Immanuel Lutheran Wins State Cross Country Titles

The boys’ and girls’ cross country teams from Immanuel Lutheran School in Palatine defended their state championship titles on Saturday, Oct. 15, in Bloomington.

Eighth-grader Matt Ulrich placed first in the boys’ race with a run of 11:18.57 in the two-mile course as the boys team tied their own state record of 16 points set in 2010.

The boys have won the Lutheran Sports Association cross country state titles three years in a row, while the girls have won two in a row after finishing third in 2009. Both Bobcats teams have only been competing in cross country for three years.

“It’s truly remarkable what these athletes have accomplished in just a few years,” stated Ken Heinrich, head coach of both the Immanuel Lutheran boys’ and girls’ teams in a press release from Immanuel Lutheran. “Our cross country motto is ‘To God Be the Glory’. These kids never forget that without God, there is no success.”

The Immanuel Lady Bobcats repeated as state champions with a score of 35 points. Ninety-seven girls, representing 20 Lutheran grade schools, participated in the meet. The Lady Bobcats placed its top five runners in the first 17 finishers: Nadya Lloyd (2nd place, 12:31.11) and twin-sister Danya Lloyd (3rd place, 12:53.06); Anna LaValle (4th place, 13:01.04); Lauren Glaser (9th place, 13:34.34) and Claire Fathers (17th place, 13:59.76).

The 2010 top-five girls’ team results were: Immanuel Lutheran-Palatine (35 points); Cross Lutheran-Yorkville (45); Our Savior’s Lutheran-Springfield (105); Bethel Lutheran-Morton (123); and Trinity Lutheran-Bloomington (140).

A total of 101 boys, representing 23 Lutheran grade schools from throughout the state, participated in the meet. The Immanuel boys placed its top five runners among the first nine finishers: Matt Ulrich (1st place, 11:18.57), Nate Izewski (3rd place, 11:48.71), Nate Rathe 4th place, 11:59.09), Britt Sease (6th place, 12:09.95) and Dylan Tapia (9th place, 12:40.22).

The 2010 top-five final boys’ team results were:  Immanuel Lutheran-Palatine (16 points); Trinity Lutheran-Bloomington (68);  Altamont (IL) Lutheran Interparish (86); St. Peter Lutheran-Arlington Heights (118); and Zion Lutheran-Marengo (125).

In cross country, team scores are calculated by adding the finishing place of a team’s top-five runners.  The lowest score wins.  Teams without five finishing runners are removed from the team scoring and remaining runners advance for team score calculation. As a result, Immanuel Lutheran boys finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th for a team total of 16 points.  A perfect cross country team total is 15 points.

In addition to Heinrich, the Immanuel Bobcats also are coached by assistants Marcia Mathes and Kim Schneider-Mores.

Both the boys’ and girls’ Immanuel Lutheran teams will compete in the Lutheran Sports Association National Cross Country Championship Meet at Concordia University-Wisconsin, in Mequon, Wis., on Saturday, October 22nd.

This information was submitted by Immanuel Lutheran School.