CAA News  11/6
     Running is twice as nice this fall for York High School.
     It was confirmed on Saturday (Nov. 4) that the best boys and girls
cross-country programs in Illinois exist at the same high school, York
of Elmhurst. 
    Veteran coach Joe Newton's boys team peaked at the right time as it
almost always does, and won with 126 points to runner-up Wheeling's 138
on the 3-mile Detweiller Park course in Peoria.  It was Newton's 21st
state championship and prompted him to announce he'll be back again. Next
in the team standings wereDowners Grove North at 176, Lockport at 188 and
Crystal Lake Central at 201.
    "I'm coming back next year for cross-country, and my new goal is
25," Newton told the Chicago Sun-Times.  "I was worried [about this team]
in August and I was more worried in September.  I was a basket case. It's
been a very tough year following the Donald Sage team.  The race was wide
open, and we survived."
     As his team had its celebration atop a picnic table, the Chicago
Tribune reported that Newton shouted to the crowd: "It never gets any
better than this.  This is a forever moment for these guys."
    Adam Roche (14:35) finished fifth and Peter Stasiulis (14:39) was
10th to lead the York boys. Next came Jay McGrane in 15:19 (50th), Tim Hobbs
in 15:22 (58th) and John Baez (67th) in 15:26.  York's sixth and seventh
runners were David Nikuchi in 15:45 and Michael Corry in 15:47. Runners from
schools whose teams didn't qualify, are pulled out of the scoring for team
purposes for those readers who are thinking the York places don't add up to
126 points.
     Lockport runners ran 1-2 in the individual race, the first time that
had been done since 1957.  Daniel Haut won in 14:12, followed by Zac Sar-
tori in 14:17.  Pre-meet favorite Dan Glaz of Stagg was third in 14:26,
followed by Tony Rakaric of Palatine, who ran a 14:31.
    Meanwhile, girls coach Larry Bassett had his team ready to win and
they didn't disappoint.  The Dukes made it to the top of the podium with
82 points, well ahead of rival Naperville North's 108.  It was Bassett's
first state titles in 20 years of coaching at York. Next in the team
standings were Lyons at 140, Lake Park at 204 and St. Charles East
at 250.
     "We have come so close so many times through the years," Bassett
told the Sun-Times.  "The girls made up their minds they were going to win
it, they planned on it from the beginning and they made it happen.
    "It feels like there's 1,000 pounds off your shoulders," he told the
Chicago Tribune.  "The expectations were so high, and we've been dis-
disappointed before. The kids are such great kids. I didn't want to suffer
a disappointment. They deserve more than to be disappointed."
   York's Maria Cicero took it out hard from the start of the girls 2.5-
mile race and ran a 13:49, the fastest state time for girls since the
distance went to 2.5 from 2 miles in 1996.  She easily defeated runner-
up Loryn King of St. Viator (14:07), Delilah DiCrescenzo of Queen of Peace
(14:14), Erika Odlaug of Deerfield (14:24) and Diana Ainsley of Palatine
(14:34).
    After Cicero's first-place perfomance, York's Kara Henry was 14th
in 14:43, Allison Billhardt was 26th (including a fall) in 14:52, Kelly
Forst was was 46th in 15:10 and Kelly O'Neill was 60th in 15:15.  Shannon
Tucker was York's next runner in 15:46.
    York's girls have been to the state finals 17 times, more than any
other school, and have been in the top 10 for 11 straight years.  The Dukes
were second to Schaumburg in 1999.
     In Class A, Eureka won the boys title with 151 points. Paul Jellemma
of Illian Christian was the individual winner in 14:39. Winnebago won the
girls title with 101 points.  Mindy Peterson of Rockridge was the winner
in 14:37.  Wheaton St. Francis, Wheaton Academy and Timothy Christian were
second, third and foruth in the team standings.
 i Bob Richards