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Paul Vandersteen – Head Coach paul_vandersteen@ipsd.org Jaime Janota – Varsity james_janota@ipsd.org Steve Saul – Sophomores steve_saul@ipsd.org Mike Rossi – Freshmen michael_rossi@ipsd.org Arnoush Javaherian – Freshmen arnoush_javaherian@ipsd.org Chris Rohde – Junior Varsity chris_rohde@ipsd.org
Nike Regional Cross Country
Championships – November 15th The guys formed a club again
(South Naperville) to run in this meet.
This time, they decided to form
a team to run in the frosh/soph race too.
We were 5th in the Championship race and were champions in the f/s race,
winning a tie breaker with the Belvidere squad. The Belvidere team is made up of sons of guys
I used to run with/against back in the old days – Don Volkey and Troy
Yunk. It was surreal to meet Logan
Volkey, the son of Don Volkey. He
looked and talked just like Don. Don
was State xc champion, as a junior, in 1978.
He did not compete for Belvidere High School his senior year (a long
story that he has to tell). Overall, it was a good meet
for the underclassmen to get their feet wet for next year, but I know the
guys were not pleased with their team performance. If you were named Brian, Bryan, or Harsha, you
ran pretty well. It looked like the
dietary adjustments for Bryan paid dividends.
Danny, Luke, Aaron, and Connor had off days. Welcome to our season. We did not meet expectations, but as Coach
Rossi said to me earlier, “if I would have told you four years ago you would
be the 5th best team in the Midwest, you would have been very happy.” He is right but I now understand why Mr.
Newton and the York crew are disappointed when they don’t win. I now know why Coach Quick is disappointed
when Palatine
does not win a trophy. When winning becomes a habit, it is hard to
accept anything else. I could accept
our fourth place finish at the State meet, because even though we did not run
particularly smart, we competed. It did not help that a couple of the guys
had the flu this week. Check out this video and
you begin to understand the importance of having a mental focus going into a
big race – a lapse, and 10 places can be lost very quickly. On a more positive note, our ‘Open’
guys ran fairly well in the Championship race (they were in this race because
they did not register properly). Brian
Griffith (16:35), David Wing (16:42), and Carlton Folster (16:49) would have been
in the mix for the lead in the Open race.
Josh Antonson (17:03) was the second highest finishing sophomore in
the combined Open and frosh/soph race.
The future looks bright. I am really looking forward to next
year. We are going to do some different
things that I believe will make a huge difference for us. All
in all, it was a very fun season with some great memories. I was out-coached this year but even a
veteran coach like me can learn and make the adjustments J. IHSA State Meet – November 8th We ran hard but it was not our
day to get a trophy. Results.
I cannot fault our guys for a lack
of effort. Every single guy ran with
intensity and guts, and that is all I can ask. Bryan Winek was 9:48 at two miles but for
some reason cannot finish well. It
remains a mystery. Sometimes, that is
what happens and one cannot explain it.
Luke has the same problem to a degree.
Even though we did not run a great team race, you would be hard
pressed to find a better 4th place team in the history of the IHSA State
meet. Congratulations to Naperville
North, York, and Geneva. If there was
anyone that I wanted to win, if it was not in the cards for us, it was NN and
Dave Racey, their head coach. He has
had some disappointing State meets and he deserved this win. He and Tom Razo at Lockport are responsible
for organizing the first distance clinics here in Naperville. I am convinced this is the reason you have
seen a resurgence of other teams like Geneva, and Dixon in AA, rise to
different levels. Kyle Gibson is as
nice a young man as you will find. I
am sure the other NN members are just as cool as Kyle. We got beat by three of the
best teams in the country and it will be fun to have another shot at them
next week in Terre Haute. Aaron will have a better race now that the IT
problems seem to be behind him. Bryan and Luke will run the first half of the
race more conservatively to see if they can finish stronger. Harsha, while only being a sophomore, is
showing signs of greatness. Connor and
Brian have run well as of late and I still feel their best races are ahead of
them. Danny is a tough competitor and
will continue to run well up front.
Our strength is our depth, and even though it was not enough to help
us in the State meet, it may come into play next weekend. Brian Griffith’s 15:25 time trial run the
evening before is a testament to this depth.
Who knows what David Wing is going to do since he did not get a chance
to show it this weekend being the eighth man, and me not wanting to risk a
time trial the night before the race.
I am looking forward to watching our guys run in the Open race and
Championship race next weekend. Again, the night before the
race was very special to me and the other coaches. To sit in that room and talk about the
memories and our feelings for each other is something that will live in my
memory forever. In reflection, we
need to do this more often. Obviously,
it won’t have the flavor of the night before State, but I feel we need to
meet together to talk about our commitment to one another and our goals
throughout the season. Friday night
made me realize even more how lucky I am to coach such great, young men. It made me realize how lucky I am to be
surrounded by such great coaches. I
think the picture below illustrates what we are all about – family. Thanks to Jim Galen for sending me this
picture.
The coaching staff talked on
the way home and we are very excited about some new initiatives that will
enable us to reach another level of excellence. We know we have the young guys who are
willing to work hard and the talent to do something special next year. I am really looking forward to
this weekend. Keep the fire. A lot can change in one week J I will post some more pictures on
Tuesday. IHSA Sectional Meet – November 1st Well, to say that we did not
run well would be an understatement. Results. No excuses
other than we need to be more focused this week to get ready for the State
meet. We will be ready. We will get more rest and do the other
little things that will make a difference.
If our 2-5 guys run just 15-20 seconds better than this meet
(something we have done many times before), we will be in good shape with
Aaron back in the lineup. I KNOW that
we can accomplish this with more rest and a renewed focus on the task
at-hand. I am excited! Saturday cannot come too soon J IHSA Regional Meet – October 25th,
2008 I love this part of the
season. This past week, we were
fortunate enough to listen to world class marathoner Dick Beardsley and super
coach Al Carius of North Central College on two separate occasions. Their enthusiasm is contagious and their
message is inspirational. Both of
these men have witnessed and personally overcome adversity to be truly
successful people. We were very lucky
to have both of them with us this past week. We are looking good and we
keep getting better each week. I base
a lot of how we are doing off of our split from Danny. Danny ran a good race and we had a 41
second split 1-5. If we can get that down
to under 35 seconds, we will be faring very well. Naperville North ran another great race to
beat us 26-33. Results. However, this
is about the same score that they beat us at Lockport when we had Aaron in
the lineup. If Aaron runs, it is much
closer. But, when it’s all said and
done, it really doesn’t matter. What
matters is that we continue to get ready for the next race to be in good
position to run well at the State meet.
Another race where Pawola and Gibson
dual it out to the finish……. Upstate Eight Conference – October
18th, 2008 It was a beautiful day to run
with temperatures in the high 50’s and sunny skies. We managed to win all three races
again. Pawola was back in form which
was good to see. Walking the course
before the race, I think we have figured out how to get Danny to run well
more consistently. He was drinking
excessive amounts of water before races.
Drinking too much water can deter performance just like being dehydrated and can actually be
dangerous. Many times we don’t realize
that water also comes from our food and other drinks. For example, if you eat a lot of fruit,
they are water-rich and you should not have to consume as much water. Even though the thirst mechanism is delayed
by about 20 minutes, it is still very reliable before a race to determine if
you should drink more water. After talking to Coach Bral at
Bartlett, he confirmed that this course runs about 30 seconds slower than
Detweiller.
Varsity Conference Champions,
L-R: Danny Pawola, Connor Shields,
Billy Klimczak, Brian Morenus, Bryan Winek, Luke Verbus, David Wing Again, the guys running in the
Open race will make it difficult for me to decide who runs at Regionals. The one good thing about Beattie being hurt
is that is allows me to juggle the lineup more to see who gets hot here at
the end of the season. As said before,
I am looking for potential top 5 guys who will compete vs. other runners, not
a guy who is satisfied with being in our top 7. Stacking up the times from all three races,
it looks like this:
The IHSA Regional meet will be
on held on our home course – DuPage River Park. We know every root and bump in those woods
and it will be fun to race on the paths opposed to working out on them. This is the really fun part of the season. I updated the Alumni page. It is great to
see so many guys running well in college.
Sterling Invitational – October 11th,
2008 I remember this meet last year
and how poorly we ran as a team overall.
Our #4-#7 men ran 15:48, 15:54, 16:10, and 16:19 (actually, the 15:48
was a solid effort from Bryan Winek, because he had been our 7th or 8th man
in past meets). Granted, it was hot,
but it was also fairly warm this year too.
Compare these same spots to a lineup that did not include Aaron
Beattie, and we were 15:45, 15:45, 15:46, and 15:51. In other words, we have potential to do
some great things in the next 4 weeks.
Bryan Winek ran 14:59 a week later at Lake Park once he got a little
rest. Kevin Grady ran 15:16 at Lake
Park after running 16:10 at Sterling.
Kevin went on to run 14:59 at State while Bryan ran poorly in 15:53. One guy was focused mentally to do the
little things, one was not. You get
the idea.
L-R:
Sophomore Harsha Torke leads David Wing at the 2 mile mark A lot of things can happen in
the last four weeks. Luke Verbus ran
faster at this meet than Aaron Beattie did last year. Can Luke run just as fast as Aaron did last
year at State? Yes, he can. The system is the same. Obviously, the key is to now take care of
the details that will add up to success the last 4 meets. Luke told me he was getting to bed early
all week. It made a huge
difference.
Luke Verbus leading Fenwick’s Martin
Grady. Grady would later out-kick Luke
for 3rd place. Who on this team is going to
make the sacrifices necessary to do great things in the end? Those of you willing to do the little
things, when a coach is not around, will enable this team to achieve
greatness. If you don’t, you made
that choice. You have worked just as
hard or harder than any team in the country.
Working hard is awesome, but without eating right, getting regular
sleep, and looking your teammates in the eye and making the commitment to
excel, it is all for naught. You
might have noticed that I deleted the accomplishments from last year in the
blue box. It is time for you to
determine what I should put there this year.
I believe in you guys. Results. Lockport Invitational – October 4th,
2008 Last week we had the
determination to make a mark. This
week was a little different. We were
beaten by a very good Naperville North team at every spot in our lineup. If you compare the efforts of our top seven
from last week to this meet, only Danny, Aaron, and Jordan ran faster. Again, our #3-#5 from last week were not
ready to compete or made tactical errors on a hilly course. Believe it or not, even with an ok team
race, we were not far off of our effort from last year when you add up the
times. Naperville North ran about 7
seconds per man faster than our team from last year on the same course in
similar weather conditions! Credit
goes to them for running a great team race. Results. I am looking forward to the Sterling
Invitational. We have a more specific
race plan and I look forward to seeing it implemented. I feel a great deal of excitement about our
future races. Culver Invitational – Sept. 27th
, 2008
The team in front of the lake at
Culver Academies the day before the race We were determined to run well
after our disappointing performance in Peoria two weeks ago. However, I did not anticipate that we would
run away with the championship. Results. All in all, we had a great time and that
was the primary goal of this trip – to bond as a team and run well. It is a real pleasure to travel with so
many guys who are such a class act.
The varsity guys accepting the first
place trophy After our frosh/soph team set the
tone of aggressive running, our varsity stepped to the line to do the
same. The outcome of the race was in
little doubt right before the first mile.
Carmel had a pack of three guys in the high teens, but we had seven
guys in the top 22 at this point.
Winek was right with Beattie and Morenus and Verbus worked together to
help put five guys across the line in front of Carmel’s #2 guy. Danny continued to run well as he finished
second overall while running six seconds faster than last year on a slower
course. We had a :45 second split
between our 1-5. If we can get this
split down under :35 seconds, we will be hard to beat this year. I updated the all-time
list. We had many additions, including Josh
Antonson, the fourth sophomore in our history to break 17:00 on this
course.
The 36 guys we brought to this meet
lineup to jump in the lake
The guys chant for the coaches to jump
into the water Overall, we had a blast this
past weekend. The plunge into the lake
from athletes and coaches alike was a memory to last a lifetime! We will continue to work hard and get ready
to take on a very good Naperville North team this weekend at Lockport. I can’t wait! Peoria Woodruff Invite – Sept. 13th,
2008 I think the best way to
describe our team right now is that we have an identity crisis J We had four guys in the Open race run
faster than our 4th man in the varsity race.
We seem to be too satisfied making our top 7 and we are not preparing
mentally for the next race once we achieve this status. I remember listening to legendary coach Joe
Vigil at a clinic talk about the importance of an established pecking order
on an xc team. I now understand that
importance. I also understand that
competition to make our top seven is a healthy thing as long as guys don’t
get complacent.
L-R:
4:09 miler, and Fishers, Indiana runner, Drew Shields, leads Danny
Pawola at the 2.25 mark Geneva ran a great race to
beat us soundly; they deserved the win.
Results. Our own win
streak came to an end but it had to happen sooner or later. I thought our Open guys ran
well last year but we may have surpassed it this year! We went 1,2,3,4,5,7,8, and 9 and there were
737 runners in the race!! It was great
to see our two sophomores run well and it was a very good first race from
David Wing.
L-R:
Aaron Beattie battles super soph Anthony Manfrin to the finish The races themselves and the
picnic in the rain afterwards were memories to last a lifetime. I have never seen a ground as soggy as it
was Saturday. I estimate the times to
be 50-55 seconds slower than normal.
The tent city built by our parents was awesome!
These guys had a blast slopping in the
mud for their first xc race! We will have our first interval
workout this week (4 x 1600m) as we start working toward improving our body’s
ability to use oxygen more efficiently.
I look forward to seeing the improved times at the Culver Invitational
in two weeks. Hornet-Red Devil Invitational –
September 6th, 2008 Our summer work paid off as we
swept all three levels at Katherine Legge Park. Results.
Freshman team champions – Hornet Red
Devil Invitational
Sophomore team champions – Hornet Red
Devil Invitational
Varsity team champions – Hornet Red
Devil Invitational (Connor Shields not pictured) The varsity race was fun to
watch as we packed up 8 guys through the first 2 miles. The pack eventually became 6 guys with only
600m remaining. Brian Morenus lost his
shoe in the creek but still managed to finish 16th. Pat Peters also lost his shoe in the same
race! We had 9 guys finish ahead of
every team’s 2nd man except Palatine.
Danny and Aaron looked very strong finishing 1-2. The course was very soft from the 4 inches
of rain we received on Thursday. I
look forward to getting David Wing and Hirsh Gaikwad back in the lineup this
Saturday in Peoria. Naperville Sun Story. More photos. Milesplit story. Run-a-thon another huge hit!
With warmer
conditions than last year, we had 9 guys run 10 miles faster than 60
minutes. This did not include Brian
Morenus. Of the nine guys, two were
sophomores and five were juniors! Five
other guys ran 10 miles in 60:30 or better.
Eight freshmen ran 32 laps or more in an hour. Danny Pawola ran under 55:00, only the
second guy in our history to achieve this distinction. Every year we get a surprise guy to enter
the mix in battling for a top 7 spot and after tonight, two guys never
mentioned before, showed us they have the ability to do so – Junior Jaffar
Mahmoud and Sophomore Hirsh Gaikwad.
We also had the most participants ever in this event and it was Labor
Day weekend. Our team membership is
now up to 144 men, the largest team in our history on this date. Jim Riddle (Illinois) and Kevin Grady
(Illinois State) are off to a great start!
See the Alumni Page!
Seniors Pat Peters, Brian Griffith,
Connor Shields, and Danny Pawola enjoying themselves at an
impromptu BBQ
Coach Saul
and the sophomore gang begging for food
Richie!!! One of our most dedicated runners. NV Cross
Country in the News (and other links) Top
Illinois Teams by Milesplit Pre-Season Rankings by DyestatIL The Harrier National Rankings by the Harrier Magazine Pre-Season Rankings and Danny Pawola by Chicago Tribune Fall 2008
Important Dates and Schedule Saturday, August 30th – Run-a-thon – 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 2nd – 203/204 meet; Saturday, September 6th – Hornet/Red Devil Inv.; all levels; Saturday, September 13th – Peoria Woodruff Invitational; all
levels; Tuesday, September 23rd – Upstate Eight Quad Meet; all levels; Saturday, September 27th – Culver Invitational; all levels (top
25 guys); Monday, September 29th – Tuesday, September, 30th – Upstate Eight Quad Meet; all levels; Saturday, October 4th – Saturday, October 11th – Sterling Inv.; all levels; Saturday, October 18th – Upstate Eight Conference Meet; all levels; Tuesday, October 21st – Plainfield
North Invitational; frosh/soph; Hammel Woods; 4:30 p.m. Saturday, October 25th – IHSA Regional Meet; varsity; TBA Saturday, November 1st – IHSA Sectional Meet; varsity; TBA Saturday, November 8th – IHSA State Meet; varsity; Cross
Country summer training begins! Summer
workouts found under ‘Workouts’. NEW! All summer runners are highly encouraged to
log their miles at www.logarun.com. See
instructions below. To receive a
letter this fall, one MUST log their miles on this site starting Wednesday,
August 13th. You might as well start
now. Remember, summer mileage jerseys
must be backed by logging your miles on this site. No use of site = no summer mileage
jersey! No use of site starting August
13 = no letter! Mileage club begins Monday, May 26th. All participants in the summer running
program should register for free at www.logarun.com. After registering, ask to be invited to
join our team ( Summer Summer XC Information – scroll to page two
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Dick
Beardsley signs a poster for Bryan Winek after his speech at Neuqua Valley.
The guys with the Nike truck at a Friday practice
Brian Morenus puts on a USA body suit and pretends to be
victorious – funny stuff J |
