Plainfield Central places fourth behind duo

Updated: September 10, 2011 11:41PM

Plainfield Central’s senior Grace Lawrence and junior Emily Vihnanek is becoming quite a tandem.

They have the Wildcats talking of a berth in the state meet. Plainfield Central has never sent a boys or girls cross country team to the state meet.

They posted top 12 finishes, leading the Wildcats to a fourth-place finish at the 18th annual Steelmen Invite Saturday at Community Park in Channahon.

“We work really hard in practice so it’s good to be rewarded like this,” Lawrence said. “I’m just really excited for the season.”

“This is only the beginning and we want to do a lot more than last year,” Vihnanek said.

Vihnanek took sixth in 19:28 and Lawrence just missed a top 10 finish, settling for 11th in 19:28. There were 103 runners and 16 teams entered.

“I got 21st last year, so it feels good to get back up there and get in shape again,” Vihnanek said. “It feels awesome to do so well and our team is doing so well.”

“I’m a little upset because I took 11th,” Lawrence said. “It would have been great to get in the top 10. But, I’m pretty happy with it. I have to work on my last 800 and stick with (Vihnanek).”

Lincoln-Way West took fifth with 142 points behind a fourth-place finish by Natalie Waters (19:15). Rachelle Sartori’s eighth-place finish in 19:34 powered Joliet Catholic to sixth with 163 points.

Lincoln-Way East took seventh with 176 points, Plainfield South placed eighth with 221, Minooka was ninth with 222, Joliet West placed 10th with 228, Romeoville ended up 13th with 397 and host Joliet Central took 14th with 403.

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