|
Photos
The Doings
Devils run down dream, win
first state title
November 9, 2006
By Bill Stone | SPORTS WRITER
The Hinsdale Central girls cross country
team's cool down after Saturday's Class AA
state meet became almost as dramatic as the
race.
Trying to find out just how well they did, the
Red Devils detoured past posted results, but
those were only for coaches to see, so they
kept on jogging.
As they continued toward their tent area, they
were met by numerous teammates who were there
to cheer them and had just learned the
results.
Together as one, they celebrated the first
state championship in program history.
"We saw them sprinting over to us, and I
pretty much knew then because they were so
excited. I was like, 'Yeah, we won,' "
sophomore Elaine Kuckertz said.
"We were really nervous about it, really
stressed after the race. I don't know how the
girls found out, but somehow they did.
Actually I didn't even hear that we won. I
just heard them all screaming. I just inferred
it from there. We just started screaming and
crying and running around. It was so cool,
what the feeling was. It was just awesome."
After being ranked No. 1 in the state most of
the season, the Red Devils actually left
little drama Saturday at Peoria's Detweiller
Park. Their 123 points won the title by a
whopping 80 points over second-place
Barrington (203 points) with Benet Academy
(218) third.
Kuckertz earned all-state honors for top-25
finishers by taking ninth in 17 minutes, 19
seconds for the 3.0-mile race. Sophomores
Lauren Zumbach (29th, 17:45) and Roey Hines
(30th, 17:47), senior Gina Kapusta (34th,
17:50) and junior Emily Cleary (86th, 18:21)
were the other top-five finishers who
accounted for the team score, followed by
sophomore Heather Stevens (89th, 18:22) and
senior Jenny Laser (168th, 19:10).
The Red Devils' top five averaged a speedy
17:51 with Kapusta breaking 18:00 for the
first time.
"Everyone ran completely perfect races. We
knew that if we just went out and did what
we've been doing the whole season that good
things would happen, and they did," Kapusta
said. "I feel honored to be part of a
history-making cross country team. We all did
it for each other. We did it for Coach (Mark)
McCabe. We did it for all of us, and I'm just
so happy to have been a part of it and been a
part of this whole season."
This is the first trophy for the Red Devils,
who were fourth last year with 224 points,
eight points shy of third. Saturday's victory
margin is the third largest in AA since
two-class state meets began in 1988.
"It probably hasn't sunk in -- like the girls
said (until) they got their hands on the
trophy," McCabe said. "It was a really
enjoyable year because it's a group of girls
that are just fun to be around. They work
really hard, but they have fun at the same
time and they're there for each other.
"Every week everybody runs consistently well,
and there's a couple of people that step up
and run especially well and it happened again
today. Other than (second place at two
invites), we pretty much ran the table. It's
hard to do that."
Kuckertz exemplified that spirit Saturday.
Kuckertz was never the team's top finisher in
a race this season and she was the only girl
who hadn't competed at state before in a
lineup that boasted three prior all-staters --
Zumbach (20th) and Hines (24th) in 2005 and
Cleary (17th) in 2004.
Kuckertz collapsed as she crossed the finish
line but not before turning in the
second-highest individual finish in program
history to Diana Hill taking fifth in 1987.
"Honestly, I needed to just collapse because I
felt so tired. It was kind of a cool feeling,
because you're running so hard, because it's
never happened to me before," said Kuckertz,
the program's eighth all-stater. "It's so cool
to win state and be in the top 10. I just
really surprised myself. I think I'd rather do
really badly and have the team win than do
really well and have the team not win. I'm
glad I got to do both today."
Cleary led the Red Devils' seventh-place state
team in 2004. Last year, Cleary missed the
postseason after a stress fracture arose
following the conference meet, and Kapusta was
sidelined by mononucleosis after her regional
race.
"I have to say this is definitely more
exciting (than being all-state), having the
whole team to experience it with you," Cleary
said. "Even though I didn't place as well as I
would have liked today, it's just as exciting
because of the team and what we accomplished.
I think it's more than you could ever do as an
individual."
McCabe was an assistant coach to longtime head
coach Gail Avgeris for two years before
becoming head coach in 2002. Under McCabe, the
Red Devils have made state five straight years
after previously qualifying in 2000, 1987 and
1983.
"It's nice to bring home our first (trophy),"
McCabe said. "I told the girls it's a moment
they'll always remember, and I hope that if
they're not a senior, they'll remember more
moments like this before their years are
done."
© Copyright 2006 Sun-Times News Group
|
