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November 18, 2011 The men’s season can be characterized by a hyphenated word: near-miss. They missed winning the conference title by seven points and a place in the national championship by two points. The season also can be characterized by top performances. “It certainly was a character-building year,” said coach Mark Horstmeyer, who completed his 12th season at the helm. “When the guys reflect on what might have been, they should reflect even more on what they accomplished. There were solid performances and post-season honors. We showed improvement from a year ago.” Sophomore Jon Altman (Sandburg) led the charge attaining All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference honors for the second straight year and nailing down a spot in the NJCAA Cross Country Championship in Hobbs, New Mexico. He also was a member of the Cyclones 2010 Academic All-American team. “Jon has been our leader all year—not so much by what he said, rather by how day in and day out he set the bar for what he expected of himself. I give him a lot of props. He came into the year with a new philosophy on how to approach the season, and it paid off for him. He wants to continue his running at the next level, and he will make a contribution. He has learned a lot the past two years and that will indeed help him.” Also finishing his career at Moraine Valley is Luke Bronson (Bremen), a two-time All-Conference selection and a national qualifier last year. He just missed qualifying this year. He also earned a spot on Moraine Valley’s All-Academic team. “Luke has been a solid contributor for us, and if he decides he wants to run at the next level, he will be an asset.” Also concluding his Cyclone career is Felipe Rivera (Eisenhower). “If they handed out awards for hardest working and most dedicated, Felipe would be ‘all-world.’ He worked extremely hard all year—starting with the off-season last winter. He was determined to improve his personal best time, and he did—cutting more than a minute off his PR from last year. If he wants to continue running at his next school, he will be a contributor,” Horstmeyer said. Freshmen also were contributors starting with Adam Gurke (Reavis), who qualified for the national championship and ran in the top seven all year. “Adam is another hard-worker despite having chronic knee pain. He just refuses to let that be an issue. We look forward to having him back next year to provide that leadership from the experience he gained this year," Horstmeyer said. Phil Culbertson (Stagg) will be counted on heavily next year after gaining a lot of experience in 2011. “Phil is another one of our hard workers who also has a passion for the sport. If we are to compete for titles next years, we will need him. He has tremendous potential,” his coach said. Mohamed Assadalla (Bahrain) also is expected to help out a lot next fall. “Mohamed never competed in cross country until he joined the team this year, and his improvement was remarkable,” Horstmeyer said. "He dropped his time in each successive race, finishing the season with a PR. From his experience this year and for the training he will put in during the off-season, he should be right in there. He has a lot of natural ability.” Adam Tyrka (Reavis) was the third member of the Cyclones’ All-Conference contingent who also will be expected to help next year. “Adam had some bad luck this year. The week before regionals he got the flu, and although he tried to gut it out, he never really recovered,” Horstmeyer said. Rich Gray (Stagg) had to deal with a lot of health issues, according to his coach, but “he came on strong at the end of the season. He knows what he has to do during the long off-season and is determined to come into the new year really fit. He has a real upside.”
November 14, 2011 Two Cyclones battled a multitude of challenges Nov. 12 at the NJCAA Division I Cross Country Championship in Hobbs, New Mexico, and gained a lot of experience from the effort. Jon Altman (Sandburg) and Adam Gurke (Reavis) were among 288 competitors who had to deal with strong winds, an “obstacle-like” 8K on the Ocotillo Golf Club course, and 3,500 feet of elevation. “This was a tough race—physically and mentally—because of the course conditions and weather and elevation. I think both guys learned a lot about competing and that will serve them well next year,” said coach Mark Horstmeyer. “Adam not only had to battle the conditions, but he also had to contend with his season-long chronic knee pain that flared up from the series of roller coaster mounds. I give him a lot of credit for gutting it out,” Horstmeyer said. Gurke finished in 268th place in 33:42. “Jon fought the good fight, but unfortunately he started cramping, got sick and had to stop,” Horstmeyer said. “He toughed it out as long as he could. It was just one of those days.” Even though the results were not what the two Cyclones wanted, they both had solid seasons. Altman closed out his career as a two-time All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference runner and as a national qualifier while Gurke, a freshman, has a shot at a second national qualifying berth next year in addition to conference and regional accolades. “I can’t say enough about Jon. He is a hard worker and dedicated to improving every week. He has a great deal of experience competing not only against other community colleges but also against four-year schools of all levels. He is not intimidated by big races nor strong competition. He’s in there every race trying to contribute to his team’s success. He will be a solid addition next year wherever he chooses to go,” Horstmeyer said. “After a year of valuable experience, I’m really looking forward to seeing what Adam can do next year. I know he will use this year’s national experience as motivation to spend the off season getting fitter and come back next season even more determined,” Horstmeyer said. “He has a tremendous upside.”
October 31, 2011
October 24, 2011 Morton College took the crown with 52 points. Moraine Valley scored 59 points, Prairie State College was third with 73 followed by Elgin Community College in fourth with 96, College of Lake County in fifth with 101, and Oakton Community College in sixth with 127 points. Jon Altman (Sandburg) led the charge across the 8K finish line on Moraine Valley’s Cyclone Cross Country Course in eighth place in 28:22 followed by Adam Tyrka (Reavis) in ninth place in 28:23, Luke Bronson (Bremen) in 10th in 28:30, Phil Culbertson (Stagg) in 18th in 28:59, Mohamed Assadalla (Bahrain) in 21st in 29:20, Kevin Trujillo (Reavis) in 24th in 29:51, Felipe Rivera (Eisenhower) in 25th in 29:55, Adam Gurke (Reavis) in 26th in 29:56, and Rich Gray (Stagg) in 37th in 31:30. There were 54 finishers. For complete race results. Altman, Tyrka and Bronson earned All-Conference honors—Altman and Bronson for the second straight year. “My congratulations to Jon, Adam and Luke. They provided the bulk of the work, and I’m happy to see their effort paid off for them,” said coach Mark Horstmeyer. “We came up a few points short. It’s not often that you have three in the top 10 and go home with second place,” Horstmeyer said. “We just need the rest of the guys to step up now and provide support to our top three guys at regionals. We still have work to do—the team knows that—and I’m confident that we’ll see a renewed effort out there on Saturday. It will be exciting.” The Cyclones host the NJCAA Region IV Championship on Saturday, Oct. 29 starting at 11 a.m.
October 17, 2011 The Cyclones waged an all-out battle against gusty winds and a strong field on Oct. 15 at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational, finishing 45th of 47 teams. Adam Tyrka (Reavis) was the first Moraine Valley runner to finish the 8K course at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne in 292nd place out of 434 finishers in 28:11. Phil Culbertson (Stagg) followed in 344th in 28:51, and he was chased by Jon Altman (Sandburg) in 355th in 29:04, Luke Bronson (Bremen) in 359th in 29:09, Mohamed Assadalla (Bahrain) in 368th 29:21, Adam Gurke (Reavis) in 369th in 29:21, Felipe Rivera (Eisenhower) in 385th in 29:38, and Kevin Trujillo (Reavis) in 406th in 30:50. “The guys did a really good job—running in winds that were gusting up to 45 miles per hour and competing against an outstanding field. It was the pre-national for the NCAA Division III championship,” said coach Mark Horstmeyer. “I liked the way they battled, and we had a nice little pack going. We were the only community college in the race, and I thought they held their own. What a great experience for them! They had the opportunity to run against some of the most outstanding collegiate runners in the country and what our guys did was certainly an accomplishment.” The Cyclones now prepare for the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Championship on Saturday, Oct. 22, on the Cyclone Cross Country Course on the Moraine Valley campus. “Their race on Saturday should give them a boost to their confidence. I think they will battle and be in the mix for the conference title. It should be very exciting,” Horstmeyer said.
October 10, 2011
October 3, 2011 The Cyclone harriers turned in their best team showing of the season on Oct. 1 over a challenging hilly 8K course at the Warrior Invite hosted by Wisconsin Lutheran College at Greenfield Park in West Allis. The men finished fifth among 15 teams. Jon Altman (Sandburg) led the assault in 29:04 finishing in 27th place, followed by Adam Gurke (Reavis) in 29:15 in 31st, Felipe Rivera (Eisenhower) in 30:05 in 46th, Luke Bronson (Bremen) in 30:06 in 47th, Phil Culbertson (Stagg) in 30:18 in 51st, and Mohamed Assadalla (Bahrain) in 31:01 in 63rd. There were 115 finishers. “This course is not for the faint of heart,” said coach Mark Horstmeyer. “This was an excellent opportunity for them to see where their fitness is and to gauge what they have left to do. Although their individual times were not where we thought we should be at this point, they did learn something about race tactics. The guys acknowledged they misjudged their first mile and then had to spend the rest of the time playing catch-up. That can take its toll. But to finish fifth—the highest finish by a community college in the race—is a positive and one that we can build on for this Saturday’s race on the toughest course they will race on all year. We’re looking forward to it.”
September 25, 2011 The Running Cyclones learned a thing or two about racing on a hilly 8K course—and in the rain—Sept. 24 at the 13th Annual Forester Invitational hosted by Lake Forest College in Adler Memorial Park in Libertyville. No team scores were kept. Phil Culbertson (Stagg) was the first Cyclone across the finish line in 28:56, followed by Jon Altman (Sandburg) in 29:09, Adam Tyrka (Reavis) in 29:17, Luke Bronson (Bremen) in 29:30, Felipe Rivera (Eisenhower) in 29:49, Adam Gurke (Reavis) in 30:13, and Mohamed Assadalla (Bahrain) in 30:40. There were 114 finishers. “The guys got their first taste of challenging hills, and then after the first mile, racing in the rain,” said coach Mark Horstmeyer. “They had a good outing, and I liked how they finished. There was about 1:44 difference between our top finisher and our seventh runner. We have been working and working on getting them to run together, and Saturday I think they began to get the message. We really liked what they did.” He added that the men head into their second hilly race on Saturday—a place that has proved challenging to previous Cyclone teams. “This should be a good race for them. They will need to help each other to have success, and I believe they will do just that.”
September 19, 2011 The Running Cyclones took advantage of a very competitive field to turn in a "promising" performance on Sept. 16 at the Illinois Intercollegiate Championships hosted by Illinois State University. They finished 26th of 32 teams representing colleges and universities in all NCAA divisions, NAIA and community colleges in the state. Adam Tyrka (Reavis) was the first Moraine Valley runner to cross the line, finishing in 213th place out of 323 finishers in 27:56. He was followed by Phil Culbertson (Stagg) in 229th place at 28:36, Jon Altman (Sandburg) in 239th in 28:53, Kevin Trujillo (Reavis) in 241st in 28:55, Adam Gurke (Reavis) in 249th in 29:15, Felipe Rivera (Eisenhower) in 265th at 30:09, Ivan Chow (Hong Kong) in 293rd in 32:16, Brian Torres (Reavis) in 299th in 33:13, and Rich Gray (Stagg) in 301st in 33:55. "We had a good, solid outing. The guys showed a lot of promise of good things to come" said coach Mark Horstmeyer. "We just have to keep working hard and packing it in. We're still not where we want to be in finishing the race, but most of them improved their times from the previous week, and those who ran the race last year did even better. We're pleased with where we are, and the next three races will be a good test for us because they're hilly and the competition is strong. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can get accomplished."
September 12, 2011 The start was surprising, but then again so was the closing as the running 'Clones finished seventh in a nine-team race at the Midwest Classic hosted by Olivet Nazarene University on Sept. 9. Adam Tyrka (Reavis) led the way with a 50th place finish in 28:50 over the breezy 8K course at Aspen Ridge Golf Course in Bourbonnais. Jon Altman (Sandburg) was next across the line in 53rd place in 28:59 followed by Adam Gurke (Reavis) in 57th in 29:08, Kevin Trujillo (Reavis) in 66th in 29:37, Phil Culbertson (Stagg) in 68th in 29:41, Ivan Chow (Hong Kong) in 93rd in 32:59, and Rich Gray (Stagg) in 96th in 35:16. There were 98 finishers. Moraine Valley was the only community college competing. "They didn't run exactly as we had drawn it up, so we were pleasantly surprised with their results," said coach Mark Horstmeyer. "Dimitri [Dimizas, assistant coach] and I just had to laugh after the first mile and we were still shaking our heads at the third mile, and at the finish we just threw up our hands," Horstmeyer said. "We got the results we wanted, but it's back to the drawing board. They showed us quite a bit of positives that we can work with and that will give our younger kids more confidence as we head into the Illinois Intercollegiates at Illinois State on Friday. For five of the guys, this was their first 8K race in a very fast, competitive field. This will help them on Friday."
September 6, 2011 The running Cyclones turned in a "hot" performance on Friday, Sept. 2, at the Elmhurst College Earlybird Invitational, finishing 13th in the 16-team field to get their 2011 season underway. Adam Gurke (Reavis) led the way with a 91st place finish in 22:42 over the breezy and steamy 6K course in Eldridge Park. Luke Bronson (Bremen) was next across the line in 95th place at 22:53 followed by Phil Culbertson (Stagg) in 100th place in 23:05, Kevin Trujillo (Reavis) in 101st in 23:06, Felipe Rivera (Eisenhower) in 111th in 23:32, Brian Torres (Reavis) in 144th in 25:51, Ivan Chow (Hong Kong) in 156th in 27:02, and Rich Gray (Stagg) in 158th in 27:31. There were 171 finishers. "I was pleased with our effort—given the fact that it was in the 90s and extremely humid, and this was the first college race for most of the guys," said coach Mark Horstmeyer. "There were more positives than negatives. Our plan was not to run personal records but to begin understanding what it takes to work together. For the most part that was accomplished, although we need to be bunched up even more. We're off to a good start, and we'll learn more about ourselves on Friday when they will race their first 8K distance. Should be fun."
September 1, 2011 The Cyclones officially start their season Sept. 2 at 5 p.m. at Elmhurst College's Earlybird Cross Country Invitational. Click on the below link for results. www.elmhurstbluejays.com/sports/2009/7/27/WXC_0727090431.aspx?path=cross
August 25, 2011 |
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