Sun-Times news and notes

Updated: December 8, 2011 6:23PM

Leaders of pack

The Class 3A girls and boys cross country champs ran victory laps last weekend, earning top-five finishes last Saturday at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore. The Wilmette Running Club, made up of members of the 3A girls champ New Trier squad, took fourth. Freshman Mimi Smith paced Wilmette, taking 14th among team runners (30th overall) with a 5,000-meter time of 18 minutes, 34 seconds. Next came Courtney Ackerman (15th, 18:35), Jessica Ackerman (24th, 18:48), Julie Jackson (62nd, 19:24) and Molly Krueger (67th, 19:27). Class 3A individual champ Amanda Fox of Naperville Central was ninth overall in 18:01 and Lake Park’s Kaylee Flanagan took 18th in 18:20. The Palatine Cross Country Club, made up of members of the Class 3A state champion Palatine team, took fifth in the boys race. Peter Tomkiewicz was 11th among runners representing teams (32nd overall) at 15:54. Also scoring for Palatine were Anthony Gregorio (38th among team runners, 16:16), Marcus Garcia (57th, 16:28), Tim Johnson (67th, 16:33) and Tim Meincke (82nd, 16:42). The Elmhurst Cross Country Club, comprised of York runners, was 13th with Scott Milling (31st, 16:08) and Nathan Mroz (39th, 16:17) leading the way.

Showdown time

Girls basketball teams from five states will converge on Young this weekend for the Chitown Showdown. Friday’s schedule has Champaign Central vs. Proviso West at 5 p.m., St. John the Baptist (N.Y.) vs. Trinity at 6:30 and Proviso East vs. Young at 8. On Saturday, it’ll be Champaign Central vs. Bogan at 11:30 a.m., Penn (Ind.) vs. Marian Catholic at 1 p.m., Clyde Miller (Mo.) vs. Morgan Park at 2:30, St. John the Baptist vs. Young at 4 and Milwaukee Riverside (Wis.) vs. Montini at 5:30.

Milestone win

York wrestling coach Terry Clarke picked up his 400th career victory on Nov. 26 when the Dukes beat Riverside-Brookfield 61-9 at the Jacobs Mega-Duals.

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