This was a tale of two races, blended into one great team finish. COVID-19 forced us to make history in winning the first ever Regional team title in two flights. There were strong teams at Kaneland, but none stronger than the “Pack in White.”
Dallal, Allen, and Malone entered the first flight against some of the better individuals in Northern Illinois. Dallal, meshed within the top pack of four and broke away from the rest of the field to net third place and a course PR time of 15:54. The course was a little slower and soft today, and the flags were waving in the wind.
Nolan Allen had his hands full all through the race, seeing the solid 1’s and 2’s from multiple programs. He battled hard throughout and earned 11th overall, giving solid points to start with in team scoring.
Parker Malone pushed up toward the front with a steady start in the first mile. He finished 14th overall in the first flight, getting ahead of important scorers from other teams. Parker’s big kick at the end helped keep other scorers at bay. His time of 16:41 would contribute to a strong start in team scoring where we were in third place after the first flight.
All season long, our team strength, coming in many different combinations, has been the scoring split between our second to fifth (and sixth, and seventh) runners. Today it would prove incredibly valuable.
In the second flight that included 4, 5, 6, and 7 runners from all programs, our team of white jerseys competitively surged toward the front of the pack in the first mile. By the time the group had rounded the water tower on the second lap, Christian Phillips had taken control of the lead. Phillips was relentless on his surges and never relinquished the lead, on his way to a career PR of 16:33. He pushed himself up to 14th overall in the team scoring and gave us a quick leg up on the field. We weren’t done with PR races, either. At the front of this competitive flight, we saw important teams that we locked onto and used to seal victory.
Brady Babka held close to important colors all the way to a fourth place finish in the flight, and earned a new career PR of 16:39. Brady ran fearlessly and with great hunger, making a huge splash in his first post season of high school cross country. Logan Cunz also rose to the occasion and finished on Babka’s heels with a nearly identical time to Malone’s from the first heat. Even when they don’t race together, they still produce similar results. Logan’s time was the fifth fastest in the heat and the 18th in final results. Logan and Parker were in a virtual dead heat at 16:41.40 and 16:41.43. With six Knights in the Top 19 finishers, we totaled out 63 points to win by 15 over Burlington Central.
Aaron Lodwig beat the fifth runner of every team in the meet, pushing important totals and running 16:51. Our total pack split from 1-7 was :57. While we brought home our third Regional title in as many years, the difficulty in the task is extraordinary. It seems routine at the moment, winning team titles. The truth is that it is entirely challenging to do such things. This year’s strength is in the power of the pack. We have one more week to keep this excellence moving forward, even in weird flight formats. Let’s group up as best we can in our flights and put a big exclamation point on the season.
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF:
Christain Phillips took over a race that could have been anyone’s to have. Phillips used his experience on the course, and thrived at the front of the pack, expanding his lead throughout the final mile. His surges were crisp and intentional.
Brady Babka rose to the occasion to take a scoring position on the roster. He continued moving up through the field, utilizing his proximity to teammates and the race plan to gain position at the head of the pack in the second flight. It’s exciting to see the future while savoring the present.
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