Upload a Photo Upload a Video Add a News article Write a Blog Add a Comment
Blog Feed News Feed Video Feed All Feeds

Folders

 

 

Hart starts senior season with course record

Published by
ILXCTF - Mike Newman   Sep 8th 2019, 5:00pm
Comments

Hart runs 16:28.7 at Hornet-Red Devil; Hauenstein nips Dovalovsky for Boys win; Hinsdale Central Girls, Wheaton-Warrenville South Boys start season with big wins

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

Hinsdale, Ill – When it gets close to the end of a race, one little mistake will cost a runner in some cases the win. That was not the case for Glenbard West’s Katelynne Hart at Saturday’s Hornet Red-Devil Invitational at Katherine Legge Memorial Park. The senior had three mishaps in the final 800-meters of the race yet still crossed the line with a new course record of 16:28.7 winning by a minute ahead of Latin School’s Ava Parekh.

VIDEOS | RESULTS

Hart’s crazy final portion of the race started at the Legge Creek crossing. She navigated it the first time she went through. The second she slipped and fell coming out. 350 meters later, she hit one of the tree roots on the north end of the course and again almost fell. Finally, when she was supposed to make a turn to head to the 300-meter stretch to the finish, Hart continued to go straight when she was supposed to turn right. She retraced her steps and made the turn almost ran into a couple of runners that warming up for the next race.

Hart had room for errors since she won by 60 minutes and ahead by almost 100 seconds ahead of the next pack.

“I was such a freshman today,” Hart said with a smile on her face.

It was a typical race strategy for the three time defending state champion. She had the lead by 200-meters in with that lead growing with every step she took. Hart went out in 5:16 for the opening mile which opened up more than a 20 second lead.

“She (Hart) went out pretty fast the first 100-meters and I usually like to go out fast too,” Parekh said. “I just decided to sit back and see what happens. She picked up speed as we kept going. I went through in 5:38. It was a solid first mile and set me up for the rest of the race.”

Parekh’s time of 17:28.2 gave her second-place by a large margin. It was kind of a warm-up for her since she was to fly to New York City after the race to compete Sunday in the 5th Avenue Mile.

“I just wanted to get out fast today but be smart about it. The third mile can be taxing if you are not smart about it,” Hart said. “I had the record in my mind today. I definitely came into this meet hungry and had a good race today.”

Samantha Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South moved by the Hinsdale Central duo of Emma Watcke and McKenna Revord to finish third (18:10.4). Watcke (18;15.1) and Revord (18:17.9) were next.

It was a great day to open the season for host #11 Hinsdale Central. The Red Devilettes placed three runners in the top seven on their way to the team championship with 78 points. Catie McCabe, in her first high school race, was the team’s third runner placing seventh. Taylor Wagner (18th) and Louisa Bronson (44th) rounded out the top five for their team. Their top five split was 78 seconds but only 58 seconds on their first four scorers.

#5 Wheaton-Warrenville South, led by top 10 finishes by Poglitsch and Kaitlyn Nenninger (10th), finished second with 103 points. #19 Lockport Township and #24 Oswego East finished third and fourth with both teams scoring 133 points. #22 Naperville Central finished fifth (166 points).

The finish of the Boys Race was considerably closer from what we saw in the Girls race. Billy Hauenstein edged by Neuqua Valley’s Nicolas Dovalovsky in the final five-meters to capture the win by only three tenths of a second (14:55.5 to 14:55.8)

Dovalovsky had command of the race taking the lead early daring anyone to try take over the pacing. He pulled away in the final mile with only Hauenstein daring to stay with him. The Neuqua junior made a move in the final 300-meters of the race and he looked like he had the race won. It was a final surge by Hauenstein was a difference maker.

“At 1.5 miles to 2 miles, I thought that I could win this race,” Hauenstein said. “I thought he (Dovalovsky) had the race won. I’m glad I got to race a competitor like that and to have a race like that.”

Tyler Cushing of Bolingbrook stayed near the front until the final 800-meters but still finished third (15:05.4) followed by Naperville North’s Jake Allen in fourth (15:14). Minooka’s Jason Hoffman passed Oswego East’s Brad Wiggins approaching the finish to capture fifth-place.

Defending 3A State Team Champion Wheaton-Warrenville South it appeared that they came to this course to make a statement after some had doubts about this team. The statement was made as the #2 Tigers five runners in the top 15 with a 48 second split to finish winning the team championship with 46 points. David Zeller was the team’s second runner as he finished eighth with teammate Jared Peaslee right behind. Ethan Seng (13th) and Jacob Kluckhohn (15th) were the team’s other scorers.

#6 Oswego East had Wiggins and Heriberto Alvarez (10) in the top 10 to finished second (101 points) with #9 New Trier (106 points) a close third. #11 Neuqua Valley (148 points) and Palatine (171 points) rounded out the top five.



History for Red Devil Cross Country Invitational
YearResultsVideosNewsPhotosBlogs
2023   4 1 1209  
2022   6 1    
2021   10 1 262  
Show 10 more
 
+PLUS highlights
+PLUS coverage
Live Events
Get +PLUS!