From Twilight to postseason, Naperville North hosts the boys’ Regional Cross Country meet this fall. Neuqua Valley is looking for a comeback after falling to Naperville Central last week at the DVC championship in DeKalb. All other Naperville-area high schools, including Benet Academy, are competing for a spot at next week’s sectionals at Lyons Township. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Legend Alka leads early
The boys race is underway at the starting line. All 12 teams start in their own packs until everyone converges into one big group, with Willowbrook’s Legend Alka taking the lead, with Neuqua Valley’s dynamic duo, Grayson Meek and Jesse Gudauskas, trailing just behind them. The teams of Benet Academy and Waubonsie Valley trail behind the back of the pack.
Going into mile one, Alka still has the lead while Gudauskas and Meek round out the top 3. The top 6 includes Batavia’s Edward, Will Polaski, and Aaron Kernler. Naperville North’s Shrey Meyer and Wildcat Reyaansh Bhagat are keeping pace with a small group in the top 12. Trailing behind are Willowbrook’s Thomas Thimo is Metea Valley’s Ranbir Marwaha.
This is followed by a pack of Naperville Central Redhawks Chase Gewin, Jack Anderson, Henry Golbach, Gustavo Bacellar, and Nicholas Norberg, and Wildcat Tyler Rozycki. Redhawks Conner Baganz and Liam Allan Wagner are keeping pace along with Benet’s Ben Marks, Kevin DeBoni, and Damian Schultz, Waubonsie runners Ben Lenciauskas, Kavish Shanmugasundaram, Evan O’Neill and Mika Lam, and Metea’s Ismail Anwar and Ishaan Parekh.
Gudauskas makes his move up
The top four runners on the track are Gudauskas, Meek, Alka, and Edward Polaski. Edward’s brother Will keeps pace with Kernler just a little further back. Meyer of Naperville North and Bhagat are rounding out the top 11 spots. Behind them is Mustang Ranbir Marwaha with Batavia’s Jeremy Shillair in the hunt, leading the Redhawk crowd of Gewin, Anderson, Golbach, Bacellar, and Norberg.
Pulling further ahead is Guduaskas at mile two, with Alka, Edward Polaski, and Meek catching up to the Wildcat. With an open gap Will Polaski is running solo as Huskie Shrey Meyer, Downers North’s Conrad Saner, Luis Morales of East Aurora, and Aaron Kernler are holding their own. Another runner going solo is Bhagat, with West Aurora’s Ethan Jenkins catching up to the Wildcat.
Redhawks Chase Gewin and Jack Anderson are keeping pace with Golbach, Bacellar, Norberg, Marwaha, and Wildcat Kaya Kuscu staying in line. Damian Schulz of Benet Academy hustles behind them
Neuqua Valley wins the regional title
The race ends at the finish line as Jesse Gudauskas continues his strong senior season, running home with the top spot with a time of 14:29. Finishing in 2nd place is his partner in crime, Grayson Meek, with a time of 14:42. Legend Alka sprints in the final stretch for a 3rd place spot with a time of 14:49.
Shrey Meyer of Naperville North finishes in 4th place with a personal best of 15:05. Reyaansh Bhagat, Redhawks Chase Gewin, and Jack Anderson, and Mustang Ranbir Marwaha finish in the top 14.
Marwaha will represent Metea Valley in next week’s Sectional as an individual runner. Damian Schulz from Benet also advances as an individual after a top 30 finish. His teammate Ben Marks misses a sectional spot by less than a second.
Neuqua Valley takes home the regional title while Naperville Central finishes the day in third place and will move on as a team along with Batavia, Willowbrook, and West Aurora. Naperville North advances with a fifth-place finish thanks to Charlie Minnot, Kerrick Hu, and Charles Mayer all finishing in the top 40.
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