LT Sports Roundup: Cross Country Teams Earn Return Trips to State; Swimmers Take Second in Silver

The boys cross country team is returning to the Class 3A state meet by the possibly closest margin.

On Saturday, the Lions shared fifth place and the final qualifying spots from the Lockport Sectional at Dellwood Park to the state meet at 2 p.m. Saturday at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.

It’s the Lions’ fourth straight appearance in the 25-team state field and 12th state appearance over the past 13 seasons. They had been No. 24 in the final regular-season Class 3A rankings by DyeStat Illinois.

“We survived,” LT coach Mike Danner said. “When I heard there was a tie (for fifth), I knew that we were probably in. As I told the kids, we’d like to come in here (at sectionals) busting down the front door making it. We kind of backed in and got lucky.”

Junior Michael Matusiak (20th, 16:29) and sophomore James Ryan (25th, 16:32) were top-25 overall finishers for the Lions on the 3.1-mile/5-kilometer course, followed by junior Ryan Speir (35th, 16:38), sophomore Dan Lupano (39th, 16:43), senior Grant Smith (47th, 16:51), junior Jonathan Dombro (68th, 17:16) and sophomore Ed McCarter (78th, 17:27), usually the Lions’ No. 2 finisher. Matusiak, McCarter, Smith and Speir did not compete at regionals after being the team’s top four varsity finishers at the conference meet.

LT and unranked Plainfield East both scored 163 points to join No. 3 Neuqua Valley (56), No. 14 Hinsdale Central (106), unranked Plainfield South (129) and No. 13 Sandburg (148) as the advancing teams. Downers Grove South (185) was seventh.

What still makes this trip impressive is that LT accomplished it with just one senior in the lineup -- and after graduating six runners from the 2010 state lineup that placed ninth (296 points). Matusiak was 90th at state in 2010 (15:19) as the team’s No. 3 finisher.

On Saturday, Matusiak finished ahead of two other runners that ran 16:29, including one in 22nd place from Plainfield East, and Lupano finished ahead of the other two runners that finished in 16:43.

In 2004, Danner was an assistant boys cross country coach for Plainfield South when the Cougars also reached state by tying for fifth at sectionals.

“We’ll look at this as a blessing and a teachable moment for our kids that we’ve got to run better as a team,” Danner said.

“Hopefully we run like we’re capable (at state). You could tell the guys were a little bit nervous (at sectionals). We’ve done everything we can to try and prepare them, mental training, but sometimes that happens.

Girls cross country

In order to make the Lyons Township girls cross country team stronger, senior Alex Daemicke and junior Haley Prokaski keep bringing the best out of each other in races.

“Alex and Haley have been consistent all year,” first-year LT head coach Stetson Steele said. “It’s funny. I think early on in their careers, they had different racing styles and they’ve learned to taper their styles to be the same. They just work so well together.”

On Saturday, they finished side by side to lead the Lions to their 13th consecutive team berth with a second-place finish the Class 3A Lockport Sectional at Dellwood Park.

Daemicke and Prokaski were seventh and eighth on the 3.1-mile/5-kilometer course to lead three strong LT packs. Senior Lisa Gordon was 21st (19:50), followed by sophomore Lexy Rudofski (25th) and junior Randie Speir (26th) in 20:01 and junior Rachel Walsh (39th, 20:21) and senior Tess Saibert (41st, 20:22).

The Lions (87 points), No. 16 in the final regular-season Class 3A rankings by Dye Stat Illinois, only finished behind No. 8 Downers Grove South (68). No. 13 Lockport (121), No. 21 Downers Grove North (139) and unranked Neuqua Valley (161) also advanced to the Class 3A state race at 1 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 5) at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.

LT was 17th at the 2010 state meet (430 points). From Saturday’s lineup, Daemicke (110th), Prokaski (111th), Speir (141st) and Walsh (167th) were LT’s respective No. 2, 3, 5 and 7 finishers and Gordon and Rudofski were among alternates. Steele was an assistant coach.

“(Our goals are) to have every one of our top-seven girls who do race have their best race of the season, to finish higher than we did last year and we would love to walk away with the sense that as a team we put a perfect race together,” Steele said.

Senior Juliet Lusson had hoped to become just the fifth LT girls cross country runner ever to compete in four state meets, but she was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her foot late in the regular season.

Gordon, meanwhile, should compete at state for just the second time and first since 2009, when she and Speir were part of that lineup. Gordon was a last-minute scratch from the 2008 state meet because of a hip injury and she sat out the entire 2010 postseason because of injury.

Steele said the Lions tried to be aggressive at the midway point of Saturday’s race. Gordon was LT’s frontrunner at that point and in the top five overall, but she later had to hang on through the rest of the hilly and challenging terrain to finish among the top 25.

“Lisa was a bit too aggressive in that part, but the positive is she knows that, we know that and now we adjust for the state meet and we go forward,” Steele said.

“What I want her to realize is none of this stuff happens without her. She is truly our leader in every sense of the word. When she has an off day, it’s OK because she’s done so much to get the other girls farther up. It’s going to be great to have her actually run the state meet for a change.”

Girls swimming and diving

The Lyons Township girls swimming and diving team pulled out two relay titles at Saturday’s West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet at Downers Grove North but couldn’t get the ultimate prize.

The Lions scored 253 points to finish second to Hinsdale Central (296 points) at Downers Grove North to also end up second in the final overall standings. Downers North (223) was third.

LT senior Jennifer Weigand and juniors Louisa Hoffman, Kristine Rosenberger and Elly Vitek won both the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:38.07) and 200 free relay (1:40.01) with season-best times near the state-qualifying standards of 3:38.43 and 1:39.79.

Vitek was second in the 50 free (25.62) and 200 free (1:54.63), and Naughton was second in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.65). Taking third were Kelley Garrow (100 backstroke in 1:02.47), Rosenberger (50 free in 25.62), Weigand (500 free in 5:11.24) and the 200 medley relay (Hoffman, Naughton, Kristen Young, Rosenberger in 1:54.77).

The overall standings are a 50-50 combination of dual and Silver Meet standings. Last year, the Lions shared the overall title -- ending the Red Devils’ streak of seven straight outright overall titles – by winning their dual meet before Hinsdale Central won the Silver Meet 303-275 over the Lions, who were runners-up without taking first in any events.

Saturday marked the first varsity conference titles for three of LT’s relay members. As a freshman, Rosenberger was part of the first-place 200 medley relay in 2009.

“There’s a lot of good swimmers here. It’s a tough conference to be in, but I was happy overall with how our girls performed,” first-year LT coach Kurt Johns said. “(Vitek) got touched out in both of (her freestyle races) but both were season-best times for her. (For others) while they might not be season-best swims, they’re right where they need to be.”

With strong anchor legs by Vitek, LT won the 400 free relay won by just 0.07 over Downers North and 0.54 over Hinsdale Central and the 200 free relay by 0.30 over Hinsdale Central.

Vitek was edged for first by 0.11 in the 100 free by Downers North’s Gabby Sims and 0.27 in the 200 free by Downers North’s Maddy Sims. Hinsdale Central’s Lindsay Pavich won the 100 breast in 1:09.66.

The Lions will see Hinsdale Central again when they play host to sectionals Nov. 12 with diving at 9 a.m. and swimming starting at 1 p.m.

Sectional champions automatically advance to state as well as entries that achieve state-qualifying standards at the meet. The 16 highest remaining diving scores among non-sectional champions also advance at-large.

Other teams in the field are Hinsdale South, Downers Grove South, Riverside-Brookfield, Proviso West, Reavis, Stagg, Argo, Mother McAuley, Oak Lawn, Evergreen Park, Richards, Kennedy and Lindblom.

In Saturday’s concurrent lower-level conference meets, LT’s junior varsity (291.5 points) and freshman-sophomore (251) teams both finished second to Hinsdale Central.

Diver Maren Craig (279 points), Kirby Kaptur (100 backstroke in 1:04.27) and Katherine McGill (100 free in 58.38) won individual titles for the JV. The 400 free relay (Shea Dufficy, Kaptur, Carrie Nacht, McGill in 3:57.59) and 200 free relay (McGill, Molly McDonnell, Dufficy, Emma Stuba in 11:47.17) also took first.

Lizzie Everett won the 200 free (2:00.32) and 500 free (5:21.23) for the frosh-soph and was part of the first-place 200 free relay with Marie Zahorik, Megan Isaacson and Frankie Delleman (1:47.08). Katie Buzzell won the 100 butterfly (1:04.21).

West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet

Varsity level
Team scores: 1. Hinsdale Central 296, 2. Lyons Township 253, 3. Downers Grove North 223, 4. Glenbard West/South co-op 174, 5. York 164, 6. Oak Park-River Forest 147, 7. Proviso West 28
LT top-six finishers
200-yard medley relay: 3. Louisa Hoffman, Maddie Naughton, Kristen Young, Kristine Rosenberger 1:54.77
200 freestyle: 2. Elly Vitek 1:54.63
200 individual medley: 6. Lizzy Kosin 2:22.65
50 free: 3. Rosenberger 25.62
Diving: 4. Kelly Ryser 310.60
100 butterfly: 4. Jennifer Weigand 1:01.00, 5. Kosin 1:02.67
100 free: 2. Vitek 53.82, 6. Hoffman 55.51
500 free: 3. Weigand 5:11.24
200 free relay: 1. Hoffman, Rosenberger, Weigand, Vitek 1:40.01
100 backstroke: 3. Kelley Garrow 1:02.47
100 breaststroke: 2. Naughton 1:12.65, 4. Elizabeth Murphy 1:13.51
400 free relay: 1. Rosenberger, Hoffman, Weigand, Vitek 3:38.07

Junior varsity level
Team scores: 1. Hinsdale Central 319.5, 2. Lyons Township 291.5, 3. York 201, 4. Oak Park-River Forest 150, 5. Downers Grove North 115, 6. Glenbard West/South co-op 109, 7. Proviso West 15
LT top-six finishers
200-yard medley relay: 2. Kirby Kaptur, Shannon Lyons, Molly McDonnell, Katherine McGill 1:59.00
200 freestyle: 2. Blair Hopwood 2:09.22, 5. Emma Stuba 2:09.66
200 individual medley: 3. McDonnell 2:29.97, 6. Julia Cohen 2:32.37
50 free: 4. Lyons 26.94, 6. Shea Dufficy 27.12
Diving: 1. Maren Craig 279 points, 6. Emma Scotty 175.75
100 butterfly: 3. McDonnell 1:04.67
100 free: 1. Katherine McGill 58.38, 4. Dufficy 59.56
500 free: 4. Stuba 5:44.82, 6. Grace Good 5:48.56
200 free relay: 1. McGill, McDonnell, Dufficy, Stuba 11:47.17
100 backstroke: 1. Kaptur 1:04.27, 3T. Carrie Nacht 1:09.31
100 breaststroke: 5. Good 1:18.38, 6. Lyons 1:18.79
400 free relay: 1. Dufficy, Kaptur, Nacht, McGill 3:57.59

Freshman-sophomore level
Team scores: 1. Hinsdale Central 295.5, 2. Lyons Township 251, 3. Glenbard West/South co-op 205, 4. York 201, 5. Oak Park-River Forest 155.5, 6. Downers Grove North 81, 7. Proviso West 36
LT top-six finishers
200-yard freestyle: 1. Lizzie Everett 2:00.32, 5. Sarah Cordell 2:05.91
200 individual medley: 4. Katie Buzzell 2:25.39, 6. Elizabeth Clark 2:27.63
50 free: 4. Megan Isaacson 26.74, 5. Marie Zahorik 26.99
Diving: 2. Anne McCarter 231 points, 3. Maeve Poggensee 228.15
100 butterfly: 1. Buzzell 1:04.21
100 free: 3. Isaacson 58.54, 5. Haley Hughes 59.62
500 free: 1. Everett 5:21.23, 4. Cordell 5:40.42
200 free relay: 1. Zahorik, Isaacson, Frankie Delleman, Everett 1:47.08
100 backstroke: 6. Zahorik 1:06.96
100 breaststroke: 5. Meredith Land 1:17.08
400 free relay: 2. Delleman, Buzzell, Hughes, Everett 3:52.79

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