Scouting Reports: Lake Park Girls

Illinois XC 2012: Scouting Reports
Todd Grasley

The Lake Park girls cross country team looks to be one of the top teams not just in 3A but regardless of class in all of Illinois. The Lancers are led by one of the top runners in the nation senior Kaylee Flanagan and return ten of their top twelve from last year. Flanagan placed third at the 3A Illinois Cross Country Championships and went onto finish 31st at Foot Locker Nationals and 18th at Nike Cross Nationals. She is also coming off of a stellar track season where she won the 3200 meters in a time of 10:30.47. Coach Lauren May says Flanagan has put in a lot of work over the summer, is looking very tough and should be hard to beat come states. Behind Flanagan will be a quartet of seniors in Brianne Murphy, Sam Montalbano, Ruth Garippo, Rachel Garippo, and junior Nicole Alfano. All six have state meet experience with Montalbano being the second highest finisher for Lake Park in 50th place. Other runners looking to break into the top seven and are part of the returning twelve from last year include Maria Zepeda, Venus, Zepeda, and Andrea Wocjechowski. The Lancers finished 9th overall and hope that experience will guide them to a higher finish in 2012.

If the start of the season is any indication of the successes Lake Park has in store for 2012, they should be excited. The Lancers kicked off the sesaon at the Fenton Early Bird Invitational. Kaylee Flanagan took individual honors dipping under the seventeen mark with a time of 16:56.00. Teammate Sam Montalbano finished fifth with Rachel Garippo in eigihth as the Lancers placed all five runners in the top seventeen to win with 47 points over some strong teams like Downers Grove North, Downers Grove South, and Prospect.

The following week Lake Park hosted its Lake Park Lancer Invitational and Flanagan once again proved why she is one of the top runners in the nation running a new personal best for three miles 16:27.00 and winning over Glenbard West junior Madeline Perez by eighteen seconds! Montalbano finished second in 17:52.10. Lake Park got all five runners in the top twenty-seven spots to edge out a tough Glenbard West squad who was coming off an upset of then US#4 New Trier.

Cross country goes to show you that anyone can be beaten any given day. Glenbard West upset New Trier and Lake Park beat Glenbard West. It will be a battle at Detweiller Park the first week of November there is no doubt about it.

Coach Lauren May Says...

"As a team the girls have their sights on improving their top ten team finish from last year and going after a trophy. Last year we had a lot of injuries towards the end of the season and as a program we are striving to stay healthy and work more on injury prevention. This summer the girls have put in a lot of hard work, miles, and were really pushing the pace in their distance runs and looking stronger than ever. They are running as a pack and are going to continue to race as a pack – not only the top five, but to get our 6th and 7th runners with that pack as well."


2012 Returner's Top Times

5K XC

Lake Park High School 315
  1) Kaylee Flanagan   16:41.92 1
  2) Brianne Murphy   17:25.00 22
  3) Sam Montalbano   17:50.00 56
  4) Rachel Garippo   18:15.00 113
  5) Ruth Garippo   18:19.00 123
  Average Time: 17:42.18 -- Total Time: 1:28:30.92 -- 1-5 Split: 1:37.08
  6) Maria Zepeda   18:41.90 210
  7) Andrea Carvello   18:58.00 279

Girls 3200 Meter Run
10:25.98 Flanagan, Kaylee IHSA 3A Lake Park Girls Sectional 2012-05-10
11:11.36 Murphy, Brianne Carol Koszola Classic

Girls 1600 Meter Run
4:57.79 Flanagan, Kaylee Carol Koszola Classic 2012-04-21
5:07.25 Murphy, Brianne IHSA 3A Lake Park Girls Sectional 2012-05-10
5:36.55 Alfano, Nicole IHSA 3A Lake Park Girls Sectional 2012-05-10

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