Peoria Visitors Guide to State XC- Virgins to Carp



Having spent my first 18 years as a Peoria resident and having parents that still call Peoria home, I feel I can offer a few helpful hints to help you plan your cross country state weekend. I’m not much of a Twitter-head (@ackshun35), and I have not grasped the hash tag craze, but I’ll do my best to stay cutting-edge in this newest blog.

I’m so excited to be coming down for the event. It will be the first time back to watch without having daughters in the mix #nostomachgitters, #won’tfeellikepuking.

First, you should give yourself at least a week to soak everything in that Peoria has to offer. Start with…um, let’s see… there’s the…wait, it will come to me. Okay, maybe just head down Friday afternoon.

Want to hear a Virgin speak? Parents, coaches, athletes, this can be the motivation you are looking for. Craig Virgin, the Detweiller record holder from 1972, will give a motivational speech on Friday night at 7 PM at the Marty Theater in the Michael Student Center on the campus of Bradley University. Free for all.

Craig confirms with the IHSA that this is a non-coaches clinic so runners can attend. Come hear Craig talk about that memorable day in 1972 and his phenomenal career. I had the pleasure of talking with Craig last week to learn lots about him. #thatguycantalk

Want a great pizza before you go hear Virgin? Hit Agatucci’s (2607 N. University St., Peoria) for a kick-butt thin crust pizza. Load it up with the famous Tiger Sauce. Ask for Danny Agatucci and tell him that Doug Ackerman said you would give out free beer with your pizza. He may toss you out #dannydoesn’tlikeme, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Do you need to carbo-load before Saturday? Hit Avanti’s (multiple locations) to get your pasta on. Monday’s have always been All You Can Eat Spaghetti. My buddies and I spent many a Monday night here in the mid 80’s. This is where I earned my reputation for having a blast furnace and a hollow leg. #Ack,youareapig!

Be sure to get a couple Avanti’s Famous Gondolas for the drive home. You will be very confused when you look at this sandwich; flimsy ham, processed cheese, wilty lettuce, but one bite into this and your mouth will thank you. The bread is the boss! I’m guessing the original recipe included some addictive substances.

Need a good beer at the end of the night, parents? Granite City (East Peoria along the river) will be the spot for a good craft beer.  #mouthiswatering

If one beer turned into 5 or 6 #youhaveadrinkingproblem, and you feel like throwing some hard-earned money away, the Par-A-Dice Hotel & Casino is just down the street.  Two days before the 2011 state meet, the New Trier girls learned that their original hotel had been cancelled. (I’m guessing Rob Harvey did this; #kidding) The only option in the area was the casino hotel. Rumor has it that Julie Jackson snuck down to the casino floor after lights-out for a few hands of blackjack and proceeded to hit 21 on seven consecutive hands. She knew right then that New Trier would be state champs the next day.

Dads, are you still awake? Did you decide to pull an all-nighter? Big Al’s is open really late and I’m pretty sure they serve food. #takeabunchofsingles

Saturday: Want to burn off some pre-race anxiety before you watch your kid compete? Meet Debbie and me just before sunrise at Weaver Ridge Golf Course at the first tee. It is our tradition to run the entire course (on the cart path, Mr. Weaver) before we head to Detweiller. I’m sure they would love a bunch of us doing this together. #theywouldbepissed

This is not an easy 7 mile run. If you have the stamina to run to the top of the 14th hole without stopping, you are a quality runner. #ballbusterhill

Get to Detweiller early. The place will be magical (and packed) on Saturday. Find the Bob LaCroix boulder and rub his nose on the plaque for good luck. See if 1A coaching sensation, Dan Daly of Latin School in Chicago, can get both boys and girls onto the podium. Can 2A phenom and fellow MileSplit blogger, Skyler Bollinger of Yorkville come away with the individual and team championship?  

3A: There are so many stories here; I don’t know where to begin. Will Madeline Perez (Glenbard West) repeat as state champ? Can Mimi Smith (New Trier) de-throne Perez? Will Hinsdale Central freshman Alexa Haff have Hinsdale people asking, Jill who? #sorryHardies

And then there is the team aspect. I think Naperville North has 24 girls that can run sub 18, #whatisinthewater? But Glenbard West, Palatine and New Trier don’t have any intentions of handing Dan Iverson the trophy without a fight. Plus, we can’t forget about Neil James’ O’Fallon squad. I’ve got to give a little love to the down-staters. #helikesmyblog

The final race of the day will be equally as exciting! Patrick Perrier (O’Fallon) seems to be the favorite. Can he drop a sub 14? Can he challenge Virgin’s 13:50? Will he even win? Zack Smith and Ryan Clevenger (both of Downers Grove North), and a few other stallions will state their case starting at 2 PM. Until last Saturday, York seemed to be a lock for team title which would have been Joe Newton’s 90th state championship, #he’snotTHATold.  But New Trier exposed some kinks in the armor in the sectional at Lake Park. Can they do it again? Do Peter Cotsirilos’ (New Trier) legs have one more race in them? All I know is that I would not have liked to be a York runner on the bus back to Elmhurst. #Newtonblewagasket

Bottom line, Saturday WILL BE AWESOME!

Okay, after the award ceremony, you will still have a couple hours of daylight and I know just the thing for you. Peoria has a small problem with Asian Carp taking over the Illinois River. These 5 pound slimy, bottom feeding fish (with amazing jumping ability, see random video below) have become a major nuisance. Do you own a crossbow? Or have access to dynamite? If so, then you can become an Asian Carp hunter. Peoria puts a strict limit on your catch. By law, you can’t stop fishing until you have killed at least 100 fish. The more the merrier. This will take approximately 4-5 minutes with the right amount of dynamite, or a bit longer with a cross-bow. 

 

For the record, Julie Jackson did not gamble the night before state. But, the University of Michigan sophomore did just win her age group by running 3:07:58 at the Chicago Marathon last month. Nice job, Jules!

There you have it; your Peoria visit is all planned out now. See you all at Detweiller! #i’moutofhere

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