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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 3A Runner of the Year
Keelan dominance in races results in 3A Runner of the Year
Jack Keelan of St. Ignatius on his way to a win in the 3A state race.
Jack Keelan of St. Ignatius had unfinished business when he started this cross country season. What pushed him through the track season was that he did not get the opportunity to race in the 2011 state meet. The two all state performances that achieved in track in the 3200 and 1600 meter runs gave him the confidence to be able to go after the one thing he wanted in the fall: a state championship.
The question would be who would push him at state. The one runner that surprised many in 3A was Quentin Shaffer of Prospect. He opened eyes at the Peoria Central Invitational running 14:28. He opened more at the Nike Cross Country Nationals where he placed 12th in Portland.
The O’Fallon duo of Patrick Perrier and Alex Riba would also push. Perrier had a great season just getting outkicked by Garrett Lee of Belvidere North at the Richard Spring Invitational. The 14:28 that he ran in mid-September showed that he was able to go faster at state. Riba had a viral infection that hampered his training and racing during mid season. He came back strong at the Regional and Sectional meets. The race after the state meet, the Nike Regional meet, may have been his best as he sat back and won on a blistering last quarter kick.
All eyes would be on Keelan. He was undefeated against 3A runners during the regular season. It seemed that he was trying different strategies getting himself ready for Peoria. He did have one set back at the Palatine Invitational (we will talk about that at in the Overall ROY article). Before state at the Niles West Sectional, York’s Scott Milling pushed Keelan for the first 2 ½ miles before the St. Ignatius senior broke away for an easy win. Milling seemed to peak at the right time this year with a 6th place state finish along with qualifying for both NXN and Footlocker. He finished 27th in both of those races.
The state meet race was a battle of wills. Riba pushed the pace to try to break Keelan. The thing was Keelan was not going anywhere. He made a move with about 900 meters to go that broke the race open for his state championship. His time of 14:05 makes him one of the ten fastest runners in state meet history at Detweiller Park. He came back the following week to finish 5th at the Nike Regionals.
His dominance during the season was strong enough that he was the one runner qualified for this award.
I am pleased to congratulate Jack Keelan as the Illinois Prep Harrier Boys 3A runner of the year.
2012 IHSA Boys 3A State Cross Country Meet: York, Keelan win at Detweiller
Jack Keelan wins one for the team; York wins 28th state championship
York celebrates its 28th state championship Saturday at Detweiller Park. Photo by Steven Koch
By Michael Newman
Peoria, Ill — It may be an understatement that Jack Keelan (St. Ignatius Prep, Chicago) was on a mission heading into the Boys 3A State Meet. It could be said he was on a mission even before what happened at the Niles West Sectional.
A year ago, he was one of the individual favorites heading into his sectional race. He failed to qualify to the state meet. He cleared that one hurdle when he won his sectional race last week. What was jubilation turned into the despair after his team finished 6th at the sectional when they were originally told they placed 5th.
The fire that burned inside of him was a little larger as he waited for each of the races to be run at Detweiller Park. He was ready to unleash at great race not only for him but also for his teammates.
There was a list of individual that thought they had a chance. Quentin Shafer (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect), Alex Riba & Patrick Perrier (O’Fallon HS, O’Fallon), Scott Milling (York HS, Elmhurst), and Caleb Beck (Oswego HS, Oswego) were ready for the challenge.
The York Boys Cross Country team was also on a mission. Last year they left Detweiller Park without a trophy and with the tuxedos that they traditionally wore after placing in the top 3 were left in storage.
The Dukes were the team to beat from the first day of the 2012 season. The pressure built during the season as they continued to maintain that rating. “The pressure on these guys was unbelievable. Everyone at the park said that York was going to win. That makes it pretty scary. Now they just had to go to the line and do it,” said York Coach Joe Newton.
Not only was there pressure on the runners, there was pressure on the York Coach staff before the race as Newton and Assistant Jim Hedman could attest to.
You could not see the pressure on the York runners as they stepped to the line. There was a cool confidence in their eyes. Even though they were the team to beat, there would be other schools that would be going after them. O’Fallon, Neuqua Valley, Lyons Township, Palatine, and Lake Zurich were all teams that wanted a chance for the championship trophy.
The leaders just past the mile at the 3A Boys State Meet. Photo by Michael Newman
It took the first mile to shake out the field. Scott Milling had the slight lead heading up the incline jut after the half mile. There were runners trying to leave the pack to get into the lead. First it was Alex Riba to get alongside Milling. Then, Alex Milner (Lake Zurich HS, Lake Zurich) was towards the front. Then Keelan appeared towards the front. But still, no clear cut leader.
Riba started to move towards the mile wanting the pace to quicken. He was second a year ago. It looked like he wanted a gap and to break this open early.
Riba went through the mile in 4:40, the fastest first mile out of all the three boys’ races at this meet. Milling was close on his side. Keelan was just behind in a restful stride. His face showed that he was not exerting a lot of energy.
The St. Ignatius senior decided to make the first move and it continued as the race headed into the triangle. What was a tight pack was now strung out. The only runners that were able to sustain the pickup were Riba, Milling, Patrick Perrier, Quentin Shafer, and Billy Bund (Lake Forest HS, Lake Forest). There was a drop off after that.
At the half way point of the race, the pre race favorite Dukes had built up a big lead on O’Fallon and Lyons Township. They had 5 runners ahead of both O’Fallon’s and Lyons 3rd runners heading out of the triangle. The question would be if York could maintain that.
Jack Keelan and Alex Riba start to move away from the pack out of the triangle. Photo by Michael Newman
Right before the race entered back into the main portion of the course, Keelan made another surge. It dropped more of the six off the pace. The only runner that would not budge was Riba. It was all or nothing for the O’Fallon senior. There were mini battles going on behind the two front runners. Milling was just trying to hold on to the front pack. Shaffer and Bund were trying to keep with the pace. Perrier was just behind the two waiting for the right move. His stride looked so effortless.
This was still a fast pace. Keelan and Riba went by the two mile in 9:22 – 9:23. Shaffer, Perrier, Bund, and Milling were between 9:26 – 9:28. This was a two man race. The crowd around the course could sense that as the noise continued to grow and grow as the runners passed by.
With 1200 Meters to go: Keelan & Riba
At the 2 ¼ mile mark, Riba made a dramatic surge as he made the turn down the back straight away. For about 25 meters, he opened up a slight lead on Keelan. It took a few seconds for him to realize the move that Riba made on him. All of a sudden, Keelan was right next to his competitor. Bund was in sight in third, but out of striking distance of the two. Perrier and Shafer were working together to get closer to Bund with Milling just sticking to the two.
As they made the gradual left turn across the park and to the 2 ½ mile point, Keelan took off. The surge that Riba had made had not affected Keelan. First the lead was 5 meters. Then around the three pole turn, the lead was 15 meters and growing.
Nightmares were being erased for Keelan as he headed towards the finish line. Dreams were about to be realized. He finished as champion. His 14:05 was nine seconds faster than Quentin Shaffer who made a strong move in the last 50 meters to catch Riba. Perrier caught his teammate and finished 3rd. Both O’Fallon runners finished in 14:15. Billy Bund was another two seconds back.
Overall, Keelan’s winning time was the 10th fastest ever run at Detweiller Park for the state meet. He is the 9th fastest runner ever in the state. He is St. Ignatius’ 2nd individual state champion. Mike Patton was the first in 1980. This individual championship was just not a personal journey for him but one for his teammates.
Jack Keelan on his way to the state championship. He is the 2nd St. Ignatius runner to win (Mike Patton, 1980). Photo by Steven Koch
With all the surges that were in the race, Keelan ran a fairly even pace. He ran 4:41 / 4:42 / 4:43 for the three mile race.
“You’ve got to expect a fast mile at the state meet. I just went along for the ride and tried to stay as relaxed as possible,” Keelan said afterwards. “I kind of put my own move in at the 2 mile. The goal was to try to go to thin out the pack as much as I could. Riba and those guys were hanging by and they did a great job. He (Riba) made a move with 1200 meters to go and had me worried there. It just has not hit me yet.”
“I decided to stay relaxed the first 800 meters and see how everything went. I felt good and I decided to push the pace after that,” Riba said. “In the last mile, it was one of those moments where I decided to push it. I could not hold it but it was worth the shot.”
York maintained its lead throughout the race but it looked kind of shaky the last mile. The early pace was starting to hurt many of the runners including the seven from York. Scott Milling hung on off his early lead and was able to finish 6th overall, third for the team score. Kyle Mattes moved the last 600 meters to finish 23rd overall.
Probably the most inspirational point for the Dukes occurred in the last 800 meters. Alex Mimlitz was hurting looking for every ounce of energy he could find. O’Fallon’s Dorrian Gordon was just about ready to pass him. “I saw him coming right up next to me. So many thoughts came through my head. This is my last race. This is my last 400,” Mimlitz said. “This guy is from O’Fallon. We have to win. Then I thought, why am I thinking? Just run! I just started sprinting. It was the hardest I have run for 400 meters.”
He was the third man and finished 24th.
Quentin Shafer had a great kick to finish 2nd. Photo by Steven Koch
Chris May had usually been with Mattes and Mimlitz during the season. The fast pace hit him in the last 400. He still had enough strength to finish 49th overall and was the fifth man. “I cannot explain the feeling of being a state champ because I will never get that feeling again. It was something that I will always treasure,” May said.
York was able to hold on to the lead that they gained early in the race to capture their 28th state championship. One of the big reasons was the finish of Junior Alex Bashqawi. Not even mentioned on any of the form charts at the beginning of the year, he came on mid season to give a boost to the Dukes. He passed 15 runners in the last 400 to finish 27th.
“I assumed the race was going to go out fast. I didn’t expect to be leading,” Scott Milling said. “I just had confidence in myself and my teammates. This feels awesome. It felt great my sophomore year but this feels so much better.”
Even though he has experienced the state championship feelings 28 times, it still never gets old for Joe Newton. 2012 was the fiftieth anniversary of Newton’s first state championship in 1962.
“We had a race plan where the big four were to stay together and the 5-6-7 was to stay together. We emphasized that they did not have to do anything special today. They had been running good all year. On this day, they just had to be ourselves. Most of our guys ran good today. People do not realize how hard it is to get all seven runners running good on one day. It was brilliant,” the legendary York coach said. “I was so nervous before the meet. From day one, we were ranked number one. I think our guys performed to the max. This is one of the best group of young men that I have ever coached. Not just as the way they are as runners, but they way that they acted during the year outside of the course. Not too many people see that. I am proud of them.”
O’Fallon’s 2nd place was powered by the 3-4 finish of Patrick Perrier & Alex Riba. Photo by Steven Koch
O’Fallon captured their second straight trophy in a row with their second place finish behind the two all-state finishes by Patrick Perrier & Alex Riba. The Panthers were eight points ahead of York’s WSC Silver rival Lyons Township. The Lions were paced by the two all-state performances of Michael Matusiak (11th) and Ryan Speir (17th).
Don’t forget about the team performance of St. Ignatius. Even though they were not running as a team, state champ Jack Keelan had them in their heart.
Steven Koch took pictures for the Illinois Prep Harrier and I appreciate the work that he did this past fall. He took pictures at the state meet. If there are copies that you would like, please contact him at: S.Koch.Photo@gmail.com
Niles West Boys Sectional : Scoring controversy clouds Keelan and York wins
The start of the Boys Sectional Race at the Niles West Sectional. York’s Chris May was knocked down causing a restart. Photo By Doug Ackerman.
Skokie, Ill — Was this déjà-vous? It seemed like we had done this dance before. Last year it was Maine South that was notified that they would be going to the state meet and then told that because of a scoring error that they finished sixth.
It was hope against hope that this would not happen again. But it did.
After what happened last year, the IHSA revised its Regional / Sectional Finish Line procedures. In the terms and conditions items IX-G and VIII-3, it requires that the meet referee at all regional and sectional meets must review the required video of the finish of each race. According to the IHSA, the required review would help that all close finishes have been evaluated in these qualifying events just as they are at the state final races.
After the race was over, the referee supposedly reviewed every finisher. Apparently not. When the results were posted, Lane Tech Coach Kris Roof had noticed that 1 of his runners was missing. He notified meet manager and Niles West Head Coach Michael Grossman of the error. They went reviewed the tape and the change was made. Lane Tech was moved from 6th to 4th and qualifying for the state meet. This time it was St. Ignatius that had the rug pulled out from under them. Originally scored as the fifth place team, they were moved into sixth and thus not qualifying as a team.
In talking to Grossman, he stated that the Lane Tech runner that was missed, David Schmieg who was the fourth man and finished 44th, was wearing both timing chips on the same foot. With that happening, the chips were not read and his place was not properly recorded.
“Last year, I was the one who was very assertive that a video review was done. It is just a bit of irony,” St. Ignatius Coach Ed Ernst said. “Today they did not do it. I talked to the official and they looked at some of the close finishes. That is not want they did. They were supposed to check the whole thing. Physical bodies count. Thank goodness it is not a chip world yet and the Lane Tech and Glenbard West boys beat us fair and square. The more interesting question would be what would we had done if there had not been a video review and they put us in and the Lane Tech kids had beat us. Do we say no send them? In sports, that is what you are supposed to do. The kids are crushed but Jack has a new mission.”
St. Ignatius’ Jack Keelan starts to break away from York’s Scott Milling on his way to a sectional win at the NIles West Sectional. Photo by Steven Koch.
St. Ignatius’ Jack Keelan had a busy morning before his race. He took the ACT test which eased his mind away from the race. It took him away from the 2011 race where he entered as one of the race favorites but finished 17th and not qualifying individually. He was in a fresh piece of mind ready to go.
The race was called back after about 100 meters when York’s Chris May was knocked down. “It was a stupid move by me,” May, who finished 3rd, said. “I should have run in a straight line instead I wanted to get immediately on the course line. It was my fault.”
Within the first half mile of the race, it already was defined what was going to happen. Keelan went immediately to the front and Scott Milling of York and Micah Beller of Niles North went right with him. 5 meters back it was the York trio of May, Kyle Mattes, and Alex Mimlitz. With them were Jon Vaccaro of Maine South and Marcelo Burbano of Lane Tech.
Keelan and Milling were side by side for the next mile as Beller dropped off the pace. Forty meters back was the York trio. The team race was already determined as York had 4 of the first 5 places and their fifth man Alex Bashqawi was around 15th.
Keelan made a strategic break from Milling on the last mile loop as soon as they came out of the woods. “I knew that the stretch where I made the break was pretty windy. Even though you might be feeling tough I wanted to break him there,” Keelan said.
Keelan finished 14:44 on the new layout at Niles West. Milling finished second in 14:53 leading a York 2-5 sweep. Bashqawi’s 15th place gave them a low 29 points. Maine South, New Trier, and Glenbard West along with Lane Tech were the other team qualifiers. This is the first team performance for the Glenbard West’s boys team since they finished 5th in 1978.
York’s thought of collapse last week at Lake Park looks like an illusion and the Dukes appear again on track heading to Peoria. All York Coach Joe Newton said was “I thought they looked good today.”
“I definitely wanted to see what I could do today. Having Jack in our sectional was a perfect opportunity to try that instead of waiting until state,” Milling said afterwards. “That last two weeks we have run pretty good workouts so I am definitely confident. We are definitely happy with our performance. We are looking forward to next week.”
Keelan escaped the demons that haunted him on the course this day. “It is something that has been lingering but taking the ACT kept my mind off of that,” he said. “It was a great race by Milling. It was bold and it paid off. I think he had a good time. It felt good. Especially to get past the course today, it felt good.”
The one memory that he erased in winning the race was replaced by his team thinking that they had qualified but had not. A devastated Keelan walked out slowly from the Niles West Fieldhouse. All he could say was “Now I have something else to run for in Peoria.”
He will not be out on that course alone in Peoria on Saturday afternoon. The strength of his teammates will be with him.
Look for more thoughts about what happened Saturday at Niles West in a commentary Monday morning.
First To The Finish Invitational Recap
Early in the Girls 3A race at the First to the Finish Invitational Saturday at Detweiller Park. Courtney Ackerman of New Trier won the race in 16:45. (photo credit: Doug Ackerman)
The first of the 3 seasonal xc invitationals at Detweiller Park was held on Saturday. The First to the Finish Invitational (fromally the Peoria Woodruff Invitational) gave fans a preview of what we might see in November at the state meet.
Read more with the meet recap here
NOTE: There was a error in the Boys 1A Results. Two runners from Rockford Lutheran accidentally finished early and were added in the score. Officials from Rockford Lutheran contacted the meet managers to inform them of the mistake. The team places were not changed for the top 8 teams, but the scores were.
Illinois Prep Harrier 