Tony Prepster posing with the third place NXN MW boys team Lyons Township (Colin Boyle photo)
The 2015 cross country season was one of the best on record. Of course I have only seen 21 harrier campaigns since invading the Illinois landscape in 1994... let's keep in mind that there is still another month of hill and dale for the elite runners with Nike Cross Nationals and the upcoming Footlocker Cross Country series looming. But for most of us 2015 is a wrap.
I will admit after experiencing one of the best track and field seasons from a personal standpoint, it was a little hard for me to look forward to the 2015 cross country season. What I mean is I watched a talented group of young men finally graduate and move on to college. Pavlo Hutsalyuk envisioned our dream since his sophomore year of becoming a great miler on the big stage. He pulled it off in a state winning effort of 4:08.19.
I think by the middle of June in the midst of the summer heat, I knew it was time to focus on building a new era of distance running for my Lane Tech program. I was prepared to grow and learn with inexperienced and young runners. I've been here before. But I think more than anything after looking at the landscape in my own backyard with Whitney Young and Jones College Prep, I knew it was going to be a great year ahead for the Chicago Public League. Young coach Billy Poole-Harris did a masterful job in getting his talented troops to take things to the next level. And they did. Congrats to the Dolphins for making their first appearance in the state meet a great one. As good as things were for Whitney Young in securing 8th place, they should be even better in 2016!
The boys as a whole was incredible. The great weather that we experienced throughout the season had a lot to do with it. I don't recall too many super hot or cold race days this fall. Extreme climes don't work well with teenage runners. It never does no matter what cautions you tell them to take.
The first big meet that I captured was the First To The Finish Invitational at Peoria's famous and electric Detweiller Park. FTTF is conducted exactly the state championship with races sectioned off in three classes and moving along every hour on the clock. We saw Judy Pendergast (Naperville North) ran the fastest pre-state meet time of 16:15. If times are important then it is worth noting that the 3A boys saw Kevin Salvano (Buffalo Grove) duel Blake Evertson (Hinsdale Central) to the wire in producing the two fastest three-mile times in the country clocking 14:22 and 14:25 respectively.
A week later at the massive Peoria Notre Dame Richard Spring Invitational, Jon Davis (Oakwood) gave us a prelude to what was to come when he ran the fastest time of the day for the boys in 14:10. It was then that the "break Craig Virgin's course record" talk began. 'I want to break Mr. Virgin's record,' Davis said shortly after his race. He would up short at the state meet, but after running 13:59.8 it was a keeper. 'Mr. Virgin's record [13:50.6] is here to stay for a long time I believe,' said a very respectful Davis.
Amazingly, Illinois was able to stay in the national limelight all season with these and other great performances. Not surprisingly, though, were the usual naysayers daring to question some of our fast times out of Detweiller. It seems like the non believers want to believe these kids efforts are inflated. But the truth is Illinois is year in and year out one of the pillars of great distance running. Fact. Prior to this year's state meet a total of six performances cracked 14:00. All five of those performers: Virgin, Chris Derrick (Naperville Neuqua Valley), Lukas Verzbicas (Orland Park Sandburg), Tom Graves (Orland Park Sandburg), and David Walters (New Lenox Lincoln-Way) went on to become legends on the track and beyond. Virgin of course set the two-mile record and won national world titles. Derrick ran 13:55 for 5k in high school and went on star at Stanford University. Oh by the way, he is riding the wave of a new generation of great American distance runners. Verzbicas is the current American high school record holder in the two-mile with a sick 8:29.46 clocking. Graves was an All-American at Auburn University. Walters was an All-American at the University of Illinois and Olympic Trials performer in the Marathon.
I know the history of Illinois high school cross country as well as any man dead or alive and I can tell you that 2015 ranks very high on the all-time list. For girls, this year trumps the 2012 state meet despite 87 girls breaking the standard 18:00 barrier in the 3A race. Madeline Perez (Glenbard West) ran a mind boggling 16:02 back then. I don't think we thought an Illinois girl was ready to touch a mark like that. In that race was a freshman named Judy Pendergast who placed 23rd. Little did we know then was to come three years later.
78 girls broke 18:00 but the all-state cut was 17:16; 19 girls broke 17:00- all the second best to the 2012 state finals. Remember this happened after a heavy graduation and loss of over a dozen runners who were all-state last year. Illinois reloads not rebuild.