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lockportlegend.com sports
the Lockport Legend | November 8, 2018 | 39
fastbreak
Tim Cronin/22nd Century
Media
1st and 3
LTHS boys, girls
cross country teams
compete at state
1. Giving their all
The Lockport girls
cross country team
finished 22nd out of
a total 25 teams at
state Saturday, Nov.
3, at Detweiller Park
in Peoria. The team
improved one spot
from its 23rd-place
finish a year ago.
2. Looking for progress
The LTHS boys team
ended up 24th out
of 25 schools at
state Saturday, Nov.
3, at Detweiller Park
in Peoria. Their finish
was likewise one
place higher than a
year ago, when they
finished 25th.
3. Team leaders
Marc Schelli led
the Porters boys
team with a 47th
overall finish with a
time of 15:00.55,
while Kate Wojcikiewicz
ran a time of
17:56.55, good for
71st overall to lead
the girls.
Boys Cross Country
Porters focus on improvement made in 24th-place finish at state
Seniors Schelli,
Paske take the lead
for LTHS in Peoria
Tim Cronin, Freelance Reporter
It’s a funny thing to describe
improvement in cross
country, but it fits Lockport’s
boys team: baby steps.
The Porters were 25th out
of 25 schools in the 3A state
championship last year.
This year at Detweiller
Park in Peoria, they were
24th.
“It looked good, better
than last year,” LTHS coach
Tom Razo said. “It was a fast
race today, but as a team, we
ran better. I think the kids
put it out there today, so
I’m completely happy with
them. They came back and
fought hard.
“We were close to 23rd
[Lake Zurich], 22nd [Minooka],
so we’re moving
up.”
The Porters were led by
senior Marc Schelli, 47th
overall and 36th in the
team points race, timed in
15:00.55, about 36 seconds
faster than last year on the
same course, and beating his
career-best by 24 seconds.
“Marc ran a great race,
kept on moving,” Razo said.
Schelli took the experience
of last year, when he
was bottled up in the pack,
to heart and got off to a fast
start. That set up the rest of
his race.
“I figured just go fast,”
Schelli said. “If you get too
far behind, it’s really hard
to work your way back up.
Since I knew this would be
the fastest race of the year,
my whole mindset was to
pass as many people as possible.
Just keep picking them
off, keep going up and up
and up.
“I was thinking mid-race,
‘Hey, it’s your last race,
make it your best one.’ ”
Schelli was followed by
senior Donovan Paske (84th,
15:15.80), whose adventure
en route to a personal-best
by 25 seconds included losing
his right shoe a mile in
thanks to being stepped on.
Running the rest of the way
with only a hot pink running
sock on he said didn’t slow
him.
“Most kids, that would
dictate what kind of race he
ran. Not him,” Razo said.
“He did well.”
“As a team, I think it was
pretty good for us,” Paske
said. “We ran pretty much
what we were supposed to
do. We didn’t want a repeat
of last year. The strategy was
to be in the mix at the start,
and after a mile, just go for
it.
“I knew it was time to
go, because you could feel
everyone else was slowing
down, and you still feel
good, so you just take off.”
After Schelli and Paske
came Jacob Hinchley (119th,
15:29.20), Ross Cromhom
Lockport’s Marc Schelli (2276) took 47th overall with a time of 15:00.55 in the 3A state
championship held Saturday, Nov. 3, at Detweiller Park in Peoria. Photos by Tim Cronin/22nd
Century Media
(165th, 15:50.77), Alexander
Kistinger (171st, 15:53.15),
Brendan Diamond (192nd,
16:07.53) and Aidan Pajeau
(200th, 16:19.66) for the
Porters.
RIGHT: Sans his right shoe,
Lockport’s Donovan Paske
(middle) takes the final few
steps to the finish line in the
3A title race, finishing 84th
overall in 15:15.80.
LISTEN UP
“They all did awesome, so I’m happy. They work a lot in
summer and during the season talking to each other during
runs so they can talk to each other during races.”
Regan Cronholm — LTHS girls cross country coach, on her team
after state
Tune In
Girls Swimming
Swimming to the sectional — Saturday, Nov. 10, at
Sandburg
• After Lindsey Merk broke a school and pool record
for the 200-meter IM at the conference meet, the
team now is ready to give its best at the sectional.
Index
35 - This Week In
35 - Athlete of the Week
FASTBREAK is compiled by Contributing Editor
Thomas Czaja, tom@homerhorizon.com.