Letter to our XC team after regional

All Wolfpack XC—

Yesterday was a really important and great day for our program.

The way our seniors—Zach and Nick Kiley, Theo Conroy, Brian Moore, and Henry Gilbert—with help from sophomore Brandon Mendoza and junior Thomas Fitzpatrick— raced against six of the best teams in the state yesterday was one of my proudest moments as a coach at Saint Ignatius.

Yes, all we did was qualify from the regional to run in the sectional next week. 

But in the complicated system of the IHSA classifications and qualifications, that is really quite an achievement.

1.  We are really a 2A or middle-sized school in terms of enrollment numbers.  But because we won a trophy two years ago in our one and only chance ever to compete in the 2A IHSA championship, we are “multiplied” in the current two-year classification, and we must compete in the 3A large-school division. 
2. The IHSA made changes in the qualification system last year which makes the regional round much more difficult. 
3. The IHSA assigns schools to these regionals and sectionals geographically, without any reference to the strength of the teams or rankings.  So, as it happens, our particular sectional includes roughly half of the top 30 teams in the state, give or take, based on various polls and rankings. 
4. Our regional yesterday included six teams who were ranked above us, including three of the top six teams in the state, and we were competing for six spots to move on to the sectional. (It was really unfair that Lane Tech, a really good team, got sent home.)

We have competed as a large school team for 15 of my 17 years as the Ignatius cross country coach, so we are used to competing at this level.  But this was a new challenge for our seniors, especially.  They competed to win a 2A trophy two years ago, but now they have to fight just to qualify out of a regional. 

We pride ourselves year in and year out with being roughly a “Top 25” team in the state.  That is the standard and reputation of our program.

Our success yesterday established that mark for us this year.  We expect a strong performance at the sectional to solidify our standing as a top program in the state.

This has been a challenging year, as we have dealt with some injuries and a roster that does not include some team members that we had expected to fortify the team.  The leaders of our team did not quit or cry uncle.  They just worked their butts off, dealt with the difficulties and disappointments of the season, and got better. 

The other highlight of our race yesterday was the turnout from the members of our team who were not competing or part of the varsity team.  A special shout out to our freshmen group for the way they supported our team—including bringing our tent and equipment to and from Ignatius and LaGrange.  The excitement and commitment of our younger team members gives us something to build on for the future.

I also want to thank our coaches for their work this year.  Nate McPherson helped build that freshmen enthusiasm.  Tony Sacco has worked hard to bring along our mid-level runners who will be the varsity team next year.  Chris Korabik has quietly developed a rapport with our varsity runners that provides a link to our teams from the past when he was a member of the team.  And Heraldo Morrison is always there to get the things we need to get done in terms of our logistics—like setting up the team tent yesterday!

Thank you, Wolfpack XC, for a great Saturday of cross country at Lyons Township!  Next up:  Katherine Legge Park in Hinsdale at noon on October 30, where we will compete for seven spots in the state meet against these state-ranked teams:  #1 Orland Park (Sandburg), #2 Hinsdale (Central), #3 Oswego, #5 Downers Grove (North), #6 LaGrange (Lyons Township), #7 Aurora (Waubonsie Valley), and #9 Naperville (Neuqua Valley).

Be careful what you wish for!

Best,

Coach E

Wolfpack XC qualifies with 6^th at Lyons Regional

Competing against six state-ranked teams for six qualifying spots in next week’s Hinsdale sectional, the Wolfpack boys cross country team started the Lyons Township High School regional as underdogs with the odds against them.   A half-mile into the race things looked even worse, with all seven Wolfpack runners in the back half of the 75-runner field.  But it turns out that they had their own plan:  seniors Zach and Nick Kiley moved up from 40^th through the rest of the race to finish 19^th and 22^nd.  Seniors Theo Conroy and Brian Moore climbed from 60^th to 26^th and 33^rd place.  Sophomore Brandon Mendoza finished 47^th as the Wolfpack’s fifth scoring runner.  The final score of 145 gave the Wolfpack sixth place and the final qualifying spot over seventh place Lane Tech’s 153, behind regional champion and state-#5 Downers Grove North (55), #2-ranked Hinsdale Central (61), #6 Lyons (75), #18 Oak Park-River Forest (112), and #20 and Chicago Public League champion Jones (128).  The race was the best of the year for the Wolfpack, as Zach Kiley (16:09), Nick Kiley (16:13), Conroy (16:22), Moore (16:37), and Mendoza (17:11) ran personal bests on the curvy 5000-meter course around the Lyons athletic fields complex.  “This was the hardest regional in the state, and maybe one of the hardest regionals ever,” said Coach Ed Ernst.  “Other years we’ve been able to run our second team and still qualify.  It’s kind of unfair that a good team like Lane Tech gets sent home from the sectional.  Now we get to race in one of the toughest sectionals in history.”  The Wolfpack will race at Katherine Legge Park in Hinsdale next week against against #1 Orland Park (Sandburg), #2 Hinsdale (Central), #3 Oswego, #5 Downers Grove (North), #6 LaGrange (Lyons Township), #7 Aurora (Waubonsie Valley), and #9 Naperville (Neuqua Valley)—plus #18 OPRF, #20 Jones, #26 Downers South, #27 Naperville Central, and #28 Bolingbrook.  “There are only seven spots in the state meet available next week,” said Ernst.  “It’s kind of a be-careful-what-you-wish-for situation!”