Cross Country Team Returns From Chicago

Seniors and varsity runners from the East cross country team headed to Chicago this weekend to participate in the 38th annual Loyola Lakefront Invitational. The meet took place at Loyola University and the runners ran along Lake Michigan.

With strong winds and chilly temperatures on race day, 20 Lancers ran Saturday on a 5k course that was one of the flattest courses they’ve run all season, with just one hill placed in the middle of the trail. The course was longer than the traditional four kilometers that the girls’ cross country team normally runs.

Ten of the eleven boys that ran for East finished with personal best times, led by junior captains Mitch Daniel (17:00), Adam Simmons (17:02), Evan Nichols (17:10), Jack Howland (17:26) and Reid Frye (17:32). The other boys that ran the 3.1 mile course were sophomore Joe Bahr (17:56) and seniors Thomas Read (17:40), David Hill (17:41), Graham Redelsheimer (18:44), Kevin Simpson (18:46) and Sam Hattaway (19:21). The Lancer boys continue to show dramatic improvement from last season, when just Daniel and Simmons were able to run sub-18 minute times at this same race. The team was able to finish 10th – a team goal entering the race – out of 35 teams.

The girls’ team also posted impressive individual results on their way to a ninth place finish out of 34 teams. The trio of senior Hanna Jane Stradinger (20:11), sophomore Anna Colby (20:18) and junior Emily Kerr (20:36) led the way as usual for the team, followed by a cluster of four Lancers finishing within seven seconds of one another – junior Lilli Stalder (21:26), freshmen Tessa Osborn (21:26), junior Christa McKittrick (21:27) and freshman Ada Throckmorton (21:33). Seniors Kirsten Clark (22:27) and Caroline Doerr (23:55) also ran for the Lancers.

The trip began early Friday morning, with an 8 a.m. flight to the Windy City. After a brief pre-meet run and overview of the Loyola course, the team headed to Michigan Avenue and Water Tower Place for shopping and a meal. They concluded their day at La Scarola, an Italian restaurant, for their carbo-load. The meal was highlighted by a performance of the Temptations’ “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by the boys of the team during their traditional serenade to the lady runners.