Cross country captures championship

Cross country team poses at State.

Photo Courtesy of Brady Collis

Cross country team poses at State.

Glancing around Saint Viator’s Cahill gym, it can be hard to ignore the bare ‘Boys’ Cross Country’ plaque in the midst of other athletic successes plastered along the wall. This drought of regional, sectional and state titles was finally quenched by the 2016 boys’ cross country team, a band of hardworking athletes who completed their fall season with the greatest accomplishments in the program’s history under their belt.

Among these accomplishments are a first place regional title, which rids their Cahill plaque of its ‘bare’ description. The members of the team were overjoyed about this accomplishment, and had every right to be so— yet, their true heart and work ethic shine through most vividly when approached from a reserved perspective. The observations made by coaches and alumni exemplify that the team deserves every record that they earned this season.

Wayne Edelman, the head coach for boys’ cross country as well as girls’ track, mentions that the team’s journey this season dates back to the summer months. This is when the team picks up its training for the year and begins to set its roster. In cross country, the varsity team has 7 runners; the top 5 runners count for the team’s score, and the other 2 runners serve as ‘pushers’ that push other teams’ runners down in the score rank.

“Our team forms in the summer,” said Coach Edelman. “At summer camp, when we see who is going to make the team, our expectations were limited. We had 4 returning Varsity runners from last year. Freshman Patric Natindim was the missing piece; he made the starting 7 and worked his way all the way up to number 4.”

Coach Bill Stanczak, the assistant coach for the boy’s cross country team, also discussed the summer season and Natindim’s crucial role as the 5th varsity runner.

“We knew Sam Brey was our number one, and we were sure Kevin Goss, Rich Rinka and Brady Collis were top 5,” said Coach Stanczak. “Patric Natindim ran with us in summer camp, and battled with other teammates before establishing himself as our number 5.”

Speaking of expectations, the pressure was high for the team even from the start of the season. Coach Stanczak sheds light on the potential that he and Coach Edelman saw in this year’s runners.

“Our goal was to get back to state after last year,” said Coach Stanczak. “We did not run very well at state last year, finishing 25th as a team. We had been to state 4 of the last 5 years, finishing 25th, 21st, 26th and 25th. We lost four solid runners to graduation last year, and with a team as small as this one is—17 men total this year—we knew that we’d have to work hard, avoid injuries, and possibly have a freshman or two step up. DyestatIL had us ranked #1 in our Sectional all season so Coach [Edelman] and I were pretty sure we’d make state again, and had high hopes for possibly winning our Regional and/or Sectional.”

Jacob Bonanotte ‘16 is one of the team’s graduated seniors from last year, and he now runs on Villanova University’s track team. He also had high hopes for the team this year, adding that the team’s tight-knit bonds further aided in their success.
“I was expecting big things from the team, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well they did,” said Bonanotte. “I think the team is closer than it was a couple years ago. The cross country team has always had good camaraderie, but this team is especially close.”

Ultimately, the team exceeded expectations by a large margin, earning the best state finish in school history: 14th place.
“Finishing 14th at State was something that genuinely surprised both [Coach Edelman and I],” said Coach Stanczak. “We were hoping for 19th or 20th, and when we found out we finished 14th, beating 4 state-ranked teams, as well as every team in our sectional, well, let’s say it was a very enjoyable ride home from Peoria.”

Coach Edelman attributes the team’s success to the hard work that his runners put into their sport each day.

“This is the hardest working team I have ever coached,” said Coach Edelman. “In this sport, you get out of it what you put in. ‘No days off’ was our motto, and the boys who did summer camp and then the season ran about 700 miles this season.”
Coach Stanczak also mentions the strong work ethic that the team carried throughout the season.

“This group, all the way down to the frosh-soph team, had the heart and drive to make morning practice and work hard in the weight room,” said Coach Stanczak. “I also liked that they knew expectations were high, that they could be a really good team, and they were able to shrug off the pressure and perform week after week.”

Ultimately, the 2016 boys’ cross country season was unparalleled by any other due to hard work, resilience and record-breaking finishes, making the team worthy of its timeless and successful season.