Smith wins championship flight with come from behind win over Bollinger; New Trier’s four flight wins key in win over Naperville North

By Michael Newman

mike@dyestat.com

Warrenville, Ill --- It was back for the basics for Skyler Bollinger (Yorkville HS). The sophomore tried a different strategy last week at the Palatine Invitational staying with the leaders hoping to kick away for the win. She ended up third.

“After last week, I told to just go out and blast it,” Yorkville coach Chris Muth said. “We just wanted her to go out and run the way that she is most comfortable with. If anyone was going to catch her, they were going to have to work the last mile.”

The strategy almost worked in the championship flight of the Wheaton North Falcon Classic. It was a ferocious last quarter mile kick by Mimi Smith (New Trier HS, Winnetka) that broke up the plan. Smith was five seconds behind with a half mile to go. She caught Bollinger with 300 meters to go, then zoomed ahead for more than a six second win.

“I knew that the front runners were going to go out superfast. I know it works better for me if I go out in a certain pace like 5:45,” Smith said.

In the race on Saturday at the soggy grounds of St. James Farm, Bollinger stormed out to a big lead passing the mile in 5:32. Smith was 12^th at the ¾ mile mark, but moved up to the front pack led by Lauren Van Vlierbergen (Jacobs HS, Algonquin), Lindsay Graham (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn) and Jessica Parker (Neenah HS WI). Van Vierbergen went by in 5:42. The other three went by 2 seconds later.

By the two mile, Bollinger’s lead shrunk down to eight seconds. One half mile later it was down to five seconds. Then it was Smith’s turn to go after Bollinger. “I think it went better this week. I really don’t run well in packs,” Bollinger said comparing her last week strategy to Saturday’s. “We have a great race through 2 ¾ miles,” added Muth. “We just have to work on the last quarter mile.” They have five weeks to work on that before the state meet comes upon them.

“I was trying to catch her (Bollinger), but she seemed to be speeding up when we were speeding up,” said Van Vlierbergen who finished third. “Mimi went really fast which was awesome. I wasn’t. I think I was two sends behind her (Bollinger). They both ran great races.”

“During the entire race, you have to stay really level because stressing that you are in front won’t really help,” Smith added. “I told myself to stay calm. My race was not over. Anything can happen at the end.”

This meet is broken down to seven races to test a team’s depth. The top teams in 3A, #1 Naperville North and #2 New Trier, tested each other during the seven flights. Naperville North was without normal top five runner Maria McDaniel who was held out of the meet by Coach Dan Iverson due to some minor nagging injuries. The depth kicked in for the Lady Huskies as they have as many as 13 runners vying for the seven top spots.

It was New Trier’s four race wins by Smith, Molly Schmidt (3^rd flight), Cara Keleher (fifth flight), and Anna Sanfilippo (seventh flight) that were the difference as the Trevians scored 15 points to just nudge themselves ahead of Naperville North 15-18. #4 Glenbard West was third with 31 points.

“All seven runners ran great races today,” said New Trier Coach John Burnside. “A lot of Mimi’s drive comes from Mimi. I would like to take more credit than I deserve. She ran a nice solid race today.”

“I am so proud and so happy. Everyone was so exhilarated after their races,” Smith concluded. “We have been working on pack running. This was the kind of the race where obviously we could not run together but it was their time to run their individual races to the best of their ability. Now that everyone was able to run great times and do so well, we can use that to push each other in pack running and for the times that we all want.”

Naperville won two races to help power them to second. Emory Griffin won the sixth flight and Ella Guppy won the fourth flight. Coach Iverson was not disappointed at all. It was the opposite actually.

“We felt we could go out there and win every flight. So apparently did New Trier,” Iverson said. “I am happy with the way we ran today. To not win with 18 points, what can you say? New Trier is the real deal. They obviously have improved as the year has gone on. We will have to race our level to see where we go from here.”

Summaries from the other varsity flight races:

Flight 2

It was a showdown between two multi all-state runners Elly DeTurris (North HS, Naperville) and Lisa Luczak (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn). The two traded off the lead throughout the race. With 800 meters to go, it was DeTurris that had the advantage. But as they made the turn and headed down the final quarter mile, it was Luczak that had a little bit more. The Glenbard junior ran 17:54 to win the flight. Jennifer Parker (Neenah HS WI) caught DeTurris in the last 100 meters to place second.

Flight 3

Out of the top five finishers in this flight, four of the runners were freshmen. There was a pack of six runners together at the half way point of the race led by Molly Schmidt (New Trier HS, Winnetka) and Claire Hamilton (North HS, Naperville). The two broke away in the back woods before the two mile. Then Schmidt made her move in the last 800 meters to run 18:09 to win the flight by nine seconds. Grace Rogers (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn) moved from sixth in the last half but ran out of real estate and finished third just behind Hamilton.

Flight 4

Ella Guppy (North HS, Naperville) was never threatened after the first ¾ of a mile. She went on for an impressive 18 second victory (18:19) over MacKenzie Kubik (Arrowhead HS, Hartland).

Flight 5

It became a three runner race just after the mile as Judy Pendergast (North HS, Naperville) broke away from the pack with Cara Keleher (New Trier HS, Winnetka) and Jackie Dubnicka (Arrowhead HS, Hartland) It was Kelleher’s surge just after the two mile that was the difference as the New Trier freshman ran 18:30 to win the flight by five seconds over Dubnicka.

Flight 6

Emory Griffin (North HS, Naperville) took the lead early in the race at did not relinquish it. She had a 20 second lead half way through the race and held on for a 10 second win over Emily White (Central HS, Naperville).

Flight 7

Emily Hamilton (North HS, Naperville) and Brynn Bartlett (Arrowhead HS, Hartland) built up a 20 meter lead on the pack as they headed into the second of the two loops at St. James Farm. Anna Sanfilippo (New Trier HS, Winnetka) closed the gap during that second loop, took the lead with a 1k to go, and went on for a five second win running 18:53. Hamilton just nipped Bartlett at the line for second.