The Doings

Devils run down dream, win first state title

November 9, 2006
By Bill Stone | SPORTS WRITER

The Hinsdale Central girls cross country team's cool down after Saturday's Class AA state meet became almost as dramatic as the race.

Trying to find out just how well they did, the Red Devils detoured past posted results, but those were only for coaches to see, so they kept on jogging.

As they continued toward their tent area, they were met by numerous teammates who were there to cheer them and had just learned the results.

Together as one, they celebrated the first state championship in program history.

"We saw them sprinting over to us, and I pretty much knew then because they were so excited. I was like, 'Yeah, we won,' " sophomore Elaine Kuckertz said.

"We were really nervous about it, really stressed after the race. I don't know how the girls found out, but somehow they did. Actually I didn't even hear that we won. I just heard them all screaming. I just inferred it from there. We just started screaming and crying and running around. It was so cool, what the feeling was. It was just awesome."

After being ranked No. 1 in the state most of the season, the Red Devils actually left little drama Saturday at Peoria's Detweiller Park. Their 123 points won the title by a whopping 80 points over second-place Barrington (203 points) with Benet Academy (218) third.

Kuckertz earned all-state honors for top-25 finishers by taking ninth in 17 minutes, 19 seconds for the 3.0-mile race. Sophomores Lauren Zumbach (29th, 17:45) and Roey Hines (30th, 17:47), senior Gina Kapusta (34th, 17:50) and junior Emily Cleary (86th, 18:21) were the other top-five finishers who accounted for the team score, followed by sophomore Heather Stevens (89th, 18:22) and senior Jenny Laser (168th, 19:10).

The Red Devils' top five averaged a speedy 17:51 with Kapusta breaking 18:00 for the first time.

"Everyone ran completely perfect races. We knew that if we just went out and did what we've been doing the whole season that good things would happen, and they did," Kapusta said. "I feel honored to be part of a history-making cross country team. We all did it for each other. We did it for Coach (Mark) McCabe. We did it for all of us, and I'm just so happy to have been a part of it and been a part of this whole season."

This is the first trophy for the Red Devils, who were fourth last year with 224 points, eight points shy of third. Saturday's victory margin is the third largest in AA since two-class state meets began in 1988.

"It probably hasn't sunk in -- like the girls said (until) they got their hands on the trophy," McCabe said. "It was a really enjoyable year because it's a group of girls that are just fun to be around. They work really hard, but they have fun at the same time and they're there for each other.

"Every week everybody runs consistently well, and there's a couple of people that step up and run especially well and it happened again today. Other than (second place at two invites), we pretty much ran the table. It's hard to do that."

Kuckertz exemplified that spirit Saturday. Kuckertz was never the team's top finisher in a race this season and she was the only girl who hadn't competed at state before in a lineup that boasted three prior all-staters -- Zumbach (20th) and Hines (24th) in 2005 and Cleary (17th) in 2004.

Kuckertz collapsed as she crossed the finish line but not before turning in the second-highest individual finish in program history to Diana Hill taking fifth in 1987.

"Honestly, I needed to just collapse because I felt so tired. It was kind of a cool feeling, because you're running so hard, because it's never happened to me before," said Kuckertz, the program's eighth all-stater. "It's so cool to win state and be in the top 10. I just really surprised myself. I think I'd rather do really badly and have the team win than do really well and have the team not win. I'm glad I got to do both today."

Cleary led the Red Devils' seventh-place state team in 2004. Last year, Cleary missed the postseason after a stress fracture arose following the conference meet, and Kapusta was sidelined by mononucleosis after her regional race.

"I have to say this is definitely more exciting (than being all-state), having the whole team to experience it with you," Cleary said. "Even though I didn't place as well as I would have liked today, it's just as exciting because of the team and what we accomplished. I think it's more than you could ever do as an individual."

McCabe was an assistant coach to longtime head coach Gail Avgeris for two years before becoming head coach in 2002. Under McCabe, the Red Devils have made state five straight years after previously qualifying in 2000, 1987 and 1983.

"It's nice to bring home our first (trophy)," McCabe said. "I told the girls it's a moment they'll always remember, and I hope that if they're not a senior, they'll remember more moments like this before their years are done."

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