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Welcome back ITFC to another meet writeup! Last Saturday, we returned back to familiar territory to take on the Olivet Nazarene University Tigers! Our second home turf at this point, we gave the Tigers a run for their money, got some new events under our belts, and set some crazy fast times on the tour to club relays! Without further ado, let’s jump right in!

Our friends on the field led off our day of track and field with some big jumps. Nick Hartmann took to the skies to show off his vertical. Nick started his year with a jump of 1.82m to land a top 8 finish! Welcome back to the high jump, Nick!

This meet also featured three of our toughest throwers, including Head Coach Beau Barber! Joining him were our standout freshmen Quinn Rivara and Frank Chavez! The men got their throwing arms readjusted to the weights, with Beau throwing 7.17m, Quinn with 8.44m, and Frank going 9.49m! Forms are sharpening, muscles are growing, and the throwers will be ready for some big throws by Club Relays!

For now, we say goodbye to our field event performers and go back to the track. As always, Tyler Klein shot out of the blocks like a rocket to start off the meet, advancing to the finals and placing second overall with a time of 6.97! Our boy Kevin Saju got up on time today and got out of the blocks early, running a nice indoor PR of 7.28! Adam Adil finished off our men’s 60m squad with a consistent 7.46 run for himself to get the day started!

Now it’s time for our hurdlers to throw down on the track, starting with Ben Cooper in his first ITFC race. Ben ran a great starting time of 9.37 to take third in the meet! Jumpman himself Derrick Stokes finished with a fifth place finish himself in 10.54, getting a little better week by week. Nice work, gentlemen!

This meet featured a rare Distance Medley Relay, so our standout distance freshmen took a stab at the relay. Mikey Smart, Braden Cardamone, Thomas Harmon, and Aidan Markiewicz made a great run individually and as a team. Unfortunately, the timers for the meet stopped the clock incorrectly, so the time was not properly recorded. However, the boys ran great, many of them starting their ITFC careers and warming up for a second run later in the day. We are proud of our future distance leaders!

The mile runners took to the track next, and John Wiser continued his dominance in the distance, especially with conservative tactics. Similar to last week, the race went out in a pedestrian pace in about 2:18 through the first 809m (for them anyway – I wouldn’t last that long at halfway), with John starting in the middle of the pack. Once again, similar to last week, Wiser had enough and took off, closing hard to take the win by nearly four seconds, running 4:29.30. I’d be scared if I were ahead by only a second halfway through with Wiser on the hunt. I should also worry about John Burns’ furious kick, dropping a 64 in the last 400m, coming in fourth for a 4:34.56 finish! Following close behind was Simon Hildy, dropping a nice five seconds from the last meet, running 4:39.43. President Cade Baker continued his mile streak with a 4:40.53, fighting through some soreness and closing hard. Alex Kogen also improved from last week’s performance with a strong 4:48.64 finish for him! In the next heat, freshman James Stanley and veteran Arthur Mazzeo ran a quick 4:50.93 and 4:51.37 respectively. Not too far behind was Mid D Coach Norb Nieves, with a respectable 4:54.63 start, an improvement from the previous ONU meet! The last Illini for this heat was Philip Hu, running a 5:02.46. Philip’s season debuts have gotten closer and closer to the sub-5 mark, so just a bit of patience and practice will lead him to the promised land in no time! Next up were Ryan Fredericks, Adam Lupatkin and Antony Rizk running very well together. All three worked with each other in sight, ultimately coming down to the final lap for placements between the three. Ryan’s kick led him to a 5:05.95 finish, with Adam right behind in 5:06.65, and Antony’s final surge led him to a 5:10.78 mark, which was run much more controlled and tactical than the week prior. All men had great races and improvements from prior races! John-3, aka John Bledsoe, also improved his previous mark with a 5:16.92 finish, which he ended with the fierce kick he possessed as well. Note to self: don’t count out any of the John’s in the final meters of a race. Nathaniel Lenning made his way through a more tactical and physical mile than most, still completing the distance in a respectable 5:25.60. Tristan Taylor is back in action as well, with Aidan Markiewicz hot on the trail, running 5:26.23 and 5:26.60 respectively. A very good run for Aidan, as this was his second mile of the day with not much rest time! Our boys Gabe Benson and Ryan McClowry brought us home once again, with a MASSIVE PR of 5:43.31 for Gabe and a great run of 5:48.87. Always a great showing by the milers of ITFC!

The women also toughed out the mile distance, with many running without a teammate to show their mettle. Diane Makovic shot out of the start like a cannon, dragging many behind her into a painful reminder that they simply could not hang. She ran with grit and a toughness not seen in many others, running a time of 5:25.91 for a third place finish! Evelyn Rowan led her heat following, with a dominant win in her heat, going under 5:40 with a 5:38.63 time! Awesome running by our starting women. Claire Casiello had herself the run of a lifetime, with a blistering PR of 5:49.19 already in the indoor season! Claire’s strength from XC is clearly carrying over and translating well on the track! The next heat, while a bit bumpy, had some great racing as well. Alyson Ficca, Maddy Feehan, and Anna Zlatic started out well, but had to deal with a fall and pileup of ONU runners within the first 50m. The women, instead of rushing ahead, took their time to recover from the blockade in the opening stages, with all three leading their heat in 5:57.83 from Alyson (with a stellar final kick), 5:58.14 for Maddy, and 6:01.53 for Anna. Smart racing from veterans and underclassmen alike! Lauren Bartels followed close behind, running well in 6:50.11. Lauren knows she has more in the tank, so with the proper heat, be prepared for those numbers to go down dramatically. Allison Kokal rounds us out with an again fast closing kick, running 6:51.82 for her finish! The women ran some tough miles, both race-wise and competition wise, which will definitely give them a competitive edge come Club Relays.

Let’s hop on over to the 800m. Thomas Harmon led one of the gutsiest will-power fueled 800m runs I’ve ever seen, closing with a strong 1:59.99 for second place, with a successful lean to edge out third place, who finished in 2:00.00 exactly. The Tower of Power, Henry Hornbrook, led next with a very nice indoor PR of 2:06.33. Henry’s consistency is improving this season, causing times to drop like flies! Cade Baker once again completed the tough mile/800m double, running a good split difference to finish in 2:08.35. Seeing the long sprinter Gerardo Porras back on the 800m start line is becoming a familiar sight, and he’s getting better each time around the distance. Gerardo finished in a time of 2:12.16 with a very even split race! Adam Lupatkin also took to the mile/800m double, with a good 2:24.00 finish on tired legs. Our last double runner of the night was Ryan McClowry once again, running 2:30.63 finish!

Enough with the distance – time for the 200m. Ninawa Odicho once again secures a top-8 finish in yet another meet, completing the one-lap distance in 27.16. You can really see the smoke behind her from the heat she’s putting down on the track. Never an easy act to follow when Ninawa puts down some speedy sprint times. For the men, Tyler Klein finally had enough waiting, and smashed the 200m club record with a dominant win in 22.01! Things are starting to click with Tyler now, so be afraid when he steps on the track. Ben Cooper got it going quick with a nice 24.63 run to complement his hurdling abilities! Something we’re starting to see a trend in now is distance and mid-distance runners in the sprints! Braden Cardamone took to the 200m with a quick 25.28 finish, and Ryan Fredericks getting it done in 25.99 as well! Keep working on that footspeed, guys!

Stepping back up to the 400m, we saw our guy Nic Soto take the stage once more, taking a top 8 finish in a time of 53.77! Braden Cardamone also took to the 400m, running a time of 55.12! Nice performance in the sprints for Braden! Next up come the women, with Ninawa taking the track in her star event once more. Ninawa crossed the line in a strong 62.65, as she shaves off time with each time she steps up to the line. Mid D star Bridget Brokaw ran a very impressive time in the quarter-mile, running 63.96! Looks like our women are shaping up for a near-unbeatable 4x400m team in club relays! Mikeelie Jensen rounded out our 400m runners, getting stronger with each run she makes with a time of 74.01! Great job showing off that strength to our long sprinters!

Our penultimate distance in the meet was the 3000m run. For the men, we started with Yuki Mizuno and Leyang Zhang in the first heat. Leyang found his stride quickly, taking the lead after the first couple laps and never looking back, with a time of 10:05.62! Yuki followed not far behind with a time of 10:54.72 in his ITFC debut! The next heat featured a jump in distance for the Mid D coach. Norb Nieves finished his run in a new indoor PR of 9:52.58. Last but not least, our resident marathoner, Will Gravelle, ran a gutsy 9:10.78 for a very strong start to the track season, taking 4th overall in the meet! These guys went the distance and came out with great races in the near-two mile distance!

It’s time for the moment we’ve all been waiting for – the 4x400m teams! Once again, our women set the bar high, starting us off with a great run of 4:34.32 for our A team of Kat, Bridget, Anna and Alyson! They won their heat with no question. Our B team of Claire, Allison, Mikeelie and Lauren Bartels ran a time of 5:04.63 for a great finish to their day and got some good speed work after those miles, with Mikeelie getting in a second 400m to build up that strength. Awesome runs by our women!

Onto the men, our B team won their heat dominantly as well, with a great time of 3:45.21, ran by John Bledsoe, Ryan, Antony, and Henry for a great anchor leg! Our A team also put on quite the show, winning the meet in a time of 3:30.67 this early in the season! Nic led the A team off, followed by Gerardo, into John Burns, and Tyler TK Klein himself for the anchor. All of the men ran amazing times, but the come-from-behind win and split of 48.7 by Tyler deserves a special shoutout. The 400m team is looking sharp as ever for both the men and the women!

Overall, I’d say we took a leap into the tiger’s den and came out stronger than ever. It’s always a pleasure to witness greatness and a supportive team that feels like a family in every sense of the word. Killer performances and stepping outside of the comfort zone for a few of our athletes shows our fitness heading into our peak meet. Thanks for coming along on our journey to Bourbonnais against ONU! It’s always a pleasure being back there. Tune in next week for our trip to the Windy City as we take on some strong D3 competition at UChicago! See you all soon!

Norb 🙂

Happy weekend to all of our Orange and Blue! Last weekend, we took our annual trip to Indianapolis for the UIndy Invitational! The Illini took on the Greyhounds and other teams within the state of Indiana to show who’s the best midwest “I” state around! Many of the distance runners also got some rust busted, as well as some of our sprinters getting the gears turning once again. Let’s get into the results and see how we fared against the state of Indiana!

The meet started strong with a hot start from our hurdlers and sprints crew. Both Jumps Coach Derrick Stokes and Ari Afolabi advanced to the 60m hurdles finals, running times of 10.55 and 9.32 respectively in their finals. The amazing part about Ari’s performance is, not only was this a club record, but her time came immediately after finishing the 60m dash finals! Sprinting full speed, walking right back to the start, and breaking a club record immediately after, that’s a feat like no other! Awesome job, hurdlers!

Next on the track was the 60m dash. Tyler Klein got off to a quick start, winning his preliminary round in a time of 7.01, as per usual. Andre Ells was back in action as well, running a time of 7.75 in his heat. The comeback is just starting with Andre! Rounding out the men was Sprints Coach Adam Adil, who got it done in 7.40. Things are starting to click for Adam as he has improved since the Gately meet early in the season! Tyler advanced to the finals, bringing the silver medal home in a close race, finishing in 7.00 exactly! Strong performances for the 60m runners right out of the blocks!

The women were next, headlined by our lightning quick duo of Ari Afolabi and Ninawa Odicho. Ari advanced to the finals with a time of 8.22 in a quick heat. Ninawa’s strong start in her first of three events this evening resulted in a time of 8.34. Ari advanced to the finals, finishing with a very solid 8.21! Once again, this was immediately after a hurdle final. Stellar sprinting to our 60m runners!

Let’s bump up the distance a bit for now. The mile saw lots of action as distance brought their A-game. Diane Makovic set the bar high for the field, coming in third overall with a time of 5:23.96. Diane fought hard (almost literally) through a hectic first quarter and made smart moves to end up in a fast time and great race overall! The sophomore pair of Claire Casiello and Alyson Ficca ran together extremely well in the next heat, coming in first and second in times of 5:54.09 and 5:54.92 respectively! XC GMC Anna Zlatic was close on their tail, running a great starting time of 6:03.97. Anna ran a gutsy race, working well with the two up front all throughout the race. Our final entries in the women’s mile were brought home by Allison Kokal and Suhani Peramanu, busting the rust in some very solid times of 6.57.48 and 7:02.58 with a great kick by both of them to finish up their day! This would all be a tough act to follow for the men.

Inspired by their teammates’ performances, the men did not back down from the challenge. In his long awaited ITFC debut, John Wiser led the charge, with Distance Coach Spencer Nelson right on his back. John took control late to run a very strong final quarter, finishing in 4:30.77 to take his heat. Spencer didn’t let him off easy, as he closed hard for a 4:34.08 finish. Right behind them were ITFC President Cade Baker and new distance addition Percy Moser, both finishing in exactly 4:37.30! That brought the Illini the top 4 finishes in their heat! Close behind was freshman Simon Hildy, starting his track career off with a 4:44.67 finish of his own! ITFC Elite and current member Alex Kogen rounded this heat out with a 4:51.10 finish. Grad school and running fast isn’t easy, but Kogen makes it happen. The last heat of the mile featured eight men, and what a run it was! This heat was led by the towering figure of Henry Hornbrook, using his signature second half strength to earn him a 4:56.47 finish, this early in the season. Henry’s mile shape is looking fierce! Close behind were Adam Lupatkin and Antony Rizk, racing hard together for the entire run, finishing together in 5:10.89 and 5:11.78. Jose Ocegueda Zuniga was close behind, finishing up in 5:17.13, holding off a finish from an incoming UIndy runner! Freshman John Bledsoe was close behind in 5:18.4, a strong start for our second John of the meet! Thomas Tran ran a sound starting mile in 5:31.47, with more in the tank than he thought. This means the times will only drop for Thomas! Our final two milers of the night were Ryan McClowry, making his ITFC debut as well in 5:52.83, a great starting point for him! Gabe Benson brought us home, running a tough mental race in 6:01.36. Even in no-man’s land, Gabe pushed hard and that extra effort will give him an extra competitive edge in the next one! Great job to all of our milers!

All that mile talk made me tired, so let’s go back to the shorter but sweeter sprints. The 60m squad ran it back in the 200m, with Tyler and Adam doing double duty in the sprints. Tyler got redemption in the 200m with a big margin of victory, bringing the gold home in 22.21! Once again, light work for TK. Coach Adam was up next with a blazing 23.77 over the 200m distance, finishing out his day strong. One more addition to the 200m squad was the distance runner Isaac Schifferer, doing a bit of speed work. Isaac started his 200m career with a very solid 25.11 in his first sprint race. Could we be seeing an event switch sometime in the future? Only time will tell!

Once again, the 60m women brought it back to the track for the 200m. Ninawa and Ari continued showing off their speed, with Ninawa running 27.38 looking very strong, and Ari winning her heat in 27.55 with quite a busy day for both of them. Both women secured top-8 finishes in the 200m, with each tripling on the day. Talk about strength for both of them! Very well done for all those who conquered the one-lap sprint!

Onto my favorite event, the 800m was packed full of action. Starting us off with a very tactful race was Michael Rizk, sensing the pace was off, charging home to a 2:04.56 start to take 3rd in the meet! What a great debut for Michael! The Mid D dominance continued with Ryan Fredericks, hanging on tough for a 2:14.91. Ryan raced well despite some nerves, so when he’s running calm, the nerves will be on everyone against him. John Burns comes next, feeling a bit of the burn (this was unintentional when I first wrote it) to finish in 2:16.25. John made a smart choice by taking care of his health by turning the race into a workout, and don’t even get me started on what happens when he’s seriously ready to roll. Nobody will stand a chance. Henry completed a very hard double, finishing his 800m in 2:25.46 not long after the mile. That double builds some massive strength in the lungs, so future doubles will look like a cakewalk to him. Our distance doublers Ryan McClowry and Gabe Benson bring us home once again for the 800m.

Bridget Brokaw held her own and was our solo representative in the women’s 800m. Bridget ran a great starting time of 2:31.48, much faster than her seed time. Bridget ran a smart rust buster that will drop undoubtedly throughout the season!

Let’s cut that distance in half and check out how our 400m runners did. Our quarter-mile powerhouse Ninawa completed her triple for the day by running a quick 63.09, beginning her quest for #phase42. This effort scored her third overall in the event, ending a solid day of speed work! Awesome day for our treasurer, money in the bank as always. Mikeelie Jensen also took to the quarter-mile to begin her indoor season, running a well-paced 76.02. With that rust busted, be on the lookout for faster times coming to a track near you!

Once again, our lone 3k runner of the day was none other than Gabriel Inojosa. While his heat had a huge range from top seed to bottom seed, Gabe ran a strong mental race to improve upon his last result, running 10:36.36. The effort shows more than the time, and with proper competition, I can see that time dropping like a fly.

Of course, what’s a track meet without the final event of the day in the 4x400m? Our women led us off strong with a team composed of Hurdles Coach Maria Becerra, Mikeelie Jensen, Allison Kokal and Bridget Brokaw bringing us home in a time of 4:52.20. These women ended on a great note, as well as many great rust busters for all of them as we continue our indoor season!

Unfortunately, no other teams wanted to race our fierce men’s 4×4’s, so they raced against each other and put on a show for everyone else to see. In the orange corner, we have team A composed of Tyler Klein, John Burns, Michael Rizk, and Ryan Fredericks. In the blue corner, team B stands tall with Henry Hornbrook, John Bledsoe, Thomas Tran and Isaac Schifferer. The race was fierce between the Orange and Blue, but ultimately team A came out on top with a time of 3:40.50 to team B’s 4:03.09

…but wait! It seems that not far away, we had another one of our own taking a shot against another Indiana school at Indiana State University. Kat Vande Pol, as per usual, cannot be stopped. Kat took on some high calibur runners in the 600m at the John Gartland invitational, running a blistering 1:39.38, taking almost a full 2 seconds off of her club record and PR! No words, as per usual, putting Illinois on her back (literally) against the rest of the midwest. Great running as always, Kat!

Nothing short of amazing performances all around from our Illini as always! Next week, find out how our Illini do, as we change opponents from the big dogs to the big cats at the ONU Invitational, back at Olivet Nazarene! As always, thank you for reading, and we’ll see you soon!

-Norb 🙂

ITFC! Hope you all had a restful and fun winter break! Just because it was cold doesn’t mean we didn’t have some blazing hot performances as well! We had the distance group come out of the gate swinging after a strong XC season, followed by the one and only TK, Tyler Klein, touching down at the University of Chicago with some wins of his own. Let’s take a look at what our athletes did over the break, taking some winter W’s along the ride!

Tracksmith Indoor

Starting off hot, the distance squad took over the Tracksmith Indoor Invitational meet in Chicago, bringing some fast 800’s, miles, and 3k’s to the track!

At the Gately Track and Field Center in Chicago, the distance and mid-d group got their chance to shine, and shine they did. Let me be the first to tell you that the 800m times this group put out was a thing of beauty. Leading the charge were the fast and furious freshmen of Thomas Harmon, Braden Cardamone and Ethan Forsell. Our top XC runners can burn rubber on the track as well. Thomas, with his first ITFC track race ever, put out a monstrous 1:56.86, besting the previous club indoor record in his first track race for us! Next up, the duo hailing from Oswego had a gutsy race against each other, with Ethan making some tough passes on the curve, but Braden battled back for a finish of 2:03.33 for him and 2:04.48 for Ethan. Nothing fuels the fire like racing your teammates and pushing each other to the limit!

On the women’s side, once again Dr. Kat Vande Pol said that class was in session, schooling the competition with a 2nd place finish and a LIFETIME PR of 2:17.96. That long sprints training is working wonders on this group, and Kat did not come to play. What a day for the 800m program here at ITFC!

Next, in the mile run, distance stars Diane Makovich and Evelyn Rowan set some high standards for the distance group. Both women raced with guts and put out some very strong starts! Diane ran a time of 5:29.33, an extremely strong start already dipping under that 5:30 mark. Watch out for her at Club Relays, as that endurance and speed combination Diane possesses will be a force to be reckoned with. Evelyn was next in 5:46.14, another hot start. This distance freshman class is surely one for the record books as Evelyn will also be a strong contender in the Club Relays mile. Awesome races, you two!

The men’s mile featured both Ethan and Braden doubling back, President Cade Baker himself, and finally, our own Home Meet Coordinator Nathaniel Lenning. Ethan capped off a strong double with a mile time of 4:40.05, followed by Mr. President himself in 4:41.91, a very fast and strong start for both of them, both with sound tactics and a great race strategy for Cade. Braden finished his double in 4:51.08. Braden’s ITFC debut was a standout performance as well, and more miles to come will make those times drop fast. Nathaniel Lenning rounded out our milers, running very sound and making some smart passes during a very even race, running a smooth 5:36.30 in his indoor season debut. ITFC put on a clinic in these tough miles, so great job to all of our milers!

Finally, our lone 3000m contender of the day was Chicago’s own Gabriel Inojosa. Gabe competed hard and finished in a time of 10:38.01 on home soil. A good start for Gabe, and one that will improve almost immediately as the season progresses. Thanks for holding down the fort in the 3k! 

Distance (and Beau) Squad All Smiles at Tracksmith

Phoenix Invitational

Representing U of I at the U of Chi was sprints star Tyler Klein.

Tyler, unsurprisingly, won the 60m dash and 200m like the speed demon he is. His time for the 60m was a blistering 6.97, winning by just 0.01 seconds for a tight and exciting race. Tyler also crushed the competition in the 200m, running a 22.18, which is just 0.01 off of the indoor club record. This early in the season, Tyler is surely just warming up. Just another day at the office for TK, with a dominant performance as per usual. Awesome job Tyler!

Spectacular job to all of our distance and middle distance runners and showing out that middle distance speed, ready to rock and roll come Club Relays! Special thanks for IXC Webmaster Tristan Taylor and Head Coach Beau Barber as always for catching the action live and supporting their team!

Catch you on the track next time! -Norb 🙂

What’s that? Did we hear that right? Yes indeed, it’s the most wonderful time of the year…track season! This year, ITFC started off their early bird season with not one, not two, but three powerful performances at a plethora of places! First, we sent some of our star-studded sprinters and toughest throwers to the Windy City Classic at Gately Park in Chicago. Next, we sent a good group of athletes to the ONU Holiday Invitational at Olivet Nazarene University. Finally, we sent some titans of our own to Illinois Wesleyan’s Titan First Chance Meet in Bloomington! Read all about it here!

Windy City Classic @ Gately:

We start our long weekend journey with the Windy City Classic in Chicago, home to many of our athletes that made the trip down to the Windy City! Cheered on by her highschool coach at the meet, Dionne Edwards started the day for the team with a lifetime PR of 8.31m in the shotput with less than a year of throwing experience under her belt.

Marcus and Dionne with their former high school coach, Megan Koehnen, at Windy City Classic

Sprints coach, Adam Adil, flexed some sprinting muscles coming back from a major injury from last season with a 60m dash time of 7.45. Take this as a warning sign for the major damage Adam will do on the track soon enough.

The 400m Dash saw three of our athletes competing and setting some very impressive PRs. ITFC legend, Kat Vande Pol, set an indoor lifetime PR for the 400m dash with a 60.09 taking a commanding lead in just the first 100 meters of the race to run the entire rest of the race by herself to win her heat and place 6th overall at the meet. Kat is in strong early-season shape, so watch out!

Kat can’t have all the fun yet. Wanting to flex their long sprinting skills as well, Marcus Scott and Cesar Maldonado took to the track to race in the same heat of the 400m. Marcus set a lifetime PR that best both his indoor and outdoor PRs with a strong 56.13 to win his heat. Cesar, who unfortunately did not have his racing spikes with him and ran in workout shoes, kicked down two people at the end to finish with a strong 59.16. Who needs spikes when you’ve got raw strength? Beware folks, this man has a scary kick, and with racing spikes, it will only be even scarier. 

Now it’s time for Xavier London to jump into the scene. Coming back from respiratory problems which sidelined him from practicing in the previous weeks, he managed to jump 1.70 meters in high jump (5’ 7” for you non-metric folks). Transitioning to long jump, Xavier placed 7th with a jump of 6.36 meters. Xavier had this to say afterwards, “I ended up jumping my second best long jump of all time, so I’m pretty happy with how today went!”

Closing out the meet was Cesar Maldonado in the 200m, this time geared up with Adam’s racing spikes to run the second best 200m of his career with a 26.06. Great job, Cesar!

Olivet Nazarene University Holiday Invite:

With how well their teammates competed at the Windy City Classic in their minds, more of our club athletes were prepared for some stellar performances at the ONU Holiday Invite.

Now, it’s only the first meet. SURELY we won’t see a record fall yet…right? Wrong! Melissa Aninagyei-Bonsu started the day off by breaking the long jump record with a jump of 5.23m, besting the previous record of 5.18m and placing second in the meet. Talk about a hot start! Jumps Coach, Derrick Stokes, set a huge PR for himself in the long jump soaring to 5.20 meters while simultaneously coaching his own athletes. In the interest of transparent reporting, when reached for comment about rumors concerning his ability to levitate…Derrick did not provide a reply.

Melissa takes flight in the long jump at ONU

Melissa followed her club record breaking long jump PR by setting another club record and PR in the 60m dash with a blazing fast 7.87. How many records can she break? We can’t wait to find out! She went on to run a 7.90 in the 60m dash finals to place 4^th in the event. Nic Soto, Tyler Klein, and Chris Raymond-Bertrand came with speed on the mind, running 60m Dash PRs of 7.34, 7.13, and 7.04 respectively. Tyler and Chris went on to 60m dash finals to place 3rd and 5th with times of 6.93 and 7.07. That 6.93 was both another PR for Tyler and a new club record!

Mid-Distance Coach, Norb Nieves, took to the track for the Mile Run after a long XC season with teammate Anthony Rizk who we were overjoyed to see return after recovering from an injury. They both ran a strong race to finish 4:58.32 and 5:21.34 after some intense workouts the last couple weeks. Great work, gentleman! 

Up next was the 400m Dash with freshman, Lucca Bibbey, leading off with an indoor PR of 1:03.91 in a well-paced race. Nic Soto showed up with a 53.44 in his race in what definitely was a perfectly flawless start. Don’t ask anyone about it. Trust me, it was 100% perfect. Moving up another 400m, the 800m runners took to the track. In the first heat was Jose Ocegueda Zuniga coming off a tremendous XC season along with long-sprinter, Gerardo Porras, who moonlights as an 800m runner. Gerardo and Jose ran a gutsy race finishing with times of 2:13.98 and 2:15.40 respectively. In the next heat was Henry Hornbrook, the “Townie Stallion”. Running an incredibly well executed race led Henry to an indoor PR of 2:08.72. Peter from Nationals would be proud.

Now, let’s jump on back over to the Field events; both Neha Vellala and Melissa made Triple Jump finals, where Neha jumped in her first meet with the club leaping to 9.28 meters! Awesome job, Neha! Melissa set another lifetime PR by jumping 11.93m in the triple jump. This not only won her the meet but also set her third club record of the day raising the record from 11.00m to 11.93m! At this point, she’s gotta have broken a record for the most broken records. What a first day on the club!

Lucca and Neha enjoying their first ever college track meet with ITFC at ONU

The final event that ITFC participated in was the 200m Dash. Derrick Stokes leapt from the sand pits to the track surface and hit the ground running with a 27.17. In the next heat, newcomer Leo Cumbie ran his first race with the club running finishing in 25.70. Driving himself to the meet was Kevin Saju, just so he could run with Nic Soto in the 200m. That extra sleep did Kevin well. Although they didn’t hold hands in a beautiful display of friendship across the finish line, Nic and Kevin did set personal indoor PRs in the 200m dash with times of 23.37 and 23.53 to go 1st and 2nd in their heat! In the final heat we had Tyler Klein and Chris Raymond-Bertrand running impressive indoor 200m PRs of 22.22 and 22.40 respectively. I don’t know about you, but I’m seeing 22’s. Tyler is banging on the door of the current 200m Indoor Club record of 22.17, which was set on a 300m indoor track.

Leo Cumbie spikes up in preparation for his first race as an ITFC athlete

Illinois Wesleyan Titan First Chance Meet:

Seeing how well everyone did at Windy City Classic and ONU Holiday invite, some more ITFC athletes wanted to have a shot…shotput that is…competing unattached at the Titan First Chance Meet. See what I did there? I regret nothing (This was Beau’s joke, not mine). This meet saw freshman Quinn Rivara make his debut for the club in shotput. Quinn powered out an impressive 10.07m with the 16lb shotput, which was not far behind his 11.20m PR from highschool which was with a 12lb shotput! Head Coach and newly minted Throws Coach, Beau Barber, made his first ever attempt at shotput and managed to throw 7.94m. Beau is becoming quite the jack-of-all-trades!

Quinn Rivara launching a 16 lb shotput at the IWU Titan First Chance Meet

Our own Mid-D coach emerita Katherine Vande Pol was the lone woman competing for ITFC at this meet running both the 300m and the 200m. Kat is very environmentally aware and has recycled her hip numbers by only running in lane 6 so far this season #ReduceReuseRecycle. Winning her heat of the 300m Dash and getting 2nd place overall at the meet with a 42.67 has confirmed “Operation Sub-60 Indoor 400m Dash” is in full swing for Kat. Next up for her was the 200m which she had intended to be a “Workout Race” to prepare herself for competing in multiple events in-season. This combined with forgetting for the first 50m that she was in a 200m Dash and not 400m Dash, makes her 27.56 an all more impressive time to open the season with only 0.26 seconds behind her lifetime indoor PR.

Well! I don’t know about you all, but that was quite an exciting set of weekends! Again, great job to everyone who competed. With all these amazing performances from these early bird meets, our athletes’ personal PR’s and the remaining club records have been put on notice! And stay tuned to see our improvements come the next meet, as well as our powerhouses who have yet to race! Hope to see you all on the track very soon! I-L-L!

Happy Holidays,

Norb (and Beau)

And with that, our season has come to an end. And what a season it was! This has been one of the most exciting seasons in all my time here at Illinois and it ended with a bang that I surely won’t forget. We had a huge crowd make a big sacrifice in their semester to make the trip all the way out to Virginia. 4 days of driving, sleeping in motels, and running out of gas all culminating in one last hurrah to close out the fall XC season. Take some time out of your own day and come with me as I recap the most exciting weekend of the semester. Let’s talk about some races!!

Race 1: Women’s Junior/Senior/Grad Race

The first race of the day was the Women’s Junior/Senior/Grad race, starting us on a spectacular note. This was the last club cross country race for those who ran it, and I’m glad to say that they left it all out on the course. It was a hot and humid morning as the women stepped to the line, but they competed well nonetheless. Lauren Brunk crossed the finish line first for IXC, running 29:17. This must’ve felt great for Brunk as she wasn’t able to compete last year, but managed to make it out this season and finish her career with a great race at nationals! Lauren Bartels took a break from being the best GMC either side of the Mississippi to run a time of 31:54. Although she wasn’t feeling great during the race, she battled all the way to the end, showing real toughness to push herself on a day that was hard on many. Congratulations on the career, Lauren! Anna Winnicki not only fought through the morning humidity, but she thrived in it! Anna closed out the IXC contingent in this race, running a 33:32 for her best race of the season! Way to finish Anna!

Race 2: Men’s Junior/Senior/Grad Race

Following up our upperclassmen women were our Junior/Senior/Grad men. This is another one of those special races, where many of those competing are making their final appearance for the club. It was a pleasure to see all of these athletes run, both today and throughout the time they have spent with the club. First to cross the finish line for IXC in this race was the one and only Arthur Mazzeo. Coming off a night where he finally broke his silence and let his thoughts be known, Arthur also broke his 8K PR, running a speedy 28:57 on a day where PRs were hard to come by. What a way to close out your time with IXC Arthur, congratulations. Our next finisher was Leyang Zhang, who was flying across the flat Virginia ground for a great time of 29:49 (They don’t call him Hawk for nothing!). This was another PR for Leyang, who has steadily improved this fall. Great job Leyang! Daniel Engel was next up for the gentlemen (what year is it again?!?!), completing his race in 30:02 for a season PR. Daniel has been a steady presence with the club since the first time I remember him running the old man’s race back in 2019 and it was great to see him compete one more time with the club. Next across the line was Philip Hu, running a 30:07 for the day. The result wasn’t what he wanted, but he has made great strides this season and is sure to make a splash next season as he continues to improve. Isaac Schifferer was the literal embodiment of leaving it all on the course, finishing in 31:43 and bringing things full circle by leaving his breakfast at the finish line. I hope Isaac enjoys his status as fastest runner in his house, he’s earned it after this season and a great career overall. In addition to being the most photogenic athlete in all of D4 club running, Henry Hornbrook ran a great race as well. Although the heat forced the shooting sleeves to come off, Henry was aerodynamic enough to finish his race in 32:30 with one of the best finishing sprints I’ve ever seen. Finishing just after Henry was your dear Webmaster, Tristan Taylor. I fell victim to Henry’s final burst despite knowing it was coming and thinking I had enough separation to avoid it. Even though I couldn’t hold him off, I managed a 32:35. Not how I wanted to go out, but I had a great time being able to run with these guys one last time and I’m proud to be their teammate. Yuki Mizuno was next up for the Illini, crossing the finish line in 33:22. He’s had a great season with the club and I can’t wait to see how he does next year! After Yuki came Andrew Stevenson, who has also had a great first year with IXC. Andrew was battling the heat the entire race and came through the finish in a time of 34:32. Andrew will be back next year and I have no doubt that just like this fall, he will continue to shave time off his PR and make his way under 30. The best Travel Coordinator in the game, Thomas Tran, followed closely behind Andrew with a time of 34:34. Not only did Thomas run a great race, he also managed to direct 53(!!!) people to and from lovely Mechanicsville, Virginia basically without a hitch. Please shower him with love the next time that you see him. Gabe Benson finished off a season of great improvement with one last good result, running a 34:46. He has made great strides this year, dropping 2 minutes off his PR from last season and will continue to be a great runner and teammate next year! Finishing off the race for the club was Ryan McClowry who ran a 39:53. Good way to close out the season Ryan!

Race 3: Women’s Championship

After opening the day with some great races from our elder athletes, it was time for championship racing to really begin. The excitement of the Junior/Senior/Grad races turned into anticipation as hundreds of NIRCA athletes spread themselves out around Pole Green Park to watch the top women duke it out. As she has done all season, Diane Makovic paced the IXC women with a time of 23:17. Diane is a known lover of variety packs and has certainly built her own variety pack of trophies, medals, and awards this season, capping it with a top-5 All-American finish! What a way to close out her first season with the club. Also capturing All-American paper was Laine Hackmann, who ran a great time of 23:47! Congratulations! Coming a long way from last year’s solo Fresh/Soph race was Claire Casiello, who ran a 25:29 to finish an amazing season for her. She worked well with her teammates and made her way through packs of runners for a gutsy race that she ran with pain in her quad. She’ll be back next year, looking to make a move for that coveted NIRCA paper. Freshman phenom Evelyn Rowan put a bow on an excellent start to her D4 career, coming through in 26:10. Evelyn has steadily improved over the last few months and should be a staple in the women’s top 7 over the next few years. Alyson Ficca finished soon after, running a time of 26:27 and she had a great time doing it. Alyson is a consistent feature of this team and I can’t wait to see her also become a consistent feature in these championship races as she continues to improve. Our dear leader, Maddy Feehan, was next for the women. Maddy has been waiting for her chance at the championship race since her freshman year and she finally got it, running a 27:19. She fought through a tough and hot race, closing her IXC career with one last strong performance. And finally, one of the only returners from last year’s women’s championship squad was Bridget Brokaw. Bridget ran a strong 27:52 and closed out a great day for our women’s squad. All together, these efforts amounted to 242 points and an 8th place finish, a huge improvement from 2021! These women managed to shave 365 points and 17 places from last year’s finish. It’s been an amazing year for our women and the future is looking bright as these runners grow and improve as a team!

Race 4: Men’s Championships

As has been the case this entire season, the women left the men with a tough act to follow. As has also been the case this season, the men were up to the challenge. Once again, our men were led by mustachioed Eldon Warner who truly battled his way to a 26:03 and a second top-5 finish in as many years at the championships. In the last XC race of a decorated career, Eldon left it all on the course and showed why he is one of the finest runners in IXC history. Ethan Forsell was next up, cruising to a 26:29 and the first of what should be many All-American finishes. Despite his freshman status, Ethan established himself as a certified Big Dog™ early this season and has shown why that’s the case every time he toes the line. Pop Tarts enthusiast Adam Gorcyca finished next, running 27:04. Another name to look out for as he has many years of great running ahead of him and will continue to make strides as he goes. Thomas Harmon came next for the men, running a 27:53. Another one of our quick batch of freshmen, Thomas will continue to make his way towards an All-American finish in the future as he figures out the 8k. John Wiser was the next of the returners from last year’s podium finish, running a 28:01. John ran a good race to finish out a strong season that included PRs and some tough battles. He’ll be back next year looking to go 3 for 3 in the championship race. Next up was Cade Baker, finally earning that promotion from junior varsity! It has been a long journey for Cade but he ended it on a high note, running 28:13. Varsity is a goal that most only dream of, but Cade made sure his spot was never in doubt this fall. Finally, Spencer Nelson, best coach in all of NIRCA, came across the line in 28:51. Spencer has been putting in the work all season, not just running great times, but making sure that everyone was able to run their best as well. Make sure to thank him for all the effort he puts into coaching this squad. The men’s team overall managed 207 points and a 4th place finish, just barely missing the podium by 8 points. Although they won’t walk away with a trophy this time, these guys left it all out there and should be proud of the seasons that they all had. 

Race 5: Women’s Freshman/Sophomore Race

These Frosh/Soph races are maybe my favorite races to watch at Nationals. Most people have raced by this point and although they’re tired, the energy remains high to see the newest crop of future NIRCA studs. Though this race was delayed due to an ambulance hiccup, it was exciting nonetheless. Additionally, IXC put twice as many athletes on the line in this race as we did last year. Talk about growth! Shrugging off an unexpected extra hour of waiting time, Christina Li was our first finisher as she ran a 31:45. Christina has been putting in the work all season and it was awesome to see it end with a PR! Next up was Allison Kokal, who ran a 33:09. She fought hard despite the heat and delays for a strong time and will be looking to keep improving come track season!

Race 6: Men’s Freshman/Sophomore Race

Last, but certainly not least, was the men’s Frosh/Soph race. This race had our biggest showing of runners at nationals, with 13 men crossing the line for us. This is a great and exciting group who all have bright club careers ahead of them. Starting our finishers off with a bang was Mikey Smart, who ran a 28:33 to capture his first piece of NIRCA paper and a shiny new PR! Even though he was separated from his emotional support Ethan for this race, Mikey ran great and the best is yet to come for him. Simon Hildy came soon after Mikey, running a great race for a 29:10 and a huge 33 second PR. Simon has made huge improvements since August, shaving over 2 and a half minutes off his first 8k. Keep an eye on this kid for the future! Quinn Born and Kyle Kenmotsu finished neck and neck with each other in one of the most fun final sprints I’ve seen over the years, both finishing in 29:22. Although the official time was the same for both, NIRCA determined that Quinn managed to get the best of Kyle. Look out Quinn, Kyle will almost certainly be looking for revenge come track season. Nolan Enright kept it consistent, running a 30:04 to finish off a strong season as we move towards indoor season for track. Jordan Wilkerson ran a nice 30:37 and more importantly, clinched the victory in the season series between himself and Aidan Farrell with the final tally being 3-1. In all seriousness however, Jordan has had a great season and is consistently at practice and events and it has been great to see him so involved. Cadyn Grafton battled out there and came soon after Jordan, running a 30:43. Cadyn is another instrumental member of the club, coordinating social events and making sure we do fun things other than running. Give him some love next time you see him! After Cadyn came Nick Kwentus, who ran a 30:52 for a nice PR! Nick has dropped over 2 minutes from his 8k over the course of the season, making great improvements in his first season! A pair of Aidans finished next for the club, with Aidan Markiewicz and Aidan Farrell running 31:02 and 31:05 respectively. Aidan M secured himself a PR to end a great freshman season, big props to him! Aidan F also had a great season and will be studying the 2016 Cubs over the next year as he looks to close in on Jordan next fall. Jose Ocegueda Zuniga was yet another one of our runners to pick up a PR in this race, running 32:05 and dropping 45 seconds off of his previous best time. Gabriel Inojosa was next up, making his Nationals debut after injury held him out last year. It was an interesting race to say the least, running 32:38 despite losing a shoe in the middle of the race! Props to Gabriel for finishing the race with only one spike, make sure to double-knot them next year! Closing out a long day of running for the team was John Bledsoe, who finished his season with a time of 33:03. That time was a big improvement from his PR, shaving off almost 30 seconds. Way to close the season out John!

In addition to all the wonderful current IXC runners who put up great times at Nationals, alumni Grace Gudwien ran a 25:37 and Leonel Rodriguez ran a 32:16. Not only did they run great times, but made sure that this trip could happen for IXC, driving one of the vans all the way from Chicago to Virginia!

Alumni weren’t the only people who get a shoutout for driving however. This trip wouldn’t be possible without the parents who took time out of their lives to drive a bunch of rowdy college students halfway across the country. Big thanks to the Bartels family, the Nelsons, and my old man James “Big Jim” Taylor for being so great! 

The shoutouts don’t stop there either as we had some spectators join us on the trip as well. Cassandra Warner showed us who the coolest Warner sibling is and Gavin Schroeder lent us his camera skills documenting the weekend! Be on the lookout for his work to drop soon!

It’s been a long write-up so I’ll leave you guys with just a few quick thoughts. It has been the greatest pleasure of my time in college to be a part of this team. I have made so many friendships and memories that I will cherish long into the future. I want to wish the best of luck to those of us who have run their final race with IXC and will be heading into the real world next year. I also want to encourage those who will be back next year to continue making the club such a wonderful group of people. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you all.

With love,

Tristan <3

*Pssst* Hey, you. Yeah, you buddy, did ya hear? Word on the street is… IT’S NATIONALS WEEK!!! Everything thus far has led to this. This will be the last race of the season for the team and I couldn’t be more excited. We’ll be making the trip out to Virginia for the first time since 2019 in what promises to be one of the most memorable weekends you’ll have in your college running career. Buckle up because we’re gonna cover some storylines to be on the lookout for:

1. The Long Road Trip to and from Virginia

Folks, Virginia is a long way away from Champaign-Urbana. Making the trek out to the East Coast is no small feat and it couldn’t be accomplished without the talented and handsome Thomas Tran, our Travel Coordinator extraordinaire. He has handpicked each van for maximum team-bonding as well as shenanigans. Make sure to shake that man’s hand and thank him the next time that you see him. It takes months of work and organization to get dozens of rowdy runners half-way across the country and there is no better person for the job than Thomas. 

2. Women’s Team On A Tear

This has been one of the most successful seasons I have seen from the women’s team in the past 4 years. They have yet to walk away from a meet without hardware and will be looking to take that momentum into this weekend. They have proven themselves against all ranges of competition, defeating everyone from DIII schools throughout Illinois to other NIRCA clubs from around the Midwest. The women will be spearheaded by dynamic newcomer Diane Makovic, ever speedy Brisa McGrath, tough as nails Claire Casiello, Commander-in-Chief Maddy Feehan, standout freshman Evelyn Rowan, always consistent Alyson Ficca, and the spirited and energetic Bridget Brokaw. Make sure to keep an eye out for these and all of our women to cap off the stellar season they’ve built so far.

3. Junior Varsity No Longer

Cade Baker has been on an absolute heater in 2022, accomplishing everything from winning the Dads Weekend 5k to successfully popping the question. However, arguably his greatest accomplishment this year has been finally earning that promotion he’s wanted so desperately. Ladies and gentlemen, Cade has been selected for the Championship Squad. Congrats to Cade for beating the JV allegations and I hope this makes up for NIRCA taking away your Regional coordinating duties.

4. Nationals Raps

The tradition that the people have been waiting all year for. IXC tradition dictates that the poetically minded amongst us use their time in the vans to compose the most clever, scintillating, and heinous bars they possibly can. They will be performed the night before the race at our final team meeting in the hotel. No parents allowed for this one, we’re letting the kids play. Over the next few days, decide which of your teammates deserve a good roasting. Once your targets are chosen, put those insults to rhyme and let them have it in front of the entire squad Friday night. Seniors, this is your last best chance to leave your mark on the team. Freshman, now is the time to start building a legacy as a club legend. Coach Spencer had to get his start somewhere, ya know. 

This weekend is going to be one for the history books y’all. For many of us it will be the last time that we toe the line as members of IXC, while for others it’ll be the first nationals in a young college career. No matter how long you’ve been with the club, this is the time to leave it all on the course. You’ve been putting in great work all season and now is your opportunity to show that off. This trip isn’t just about racing though. Be sure to use the long hours in the cars and hotels to grow your relationships with your teammates. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, IXC is nothing without the people who comprise it. Running fast times is great and all, but everyone knows that running is better when you have others at your side. You all are a wonderful group of runners that I’m lucky to call my friends and I can’t wait to close out the season together. 

Love,

Tristan <3

There’s just nothing quite like deep October Cross Country, is there? Warm sweaters, cold mornings warming to perfect race time temperatures, and of course, REGIONALS!! Last weeked, IXC made their way to Geneva, Illinois and the (in)famous Northwestern Medicine Course to race the NIRCA Great Plains Regional race, the last stop on the journey to Nationals. It was a spectacular weekend filled with road trips and team bonding that culminated in some great successes despite the adversity along the way. Both of our teams brought silverware back to Champaign for the ever growing collection from this season, with our women’s team securing a 2nd place finish and the men’s side grabbing the gold. Some gutsy performances made it possible, so let’s get into it!

The Northwestern Medicine Course is a particularly hilly course with a fair share of expletives being muttered (yelled) when runners encounter the hill on the back half. This however, didn’t seem to slow down the hill-loving Diane Makovic as she battled her way to a 23:35.6 and 2nd place! Emma Bergmann also snagged herself a medal running 25:13.6 as she continues a great freshman season (the long course gripes continue). Claire Casiello fought through a tough middle of the race and sickness using the power of caffeine and consistent training to finish in 25:43.6. Evelyn Rowan and Madam President Maddy Feehan ran well together, finishing strong and close. They ran 26:33.1 and 26:33.9 respectively and locked up the 2nd place trophy for our women. Alyson Ficca was right behind them, running 26:40.6 even though she was battling a cold. Anna Zlatic completed the women’s top 7, coming through in a solid 27:21.9. Next up was Bridget Brokaw, who pushed through the hills to finish in 27:33.4 with a nice effort after a bit of time off racing. Lauren Brunk continued to settle back into racing and did so well, running 28:28.5! Suhani Peramanu ran her first 6k with the women’s team, running 29:09.3 in a good debut race. Lauren Bartels battled shin pain and the vertical nature of the course for a good race that ended up with a 29:53.6 (if you factor in the extra course length, she beat her typically metronome-like regionals performances). Mikeelie Jensen took a break from schooling the youth to school the competition, running 30:52.5 in this senior’s last Regionals meet. Allison Kokal grabbed herself a PR on the toughest course we’ll run this season, which is mighty impressive. She ran a 31:30.6.  Elizabeth Coats kept it consistent, running 32:19.8. On a course where plenty of runners were much slower than their Augustana performance, Liz should be proud of that kind of effort. Christina Li was right behind Liz, running 32:26.9 in an impressive season PR! Reiss Christensen got in on the action as well, finishing in 32:43.8 for another season’s best! Laine Hackmann turned in a strong effort, coming through the finish in 33:01.9. Anna Winnicki put a bow on a great day for the women’s team, closing them out with a 37:27.3! The women all set the bar high for the day, pushing themselves in a hard race and were rewarded for their hard work with a 2nd place trophy! I can’t wait to see them compete at Nationals! 

With the standard set high by the women, the men’s team took the course soon after. In his first race and only this season, Bram Osterhout showed out by running a 26:42.7 and locking up 1st place. Ethan Forsell showed he meant business in sunglasses and a headband as he cruised to a 26:52.9 finish and a slightly heavier neck. Eldon Warner took a quick break from thespianism to race for us, running a 26:55.6 (though he looked a little odd). Coach Spencer Nelson earned himself a big steak by running a speedy 27:14.2 on the day. Adam Gorcyca cruised to a 27:45.5 finish and was followed by Thomas Harmon, who ran a strong 28:00.7. John Wiser was our 7th man, making a good effort despite sickness for a 28:02.6 finish. Mikey Smart ran a great race, finishing in 28:52.9. Cade Baker fueled his 28:55.1 with the annoyance of being a Home Meet Coordinator that has no meet to coordinate (Shoutout NIRCA). John Burns managed to shake off some rough weeks of training to run an impressive 29:24.2. Arthur Mazzeo followed closely behind him, running a 29:26.9 season PR. Nolan Enright kept it rolling, coming through in 29:33.2. Kyle Kenmotsu battled for a nice 29:56.2. In a crowded straightaway, Cadyn Grafton surged for a 30:02.0 finish. Norb Nieves was close behind, securing himself a 30:04.9 after a consistent race. Philip Hu took the hills hard and fought his way to a strong 30:24.0. Alex Kogen, Adam Lupatkin, and Leyang Zhang all finished with each other, finishing in a tight pack with 30:27.2, 30:28.0, and 30:29.7 respectively. Coming off of a successful Chicago Marathon was resident old man Daniel Engel, running his first IXC race since 2019. I was still a freshman then! Dengel ran a good race however, coming through in 30:34.4. Simon Hildy was next for the men, finishing strong for a time of 30:46.6. Jordan Wilkerson continued an impressive freshman season, running a 31:00.8. Gabriel Inojosa traded out his multi-tool for a spike wrench, lacing up his spikes for a time of 31:05.2. Yuki Mizuno was in a small group of runners who managed a PR on such a tough course, besting his previous time by over 2 minutes(!!) with a 31:18.2 finish. Quinn Born was next, competing well to earn himself a 31:25.0. Aidan Markiewicz matched his Augustana time almost exactly, running a nice 31:39.2. Aidan Farrell made big moves throughout the race, passing people on his way to a time of 31:40.7. James Stanley picked a hell of a race to be his debut with the team, but he ran well and snagged a 31:52.9 finish. Isaac Schifferer is a sick man because he loved the hills, cruising over them for a strong time of 32:05.3. Delivering for the Irish where Notre Dame football cannot, Patrick Tallon ran a good race for a time of 32:12.6. Andrew Stevenson looked handsome as ever as he shrugged off the hills for a time of 32:17.5. Henry Hornbrook gave the hills a better fight than the Yankees gave the Astros as he finished in 32:31.9, though the Big Hand Man made his displeasure with the elevation known during the race. Nick Kwentus looked strong as he made his way through the finish line in 32:56.7. Tristan Taylor (Hey! I know that guy!) struggled his way through a course seemingly custom made to include his least favorite conditions for a 33:18.0 finish, but is looking for a big bounceback at Nationals. Gabe Benson did what he had to do to get some Portillo’s, accomplishing his task in 33:49.5. John Bledsoe was the next man through, getting himself across the line in a nice 34:16.6. Joseph Kuang pushed past some illness and ran a 35:00.2 to be proud of. Thomas Tran was the Little Engine That Could, chugging across the line in 35:11.5. Nathaniel Lenning left it all on the course, wrapping his year with a 35:25.5 <3. Dhruva Chowlur ran his first 8k this season, finishing in 36:00.9. Luckily for him, not many courses will be as tough as this. Brennan Taylor fought hard for a 38:07.5, making the battalion proud with his effort. And last, but certainly not least, was Ryan McClowry, also making his debut and running a good 39:06.8!

On the whole, it was another great race day in a season full of them. Even if you ran a race that you’re not happy with, you should be proud of the effort you displayed on a tough course that beat almost everyone down. On top of that, Regionals is not our last stop. Nationals is just around the corner and with it comes another opportunity to put the finishing touches on a season to remember. This has been one of my favorite seasons of my running career and none of this would be possible without all of you guys. It has been my pleasure to see us grow as teammates and competitors throughout the fall and I cannot wait to see it on display one last time.

With love,

Tristan <3

P.S. It was great to see so many IXC alumni at the race, big shoutouts to Jeffrey Hesselbein and Cody Lund! And congratulations to former IXC runners who competed well for their current programs, Grace Gudwien, Muneeb Ansari, and Leonel Rodriguez!

After a dominant showing at Olivet, the Illinois Cross Country club continued to put the NCAA on notice, showing off just how strong Division IV is when it comes to running. Augustana College hosted us for the Brissman-Lundeen Invite on a beautiful Saturday morning, changing up the usual Friday night gun time for this meet. The lovely Saukie Golf Course is always a favorite amongst our runners as it’s a fast course where many people run PRs. This was certainly the case last weekend, with many of our runners posting their fastest times as we rounded out the regular season. Let’s get into the recap!

The women started the afternoon off, running their first 6k of the season with great results. Leading our women, and all the women for that matter, was Diane Makovic, who ran a stellar 22:58.1 to bring home her 1st collegiate 1st place finish. Diane is cruising and is definitely in the mix for an All-American finish at Nationals. Brisa McGrath continued a great senior season, posting a speedy 23:14.6 PR finish and is looking to dominate her last postseason with the club. Claire Casiello came into the day hoping to break 26 and instead broke 25(!!), finishing in 24:50.2 and earning herself a snazzy t-shirt to go along with her 6k PR. Emma Bergmann came across just after Claire, finishing in 25:00.3. I know she wanted sub-25 for her first 6k, but it will definitely be coming if she keeps up her current impressive form (in her defense, the course might’ve been a tad long). Alyson Ficca also completed her first 6k, crossing the line right after Emma in a strong, consistent race that earned her a 25:06.0 finish. Both her and Emma should have sub-25 in the bag come Regionals! Our next finisher was Evelyn Rowan, running a 25:54.6 and displaying that even an extra 1k isn’t a challenge she can’t handle. Madam President Maddy Feehan ran her first XC race since Nats last year and crushed it, running 26:30.0 with a fast kick to beat a competitor with questionable navigational skills. Maddy closed out the top 7 for our women, and ensured that they would take home 1st place! Anna Zlatic was our next runner, finishing in 26:45.2 for a great first 6k! After Anna we had an awesome team effort from Lauren Brunk and Lauren Bartels, who ran 27:52.8 and 28:11.8, respectively. Brunk ran her first XC race since her freshman year and did amazing, pushing the pace and working together with Bartels. Bartels pushed through some discomfort for an effort that was just off of her PR, meaning she is looking to smash it come Regionals. Mikeelie Jensen showed that she’s not just a Mid-Distance specialist, finishing with a time of 30:24.8. Hopefully that ankle continues to hold up! Allison Kokal ran her first 6k with the club and continued her trend of improvement with a 31:31.4 finish. Her pace for this 6k was faster than her last 5k, she’s getting better every week! Laine Hackmann and Elizabeth Coats finished one right after the other, running 32:10.3 and 32:12.8. Both ran their first 6ks with IXC and crushed it, putting up results to be proud of and a good baseline to work off heading deeper into the fall. Christina Li ran a solid 32:29.6, looking strong as she pushed through the extra kilometer. Anna Winnicki also ran a good race, running 33:47.2 in a faster pace than her 5k time as well! Reiss Christensen took a break from turning your favorite webmaster into a meme to secure a time of 34:08.6. Finally, Reagan Maccauley brought home a 38:23.7 for her first result with IXC. Overall, it was a great day for the women with lots of fast times and yet another 1st place finish! Watch out NIRCA!!

After the women crushed the competition, it was time for the men to do the same. Kicking off our runners was Eldon Warner, who just cannot get enough of this course. After running a PR here last year, Eldon did it again and ran 24:34.4 for a dominant 1st place finish that paced the field by over a minute. Adam Gorcyca (25:59.2) and Ethan Forsell (25:59.5) raced each other for the last 1k, but Adam managed to get the best of Ethan (barely). Ethan can’t be too upset with the outcome though, as he and Adam made sure that IXC went 1-2-3. John Wiser ran a smooth 26:20.2 for a PR and still has more in the tank as he looks to avenge last year’s Nationals. Spencer Nelson showed why he’s the man in charge, with his excellent training netting himself a 26:42.3 PR. Spencer was our last scorer and he made sure the big dogs ate, with the men also bringing home 1st place as a team against NCAA competition. Thomas Harmon put his All-State bonafides on display, running a 26:53.3 in one of the more impressive freshman debuts I’ve seen for the club. Justin Ostrem ran a 27:03.2 and although he wasn’t delighted with his finish, he has always been able to push through adversity and make his way into the top-7 ever since he was a freshman (I’d make a joke calling him old here, but it’s a bit played out by this point). John Burns finally beat the Tempo Loop merchant allegations, running a 28:02.0 to clinch a big PR off the concrete. Cadyn Grafton and Porter Shawver finished in a close one, running 28:27.5 and 28:30.5 respectively. Both ran strong races and will look to keep cruising come November. Mikey Smart and Adam Lupatkin also finished neck and neck, with Mikey barely edging out Adam for a time of 28:40.1. Big props to Adam though because he ran a huge minute and a half PR, crossing the line at 28:41.4. Phillip Hu was in the mix with them as well, finishing in 28:42.5. Despite his disappointment with his time, he has more to give for our final two races and will be making strides over the next few weeks. 

Norb Nieves finally got the result he’s been looking for since freshman year, shaking off injuries for a speedy 29:15.2 Norb showed there’s nothing Mid about the times he can run, and he’ll keep making improvements as we move forward. Nolan Enright ran a nice 29:25.4, making O-Block proud. Simon Hildy seems to have gotten the hang of the 8k pretty quickly, dropping almost 2 minutes off his previous time for an impressive 29:43.5! Quinn Born made some nice improvement as well, dropping almost a minute from his initial 8k this season and running a cool 29:53.4. Coming soon after Quinn was our favorite Frenchman, Eliott Hacquin. Eliott ran a 30:01.6 and will be looking to go sub-30 come regionals! Gabriel Inojosa ran 30:10.4 and although he was looking to break 30, it still looks to be in the cards for him this season if he can keep up the good work he’s putting in. Jordan Wilkerson evened the tally between him and Aidan Farrell to 1-1, dropping a minute and a half from his first 8k and running 30:24.4. Although Jordan got him this time, Aidan’s race was nothing to scoff at as he ran an impressive PR of over a minute himself, coming through in 30:43.9. Leyang Zhang ran his first 8k with IXC, navigating the course in an easy 30:53.7 finish. Nick Kwentus came in right after, dropping a time of 30:54.1 after a really consistent race, improving over a minute for a PR. 

Looking devilishly handsome as he ran a PR by a minute as well was Tristan Taylor, who finished in 31:06.5. Isaac Schifferer also ran a huge PR, crushing his former time and running 31:37.3 on the day and looking handsome as well, if I do say so myself. Aidan Markiewicz was close behind Isaac, following the trend and PRing in a 31:38.8 finish. Henry Hornbrook put the XC community on alert, letting everyone know he isn’t just a track guy with a HUGE 3.5 minute PR as he ran 31:46.6, while also predicting Aaron Judge would break Roger Maris’ home run record (He did). What can’t this guy do? 

Charley Hoppis ran under an alias this time, but he couldn’t hide from recognition in the write-up because he ran a big PR, crossing the line in 32:17.7. Andrew Stevenson was strong out on the course as well, also running a PR as he came through in 32:32.1. Joseph Kuang ran his first 8k and PRed by default, running 32:40.5 in a really strong team effort with Travel Coordinator Thomas Tran! Thomas shaved almost a minute off his time from Olivet and will be looking to run a PR at Nationals. Jose Ocegueda Zuniga crushed his first 8k, coming soon after Thomas with a 32:50.6 finish. Consistency king Nathaniel Lenning shaved another minute off of his previous 8k and with some improvements in the last mile should be cooking by the time we hit November. Yuki Mizuno competed in the 8k for the first time, running a smooth 33:20.5 and setting himself a goal to beat for the next one. Gabe Benson wanted sub-34 and he got it, running 33:23.3 and continued to make massive strides that he should be very proud of. John Bledsoe ran a great debut race, coming through in 33:28.3 and looking to continue improving this fall. Newman’s favorite runner Griffin Rhode came through in a solid 34:25.1. Denver Soekawan shaved 50 seconds off of his first race, running a nice 34:30.2 for some big improvement. IXC newcomer Salvador Madera showed it’s better late than never to start your collegiate XC career, cruising to a 34:32.2 finish and confirming to everyone Whitney Young boys are the best members of the team. Brennan Taylor made his season debut, showing that even though you may be shorter than your 15 year old brother, you can still run good times as he finished in 35:46.9. Big win for the troops. James Meadows closed out a great day for our gentlemen, with the bunny statue again fueling him a great race and a PR as he finished in 36:53.4. 

Overall, this was a day filled with personal bests, 1st place finishes, and a team culture that is coming together with every passing day. You’d be hard-pressed to find an athlete that didn’t leave with something to be proud of and even loftier goals for the next race we run. Regionals is fast approaching and although it is going to be a tough race on a hilly course with stiff competition, this team has shown over and over that it is capable of extraordinary things. IXC is primed for a great postseason and it is looking better for us each day. 

P.S. It slipped my mind until the end here, but this was the biggest turnout for any XC meet in my time here! It warms my heart that we have so many people who are dedicated to competing with us. IXC is nothing without all of you wonderful runners and you all make even the worst days of running worth it. 

It’s a privilege to compete with you all,

Tristan <3

Last Friday IXC made their way out to beautiful Bourbonnais, Illinois in order to take on the Olivet Tigers and others at the Aspen Ridge Golf Course. After making a splash a few weeks ago in Indiana, we were ready to set our sights on some home state competition. This meet went much more smoothly for us as we didn’t have to contend with stifling humidity and last minute changes to the competition due to uncooperative weather. In fact, it was a sunny, low 80s Friday afternoon with a little bit of a breeze, tailor-made for some strong races. And oh brother, were there some good times over the weekend. Many of our runners had races to be proud of as we move deeper into the season.

Diving into the races, we were led off by the women today, again running 5k (I am very jealous). Our top finisher was Diane Makovic, making her IXC debut after a few weeks of crushing workouts and running a very speedy 19:46.30. After Diane, we had a powerful duo of Claire Casiello and Alyson Ficca competing together for most of the race. With a 20:38.40 and a 20:56.40 respectively, both women crushed their times from IU and Claire even ran a 5k PR! Evelyn Rowan secured herself a top 25 finish with a 21:54.10 and continued to prove that freshmen can make an impact right out of the gate! Laurel Pauza also ran her first race with the club, coming in at 22:38.80 and is looking set up to run well into the fall. The best GMC in all of NIRCA, Lauren Bartels, got off to a speedy start and managed to pick people off, throwing down a 23:49.00 in her first race this season. Mikeelie Jensen shrugged off her ankle struggles from the last race to run a 24:57.70 in a heroic bounce-back effort. Allison Kokal smashed 30 seconds off her time from the last race, crossing the line in 27:53.40. Elizabeth Coats made the upgrade from cheering to racing, running 28:42.90 to begin her career with the club. Also running her first IXC race and following close behind Elizabeth was Anna Winnicki, who ran a 28:47.00 to close a successful day for the IXC women. (We had an IXC alumni cameo from Grace Gudwien, who ran a speedy 21:07.90! Here’s hoping we’re treated to one of her famous poems in the comments.)

After the women set a high bar for the club, the men had a tough task ahead of them to match the effort. Thankfully, our gentlemen were up to the challenge and also had a great day of racing. Although they had to make the jump from 5k to 8k, the extra kilometers didn’t slow them down. Local vigilante and cleaner of the streets Adam Gorcyca led a tight pack of IXC runners, finishing in 27:01.10 himself. IXC Treasurer/MAD LIBS Connoisseur John Wiser followed Adam’s lead and came through in 27:05.60, starting this season right where he left off last fall. Justin Ostrem came through next, running 27:08.20 and continuing to prove that being in grad school doesn’t mean you’re an old man just yet. Head Coach Spencer Nelson had his steak and ate it too, finishing off our lead pack in 27:12.90. Commissioner Cade Baker took home a quick 28:02.40 despite a tough middle portion of the race (evidently not too tough for a come from behind win in fantasy *sigh* ). Nolan Enright continued his strong early season, running a cool 28:14.90. In a tradition like none other, freshman standout Mikey Smart found out what it meant to run 8k, starting quickly and finishing in 28:33.80. Kyle Kenmotsu followed soon after Mikey, coming through the finish in 28:48.70. John Burns managed a passing grade on his race, feeling good on 3/5 miles and running 29:29.60. Ending with a little blood on his foot, Philip Hu learned the importance of tying the chip onto your shoe properly, but managed to fight through for a 29:41.00 finish. Arthur Mazzeo and Patrick Tallon finished right on each other’s hip, with our favorite New Jersey resident just barely taking it over the Irishman, running 29:46.00 and 29:46.60 respectively. Gabriel Inojosa made his 8k debut with the club in track spikes, getting out quickly and crossing the line with a 30:06.50. Adam Lupatkin also ran his first 8k with us, getting out fast but managing to stay in it and running 30:12.30. Quinn Born continued to have a strong start to the season, running 30:47.50 as he looks to move up throughout the fall. Simon Hildy and Lukas Tichota came across the line in quick succession, both having conquered the 8k for the first time in 31:31.50 and 31:35.70. Aidan Farrell picked up the mantle of the Farrell family legacy here at IXC, making moves throughout the race for a 31:51.00 finish. Jordan Wilkerson followed closely behind him, debuting in 32:01.60 and making the race for best bromance interesting (Jordan/Aidan vs. Charley/James will be one to watch this fall, folks). Aidan Markiewicz followed a strong showing at IU with a strong 8k debut, picking people off and running 32:14.70. Yours truly, Tristan Taylor, started out the race hurting, but made sure to show off to the cameras and finish strong for a time of 32:51.30. Andrew Stevenson and Nick Kwentus ran strong races and fought each other down to the wire, finishing in 33:06.30 and 33:06.50 respectively. In yet another down to the wire finish, Griffin Rhode and Thomas Tran ran 33:36.80 and 33:37.80, showing that XC is always exciting (Shoutout Thomas for a great return to XC after a 2 year hiatus). Charley Hoppis justified his Flyers fandom, flying to a 33:43.10 finish after a good race. Nathaniel Lenning fought through a tough last 2 miles, making his way across the line in 34:10.20. Gabe Benson picked up where he left off at Nats, crushing his expectation of sub-36 by running 34:40.60! The Man Henry Hornbrook battled through some cramping to complete his first 8k in 35:14.30. Track star Denver Soekawan competed well, coming in right after Henry with a 35:20.80. Closing out the men’s race for us, James Meadows cashed in on his luck from the rabbit statue and came across in 39:36.00. (Another IXC Alumni cameo was made by Leonel Rodriguez, who cruised to a 31:36.20. We love seeing former runners still have love for the club!)

It was a great day of racing where we had a lot of goals met and some strong finishes that will carry us into the back half of our season. It’s always a good time showing off that D4 runners mean business and can make noise even when pitted against tough competition. As we still have yet to field a full strength women’s or men’s side, it’s looking like IXC is primed to make waves come the NIRCA postseason. I’m so excited for what this team can do competitively and I’m even more excited to continue taking in the great atmosphere the club creates on a daily basis. Congratulations to everyone who ran at Olivet, you guys are a special group of people that I’m lucky to be a part of.

P.S. Thank you to Nathaniel, Norb, and Gavin for the photography!

Onwards and upwards,

Tristan <3

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