Glenbard East controls the race

Young leads host Marmion to third-place finish

AURORA -- Glenbard East scored five runners in the Top 15 to win the Royal-Cadet Cross Country Invitational Saturday at Marmion Academy.

Glenbard East finished the meet with 40 points, followed by Wheaton North with 66 and Marmion with 89.

"They had two guys who went out front," Marmion senior Zach Young said, "and they really took control of the race."

The Rams were led by senior steepleweb Young, who raced the 3.1-mile course in a time of 16:03.9 to win the individual title, besting DuPage Valley Conference rival James Waterman of Wheaton North by nearly five seconds.

Young placed fifth in a time of 16:34.5 to pace the Cadets.

"Our team really stepped up today," Young said. "Matt Wenzel and Bennett Marsh ran with me for the first two miles. I would not have been where I was without them. They really pushed today."

Wenzel finished 12th, while Marsh placed 22nd. Also scoring for the Cadets were Trevor Stein (24th) and Chris Hebert (26th).

"Our team looked pretty well, considering the competition we had," Young added.

Wenzel, a senior, who missed half of last year's season with a stress fracture, is happy with his progress and that of his squad's.

"My legs feel good," he said. "...it's been a good year so far.

As the race wore on, temperatures began to heat up.

"It was nice and cool this morning," Wenzel said. "'I was like 'sweet,' and then the sun came out."

"It was super hot," East Aurora senior Andy Parra said, "especially in the back part."

Parra led the Tomcats with a 10th-place finish, while teammate Gerardo Paleo finished 20th -- a promising start for East Aurora's season.

"Coach said, 'This is our best,'" Parra added.

"We're happy, but we can do better," Paleo said.

East Aurora placed seventh as a team with 199 points, just behind sixth-place Batavia.

Sam Stoner paced the Bulldogs with a 21st-place finish, while Oswego East placed ninth, Geneva "B" 11th and IMSA 12th.

Anthony Kunkel finished 13th for the Wolves in a time of 16:52.8. Geneva's top finisher was Nathan Wendt in 52nd and the Titans were led by junior Kevin Baker who finished 47th.

Boys Cross Country: Royal-Cadet Invitational