Perfect weather, perfect course and perfect competition, makes for a perfect cross country meet. The Peoria Notre Dame Invitational accomplished that Saturday. US #22 Naperville North beat IL-ranked Palatine by four points for the team title. Out-of-stater Griff Graves (Sr., Abingdon, VA), won the three mile race in 14:19. Meanwhile, US #8 Hinsdale Central girls won the team title, barely beating runner-up Stagg 126-137. Individually, Caitlin Comfort (Sr., Peoria Notre Dame) won in 16:42.
Peoria Notre Dame Invitational Wrap-Up
Boys Race
The yearly arrival of Griff Graves (Sr., Abingdon, VA) actually surprised some people. The past two years, Graves traveled to cross country or track meets in Illinois (where his father grew up). While some speculated about Graves' arrival this year at the Peoria Notre Dame Invitational, his appearance was certainly newsworthy.
From the gun, Kevin Havel (Sr., Hersey, IL), Nick Holmes (Sr., Limestone, IL) and Graves led the race. Passing through the mile around 4:40, the pace slowed, but not by much. Stride for stride, Havel and Graves tried various pace changes trying to break each other. Last year Havel beat Graves, but this year Graves put down the decisive move. At two and a half miles, Graves put in a surge and broke Havel and Holmes, finishing strong in 14:19 for three miles. Holmes, the surprise runner of the day, took second in 14:24, while Havel finished third in 14:27.
While a great individual battle was taking place, an intriguing team race was unfolding. Naperville North entered the race as clear favorites, ranked twenty-second in the U.S. and second in Illinois. Through the first mile, North had a small lead over IL #7 Palatine. Through two miles, North still led in the team score, but Palatine was not relenting. North's top two battled Palatine's number one, while North's 3-4 tried to track down Palatine's 2-5. Coming up the 300m straightaway towards the finish, North put in one last push and came away victorious 106-110. North's third man, David McWilliams, passed Palatine's 2-3 runners, clinching the win for the Huskies.
Side note: Heartland #2 Pleasant Valley, IA traveled to PND with top three expectations. However, the finished seventh, losing to six Illinois teams.
Girls Race
While the boys race was captivating, the best individual race occured in the girls varsity race. Within the first half mile of the race, four athletes emerged as the main contenders. Caitlin Comfort (Sr., Peoria Notre Dame, IL), Annette Glaz (Sr., Stagg, IL), Nicole Benson (Sr., Limestone, IL) and Kristin Sutherland (Sandburg, IL) moved in a pack through the first two miles, eventually seperating, with Comfort and Sutherland leading. Comfort, the more experienced runner, led while Sutherland followed closely behind. As the final turn came upon them, Comfort surged, breaking Sutherland in the process, and won with a time of 16:42. Sutherland finished second in 16:46, while Benson also broke 17 minutes, finishing third.
The excitement of the individual race definitely carried over to the team race. Favored US #8 Hinsdale Central (IL) looked to be running away from the field at the half way point. Despite the appearance, Stagg (IL) moved up over the middle mile, positioning themselves for an upset. With Hinsdale Central's response, the concluding mile earned the crowds attention. Climbing the final 200m of the course, Hinsdale Central pulled away from Stagg for a big 126-137 win. Hinsdale's 4-5 runners made all the difference, beating Stagg's 4-5 by a combined 28 points. IL-ranked Wheaton Warrenville South ran strong over the final mile finishing third.