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RESULTS I VIDEOS I PHOTOS
Naperville IL-
On an overcast evening, one gender (girls) dominated the fray, and the other (boys) churned out a satisfactory effort (boys) that resulted in two victories. Downers Grove North went home with two varsity cross country titles at Naperville North High School.
As customary for one of the original twilight invitationals, the Naperville Twilight Invite rotates its racing schedule from the pups to the spotlight varsity girls and boys' derbies.
At precisely 7:30, it was time for the girls' varsity race, which was called back because of a timing malfunction. Pre-race favorite Mia Kotler (Jr., Chicago Latin) added that it added a bit of nerves to the contest. "There was a lot of adrenaline going because of the false start," said Kotler.
The fuel propelled Kotler ahead of the talented field, which included Julie Piot (Sr., Naperville North) and Liv Phillips (Sr., Naperville Central). Kotler's first mile, 5:33, was three and six seconds faster than the chasers.
#3 Downers North was in their usual beehive synch through the opening mile. McKenzie Willard (Jr.) and Lily Eddington (So.) were in the top ten, and collectively, the Trojans' scant five-second split scoring was breathtaking. Naperville North tried their best to stay in the vicinity, with Shania Tandon (So.) and Rianna Tandon (So.) among the top 15.
Kotler did not show any signs of slowing down, tracking the second-mile marker at 11:13. This is also where the course is mentally challenging. It is dim, and without many energetic fans, it is certainly plausible for anyone to fall off. The Trojans kept their commanding lead of 70 points over the host squad.
The final stretch of the race entered the stadium, and it was Kotler who trotted home with a smile in 17:01- 11 seconds better than Phillips' 17:12. She remained undefeated and poked at what was on the horizon. "At first, I was disappointed in being dropped down to Class A," inferring at the initial prospect of lesser competition. Perhaps some of those future competitors were looking at what transpired here and will be licking their chops at a date with Kotler.
Downers North closed out the team side with a strong finish and collected on the spoils of victory, tallying 37 points to Naperville North's 103. Eddington added insult to injury by tracking down Piot with a nasty kick to take third in 17:37.
Several questions posed by the pundits were of defending 3A state champion Aden Bandukwala (Sr., Hinsdale Central) and #1 Downers Grove North: 1) When is "Bunny" going to wake from his racing stupper? He had not won a single invitational this season and, to be honest, looked incredibly vulnerable. 2) It has been nearly a month since the Trojans have raced their full "A" squad, and their dominant performance at the First To The Finish Invitational is now a distant memory.
Right away, Bandukwala put the pressure on the field by moving to the front and setting the pace. This has been something that he has done more of this season. But will it yield a winner? The first mile was set up with a swift 4:48. Zac Close (Sr., Neuqua Valley) and Will Kozlowski (Sr., Chicago Lane Tech) were right with him. Not surprising was the team score at this juncture, Neuqua Valley leading by four points (120 pts).
There were some whispers in the air midway through the second mile. Bandukwala held a slim lead and added Robert Glenn (Sr., Neuqua Valley) to the mix. All four runners (Bunny, Close, Koz, and Glenn) were within a handful of seconds of one another 9:52-9:57. Oak Park-River Forest, who had been dealing with some injuries, but surprisingly, the Huskies were moving hard and appeared on the verge of winning the race right out...
Bandukwala was in his domain for the final 400m- the track. However, he had to feel the pressure tightening as the same corps tailing him inched closer. Kozlowski made one last move with 250m to reel in Bunny. But it was a no-go as well. Bandukwala held on for the victory over Koz 14:51-14:55. Close also registered a 14:55 for third, and teammate Glenn clocked 14:57.
The Trojans used a final charge over the last half mile to limp out of town with the victory, holding off Plainfield North 81-104. Without instrumental member Caden Weber (Sr.), the Trojans relied on Ryan Eddington (Sr)and Grant Schroder (Jr) top ten placements- 8th and 9th, respectively. It was a measure of perseverance for the program, but at the same time, several onlookers took notes for a possible November battle of the ages.