October 7th was a late night for the Varsity Cross Country team, who came away extremely satisfied with their performance in the Northside/Southside challenge.

With 5 Vikings placing in the Top 10, the boys team recorded the lowest point total in the competition. Impressive finishes by Tyler Dau (15:21, 3rd place), Brian Caskey (5th, 15:40), and Boon Andrews (15:43, 6th) sealed the victory.

Equally important contributors included Josh Rodgers (9th, 15:49), Brian Kuehl (10th, 15:54), Jake Tracey (20th, 16:18), and Julian Desens (27th, 16:21). “It was a special night, and the fact that the team came away victorious was just an added bonus,” Desens said.

The team left school early for the long ride downtown and did not return until after 10 p.m. “Most of the team slept on the bus both ways to stay energized,” added Desens.

Corporate sponsor Nike supplied all apparel for the event. Each runner was treated to new shoes, socks, a singlet, and shorts. Consumables such as granola bars and drinks were also received.

The annual event is held on a scenic course next to Lake Michigan and included 10 high school teams (5 from the “Northside” and 5 from the Southside”). Geneva competed under the Northside moniker.

Also note that Geneva Senior McKenzie Altmayer won the girl’s race.

Even though the Cubs were out of town, the Northside of Chicago still shined athletically Wednesday night thanks to a great performance by the Cross Country team in the Northside/Southside Challenge.