CPS XC Preview

The Key Players

With the City Meet coming up this weekend, here is a look at the key players and what can happen for the two major teams, Whitney Young and Lane Tech, in order to win.

Dhiaa Dean, Kenwood- This young lady is the City’s top 800 runner now running in her second serious cross country season. A transfer to Kenwood from DuSable last year, Dean improved by leaps and bounds this past season. She holds the City’s top 3 mile time of the season, having run 18:29 back on September 17th at the Warren Invitational. Since then, she went on to win the Whitney Young ZI Invite (18:52), and finished 5th at the Niles West Invitational (19:17).

Joanna Podosek, Lane- Joanna finished 22nd last year as a Freshman at the CPS City Meet. Since then, she has gone on to become the top pure distance runner in the CPS, finishing 2nd in the City Track meet in both the 2 Mile and Mile, and has run 18:40 at Detweiller Park during the Richard Spring Invitational, then came back to run 11:53 (the top CPS finisher) at Mather #3 and ran 19:36 for 5 kilometers at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational.

Carina Coss, Lane- Coss has been very underraced this season, weather it be due to injury or illness. When she has run, it has been extremely productive. She ran 18:52 at the Richard Spring Invitational, but was ill the next week and pulled out of Mather #3. Last weekend she ran 16:17 for 2.62 miles at the Northside/Southside Challenge (6:13 Pace- 18:39 for 3 miles) and looked healthy once again. She finished 6th overall at last years City Meet and was the #2 returnee behind Payton’s Molly Lawrence. Lawrence has since faltered to the point where she will not even be a contender, making Coss the top returnee.

Thea Bloom, Lane- Bloom started the season with a bang, running 2n at the St. Patrick Invitational right next to teammate Podosek (who won), then went on to run 18:56 (her all-time best for 3 miles) at the Richard Spring Invitational. At Mather #3 she ran 12:18, then ran 20:25 for 5k at the Loyola Lakefron Invitational. She was held out of the Northside/Southsde race this season (that wasn’t her in the results) more than likely as a preventative measure. Rumor has it she is nusrsing a bum foot. After a strong start last season, Bloom ended up missing the season with an injury. If anyone has a chip on their shoulder, Bloom does and could use it to propel herself to a great City meet after watching her teammates do it last year without her.

Veronica Roznyek, Whitney Young- Talk about a turn around, last season Roznyek ran an extremely dissapointing 23:06 at City last year and finished 54th. To realize how dissapointing that is, keep in mind that as a Freshman, Roznyek ran 19:30 for 5k at the City Meet in 2008 and finished 9th. She went on to run downstate for the Dolphins that year before settling into mediocrity. Since then, she has changed a lot! She didn’t run many races early in the season, but finished 2nd at the Whitney Young ZI Invite (18:57) and most recently won the Northside Southside Challenge running 15:46 (6:01 pace- 18:03-3 Mile) and beating many top runners along the way, including Lane’s Podosek (her only loss to a CPS runner not on her team). Roznyek is running strong and peaking at the right time.

Shianne Baggett, Whitney Young- Another speedster in the group, Baggett is just shy of Dean in the speed category, and just shy of Podosek in the endurance category. Together, the combination of her speed and endurance makes her a threat. Baggett has equaled her all time 3 mile personal best this season (19:20) and ran 16:08 (6:10 pace- 18:30 for 3 miles) at the Northside Southside race last Sunday. She seems to keep herself in races early on, but eventually fades late in the race. If she ever got control of her last mile, she could win it all. The closest she came was at Mather #3 where she was out kicked by Podosek to finish 3rd. (Sarah Curcci of U of C Lab school ran away with the race).

Jackie Bynes, Lane Tech- A two sport star, running cross country and playing Volleyball for the Indians this fall. Bynes ran 19:44 at the Richard Spring Invitational and ran her second race of the season last Sunday at the Northside/Southside Challenge. There she ran 17:08 (6:33 pace- 19:39 for 3 miles) to finish 3rd for the Indians. Bynes is a proven 800 runner for the Lane 4 x 800 and will make an impact for the Indians at the City XC meet on Saturday.

Ellen Buttitta, Jones College Prep- Has a seasons best of 19:42 at the St. Ignatius Invitational and followed up with a 20:37 at Niles West in the mud and muck. Last week she ran 17:02 at NS/SS (6:30 pace- 19:30 for 3 Miles).

Margaret Zahrah, Whitney Young- This Sophomore is Ms. Consistancy for the Dolphins. She is constantly finishing 3rd for the Dolphins (except at last weekends NS/SS race where she was 4th), and is consistently in the low 20:00 range. A good race from her could make or break the team race. Zahrah finished 16th at the City meet last year as a Freshman.

Morgan Jackson, Whitney Young- City has been a happy place for this Senior. Jackson finished 2nd as a Freshman in the Freshman race, 2nd as a Sophomore in the Sophomore race, and won the Junior Varsity race last season as a Junior. This season she set a new all time personal best for 3 miles, running 20:07 at the ZI Invite (on the City Course).

Elizabeth Dongas, Lane- Dongas had a great race at the Richard Spring Invitational where she ran 20:10. She has consistently been Lane’s #4 runner and ran an impressive 12:54 at Mather #3.

Allison Pillar, Whitney Young- Pillar ran 20:01 at the City meet in 2009 and finished 13th. She went on to break 20:00 and run downstate for the Dolphins as a Freshman that year. Last season she experienced some growing pains but still managed to finish 2nd in the Sophomore race at City. This season it seems that she is back on track, yet inconsistent. She ran 20:51 at Peoria Woodruff, then 21:41 the next week at St. Ignatius. She followed that up with a seasons best 20:10 at the ZI Invite, then 12:41 at Mather #3 before running 17:35 for 2.62 at NS/SS (6:35 pace- 19:45 for 3 miles). Not altogether bad, just inconsistent. She has been as high as the #4 runner for the Dolphins, and has dropped out of the top seven during the season as well.

Karla Perez, Kelvyn Park- The Senior from Kelvyn Park has had an outstanding season given the conditions she runs under. Kelvyn Park is not a school known for its sports, especially Cross Country. Perez has overcome many of the disadvantages that athletes at Magnet schools have. Perez won the Lane Invitational this season and finished 2nd at Mather #2. If she can keep from being intimidated, a repeat of her 20:11 she ran at the ZI Invite could propel her to the next level and a possible college scholarship.

Ellie Vachuska, Payton- Vachuska was the #2 Freshman in the City last year (Varsity Race) and #2 in her home (sister Maisie finished 5th overall for Whitney Young). Now older sister Maisie is away at Iowa and teammate and 2010 City Champ Jamie Hershfang has moved on to SIU. Teammate Molly Lawrence has struggled this season leaving Vachuska to step up and fill the #1 role for the Grizzlies. She has done that nicely winning Mather #2 (13:01), improving to 20:30 the next week to finish 6th at Mather #3 (finishing ahead of Zahrah of Whitney Young), and has run 20:30 for 3 miles at the ZI Invite. Vachuska ran 20:21 last year at City and finished 12th overall.

Annette Herrera, Kennedy- Last season Herrera finished 28th at the City meet running 21:03. This season she has already run 20:34 at the ZI Invite. In addition, she finished 5th at the Lane “Tough” Invitational. The top runner for JFK, she should be able to hang in with the top runners in the City.

Shelly Gutierrez, Mather- The top runner for the Rangers has run 20:47 for 3 miles (ZI Invite)

Gerhart, Katie, Jones College Prep- 20:48 at St. Ignatius and followed up with a 19:37 for 2.9 Miles at Aurora Central Catholic Charger Invitational

Others to look out for:

Alejandra Lopez, Lane Tech- 20:12 for 3 miles
Jocelyn Moreno, Lane Tech- 20:13 for 3 Miles
Ayana Lance, Whitney Young- 20:18 for 3 Miles
Olga Wroblewski, Whitney Young- 20:50 for 3 Miles
Madeline Nash, Payton- 20:54 for three Miles; Top Freshman in Varsity Race
Savannah Caballero, Hancock- 20:11 for 3 Miles; Could be the first All-City Runner for Hancock
Karly Raber, Northside- 20:04 Personal Best for 3 Miles at Peoria Notre Dame, 2010; Finished 13th in City in 2010
Taylor Provax, Northside- 20:45 for 3 Miles
Erika Navarrete, Mather- 21:28 for 3 Miles
Sarah Lee, Lincoln Park- 21:50 for 3 Miles
Danielle Guerrero, Payton- 21:52 for 3 Miles
Yaneli Martinez, Little Village- 21:58 for 3 Miles

How the race could be run:

1st Mile- Expect the pack to be big. Dean, Podosek, Roznyek, Bloom, Coss, and Baggett should be at the front. If anyone will take the lead, it will either be Baggett or Dean. Dean has lead most of the races she has run in this season. Podosek and Bloom could run like they ran at St. Pat’s and may work together right off the leader, along with Coss. Roznyek is a slow starter, but doesn’t disappear easily.

2nd Mile- This is where the Flyers and Dyers will fall off the lead pack. If Dean makes it through the second mile with the lead, expect the last mile to be a battle. I foresee Baggett, Coss, and maybe Bloom (depending on how hurt she may be) to fall off.

What the spectators will want to see: A race to the finish between speed demons Baggett and Dean. Will it happen? M ore than likely not, but if it does, my money is on Dean. She has a tad bit more experience winning and is a Senior. Big emotions come into play in big races.
What the spectators more than likely will see: A three way battle between Roznyek, Podosek, and Dean. Dean beat Roznyek at the ZI Invite, and Roznyek beat Podosek at the NS/SS (after losing to her at Mather #3). Dean and Podosek have not met this season.

The Lane vs. Whitney Young battle: Lets face it, City is a two team race this year. Lane absolutely destroyed Whitney Young at St. Pat’s. Since then the Dolphins have chipped their way back into contention. They beat Lane (without Coss) at Mather #3, then beat them again (without Bloom) at Northside/Southside. On paper, Lane is tough, perhaps too tough. They have the best 1,2,3 punch in the City. In order to win, the Dolphins have to bring their A game. Roznyek beat Podosek last week, but this week is City. She will have to beat her again if the Dolphins are to have a chance. In addition, Whitney Young has to have someone else (Baggett) crack Lane’s top 3. After that, it’s a pretty evenly matched race. The remaining Dolphins are all close to 20:00, as are the 4th & 5th Indians. A 6th runner in front of Lane’s 5th could help, but may not happen. Every place counts in this meet. Keep your eyes on the Green and the Orange battle.

to all the Coaches who responded to emails about this preview.