Cross Country: Lockport’s Natalie Waters gets over Detweiller hill
By Tim Tierney For Sun-Times Media November 6, 2012 9:50PM
Lincoln-Way West's Natalie Waters finishes 13th in the Class 2A girls state cross country meet. | Tim Tierney~For Sun-Times Media
State Cross Country
Local Results
BOYS
CLASS 3A
Teams
Plainfield South (6th): Dan Lathrop 14:51 (28), Jake Fitzgerald 15:02 (44), Misael Tobias 15:14 (76), Cody Dyer 15:18 (85), Gabe Calvillo 15:27 (107).
Minooka (16th): Joey Santillo 14:41 (14), Alex Pierce 14:49 (26), Cam Knudsen 15:14 (74), Cheyne Robinson 15:58 (183), Erik Brick 16:23 (202).
Lincoln-Way Central (23rd): Chris Kaminski 15:17 (79), Joey Nelson 15:38 (137), Dru Rozewicki 15:40 (143), Tommy Kolacki 15:44 (154), Kevin Fabian 15:45 (158).
Individuals
Joseph Suarez, Plainfield East, 14:44 (19); Will Giroux, Lockport, 15:13 (72); Salvador Lazaro, Joliet Central, 15:24 (98); Luke Johnston, Lincoln-Way East, 16:08 (189).
Class 2A
Individuals
Ryan Kennedy, Lincoln-Way West, 15:59 (119); Aaron Oldanie, Lemont, 16:21 (156).
GIRLS
CLASS 3A
Teams
Lockport (18th): Kimberly Johnson 17:59 (86), Courtney Correa 18:00 (90), Bianca Wiemeyer 18:06 (99), Taylor Stortz 18:22 (120), Madeline Rodriguez 18:36 (146).
Minooka (19th): Morgan Crouch 17:49 (68), Moira McAsey 18:18 (110), Haley McNamara 18:19 (113), Laura Simon 18:20 (116), Kaitlyn Chetney 18:29 (140).
Lincoln-Way East (24th): Kaley McLawhorn 18:20 (115), Samantha Ostmann 18:26 (131), Kristy Dertz 18:58 (180), Anna Conboy 19:26 (197), Kendall Nepote 19:39 (200).
Lincoln-Way Central (25th): Elizabeth Venezio 18:43 (155), Mallory Johnson 18:54 (173), Taylor Martinez 19:24 (194), J.J. Robinson 19:25 (195), Keygan Balaja 19:26 (196).
CLASS 2A
Individuals
Natalie Waters, Lincoln-Way West, 17:36 (13); Claire Gagen, Lemont, 18:26 (54); Victoria Salazar, Lemont, 18:37 (71).
Updated: December 8, 2012 6:25AM
The final portion of the state cross country course at Detweiller Park in Peoria is not Natalie Waters’ favorite part.
“The finishing stretch here is sort of uphill a little,” the Lincoln-Way West sophomore said. “For some reason, I just think it’s the biggest hill in the world. I get so discouraged on that part. We have to do it three times throughout the course.”
Despite her lack of fondness for the ending, Waters earned All-State recognition Saturday by finishing 13th in the Class 2A race in 17 minutes, 36 seconds, the best finish by a Joliet-area girl in any of the three IHSA classes.
“I actually wanted to be 17:25, but 17:36 is still a (personal record) for me,” Waters said with a smile. “Only 10 seconds away from that goal, so next year.”
With two years of high school remaining, the diminutive Waters certainly has potential for more success. She finished 31st (18:15) in the 2011 state final.
“I’m really happy with my first two years,” she said. “I hope I get better and better. My senior year I hope I’m doing pretty cool stuff.”
Sophomore jinx
The prognosis is good for sophomore Haley Beaumont, Lockport’s top runner who missed the state series because of a stress fracture.
“She had a great season when she did run,” Lockport coach Evon Marie Schlotter said. “She’s going to heal relatively quickly. Probably a week after she rested she said she felt fine. I need to train her a little differently next year.”
After Beaumont led Lockport to the SouthWest Suburban Blue title, the Porters regrouped without her to win their regional and take fourth in the sectional.
“They just decided they needed to run harder, and they did,” Schlotter said. “Otherwise they wouldn’t have made it down here.”
Seniors Kimberly Johnson and Courtney Correa led Lockport on the course at the state meet and Schlotter praised senior captains Emily Miller and Chesca Calicdan for their vocal support from the sideline.
For team and country
Minooka senior Joey Santillo (14th, 14:41) made All-State for the second straight season and ran in the state final with the team all four years.
“I always consider myself a cross country runner over track,” he said. “I finished and I had a little moment to myself where I looked back on all the seniors that have helped me, the kids that have helped me progress through my years.”
Super Suarez
Plainfield East sophomore Joseph Suarez made All-State by finishing 19th, and has bigger plans for the future.
“My goal is for when I’m a senior to somehow win the state,” Suarez said. “If I keep on making improvements like this, I think that’s a very realistic goal.”
