DGN vs. Jacobs/Plainfield North

Senior Jared Spilky is maintaining a consistent approach for the Downers Grove North boys cross country team.

”I feel about the same responsibility as I felt all four years I’ve been here. It’s about the team,” Spilky said. “Certainly I have a more important role as a senior because all of the other guys are going to be looking up to me, and I just try to show them how a senior should be running. You should be running your tail off and giving your all to your team.”

The Trojans’ season opener Aug. 29 at Greene Valley Forest Preserve truly was a team performance. After a massive purple front pack dominated the first two miles of the race, the Trojans broke on their own to complete dual victories over Jacobs 16-47 and Plainfield North 15-50.

Senior Zack Smith (15:53) and junior Ryan Clevenger (15:55) took first and second on the 3.0-mile course with Spilky (16:01) and senior Jeremy Craven (16:04) third and fourth. Craven was two seconds ahead of Jacob’s top finisher, the only non-DGN runner in the top 13.
 
”They did exactly what we wanted, trying to get through the first two miles in around 10:40, 10:45, hard tempo but nothing too difficult and then let’s let them rip a little bit in the last mile,” Downers North coach John Sipple said.

“We’re trying to build these guys into packing it up a little bit more because in order for us to do something good, we have to have a nice tight split from Zach to our seventh guy, preferably to our 12th man. If we can get that close to a minute or 45 seconds from 1 to 5 off of Zach and Ryan, we’re going to be doing pretty darn good.”

This triangular was an added meet this season, reuniting head coach Sipple, Andy Dirks (Plainfield North) and Kevin Christian (Jacobs) from their days as teammates at Eastern Illinois University. The meet also gave the Trojans an early race before most of the teams they’ll face at St. Charles East’s Leavey Invitational Saturday at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve.

”I think we did awesome today. The first mile and a half, we had nine, maybe more, right up there in that top group,” Smith said. “We think if we can run as a pack in this type of race right here, that can translate to some of the bigger meets and our invites.

”It’s definitely a different mindset, but then you’ve got to be able to switch gears over in that last mile. We picked it up a little bit. You have to think a little differently and kind of hold yourself back, but racing’s racing and we did what we wanted to today and we’re happy.”

Smith, eighth at last year’s state meet, and Clevenger are projected to be among the state’s top individuals, but it was Craven and Spilky who were out front the first two miles setting the tone for the pack. Since conditions were hot, Spilky said the team wasn’t too disappointed that their 10:45 two-mile split was a couple seconds off what they envisioned.

”I would imagine that there are a couple of guys speaking up (in the pack),” Sipple said. “Jeremy was out front in the beginning. He set the tempo. And a couple of the other guys were kind of rounding guys up, making sure we’re all together.”

Senior Marc Mathy was sixth in 16:07, one second from fifth, followed by the pack of juniors Joe Carter, Jack Diamond and Zac Christensen all in 16:51, and the pack of junior Bruce Tamblin (17:15), seniors Anthony Iacovetti and Anthony Adams (17:16 each) and junior Jack McGinnis (17:17).

Jacobs’ Corey Albrecht (5th, 16:06) was the only runner to deny the Trojans total domination. Jacobs’ No. 2 finisher was one second behind McGinnis.

”(We learned) that we can run as a group and just feel comfortable together and we can all trust each other to be together,” Clevenger said. “Even if they’re small (races), we can be united and together.”

While the race was more about strategy, Spilky was encouraged afterwards that his time was slightly ahead of 16:07 in the 2012 opener.

”I knew Clev and Zach were going to get me and I just tried to go with Jeremy because we usually run around the same time and just gave whatever I had left, which was a decent amount, but I was still exhausted,” Spilky said. “I just hope I stay healthy throughout the season and I want to be peaked around sectionals, early November. That’s when I want to be my fastest.”

In the frosh-soph race, the Trojans beat Jacobs 17-46 and lost to Plainfield North 22-37.

Freshman Alec Danner was second (17:35), sophomore Robby Prescott was fourth (18:35), freshman Tristan Jahn was eighth (19:32) and sophomore Ryan Cantlin (19:50), freshman Andrew Marek (19:56), sophomore Nick Torres (20:01) and freshman Collin Leger (20:18) were 13th through 16th.

Danner was making his high-school debut after running for St. Joan of Arc from fifth through eighth grade. Danner said his goal before the race was to break 18:00.

”Coming in, I was a bit nervous. I had butterflies,” Danner said. “Once I got started, I had a lot of confidence in myself and then I just kept going and kicking it and then I got a good place. It was good and I felt good about myself. I started my high-school career off well.”

Danner was second to a sophomore, Plainfield North’s Jack Sebok (17:06), who his team’s fastest runner of the day by 26 seconds over the Tigers’ top varsity finisher. With Danner 48 seconds ahead of third-place Plainfield North sophomore Daniel Gibson (18:23), Danner ran by himself most of the race.

”It was tougher definitely than running with the other people that I’m used to during practice. I just managed to push through and keep myself going,” Danner said.

”Especially the last mile being totally by himself, that was good. For Alec’s first time (racing for us), that was great,” Sipple said. “He had a lot of composure, and he just kept coming on strong, closed on those guys as the race went on.”

Prescott, among just five sophomores in the entire program, could appreciate Danner’s nerves for his high-school debut. Prescott said he not only ran significantly better than he did in his Downers North debut in 2012 but he also easily surpassed his pre-race goal of breaking 19:00.

”I didn’t expect to do that well, but then I just felt really great and just kept it going,” Prescott said. “I did a lot better this year since I had a little bit of experience from last year.”

Prescott said Danner’s effort certainly helped him to run faster. Prescott also was pushed by Plainfield North freshman Hunter May (5th, 18:42) and was glad to out battle him in the end.

”I just start out, see what kids are around me and then I try to place myself with them and I just try to stick with them the whole race and then make my move and pass them at the end to finish in a good place,” Prescott said.

”His summer (training) was OK, but he’s had a really nice solid last couple of weeks so he’s coming around nicely. His workout earlier this week was fantastic,” Sipple said.

In his Downers North debut, Jahn made the biggest move within the race to finish within the top 10. Sipple said the exciting aspect was that Jahn felt he still had plenty of energy left after the race.

Sipple said the future plan will be for Jahn to get out a little faster and hopefully for the nice pack that was within 20 seconds to progress as well.

”(Early on, Jahn) was probably 30th and just kept coming on the whole time. He’s not the fastest guy, but he can outdo people. The longer it goes, the better he’ll be,” Sipple said.

”The best part about the freshmen is they’ve got so much to learn. You’ve got to race them to figure it out. They need to figure it out. As much as you try to give them some strategy, they still need to go out and try to make it happen in the race. And that’s hard to do.”

-by Bill Stone