Howdy y’all! Who is hyped for the start of another electrifying Cross Country season! I know that I am. It’s been an exciting year for the Illinois XC Club since we last hit the grass and we’re opening the fall looking to keep up that energy and momentum. Without any further ado, let’s get into a run-down of last weekend!
Similar to our opening race of 2021, this was an interesting weekend with plenty of the unconventional, as well as things to be proud of. To begin race day, everybody met at the Armory bright and early, arriving no later than 6:10 AM. Despite the frankly unreasonably early start to the day, the atmosphere of our athletes was palpably enthusiastic. As everyone piled into their respective cars, I could tell that today was going to be one to remember.
As we were arriving at the IU Championship Cross Country Course, our cars were being pelted with a torrential downpour. It had been storming all morning in Indy and we were not being spared. All our athletes waited in our various cars as the weather cleared enough for everyone to warm up and get ready to race. This was when we received the first major curveball of the season; the men’s and women’s races had been combined and everyone was going to race together. This meant that the men lost almost an hour in terms of time for warming up and that the course was going to be extra crowded. Despite this, our runners showed that they were up to the challenge, able to deal with whatever challenge was put in their path.
As the start time approached, the whole team gathered for the pre-race breakdown led by our illustrious Head Coach Spencer Nelson and GMC Lauren Bartels. After getting some words of encouragement, the Illini took to the start line ready to make money moves on a humid, hilly course. Now, this race was peculiar not just because of the combined field, but also because of the distance. As it was only a 5k instead of the traditional 8k/6k, it was a prime opportunity to shake off the summer rust and kick the season off on a high note. And the rust certainly came off during this race.
Crossing the finish line first for the Illini was Ethan Forsell, who made good on his strong workout showings in his debut with the club, placing 2nd overall on the men’s side. Adam Gorcyca, Spencer Nelson, and Justin Ostrem were our next trio of scorers, a mix of veteran savvy and new blood that fueled our gentlemen to 3rd, 4th, and 5th, respectively in an effort indicative of even better things to come. Social Coordinator extraordinaire Cadyn Grafton ran a determined race that earned him another of our scoring spots, coming across 7th overall. Patrick Tallon and IXC Fantasy Football Commissioner Cade Baker rounded out our top 7, coming across one after the other at 10th and 11th. John Burns made good on a week of late night runs and earned himself 13th overall, with Arthur Mazzeo hot on his tail less than a second later for 14th. Kyle Kenmotsu, who could be seen gritting it out on the course, came across the line in 15th, closely followed by Nolan Enright who showed off the way that he moves, finishing in 16th place. Adam Lupatkin capped off this slew of IXC studs with a great first outing for the club, grabbing himself 17th. Separated by one competitor, Jacob Duzan balled out in his inaugural IXC meet, coming in at 19th. Club legend and former treasurer Alex Kogen managed to barely get the best of Phillip Hu, taking it by less than a second, as they finished neck and neck at 21st and 22nd. Quinn Born could be found at the finish line cheesing and supporting his teammates after running a solid 24th place himself.
Resident speedster and one of the favorites on the women’s side was Brisa McGrath, picking up where she left off last season by turning in a strong 2nd place finish in her division. Lukas Tichota, strong newcomer for best hair on the club, also had a strong start to his career here, taking home 31st for himself. Aidan Markiewicz followed up a strong week of training with a 34th place finish, setting a good baseline to build off of. Big Hand Man Henry Hornbrook took a break from mid-distance and ran his first XC race since high school and looked great doing it, crossing the line for a 36th place finish. Seth Westfall gutted out a tough race with a strong effort and secured himself 37th right behind Henry. Dhruva Chowlur followed them across the line seconds after, with a good debut on a tough course earning 38th. Nathaniel Lenning began another long run of Illinois competitors, getting himself through a difficult opener and excited for what’s to come, snagging 40th.
Emma Bergmann began her tenure with IXC in stellar fashion, capturing 4th on the women’s side with a great effort. Claire Casiello showed off the work she’s been putting in, grabbing 5th place and the last of the women’s hardware while setting herself up for even bigger races in the future. Alyson Fica continued the scoring for our women, toughing out the hills and grabbing 6th. Joseph Kuang followed up a long afternoon of scavenger hunting with a good start to the season, placing 41st. Fellow Chicago Southsider Evelyn Rowan represented well for us, putting strong workouts on display as she cruised to 7th place and points for the team. Anna Zlatic and Bridget Brokaw completed our women’s top 7, ensuring that the women took home the 1st place plaque with 10th and 11th place finishes one right after the other. Shoutout to Anna for making an impact so quickly into her first season with IXC! Nathan Chiang ran what must’ve been the hottest race he’s ever run, managing a strong finish in 42nd despite wearing a t-shirt instead of a singlet. Deven Lane started his freshman campaign well, posing for the camera as he snuck past Charley Hoppis for 43rd. One half of the team’s best bromance Charley Hoppis ran a good race as well, securing 44th after hyping up his car with plenty of pre-race bangers. Kelly Bickhart also showed the camera some love, easily giving us the best photo-op of the meet while running a great race that saw her take 14th place. Gabe Benson showed what he was all about, fighting through the conditions for a gutsy finish, bringing home 45th and laying the groundwork for yet another good season. Representing the other half of the Hoppis-Meadows dynamic duo, James Meadows started the season strong finishing soon behind Gabe for 46th. Matthew Roalkvam, who may be the happiest runner I’ve ever seen, smiled his way through the race and closed out the race for our men with a 47th place finish. Allison Kokal and Christina Li battled to the end, crossing the line on each other’s hip for 22nd and 23rd place. Sofia Koziura rounded out our women’s side, cruising to a 24th place finish and closing out an excellent day of racing for our club. (Special mention for Mikeelie Jensen who ran into a bout of ankle injuries during the race and pulled out, I know how temperamental ankles can be. I hope those ankles get well in time for our next race!) (Second special mention goes to IXC President Maddy Feehan, Lauren Bartels, and Elizabeth Coats for showing out and cheering on their teammates on a long day, even when they weren’t competing!) (I hope you’re not sick of these because third special mention goes to Norb Nieves and Nathaniel Lenning, for taking photos of the meet and providing a camera to use.)
Overall, it was a great day for the team, with both of our men’s and women’s teams taking home the win despite doubt from the naysayers 😉 (shoutout Reasonably Speedy, go check them out here for excellent coverage of college club running: reasonablyspeedy.substack.com). Although both the men’s and women’s teams were missing some key contributors who will certainly make some noise later this fall, we were still able to pull through. I’m very proud of our runners for rolling with the punches and showing off our mental toughness on a day that would’ve gotten the best of a less dedicated group. This is a special bunch of people, and that was on display all day with the support and encouragement that everyone afforded each other. With that, we are on to the next one with the Olivet Invitational on September 16th! Can’t wait to see you all there and spend some time with this team!
Yours truly,
Tristan <3
Great showing, exciting season to look forward to.