Loyola girls run shorthanded; Ford runner-up

Updated: September 26, 2011 8:32PM

Loyola competed against one of the best fields of the season Saturday without its two best runners.

Jackie McDonnell and Caroline Zarowski both missed the Palatine Invitational as the Ramblers took 22nd out of 29 teams with 588 points. Louisville Assumption won the title with 80 points, well ahead of Wheaton Warrenville South’s 134.

“We’re not thrilled with the finish, but we’re in good shape,” said Loyola coach ChrisJon Simon. “It was a good experience for our girls who are not experienced racers.

“It’s still early, and we will rebound.”

All of Loyola’s scorers from Saturday are in their first season on the varsity.

Junior Madeline Durso led the way in 91st (19:27.3). Sophomore Cecily Martinez (112th, 19:49.3) and junior Maddy Fassett (114th, 19:50.5) followed, with sophomores Ellen Kulik (133rd, 20:08.2) and Caroline Hague (138th, 20:14.8) completing the Ramblers’ scoring.

Simon hopes to have the sophomore McDonnell back for Saturday’s Loyola Lakeshore Invite at Montrose Park in Chicago.

Zarowski definitely will return to race this weekend. The freshman, also a talented violinist, was away on a previous engagement.

“We figured out quickly this summer that she will be able to help us,” Simon said of Zarowski. “And because we graduated so many seniors, she gets an opportunity to fill a need right away. She fits right in with us.”

At Detweiller Park in Peoria earlier this month, McDonnell and Zarowski finished in the top quadrant. McDonnell finished 71st, while Zarowksi was 102nd in the field of nearly 500 runners.

Loyola boys

Todd Ford continues to run with the leaders.

The senior standout took second place Saturday at the Palatine Invitational at Deer Grove Forest Preserve, finishing less than one second behind New Trier’s Leland Later.

Ford crossed the line in 14:35.1; Later won in 14:34.4.

Loyola’s William Hague took 13th in 14:59.6 as the Ramblers placed seventh with 218 points in the 30-team field, which included top-ranked Palatine.

Kevin Donahue (65th, 15:48.8), Chris Kelly (69th, 15:50.9) and Sean Lamble (73rd, 15:52.8) rounded out the scoring.

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