Sports
Boys Cross Country Takes Fifth at Kaneland Invitational
The boys cross country team is looking forward to the return of Kevin McDowell and competing in their new conference
Geneva's seniors showed their strength Saturday in the Kaneland Larry Eddington Cross Country Invitational. The boys cross country team took fifth place of 18 teams overall in the men's 3K race with a total time of 1:24.47.
In a very close competition, Crystal Lake Central was first with a time of 1:23:52.
The Vikings finished ahead of their Upstate Eight Conference competitors Batavia and Larkin, good news as they head into the conference championships in October.
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"I was very happy with how both the boys and ran, especially with a one-hour lightning delay and a very hard course to run," said assistant coach Mark Hedrick."So far, I am very impressed with where we are at this point."
Senior Bill Koskiewicz led the way with a fifth-place finish out of 120 runners, with a total time of 16:20.93. Connor Bartel finished ninth with a 16:32. 66 and Ryan Ahern came in 22nd with a time of 17:05.63.
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Senior Peter Archibald and sophomore Nate Wendt placed in the top 50 at the invitational.
The boys cross country team placed 14th in state last year after taking 1st in both conference and regional championships. They returned four state runners from the 2009 season, including senior Kevin McDowell.
McDowell joined senior Kelly Whitley this summer at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and the World Championship in Budapest. McDowell has been absent thus far this season but will return for the Vikings' next meet.
While competing overseas, McDowell took the silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games and the bronze medal at the International Triathlon Union Junior World Championship.
McDowell will help the Vikings as they head toward the end of their regular season and the beginning of the conference and state championships.
The Vikings' next meet is at 9 a.m. Saturday in Sterling Rock.
"This Saturday we are at Sterling Rock River Run, which is not a high powered meet but a very fast course like the course in Peoria where the state meet is," Hedrick said. "It will be a good course for us."
