Yorkville distance runners look strong at Ottawa

Updated: May 12, 2011 11:16PM

Ben Draper says it’s no secret explaining the recent success of his Yorkville girls track team. They go the distance, in a very fast manner.

“Our distance kids are phenomenal,” he said Friday night after the Foxes qualified runners in five individual events and two relays for next weekend’s state meet at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

And for that, says Draper, much of the credit should go to his assistant coach Chris Muth. They trade places during cross country season with Draper assisting Muth.

“They work so hard to please him, it’s amazing,” Draper said. “I’m just putting the names in. These kids sacrifice a lot.”

They got wins at Friday’s Ottawa Class 2A Sectional from Esther Bell in the 3,200-meter run (11:33.98), Ali Hester in the 1,600 (5:13.97) and their 1,600 relay (4:05.35) that included Bell, Hester, Leena Palmer and Kelsey Leedy.

Rochelle won the meet title with 69.5 points but it was a close contest with only 11.5 points separating the top five teams, and sixth-place Yorkville was 19.5 back with 50 points. Kaneland, which advanced three individuals and one relay to state, was eighth with 41 points. Sandwich had no qualifiers and finished 14th in the 15-team meet with 7.5 points.

“Muth told us all the people we had to look out for,” said Hester, who entered a competitive 1,600 with the top seed time of 5:13.04. Sophomore teammate Casey Kramer was well back with a seed time of 5:32, seven seconds off the state qualifying mark of 5:25.

Both were in the large lead pack in the early part of the race. Hester went to her kick about halfway through the third lap and pulled away but Casey held around the lead pack long enough and eclipsed the qualifying mark with a time of 5:22.90, 10 seconds better than her seed time.

“Casey even led for while,” said Hester, who has battled a pulled IT band in her thigh and knee issues this spring. “I was proud of her.”

So was Draper.

“She was our No. 2 cross country runner last fall and had a great indoor season, but has just been struggling since we moved outside,” he said. “She’s had what I’d call a flat season, kind of banging her head against the wall.

“She did this last year, too, stepping up at sectional to qualify for state.”

Bell pulled away over the last two laps of the 3,200 but teammate Bri Stuepfert held on for a third place finish and qualified to move on.

“Esther has been our MVP this year,” Draper said. “She’s just been running great. Between her and Ali, they can run a 60-second quarter up to the 2-mile and that kind of versatility just gives me a lot of options. It’s a nice luxury to have.”

Senior Brooke Patterson took third in the pole vault, clearing 10-6, and freshman Lauren Zick was third in the 400 to lead Kaneland, which also got a fourth from senior Andie Stang in that competitive 1,600.

“I’m disappointed I only made it in one event,” said Patterson, who came up short in the triple jump (tie for sixth) and on the two relays she ran. “My goal was to make it in at least three and we were really hoping for the relays to get more people down there.”

The 3,200 unit that included Sydney Strang, Andie String, Kris Bowen and Zick did make it with their fourth place effort, though.

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