As far as role models go, Maine South sophomore Tommy Brady could do a lot worse than standout teammate Reese Jordan.
“He’s a huge inspiration. I try to do everything (Jordan) does because I want to be a great runner like him someday,” said Brady, who lives in Park Ridge. “He gives me a ton of tips and helps me along the way to get to his level.”
Both cross country runners had memorable afternoons at the Class 3A Niles West Sectional on Saturday. Jordan, a senior, won the race in 15 minutes, 5.01 seconds and Brady took 10th (15:34.03). They helped lead the Hawks (115 points) to a second-place finish behind Young (98), which was good for a spot in the state meet on Saturday in Peoria.
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Jordan held off York junior Charlie Kern, who finished second at state a year ago. It was the first time Jordan had defeated Kern (second, 15:06.20) this season after losing to him at invites in Palatine and Peoria.
But Jordan had entered the season with high expectations after finishing seventh in the 1,600-meter run at the 2016 Class 3A state track and field meet.
Brady, meanwhile, has been a revelation this season, going from Maine South’s freshman team last fall to one of the up-and-coming young runners in the area, and likely the state.
“(Brady) has probably been our most dependable runner all year long,” Maine South coach Greg Nordahl said.
He also has a lot of potential.
“He could be really good,” Nordahl said. “He could be a sub-14:30 next year or the year after that. He has a great mindset and is a great gamer. He’s the type of kid whom you’d (expect to) see make huge improvements year after year and lead the team downstate again.”
New Trier
The Trevians boys cross country team earned the final berth in the state tournament at the Class 3A Niles West Sectional by finishing fifth (119 points). Just four points separated second from fifth place.
New Trier actually tied fourth-place Wheaton Warrenville South on points, but lost a tiebreaker, which was the finish of each team’s sixth runner — Wheaton Warrenville South’s finished 44th, New Trier’s came in 45th.
Warren Blood, a New Trier senior, finished third (15 minutes, 14.52 seconds) and said he is hoping for a top-10 finish at state.
New Trier’s chances of team success have improved greatly in recent weeks with junior Pat Norrick’s return to fitness. He came in 13th at the sectional with a time of 15:39.51.
A left hip flexor injury had forced Norrick to miss several meets early in the season, and he was far from sharp when he returned for the Palatine Invite on Sept. 24. He’s had his ups and downs since then, but has been strong at the regional and sectional.
“(The injury occurred) right before the first race and I didn’t think I would get to race much this year,” said Norrick, who lives in Wilmette. “I came back and had a few bad races. But three weeks ago, I started consistently training again and racing to my full potential.”
Loyola
Last year, Paolo Tiongson was left in tears when he struggled at the Class 3A Lake Park boys cross country sectional, and neither he nor the Ramblers qualified for state.
Though the Ramblers did not get through the Niles West Sectional this year, finishing ninth (251 points), Tiongson got some redemption as he came in fourth (15:17.48) and earned an individual at-large berth at state.
“After sectionals (in 2015) I felt really bad, I was crying. But I trained a lot harder for this year and it paid off,” said Tiongson, a senior who lives in Skokie and runs on the Niles West grounds during the summer. “(Qualifying) is overwhelming to be honest. I’ve been waiting a year to race this again.”
Glenbrook South
The Titans finished eighth (250 points) at the Class 3A Niles West boys cross country sectional, with senior Alec Sanchez their top finisher (26th, 15:55.73).
Though neither the team nor Sanchez reached state, Sanchez said he and the Titans had been successful in executing the race plan, which called for several Titans to run together for a portion of the race.
“At one point, about the second mile, we had a pack of four or five of us. I broke off a little, but they were never too far away,” said Sanchez, a Glenview resident. “I’m not upset about the results of the race. It’s been a great season, it’s a great sport and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
Niles West, Niles North
The Wolves, running on their home course, finished 16th (375 points) at the 18-team Class 3A Niles West boys cross country sectional. But in junior Pat Holbrook (30th, 15:57.01), Niles West appears to have a runner who could make a name for himself in 2017.
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“I think (Holbrook) will have a really great track season in the spring and it will set him up for a great senior year,” Niles West coach Mike Grossman said. “He’ll be one of the guys to look at for maybe a top-five individual finish at this meet next year.”
Niles North junior Conor Perreault advanced to state as an individual by finishing 11th (15:36.76) at the Class 3A Niles West boys cross country sectional.
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press