At the Richard Spring Invitational Sept. 19 in Peoria, Oak Park and River Forest High School senior girls cross country co-captain Haley Thompson finished right behind junior Hallie Voss.
At Saturday’s Macnider Invite at Harper College, Thompson was just ahead of freshman Molly Ryan.
“We like to pack it up as a team,” Thompson said. “Instead of having a top, lead frontrunner, in order for our team to succeed our 3-4-5 runners have to stay together.”
The Huskies were pleased Saturday to finish second to four-time defending Class 2A state champion Yorkville.
Juniors Hallie Voss (9th, 19:07.9), Caroline Gallo (12th, 19:25.6) and Mahal Schroeder (16th, 19:36.6), Thompson (22nd) and Ryan (23rd) were top 25.
OPRF coach Tom Tarrant was encouraged the 1-5 split broke one minute (54 seconds) for the first time this season.
At the Spring Invite at Detweiller Park, the Huskies took 13th among more than 60 teams. Schroeder was 47th.
For the second straight season, the Huskies are competing without junior Mary Blankemeier, an all-state fifth at the 2013 state meet.
“It definitely changes our team dynamic,” Thompson said. “We have to rely on each other so much. The five scoring runners all have to have good races.”
OPRF boys cross country
OPRF senior Kimathi Johnson is more than happy to feel like a sophomore.
Led by junior state title contender Irwin Loud, the Huskies are strong – but now as a top-10 rated state team in Class 3A.
“(Our 2013 sophomore team was) a lot like this year, where at a lot of meets we’ll be the favorite or tied with other teams and at bigger meets to place around the top five,” Johnson said.
“This year, we have Irwin, which helps out a lot, because it lets us focus on what we’re doing and push ourselves but not have to take too many risks during races.”
On Saturday, the Huskies captured another team title at the Macnider Invitational 61-78 over Hoffman Estates.
Loud dominated by 24.6 seconds (14:44.4) and Johnson (15:42.2) and senior Marty Pimentel (16:05.0) were sixth and 12th. Other top-eight team finishers were seniors Henry Harper (18th), Sean Lonergan (24th) and Jack Monaghan (32nd), Matthew Vietzen, Matthew Politis and Robbie George.
“It’s been an exciting year led by the example put forth by the senior class,” first-year OPRF coach Chris Baldwin said. “That’s contributed to such a positive atmosphere. Even those guys up front, they’re running 40 to 50 seconds faster than a year ago.”
In 2014, Loud was 11th at state (14:39) behind five non-seniors at Peoria’s Detweiller Park. On Sept. 19, he ran OPRF’s fastest Detweiller time ever (14:20.0) at the Richard Spring Invite. The Huskies were fifth.
Loud only was beaten by Oakwood senior Jon Davis (14:10.9), the two-time defending 1A state champion.
On Sept. 5, the Huskies won the Fenton Invite by 49 points. Loud won in an invite-record 14:52.9.
“He’s one of, I would say, in a handful of five to 10 guys who have a really good chance (to win state),” Baldwin said.
