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Illinois Prep Harrier Cross Country Awards – Boys Runner of the Year
At the Palatine Invitational at the end of September, Jack Keelan leads Grant Nykaza by 10 meters with less than a half to go. The finish was much closer. (Photo by Steve Bugarin).
You’ve read the 3 articles honoring the 3 runners of the year in each class: Grant Nykaza of Beecher, John Wold of Glenbard South, and Jack Keelan of St. Ignatius. The two other runner that I considered as finalists was Alex Riba of O’Fallon and Quentin Shaffer of Prospect.
When I announced the finalists, I stated that the entire season including the post season would be considered, but the emphasis would be on races within the regular season.
Riba and Shaffer both had great post seasons. Riba ended up winning the Nike Midwest Regional with Shaffer finishing 4th. Shaffer had an excellent race at Nike Nationals finishing 12th. But it came down to the state meet and Keelan and the final word in that race.
John Wold had an abbreviated season due to an injury. Though he was undefeated in the 5 races that he ran, it was not enough to push him over the top.
So it came down to two runners that I considered: Nykaza and Keelan. They did race in the post season at the Midwest Footlocker Regional with Nykaza in fifth and Keelan back in the pack. I did not consider that race in my final consideration.
The race that made the difference was the Palatine Invitational. In my mind, it was one of the most amazing tactical races that I’ve had the pleasure to watch this season. On the curvy Deer Grove East course, every turn that the two made, one would surge only to have the other counter it. In the final 800 meters, Keelan made one final move that would break Nykaza…or so he thought. With 300 meters to go, Keelan had a ten meter lead. Nykaza unleashed a torrid kick that would catch the St. Ignatius senior about 10 meters before the line.
The margin of victory in this race was only six tenths of a second between the two with Nykaza getting the narrow win.
I cannot punish Nykaza for being in Class 1A. He did go out to run against top flight competition in Indiana and the following week after Palatine in Chicago where he dominated a not so tough field at Loyola. He ran 14:21 at state, but I am certain if he was in a fast race he would have been in the lead pack.
My determinant for Runner of the Year was not going to be who had the fastest time. We will save that for track. It came down to head to head competition and racing on the course. We will never know who would have won at the state meet since they were in different classes. But on the one day, a winner was determined.
With that…
I congratulate Jack Keelan on a great season. He set his goals and achieved them. Who could ask for anything else?
For the Illinois Prep Harrier Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, it will go to Grant Nykaza of Beecher. Congratulations on a great season.
Illinois Prep Harrier Cross Country Awards – Boys 1A Runner of the Year
Nykaza’s mission statement earns him 1A Boys Runner of the Year
Jake Brown and Grant Nykaza lead the pack past the two mile at the 1A state meet.
Every mile that he ran during the spring, he thought of the opportunity that he lost in the past cross country season. The second place finish in that race did not sit well for Beecher’s standout senior Grant Nykaza.
He did win the 1600 at the 1A state track meet last May. That did not matter. He wanted one more shot at Detweiller Park in November. He was on a mission.
Nykaza did run 14:42 early in the year at the First to the Finish Invitational to win by 18 seconds over Jake Brown of Mt. Zion. Brown did come back at the end of the month to run 14:38 to place second at the Peoria Central Invitational behind Prospect’s Quentin Shaffer.
That race gave Nykaza something to think about. The Beecher runner came back a week later at the Amboy Invitational to break the course record that 1A state record holder Jeremy Stevens of Winnebago held. When asked if he was going after the state record, he simply answered, “It does not matter if I run 15:00 at state. All I want is the state championship.”
It showed in that race on that Saturday in November at Detweiller Park. It was apparent after the first half mile that this was going to be a Brown / Nykaza battle. Each runner would make a move. The other would counter.
Around the corner behind the finish line with less than a mile to go, Nykaza made a move that Brown could not react to. In the last 1200 meters, he stretched his lead to a mind boggling 18 seconds. He could of run faster, but at the end he was going to enjoy this “forever moment”. His mission was complete. He won the state championship that eluded him a year before.
Grant came back and qualified for the second year in a row for the Foot Locker Nationals. He finished 26th in that race last Saturday.
I am pleased to congratulate Grant Nykaza as the Illinois Prep Harrier Boys 1A Runner of the Year.
2012 IHSA Boys 1A State Cross Country Meet: Nykaza makes final Detweiller run a memorable one; St. Thomas More captures first state championship.
Jake Brown and Grant Nykaza lead the pack through the first 800 Saturday during the 1A Boys State Cross Country Meet. Nykaza captured the state crown. Photo by Beth Scheid.
By Michael Newman
Peoria, Ill — Grant Nykaza (Beecher HS, Beecher) was second as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore. In the 2011 race, he entered the meet as the favorite. His hopes were dashed when Steve Schroeder (Monticello HS, Monticello) made two moves in and out of the triangle to give Nykaza another silver medal.
He redeemed himself in a way last spring in winning the Boys 1A state championship in the 1600 Meter Run. There was one championship that he wanted badly. It was the race on the first Saturday in November, the state cross country championship, that was his goal.
Nykaza would have competition in this race. The one runner that would push him was Jake Brown (Mt. Zion HS, Mt. Zion). Nykaza had defeated him by 18 seconds in early September at the First to the Finish Invitational on the Detweiller Park course. Brown did come back to place second at the Peoria Central Invitational at the end of September. His time was 2 seconds faster than Nykaza had run earlier.
Both runners remained undefeated the rest of the year and a showdown at this state race was inevitable. It was ironic that Brown lives in the East Central Illinois region close to where Schroeder lived. Would this be déjà-vous for Nykaza?
The pace went out fast by design. “He is going to have to push the pace early on,” his father Henry said. “He is in shape to do it. You might as well tire his competition’s legs down if he wants to win this race. Why make it a kicker’s race to let other runners a chance to win.”
Near the 400 meter mark, Nykaza and Brown were out in the front of the pack separated by a few runners between them. Brown looked to his left looking for his rival. At about the same time, Nykaza looked to his right. It was similar to what had happened two years ago during the Lukas Verzbicas / Jack Driggs show down when both runners were looking for each other.
Both had the lead as they went by the 800 in 2:17. Game on.
Nykaza and Brown had opened up a five second gap by going through the first mile in 4:45. A pack containing Wal Khat (Mooseheart HS, Mooseheart), Nick Hess (St. Thomas More HS, Champaign), Luke Muzikowski (Hope Academy, Chicago), Curtis Reed & Mohammad Hosseini (Mt. Zion HS, Mt. Zion), Jesse Hahne (Schlarman HS, Danville), and Blake Hale (Robinson HS, Robinson) was starting to push the pace. But just like the girls race an hour prior, Brown and Nykaza were just not coming back.
Grant Nykaza celebrates his win heading towards the finish line at Detweiller Park.
St. Thomas More, the top rated team heading into the meet, had five runners in the first thirty to have a convincing lead over Mt. Zion. Elmwood-Brimfield, Richmond-Burton, and Winnebago were also in the hunt for a trophy at this check point.
The next mile was a matter of which runner was going to make the breaking move. In the triangle, Nykaza made three small moves testing Brown on whether he would break. Brown countered each time Nykaza made a surge. Coming off of the bridge and out into the main portion of the course, Nykaza made another surge that gave him a slight five meter lead. Brown took a little longer but made up the gap. If Nykaza made move one more move, that could be the deal breaker for Brown.
Coming down Busse Drive towards the finish line, it was Brown that made a move just past the 1 ¾ mile mark. It was a definite surge. It was one that visibly shook Nykaza as the Mt. Zion Senior started to move ahead. They both made the zigzag towards the finish line incline and the two were together again.
Both went past the two mile in 9:33. Nykaza made a move around the tree by the finish line and suddenly had opened up a 10 meter lead. Making the turn heading down the course by Route 29, there on the side appeared his father who started yelling at his son. It seemed like he was everywhere on this course on this Saturday.
“I told him Brown’s head was dropping,” the elder Nykaza said. Grant took off.
With 800 meters to go, his lead on Brown was up to 7 seconds. There was no let up in his stride. He wanted that championship.
His lead coming up the incline was an astounding 17 seconds. With around 50 meters before the finish line, he made a glance back and the reality hit him that he was going to win this race. A big smile crossed his face. He was close to the Class A record set by Troy Maddux and Jeremy Stevens but that did not seem to matter. He started to celebrate as he closed to the blue timing mats.
A weight was lifted off of his shoulders. There would be no record but records can always be erased. A state championship cannot. His dreams were realized.
Brown came in eighteen seconds later to a loud cheer. He had given everything that he had in this race. It was just Nykaza had a little more on this day.
“We told him to get out at the mile in 4:45 and he did that. It became a shoot out after that,” Beecher’s coach Adam Depew said. “He did a great job today.”
“I trained for four years for this and I kept telling myself that today was my day,” Nykaza said afterwards. “As soon as my dad told me that his head was down, I knew that this was my race. I was feeling good the entire race. I celebrated early. I looked back and said to myself that I am enjoying this moment. This may be near the top. I don’t think it beats winning it as a team, but it comes pretty close.”
A year of hard work paid off for St. Thomas More as they hold up the Boys 1A state championship trophy. Photo by Beth Scheid.
Just like Nykaza a year ago, St. Thomas More finished fourth just missing out on a team trophy. They would not be denied in 2012. The Sabers placed 5 runners in the first 26 team places to capture the school’s first state championship scoring 82 points. St. Thomas More led from the outset and maintained their position throughout. Nick Hess moved up to finish 3rd using a strong kick. Senior Jacob Helfrich was the team’s other all state runner finishing 21st. Their 1-5 split on their top 5 was 45 seconds. Their margin of victory was 75 points over Elmwood which was only 5 ahead of Shelbyville.
“We did not want to do anything crazy. We just wanted to race the way we run,” said St. Thomas More Coach Dave Behm. “Everyone PR’ed. I have been thinking about this state championship for a long time. This is incredible. The hard work that these guys did paid off.”[
Illinois Prep Harrier 