R-B runner Sanchez picks DePaul

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

Two of the Northwest Herald All-Area first team cross country runners will be running on scholarships next year.

Richmond-Burton’s Ian Sanchez, twice a Class 2A All-State runner, and McHenry’s Jeff Sabatka both signed NCAA letters of intent with their respective schools Wednesday.

Sanchez signed with Division I DePaul and will run cross country and track for the Blue Demons. Sabatka signed with D-II Western (Colo.) State.

“DePaul has really good running facilities, their coach is knowledgeable, and I bonded with the team very well,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez took 15th in the 2008 IHSA Cross Country State Meet and was fifth in the IHSA Track and Field State Meet last spring. He was 26th in state cross country last season after falling early in the race.

Sanchez won the Big Northern Conference and Antioch Regional cross country championships last season. Sanchez will receive about 75 percent scholarship between academics and athletics.

“When I started my junior year and had a shot at state I knew I wanted to run cross country and track in college,” he said.

Sabatka was third in the McHenry County Cross Country Meet last season and was second in the Fox Valley Conference Meet. He learned about Western State, located in Dennison, Colo., about 4 hours southwest of Denver, when former McHenry runner Curtis Weisenberger went to the school two years ago. Weisenberger now attends McHenry County College with plans on running at Illinois-Chicago next year, but it was on Sabatka’s radar.

“I went out there over Christmas break and saw pictures of them running through the [Rocky] mountains,” Sabatka said. “It’s incredible out there. It’s all about being outside.”