LT’s Gordon ready for Wheaton return

Updated: September 26, 2011 8:40PM

Lisa Gordon is looking forward to a return trip to Wheaton this weekend.

Lyons Township’s top cross country runner didn’t make a memorable trip last season to the Wheaton North Invitational when an injury to her right hip kept the Western Springs resident from competing at full strength. It was nearly a year ago when the hip injury became so severe that Gordon missed the West Suburban Conference Silver Division meet and the postseason, which included LT’s 17th-place finish in the Class 3A state meet.

LT will return to Wheaton North in the flighted meet beginning at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at St. James Farm in Warrenville. The meet will be held for the second consecutive year at the DuPage County Forest Preserve after the Wheaton North Invitational left its longtime home at Northside Park near the school’s campus.

In a flighted meet, the invitational will host seven different races as No. 1-ranked runners from each team compete against each other followed by a race for No. 2 runners, etc.

“There is a forest (at St. James) for a little bit, but it’s such a pretty course,” Gordon said.

The flighted race might hurt LT’s pack mentality that the team has emphasized this season. LT finished fifth (101 points) Sept. 24 at the Palatine Invitational at Deer Grove East Forest Preserve. Gordon missed that race a year ago due to her injury and last competed at Palatine as a sophomore when the course featured a different design.

“I was happy with the way the race went (at Palatine),” Gordon said. “We have focused on (staying as a) pack. I ran with Alex Daemicke and Haley Prokaski. We worked together. Coach (Stetson Steele) says, ‘In the first mile, stay as a pack. Push ahead if you can in the second mile and in the third mile, go all out.’”

Gordon finished eighth (17:14.6) at Palatine while LT’s other scorers were Daemicke (34th, 18:17.6), Prokaski (39th, 18:21.5), freshman Katie Hamor (56th, 18;51.2) and Lexy Rudofski (64th, 16:58.3).

Wheaton North’s flighted race will prevent runners from keeping pace with teammates. LT will be able to return to its pack strategy at the West Suburban Silver meet Oct. 15 at LT’s South campus in Western Springs.

Gordon’s hip has felt so good this season, she has avoided needing to ice her injury after meets and no longer needs physical therapy. The only break on Gordon’s regular routine is that she usually avoids one day of road workouts to ride a bicycle one day a week as a precaution.

“As of now, I’m healthy,” Gordon said. “We all have nagging injuries, but we all work on prevention every day.”

With a healthy Gordon and with several returnees back from the state meet, expectations remain high. LT’ last regular-season dual meet is against Downers Grove North Oct. 6.

“We have so much to look forward to in the postseason this year,” Gordon said. “We have really bonded as a team. All of us have set goals with each other. I can’t wait to see what we can do.”

Boys

LT finished 17th (434) at Palatine in the 28-team field.

Michael Matusiak was the team’s front runner, finishing 32nd in 15:27.2). Other scorers were Ryan Speir (95th, 16:03.6), John Dombro (102nd, 16:10.4), Grant Smith (103rd, 16:11.0) and Mark Lefevour (107th, 16:14.7).

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