Victories all around for CLC boys, girls

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AURORA – Crystal Lake Central senior Ryan Alvarez gutted it out through the cross country postseason a year ago after being sapped by mononucleosis.

Alvarez managed to take 30th in the IHSA Class 2A State Meet, but he knew with better health he could have finished much higher.

Alvarez, who has not experienced any healthy issues this season, started his postseason drive in top form Saturday by winning the Class 2A Aurora Central Catholic Regional at Oakhurst Community Park. The boys team finish was close with four teams within four points. Marmion (66), Kaneland (66), Central (70) and Prairie Ridge (70) took the top four spots. Marmion was given first and Central third by virtue of their sixth-place runners.

Central’s girls team, which was Class 2A state runner-up last season, took first place with 72 points. Prairie Ridge was fourth with 111. The top five teams, along with the top five individuals on those teams, advance to the Belvidere Sectional on Saturday.

“I had a good first mile and was in good position, drafting off the Kaneland guy [Trevor Holm],” Alvarez said. “I took the lead then lengthened it in the second mile. I had a great finish and I felt very good.”

Alvarez finished in 15:17.1, 7.4 seconds ahead of Marmion’s Zack Young. Chris Alvarez, Ryan’s sophomore brother, was sixth for the Tigers. Prairie Ridge had its usual pack with Marc DiVerde, Mitch Wilkins and Matt Neubauer in 10th, 12th and 13th.

Burlington Central’s Maggie Gannon won the girls race in 18:20.9, with Hampshire’s Holly Plichta second at 18:26.1. Crystal Lake Central’s Molly Flood (18:40.7), Hampshire’s Cassie Kruse (18:43.3) and Crystal Lake Central’s Taylor Miller (18:46.8) were third, fourth and sixth. Crystal Lake Central’s Rachel Bush was eighth, and Madie Edwards was 12th.

Plichta and Kruse advanced to Belvidere as individuals. Hampshire’s Tanner Holman also advanced as a boys individual runner.

The first mile of the course was slick and muddy, but runners said the second two miles were not as bad.

“I got off to a horrible start and slipped,” Plichta said. “It was bad in the first mile with everybody pushing. The race was kind of like a repeat of last year where I got second to Maggie.”

Crystal Lake Central’s girls put four runners in the top 12, then had freshman Bronwyn Harper come in 43rd for the Tigers’ fifth score.

“We did well, our fifth runner, Bronwyn, came out of nowhere,” Flood said. “She’s been running junior varsity. We were hoping to win this. That was our job to come here and win it.”

Crystal Lake Central’s and Prairie Ridge’s boys both ended the race thinking they might have won the title. Central’s boys team has qualified for state the past two years, and Prairie Ridge took advantage of its first trip to a 2A regional.

“We didn’t want to go out too hard, we focused hard on the second mile,” DiVerde said. “The conditions played may have played into our favor, but they did go out pretty fast. We came back and caught up.”