Photo: The Boys 3200 Meter Run was the closest of the night with Tyler Cushing edging Matt Blanco for the win (Laura Duffy Photo)

By Michael Newman

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Batavia – Friday night’s Batavia Distance Madness meet started out with the crowd sitting just watching the races. By the time the night was over, every fan was on their feet threatening to blow the roof off the Batavia Fieldhouse with the noise that they were producing.

Two meet records were set in the three events that were contested. One was in a Girls race. One was in a Boys race.

It was not a surprise that Sarah Schmitt of Naperville North broke her own record in the 3200 Meter Run especially the way she ran last week at North Central College when she ran 4:56 for 1600-meters. What was a small disappointment was being that Argo’s Abby Lopez, who was scheduled to run in this meet, was absent. Some of the talk by coaches was getting to see Lopez race Schmitt. Somehow, I do not think it would have mattered.

Schmitt was hitting her pace checking her watch with every lap. By the time she got to the first kilometer of the race, Schmitt was by herself. The Naperville North senior went by the first 1600-meters in 5:16 and kept that pace the rest of the way. Her winning time of 10:34.25 is the state’s fastest for that distance also broke her meet record by nine seconds. Teammate Hannah Ricci ran an indoor best of 10:58.83 to finish second. Breanna Cohoon of Downers Grove South passed Alex Morris of Naperville North in the final 400-meters to finish third (11:10.65) ahead of Morris’ 11:18.36 time. Schmitt’s time is currently ranked fourth nationally indoors for that distance.

Perhaps one of the most improved runners in the state this past year has been Lyons Township’s Charles Harders. He showed why that could be true by winning the 800 Meter Run and setting a new meet record in this meet. Fremd’s Ed Worthem took the pace out in a 29.6 first 200-meters. It seemed to slow down ever so slightly in the next lap which was the opening that Harders was looking for. He ran a 28 second third 200 to pass by with a lap to go. Rockford Christian’s Riley Wells was two seconds back chasing after Harders.

“I saw him (Harders) move and I tried to react to that,” Wells said afterwards. “I was boxed in. I made my move too late. Fortunately, it is only the beginning of March.”

Wells made a final move in the final lap closing the gap by only a few steps. Harders felt him coming making one more surge with 70-meters left. He held on for the win (1:57.91) breaking Brian Kuehl’s one-year old record of 1:58.1. Wells was next in 1:58.89. The next seven runners were separated by only two seconds led by Prairie Ridge’s Grant Jensen and his third-place finish (2:00.14).

Rachel Hickey of LaSalle-Peru made it look easy in winning the Girls 800 Meter Run. “I wanted to go out hard the first 400 and wanted to do something that was out of my comfort zone,” said Hickey. “I got a little tripped up at the beginning. I had to make up for it during the second 200.”

Batavia’s Marygrace Golden pushed the pace going through the first 200-meters in 33 seconds. Hickey made her way to the front passing Rosary’s Brooke Delahanty and Golden going past 400-meters in 67.9. The rest of the race belonged to Hickey as she lengthened her lead on her way to the win (2:16.91) for her first “real” 80 of the year. Golden was next (2:19.14) followed by Delahanty (2:19.33) and Downers Grove South’s Kelly Hackbarth (2:19.81).

It looked like the championship race would not be tactical in the Girls 1600 Meter Run when Yorkville’s Emily Eberhart pushed the first 400-meters in 71 seconds leading the pack by three seconds. By the time the race got to the half way point, the pack had caught up to Eberhart going through 800-meters in 2:31.1. It was Kayla Byrne of Hinsdale Central that moved first in the next lap with Yorkville’s Helena Kleronomos going with her.

Hinsdale Central’s Grace McCabe had been patient for the first half of the race hanging back in the pack. She made her move taking the lead with 300-meters left passing Byrne with Downers Grove South’s Erin Reidy going with McCabe. 100-meters later entering the final lap, Reilly Revord passed her teammate McCabe looking for the win. McCabe countered that move 100-meters taking the lead for good. Eight runners finished under 5:10 in that race led by McCabe’s 5:01.06 winning time. Revord was next (5:03.20) followed by Reidy (5:05.76). DeKalb’s Katherine Olsen made a strong move in the final three laps to finish fourth (5:05.98).

“I don’t think I have ever passed Reilly (Revord) at the end of a race,” McCabe said of her teammate and friend. “I wasn’t sure what lap we were on (entering the final lap). Reilly passed me, and I just stayed with her and passed her back”

If there is a trait that describes Bolingbrook sophomore Tyler Cushing, it would be that he never gives up and he hates to lose. That paid off well on Friday night when Cushing held off changes of lead on seven separate occasions to hold on to the win. Cushing would not be passed in this race. Three times it was Downers Grove South’s Akhil Ghosh that tried to pass or took the lead ever so briefly. Cushing responded by taking that lead back. He controlled the pace throughout. The same thing happened to Kaneland’s Matt Richtman. Cushing would not let him pass. In the final lap, it was Oswego East’s Matt Blanco’s turn as he tried to pass Cushing. The sophomore held him off until coming off the final curve and they approached a lapped runner. Blanco had Cushing blocked taking the lead. Cushing jumped out to Lane 3 and caught Blanco at the line. The difference was only two hundredths of a second with Cushing winning (9:24.60 – 9:24.62).

Sean Maison of Wheaton-Warrenville South learned a lesson the week before at York when he waited to make a move paying off in a win. The same strategy worked in this race. The pace was slow as Campbell Koch of St. Charles East and Dundee-Crown’s Anthony Hurgoi took the pace through 2:12 for the first 800-meters. The fun started with Huntley’s Jadon Conroy first taking the lead and then Downers Grove South’s Eddie Siuda taking a turn in the front as the pace continued to pick up. This time with 500-meters to go, Maison made his move. As he came out of the far curve, he looked to see who had gone with him. Siuda was close as was Glenbard West’s Rory Cavan. Siuda responded in the final lap and pushed the pace down the back stretch. Maison’s move at 100-meters left was all he needed. He crossed the line with an eight second personal best of 4:18.98 to win the race. Siuda also lowered his personal best as he ran 4:20.37 to finish second. Thomas Shilgalis of Naperville Central moved in the final laps of the race to place third (4:21.55) to finish just ahead of Cavan (4:21.71).

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