Surtz, Sheppard claim wins at Detweiller at Dark

Downers Grove South, Belvidere North Boys win High School team titles

By Michael Newman

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Lianna Surtz of Rosary and Miles Sheppard of Warsaw started their senior cross-country seasons on a high note winning their individual races Friday evening at the Detweiller at Dark Summer Meet.

RESULTS

Photo courtesy of @DGSCC

It was the first meet held at the historic Peoria cross-country course since IHSA Sectionals were held at Detweiller Park last year on October 31. The conditions were typical for a summer night in Central Illinois with temperatures hovering near 80 degrees with humidity level surpassing 80%.

The conditions showed in the times that produced in both races.

Surtz took command of the Girls High School race leading from the start and crossing the line with the win in 17:37. Sophia McNerney of Downers Grove South ran 17:49 to finish second. Anna Harden of Hersey ran 17:59 to finish third. They were the only runners of the 380 that finished in the Girls High School race that ran under 18:00.

Surtz led from the start passing the first mile in 5:40 with Yorkville’s Anna Hunter just one second behind. The lead grew to 10 seconds at 2-mles as Surtz passed that point in 11:40. McNerney moved up in the pack passing in 11:50 with Harden at 11:55.

Downers Grove South showed they are ready for the upcoming season scoring 62 points to win the Girls High School Division team championship. McNerney led the way for the Mustangs followed by freshman Holly Johnson who finished fourth overall. Madi Sisson (15th), Kelsey Casella (17th), and another freshman Raina Murphy (24th) were the other top five runners for South. Their top five split was 107 seconds. Their split from their second through fifth runners was 77 seconds.

Yorkville finished second (106 points) led by Anna Hunter’s fifth-place finish. Hersey finished third (168 points) followed by Rosary (169 points) and Brownsburg IN (172 points).

Sheppard’s win in the Boys High School race followed a similar path that Surtz’s did. Sheppard and Alex Das of Oswego East shared the lead in the first mile passing that mark in 4:54. Marian Central Catholic graduate Peter Walsdorf was next in 4:57 followed by another Oswego East runner Parker Nold (4:58).

Sheppard slowly broke the pack in the second mile passing in 10:10. Das (10:12), Nold (10:14), and Walsdorf followed (10:15).

Sheppard pulled away in the final mile crossing the line in 15:11. His margin of victory was 11 seconds ahead of Das (15:22). Walsdorf ran 15:24 to place third with Nold (15:27) and Riley Newport of DeKalb finishing fifth (15:43).

Only eight runners of the 279 runners that finished ran 16:00 or faster in this race.

Belvidere North was a surprise team winner in the Boys High School Division scoring 73 points. Caden McNulty led North finishing seventh overall (16:18). Brandon Massman (10th), Nick Lenzen (16th), Caden Lendman (17th), and Orlando Hernandez (23rd) were other runners in their top five. Their top five split was tight at only 39 seconds.

Deerfield finished second (106 points) led by Lucas Moskovitz’s ninth-place finish. Oswego East (116 points), Plainfield South (116 points), and Yorkville (144 points) rounded out the top five.

Evan Nosek, who will run at Kaneland this fall, ran 11:25 on the 2.1-mile course to win the Boys Junior High race by 33 seconds ahead of Alex Krieg of Palatine Pack Track Club. Tessa Bowers of Shelbyville ran 13:18 to win the Girls Junior High Race with Emily Dowling of Cambridge placing second (13:29).