know my mom is really proud of me.”
Third across the line for the Mustangs was Taylor Provax. The junior had a solid all-around race, taking ninth place in a time of 21:18.3
“Towards the end I was really trying to kick it in and pass these two girls,” Provax. “I started feeling sick but it was a really great run.”
Other key contributors for Northside were Karly Raber (14th, 22:19.6), Claire Scheib-Feeley (18th, 22:35.3), Jordan Micus (25th, 23:08) and Emmy Velasco (23:44.3).
“All the Northside girls really pushed themselves today and it was a really great race,” Provax said. “Coming in coach told us ‘Those U-High girls are wearing maroon just like you and I want you guys to pass as many as you can.’ After our huddle we were determined and we were going to pass whoever we see and I think we did that.”
robvalentin@hotmail.com
Raber leads Mustangs
to start 2010 season
pictures from the St. Patrick's meet are at the bottom of the page, story to follow
By Rob Valentin
ChicagolandPreps.com Editor
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The 2010 season started with a bang for Northside Prep with a solid showing at the St. Patrick Invite held at Schiller Woods in Chicago.
Northside took second place overall in the team competition, beating 17 other teams to earn a team trophy.
Karly Raber led the way for the Mustangs, finishing the three-mile course in 20:35, which was good for a seventh place finish. Just one year ago Raber was the top girl in the sophomore race and now she was the top Northside runner in the varsity race.
Maggie Ivanova wasn’t very far behind Raber as she ran a 20:50, which placed her 10th overall.
“This was our first race of the season so I don’t think anybody was expecting too much but I got 10th place overall which really surprised me,” Ivanova said. “I was very happy in the end. Last year I had a 21:48 here.”
The course at Schiller Woods is always interesting. It’s a one-mile loop that the runners navigate three times. The toughest part is a steep hill near the beginning of the course.
“The first lap I was a little behind because I was taking it easy,” Ivanova said. “The second lap I was able to go in front of a lot of people. Then the third lap I was just trying to not let anyone get in front of me.”
Ivanova is excited about this season and hopes to get better in every race.
“I want to get faster after every single race,” she said. “I ran a lot more this summer than I did last year. I tried to run at least five miles every day and that’s really helped me to get better.”
Freshman Mary Coomes was the third Northside runner to cross the line, finishing in 12th place with a time of 21:06.
“I didn’t really have any expectations because this is my first high school meet ever,” Coomes said. “I just wanted to do my best.”
Coomes definitely had some nerves in her first race and that may have been a reason for the way she started.
“In the beginning I was probably going too fast and I realized that when I got up the hill,” she said. “Then I just kind of took it out at a good pace for the rest of the first mile. After the first lap I knew I could do better so I picked it up and just tried to pass people gradually. At the end there were two of my teammates in front of me and I wanted to get past them. I got past one of them so that was good.”
Two other Mustang runner qualified for the team score. Karlyn Gehring took 16th with a 21:23 while Taylor Provax finished 20th with a 21:53.
Other contributors for Northside were Phoebe Randall (21st, 21:55) and Nina Coomes (37th, 23:10).
The fact that the Mustangs had all seven runners finish in the top 37 shows the depth the team will have this season.
________________
Mustangs take fifth
By Rob Valentin
ChicgolandPreps.com Editor
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009
Northside College Prep may not have won a city title but they have a lot to be proud about.
The Mustangs took fifth place in the city championship held at Washington Park on Saturday and all seven runners finished in the top 46 of a race that had 128 participants.
Leading the way for Northside was Karlyn Gehring, who took 22nd place in a time of 20:33.89.
“I didn’t know where the mile marks were because usually
it’s three laps round but we only had two laps here so no one was telling you
your times,” Gehring said.
The beginning of the race did throw the Gehring and the Mustangs off a little bit.
It was a terrible beginning because we weren’t even on the start line,” Gehring said. “We were in a huddle and they told us to get on the start line and we all turned around and then the race started.”
Gehring was able to overcome the late jump and took off to get towards the lead group but she still ran into some trouble.
“We went around a tree and someone tripped me and I fell down,” she said. “I twisted my ankle a little bit and my ankle hurt pretty bad for most of the race.”
Bessie Nolan (25th, 21:00.17) and Su Yang (26, 21:00.98) were next across the line for the Mustangs. The due ran much of the race together and they were in quite the battle with a pair of Lane Tech runners in the final couple hundred yards. Nolan and Yang finished ahead of one of the Indians’ runners by a half second but came in behind the other by half a second.
“Coach told us that we had to chase down the two lane girls,” Yang said. “Bessie and I kind of had silent communication and we knew we had to try and get past them.”
Nolan was excited with how she was able to work with her teammate for a faster time.
“Su and I ran really well together,” Nolan said. “I knew I had to stay with her and she knew I was on her tail. I think it was a really good system.”
Yang was pleased with her race, especially considering she hasn’t been able to practice very much in the last couple weeks.
“I think I did okay,” Yang said. “I missed most of the days last week and I’m still a little sick but I think it was a good race overall. But practice really helps you a lot.”
Yang wasn’t a big fan of a course that had been the victim of a lot of rain over the previous couple days.
“I like it a little firmer,” Yang said. “Of course I would rather run on the concrete instead of the grass. But it wasn’t that bad.”
The next finisher for Northside was Yesenia Valadez, who took 34th place with a 21:30.69.
“The first mile I felt pretty good but I wasn’t feeling as good when we started with the second mile,” Valadez said. “I tried to stay with Su and Bessie but then they kind of got past me. I felt I could have done better than I did.”
Valadez is seeing a lot of improvement in herself over last
year.
“Compared to last season, I definitely think I’m doing lot better,” Valadez said. “At the
beginning of the season I was seventh on varsity and today I was fourth. I just
need to work on my last mile and I need to be able to stick with Bessie and Su.”
Rounding out the scoring for the Mustangs was Maggie Ivanova, who took 36th place in a time of 21:37.95. Other contributors for Northside were Dava Batjargal (41st, 22:02.99) and Simmone Seymour (46th, 22:27.22).
Up next for the Mustangs will be the Class 3A Loyola Regional at Harms Woods on Saturday, Oct. 24.
“I kind of wanted to have a little faster time,” Nolan said. “But I think I’ll do well in regionals and sectionals.”
_______________________________________________________
Northside conquers challenge
By Rob Valentin
ChicagolandPreps.com Editor
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Northside College Prep had a new challenge during the Pat Savage Invite at Niles West on Saturday.
With 34 teams running a tight course the Mustangs pack was broken up early so they had to run on their own. But Northside persevered and brought home a sixth place finish in the White Division.
Leading the way was Karlyn Gehring, who took 27th place in a time of 20:52.
“It was a really, really nice day for racing,” Gehring said. “I expected it to be cold but it was perfect.”
While the weather might have been perfect, the beginning wasn’t.
“The beginning of the race was hard because we were in the middle and everyone converged on us. I was getting spiked and had to push through people. I like to start out fast but I had to go really slow. I was like fourth on the team and I had to pass everyone up. I just focused on catching the next girl ahead of me.”
Coming in second for Northside was senior Bessie Nolan. Her time of 21:11 was good enough for a 30th place finish.
“It was really good weather conditions,” Nolan said. “The course was pretty fast but there were a lot of turns. The boys gave us some advice early on and told us to get out fast. I was able to do that so it was okay for me.”
Nolan did have to pay the price for getting out quick.
“I had a first fast mile and my next two were not as fast so that’s kind of disappointing,” Nolan said. “I think we’re in pretty good shape right now. I’d like to be a little bit faster but I think I’ll have a really good time for city.”
Su Yang had a rough day for the Mustangs. The junior was third across the line for Northside taking 41st place with a time 21:26.
“I think I did worse than usual because I was injured and didn’t run the whole week,” Yang said. “Then I got this cold. It’s really hard to breathe while I’m running. Hopefully it’s not swine flu.”
Yang also injured her knee and thought the time off would help get her a little rest and make her even stronger than usual. But that didn’t quite pan out.
“At the time it seemed okay but after this race I realized how much not practicing affects you,” Yang said. “It makes your race really bad.”
Finishing out the scoring for the Mustangs were senior Yesenia Valadez (50th, 21:51) and freshman Taylor Provax (53rd, 22:04).
“My knee has kind of been bothering me for the past few weeks,” Provax said. “I rode the bikes earlier this week instead of running. I guess just pushing myself aggravated my knee. It started hurting halfway through the second mile and increasingly just got worse.
“But my next race isn’t for two weeks so I’ll have a chance to heal during that time and I definitely want to be ready for city. If I ice it every day and take it easy it will heal quickly.”
Other contributors for Northside were Simmone Seymour (54th, 22:05), Dava Batjargal (55th, 22:07), Maggie Ivanova (22:14) and Merita Bushi (22:30).
_______________________________________________________
Northside fights forward at Leyden
By Rob Valentin
ChicagolandPreps.com Editor
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The
Northside College Prep pack continued to impress as they competed in the Leyden
Invitational on Saturday.
The
spread between the Mustangs’ first runner to cross the line and the seventh was
just 1 minute 44 seconds.
Leading
the way for Northside once again was Su Yang, who completed the 5k course in a
time of 21:30, which was good enough for 28th place.
“When
we first started I was just trying to stay with the pack,” Yang said. “I was
third after the first mile and on the second mile I started to pick up my pace.
Yang
has been consistently at or near the top of the pack this season, but that was
something she was planning on.
“At
the end of last season I was only a few seconds behind Bessie (Nolan) and all
the other girls graduated so I figured I’d be up at the top,” Yang said. “We’ve
kind of switched off first place this season. I think the competition has
really helped. If your first all the time, I don’t think you work as hard.”
Up
next for the Mustangs was Bessie Nolan who took 30th place in a time
of 21:59. Close behind her was Karlyn Gehring. Her time of 22:06 was good
enough for 32
“That
was like the hardest race I’ve ever run,” Gehring said. “My legs were really
tired and every step was hard. The whole week I’ve been getting really and shin
splints and we did a lot of hard workouts so today was just a tired day.”
Yesenia
Valadez was just six seconds behind Gehring finishing 33rd with a
time of 22:12.
“It
was a pretty good day for me,” Valadez said. “I was just trying to stay with
Bessie and help the team. My first mile was my strongest and I didn’t do as
well at the end as I could. Personally I think it was a good meet for us
individually but our pack was pretty far back.”
Freshman
Taylor Provax was the final Northside runner to count for team scores and she
took 36th with a time of 22:23.
“I
definitely enjoyed the race and really liked the course a lot,” Provax said.
“Karlyn, Bessie, Yesenia and I stayed in a pack and we strategized to pass
people up. That was pretty cool to see.
“On
the third mile I started to fall behind but I was able to sprint it out at the
end.”
Rounding out the top seven for the Mustangs were Maggie Ivanova (37th, 23:02) and Maria Bushi (38th, 23:14).
MUSTANGS' PACK PAYS OFF
By Rob Valentin
ChicagolandPreps.com Editor
Saturday, September, 12, 2009
Northside Prep’s girls team ran as a true pack in Saturday’s Gordon Tech Invitational at Horner Park and the teamwork paid off as the Mustangs finished in second place behind U-High.
Northside’s top six runners finished in 7th through 12th place and were led by Su Yang’s fantastic seventh place finish in a time of 21:18.
“It was a pretty good race course but the heat was overbearing,” Yang said. “My feet were burning but we ran in a pack and really pushed each other.”
When Yang says Northside ran in a pack, she isn’t kidding. The Mustangs were shoulder to shoulder for the first mile before yang began to pull away. As the race progressed she pulled further and further away.
“I just tried to keep up with the two girls that were up ahead of me,” Yang said. “I’m not sure how far my teammates were behind me. I just tried to pace myself and keep up with the other girls.”
Up next for the Mustangs was Karlyn Gehring, who took eighth place in a time of 21:41.
“It was kind of a painful week for me,” Gehring said. “I was really sore and then today it was really humid but it was okay.”
It was also a trying week for Gehring for other reasons, mainly the start of school last Tuesday, which of course brought tons of homework.
“I think I got like four hours of sleep each night this week,” Gehring added. “It was like ick so that made me exhausted today.”
Bessie Nolan was the third Mustangs to finish the race and she completed the three-mile course in a time of 21:51, which was good enough for ninth place.
“We were all really close together for a while, almost in a line,” Nolan said. “It kind of looked like how we run in practice. It was a pretty fast first mile, but I think we really needed that.
“(After the pack broke up) I just kind of ran with Taylor and then somewhere in the last mile I just tried to really pick it up. I was just counting down to the end of the race during that last mile.”
Taylor Provax was the next to cross the line, taking 10th place in a time of 22:10.
“It was great teamwork in the race today and it was awesome to see us all in the pack,” said Provax who is a freshman and was running in just her third varsity meet. “There was a point where there were some nerves but now that the season is getting going, I feel pretty comfortable.
“I grew up competing in cross country meets so I’m used to it. I just wanted to do my best and I think I’m doing that.”
Maggie Ivanova was the fifth Northside runner and she finished in 11th place with a time of 22:26.
“Today wasn’t the best day for me,” Ivanova said. “Right before the race I drank too much water and I wound up getting a cramp. But otherwise, I think the team did really well.”
While Northside’s pack started to break up after the first mile, the real good sign was that no one was passing Mustang runners.
“We had some gaps in our pack but we didn’t any of the other teams past us so we still got places one after another,” Ivanova added.
The final two runners for the Mustangs were Dava Batjargal (12th, 22:27) and Karly Raber (17th, 24:00).
Northside will now pack up and hit the road for the Peoria Notre Dame meet next Saturday, which is held at the state course.
Mustangs take second at St. Patrick Invite
Rob Valentin
ChicagolandPreps.com Editor
Northside College Prep opened the season with a very impressive performace at the 17-team St. Patrick Invitational, Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The Mustangs brought home a second-place trophy with 92 points, finishing behind Whitney Young (19) in the three-mile race at Schiller Woods. Fenwick took third with 112 points while Lane (116) and Marian Catholic (124) finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Karlyn Gehring led the charge for Northside as she finished in 14th place with a time of 21:45.
“I was not expecting to do as well as I did because I didn’t run a lot over the summer,” Gehring said. “But I felt that I did well and I was happy with the outcome.”
One of the things that’s always hard to overcome is the pre-race butterflies. But Northside had a solution and it definitely worked for Gehring.
“We have a massage person so I got a massage right before the race and that really helped me relax,” Gehring said. “Usually I’m very nervous but that really helped. It was nice to go in relaxed.”
As for the race the first ¾ of a mile was interesting. You have a lot of pushing and shoving early on and then a steep hill to traverse.
“People kept pushing in front of meat the start of the race so it was tough,” Gehring said. “I really like the hill but going down is worse because it’s so steep and you feel like you’re gonna fall.”
Maggie Ivanova was right on Gehring’s heels and finished the race in 16th place with a time of 21:55.
“This was my first time running in cross country so I was just excited to be here,” said Ivanova, a junior. “I wasn’t expecting to get anywhere near the front so this is pleasant.”
Ivanova has always enjoyed running at home so she decided to try running on a team atmosphere.
“I was very nervous but in the end I think it kind of helped me because I had all this energy,” she said. “I just wanted to do my very best. I got out pretty fast and was able to stay in front of most of the people. Now I just have to keep this up for the rest of the season.”
Bessie Nolan wasn’t far behind as she completed the course in a time of 22:07, which was good enough for 18th place.
“Even though this is my third time running the course and I know how to work the hill, I was definitely nervous,” Nolan said. “But I put on a good face for my teammates.
“Our coach warned us to take it easy the first mile but it’s so hard to do that because everyone is going so fast. My first mile was pretty fast and my second mile was pretty slow so that’s something I need to work at.”
Nolan was hoping to get as close to 22:00 as possible so it’s definitely a good start to the season. She also beat her time from last year by almost 20 seconds.
Northside’s other top runners on the day were Sue Yang (20th, 22:14), Dava Batjargal (24th, 22:25), Yesenia Valdez (31st, 22:50) and Taylor Provax (24:08).
“It was pretty intense,” Batjargal said. “I started out pretty slow but I like passing people so it turned out good. I don’t want to be in the front at the beginning.”
“I just swung my arms a lot so it was okay,” Batjargal said. “But going down the hill, it’s kind of exhilarating and scary because you think you’re gonna go rolling down. On this course it’s easier to go up the hill.”
