The girls’ cross country Twilight Invitational is back on the campus of Naperville North High School! The race was held in Geneva the previous year due to ongoing construction at North. 17 schools in total will be lacing up, with the Batavia Bulldogs among them. They look to defend their first-place finish from a season ago. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
The starter’s gun goes off, and the race is on! Macy Ermitage from Downers Grove North headlines the pack off the jump. After her are Plainfield North’s Marlie Czarniewski and Downers Grove South Mustang Brynn Bartkus.
Huskies and Wildcats get off to a good start
At the first-mile mark, Czarniewski and Ermitage set the pace side by side. Following them in another group of two is Avery Hacker of Batavia and Bartkus. Naperville North’s Georgia Karstens is running in the top 10. Huskies Sophia Schulz and Elliana White are paired up just outside the top 15. A handful of runners later, Neuqua gets into the action with Ariana Namvar and Anoki Raikar as the top two Wildcats early, with Chloe Piot of North sandwiched in between.
A shuffling of the cards in the top three with less than a mile to go. Ermitage propels herself into the top spot. Hacker takes over second place. Czarniewski currently holds it down in third, closing out the lead group. Bartkus remains in fourth. A file of three runners featuring Athena Triner representing Yorkville, Natalie Nahs of Minooka, and Lincoln-Way Central’s Mia Forystek are on her heels. Karstens continues to fight with Ruth Dellaria of Lake Park in her sights, while Plainfield North Tiger Olivia Eager and Batavia’s Gwendolyn Krodel are a couple of strides away. Schulz and Piot make decisive moves on their home course. Schulz moves up three spots since mile one, and Piot moves up six. Wildcats Namvar and Raikar are heading in the wrong direction as they lose steam and fall back.
Avery Hacker crosses the line in first
Hacker, who ended last year’s contest in third, secures first place this time around in commanding fashion. She clocks a season-best time of 16:52.9. For a second straight season, Ermitage takes silver. Czarniewski earns the bronze placement. Karstens cracks the top 10 as the ninth runner to cross the line. Schulz is a top-15 runner, finishing her night in fourteenth, and Huskie Elliana White is twenty-third. All three Huskies secure personal bests. Piot concludes four spots back of White.
Namvar holds the top spot for Neuqua Valley throughout the entirety of the contest. She finishes thirty-fourth. Raikar is the second Wildcat through the line with a personal best and the forty-first overall finish. Srinika Gundlapally finishes less than a second behind Raikar in forty-second as Metea Valley’s top runner.
A pair of Naperville Central athletes are top 50 finishers. Lauren Quigg is forty-fourth, and Kaitlin Orf is forty-seventh. Both earn personal bests. Fellow Redhawk Maddie Calvey comes in just seven seconds behind Orf. Plainfield North wins the team championship ahead of Lincoln-Way Central, while Naperville North finishes in third.
The Dan Iverson Twilight Invitational
After the final race of the night concludes, long-time head coach Dan Iverson is recognized, as this is his final time coaching the coveted Twilight meet. He will be retiring after 33 years at the end of the season. Surrounded by his runners, Iverson’s hard work and dedication to the program will long be remembered, as starting next year, this annual event will be known as the Dan Iverson Twilight Invitational.
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