By Michael Newman
Ilprepharrier.wordpress.com

Medinah, Ill. — Ever since she developed an upper respiratory infection after the Richard Spring Invitational in September, Glenbard West’s Madeline Perez had wondered if she ever would get back to the front, like she was early in the year. It was baby steps she was taking. She was 9^th at the Wheaton North Falcon Classic. Two weeks later, she made a little more progress by staying with York’s Emma Fisher at last week’s WSC Silver Meet.

“This was the first race where I was able to run all out since Richard Spring,” Perez said. “I am happy with how I am feeling now.”

Perez let the race come to her on Saturday. Lake Park’s Kaylee Flanagan was the runner to watch in this 3A regional. She was on her home course, a course where she ran 16:27 last month at the Lake Park Invitational.  All eyes were on Flanagan as she quickly piled up a six-second lead already at the half-mile mark.

This was a trademark fast first mile for Flanagan. Perez and Fisher decided to let her run that mile fast. Perez had learned the consequences of a fast early pace last month at that Lake Park Invite, where she was even with Flanagan at the mile, but lost to her by 21 seconds. It was not going to happen a second time.

Flanagan passed the mile in 5:11. Instead of her lead increasing, Perez had slightly cut into the lead going by in 5:16, five seconds behind. In the next mile, Perez was in full stride knowing the lead was hers for the taking. She had the lead by the mile and a half. There was a stunned look on Flanagan’s face with that thought echoing back to the Falcon Classic, in which she finished 12^th: “Oh, no … not again.”

Perez went by the 2-mile in 10:53 and she had made 11 seconds up on Flanagan in the last half. Flanagan went by in 11:04 with Fisher and Glenbard West’s Lisa Luczak hovering close behind.

Perez’s last mile looked effortless. The illness that had haunted her the last month was gone. Exuberance in her stride had replaced the exhaustion that she had carried the past few races. She crossed the line in 16:28, just one second off of Flanagan’s course record. That did not matter. She was a regional champ and, more importantly, a runner that would be a factor in the individual race at state in two weeks.

“Just from racing her in previous races, I expected the race to go out faster. Going into the race, I wanted to take it out hard myself,” Perez said after she crossed the line. “I just figured, let the first mile go out solid and after that I was just going to push myself and see what I could do the rest of the race.”

Watch the full interview with Madeline Perez here

Fisher finished 2^nd, 20 seconds behind Perez 16:48. Perez’s teammate Luczak was charging but could not catch Fisher. The Glenbard West sophomore finished in 16:52. Another 19 seconds, then Flanagan came in finishing 4^th.

Flanagan’s teammates ran aggressively the first part of the race to counteract the strong pack that #2 Glenbard West had. The #3 Lancers had a tight 39-second pack on their 2-5 runners, which was enough to hold off the Hilltoppers, 43-47.

“The plan was for top seven to stay together for the first 800,” said Lake Park coach Lauren May. “We’ve practiced all week with all seven together, with strategy focusing on the team goals ahead of the individual goals. If the team goals come, the individual goals will come after that.”

There was anticipation in the air on how #1 York would run in the boys race. Last week at the WSC Silver meet against two of the top ranked teams in the state, Lyons Township and Hinsdale Central, the Dukes placed five runners in the first six. Could they accomplish that kind of dominance again?

The pace was slow through the first mile. Other runners in the race were looking at the York green and white and waiting for them to make their move.  However, this was not last week and the command that York had in that race was not evident on this Saturday afternoon.

The usual York runners that are have been expected in the front most of the season (Scott Milling, Kyle Mattes, Chris May, and Alex Mimlitz) were there, but that was it. The other three York runners were back between 25^th and 30^th in this small 69-runner field.

“The goal was to have five guys stay in that front pack, or seven if they could stay up,” said Mattes after the race. “Right away in the first mile, it was kind of obvious that those were not going to make the effort to stay up with us.”

The 2-mile went with the pack around 10:08. Mattes, May, and Milling were followed close by Dakota Morales of Lake Park. Brandon Bonifer of Glenbard West, Mimlitz, and Jeremy Loranzo of Lake Park were in a pack a few seconds back, but it looked like the front pack was slowly moving away from them.

With 800 meters to go, Milling and Mattes made a surge that broke May first, then Morales. The York duo entered the stadium track with a comfortable 5-6 second lead and made no signs that on this day they were going to kick it in. May moved by Morales with 300 meters to go to secure York a 1-2-3 finish. Mimlitz came back to finish 5^th. York’s 5^th runner, Alex Bashqawi, passed 12 runners in the last 300 to capture 14^th place.

York had won another regional championship with 25 points, 41 points ahead of #21 Glenbard West. There was no celebration in the York camp afterwards. The dominance that they had showed last week was gone. The door that they had closed the week prior was now fully opened. They made a statement on this day, but not the one they were looking for.

“Next week, and the week after that, we are going to have to run a lot better,” said Milling. “This week was unacceptable. This is not how York runs. We will work together and get better.”

Watch the full interview with Scott Milling and Kyle Mattes here