DGN at St. Charles East Invite story (all levels)

Downers Grove North sophomore Alec Danner has come a long way in just one high school cross country season.

But how about a top-10 finish in his first major varsity invitational Saturday, Sept. 6 at St. Charles East’s Leavey Invite at Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve.

Actually, Danner followed senior Ryan Clevenger’s comfortable victory with an impressive fourth place in a personal-record time that helped the Trojans defend their team title with 53 points.

“(Fourth) felt pretty weird, to be honest,” Danner said. “I didn’t know how I was going to do. I knew I wanted to PR. I didn’t really expect (fourth) because (assistant coach Jill Blondell) had told me to finish in the top 10. I was kind of skeptical about that, but I managed to get top five, a medal, so I was pretty psyched about that.”

Clevenger covered the 3.0 miles in 14:51.9 to win by 19.3 seconds. Danner ran a personal-best 15:20.8 to beat his previous best of 15:40 for second to Clevenger at the season-opener EIU Showdown Aug. 27 at Greene Valley Forest Preserve.

“That’s just what we’re going to have to do because Alec, even though it was his first varsity race, he realized the expectations on his shoulders,” Clevenger said. “He stepped up and got the job done and what he needed to do, and that’s what we’re going to need.

“It was really good for us to win the team title. To actually be in a better position than we were last year (before finishing second in Class 3A), it’s always good to start off as a pretty good highly ranked contender because St. Charles East was predicted to win. It’s going to be good to help us jump up and get the recognition we deserve for the team that we have.”

Seniors Joe Carter (11th, 15:48.5), Zac Christensen (17th, 15:57.2) and Jack Diamond (20th, 16:00.5) also placed among the top 20. Seniors Bruce Tamlin (34th, 16:22.2) and Dillon Murphy (82nd, 17:42.4) were the team's No. 6 and 7 finishers.

The Trojans finished well ahead of St. Charles East (91 points) after being ranked behind them by DyeStat Illinois (No. 14 vs. No. 21), although the Trojans were ranked higher by MileSplit Illinois (No. 13 vs. No. 25). In this week’s rankings, the Trojans have moved up to No. 9 by DyeStat and No. 10 by MileSplit.

“We wanted to come out and knew we kind of had a pretty good idea of what we had and for the guys to demonstrate what we had in their races was very good, a nice, encouraging start,” Downers North coach John Sipple said.

“It was of (Danner’s and Carter’s) coming out party. After Alec did what he did in track, I knew this fall had the potential to be a big season for him. I think it’s a great start where Alec is at right now.”

Danner and Carter were alternates for last year’s state lineup. Danner went on to have a strong season in track on the frosh-soph level mostly in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter run.

“I think ultimately maturity (has helped Danner). He’s come a long way and also he had the opportunity to watch the way the guys operated last year because he was off with the varsity so much, even as a freshman, that he was able to soak up a lot of good experience,” Sipple said.

“He’s grown up a lot in the past year and is really focused on what he wants to do and what it’s going to take. I think he’s starting to see the benefits of that, outside of practice, as well as just being more mature and having a more calm demeanor about him. Last year, being a freshman, he’s looking over his shoulder (in races), doesn’t know what’s going on, is kind of aloof to what’s happening and now he’s in. I don’t think he’s really intimidated here (on varsity) because he’s competing really well.”

Danner showed his competitive edge Saturday. The only people to beat him Saturday besides Clevenger were Marmion senior Brady Bobbitt (15:11.2) and Oswego senior Brady Johnsrud (15:17.3). Danner said he was a bit disappointed that he was as high as third before eventually being passed by Bobbitt.

“I was hurting, obviously, physically, but mentally I was pretty strong,” Danner said. “Once I realized I was up there, I was like, ‘OK, yeah. I should be up here. This is where I kind of belong, right here in this pack.’ I wasn’t really overachieving or anything, just kind of where I wanted to be.”

Clevenger, seventh at state last year, took another step towards an early-season showdown with McHenry senior Jesse Reiser, second at state, at the First to the Finish Invitational Saturday, Sept. 13, at Peoria’s Detweiller Park, annual site of the state meet.

Clevenger took out the first mile in 4:53 and was never really challenged. Already by then, he had about a seven- or eight-second lead. Even in the opening 200 meters, other runners appeared to have conceded the race.

“There’s an incline for a half mile or so and just by that point, I wasn’t even hearing anyone breathing behind me or anything so I knew I had at least five or six seconds on everybody else in the pack,” Clevenger said.

“I thought I would have more people go with me but it made it a little easier to get the win and get ready for (Peoria). I went out there and just ran what I needed to do.”

Clevenger won the EIU Showdown in 15:30, but in that race the Trojans’ lead pack were instructed to run at a controlled pace before being able to break free for the final mile.

“I felt a little tired after the race. I won, but I was a little disappointed with how I executed it and I wanted to close a little faster. I just wanted to see if I was in pretty good shape and it’s good. I felt better in this race than I did when I ran the 15:30.”

Danner has big plans for Detweiller Park as well. He said he wants to drop another 20 seconds off his best time and challenge 15:00. That time would have contended for an all-state spot in the top 25 at the 2013 3A state meet.

“I’m really excited, just making a ton of improvement from last year cross country wise and just psyched to see how I’ll do the next meets. Last year, obviously being a freshman, I had no idea what to expect, how to race but now I’ve kind of refined that. I know when to surge, when to hold back, when to keep it steady and I’m getting more experience every race.”

Frosh-soph

Downers Grove North sophomore Drew Pyburn once again was willing to push himself to the limits at the St. Charles East Leavey Invitational at Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve Saturday, Sept. 6.

This time, Pyburn was able to sustain it for the last of the 3.0 miles to finish a team-best fourth in the frosh-soph race in 16:41.8.

“At the two-mile mark, there were three guys and just this pack right behind me. I turn around and I’m like, ‘Wow. I cannot let these guys catch up to me,’ ” Pyburn said. “I’m feeding off that and just saying, ‘I’m almost done. Keep pushing through this. It’ll be over soon.’ ”

Sophomore Tristan Jahn (18th, 16:59.1) and freshman Nick Chudzik (20th, 17:00.4) also were among the top 20, followed by sophomores Andrew Marek (29th, 17:14.3), Zach Goliszewski (33rd, 17:25.7) and Donny Knapp (53rd, 17:50.3) and freshman Jacob Riddderhoff (54th, 17:52.3).

The Trojans finished third (104), losing out to Batavia for second based on a sixth-runner tiebreaker. St. Charles East won with 54 points. 

Pyburn’s effort was impressive enough that he has earned a spot to compete with the varsity for the first time at the First to the Finish Invite Saturday, Sept. 13, at Peoria’s Detweiller Park, the site of the state meet.

Teams may enter as many as 10 runners in the varsity race at the invite as opposed to the usual seven. To replicate the schedule of state weekend, those in the varsity race drive down Friday and stay overnight. Those competing in the later open race will leave Saturday morning.

“Right now, I’m just on cloud nine right now,” Pyburn said. “I’m going down to Peoria with the varsity guys, which is a huge boost for me that I can do this. I can stick with these guys. It makes me feel like I deserve to be where I am.”

Pyburn tried the same aggressive race strategy at the season-opening EIU Showdown Aug. 27 at Greene Valley Forest Preserve. He was the Trojans’ frontrunner for the early portion of the race and ended up se seventh as their No. 3 finisher behind Chudzik (3rd place) and Marek (6th). Jahn sat out the opener with a slight injury.

Most of Pyburn’s freshman cross country season was spent sidelined by injury.

“For him to go out the way he did (at the Showdown), he’s got more staying power and just coming around really nicely,” Downers North coach John Sipple said. “I like to see him race aggressively at the frosh-soph level, get out there, stick your nose into it and that’s going to teach you how to race to some extent.

“I think also he just got another race under his belt. He was banged up by the time the Showdown came around and he wasn’t quite totally back to where he was once he got that injury. Now he’s to where his fitness level is expected to be and where he’d think and I would think it would be.”
 
Pyburn only was 3.1 seconds behind third-place St. Charles North sophomore Brett Lee (16:38.7) and 1.7 seconds ahead of fifth-place St. Charles East sophomore Jacob Beno (16:43.5).

Marmion swept first and second with Michael Ronzone (15:59.5), one of two freshmen in the top 12, and sophomore Andrew Lifka (16:20.0).

“I didn’t want to die off like I did the last time (at the Showdown) because the last mile I was really hurting, but I just stuck my neck out there again and put myself in position. I went out faster this time, but I was just hoping the same thing wouldn’t happen,” Pyburn said.

“It’s just kind of a boost of confidence. Running with more people kind of helped. It just made something to motivate me, to keep with the guy in front and not let him get away.”

Open race

As he enters his second high-school cross country season, Downers Grove North junior Bradley Wilcoxen is finding himself in a different spot.

Wilcoxen has become a frontrunner. On Saturday, Sept. 6, he was elated to finish second in the Open race at St. Charles East’s Leavey Invitational at Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve.

Wilcoxen, who covered the 3.0 miles in 16:49.2, only placed behind Wheaton North senior Bradley Dowell (16:35.9) in a field of 187 finishers.

“I was never really in front (before), but it was cool and it was good,” Wilcoxen said. “It was really good. I really enjoyed it. I definitely put out a lot of effort. It was not what I was used to because last year I wasn’t as fast.”

Junior Robbie Prescott (17:34.6) was 18th, followed by juniors Ryan Cantlin (27th, 17:47.6), Rocco Manzo (28th, 17:47.7), Nick Torres (50th, 18:19.4) and Trevor Smith (76th, 18:55.1) and senior Patrick Drabik (87th, 19:10.9). The Trojans (123 points) finished fifth.

At the season-opening EIU Showdown Aug. 27 at Greene Valley Forest Preserve, Wilcoxen gave an indication of his improvement when he finished 24th (17:15) in the varsity race as the Trojans’ No. 7 finisher.

“He’s one of those guys where his times are going to be coming down all season,” Downers Grove North coach John Sipple said. “He’s just still figuring things out, still learning how to race. His learning curve is pretty steep still and he’s still figuring out exactly how to train, how to push his body.

“We’re still testing the waters with him as well as far as a coaching staff. He has some pretty high aspirations so I think the additional focus is coming in as well, too, taking care of himself, sleeping right, eating right, all of the little things are coming around, too.”

Wilcoxen showed some racing maturity, considering that he was a bit off of first but still finished 9.1 seconds behind third-place St. Charles East junior Mason Holtsford (16:58.3). Fourth-place Wheaton North senior Will Thomas (16:59.6) also broke 17:00.

“Towards part of the race, there was a big pack behind me, but once we got past where there was 800 left, (Dowell) was able to finish really strong and all of the people behind me kind of died off,” Wilcoxen said. “The people behind me definitely pushed me to a faster time. It really boosts my confidence and I’m really looking forward to the future and seeing what I can do in future meets. It’s a good spot to be in for the beginning of the season.”

-- by Bill Stone