Your Letter - Our Book

KXC Families and Fans,

Please use this link for a special project with a deadline, this week.

Your Letter - Our Book

Remember that any and all entries are guaranteed to be in the book, if submitted by noon on Thursday.

Regional Championship for the Knights

The poise and strength of this collective team is superb. Riding momentum from a conference title the week before, the Knights claimed a narrow victory over a surging Benet Academy team. Daniel Occhipinti claimed his third consecutive individual win by outlasting a tough pack of All State runners. Occhipinti’s 15:42 was a :40 PR on the BC course.

Austin Adams continues to climb up the ranks of 2A competitors, working from a solid sixth place, past two, to a medal position at 4th overall. Adams ran a career best 15:55 time on the spongy course filled with turns. Ethan Walker also ripped his career PR to pieces by surging up into the scoring pack of Knights and Redwings of Benet. Walker ran a :56 course PR, finishing 12th at 16:17.

Aidan Lodwig and Jacob Wielgos extended their senior season another week when they trailed Walker’s lead by just :05. Once again, the seniors ran identical times, ending the day just ahead of BA’s #5, at 16:22. Lodwig’s time was a :23 PR over last year’s Regional effort. Wielgos was better by :31. This is particularly impressive as the weather was much more of a factor in times this year.

Ethan Neal also had a career PR on the BC course, running 18th (16:43), and finishing just behind BA’s #6, but ahead of Burlington’s #3 and 27 other scorers in the field. 

Isaiah Dallal entered his first IHSA State Series race with no pressure and an open chance at building on his momentum from conference. Dallal ran a :22 course PR (:01 career PR), and was ahead of BC’s #5, as well as 24 other scoring runners from the field.

The last time a Kaneland team hoisted a Regional plaque, it was 1995. The challenge ahead of us is cleanly running our home course, and surging into position versus a motivated Benet team. Expect their best at the Sectionals.

KXC Volunteers Needed for Final Home Meet of the Year

KXC Families,
We are looking to close out our home meet schedule when we host the Sectional this coming weekend. We really need your help! In addition to seeing our programs run two great races, we are hopeful that we can enlist the help of our biggest fans in making this a meet that new schools (to us) will be talking about and thankful for in the next few weeks.

Please use THIS LINK TO SIGN UP FOR A SPOT.

In advance, your coaches and meet manager, thank you for the efforts you put forth to help make our program and Kaneland shine.

If you have questions, please use the numbers on the links to reach Karen and Tom Richtman, or Sheila Albano.

Varsity Claims First NIB XII Title in Last Championship Meet for the Conference

The meet was a close as we thought it would be, with 21 points separating the top four teams. Our varsity runners stepped up to the challenge, and when we surged, we took advantage.

Daniel Occhipinti became just the fourth Kaneland harrier to ever win an individual conference championship. He was shadowed through much of the first lap of the course by a pack that included teammate, Austin Adams who was back from a layoff to lend critical support. Adams placed 7th overall, in 16:21, nearly a career PR.

Lodwig and Wielgos teamed up once again to help make history; locking down 10th and 11th places, separated by just :00.5 seconds. Walker closed out our scoring, coming across the line 10 seconds later, in a strong 15th place; also good for All Conference honors.

Ethan Neal fought through adversity on the hilly course to secure 23rd place, and pushed the critical scoring on  Dekalb’s fifth runner. Isaiah Dallal took his first turn in the varsity Top 7 lineup, and raced to 26th overall. He beat scoring runners on five teams in the varsity race. The last time Kaneland’s varsity boys hoisted a conference team title award, it was 2001.

The frosh soph team fired off the line and out onto the hilly course with ferocity. The unrelenting course proved a formidable foe, in addition to a loaded field. The Knights took fourth, highlighted by Top 18 performances by Aaron Lodwig and Christian Phillips, who crossed one second apart.

Fountain was next to cross the finish line, :18 later to grab 25th. Allen was our next finisher at 26th, at 18:20. Popovich completed a stellar pack split of :30 (1-5), in 18:24. Fitts flowed in five seconds later in 29. Malone was our next Knight to the chute, in 32nd, bettering 16 scorers of four teams.

In the final race of the NIB XII Conference, it was Kaneland who had their name at the top of the standings. Our mixed group of young and experienced Knights showed their depth, and shined for the last time in a league meet. Our senior leadership shined bright on this otherwise gloomy looking fall day.

Blake Finn captured the individual title in the Open when he chased the Gator for a career 3-mile PR at 17:24. Petrik took second at 17:31, with another fine  run. Klingensmith took home a seventh place ribbon at 18:22. Orczykowski matched up with a runner from Yorkville, and used his character to help both that runner and himself to a Top 10 finish.

More teammates building momentum through the race, and working together included Cunz and Scherden. Both ran :52 PRs for three miles, and Cunz finished with 27 points to help the team outlast  YHS by a score of 45-59.

Huber raced to 40th overall, running 20:13. He was followed by Brazee, with a blazing kick to notch a 1:38 PR at 20:20. Sussland repeated the PR effort, knocking :32 off his previous best, on this hilly course. Fiedler didn’t want to be left out of that group, so he set a new career PR too, knocking :14 off his previous best.

Rovinsky kept the PR train rolling, and bettered his best by :20, ending at 21:20. Hwang took more time off his best, finishing ten seconds later. Webster showed great toughness despite the aches to complete the run in 21:38. Johnston also had a big PR run, knocking 1:20 off his career best. Walters was relentless in his pursuit of the competition and was rewarded with a new PR time of 27:59.

Big time effort displayed to close out a very tough regular season. State Series, next!

Knights Rock the River in Sterling

With nearly identical team totals, the varsity and frosh soph teams demonstrated poise, confidence, and strength.  Occhipinti raced to a runner up finish, and a :50 course PR. Wielgos also smashed his course best by 1:14 en route to a sixth place performance, and a career PR. Aidan Lodwig wound up with a :16 course best time as our #3, and was trailed shortly after by Nosek in a career best 16:38. Right on Seth’s heels was Walker, running 22nd overall (16:39)who completed our pack split at :61, and a team point total of 67.

Ethan Neal rolled an ankle and still kept racing hard, managing a 16:55 on a course that runs about :20 slower than Detweiller. Finn served as our seventh runner and pushed the scores on 9 teams, finishing in 17:44 (:14 course PR). Klingensmith set a career best, breaking the 18:00 barrier for 3 miles.  Petrik was next to cross the blue mats at 18:11, and a course best. Orczykowski raced with much more power, having a season’s best mile pace at 6:09. Holder kept close to his season’s best at 20:29. Webster was next across the finish line, working hard for his mile pace despite the aches of “Peak Week,” which we are all experiencing. Alex Johnston raced to a career best for three miles, when he finished our varsity team performances off with his 23:29. As every man counts in our program, the TEAM should be proud of its collective efforts.

Our frosh soph team nearly  matched the same number of points (68) and looked powerful in their field. Dallal nearly eclipsed the coveted 17:00 mark, and earned third with a career best. Aaron Lodwig also put up a stellar point total, finishing 13th (17:35) and leading a 7-second barrage of “diamonds” across the line. Allen finished two seconds later for a :14 career PR. Fitts (:21 PR) and Phillips (:06) ran matching times of 17:42, each running career bests. Their scoring pack split was just :42. Fountain was on the cusp of the 18:00 barrier and managed a :21 career PR to finish 31st. Parker Malone ran his best race ever, with an 18:23 to finish in the Top 40. Popovich was both enthusiastic and valiant in his approach to the race, running through injury, finishing in the top third.

Cunz set his 3-mile PR at 20:24. Scherden and Sussland paired up and crossed right at 21:00, Trevor nearly breaking his career best. Fiedler as also knocking on the door of his best, impressive on a more challenging course than ours. Rovinsky put up a :54 improvement on his career PR, biggest drop of the day. Brazee returned to the course where his career began, finishing with a mile pace that was more than a minute faster than the two mile race from a year ago. THAT is improvement! Walters found company for three miles and then turned on the burners at the finish to complete the run in 28:59.

We continue to chase our own jerseys, which is equating to great team results.

Pair of Third Place Finishes at Eddington Invite

Riding a wave of momentum to the finish, our two team races ended with equal and unprecedented results. A pair of third place finishes were the perfect ending to a hot and “heated” day.

Daniel Occhipinti dropped a new course PR, remaining a top contender in a loaded field in fifth place. His teammates rose to the challenge, and packed up brilliantly. Adams ran 16:26 to net 22nd. Wielgos ran a :29 course PR for 27th, just 9 seconds later. Jake was followed immediately by Walker, who set a 1:05 course PR, and then Aidan Lodwig capped our scoring one second later with a :45 meet PR of his own. That was a 2-5 split of just :11!

Ethan Neal pushed the scoring of 15 other teams when he beat their runners who score, setting a :30 course PR at 16:53. Seth Nosek notched a :50 course best, and defeated scorers from 13 other teams. Our pack split from 1-5 for varsity stood at :55. 

Adding three other runners to this year’s race, we saw course PRs from Petrik (:09) at 17:42, Finn at 17:43, and Klingensmith (:14), all of who didn’t get to race in 2017 due to the heat.

In the frosh soph race, the temperatures continued to rise. Isaiah Dallal capped a top 10 finish, and earned a new :13 course PR at 17:33. Phillips set a career best time when he passed numerous runners en route to a 15th overall time of 17:48. Next to cross the finish was Allen, in 21st at 17:58, followed five places later by Fitts (running a :29 course PR).

Malone closed frosh soph scoring at 53rd overall, crushing his course best by :51 and  a :70 pack split. Just behind him, Popovich fought through the ache in his back to finish 55th in 18:46. Aaron Lodwig (:48 course PR) and Fountain (:35) paired up at the finish, just two seconds apart. Huber raced :32 faster than 2017, in 20:10. Scherden fought for his spot, running his course best 20:56. Sussland had a huge meet PR, running 2:23 faster than 2017 in equally steamy conditions. Rovinsky set a new career PR, finishing with teammate Fiedler in tow who managed a new standard to beat on the home course. Brazee was the next Knight through, running 23:39 for his first Eddington run. Casey Walters finished our frosh soph day, sprinting to the cooler in 31:25.

Our open runners got their chance to race in the heat, and wound up with some dazzling finishes. Kyle Orczykowski net an award winning finish, placing 15th in a meet best 19:01. A pair of Jacks (in diamonds) raced to a near mirror time with Holder running a 1:27 meet PR, and Webster a career best 20:24. Alex Johnston ran a course best mile pace for 24:46 in 90th overall.

Second To The Finish in Peoria

The forecast was awful, but the weather and our team performance were awfully good. Powered by a pack split of just 63 seconds, the varsity raced to a runner up finish in a field of numerous ranked teams. Daniel Occhipinti led the way with a stellar career best time of 15:22, to finish third overall. This is tied for the third fastest time on the Detweiller course by any Knight in our team history. Forty seconds later, Wielgos was crossing the line in the Top 20 again. Wielgos set a career PR by :10, finishing 19th overall.

In his first three mile effort (non 5K), junior Austin Adams has proven his value as a wild card that continues to make a difference with our lineup. Adams crossed the finish at 16:19, for 36th overall. Six seconds later, we had a final 1-2 punch to our scoring when Walker completed a career PR effort at 16:25 (dropping :48 off his best). Aidan Lodwig capped our amazing team finish with a FTTF best time of 16:26. Pushers Nosek and Neal also did some big damage by besting nearly every other teams’ third to fifth runners in the event. Nosek notched a :42 career PR for 3 miles, crossing in 64th place at 16:41, and Neal ran a career best as well to round out our team’s day in 72nd place (16:44).

The lineup was able to include three more racers, and our bonus runners established new career best results. Dallal improved his career best, running 17:17 to finish 138th out of 477 runners. Aaron Lodwig was next across for the Knights, bettering his career best by :46 at 17:30 (171). Sophomore Brady Popovich completed our day with the varsity race, running a new :18 PR of 17:33 (182).

The Open was enormous, including teams from all three classes. Our Knights fared very well on the muddy course, with numerous career bests. Senior Jacob Petrik equaled his best from 2017 with a 17:20, good for 72nd overall. Finn was next to cross at 17:38, with freshman Nolan Allen chasing to establish his best at 17:51. Charles Fitts improved his career best by :21, running 18:03, and Christian Phillips was on his heels at 18:04 to complete our team scoring. The Open runners combined for 18th against 69 scoring teams.

Christopher Fountain established the biggest “drop” of the week, slashing 1:04 off his career best from 2017, when he ended his run at 18:24. Klingensmith bettered his FTTF PR by :55, to complete his day at 18:37. Fellow senior, Kyle Orczykowski, was next in line when he ran a season’s best mile pace to finish in 18:40. Parker Malone dropped his career best by :35 to nab a new PR of 18:58.

Freshman Evan Scherden ran his first three-mile in 20:25, sprinting through the three blue mats at the finish. Will Huber competed in Peoria for the first time as well, and recorded a 20:32, finishing 621st. Jack Webster, also brand new to the sport had his first race ever, and broke the 7:00 mile pace barrier to complete the course in 20:38. Sussland also beat the mile pace barrier, finishing 20:58, and tying his career best in the process. Freshman Dominic Fiedler established a new standard of excellence by racing to 21:15, a time he will be working to break many times this fall.

David Brazee ran a career best 21:58, which erased his previous three-mile best by 52 seconds. Newcomer Jazper Rovinsky got his first taste of cross country racing and did a super job competing all the way to the finish line, crossing in 22:46. Freshman Casey Walters not only showed his best, but bettered his 2.35 scrimmage time while running more than a half mile longer course! Casey finished the day at 28:09, and looked so strong in the process.

This day was remarkable for many reasons, but most importantly the entire group came ready to run. We have so much work to do, and be assured that the competition that we faced and beat today will both look different in the future as well as find motivation from the results. Some teams may have had runners missing for ACT weekend, and others were competing for the very first time of the year. None of this diminishes our achievement as a team. The second place trophy is the best one we have ever earned at this loaded meet. With 5 of the Top 10 ranked schools in the meet, we got a taste of what is coming up.

Knights Run 3rd at CLS Invite

We might not have had a better start to the 2018 season than when we beat the weather, and scored two Top 5 team finishes at the CLS Invite. On a rugged, muddy Veteran’s Acres course, our varsity put up a solid 80 second pack split, earning seven medals in the process.

Daniel Occhipinti took the top pack to the limit and narrowly missed a runner up finish by 0.3 seconds. Wielgos net his own PR finish by racing to 16th overall. Our scoring was completed when our 3-5 runners crossed just six seconds apart. Lodwig and Walker at 18:02, and Adams in his first ever XC race at 18:08. For 3.1 of hills, mud, and mugginess, that’s pretty awesome!

Nosek and Neal were also close to this pack, and moving forward it will be exciting to see how this group improves as a unit. Our next wave competed as a pack as well, with Petrik leading a group of three to the finish line at 19:27, a new course best for Jacob. Klingensmith was next across the finish line one second later, followed by Finn just three seconds after. This is a great example of how we stick together in groups when we run, with one runner taking “the edge” and the others holding on with all they have.

Alex Johnston, also running his first official race, dropped his mile pace by over a minute from the scrimmage to cross at 23:13. Holder finished strong despite an aching leg, holding out for 23:50 of agony. We really started well as a varsity team this fall, and we will continue to climb against the State’s best with the bold and tough mindsets of Sharks.

Our frosh soph crew replicated the aggressive attack of the hills and terrain at Veteran’s Acres. Led by a pair of Top 10 finishes (Aa. Lodwig, 9th and Dallal, 10th) the team got into scoring, just two seconds apart. Next to sprint to the finish was Popovich, in 31st place and immediately followed by freshman teammate Nolan Allen at 32. Phillips, also running his first high school race came through just five seconds later to finalize our team points, good for fifth in a pretty competitive field.

Fountain served well as a “pusher” in the race as our 6th man, running a :38 PR on this course. Malone just barely missed a medal at 72nd, but moved up 31 places from 2017 and dropped :19 in time. Scherden was next to cross with a big mile pace improvement from the scrimmage. Huber managed the mud well enough to finish in the top 100 at 98. Cunz also looked impressive in his first run in a diamond jersey, running sub 7:00 mile pace. Fiedler was right on Logan’s heels, just two seconds later, also with a strong mile pace performance. Sussland sprinted across the line a full :30 faster than last fall. Brazee dropped mile pace by more than a minute versus his scrimmage performance, to finish at 15:32. Caleb Hwang won the dirtiest jersey award, showing toughness in rising after a fall on the course and still dropping his mile pace by :48 seconds since the scrimmage. Freshman Casey Walters demonstrated his own brand of toughness by dropping his mile pace significantly, en route to an awesome finishing kick. 

Eddington Volunteers, Please Sign Up!

KXC Families,
Please use THIS LINK to find spots for helping out with our 49th running of the Larry Eddington Invitational. As you well know, this is a big meet for us, and we can never pull it off without the outstanding support of our current and former KXC Families and runners.

Please note that you should sign up for a position on the Google Sheet, and that it's possible that if we don't have specific coverage for critical areas like the finish line, that we may move some pieces around. We will NOT change your time, however.

Please consider working shifts that do not interfere with your athlete's race(s). HOWEVER, if you would like to work portions of the course during your runner's event, please fill in accordingly.

We will have a VOLUNTEER MEETING on THURSDAY EVENING (9/13) at 5:45pm. It should only take about 20 minutes. If you still have a volunteer shirt from last year, please plan on bringing it.

Team White Packs 3 in Top 5 for Scrimmage Win

It’s taken about three months to get our collective group on the field of competition once again. It was well worth the wait. While the White Team took advantage of the competitive edge that lies within each shark, the entire team demonstrated why we could continue to be a formidable force as the season continues.

Powered by a 3-4-5 finish, and  strong races from underclassmen, the White Team prevailed. Aidan Lodwig started their scoring, followed just :13 by Nosek, who had Adams on his heels. Fitts took the #4 scoring spot at 14, and freshman Christian Phillips kept pace with some varsity runners to close out White scoring. Phillips was a 20-seed on the seniors’ depth chart to improve four places. Holder rallied late with a blistering kick to hold onto 21st overall, Brazee took his first race of the year to 21st, and set his own standard for personal improvement (a mile pace to chip away at, this year). Walters completed the course in 28:30, showing grit and determination the whole way.

Runner-up in the standings, and just outdistancing the other two teams by three points, Team Silver also placed three runners in the Top 10. Walker was first in for Silver, at 13:32, with Neal across the line shortly after in 13:46. Both teamed up well throughout the course, and will add punch to the varsity lineup in a week. Sophomore Aaron Lodwig made our 1-9 finishing split just 69 seconds, which bodes very well for the upcoming campaign. Fountain ran career PR mile pace, finishing 13th in 14:27. Freshman Evan Scherden scored the final points for Silver when he crossed 18th, at 15:53. Freshman Logan Cunz got his first taste of a cross country course, running a stellar 7:30 pace the first time out, and Trevor Sussland got back to perhaps his favorite XC course, to net 23rd. Trev races very well at home.

In cross country, when there’s a tie between the five scoring runners, that tie is broken by the #6.

Black outlasted Orange on the strength of another freshman with a bright future. Wielgos claimed the individual title at 12:40. Finn charged through next at 10th, just :65 behind Daniel. Popovich was next to the line in 12th, showing he is prepared to compete for a Top 14 spot on the roster. Klingensmith took 15th in his final scrimmage, and Malone moved up to 19th overall with a strong finishing kick. The tie was broken when Dominic Fiedler pulled on Sussland’s efforts to nab 23rd overall. Caleb Hwang found his second gear at the water tower, and started passing, not letting up until the finish at 19:45.

Team Orange got help with a small first number. Occhipinti took care of business up front, securing a 2nd place finish. Dallal was an important feature in the chase pack, at 7th overall. Petrik narrowly missed Top 10, but ran 6:02 mile pace for 11. Kyle Or showed grit in his opening effort of senior year to grab 17th at 15:34. Huber closed out scoring in 20th, at 7:00 mile pace. In his first race, and just second practice ever, Alex Johnston fought through the pain for a 27th place overall finish.

We look forward to similar competitive efforts as we open the season on Tuesday at Sycamore.

Team Policy Guide

In addition to other important paperwork shared at the KXC Family meeting during Under the Lights with the Knights, please review these policies with your student athlete at home.

Typically, 95% of a cross country season has zero issues or problems that arise due to choices made by the student athlete. In the rare instance that there is something to be covered with a student athlete, the following guide will be consulted in discussions between the athlete, coaching staff, and potentially the athletic director.

Please take time to review THIS TEAM POLICY GUIDE, and know that your consent to the team policies is assumed when your son participates in his first race of the season.

Our Team Shop for KXC Gear is Now LIVE!

KXC Families,
Our Team Shop for Kaneland Cross Country apparel is now available. You can order t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, shorts and more by going to the link below.

IMPORTANT:  Once again, our meet warm up top will be available for purchase to NEW KXC BOY RUNNERS ONLY.   The coaching staff will contribute to the cost of the Raider quarter zip pullover that is white with grey sleeves.  ONLY new runners in the boys program should order this top, (parents there is another quarter zip you can order for yourselves, or for the girls team, on the form). Everything else on the order form is fair game to purchase.

This Team Shop closes 08/17/2018! Don't delay. Click and order your gear today.  http://bit.ly/2vxHEwS

Orders will likely be delivered around September 20th, just in time for the fall temperatures to sweep in. If you have questions, please contact Coach Clarey.

KXC World Cup: This Monday Night! Don't Miss Out

Coach Clarey is hosting a KXC World Cup foosball tournament at his home in Batavia on Monday, July 23. All KXC runners and alumni are encouraged to attend.

Where: 1500 Hadley Drive, Batavia
When: 5:15 check in, 6:00 tourney starts, 10:00 night ends "Closing Time"
What: Double Elimination tournament of mixed pairings between alumni and current KXC runners

Note: All are encouraged to bring a dish to pass, snack, chips, or a dessert.
Hotdogs on the grill and beverages will be provided
If you get knocked out of the tourney early, you can swim or play bags
All rides should be prepared to pick up at 10:00pm

If you have any questions, please contact Coach Clarey

Summer Sunset Volunteers Needed on Wednesday, July 25th

The opportunity to serve the running community is upon us once again. If any team members would like to meet on Thursday, at Geneva's High School Athletic Field, there is an opportunity to volunteer for helping give direction to the youth and adult runners in races from one mile to 5K.

Please use THIS LINK to register as a volunteer for the event.  A year ago, we had about eight KXC runners volunteering for this race. One of those runners recently earned a college scholarship through the Fox River Trail Runners for $1,000. See! It pays to lend a hand sometimes... We reap so many benefits from our KXC fans, when we run. It's nice to give back to the running community.

We will have a similar role to fulfill in August, when Elburn Days arrives. Stay tuned.

New This Season: Everyone Brings a Foam Roller...

With the growing awareness of our flexibility deficiencies, we are going to try to have one new piece added to our season's arsenal of equipment which can help our student athletes excel. We are planting the seed now for the idea that each runner brings his own water bottle, training shoes, AND a foam roller for use before and after runs. There are many rollers on the market, which can range from a smooth foam roller from Five Below (you guessed it, $5) to more dense and textured rollers which can be found at fitness stores like Dick's Sporting Goods or even Dick Pond athletics. There are no requirements on what type to get. The smooth rollers work fine for what we are trying to do. The dense and textured rollers simply get more of the small knots our of legs.

We will be doing stretch routines from this VIDEO LINK, among others, in getting full use of the foam rollers. Please be advised that the summer letter will ask for runners to have these this year. They can be stored at school, and brought to practices daily. We have ropes and bands purchased and provided for our athletes, but the foam roller is something our runners could really benefit from routine use, and therefore keeping it as a personal fitness tool is essential.

If you have any questions, please let your coaches know.

Steven W. Chidester Scholarship

Boys, please use the following LINK to reach the questionnaire for the scholarship. It is awarded at the Senior Athletic Awards Night on June 6. If you have questions, please contact Coach Clarey.

Submissions should be received by Wednesday, May 23. Candidates are those seniors graduating from the 2017 cross country team.