Cross Country: October 2008 Archives

Bolingbrook Raiders boys cross country coach Art Pahl expects fast times at the Class 3A Reavis Sectional on Saturday.

"The course at Reavis is flat," Pahl wrote in an E-mail to The Brook Blog on Thursday. "It is 2 laps in the fields behind the school. It should be very fast. Our goals are just to try to run the best that we can and finish on a positive note. We will not be expected to advance, so we will try to end the season running the best times of the season."

The Raiders advanced out of the Bolingbrook Regional with the fifth and final qualifying spot on Oct. 25. Of the 20 teams at Reavis, only five will qualify for the state championship meet.

The Bolingbrook Raiders girls cross country team took a trip to Burbank on Wednesday to check out the course for the Reavis Sectional so the first time they see the course won't be on Saturday at the meet.

"Unlike the regional course that did not repeat itself, Reavis' Sectional will require extra focus as the athletes run the same loop several times," Bolingbrook girls coach Brian Zeglin wrote in an E-mail to The Brook Blog.

While unexperienced -- the Raiders have five freshmen on the varsity roster -- experience is not that big a factor in running. Either you have the the goods or you don't. That explains why freshman Jahnell Horton has been the top finisher for the Raiders this year.

Horton, who qualified for AAU nationals in several events last summer, placed ninth at the Bolingbrook Regional.

The Bolingbrook Raiders boys and girls cross country teams both advanced to the IHSA Class 3A Reavis Sectional on Saturday.

Bolingbrook's boys team grabbed the fifth and final qualifying position at the Bolingbrook Regional.

Jesus Hernandez was the top finisher for The Brook, crossing in 12th in 17:08. Ricardo Rodriguez placed 19th in 17:22.

Freshman Jahnell Horton placed ninth in 19:49 to pace the girls team, which advanced with a fourth-place finish.

The next three for the Raiders packed up with freshman Mariana Hernandez in 22nd, junior Shelby Manning in 23rd and freshman Zuri Carbajal in 24th.

The boys cross country team at Jane Addams Middle School finished as the sectional runnerup on Oct. 11, qualifying the Mustangs for the IESA Class AA state finals for the first time in school and school district history.

On the girls side, Sydney Banks qualified for state as an individual, placing 11th at the sectional.

The state meet will be held on Oct. 18 Maxwell Park in Normal. Here is a report from Jane Addams coach Adam Thas.

After watching the Jane Addams girls make District history last season by becoming Valley View's first Cross Country team to qualify for the State meet, the boys were on a mission to equal this feat. After a tough season, and a tougher Sectional, Jane Addams did it again by qualifying its first boys' Cross Country team for the State Meet. The IESA's Sectional Cross County meet was held Saturday October 11th at Central Park in Bolingbrook where the Mustangs were one of 12 teams competing for an illustrious top 3 finish, guaranteeing them a spot in next weekend's State meet.

The Brook Blog is excited to announce that we will stage our first session of Raiders Roundtable on Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Raiders Roundtable will be a weekly live chat that provides a discussion forum about Bolingbrook Raiders athletics. It's for fans. It's for students. It's for parents. It's for anyone who wants to voice their opinion about the Raiders.