In 2008, Yorkville Middle School cross country started with 21 runners. The fastest 2-mile time for a boy was 12:44 and the fastest girl's time was 14:14. In 2009, the team became a member of the IESA, which is the elementary/middle school equivalent of the IHSA. The boys and girls both finished 6th in their Sectional, which prevented them from going down to State as one of the top three teams in the Sectional.
2010 saw the beginnings of real success for the team. The boys finished 2nd in their Sectional and the girls finished 3rd, which meant both teams got to take a trip down to State at Maxwell Park in Normal. The boys were led by Jake Hoffert's 6th place, All-State finish to take 14th place as a team and the girls ended up finishing in 22nd place. The 2011 season saw a small set-back. The girls qualified again with a 2nd-place Sectional finish, but the boys finished 4th to just miss qualifying as a team. That didn't stop 8th grader Cody Hornyak from qualifying as an individual, however. The girls finished 10th to become the first YMS sport to finish in the top 10 at State.
Last season the boys and girls both won their Sectional, which was hosted at Yorkville High School. The teams both finished in the top 10 with the girls finishing 8th and the boys in 7th. It would be a tough feat to top during the 2013 season, but both the boys and girls proved they were up to the challenge.
On a cold, but sunny day at Maxwell Park in Normal, both Yorkville teams were ready to fight the wind in their attempts to earn a trophy for finishing in the top three in the State. Yorkville competes in the 3A division for cross country, which consists of the largest schools in the state. The team spent Friday night in Normal so they could run the State course ahead of the most important race of the season. The girls got things started when their race began at 12:30.
The girls team got off to a great start, and four girls were within striking distance of All-State (25th place) at the half-mile mark. 7th grader Colleen O'Connor was leading the way for the team, but her teammates Kimberly Batdorf, Olivia Borowiak, and Maggie Klemm weren't far behind. At the finish, Colleen became the first YMS 7th grader to earn All-State honors when she finished the 2-mile course in 19th place with a time of 11:58, which was a YMS 7th grade girls record for the State course. Olivia Borowiak became the 2nd 7th grader to make All-State when she finished four seconds later in 25th place. In between Colleen and Olivia was 8th grader Kimberly Batdorf, who finished in 23rd place with a time of 12:01. All three of the All-State runners set personal records. 8th grader Maggie Klemm wasn't far behind the All-State crowd in 40th place with a time of 12:17. Lindsay Harrison finished her middle school career as the team's final scorer with a P.R. of 12:38 in 74th place. 8th graders Emily Berge (144th, 13:12) and Kaylee Deutsch (155th, 13:17) rounded out the team's State runners. Emily's time was also a P.R.
The team ended up with a point total of 141 points. In cross country the lowest score wins, and Yorkville's point total put them ahead of last year's champion, Chatham Glenwood. Unfortunately, Yorkville finished behind 3rd place New Lenox Martino, 2nd place Batavia Rotolo, and 1st place Lake Forest Deer Path. However, the Yorkville's 4th place finish is by far the best ever for a YMS cross country team.
The boys side saw State veterans Zack Price and Patrick Black leading the way for the team. Zack and Patrick were followed by a strong pack consisting of 8th graders Chase Dexter, Matt Cox, and Rio Lara along with 7th grader Alex Loos. Zack finished the race strong in 19th place to take All-State honors. His 2-mile time of 10:48 was the fastest ever by a Yorkville Middle School runner on the State course. Patrick Black just missed the medal stand in 33rd place with his time of 10:55, which was the 3rd fastest ever for a YMS runner at State. Zack and Patrick both set P.R.'s for the season. The pack began with Rio Lara in 88th place at 11:29. Chase followed in 92nd place with a P.R. of 11:31 and Matt stayed in the top 100 with his P.R. of 11:32 in 96th place. Alex Loos nearly broke the 7th grade boys record for the team on the State course with his P.R. of 11:37 in 103rd place. 8th grader Ben Summers also set a P.R. and finished in 159th place with a time of 12:06.
Host Normal Parkside won the boys race followed by Batavia Rotolo and Chatham Glenwood. Buffalo Grove Cooper just missed the awards in 4th place, and Yorkville had their best-ever State finish for the boys with a 5th-place finish.
Overall, it was a great season for the boys and the girls teams and it will be fun to see how much the team improves next season.
