Saturday, Nov. 07, 2009

Pack performance will be key for Freeburg

Midgets girls team has shot at Class 1A championship

For even the most avid supporter of girls high school cross country, the names Olivia VonBokel or Kristen Thouvenot aren't ones that come to mind when mentioning the metro-east's top runners.

Nor does Sarah Mueller or Courtney Heidorn.

But the hopes of the Freeburg Midgets to capture the Class 1A state championship today rests heavily on their shoulders. And Freeburg coach Carl Florczyk knows it.

Led by twin sisters Kristen Busch and Caitlin Busch, the top-ranked Midgets will battle the likes of defending champion Winnebago, Decatur St. Theresa and Bloomington Central Catholic for the team title when the Class 1A girls open the six-race card at 9 a.m. at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

Fourth at the 2008 state finals as a freshman, Kristen Busch is one the favorites, while older sister (by 20 minutes), Caitlin Busch is a good bet to better her seventh-place effort of a year ago.

But for the Midgets to achieve the ultimate of a state title or even a top three finish, the rest of Freeburg's pack needs to run well.

"We pretty much know what we're going to get out of the twins. Barring any misfortune they are going to be in the top 10, if not the top five or better," Florczyk said. "Our chances as a team is going to depend a great deal on how the rest of the girls run. If they run like they have all year and run as a tight pack, I like our chances of being in the top five or better.

"Regardless of what happens on Saturday though, we've had a great season. The girls have done everything we've asked and I can't tell you how proud I am of each and every one of them."

Sparta, led by Aleigh Eggemeyer, also is a threat to contend for a top five finish in the girls Class 1A division.

The Class 1A boys race, which includes Sparta and its standout, Wade Reeves, along with Columbia standout Drew Spargo, follows at 10 a.m. Races continue with the finale -- the Class 3A boys final -- set for 2 p.m.

Freeburg, which placed fifth at the Metro-East Lutheran Sectional, also qualified for the team competition.

In Class 2A, in both the boys and girls divisions, the area's top hopes are individuals.

In the girls division, Mater Dei sophomore Ellen Toennies and Mascoutah junior Aly Smith will lead the way while the boys race will include two of the state's best in seniors Brett Conway, of Triad, and Jerseyville's Ryan Todd.

Todd placed third at state in 2008.

In the girls Class 3A race, Belleville West senior Sammie Grove is a threat to earn all-state recognition with a solid effort, while O'Fallon could be in the running for a top 15 finish in what looks to be an exceptionally competitive division.

"Our goal is the top 15, which would be just a great finish," Panthers coach Neil James said. "Our strength is in our pack. We just want to go in and run as well as we can. That's our goal."

A top 15 finish also is the goal of the Panthers boys team, which won the Normal West Sectional.

"The guys work so hard all summer and so our goal as coaches is to have them ready and peaking at the postseason. We peaked last week and hopefully we can hold it for another week," O'Fallon coach Jon Burnett said. "My goal is to have our seven runners run their all-time best times. If we do that, I'll be a happy coach, no matter where we finish in the team standings.

"We can't control what the other teams do. We can only control how we run and how we perform. We could be in the top 10, but I think there's probably 15 other schools who are thinking the same thing."

The metro-east also has a pair of near certain all-staters in Edwardsville sophomore Garrett Sweatt and O'Falllon junior Michael Scolarici.

Sweatt edged Scolarici for the individual title at Normal West last week.

Edwardsville, which also will compete as a team, has another potential top 25 runner in Daniel Mazar.