by Ryan Wells
Past success makes some teams rest on their laurels with the expectations of continued success. Not so for the Kaneland High School 1997 Boys Cross Country team.
Last year's team had a successful season by winning the Freeport Invitational, taking second place at the Suburban Prairie Conference White Division meet, and qualifying for the state meet in Peoria where they took ninth place.
The Knights had an All-State runner in Ray Pulford, who took 25 in the state meet. They also had two All-Conference runners in Tim Eickhoff and Jason Morris, and had three of the top 10 finishers at the conference meet with Jeremiah Milliman earning third place, Ray Pulford taking fourth, and Tim Eickhoff finishing in ninth.
It's this kind of success that makes the Knights, coached by Chad Clarey, strive for more of the same.
"(Taking second in the conference meet by only two points) makes them hungrier to get the job done," Clarey explained.
Kaneland lost only two seniors from last year's squad and have returning seniors who will lead the team in Milliman, Pulford, Eickhoff, Morris and Joe Reynolds. Junior Scott Peterson, who was injured for most of last season, also hopes to make a large impact this season.
"They are the best of the best. We have a lot of depth in the Junior and Senior class. . . who will continually challenge for the seventh runner spot," Clarey said.
The top five runners for each team score their respective team's points, and the sixth and seventh runners have the important job of bumping the other team's top five runners farther down in the final standings. Battling for the seventh runner position are seniors Reed Overhaug, Jon Dieckman and Jason Self, and juniors Neil Hutton, Kurt Oland and Shaun Kramer.
Coach Clarey and his team held a meeting this past week to go over the accomplishments they would like to achieve in order for them to consider the season a success.
The Knights will strive to take first place at the conference meet and to be first among the Class A schools at all of the invitational meets, as well as place in the top three at the Class A Amboy Invitational, held on Columbus Day.
This season they will also work on consistency among the top five to seven runners. "We are going to work hard on our pack running. We would like to get the one through five runners within 60 seconds apart," Clarey said.
Continuous running is not the only thing Clarey and his crew will work on. "We are going to focus on eating right and sleeping right. We'll do the little things that make you a complete runner," Clarey said.
The Knights will not take any team for granted, but there will be a few tough speedbumps on their road to success. "Every school has their own talented runner," Clarey said.
Elmwood Park, last year's conference champs, will be tough again this year when they come to town on September 30. Westmont looks to have a strong team as well.
Morris, said Clarey, is an up and coming team. "They had a lot of young runners last year who will be returning."
When asked how competitive the races get, Clarey responded, "It can be a physical race. . .There's been a few courses where we've come home bruised, battered and bloodied."
Speaking of courses, although the Kaneland Knights' home course remains at Elburn Woods, the course itself has changed. Clarey explained that in the past, other coaches have commented that the Elburn course is the toughest in the state.
"Well, the toughest course is now tougher," Clarey noted.
A tough team, tough competition, and an even tougher course spells excitement for this year's cross country season.
"It will be interesting to see how it goes," Clarey said.
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