10/31 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!Polar Bears is starting right away!
Schedule your meeting with Coach Hanson and receive your logbook.
Interested in watching the state meet? See Coach Hanson right away!
To get you pumped for the End-of-year Banquet, I have linked the
ever-popular Coach May Powerpoints to the Archive Page! Check them
out! (I am still looking for the 2006 Powerpoints, I heard Tom Johnson
has it..)
10/28/07 END OF SEASON MEETING ON TUESDAY IN TEAM ROOM
Who:
LZXC
What: End of the Season Meeting
When: Tuesday, October 30th, after school
Where: Teamroom
Agenda: Congratulations, Lockers, Gear, State, Banquet, Polar Bears,
Post-season Ultimate Frisbee Game
10/28/07 MORRISON FINISHES 101ST IN FIRST SECTIONAL
I stood at the quarter mile mark, and Andrew went by in a 69. For a kid
whose PR 400m is 64, he was moving. Unfortunately, that 69 found him in
150th place (out of 160). Over the next 2 miles, Andrew passed about 50
runners, before settling into the rest of the race. Andrew ran well and
ran hard, but it is clear that he is still a year away from making any waves in
the competitive Sectional. Nevertheless, the race represented a key
experience that we can look back on. (And he beat brother Steve's
Sectional performance as a soph.)
The race was dominated by the strong MSL. Palatine and Hersey were
clearly the class of the race, while Cary Grove, Dundee Crown, and Barrington
edged out a tight field to qualify to state. Regional opponents Deerfield
and Lake Forest finished a disappointing 7th and 8th.
10/21/07 LZ FINISHES DISAPPOINTING 7TH IN REGIONAL, MORRISON
ADVANCES
The Regional Meet was hosted by Lake Zurich at Lakewood Forest Preserve for
the first time since the mid-90's. The Regional boasted 3 Conference
Champions and 3 Conference Runner-ups, which didn't even include Stevenson or
Mundelein, who both qualified. The era of a free pass to sectionals is
over. The 3-class system has begun. We will simply have to be
better.
It was a disappointing end to a good season. I was not at practice on
Friday, but when I saw the kids Saturday morning before the race, they all
looked like ghosts. Gerardo and Francisco were sniffling. Joe
swallowed his pride just to show up. Everybody looked nervous. A
combination of young nerves, sickness, eligibility, and a very competitive
Regional got the best of us.
From the LZXC perspective, the race was uninteresting from the start.
Mickey went out fast but faded quickly. Our pack never broke into the top
25. We looked tired and uncompetitive. Many of our competitors came
into the race with a eye on our backs, and they simply pounded us. We were
the hunted, not the hunters, and we ran like we didn't belong.
Andrew Morrison was our only advancing individual. He will get an
opportunity to run against the best at the Palatine Sectional. Good luck
to Andrew and the rest of the NSC in Sectionals. Represent us well.
10/13/07 LAKE ZURICH VARSITY FINISHES RUNNER-UP IN
THE NORTH SUBURBAN CONFERENCE MEET
Last year, we came into the Conference Meet ranked 3rd, pulling off the upset
and winning Lake Zurich's first Conference Championship. This year, we
came in ranked 4th, nabbing a 2nd place, getting edged by 9 points by Lake
Forest. A coach asked me after the race what we are putting in the
water... I just told them chocolate milk...
Behind Mickey, our 2-5 pack fought for the entire race. We thought
going in that it would take 5 in the top 15 to win the meet, and we weren't too
far off. Andrew, Gerardo, Paul, and Francisco jockeyed with Lake Forest's
pack through 2.5 miles. We talked about winning the last 800, and we
finally finished our Slow Interval Workout from last week (and only 1 person
thanked me for it!). I was quite proud (and a little emotional) about the
way our guys gutted out the last 800. It seemed that everybody was picking
off runners as we moved up. Mickey picked off Lake Forest's #2, Gerardo
picked off Lake Forest's #3, and Paul picked off Lake Forest's #4.
Francisco finished a strong 24th, but is still a third mile away from making us
a serious contender for State. He decided to taste the grass as he rounded
the back parking lot, and that probably hurt him more mentally than physically.
Nevertheless, the kid simply runs hard.
Our pushers quietly ran their best races of the season. Jordan finished
in the "kiss-your-sister" place, 31st. Not bad for a first-year sophomore.
Behind him, Jake ran a strong 35th. 365 days of strong training could turn
these kids from good to great high school runners.
In all, we put up 5 of the top 11 Lakewood Varsity times in recent history,
and our super sophs (with Joe Carabetta) put up 5 of the top 11 Lakewood
Sophomore times. Check those out on the Records Page.
The final score: LF-66, LZ-75, Stev-87, Mund-93.
BANGED-UP LAKE ZURICH JV FINISHES 5TH AS NEW CONTRIBUTORS STEP UP
Co-captain Andy McGuiness had his appendix taken out. Connor Corley has
an ankle sprain. The old Tom Johnson still has not returned. Colin
Schofield has 1 leg shorter than the other (or something like that).
Without those 4 veterans anchoring the JV squad, someone was going to have to
step up. And step up they did!
Joe Carabetta led the way with a solid 8th-place finish. Joe's 17:41
time earned him the 11th best Sophomore time at Lakewood, just 1 second behind
Mickey's best Sophomore time. (No bragging yet Mickey... Joe will get
another chance at Regionals!)
Our 2-5 runners all earned a spot on the State Roster with their
performances. Mitch Heffernan ran a great last mile to nab 22nd place,
Shawn Picha scored a 26, Adam Burke followed with a 27, and Elliott Sepos felt
Jordan Pavlovich's pain with his own version of the "kiss-your-sister" 31st
place. Of note among this group, Shawn's time of 18:22 was the 6th fastest
Freshman time at Lakewood (ahead of a certain Mickey Stott, Paul Geimer, and
Andrew Morrison). Elliott probably improved more than anybody in the last
month of the season.
Other notable performances:
Andrew Lulis! Holy Cow! 19:31! 4 minutes faster than your
previous Lakewood PR!
Scott Harbeck ran a 19:22! Scott was a 24 minute 3-miler last year as a
Freshman. I remarked to Scott a couple weeks ago about how much he has
improved, and he replied "Yeah, I know! I ran a lot of miles!"
Pat Minossora: 20:00. If I was a gambler, I would bet on this horse.
His odds might be ridiculous, but this kid has the potential to be a Varsity
runner.
Aaron Curtis: 21:12. Not bad for a first year runner sidelined with
soreness for most of the season. I have another time for you...18:47...
That is brother Brad's Lakewood PR... And think how good Thanksgiving Dinner
will taste when you can say you are the fastest runner in the family!
The time capsule is down to 365 days...
Alex Ryan: 19:15. Beat rival Ryan Baartmans, and showed his sprinter
speed too!
And finally, Happy Trails to our seniors who ran their last race. There
is nothing like going out with a PR. Mike Tirrell-19:06. Terry
Nelson-20:44.
10/10/07 DISTRICT 95 INVITATIONAL RESULTS!!
We hosted Lake Zurich Middle School North and South at the District 95
Invitational. Congratulations must go out to all athletes who competed.
Every athlete ran hard, and the Lake Zurich competitive spirit was apparent in
the youngsters. Both schools have great coaches to go along with their
great programs, and it is clear that those coaches are a big reason why their
kids become successful student-athletes at the high school level. Good
luck to all the middle school competitors at their state meet.
The results of the District 95
Invitational can be found here!
CHECK OUT THE NEW PICS FROM THE DISTRICT 95 INVITATIONAL! (to the left)
We also ran our now annual "Middle School Challenge", and for the second year
in a row, the South Alums out-dueled the North Alums, by a score of 20-39.
The South Alums won the right to flaunt the traveling trophy, appropriately
named the "Chocolate Challis".
We continue to prepare for the Conference Meet on Saturday October 13th at
Lakewood Forest Preserve. Races begin at 10AM. Come support LZXC!
10/4/07 NEW RECORDS
I am compiling a list of all-time CD Records, for the Records page, either
current or broken. If you think you belong in the record books for this
stat, send me you longest CD, as well as your beginning and ending dates.
9/30/07 LISLE MANE EVENT
At the Varsity Level, I must complement Jordan Pavlovich for his efforts.
Jordan stepped up as our 5th man, after missing the previous 2 meets due to a
sore toe. Jordan, like many of the sophs, was thrown into Varsity
competition prematurely, but has competed honorably. Jordan is one who can
always be counted on to move up in the second half of the race.
At the Frosh/Soph Level, Elliott Sepos showed his potential, finishing as our
#1 finisher. There is not a doubt in my mind that with dedicated offseason
training, Elliott could be a solid Varsity contributor for years to come. He has a
fire inside him that is fun to watch on the cross country course.
I was most proud of our JV team. Andy McGuiness has shown what 500 miles
over the summer will do for you, as he has transformed into a formidable
opponent. Adam Burke earned THE ROCK for his efforts in the front pack of
the race, and he nearly broke away in the last mile before getting nipped
by a couple hard-charging Geneva runners in the end. Mitch Heffernan had
the biggest improvement from last year, running almost 2 minutes faster than
last year. The race of the day came from Freshmen Pat Minossora.
Pat ran a PR 1-mile, a PR 2-mile, and a PR 3-mile despite the 5K distance.
The funny thing is that Pat was complaining of a cramp just minutes before the
race... Let's have more cramps like that Pat! Check out the Lisle All time
records on the Records page.
The Lisle Mane Event is a meet that we have historically dominated, but we
left this year without any team trophies. In 2005, we won at the Varsity
Level. In 2006, we won at the Frosh/Soph Level. This year we placed
a disappointing 6th at the Varsity Level, 6th at the Frosh/Soph Level, and 3rd
at the JV Level. While the times of this year's teams are similar to the
times of past year's teams, the competition has dramatically improved while we
have not met the challenge. We must find a way to break out of our comfort
zone when we run and compete.
Nevertheless, we are an extremely dangerous team as we head into October.
Our JV team will be a very experienced team and will have a good shot at winning
Conference. Jake, Andy, Adam, Tom, and Colin all have Varsity experience,
while Mitch is improving every meet.
Francisco returns to us on Monday, hopefully for good, which will give us a
immediate boost. Gerardo's ankle gets stronger everyday, and he is itching
for a breakout race. Andrew and Paul have been our most consistent racers.
Joe and Jordan, along with Mundelein's freshman standout Mena, are probably the
best first-year runners in the conference. And finally, never
underestimate a senior captain at the end of their season. Good luck in
the final month Mickey. This is your team, your year.
9/27/07 MUNDELEIN DUAL, PALATINE INVITE, STEVENSON DUAL
Sorry for the lack of updates, I have been reformatting the website,
hopefully making it a bit more user friendly. We ended our toughest
stretch of the season of 4 races in 9 days, including the devilish Peoria Invite
and Palatine Invite. We have not looked strong of late in competition,
particularly with Francisco ineligible and J-Pav nursing a sore toe, but I can
say that the team has come together more in the past 2 weeks than ever.
Both Coach May and I are truly impressed with the steps that our upperclassmen
continue to take in leading the team, and our young runners have found that the
team can battle much more powerfully than the individual. In a time when
all others have counted us out, we are going to be a force in the next month.
We took tough in-conference losses to Mundelein and Stevenson in our past
couple Duals. Mundelein has some frontrunners that look to be in
end-of-season form, while Stevenson edged us out in a close 1-point dual.
At Palatine, we were humbled by the bigger programs. Palatine's Coach
Quick references this year's Palatine Invitational as the fastest in history. It
is interesting to compare the 2007 LZXC times to the 2001 and 2002 LZXC times.
There were some very good runners and future state qualifiers on those teams who
were absolutely demolished by this year's group, indicating the improvements
made in the sport around the entire state. Check those out on the
newly-added Records page. It is most interesting to see the progression of
a young Steve Morrison, who ended as 15th in state his senior year. Many
of our Freshmen and Sophomores demolished his Frosh/Soph times on the Deer Grove
course, now if only they can match his work ethic and intensity! Steve is
a great model of hard work, over time, beating talent.
9/16/07 PRs IN PEORIA!
The Peoria trip was a success. We accomplished exactly what we set out
to do: run faster than we had ever run before, gain valuable key experiences,
and most importantly, enjoyed our teammates and had fun! Friday was
highlighted by the dinner at Avanti's; we made friends, ate spaghetti or
spaghetti with meatballs, and made more friends (see pictures below).
Special congrats go to Ryan Baartmans for his prediction (3 seconds off) and
Andy McGuiness for acing Ye Olde Peoria Trip Test.
Saturday began with our stacked Frosh/Soph lineup competing in the Frosh/Soph
race: 15 runners... 15 PRs. Not too shabby! I am really proud of how
this group stuck to the race plan; They didn't get boxed in, they attacked the
second mile, and they won the last straightaway. The team finished 4th
behind only York, Lyons Township, and Lake Park who also stacked their Frosh/Soph
team. Andrew Morrison led the way nearly setting 1 and 2mile PRs on his
way to a 10th place 16:10. Paul Geimer followed closely behind with a
16:17. Cisco Soto's 16:30 earned him 3rd man on the team, while Joe Carabetta
and Jordan Pavlovich ran 16:50 and 16:53 to round out the top 5. It is
difficult to pick out the notable performances in a race when EVERYONE ran a PR,
but I must comment on Tony Piecuch's 18:03, which placed him as the 6th man,
edging out Shawn Picha in the last 50 meters. The interesting thing about
Tony's race is that he ran the last 2 miles with only 1 shoe!
9/13/07 LZXC PREPARES FOR PEORIA WITH "BEST PRACTICE OF THE
SEASON"!
In what Coach May described "The Best Practice of the Season", 24 athletes
ran PRs in the 4mile PPM. With the High Harriers doing a fartlek, Shawn
Picha and Jordan Pavlovic led the way o a day in which there were not just PRs,
but HUGE PRs. Many athletes saw their PR's drop by over a minute!
Shawn came through the 3mile in a PR 18:20, with Jordan Pavlovic following about
5 seconds back. Jordan used his strength to power home the last mile, in
close to 6:00, finishing with a 24:25, which puts him in 5th on the All-time
list. Shawn finished at 24:50, extending his lead atop the all time
Freshmen list, as well as placing him 12th all time. 6 other athletes made
the Varsity Top 20, including Adam Burke (25:45), Joe Kim (25:46), Mitch
Heffernan (25:48), Greg Bielak (26:00), Tom Johnson (26:24), and Ryan Baartmans
(26:30).
I simply have to talk about the improvements made by Freshmen Stephen Brown.
Stephen ran a solid 27:53, sub 7 minute pace, which only improved his PR by 5
MINUTES! HOLY COW! Stephen has really bought into the training
philosophy of the sport, and I am really proud of his efforts.
Tomorrow we leave for Peoria. We will try to pack in as much
team-building sessions, logbook sessions, and positive key experiences into our
30 hours together as possible. If you are interested in knowing where we
will be at any point during the weekend, check out
Ye Olde Peoria Trip Itinerary.
9/11/07 LZ BEATS LIBERTYVILLE IN THE RAIN AND MUD!
On a hilly, soggy, wet, muddy course at Adler Park, the Bears took a
1,2,3,4,7,8 finish to beat Libertyville 17-42. Mickey Stott led the way
with a comfortable 16:51, followed by Andrew Morrison, Gerardo Perez, and Paul
Geimer. A total of athletes ran PR's despite the unfavorable
conditions: Andrew Morrison (who earned the Rock for his performance with a
17:26), Joe Carabetta (18:02), Jordan Pavlovic (19:09), Colin Schofield (19:24),
Mike Tirrell (19:27), Tim Ewan (20:00), Tony Piecuch (20:10), Joe Kim (20:43),
David Weathers (21:08), and Tom Hornacek (23:31). It was also the first
3mile race for many of our Freshmen, including Shawn Picha (19:47), Stephen
Brown (22:58), Pat Minossora (23:15), and Trevor Warner (27:11).
9/5/07 REBEL RESULTS, NORTH CHICAGO RESULTS, SUMMER HIGH
HARRIER RESULTS
Pictures anyone? You must remember, I am a math teacher... Writing is
not my forte... This site will become very dry without pictures!
Our first 2 meets are under our belts, and they can be summarized with 2
words: Key Experiences. At Rebel, we took 5th at the Varsity level, 4th at
the JV level, and 8th at the Freshmen Level (out of 23 teams). This was
the first high school race for many athletes, and there is nothing like opening
up the first meet at Rebel. It will certainly be a key experience that we
will carry with us throughout the year.
The Varsity Team was lead by Senior Captain Mickey Stott. Mickey led
most of the race before fading to 4th in the final mile. It certainly
takes guts to lead a race, and Mickey went for the win. I was really proud
of him. Last year he would never venture out of his comfort zone, so he
certainly is taking steps in the right direction. Behind Mickey, our
"pack" was not much of a pack, with everyone finishing 30 seconds apart.
We aren't going to win many meets that way. Nevertheless, it was the first
varsity race for Andrew Morrison, Paul Geimer, Colin Schofield, and Andy
McGuiness, and they certainly ran hard.
The JV team was led by first year Sophomore Joe Carabetta. Joe led for
part of the race, only to get nipped in the last mile. Joe's first race
showed he has the toughness, drive, and competitiveness that will earn him a
position on the Varsity before too long. Joe's time would have placed him
as the 5th man on the Varsity.
The Freshmen team was led by Shawn Picha, who finished a strong 5th place.
Shawn has all the tools to become an outstanding runner for years to come.
NORTH CHICAGO RESULTS
The first dual meet of the season against North Chicago is also in the books.
We won decisively 15-50, but more importantly, we found a way to get better on a
hot day at a meet where we may not have had our best stuff. The long run
following the race was a key experience for many, and I admire all the boys who
have embraced the training philosophy so warmly.
SUMMER HIGH HARRIER RESULTS
Check out this summer's High Harriers, on the Off Season Page. Congrats
to the 9 High Harriers this year. You lead a great example for your
teammates and future LZXC Team!
8/28/07 HORLICK HERE WE COME!
Our first meet, the Horlick Rebel Invite, is right around the corner.
We continue to have fun at working hard, as we build a foundation for the end of
our season. We enjoyed a special treat on Saturday when Mr. Roland Pauels,
a former Belgium National Champion and Sub-4 Minute Miler, was our guest speaker
this year.
Last Friday, after a week of rain and thunder, we got our great Mile Repeats
Workout. Gerardo Perez showed he is "back" with is 15:14, while Mickey
Stott was not far behind with a 15:25. Many athletes made the all-time
list, which deserves your attention.
The All Time 4M PPM Records have been updated, and can be found on the
Workouts page. The All Time Mile Repeats Records have also been updated.
I am still waiting on pictures from Heaven Week, so if you have them, please
send them to me!
8/20/07 STOTT WINS HEAVEN WEEK, TEAM IMPROVES
The University of Florida men's basketball team. The San Antonio Spurs.
The New England Patriots. Major League II. These are just a
collection of "Modern Day Dynasties", as coined by ESPN's Stuart Scott.
Well Stu, you can add Mickey Stott to the list.
Mickey won his 2nd consecutive LZXC Heaven Week by just 6 points over his
apprentice Andrew Morrison, 205-199.. Stott won the weeklong competition
with strong performances in the Timed Mile, Short PPM, and Long PPM, while
Morrison's prediction runs were not accurate enough to catch Stott. The
top Freshman finisher was Shawn Picha, scoring 127 points. The sophomore
class was the most outstanding class, collecting 3 of the top 4 finishers, and 5
of the top 10. Last year's top Freshman Paul Geimer, was the 3rd Sophomore
finisher this year, behind Morrison and 1st year runner Joe Carabetta.
Jake Paulus was this year's first Junior finisher.
On Sunday, Heaven Week's conclusion brought rain, rain, and more rain.
Nevertheless, the brave LZXC runners held its Peoria Trip Car Wash. The
Bears washed over 50 cars, selling close to 150, in the pouring rain.
Thanks goodness for pre-selling! Over 30 athletes earned the right to make
the trip to Peoria.
To the team, we had a great week of practice. Continue to try to run
further, faster, and more often than in the past, and your efforts in practice
will translate into racing success.
The Final Heaven Week Standings have been posted.
8/17/07 DESPITE THE STRONG NORTH PACK, MIDDLE SCHOOL SOUTH
CLAIMS THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CHALLENGE!
Junior John Patitsas never ran cross country at Middle School South. He
was too busy expressing his undying devotion to the Maroon and White. John
was not only the school mascot, wearing beloved Eagle at all Middle School
sporting events, but he also was the 1-man committee on school spirit.
John would wear maroon streaks across his face, run through the halls
proclaiming his Eagle Pride. Even after graduating from Middle School
South in 2005, John was seen on the corner of Rand and Main, leading a unity
rally called "Middle School South- Eons Ahead of its Time!" So when John
spotted the Middle School Challenge on the Heaven Week Schedule, he knew that
was his time to shine.
And shine he did! John completed the 5-mile Acorn loop in 39:45,
running a remarkable 7:57 pace. John, along with his fellow teammates,
were faced with a challenge in the season's first Long
PPM. In a workout when athletes were asked to run faster AND further than
they ever have before, John did just that. Compared to his Short PPM on
Wed (8:01 pace for 4 miles), John managed to not only run the fastest 4 mile PPM
of his life, but also extend it an extra mile, while not jeopardizing his pace.
John's truly "converted" his PPM, and his improvements over the course of the
summer and first week of practice are a tribute to the hard work he has put in.
The Middle School Challenge is scored as an Invitational Meet, with 12
runners scoring for each team. Unbeknownst to John, he ran as the 12th man
for the MSS Eagles, and with a strong pack of MSN Wolves hot on his tail, his
strong finish was critical in the tight 148-153 MSS victory. Despite North
getting 12 runners in the gate before South's 10th, South's strong finish up
front and gutsy performances in the rear helped them to the First Annual MS
Challenge title.
Thursday's Guess Your Time Run was another success. With over half the
runners finishing within 10 seconds of their pace and almost everybody finishing
within a minute, it is safe to say the team is learning pace. The champion
the Guess Your Time Run was first-year Junior Aaron Curtis, who guessed his
3-mile time to the very second! Aaron's efforts earned him the treasured
round playing cards, as well as a tiny place in our hearts.
The Heaven Week Standings are updated. Check them out as the final
event looms on the horizon!
8/16/07 Heaven Week Results updated. Stay tuned for
commentary.
8/15/07 HEAVEN WEEK DAY 3 - THE SEE-SAW CONTINUES!
STOTT EDGED MORRISON TO TAKE THE LEAD!
First there was Aaron Burr vs. Alexander Hamilton. Then there was Rocky
vs. Apollo Creed. Then there was Derek Zoolander vs. Hansel and most
recently, Harry Potter vs. Voldomort. Now, we have Stott vs. Morrison.
The Sorcerer vs. the Apprentice. The Crafty Veteran vs. the Young Gun.
Whichever famous showdown you prefer, we have a ongoing showdown now.
Mickey edged Morrison by a mere 2 seconds, 23:10 to 23:12, in the Short PPM to
take a 4 point advantage in the Heaven Week Standings. Stay tuned for the
final of this epic duel.
Gerardo Perez is finally showing his pre-injury form running a strong 23:23.
Gerardo's broken ankle handicapped his track season, but he has recovered well
and is geared to have another dominant cross country season.
Looking back to last year's Short PPM in Heaven Week, we had only 3 runners
run under 26 minutes. This year, there were 7 runners breaking the 26
minute barrier, all of which show promise of competing at the Varsity Level.
This is attributed to their hard work over the summer, running the necessary
miles to level themselves for 4 miles, as well as developing their Oxygen
Delivery Systems to higher levels.
Notable performances include Senior Paul Geimer's 24:12, Colin Schofield's
25:14, Mitch Heffernan's 28:55, Tim Ewan's 29:04, and Phil Rykse's 31:17.
These athletes, like many others, continue to work hard. The true team
effort that we have seen in the past 3 days show the depth that is necessary to
be successful at the Frosh/Soph level as well the JV level.
Check out the updated Heaven Week standings.
8/14/07 HEAVEN WEEK DAY 2 - MORRISON'S STRONG PREDICTION
GIVES HIM THE LEAD!
Andrew Morrison has always been good with time. As a toddler, he
attended a Weather-watching camp where he learned to estimate the time based on
the sun's position and angle, accurate to the second. When he began to
cook Hot Pockets in the microwave at the age of 8, he neglected to use the
microwave timer, and gauged the allotted 1 minute and 20 seconds in his head.
In middle school, Andrew played basketball, and refused to look up at the
scoreboard in the final moments of quarters, forcing himself to mentally count
the seconds tick away. Most recently, Andrew earned an award from the
National Time-Keeping-In-Your-Head Association (NTKIYHA) for his research paper
entitled "The Hourglass; Half Empty or Half Full?". Thus, it was no
surprise that when Andrew crossed the finish line of Heaven Week's Prediction
Run, he was only 1/3 of a second off his predicted pace, earning him the maximum
40 points towards the Heaven Week standings. Mickey Stott, with a
prediction of only 6 seconds off his predicted pace, took a backseat to Morrison
in the Heaven Week standings, with Morrison edging Stott by a mere point.
Once again, there were many impressive performances in the Prediction Run,
with 5 athletes running within 1 second of their predicted time. Sophomore
Ryan Baartmans, Senior Mike Tirrell, Sophomore Scott Harbeck, Freshman Shawn
Picha, and Senior Andy McGuiness were all 1 second off, while Junior Adam Burke
finished a mere 2 seconds off pace.
On a more serious note, the team has voted for 2 Team Captains for the 2007
LZXC Season: Seniors Mickey Stott and Andy McGuiness. Stott is in his 4th
year as a Varsity Cross Country Runner, and was selected as an All-Conference
Athlete the past two years. Mickey's dedication, leadership, and passion
for the sport were felt by his teammates long before his nomination as Captain.
Andy McGuiness is also entering his 4th year as a member of the LZXC.
Andy's work ethic, positive attitude, and warming personality have earned him
the honor and responsibility of leading this promising team through the season.
Both Mickey and Andy are great selections to represent the face of LZXC, as we
continue to grow as a team and as individuals.
I have updated the current Heaven Week standings.
8/13/07 HEAVEN WEEK BEGINS - STOTT AIMS TO DEFEND HIS
HEAVEN WEEK CROWN!
Heaven Week began with a competitive Timed Mile. Mickey Stott lead the
way with his 5:02, and has sent the message to his closest competitors that he
is still the defending Heaven Week Champion. His closest competitors
appear to be Andrew Morrison, who followed up a strong summer with a PR 5:08,
Senior Captain Andy McGuiness who ran a PR 5:11, surprise sophomore Joe
Carabetta who demolished his PR running a 5:14, and Sophomore Paul Geimer who
made a strong case that he is a Varsity Athlete with his 5:15. Perhaps the
biggest challengers to uproot Mickey from his Heaven Week throne were MIA or
lacked the adequate paperwork to practice. Let's get that paperwork in!
There were many PRs and many other great efforts in today's Timed Mile.
Shawn Picha was the first Freshman Finisher with a 5:38, which would have been
2nd only to Francisco in last year's strong Freshman group. Ryan Baartmans
broke 6 minutes for the first time, winning the first heat of the day.
Phil and Dan Rykse followed up a strong summer with PR Miles as well, running
6:44 and 7:24.
The updated Heaven Week standings can be found under the Workouts Link.
I have updated the PR Page, where you will find the Timed Mile Honor Roll.
I also encourage you to recall last year's Heaven Week Results.
It is interesting to see the improvements that some athletes have made through
their hard work over the winter, track season, and summer.
8/12/07 Cross Country Begins
Heaven Week begins Monday, August 13th at 7AM. Be sure to have your
paperwork filled out in the Athletic Office prior to the first practice!
Items to bring: Running Shoes, Logbook, Wristwatch, Positive Attitude!
There have been a few new activities added to Heaven Week this year, as well
as a few familiar ones. Here is a schedule of Heaven Week:
Lake Zurich Cross Country Practice Schedule – Heaven Week 2007
“Hard word over time beats talent.”
1a] Monday 8/13/07
7:00-9:00 AM Timed Mile
1b] Monday 8/13/07
5:30-8:30 PM Ultimate, BBQ
***Bus to
Lakewood Forest Preserve ***
2]
Tuesday 8/14/07
7:00-9:00 AM Prediction Run
3a] Wednesday
8/15/07 7:00-9:00 AM
Short PPM
3b] Wednesday
8/15/07 5:30-7:30 PM
Scavenger Hunt
4]
Thursday 8/16/07
4:45-7:00 PM Pace Guess Run
***Freshman Orientation 8:00-12:00 AM***
***Team Pictures @5:00 PM***
5a] Friday 8/17/07
7:00-9:00 AM Middle School
Challenge
***Pledge Card
Signing @ 7:00 PM***
6]
Saturday 8/18/07
7:00-10:00 AM Alpine Long Run
7]
Sunday 8/19/07
9:00 AM-1:00PM CT + Car Wash
***Meet at Walmart***
I have also placed a link to the Meet
Schedule this season, which can be found under Cross Results. It may be
slightly different than the meet schedule published by the Athletic Office.
I assure you that the schedule posted here is the correct one.
