First high school race leads to win for Szymonik at EIU Showdown

Plainfield North sweeps Boys and Girls titles; Final kick gives Meek Boys win

By Michael Newman

Results | Video | Photos

Naperville, Il – The one memory that Lennox Szymonik that would remember on her first high school is she almost went into the finish line area at Neuqua Valley High School instead of making one more lap of the course.

It did not matter since the freshman had built up a huge lead on the rest of the field including some all-state runners. Szymonik ran 17:29 on this three-mile course for the win finishing ahead of Marlie Czarniewski of Plainfield North (17:38) and Macy Ermitage of Downers Grove North (17:53). “I did not know what to expect when the race started,” Szymonik said after the race. “I was expecting to have juniors and surrounding me.”

When she looked around four minutes into the race, the freshman found just Ermitage with her. By the time she got to 2-miles, she had close to a 20 second lead when she did not turn. Szymonik lost five seconds bust still had a sizeable lead of 15 seconds.

Czarniewski made a move in the final mile catching Ermitage but in her mind knowing that that margin was tough lower. She did gain six seconds in the final mile.

#6 Plainfield North placed 4 runners in the top 8, 5 runners in the top 15 to secure the team win with 38 points. Tesso Russo was the team’s second runner finishing sixth running 18:59 just ahead of Emaan Hussain (19:04). Ayla Czarniewski (19:19) placed eighth and Zeta Zbroszczyk (19:56) finished fifteenth.

Jacobs ran a great team race scoring 61 points to finish second. Naperville Central finished fourth (73 points) behind the fourth-place finish from Charlotte Danahy (18:36). #10 Downers Grove North was next with 82 points. The Trojans did not run their all-state runner Lily Eddington on this day.

Runners to watch on the varsity level sooner than later are Plainfield North’s Laurel and Olivia Eager in the 2-mile Frosh/Soph – Junior Varsity. The two freshman sisters stormed away from the field from the start with Laurel running at 12:00 while her sister Olivia finishing second (12:05) almost a minute of the next finisher.

The team battle in the Boys race never materialized with Downers Grove North not running their top runner Philip Cupial who will start his season next week at Lyons Township. #1 Plainfield North placed 5 runners in the top 9 to win the team title with 30 points. #3 Downers Grove North scored 48 points ahead of #21 Neuqua Valley scored 72 points.

There was drama especially at the end of the race with Neuqua Valley’s Jesse Gudauskas and Grayson Meek running along side of Plainfield North’s Aidan Connors having a 10 second lead for most of the race. It came down a final kick between those three runners along with Thomas Czerwinski of Plainfield North who ran with his teammates for two miles and then hunted down the front pack.

Grayson Meek missed almost the entire track season due to a leg injury and then ran the 800 the final month of the season. All four runners had their eyes on the finish line, but Meek had the final word. Meek and Connors crossed the line together both running 15:12 with Meek winning by 17 hundredth of a second. Gudauskas and Czerwinski finished third and fourth both running 15:14.

Plainfield North had a 34 second spread on the top five, Gavin Hall finished seventh as the team’s third runner (15:38) just ahead of Dominic Frigo with James Maso the team’s fifth runner at 15:46.

Downers Grove North is in the early stages of building their top seven after losing five runners to graduation. The Trojans ran as a pack the first two miles before finishing with 36 seconds separating them. Will Surratt ran 15:26 to finish fifth a second ahead of his teammate Stephen Cox who finished sixth. Tyler Lynch-Goff finished 10^th ahead of Isaak Stein and Luke Figliomeni (16:02).