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!

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Webster Leads White to 2016 Scrimmage Win

The true goal of today was not only to see you finally compete on a cross country course. We also wanted to begin to demonstrate that each and every runner makes an impact in our season; and we will go as far as the team is willing to push one another.
Tight battles throughout the race proved to make big impacts on first impressions, and huge improvements from 2015.  

This year’s pack split for 1-5 shrank to just :55 among our first finishers. Matt Richtman kicked off his campaign with a 13:40 victory. Sam Webster and Daniel Occhipinti raced well in tandem through the first mile and into the chute, with Webster 2nd and netting a :45 PR from ‘15. Henry Nosek rolled in next, with a :03 PR, and Kantola put two Black team runners in the Top 5.

Wielgos looked tough as White team’s #2, and was seven seconds ahead of Orange’s Heiser who set a :38 PR. Lodwig and Purcell each put up valuable team points for Silver, and Petrik cracked the Top 10 in 16:05. Nemec was right on his heels, and looked very strong! 

Best finish of the day came with Orczykowski outleaning freshman Patrick Riedel at 16:19. Kyle Or was White team’s #4 runner at 12th overall. Girolamo charged in next, and was nearly identical in time from 2015.  Klingensmith made a run at Most Improved for the meet in a stellar 16:45. Kyle Wells smashed his 2015 effort, and finished a second behind Dalton.

White team’s scoring was completed when Seth Nosek crossed the line in 16:53, giving them scoring runners in 2, 6, 10, 12, 17. 
Orange finished off their scoring next when Tony Abruzzo and Anthony Messina piled into the chute next. Orange was clearly the best dressed team of the day, and took home second overall as a team.

Scotty Dunne went from Orange to White in last night’s lineup adjustment. Missed warming up with White, so he was graciously picked up by Silver ahead of the start. He was later “special requested” by Black to complete their scoring when he finished a very strong 20th. Excellent effort and flexibility there!

Jablonski and Holder rounded out scoring for the Silver team, and each gained valuable experience ahead of our first meets next week.  Arty Patrick completed his first high school run with the kind of support that we will all give and receive throughout this awesome and memorable season. After all, every man counts in this program.


Saturday, August 27, 2016

Saturday Practice Moved to KHS

Stormy weather sends us to Kaneland HS this morning. Please meet at 7am by the doors to the track.
IF you are interested in purchasing a KXC ball cap ($20), checkerboard jersey ($35), winter headband ($13), or 50th Anniversary T shirt ($15), you can bring extra money. We will be done at 8:40am.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Loaded Sectional Field Forming in Pre-Season Rankings

It's hard to fathom that 9 of the Top 16 schools running cross country for 2A Boys are going to meet at the Belvidere Sectional this fall.  According to DyeStatIL's POLL, our program ranks 13th to start the season.  In a separate poll on MileSplit IL, we are 17th.  It really doesn't matter where we rank in this mix. There are multiple teams in our corner of the state which are going to be extremely tough to race with come October and November. We must continue to do all the little things to help stay fit, healthy, sharp, prepared, and fast.  When comparing the two polls, neither could agree on the strength of Vernon Hills, who would be a 10th team in the the arguable Top 17 of 2A this year. The great part is, we don't send teams to Detweiler based on polls in August. Those teams who earn it are putting in the work in June and July, pushing through the aches in August and September, then rolling with momentum through October and into the first week of November. One day at a time, boys. But make no mistake, there are MANY who are working hard for their shot at November. Make sure you give your all to this process.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Practice Moved to KHS as Storms Approach

Please plan to meet at KHS this morning for our workout. We will try to run outdoors until the storms come. Any drivers available to take runners over to Elburn and then back to Kuipers for the volunteering activity would be appreciated. Drivers can come to KHS at 8:40. We will leave to drive back to Kuipers at 9:40. Athletes should be picked up at Kuipers Farm at noon or after, depending on the athlete's desire to continue.

Sunday, August 14, 2016

North Steals Inaugural KXC Olympic Title

The Summer Olympic Games in Rio inspired a new brand of competition for our KXC team.  As we took our first weekend practice of the season to a new site, we spent the majority of our morning working on building camaraderie by competing for team accolades.

Team standings were based on five points being awarded for gold, three for silver, and one for bronze. In the event of ties, a playoff was held.

North’s Sam Webster launched himself into the record books with a 77.3 meter toss in the Frisbee Golf Long Distance event. Teammate Kevin Jablonski earned silver, and South’s newcomer Blake Finn earned bronze. Sam won the event by nearly 60 feet.

Using the same implement, but with pinpoint accuracy, South’s Kyle Konrad edged out North’s Kyle Wells in the Frisbee Golf Accuracy contest. Along with Peyton Heiser (South), the three tied in the preliminary round at three makes each. In the finals, Konrad repeated his feat of dropping three in the basket for gold. Wells fell one short to earn silver, while Heiser settled happily for bronze.

Our first team competition was dominated by the South in an undermanned match where they hustled on defense and used precision passing to earn a 6-1 victory, securing five valuable points.

Coach Franklin introduced us to a new game of Dart Shot, using a modified slingshot and rockets. North freshman Jack Holder launched a gold medal winning effort just 7.8 feet from the target. Teammate Drake Nemec earned silver, edging South’s Aidan Lodwig by just 4 inches.

Working on push ups all summer paid off for the three medalists. South’s Anthony Messina used excellent form and sheer strength to earn the gold by outlasting North’s Ben Purcell (silver) and Drake Nemec (bronze).

Transitioning to another team event, the South rose to the occasion again, by outlasting the North in a spirited game that ended with a score of 6-4.

Heading into the final event, the medals and points were tallied and it was revealed that the score stood tied with 23 points each.

The North sent Ben Purcell, Sam Webster, Jacob Petrik, Jacob Weilgos, and Henry Nosek to the Olympic Relay with high hopes for making history.

In the final exchange, Henry Nosek’s bear crawl proved lethal to the South’s chances at a team victory. North claimed the title of Olympic Champion with a 28-23 advantage.
Given the fun and memories made today, we anticipate making these KXC Olympic Games an annual event to build teamwork, friendships, and competitive spirit.


Team Gear On Sale NOW!!

Please consider gearing up for the 2016 cross country season with some new KXC apparel.  Please go directly to BSN TEAM SHOP and use the team code:  KNIGHT9WU

The window for ordering will close on Monday, August 22 at 11:59pm. Please place all orders prior to that time. Unfortunately, there are no exceptions to this deadline.

This year, KXC ballcaps and winter headbands will be sold separately, and can be purchased through Coach Clarey, along with the 50th Anniversary t-shirt which honors Steve Chidester and provides money for a scholarship in his memory.

Friday, August 12, 2016

Practice Moved to KHS

Due to the storms heading in from the southwest (where Silver Springs is located), we will be practicing at KHS from 6 to 8:15am with an indoor workout and other team activities.

Thanks for checking in!

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Registration Portal is Now Open - PLEASE REGISTER!

Use this link to access the online registration for participation in cross country this fall. It is the expectation of the Athletic Department that all registration will be taken care of PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Using the online system is so much better than having a bunch of papers to fill out and file, potentially lose, and do over. We are grateful to the Technology Department and the Athletic Department for generating this system of registration.

LINK TO ATHLETIC REGISTRATION

You will also be able to get many details about the athletic program off of this new site. The link to register is near the top, on the right.