Methner repeats as Palatine Invitational champ; Poglitsch uses finishing kick to win Girls title; New Trier Boys, York Girls pack it up for team wins

By Michael Newman

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Palatine – It was the weather that was the story of this meet Saturday morning at Deer Grove East Forest Preserve. A storm system dumped more than two inches of rain in the Palatine area on Friday evening turning the course into a muddy mess.

It was not about the times that the runners achieved in this meet. It was about competing and racing.

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Hersey’s Josh Methner knew what his plan would be on this day. “All I told them was to stay on their feet and get around the course safely,” Hersey Coach Kevin Young said before the start. The defending Class 3A State Champion did just that waiting until after the 2-mile mark on his way to what it looked like an easy win in the Boys Varsity race. His time of 15:20 on this muddy course was 48 seconds slower than the 14:32 time that he ran a year ago in this race. Then again, it was all about the racing.

“I did not know how muddy it was going to be today especially with the four races that came before ours,” Methner said. “I just did not want to have half my foot in the mud trying to go five-minute pace.”

Joey Kasch of Maine South was the only runner that stayed with Methner after the pack broke apart. He finished in second just two seconds behind Methner. Then the rest of the race pack came through led by Jones Prep’s Anthony Maida who ran 15:36 to finish third. Hersey’s Max Svienty ran the same time to finish fourth followed by Mundelein’s Carter Schorr who ran 15:38 to finish fifth.

It was all about staying close to your teammates in this race and New Trier showed that in winning the Boys Varsity title. The Trevians placed three runners in the top 13 to help them score 113 points to edge defending champion Hersey 113 -116. New Trier was led by the 6-7 finish from Nick Falk and Charlie Siebert. Andrew Flynn (13th), JD Shelly (36th), and Felix Boeing (51st) rounded out the team scoring. Their top five split was 39 seconds.

Hersey followed up the 1-4 finish of Methner and Svienty by placing Collin Safford 17th, Quinn Rudy 42nd, and Luke Linscott 52nd. Maine South scored 150 points to finish third behind Kasch’s finish and the top 20 finish from Adam Christopher (18th). York’s top three runners fell in the first mile of the race but still finished fourth (172 points) led by the 12th place finish of Daniel Klysh and Sam Ayers placing 21st.

The Girls Varsity race was missing defending champion Molly FitzPatrick of Barrington. She twisted her ankle in a workout earlier in the week. With the conditions of the course and the condition of FitzPatrick, it was a wise move not to run her on Saturday.

This was the first time that Wheaton-Warrenville South had run in this meet in three years. When their top runner Samantha Poglitsch stepped on the course Saturday morning, she received some simple advice. “I was not familiar with this course,” Poglitsch said. “My coach (Rob Harvey) told me just to wait and kick at the end. When I saw the finish line with 200-meters left, I made my move.”

Poglitsch used a strong kick in the final stretch of the race to pass Barrington’s Allison Drage for the win crossing the line in 17:37 with Drage just a second behind.

Brooke Stromsland of Lakes Community ran 17:45 to finish third with Rose Sheridan of Vernon Hills (17:53) and Dunlap’s Saniya Mathew (18:17) placing fourth and fifth.

York used an extremely strong pack in easily capturing the Girls Varsity team title. The Dukes had only a six second top five split in winning with 132 points. Freshman Brooke Berger led the team finishing 21st. Lydia Hickey (26th), Katelyn Winton (29th), Katelyn Leonard (30th), and Bria Bennis (31th) finished within two seconds of each other.

Barrington, without FitzPatrick, finished second (168 points) led by Drage and the ninth-place finish from Alyssa Norris. Oswego finished third (172 points) paced by the 11 place finish from Audra Soderlind. Vernon Hills (191 points) and Wheaton-Warrenville South (202 points) finished fourth and fifth.