Welcome to Kaneland Cross Country!

The purpose of this blog site is to allow full access to the team, practices, history, and future events. Please check back with this blog throughout the summer and fall for new updates on the team. Feel free to share it with friends and family who follow the program!

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Applied PE or PE Waiver???

There has been great discussion of what athletes should do now that the district has invested in the upgrade of our fitness centers at the high school campus.  As your cross country coaches, we have taken all angles into consideration for why the new Applied PE course is a plus for students. Please note some of the things Coach Franklin and I have discussed regarding this excellent new course offering for student athletes.  Please also read to the end of this so you can FULLY understand how we feel this impacts cross country, specifically:

The Applied PE course, (as Coach Clarey understands it), will be for juniors and seniors who are participating in an "in season" sport at KHS. During this course, athletes would be doing sport specific conditioning activities, like prescribed core fitness exercises, weight lifting, and cardio training, designed by the coach as it pertains to their sport. Coaches will likely develop lesson plans and or workouts which the instructors would likely maintain coordination of in their jurisdiction as the teachers of the class.

The Applied PE course would likely take the place of our after practice work we do in the weight room, wrestling room, or out in the grass. There are some student athletes who might need to leave practices at 5:15pm in order to work, or attend another commitment; and we can see the advantages for these older athletes to have this class as a means to meet their core strength goals for training.  However, this is also a crucial time where our team is together to learn from one another, and from the coaching staff. You've all been through a season of cross country at this point. Can you imagine what it might be like without that core fitness component as a team? Or the days without weights, teammates, quick meetings, and chocolate milk?  Seniors in particular utilize this time to develop their own leadership skills, to connect with the younger runners, and help them learn and appreciate the rigors of our sport in a personal way. Coaches use this time to do the same thing .

The alternative to Applied PE would be to take a PE Waiver. In doing so, an upperclassman could then take an extra class in an elective that he may need. If dual credit courses are available at Kaneland HS, this is an excellent opportunity to enroll in one and get credit at the high school AND collegiate level. Imagine getting an A in a dual credit course, and starting college with a 4.0 GPA already on the books! Because you are getting your physical education component completed as an athlete, you are giving yourself the gift of time to pick up an extra class in a foreign language, or English, math or the arts. As coaches, looking at your future, we like this opportunity for you, as much or more than taking the Applied PE credit.

The choice is absolutely YOUR decision. We know that you and your family are taking all the angles on this same subject at home. Please consider the details above as a quick snapshot of what the whole could entail. As coaches, we enjoy the time spent with you in the weight room, up in the wrestling room, and out on the lawn doing our core. It is an essential piece to what makes our team a family, because we all get to be together in one place, not spread out across campus. It's not unlike the family eating at the dinner table.

If you have any questions about dual credit classes, Applied PE, or PE Waivers, please contact Coach Franklin or your guidance counselor for details. We will help you with any of these choices as you move forward in scheduling your coursework for next fall.

Miss you guys. Keep in touch.
Your Coaches

Saturday, October 31, 2015

White Knights Race to 3rd at Woodstock Sectional, Qualify for 18th Time as Team

You boys said it best on Friday. If it were not for the heartbreaking defeat by a few points at last fall’s Sectional, you’d not have appreciated nor worked as hard to attain this high finish at Woodstock.

Behind a single digit and a crazy :37 split between 2 and 6, we were able to earn a comfortable advantage over the rest of the ranked teams on this sloppy, rolling course.

Matt Richtman only lost one place from Regional to Sectional when he placed 6th overall, giving us a great start on the team tally. Having familiar foes in his pack, and gaining energy as he passed more from last week, he managed a :70 PR on the course and an automatic berth to Peoria.

Thankfully, his teammates were equally up to the challenge. Austin Kintz maneuvered his way through the course with many other #1’s and 2’s, but fell down before the two mile. He popped right back up and into the mix, and managed a PR time at Emricson Park as well. Kintz started a stream of White Knights scoring quickly thereafter.

Sophomore Sam Webster, teamed up with Spaetzel, Kuipers and Kantola, right from the start. This pack of white was seen (and commented on, afterward) by many opposing coaches. We seemed very well in control of our pack, and our wave of passing continued to build. From the mile mark to the finish, the pack moved up a solid 20 places.

Webster and Kantola continued to surge forward and our seniors followed suit. Webster earned 35th overall, a magnificent performance for his first EVER run in the Top 7. He bettered his time at Woodstock by 1:45.

Kantola also had a big PR day, running :59 faster than in ‘14. His finish of 16:59 was just 4 seconds off Sam. Spaetzel also came up big today, running a :33 PR on the course and making history as our #5.  Will Kuipers was locked into this pack until he fell on the slick, muddy hills with 400 to go. He courageously fought back and was just 7 seconds off Sean’s pace, with a 1:20 PR at Woodstock.

Kainrath did his best to locate the pack in the thick field and wet mess of Mile 1. Without them, he raced to 94th overall. Matt beat 13 scoring runner from other teams. We are going to make sure we are more visible to one another next week, as we run in the  IHSA Class 2A Finals.

Results Here



Knights Closing on the Ranked Field Ahead of Us, 2nd at "Regional of Death"

The most important statistic at Saturday’s Regional was the fact that we advanced to the Sectional. We ran hard in the slosh of Elburn Woods, having a little bit of fun with the puddles and mud, mixed with the sweat and agony.

Every team including our own has had ups and downs with injuries and keeping a healthy team on the course. Saturday was no different. We could analyze the results all day long, but the one important factor that remains is that we are gelling at just the right time, and we are going to be ready as an underdog on Saturday in Woodstock.

Richtman and Kintz kicked off the first mile at the Woods running sub 5:00 first miles. This wouldn’t be uncommon if it were not for that 200 meters of hill in the middle. Richtman continued on to out lean the CLC #2 runner in a PR finish. Kintz closed very strong and also ran a PR on the final run at The Woods, netting an 8th place pumpkin in the process.

More important points came from seniors Spaetzel and Kuipers. Just :05 apart, they continue to excel in October. Spaetzel raced to a 14th place pumpkin, Kuipers to a :28 PR at home. Will beat every other team’s #4, and made up points on CLC ahead of us.

The power of running in pairs really spurred on Kantola and Kainrath. Andrew’s hip was fine, as he also ran down a 1:03 PR, with Matt knocking :22 off his previous best at Eddington.
Kurz capped our awesome morning with his own great finish ahead of PR’s #5 and 14 other scoring runners. His leadership, consistency, and commitment to excellence are hard to match.

We are closing the gap on many teams, late in the race. We took another week to figure out a good race plan, and how to surge forward together. There will be teams who try to change up what they do next week in order to “Get Down” with a State Finals berth. We must remain consistent, and team up. Every  man will count in this next weekend’s results. Prepare by supporting one another, and get ready for a big finish. You are ready.


Sunday, October 18, 2015

Knights Take 2nd in NIB XII Conference Meet

The first time we visited Afton this year, we made a little bit of noise against ranked teams. That performance was repeated when facing #3 Yorkville, #19 LaSalle Peru, #24 Sycamore and previously ranked Sterling.

Richtman (2nd) and Kintz (7th) climbed right into the lead pack and surged to All Conference placement among a handful of All State runners. Our next wave of finishers proved lethal to the NIB XII field (non Foxes, of course).



Spaetzel and Kuipers hung with the tail end of the All Conference pack and pushed past important scoring runners to gain a final advantage in the standings. Each ran a 3 mile PR in the process.
Kainrath and birthday boy Kantola also closed strong, with matching times to outlast Sycamore’s #4. Kurz equaled their PR efforts with his own, and was 4 places ahead of Sycamore’s #5 to complete a pack split 1-7 of 70 seconds.

Our FS team followed suit with another impressive performance highlighted by four career PR races for three miles. Sam Webster sprinted ahead of YHS #2 to net a PR, running 16:39. Nosek (7th)outleaned Wielgos and finished with identical times, Jacob with the PR. Girolamo raced 15th to 17:53, good for a PR, and Heiser ran 16th to complete our scoring.


Lodwig  and Konrad pushed scores up by defeating 8 scoring runners from other teams, Aidan with a career 3 mile PR and Konrad having a tough first day back by falling at the bridge on the way out. He fought through the discomfort, and stepped up instead of stepping out.


Our open runners also were up to the NIB XII challenge in a very deep race this year. Messina ran to a course PR and earned the final ribbon of the day. Duffey came back from injury, using a modified race plan, he ran in the top 15. Smith equaled his PR time from Peoria, giving his very best effort at the finish.

French made it a good ending to his conference career with a course PR, while Klingensmith and Orczykowski each rocked new career bests under 19:30. Gingrich ran a new career PR, going under 20 for the first time. Nemec put up a 3 mile PR in his first race back in the lineup. Babula and Petrik also joined that PR group, with Jacob breaking his own mark by 3:57! Jablonski raced to a new best time of  20:59 and Purcell gave a courageous effort with a calf strain; ending his season at 21:00, but just a few seconds off of his time from September, on this course.

Crimmins is working his way back into shape and fought hard for a new PR at 22:28, while Osborne raced to a 1:58 mile pace improvement on the course.  Big day for us!  The pack split continue to drop, and the times were excellent on a challenging course of rolling hills and sweeping turns. Keep your intensity up, and your expectations high.


Sunday, October 4, 2015

"Hangry" Harriers Produce Big Snacks




Kaneland Sweeps Team Titles at Freeport Pretzel Invite

“Challenge Your Own Excellence” was the theme of the week, and you rose to it when the Cheesemakers of Monroe, WI entered the course. This powerful Class 2A team (ranked #8) returned to Freeport for the first time in almost 20 years. In the varsity race, their red team aggressively pushed through the first mile with excellent pack placement. Our own pack in black and white checks used surges and strong race strategy to team up and run through their presence within the top 20.
Richtman out leaned an all state runner from Rock Falls, and Kintz earned his second big snack in 2 years, running a :27 PR.

Spaetzel rallied late to hold off more Cheesemakers, and set a :66 PR of his own. Within 19 seconds of Sean, our #4-6 runners came sprinting through. Kainrath and Kantola medaled for the first time this year with nearly matching times at 11th and 12th. Will Kuipers set an :18 PR for 13th, and ahead of Monroe’s #4.  Kurz notched a :65 PR to finish right at 17:00, giving us 8 runners at or under that standard for the day.

Messina led our next wave in with a strong finishing kick. Every week, he’s making progress because he’s challenging his own level of excellence. Wojak and Smith (18:20 and :21) were tremendous, with Smith earning a :25 course PR. French stayed out of “no man’s land” throughout and ended the day defeating 18 other scoring runners.

Gingrich continues to torch his previous year’s best races, this time with a 2:19 PR. For all you new runners, understand that this season has its own learning curve, and you’ll get to experience similar highs. Osborne battled sore legs and still ran :21 per mile faster than at ACC.
Webster gave a winning effort, and took a salty second. Every race teaches us a lesson. You all need to pay attention to it.

Nosek improved :72 to earn a Pretzel, and Wielgos surged to 5th to eat his own snack. Heiser  (1:38) and Girolamo (1:54) smashed their PRs at Freeport with 8th and 11th place efforts to seal the team title. Lodwig ran his fastest race of the season in 6:10 mile pace. Purcell surprised the coaches by jumping into the lineup following a late week injury. Ben demonstrates courage and desire to train hard and compete even harder. Very proud of you, B.

Our freshmen looked fantastic this week with season best performances. Orczykowski had his best run thus far, finishing 35th and under 19:00. Klingensmith, Babula and Petrik managed season best mile paces. Jablonski put on a big surge in the final 200m to run a personal best 7:05 mile pace. This is not easy! Way to go, Kevin.


Strong day. Sustain this effort.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Top 10 at Charger Classic

Kintz took 6th overall in 15:05, and Richtman ran 9th in 15:09.

Charger Classic Ends Peak Week in Big Fashion for Knights

Varsity Earns 8th in a field that included 7 teams ranked in the Top 25 for varying Illinois Class 2A and 3A polls, as well as the defending State Champion from Iowa (Linn-Mar) and Kentucky's #8 ranked cross country team.

Our Frosh Soph team collected 4th, and just 3 points from a team trophy.

Here's more:

Peak Week!” We knew it was upon us. We battled aches and pains, tired legs and a heavy field of top notch teams, and came away with great momentum for the remaining weeks of 2015.

Slight course modifications resulted in a :10 head start to awesome times. Kintz and Richtman wasted no time after the first surge point in passing 8-10 runners on their way to new course records. Sean Spaetzel couldn’t wait to get out of the traffic in the woods and start pushing toward his own course PR. Kuipers locked down a :29 improvement to run 4th for our squad, and Kainrath was on his heels just 4 seconds later. This tight knit racing by our 4-5-6 will be crucial in weeks to come. Kurz managed one of the biggest improvements with a 1:31 PR on the course. Messina also used surges and a very strong kick to outlast Kantola by one spot and net a new PR for the Oakhurst course. Again, pairing up to race is a necessity and a bonus for us; way to go Anthony and Andrew!
Aaron French and David Wojak were paired through the first surge point. The senior broke away and charged to a :25 improvement. As a team, our varsity improved their team time by 6:01 over last year! Their pack split also improved :36 from 2014.

In the frosh soph race, our team narrowly missed a team trophy, coming just 3 points shy of East Aurora. Webster improved :84 for a new PR, and started scoring at 13th. Nosek was just 6 places behind, also with a :82 PR. Wielgos had a big day, keying off of Henry, and running :01 behind. Scoring was completed when Peyton Heiser finished 9 places later (30), and Girolamo just 8 more (38). Cristian managed a :84 PR on a big day for this team. Purcell was three places behind (41), and was a factor in that pack most of the way. Freshman Aidan Lodwig ran his best mile pace of the season for 59th overall, easily in the top half of all competitors.

Our Open Team made history with the program’s best pack split for 3 miles this season (:53). Smith ran a :52 PR at ACC, Nemec hit his best mile pace of ‘15, with Wells (:26) and Gingrich (3:15) just 24 seconds off Smith’s pace. Orczykowski ran his best race of the season in 92nd place. Klingensmith and Babula were next, Babula at PR pace. Jablonski, Petrik and Osborne also ran PR pace for the season, with Kyle passing 7 in the last mile  for a dramatic finish.

We are really getting better despite the sore legs and heavy workload. We must keep our positive attitudes up, and need to challenge one another to stay in our packs. We’ll get better, but you need to want it.


Sunday, September 20, 2015

Knights Varsity Steps Up at Eddington, FS Boys Take 5th

We had a pretty good feeling that times would be slow on the Elburn Woods course, given the heavy rainfall from the night before. We had no idea our team would step up to run such big PR’s and compete so well in a field that included Top 10 ranked teams.  We knew we would be in a battle just to have a chance at a trophy, and the team gave their best effort of the season.

Our varsity boys moved up 8 team places from 2014 to capture 6th behind a stellar Top 10 finish from Richtman (:98 PR). Our seniors came out and gave a huge effort to help lead the way to a high team finish. Racing his first time at the Woods, Kintz rocked a 14th place finish in a strong field of individual runners. Spaetzel ran a career PR by :27 to net a ribbon (26th overall). Will Kuipers put notched a career PR on the course in 17:45 (:44 PR) as our #4, and Zach Kurz stepped up to fill our #5 slot with a :59 PR to close our scoring. Kainrath defeated 37 other scoring runners in his Elburn Woods debut, and Kantola set a :26 PR on the wet, muddy course.

Our Frosh Soph team has excelled this season, and were up against some deep and talented programs. They narrowly missed 4th and outlasted East Aurora by a single point to bring home a 5th place trophy. Sam Webster captured a place on the podium, running 7th overall with a :94 PR. Nosek (21st, :95 PR) and Wielgos (27th) earned ribbons while gaining valuable experiences or racing amid big packs. Heiser crushed his PR by 3:00, Girolamo raced very strong in his first turn on the Woods course. Purcell net at huge PR at Elburn, with Lodwig and Nemec putting up strong races on the longer course. Kyle Orczykowski continues to improve, moving up the depth chart racing a great mile pace on a far more challenging course. Wells had another PR effort (:26) while our freshmen contingent of Klingensmith, Babula, Jablonski and Petrik are making strides to learn and grow in every race. Petrik managed to run :32  faster than his time a week ago in Peoria!

Messina was very aggressive in the opening mile and earned a 25th place ribbon and a :28 PR. French earned his first award of the season, placing 31st. Gale narrowly eclipsed Wojak at the finish, with David running a :56 PR on the course. Smith also is credited with a :95 PR while Gingrich put up a 3:45 improvement over his ‘14 time. Osborne surged past two runners in the last mile to have a season best mile pace.  An awesome effort with slow course conditions!

Very special thanks to our KXC Families for their efforts with hosting this invitational on the grounds of Elburn Woods. We appreciate all the families who braved the shuttle bus, those who helped set up, watched key flags in the race, respectfully communicated with other guests who came to the meet, and those who tore down the course after the meet concluded. Your coaches are so grateful for your help, commitment, and perseverance. Great role models for your children. One day, they will give back to their own children's programs because they see how you step up to the challenge as well.


Sunday, September 13, 2015

Knights 7th to the Finish in Peoria

This year’s FTTF meet was huge on many counts. We saw the largest field on record for the event, in the 2A race. Finishing 7th out of 59 teams is quite an accomplishment! Our pack utilized the excellent course conditions and weather to produce an abundance of Personal Records (PR) for 3 miles.  Matt Richtman kicked off the parade of PRs surging to 14th overall, in 15:23. This is one of the top 5 fastest performances ever by a Knight at Detweiler.  Austin Kintz got his first taste of Peoria and medaled in 30th place. Noah Duffey  ran a :51 PR, finishing 83rd in a highly competitive field, with Sean Spaetzel close behind in 16:25.  Sam Webster knocked off 90 seconds from ‘14’s race, to finish as our 5th runner, in PR time. Will Kuipers rallied from illness during the week to also set a career and course PR.   Matt Kainrath bettered his best by :69 to skip the 17’s and drop down to 16:57 in his third race ever.

Henry Nosek led the next wave of Knights with his own :96 PR at Detweiler, finishing in 17:00. Zach Kurz managed a :55 career PR at 17:08, followed closely by a surging Kantola (17:12) and first three mile (17:20) effort from Wielgos. These four add a lot of depth to our line up!  Another pack of Knights began entering the chute with Peyton Heiser smashing his Detweiler time of a year ago (17:58), with Girolamo (18:02, :90 PR), and Konrad (18:06, PR) on his  heels.
 
Courageous running from our sick athletes was not uncommon today. Anthony Messina refused to back down from the struggles he’s faced with illness, and held tough for 18:32. Ben Smith notched a career PR next at 18:43, and Aaron French shortly after at 19:04. Leadership comes in many places on this team. Keep watching for it! 

Wojak started the next group of checkboards, at 19:23, followed by PR efforts for 3 miles from Lodwig (19:29), and  Nemec (19:39). Wells finished with a great kick, running 20:04 to lead Orczykowski (20:20, PR), Alex Gale (welcome back!), and Klingensmith (20:22, PR) into the chute.  Grant Gingrich put up an :86 PR at Peoria, which was also a career best time. Jablonski earned a record mark at 22:51, and Petrik completed our day’s work in 24:21 for his current PR. 

On the day, we found out that we are right in the mix with numerous teams from our (probable) Sectional field, and our best races are yet to come. Seeing some of the teams ahead of us running so fast, so early, is a difficult task to maintain. Our best efforts are yet to come. Historically, we’ve proven this. What’s most important is that we demonstrate fortitude, and work relentlessly to catch them.


Monday, September 7, 2015

Harvest Christian Varsity Champions and Top 10 Finishers




Knights Defend Team Titles in Fall Classic Field that Doubled in Size

The size of the field had doubled, but the Knights were up to the challenge of defending their team titles of a year ago. Despite being outnumbered 6 to 1 by Lincoln-Way East alone, the JV crew got the meet kicked off by putting 9 in the Top 25.

Webster bettered Richtman’s F/S course time from ‘14 by :10 en route to his first invitational win. Nosek was on his heels, running a :57 PR for this course. Wielgos raced to 7th, just ahead of a pack of 6 L-W East runners. Our next pack was equally important to the front, as 14 and 15th were covered by Heiser and Konrad. If any other bodies got between us and East, we’d not have held up the 4 point margin of victory.

Girolamo made the Top 20 with a strong run on the hills of HCA. Joining Heiser and Konrad, there was an impressive pack surge from  CJ, Purcell (22), Nemec (23) and Lodwig (25) just before the mile mark.

Senior Aaron French jumped back in the lineup, and ran an impressive mile pace for his first run of the year.  Wells led the next string of KXC teammates, including  Gingrich, Babula, Klingensmith and Orczykowski, each with their best mile pace of the season. Kyle Or.  ran a blistering 1:15 per mile faster in this meet! Jablonski and Petrik gained valuable racing experience and raced to new PR paces. Kyle Osborne improved his own mile pace by :11 from Sycamore.

This year’s varsity format changed to a Top 7 only, affair. Our Knights managed four runners in the Top 8 to win by more than double their 36 points scored. Elmwood Park put on a late surge to catch the checkboards, but the finish of our own team proved that their imagery from the night before worked “magically.”

Richtman ran down the final hill alongside the top L-W East harrier, and then put on a surge to earn his first varsity victory by 7 seconds. Kintz raced very tough from an odd spot (alone) throughout the course. It’s extra challenging, but the mental task of not falling off pace was terrific. Spaetzel and Duffey were never without one another through this race and with dramatic kicks and finishes, they managed the Top 10. Kuipers and Kainrath sealed the win with Top 20 finishes, exactly what we were shooting for. Smith rallied hard and ran a :38 PR on the course.

Terrific finish to a hot and draining week, boys.


Friday, September 4, 2015

Picnic After Peoria Flyer Coming Home

Details on a picnic after our race in Peoria next weekend will be coming home today. We apologize for not getting word out sooner. Please fill out the flyer and send back reservations for the meats your family will enjoy. Here's a glimpse of what's coming to you:

Peoria Picnic – Saturday, Sept. 12
Following the team’s race at 10am @ Detweiller Park in Peoria, we will travel north on
IL 29 to Henry, where we will hold a team picnic along the bank of the Illinois River.
Please use the details below to help coordinate a great picnic feast.

Special thanks to our senior class families for helping organize the grilling of meats from
Ream’s Market in Elburn. There will be a $5 offering per person( or $10 per family) for
the grill-ables, tableware and supplies.

Who: All KXC runners, families and friends (those not eating the grilled meat need not
pay)
Where: Henry, IL (corner of Cromwell and Main St.) at the park and pavilion. One block
north of IL 18. Coming back from Detweiller, turn right at the 4 way stop by Subway
and then right again when you see the town square (Main St.).
When: Immediately after the cool down, the team will leave for Henry. Parents are
welcome to leave ahead of us. There is a Kroger’s grocery store in Chillicothe, which is on
the way to Henry, in case you choose to stop for something fresh.

Cost: $5 cash, per person, can be placed in an envelope with the bottom portion of this
letter attached. (If there is any extra money left over, it will be used for bagels for the
team in the future)
Questions?: Contact Coach Clarey after the races on Tuesday, or you can see Heather Spaetzel or
Mili French.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Varsity runs 2nd at Sycamore, FS Win

We don’t usually “heat up” until the end of September. The weather forced our hand on that a little bit as we set a blistering pace in a talented field of 2A schools.  The Varsity boys finished just 6 points shy of an invite win, losing out to Belvidere North who had too much power up front this week. They notched 1-6-13 with their front 3 to our own awesome 5-7-17. We did best them at #4, 5 and 6.

Richtman shows that he likes this course, running in the top 5 for the second year in a row. Kintz got his first taste of Afton, and like the rest of us, looks forward to returning in October, with cooler weather. Front two have some targets to shoot for in future races.

Great placement of Spaetzel (17) and Duffey (18), and Kuipers rounded out all scoring runners with the fastest finish by a #5 in the meet.  Kainrath (37) had a terrific first meet, and has a lot to look forward to in XC this fall.  Kurz set a new PR on the course, and Kantola was the second non scoring runner in the meet at 63rd place.

Messina and Wojak each fought hard throughout the hilly and dusty course. They’re getting stronger each week, and leading by example. Smith and Gingrich both notched new course PR’s for 3 miles. Awesome!

Our Frosh Soph team took notice of the strong start from Varsity. They rallied late after packing up and surging together through the first 1.5 miles. Sam Webster (6) took the top spot for the Knights with a new course PR, as did Nosek (8th). We look forward to this one-two punch often this fall. Wielgos is making it a three hit attack though, gathering his first award in his first race, finishing 13th overall.

Kyle Konrad finally raced in a KXC jersey after a long freshman year without a meet. He earned 18th, with Girolamo setting a :20 PR in 21st. Heiser gathered a medal with his 24th place effort as well.The pack split for FS was 70 seconds. This needs to shrink.

Purcell had a big PR over a year ago, leaving everything he had on the course. Lodwig rallied after a nasty fall last night to finish his first run in 45th place. Very gutsy effort!  Crimmins and Wells looked tremendous, coming down the home stretch together. THIS is how we want to race! Babula and Jablonski repeated this feat about 30 seconds later with huge finishes. Klingensmith was right on their heels as well.

Kyle Orczykowski put in excellent effort in his first HS race and got an important one under his belt. Osborne rocked his race bettering his scrimmage pace by more than 3:00.
Big Knight. Don’t stop!



Monday, August 31, 2015

Sycamore Invite Itinerary

Sycamore Invitational
PREPARE!  The forecast calls for a high of 89, and sunny. Light, dry layers, extra socks, and being mentally prepared to RACE are a few things you will need. EAT A SNACK, 4 hours before race time.  Hydrate all day.        
WE NEED TO BE READY TO LEAVE! Board the bus that is leaving at 3:10:
3:05=                      Assemble by trophy cases, Freshmen get water and ice coolers, seniors get a spike box/first aid kit
3:10 =                     Bus leaves                                           
4:00 =                     Varsity Boys Warm Up, all juniors and seniors who are competing
4:45 =                     Varsity Boys Race, NO FANS or RUNNERS EAST OF THE RIVER (see course map)
5:00 =                     FS Boys Warm Up, all freshmen and sophomores who are competing
5:45=                      Boys Frosh Soph Race, NO FANS or RUNNERS EAST OF THE RIVER (see course map) 
6:15=                      FS Cool Down, not on course when JV girls run.  No awards ceremony; packet instead.
7:45=                      Arrive back at Kaneland HS (Estimated)

Teams competing: Aurora Central Catholic, Belvidere North, Burlington Central, DeKalb, Dixon, Elmwood Park, Geneseo, Hampshire, Kaneland, Rochelle, Rock Falls, Sterling, Sycamore, Vernon Hills, West Chicago, Wheaton  St. Francis

**Directions: Take Keslinger Road WEST (NOT PERRY ROAD) to Somonauk Road and turn left. When Somonauk meets up with Perry Road, turn right. Take Perry Road West to Crego Road, and turn left. Course is < 1 mile away

Sunday, August 30, 2015

NEW: Sign Up for Texts from Coaches!

If you wish to receive text messages from the coaching staff, please text @kanela to 81010.

If you have trouble using 81010, try texting @kanela to (630)504-2262.

You can also receive messages via email, by sending an email to kanela@mail.remind.com

We are simply trying to make communication to all families and athletes better. This will be an excellent resource for finding out when the bus will get back to school, what's on tap for the team, reminders about equipment, and more.

You're also welcome to follow us on Twitter:  @coachclarey

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Saturday Practice Moved to KHS

We will hold our practice at KHS this morning. Please come to the East Fitness Center at 7am. We will be done at 8:30, so please have your rides planned accordingly.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Team Pictures on Monday

We have our team photos on Monday at 4:30. Papers for the photo packages were sent home with runners on Friday. You can order packages online after the photo is taken on Monday, if you did not get a form. Forms will also be available on Monday when we take the pic.

Team Building: Day 2

This busy Saturday, the team started with a fast paced 5K workout on the course that we would later help Mark Eddington (KXC Alum) direct. We made it to the Boy Scout Troop 7 All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast, and got our money's worth. Finally, we finished the day at Kuiper's Farm, volunteering to help at a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation event that welcomed bike riders who finished 30 and 60 mile treks.



Team Building: Round 1

The team started the day with a max 8 miles of hills at Elburn Woods, followed by breakfast. We split up teams for volleyball, with one team finishing undefeated. Later, the team broke into groups where our upperclassmen and younger runners had the chance to talk about school, racing, leadership, and what will make this team successful this season. We kicked off the last block of our morning with a kickball game. Fielding the ball with popcicles is a challenge!



Saturday, August 15, 2015

2015 Cross Country Gear Order Window Closes Sunday at 11:59pm

Please use the following order code to log into BSN Sports:

www.bsnsports.com/mts

When you're there, use this access code:

knight7DY

Team Building Day is ON! 8/15

We will be meeting at Elburn Community Center at 6. In 30 minutes, the storm cloud will be down past Sugar Grove, and we should be good to go! If you check here after 6, plan on meeting us at Elburn Woods.

Don't forget your breakfast!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Welcome Back KXC Family!

The 2015 campaign is beginning on Wednesday, August 12th. Remember to take care of the following, so that you are prepared for all the fun!

Monday's Mandatory Parent Meeting at 7pm at KHS. (Athlete and Parent necessary)

Wednesday's First Practice at 7am, in the KHS cafeteria. (Athlete's physical and ALL registration materials completed are necessary  before participation)

Wednesday's Volunteer Activity #1 at Marklund Home in Geneva, beginning at 12:00pm at KHS (bus ride over).

Saturday's Team Day - Runners will be having breakfast and team building activities following a workout which will start and end at the Elburn Community Center (old elementary school) on Rt. 47. Details will be shared with the team this week. This event will end at 12 o'clock noon (SHARP!), so please have rides organized accordingly.

Monday, July 27, 2015

Cole's Run Details - Saturday, August 1st

This Saturday, August 1st, the Chicago Neurofibromatosis (NF) Walk/Run will take place in Geneva, at 10am.  One of our teammates, has special ties to this organization. Let's make this a great finish to our camp experiences by joining Cole, and the Rutter Family.

Location: Gunnar Anderson Pavilion Forest Preserve, 719 Batavia Avenue, Geneva, IL 60134 For more information, contact Jen White at jwhite@ctf.org or at 212-344-6633 ext. 8544.

Please register using this LINK.

More information about how Cole connects to this organization, and why it is important that we support it are offered in this letter from his mom and dad:

Dear Friends and Family,

On August 1, 2015, we will be participating in the Chicago NF walk to increase awareness of Neurofibromatosis (NF) and raise money for the Children’s Tumor Foundation.  We hope you will join us.

Neurofibromatosis is the most common genetic disorder caused by a single gene.  It is a highly variable and progressive disorder.  While not all patients suffer from the most severe symptoms, all live their lives with the uncertainty of knowing whether they too will be severely affected.  There are different kinds of NF, but Cole has NF1.  NF1 can cause tumors to grow on nerves anywhere in the body, and can also cause a lot of other problems like blindness, brain tumors, high blood pressure, headaches, cancer, learning disabilities, and severe chronic pain. 

NF has affected Cole in many different ways. Cole suffers from a recurrent aggressive myxoid fibroma, scoliosis, ADD, high blood pressure, headaches, ventricular hypotrophy and tumors among other things.  All of these ailments, caused by NF, create daily pain and a host of other problems that require constant oversight.  Cole makes monthly visits to numerous doctors and has had more MRIs and CT Scans than any child should ever endure.

Cole is now 16 years old and has been dealing with the effects of Neurofibromatosis since he was born.  Neurofibromatosis (NF) has become Cole’s way of life since he was diagnosed at the age of 18 months. Each year he faces challenges that no child should ever face, but he keeps plugging away.

There is no cure for NF.  There are no effective treatments.  Not yet!  But the Children’s Tumor Foundation has created a number of innovative programs that are already speeding up the drug research and development process.  They are actively driving clinical trials and are bringing together top scientists to work collaboratively to solve the mysteries of NF.  It is giving renewed hope to the millions of people worldwide who are living with NF.

Although Cole does not like having NF, it doesn’t stop him from doing some things he really enjoys.  This year Cole participated in cross country and baseball at the high school level, and although he doesn’t excel, he enjoys the camaraderie it brings!  To see Cole reach the finish line in cross country and collect a base hit in baseball shows the desire he has to succeed.  He also informs us that staying active in sports prevents him from going to therapy three days a week!

To honor Cole and others affected by NF, we will be hosting our annual Children’s Tumor Foundation 5K/Run Walk 2015 on August 1st.  The event takes place at the Gunnar Anderson Forest Preserve along the Fox River in Geneva.  This event is a fundraising effort to raise money to someday find a cure.  At this moment in time, there is no cure for NF! Please consider joining us to celebrate the efforts of Cole in his crusade to find a cure and live a normal life.

To register, PLEASE JOIN Cole’s Crew.  If you are unable to make the event, your donations will be greatly appreciated and can be mailed to Children’s Tumor Foundation, Attn: NF Walk, 120 Wall Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10005.  Be sure to include in the memo area “In Honor of Cole Rutter – Chicago NF Walk.” 


Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Tuesday, July 7 Practice a GO!

Most rains in the area will have passed by the time we start, up at Lily Lake. For now, we are a "GO" for practice on the bike path.
5:21am  Coach Clarey

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Monday, June 15, 2015

June 15 Kids Camp is ON!

If weather allows, we'll stay outside tonight. IF NOT, we will go into Harter Middle School for some of our running fun. Please plan to meet by the tennis courts at 5pm. If weather should keep you from joining us, please return on Thursday evening, same place and time.

Friday, June 12, 2015

No Camp This Morning!

Due to the rains still in our area, with the threat of lightning, we will need to cancel our camp this morning. We will resume our running on Monday morning at Waubonsee Community College. Have a safe and fun weekend!

Saturday, February 21, 2015

KXC Private Screening of McFarland USA, on Feb. 28 @ 9am

You are cordially invited to the Kaneland Cross Country private screening of McFarland USA at the Randall 15 theaters in Batavia on Saturday, February 28th.  This movie chronicles a true story about a California cross country team's pursuit of a State Title.

This outing is organized for both boys and girls teams, their families, as well as runners who have graduated. We have a 150 seat theater reserved for our private screening, shortly after 9am. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Details:
Randall 15 and IMAX Theater: 550 N. Randall Road, Batavia
Students: $7.25 - Bring your ID
Adults: $7.50
11 and Under: $6

Group Discount on popcorn/beverage combo: $5 +tax for 46oz popcorn and 20 oz drink

TEAM AND FAMILY LUNCH to follow at Portillo's, across the street. Anyone interested in going for lunch following the show can simply head across the street to Port's.

If you have further questions, please contact Coach Clarey via email at chad.clarey@gmail.com

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