Welcome to the Northside College Prep Cross Country site.

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Home of the 2000 & 2001 Billy Mills Classic. Click here to read the story of the Rogue Spartans. The Body Achieves what the mind believes.
Dyestat

Can you run further than your mail box and back? Michael James couldn't when he first came out for Cross Country. 500 Miles later, he became Gatorade National Cross Country High School Athlete of the year.
Michael James wins $5k Gatorade Will-to-Win Scholarship.

Upcoming Practices:

Thursday, November 5, 2009: 3:45 pm - 5:45 pm

Friday, November 6, 2009: 11:30 am - Depart for Peoria 

Attendance at all practices, meets, and team meetings is mandatory. Athletes that miss a total of 9 practices from August 12, 2009 through November 7, 2009 will be dismissed from the squad regardless of ability or reason for missing practice.   

While every athlete brings certain qualities to cross country, "natural" talent is not as important as pure, hard work. What you put in is what you get out. The only thing that separates first from last is building a strong running base and a lot of hard work. Come watch us or better yet, join us as we continue to build a winning tradition.

Cross Country Team Roster Updated Monday, January 12, 2009. Coming soon: 2009 Team Roster!!!

"IT" AWARD for IHSA Sectional Championships: Simmone Seymour and Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss

Chicago Sun-Times coverage of the CPS Championships: http://yourseason.suntimes.com/othersports/1831518,101709-cross-country-public-league.article

"All Hail the Kings of Chicago" - by Rob Valentin: http://www.chicagolandpreps.com/NCP_Boys_XC.php

"Provax leads Northside in CPL meet" - by Dave Surico: http://www.premiumpreps.com/content.cfm?ID=900  

"Northside Frosh Boys peak at Conference" - by Dave Surico: http://www.premiumpreps.com/content.cfm?ID=901

(Coming soon: photos and results)

 On Tuesday, November 3, 2009, the Illinois High School Association announced the State Final Box Numbers for all of the individuals in the 2009 Cross Country State Championships. 

 Northside Senior Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss will start from box number ten, and the race will commence at 2 pm on Saturday, November 7, 2009 in Peoria, Illinois at Detweiller Park.

 Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss will be assigned bib numbers for the front and back of his uniform, and hip numbers as well, at 4pm, on Friday, November 6, 2009 at the IHSA State Championship Coaches meeting in Peoria, Illinois.

 On Saturday, November 7, 2009, computer chip tags for both of his shoes will be assigned by the clerk at the starting line.

 Admission to the State Championships, is $10.00 for Cars, $15.00 for Vans, and $25.00 for Buses. It is recommended that parents, fans, and spectators making the trip down to the meet, arrive early, because there will be large crowds.

 On Saturday, October 31, 2009, the Northside Varsity Mens Cross Country Team traveled to Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois for the IHSA Sectional Championships. The meet featured 20 Teams on the starting line, fighting for the Top 5 spots to advance to the IHSA State Championships. The top seven athletes on non-advacing Teams, also advance to State. All 20 Teams had to earn their way to the IHSA Sectional Championship meet, by placing in the top 5 in their respective Regional.

  The Niles West IHSA Sectional featured a preview of the State Championships, with Loyola, and York, the top two teams in Illinois, racing in the same IHSA Sectional. The course was great with many challenges for the athletes, including thick mud, and standing water. 

 Loyola Academy won the 2009 IHSA Sectional Championships with 33 points. Congratulations to Coach Seeberg and Staff on an outstanding victory! York finished in second place with 77 points. Oak Park River Forest finished in third place with 95 points. Maine South finished in fourth place with 108 points. New Trier finished in fifth place with 118 points to secure the final spot, to advance as a Team to the IHSA State Championships.

 Fenwick finished in sixth place with 169 points. Lake Park finished in seventh place with 180 points. Glenbard East finished in eighth place with 238 points.

 Prior to the meet, the Northside Mustangs were not even ranked by DyestatIl in the top 10 in the Sectional Championships. The Northside Mustangs surprised everyone but themselves, by placing NINTH overall with a score of 245 points, and posted impressive victories over, among others, 10. Niles North (293 points), 11. St. Ignatius (298 points, Whitney Young Regional Champion), 12. Niles West (334 points), 13. Morton (365 points), 14. Willowbrook (370 points), 15. Lane Tech (385 points), 16. Whitney Young (451 points), 17. St. Patrick (484 points), 18. Juarez (576 points), 19. De La Salle (605 points), and 20. Curie (616 points). The Northside Mustangs had a record of 11-8 on the day, and broke the SCHOOL RECORD for wins in a season with a final record of 190-45! The Northside Mustangs also finished the season undefeated against the Chicago Public League for the first time in school history!

 Northside Senior Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss dropped 26 seconds from the Pat Savage Invitational to place 14th overall with an outstanding time of 15:42.60 to QUALIFY for the IHSA State Championships!! Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss also improved by 20 places in the IHSA Sectional from a year ago! Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss ran the third fastest time of all the individual qualifiers!! Captain Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss also finished ahead of five of the seven athletes from the 26 times state champions, and nationally ranked, York High School!

 Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss ran the first mile in 5:03, and then ran the second mile in 5:26 (10:29), and then ran a NEGATIVE SPLIT of 5:13 for an outstanding time of 15:42.60 to qualify for the IHSA State Championships!!

  Northside Senior Cooper Eben, Junior Wesley Laytham, Junior Charlie Mesimore, Junior Erik Zuehlke, Senior Jiasong Yang, and Junior Fahad Sarvari will continue training this week to help prepare Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss for the State Championships. Northside is a TEAM, and all members of the Northside Varsity ran with heart and determination in every practice and every race this season, and will be going to the State Championships along with Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss as a reward for their hard work this season. The work ethic and mental toughness of the Northside Varsity was incredible this season. 

 At IHSA Sectionals, Northside Senior Cooper Eben finished second for the Mustangs and 34th overall, and came within 9 seconds of qualifying as an individual for the State Championships with an outstanding time of 16:19.30. The Sectional was tougher this year with the addition of New Trier and Cooper Eben still improved by 11 places in the IHSA Sectional from a year ago!  Northside Captain Cooper Eben ran the first mile in 5:10, and then ran the second mile in 5:38 (10:48), and then passed Lane Tech legend Kulayifi Haji, and York Twin Tom Hedman on the final mile with with a NEGATIVE SPLIT of 5:31 for an outstanding time of 16:19.30.

 Northside Junior Wesley Laytham finished third for the Mustangs and 55th overall with an outstanding time of 16:43.85. Captain Wesley Laytham ran the first mile in 5:10, and then ran the second mile in 5:57 (11:07), and ran a NEGATIVE SPLIT of 5:36 on the final mile for an outstanding time of 16:43.85. 

 Northside Junior Charlie Mesimore finished fourth for the Mustangs and 65th overall with an outstanding time of 16:54.64. Captain Charlie Mesimore ran the first mile in 5:20, and then ran the second mile in 5:52 (11:12), and then ran a NEGATIVE SPLIT of 5:42 on the final mile for an outstanding time of 16:54.64. 

 Northside Junior Erik Zuehlke finished fifth for the Mustangs and 77th overall with a PERSONAL BEST time of 17:09.26. Erik Zuehlke ran the first mile in 5:33, and then ran the second mile in 5:53 (11:26), and then outkicked Lane Tech Senior Victor Terrazas to the finish with a NEGATIVE SPLIT of 5:43 on the final mile for a PERSONAL BEST time of 17:09.26.

 Northside Senior Jiasong Yang finished sixth for the Mustangs and 102nd overall with a time of 17:41.49. Jiasong Yang ran the first mile in 5:38, and then ran the second mile in 6:06 (11:44), and then ran the final mile in 5:58 for a time of 17:41.49.

 Northside Junior Fahad Sarvari finished seventh for the Mustangs and 110th overall with a time of 18:05.81. Fahad Sarvari ran the first mile in 5:37, and then ran the second mile in 6:16 (11:53), and then ran the final mile in 6:12 for a time of 18:05.81.

 The Northside Top 7 will leave for Peoria, Illinois on Friday, November 6, 2009 at 11:30 am, and will be staying at the Hampton Inn Suites. 

 On Wednesday, November 11, 2009, the Northside Cross Country Team will be honored with a Team Dinner and Awards Banquet at Hackney's, 1514 E. Lake Ave, Glenview, Illinois, in the "Old Shillelagh" Banquet room. It will be the largest Sports banquet in the history of Northside College Prep! 

 The Northside Cross Country awards banquet is one of the most meaningful events of the school year. It represents the official acknowledgement of the athletes accomplishments before the entire Team, administration, parents, and guests.

Contact Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon at Jongordon9@aol.com or 773-935-1617, if you would like to purchase tickets for the banquet or if you ordered a ticket, and your name is not listed below. Thanks.  

The Northside Coaching staff and Team is very fortunate to have so many wonderful parents go out of their way to help support our program and enhance it. This season the Northside parents have hosted Pasta Parties for the Team, provided race photos, and videos for meets. It was also very special to have the largest amount of parents at every meet during the regular season, including as far away as Peoria, Illinois. Northside parents are second to none.

We also had something very special happen, and we would like to give special recognition to Stan and Sharon Raber for making a $500.00 donation to the Northside Cross Country program. The Team appreciates the donation, and is looking forward to the IHSA State Championships!

The following AWARDS will be announced at the banquet:

  FRESHMAN NUMERALS (Awarded to Freshman Athletes that participated in one or more races and finished the season as a member of the Team. Awarded Numerals in their graduation year).  

Boys                                                                Girls                                       

            1. Nathaniel Agharese             Freshman         1. Anna Pezanoski-Cohen       9^th

            2. Alex Bologna                      Freshman         2. Taylor Provax                      9^th

            3. Kendall Elue                       Freshman         3. Phoebe Randall                   9^th

            4. Calvin Gang                        Freshman         4. Clare Scheib-Feeley            9^th

5. Brian Glatter                       Freshman         5. Ryan Speese                        9^th

            6. Chaojie Gonzalez                Freshman         6. Eva Stoops                          9^th

            7. Nick Hill                             Freshman         7. Hyunji Ward                       9^th

            8. Griffin Hilly                         Freshman

9. Brendan Kelly                     Freshman        

            10. Alex Kritikos                    Freshman        

            11. Javier Moluero                  Freshman

            12. Ben Mauk O’Connor        Freshman

13. Nick Parker                       Freshman

            14. Paul Ricks                         Freshman

            15. Palwinder Sodhi               Freshman 

            16. Andy Voung                     Freshman

          “Largest Freshman TEAM in Northside History!” 

(1) Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss, (2) Cooper Eben, (3) Wesley Laytham, (4) Charlie Mesimore, (5) Erik Zuehlke, (6) Jiasong Yang, (7) Fahad Sarvari, (8) Forrest Cortes, (9) Pat Duffy, (10) Karlyn Gehring, (11) Su Yang, (12) Simmone Seymour, (13) Bessie Nolan, (14) Maggie Ivanova, (15) Merita Bushi, (16) Karly Raber, (17) Taylor Provax, (18) Dava Batjargal, and (19) Yesenia Valadez. 

2009 CHICAGO PUBLIC LEAGUE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPION TROPHIES (Varsity Athletes that raced in the Varsity division and won the 2009 Chicago Public School Cross Country Championships - Large Silver Cup Championship Trophy with a wood base, six inch silver bowl, and a towering Championship runner on top of the trophy - names individually engraved)

(1) Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss, (2) Cooper Eben, (3) Charlie Mesimore, (4) Wesley Laytham, (5) Fahad Sarvari, (6) Jiasong Yang, and (7) Erik Zuehlke. 

2009 CHICAGO PUBLIC LEAGUE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPION PATCHES (Varsity Athletes that raced in the Varsity division and placed first in the 2009 Chicago Public School Cross Country Championships).

(1) Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss, (2) Cooper Eben, (3) Charlie Mesimore, (4) Wesley Laytham, (5) Fahad Sarvari, (6) Jiasong Yang, and (7) Erik Zuehlke.   

2009 VARSITY IHSA SECTIONAL QUALIFER BRONZE STATUES (In 2009, both the Varsity Men and Women Team qualified for IHSA State Sectional Championships. Varsity Athletes that RACED in the Varsity race at the IHSA Sectional Championships or ran a Northside Top 8 Time in the open race were given a bronze IHSA Qualifer Statute).

(1) Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss, (2) Cooper Eben, (3) Wesley Laytham, (4) Charlie Mesimore, (5) Erik Zuehlke, (6) Jiasong Yang, (7) Pat Duffy, and (8) Fahad Sarvari. 

(1) Karlyn Gehring, (2) Su Yang, (3) Simmone Seymour, (4) Bessie Nolan, (5) Maggie Ivanova, (6) Merita Bushi, (7) Karly Raber, and (8) Taylor Provax. 

2009 VARSITY IHSA STATE QUALIFIER CHAMPAIGN CUP TROPHY (Varsity athletes that raced in IHSA State Cross Country Championship)

(1) Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss 

VARSITY CHINELLE CROSS COUNTRY PIN
Athletes who have earned 2 or more Varsity letters

(1) Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 (2) Jiasong Yang 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 (3) Cooper Eben 2007, 2008, 2009 (4) Charlie Mesimore 2007, 2008, 2009 (5) Wesley Laytham 2007, 2008, 2009 (6) Su Yang 2007, 2008, 2009 (7) Karlyn Gehring 2007, 2008, 2009  (8) Bessie Nolan 2007, 2008, 2009, (9) Yesenia Valadez 2008, 2009, (10) Merita Bushi 2008, 2009, and (11) Karly Raber 2008, 2009. 

2009 CAL RIPKEN JR. AWARD (Best Attendance at practices and meets): 

TBA 

2009 CAL RIPKEN JR. AWARD (Best Attendance at practices and meets):

TBA

2009 ACADEMIC AWARD (Large Silver Plaque with Academic Award logo and Medal)

TBA

The following Awards are open to any Member of the Team, and are voted on by all athletes that earned a Varsity letter in 2009: 

2009 JOSE NEBRIDA GIRLS SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD (Engraved Black Marble Plaque)

 TBA

2009 JOEY PAQUETTE BOYS SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD (Engraved Black Marble Plaque)

TBA

2009 SENIOR LEADERSHIP AWARD (Large engraved Team Photo Plaque)

TBA

2009 OUTSTANDING FRESHMAN AWARD (Engraved Black Marble Plaque)

TBA 

2009 ROOKIE HARRIER AWARD (Engraved Black Marble Plaque)

TBA 

2009 VARSITY MOST IMPROVED AWARD (Engraved Black Marble Plaque)

TBA

2009 VARSITY MUSTANG AWARD (Large Silver plated plaque engraved with a Medal)

TBA (Awarded to the athlete(s) with the best work ethic and mental toughness) 

2009 MVP (Large Silver plated plaque engraved with a Medal)

TBA 

2010 Womens Team Captains (3):        

Karlyn Gehring, Su Yang, and TBA 

2010 Mens Team Captains (3): 

Charlie Mesimore, Wesley Laytham, and TBA

SENIOR VARSITY LETTER BLANKET CEREMONY     

 After every athlete is called up to the podium to receive their awards, the Senior Varsity letter blanket ceremony will be commenced. In 1903, University of Chicago Track Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, among other things, invented numbers on uniforms, and the Varsity letter, and the first Senior Varsity letter blanket ceremony took place at the International House in Chicago. For over a 100 years, the traditions from the first Varsity letter ceremony have been followed. In 2004, Jon Gordon came from the University of Chicago Track & Field program to take over the Northside Cross Country program, and brought with him the traditions of Amos Alonzo Stagg and the Varsity letter blanket ceremony to Northside College Prep.

 The 2010 Team Captains will hold up the blanket of each Senior athlete who earned a Varsity letter during their high school Cross Country career, and display the blanket to the crowd before it is placed on each athlete. The Varsity blankets are custom made, and each one has the athlete's name, Cross Country, and Northside College Prep, embrodied on it, along with a Varsity letter "N", and a Silver Star for each year the athlete earned a Varsity letter in Cross Country, and a Gold Star for each year the athlete was a Team Captain for the Northside Cross Country Team.

 The Senior Varsity letter blanket ceremony is one of the highlights of the Northside Cross Country banquet. It is the highest honor a Senior athlete on the Cross Country Team can be given at the Banquet. The Northside Cross Country Team is currently the only sport at Northside College Prep that awards Varsity letter blankets. To earn a Varsity letter in Cross Country, a Northside athlete must finish among the Top 7 athletes on the Team in a Varsity Race (in Wisconsin Top 8), or run a minimum of 500 Miles in the summer for an automatic Varsity letter, or be a Senior Captain for an automatic Varsity letter.

VARSITY SENIOR BLANKET
Senior Athletes who have earned 1 or more Varsity letters

The blankets were embroidered with each Athlete’s Name, Northside College Prep Cross Country, a Varsity letter “N”, along with a Silver Star for each Varsity letter earned in Cross Country during their Athletic Career, and a Gold Star for each year as Team Captain

MEN       
(1) Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss  4 Silver, 3 Gold, (2) Cooper Eben 3 Silver, 1 Gold (3) Jiasong Yang 4 Silver (4) Forrest Cortes 1 Silver.

WOMEN
(1) Bessie Nolan 3 Silver, 1 Gold, (2) Yesenia Valadez 2 Silver, (3) Merita Bushi 2 Silver (4) Simmone Seymour 1 Silver.

Track & Field Winter Training logs

Team Yearbooks, and Track & Field Winter Training logs will also be distributed at the 2009 Cross Country banquet.

 On Saturday, October 31, 2009, the Northside College Prep Varsity Women Cross Country Team traveled to Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois for the IHSA Sectional Championships. The meet featured 20 Teams on the starting line, fighting for the Top 5 spots to advance to the IHSA State Championships, and the top 7 spots for individuals on non-advancing Teams. All 20 Teams had to earn their way to the IHSA Sectional Championship meet, by placing in the top 5 in their respective Regional.  

 York won the 2009 IHSA Sectional Championship with 38 points. Congratulations to Coach Annette Schulte and the York Coaching Staff. Whitney Young finished in second place with 89 points to qualify for the State Championships for the third consecutive year! Congratulations to Coach Geiger and the Whitney Young Coaching Staff. New Trier finished in third place 106 points. Niles West finished in fourth place with 172 points. Loyola Academy secured the final spot to advance to the State Championships with 183 points.

 The last individual qualifer for the 2009 State Championships was Lake Park Sophomore Meghan Duggan with an outstanding time of 19:25.

 Mather High School had very strong performances from all three of their individual Sectional qualifiers. Mather Senior Marily Angel ran an outstanding time of 20:50.07. Mather Freshman Aracelli Guiterrez ran an outstanding time of 20:53.23. Mather Freshman Marija Betinski ran an outstanding time of 20:54.23.

 The Northside Varsity Women finished in 17th place with 514 points, and posted victories over Von Steuben (549 points), De La Salle (616 points), and Proviso East (622 points). The Northside Varsity Women had a record of 3-16 on the day, and a final season record of 109-106.

 Junior Karlyn Gehring led the Mustangs by placing 94th overall with an outstanding time of 21:17.71. Captain Karlyn Gehring ran the first mile in 6:32, and then ran the second mile in 7:28 (14:00), and then ran the final mile in a NEGATIVE SPLIT of 7:17 on the final mile for an outstanding time of 21:17.71.

 Junior Su Yang finished second for the Mustangs by placing 97th overall with an outstanding time of 21:31.34. Captain Su Yang ran the first mile in 6:50, and then ran the second mile in 7:24 (14:14), and then ran the final mile in a NEGATIVE SPLIT of 7:18 on the final mile for an outstanding time of 21:31.34.

 Senior Simmone Seymour finished third for the Mustangs by placing 103rd overall with a PERSONAL BEST time of 21:52.49. Simmone Seymour dropped 13 seconds from the Pat Savage Invitational! Simmone Seymour is one of the most improved athletes on the Team. She started the year on the Junior Varsity Team, and worked her way up to becoming the third fastest runner on the Team. Simmone Seymour ran the first mile in 7:18, and then ran the second mile in 7:33 (14:51), and then ran a NEGATIVE SPLIT of 7:01 on the final mile for a PERSONAL BEST time of 21:52.49. Among other honors, Simmone Seymour will be awarded a Senior Varsity letter blanket at the Team Banquet. 

 Senior Bessie Nolan finished fourth for the Mustangs by placing 105th overall with an outstanding time of 21:55.58. Captain Bessie Nolan ran the first mile in 6:50, and then ran the second mile in 7:41 (14:31), and then ran the final mile in a NEGATIVE SPLIT of 7:24 for an outstanding time of 21:55.58. Bessie Nolan has also been an outstanding senior leader for the Varsity Women this season. Among other honors, Bessie Nolan will be awarded a Senior Varsity letter blanket at the Team Banquet.

 Junior Maggie Ivanova finished fifth for the Mustangs to complete the scoring by placing 115th overall with an outstanding time of 22:31.13. Maggie Ivanova ran the first mile in 7:12, and then ran the second mile in 7:29 (14:41), and then ran the final mile in 7:50 for an outstanding time of 22:31.13.

 Senior Merita Bushi finished sixth for the Mustangs and 116th overall with an outstanding time of 22:36.97. Merita Bushi ran the first mile in 6:52, and then ran the second mile in 8:03 (14:55), and then ran the final mile in a NEGATIVE SPLIT of 7:41 for an outstanding time of 22:36.97. Among other honors, Merita Bushi will be awarded a Senior Varsity letter blanket at the Team Banquet.

 Sophomore Karly Raber finished seventh for the Mustangs and 119th overall with an outstanding time of 22:54.12. Karly Raber ran the first mile in 7:08, and then ran the second mile in 7:52 (15:00), and then ran the final mile in 7:54 for an outstanding time of 22:54.12. 

 On Saturday, October 24, 2009, the Northside Varsity Men and Northside Varsity Women traveled to Harms Woods in Skokie, Illinois for the IHSA Regional Championships. The IHSA Regional Championships determines the final five Teams for IHSA Sectional Championships at Niles West High School on October 31, 2009. The meet featured New Trier, Niles North, Northside College Prep, Niles West, Mather, Evanston, Notre Dame, Ressurection, and host Loyola Academy.

 At a Team breakfast on Friday, former Northside Assistant Coach Jose Nebrida gave an emotional speech, in which he announced his resignation to care for his wife, who is suffering from breast cancer, and asked the Varsity Men and Varsity Women Teams to qualify for Sectionals in honor of his wife, Elizabeth. Jose Nebrida would not be at the meet, but would be waiting for a call from Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon with the results.

 Only the top five teams qualify for IHSA Sectional Championships. The Northside Varsity Men knew they would qualify, and as a result, had one of their hardest training weeks of the season in preparation for IHSA Sectionals on October 31, 2009. However, the Northside Varsity Women were big underdogs.

 The Northside Varsity Women were ranked sixth in the Region prior to the meet, and had to overcome a Mather Team that had beat them by 29 points at the CPS Championships, a week earlier.

 On Saturday morning, Elizabeth Nebrida received pink roses delivered to her home, and the Team wore pink gloves in her honor.

 The Northside Women had one of their best meets of the season, and upset Mather for the final qualifying spot to advance to the IHSA Sectional Championships by a score of 165-169!

 The Northside Men also qualified for the IHSA Sectional Championships with a score of 121 points for fourth place, and posted victories over Niles West, Mather, Notre Dame, and Evanston!

 After the meet, Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon called Jose and Elizabeth Nebrida with the good news, that both the Varsity Men and Varsity Women honored Elizabeth Nebrida by qualifying for the IHSA Sectional Championships! The race results, pink flowers, and pink gloves, made the Nebrida family very happy. Elizabeth Nebrida wanted to thank all of the Northside Athletes for their kindness and support.

"Congratulations! Northside Cross Country Varsity Team. You are the greatest. I am very proud of you. From the bottom of our hearts, my wife, Elizabeth and I, would like thank you very much for wearing pink gloves to honor us at the regionals. You are... wonderful human beings. We love you all. God bless all of you." -Jose Nebrida.

 On Saturday, October 24, 2009, the Northside Varsity Men traveled to Harms Woods in Skokie, Illinois for the IHSA Regional Championships. The Regional featured Notre Dame, New Trier, Northside College Prep, Niles North, Niles West, Mather, Evanston, and host Loyola Academy. The Top five teams advance to the IHSA Sectional Championship on October 31, 2009. 

 At Harms Woods, the Northside Mustangs were greeted by among others, Craig Kittaka, Craig Williams, Josh Williams, Neal Capapas, and Andrew Czyszczon.

 The IHSA Regional featured the number one ranked Team in Illinois, Loyola Academy. The experience of racing Loyola, New Trier, and Niles North prior to the IHSA Sectional Championship meet was priceless.     

 Loyola Academy won the 2009 IHSA Regional Championships. New Trier finished in second place. Niles North finished in third place. Northside College Prep finished in fourth place with 121 points, and posted victories over Niles West (133 points), Mather (156 points), Evanston (167 points), and Notre Dame (208 points). The Northside Varsity Men were 4-3 on the day, and now have a season record of 179-37!!!  

 The course was very difficult because the heavy rains from the last two days, turned the back portion of the course into a sponge, with several stretches of thick mud along the course, causing many teams to lose their shoes. The course was marked every half-mile of the race.  

 Loyola Academy was led by Senior Nico Composto. Nico Composto won the IHSA Regional title with an outstanding time of 15:24.21. New Trier Junior Tommy King finished in second place with an oustanding time of 15:32.70. New Trier Senior Noah Graboys finished in third place with an outstanding time of 15:33.50. Loyola Academy Senior Mark Donohue finished in fourth place with an outstanding time of 15:39.05. Loyola Academy Senior Jack Seeberg finished in fifth place with an outstanding time of 15:41.61.

 Northside Senior Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss held his own against the number one ranked Team in Illinois, with an outstanding performance, by running with the lead pack the entire race, and placing sixth overall with an outstanding time of 15:44.24. The experience was priceless, and will help Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss qualify for the State Championships next week. Captain Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss ran the first 800m in 2:28, and then ran the next 800m in 2:37 for a mile split of 5:05, and then ran the next 800m in 2:40 (7:45), and then ran the next 800m in 2:42 for a two miles split of (5:22) 10:27, and then ran the next 800m in a negative split of 2:41 (13:08), and then ran the final 800m in another negative split of 2:36 (5:17) for an outstanding time of 15:44.24.    

 Loyola Academy Senior Patrick Smith finished in seventh place with an outstanding time of 15:57.28. Niles West Senior George Davros finished in eighth place with an outstanding time of 15:59.02. Loyola Sophomore William Hague finished in ninth place with an outstanding time of 16:07.02. Niles North Junior Kosta Papazoglou finished in tenth place with an outstanding time of 16:07.56.

 Loyola Academy Junior Mac Ford finished in eleventh place with an outstanding time of 16:07.84. Loyola Academy Senior Clark Gapen finished in twelfth place with an outstanding time of 16:08.27. The third runner for New Trier, Sophomore Leland Later finished in 13th place with an outstanding time of 16:19.27.

 Northside Senior Cooper Eben finished second for the Mustangs and 19th overall with an outstanding time of 16:27.62. Captain Cooper Eben ran the first 800m in 2:32, and then ran the next 800m in 2:48 for a mile split of 5:20, and then ran the next 800m in a negative split of 2:45 (8:05), and then ran the next 800m in 2:51 for a two miles split of (5:36) 10:56, and then ran the next 800m in a negative split of 2:50 (13:46), and then ran the final 800m in another negative split of 2:41 (5:31) for an outstanding time of 16:27.62.

 Northside Junior Wesley Laytham finished third for the Mustangs and 25th overall with an outstanding time of 16:45.54. Captain Wesley Laytham ran the first 800m in 2:32, and then ran the next 800m in 2:47 for a mile split of 5:19, and then ran the next 800m in a split of 2:52 (8:11), and then ran the next 800m in 2:57 for a two miles split of (5:49) 11:08, and then ran the next 800m in a negative split of 2:52 (14:00), and then ran the final 800m in another negative split of 2:45 (5:37) for an outstanding time of 16:45.54.

 Northside Junior Charlie Mesimore finished fourth for the Mustangs and 35th overall with a time of 17:20.61. Captain Charlie Mesimore ran the first 800m in 2:30, and then ran the next 800m in 2:44 for a mile split of 5:14, and then ran the next 800m in 2:54 (8:08), and then ran the next 800m in 3:06 for a two miles split of (6:00) 11:14, and then ran the next 800m in a split of 3:07 (14:21), and then ran the final 800m in a negative split of 2:59 (6:06) for a time of 17:20.61.  

 Northside Junior Erik Zuehlke finished fifth for the Mustangs to complete the scoring and 36th overall with a time of 17:21.02. Erik Zuehlke ran the first 800m in 2:37, and then ran the next 800m in 2:50 for a mile split of 5:27, and then ran the next 800m in 2:56 (8:23), and then ran the next 800m in 3:01 for a two miles split of (5:57) 11:24, and then ran the next 800m in a split of 3:03 (14:27), and then ran the final 800m in a negative split of 2:54 (5:57) for a time of 17:21.02.

 Northside Sophomore Pat Duffy finished sixth for the Mustangs and 45th overall with a PERSONAL BEST time of 18:05.69. Pat Duffy ran the first 800m in 2:44, and then ran the next 800m in 2:56 for a mile split of 5:40, and then ran the next 800m in 3:08 (8:23), and then ran the next 800m in a negative split of 3:01 for a two miles split of (6:20) 12:00, and then ran the next 800m in a split of 3:11 (15:11), and then ran the final 800m in a negative split of 2:54 (6:05) for a personal best time of 18:05.69. 

 Northside Junior Fahad Sarvari finished seventh for the Mustangs and 51st overall with a time of 18:30.71. Fahad Sarvari ran the first 800m in 2:37, and then ran the next 800m in 2:50 for a mile split of 5:27, and then ran the next 800m in 3:03 (8:30), and then ran the next 800m in 3:11 for a two miles split of (5:44) 11:41, and then ran the next 800m in a split of 3:20 (15:01), and then ran the final 800m in a 3:29 (6:49) for a time of 18:30.71.

 After the awards ceremony, Loyola, Evanston, and Northside College Prep held an alternates race for runners #8 - #12. The alternates race, among other things, gives runners #8 - #12 the opportunity to make the Varsity for IHSA Sectionals. Loyola had a change in their seventh runner for IHSA Sectionals.

 In the alternates race, Junior Luis Gaytan led the Mustangs with a time of 19:03. Luis Gaytan ran the first mile in 5:55, and then ran the second mile in 6:42 (12:37), and then ran the final mile in a negative split of 6:26 for a time of 19:03. 

 Junior Ed Moreno finished second for the Mustangs in the alternates race with a time of 19:10. Ed Moreno ran the first mile in 5:55, and then ran the second mile in 6:43 (12:38), and then ran the final mile in a negative split of 6:32 for a time of 19:10.

 Sophomore Jusuf Skelic finished third for the Mustangs in the alternates race with a time of 19:35. Jusuf Skelic ran the first mile in 5:55, and then ran the second mile in 6:59 (12:54), and then ran the final mile in a negative split of 6:41 for a time of 19:35.

 Freshman Brendan Kelly finished fourth for the Mustangs in the alternates race with a PERSONAL BEST time of 20:12. Brendan Kelly ran the first mile in 6:34, and then ran the second mile in 6:54 (13:28), and then ran the final mile in a negative split of 6:44 for a personal best time of 20:12. 

 Northside Senior Jiasong Yang never made it to the meet from the ACT Exam. 

 The Northside Mustangs had an outstanding training week, including eye-popping mile repeats, and are looking forward to tapering for the IHSA Sectionals. The Northside College Prep Mustangs will travel to Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois for the IHSA Sectional Championships on Saturday, October 31, 2009. The Top 5 Teams will advance to the IHSA State Championships, and the Top 7 athletes on non-qualifying Teams will also advance to the IHSA State Championships. The Varsity Men will race at 11 am. The open race will take place at 11:30 am. The bus will leave for the IHSA Sectional Championships at 7:30 am on Saturday, October 31, 2009.  A Top 5 finish at IHSA Sectionals will qualify the Mustangs for the IHSA State Championships!!!

 On Saturday, October 24, 2009, the Northside Varsity Women traveled to Harms Woods in Skokie, Illinois for the IHSA Regional Championships. The Regional featured Ressurection, New Trier, Northside College Prep, Niles North, Niles West, Mather, Evanston, and host Loyola Academy. The Top five teams advance to the IHSA Sectional Championship on October 31, 2009.

 New Trier won the 2009 IHSA Regional Championship. Loyola Academy finished in second place. Niles West finished in third place. Evanston finished in fourth place. Northside College Prep finished in fifth place to qualify for the IHSA Sectional Championships with 165 points, and posted victories over: 6. Mather 169 points, 7. Niles North 198 points, and 8. Resurrection 201 points. The Northside Varsity Women had a record of 3-4 on the day, and now have a season record of 106-90.

 The Northside Varsity Women were led by Karlyn Gehring. Karlyn Gehring finished in 25th place overall with a time of 20:56. Karlyn Gehring ran the first 800m in 3:01, and then ran the next 800m in 3:26 for a mile split of 6:27. Karlyn Gehring ran the second mile in 7:13 (13:40), and then ran the final mile in 7:16 for an outstanding time of 20:56.27.  

 Captain Su Yang finished second for the Mustangs and in 29th place overall with a time of 21:16.50.

 Captain Bessie Nolan finished third for the Mustangs and in 30th place overall with a time of 21:28.52.

 Although the Northside Varsity Women qualified for IHSA Sectional Championships, three Northside alternates earned the right to run for the Varsity at the IHSA Sectional Championships by running a faster time than members of the Varsity in the open race. This will make the Mustangs a better Team at IHSA Sectionals. The athletes subsituted for, will have an opportunity in the open race at IHSA Sectionals to re-earn their Top 7 spot on the TEAM.

 The fourth fastest time of the day came in the alternates race. Northside Senior Simmone Seymour ran an outstanding time of 22:19.00, and will run in the Varsity race for the Mustangs at the IHSA Sectional Championships.

 The fifth fastest time of the day came in the alternates race. Northside Senior Merita Bushi ran an outstanding time of 22:38.00, and will run in the Varsity race for the Mustangs at the IHSA Sectional Championships.

 The sixth fastest time of the day came in the alternates race. Northside Sophomore Karly Raber ran an outstanding time of 22:42.00, and will run in the Varsity race for the Mustangs at the IHSA Sectional Championships. 

 The seventh fastest time of the day came in the Varsity race. Junior Maggie Ivanova finished fourth for the Mustangs in the Varsity race by placing 40th overall with a time of 22:47.28. 

 The following athletes will race in the Open race at IHSA Sectionals, and can still earn an IHSA Sectional Qualifer Statue by running a Northside Top 7 time at IHSA Sectionals.

 The eighth fastest time of the day came in the Varsity race. Junior Dava Batjargal finished fifth for the Mustangs in the Varsity race to complete the scoring by placing 41st overall with a time of 22:48.55.

 The ninth fastest time of the day came in the Varsity race. Junior Yesenia Valadez finished sixth for the Mustangs in the Varsity race by placing 42nd overall with a time of 22:55.09.

 The tenth fastest time of the day came in the Varsity race. Freshman Taylor Provax finished seventh for the Mustangs in the Varsity race by placing 44th overall with a time of 23:00.43.

 The eleventh fastest time of the day came in the open race. Freshman Phoebe Randell ran an outstanding time of 23:01.00.

 The twelfth fastest time of the day came in the open race. Freshman Anna Pezanoski-Cohen ran an outstanding time of 23:34.00.

 The Northside Women will travel to Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois for the IHSA Sectional Championships on Saturday, October 31, 2009. The Varsity Women will race at 10 am. The Top 5 Teams in the IHSA Sectional will advance to the State Championships. The Top 7 athletes on non-advancing Teams will also qualify for the State Championships.

 On Friday, October 23, 2009, the Northside Top 12 Men and Top 12 Women ran to IHOP for a Team Breakfast, held in their honor.

 At the conclusion of breakfast, Northside Assistant Coach Jose Nebrida gave an emotional speech to the Team and coaching staff, that this would be his last practice at Northside, and he was retiring today from coaching to help care for his wife, who is fighting cancer. His wife, also resigned today from her position as a grammer school principal.

 The Northside Varsity Men and Varsity Women pledged to dedicate the IHSA Regional meet to Jose Nebrida. Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon will call him after the meet with the results.  

 Jose Nebrida had a tremendous impact for the Mustangs, providing water and collecting place cards for the athletes at the finish line, and helping inspire and motivate new athletes to learn the sport. Northside athletes could always count on Jose Nebrida to be at the finish line of every meet with a bottle of water, and a high five, regardless of their performance in a meet. He was also a big help to the coaching staff by helping time athletes in practice, and helped manage the Northside Weight room. He will be greatly missed by the Team and coaching staff.

 Jose Nebrida is a National Treasure. Coach Jose Nebrida didn't start running until he was 44 years old, and became one of the only Americans to run a marathon in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. At the age of 67, he runs with an American Flag in each Marathon that he runs to honor the victims and heroes of the 9/11 attacks on America.  

  Nebrida has received recognition nationwide. In Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Mills's California home, one wing of the house contains a sports museum. The museum features, among other things, a pair of boxing gloves signed by Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time, and a basketball signed by Bulls legend Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time. In the museum, there is only TWO marathoners. The first one is Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Mills, and the second one is former Northside Assistant Coach Jose Nebrida.

 The Northside Boys Sportsmanship Award is currently named after Alumni Joey Paquette. The Northside Girls Sportsmanship Award, effective in 2009, will be named after Jose Nebrida.

  The IHSA Regional Championship Meet will take place on Saturday, October 24, 2009 at Harms Woods on the corner of Golf road and Harms.

  The bus will depart for the IHSA Regional Championship at 12:00 pm. The course will be available for viewing begining at 12:30 pm on race day.

  The Varsity Women will race at 2:00 pm. The Varsity Men will race at 2:45 pm.

  After the Awards Ceremony, a race between each schools #8 - #12 runners will take place. For the alternates race, runners will be sent out in two waves, girls first, and then boys. Loyola will provide rabbits to help pace athletes to faster times.

   The Northside Varsity Men will be seeking to qualify for IHSA Sectional Championships for the third consecutive year, and the Northside Varsity Women will be seeking to qualify for the IHSA Sectional Championships for the fourth consecutive year.

 On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Northside Varsity Men awoke at dawn for a 7:30 am departure from Northside College Prep to Washington Park for the Chicago Public League Cross Country Championships. The bus driver entertained the Team on the way to the meet, by blasting the song, "Don't Stop believin" by Journey, all the way to Washington Park.

  At Washington Park, the Northside Mustangs were greeted by among others, Northside Alumni legend Patrick O'Connor, Principal Barry Rodgers, Athletic Director Andrew Mayer, Chad Ware, Dave Ullrich, Craig Williams, and Skip Stolley.   

  The Northside Mustangs have been training since June 2009 in preparation for the IHSA State Series, and the Mustangs wanted to go into the IHSA State Series with a City Title. The Mustangs also needed only nine more wins to break the school record for wins in a season.    

 The 2009 Chicago Public League Cross Country Championships was the largest conference meet in the United States, with a record 58 schools entered in the meet, and 40 schools and 175 runners in the Varsity division. The Northside Mustangs responded with their greatest TEAM performance in school history to WIN the 2009 CPS Cross Country Championships!

 The bigger victory that day may have been the one experienced by each athlete, parent, or fan, who got to witness the seven greatest individuals in Northside history get their first reward of the season, by winning the City Title!!! 

 On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Mustangs were on the starting line in box number 39, ready for the start of the race when a hail storm hit all 40 Teams on the line. The Northside Varsity Men showed their mental toughness by cheering as they were being hit by hail. Nothing bothered the Mustangs, not the cold weather, not the rain or the hail storm. They loved every minute of it, and were completely focused on their goal of bringing a City Championship to Northside.

 As the hail continued to fall, IHSA Official Homer Thomas fired the gun for start of the race.

 The Northside Mustangs were led by Senior Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss. In one year, Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss went from finishing in 8th place overall (2008) to finishing 2nd overall with an outstanding time of 15:37.16! Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss dropped 31 seconds from the Pat Savage Invitational! Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss is one of the most improved athletes in the conference, and led the Northside Mustangs to a City Title in his final CPS Championship race! Captain Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss was honored with a Medal for placing second overall, and an All City T-shirt for placing in the top twenty. Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss has been one of the Mustangs Team Captains since his Sophomore year of high school, and his work ethic, and leadership skills have been instrumental to the success of the Team. 

 Northside Senior Cooper Eben finished second for the Mustangs and sixth overall with an outstanding time of 15:51.59! Cooper Eben dropped 21 seconds from the Pat Savage Invitational! In one year, Cooper Eben went from finishing in 10th place overall (2008) to finishing sixth overall! Captain Cooper Eben was honored with a Medal for placing sixth overall, and an All City T-shirt for placing in the top twenty. Cooper Eben is an outstanding Team Captain, and his work ethic is incredible. He has run 500 or more miles for three consecutive summers, and Cooper Eben never leaves the weight room on a lower body training day, without putting multiple 45 lbs weights on the squat rack.

 Northside Junior Charlie Mesimore finished third for the Mustangs and ninth overall with a SEASON BEST time of 16:05.63! Charlie Mesimore dropped 34 seconds from the Pat Savage Invitational!!! Captain Charlie Mesimore was honored with a Medal for placing ninth overall, and an All City T-shirt for placing in the top twenty. Charlie Mesimore is an outstanding Team Captain, and his determination is second to none. Charlie Mesimore was so determined to run 500 miles this summer in preparation for the season, that when he was forced to stop running due to an August stress fracture after reaching the 400 miles barrier, he still found a way to overcome it, and ran the final 100 miles in a swimming pool to reach his goal of 500 miles for the summer. His work ethic is also incredible. On a rare occassion, when the Northside Coaching staff gives the Team the day off from doing 50 push-ups and 50 crunches before a practice, Charlie Mesimore still stays on the ground, and does every single one of them.

  Northside Junior Wesley Laytham finished fourth for the Mustangs and 11th overall with an outstanding time of 16:17.45! Wesley Laytham dropped 22 seconds from the Pat Savage Invitational!!! In one year, Wesley Laytham went from finishing in 13th place (2008) overall to 11th place overall! Captain Wesley Laytham was honored with a Medal for placing 11th overall, and an All City T-shirt for placing in the top twenty. Wesley Laytham is an outstanding Team Captain and his work ethic is incredible. He arrives early to practice everyday, and is always one of the last athletes to leave the weight room. Every Thursday night, due to a schedule conflict, he comes to practice after his teammates have already started and/or completed practice, and doesn't leave until he finishes the entire workout.  Wesley Laytham's mental toughness is also second to none. In the final mile of every race, he finds a way from deep within himself to pass a record number of runners every race, and his finishing kicks are legendary.

 Northside Junior Fahad Sarvari finished fifth for the Mustangs to complete the scoring and 20th overall with an outstanding time of 16:40.86. Lane Tech's Jimmy Orellana (16:39.30, 18th place), and Jones College Prep Freshman Jamison Dale (16:40.46, 19th place) out kicked Fahad Sarvari at the finish line. Fahad Sarvari earned All City honors, but did not receive a Top twenty Medal or an All City T-shirt, despite finishing 20th overall. When Fahad Sarvari was going through the finish chute, the race official dropped the race number tags, and when the official picked them back up, he inadvertently placed them out of order, and Fahad Sarvari was mistakenly given a place of 26th overall and a time of 16:46.26. The Northside coaching staff had Fahad Sarvari timed in 16:40, and did suspect a scoring error at the meet, but the error had no effect on the outcome of the meet, so no challenge was made. Northside received confirmation on Saturday evening, from the Lane Tech and Mather coaching staffs that the tags were dropped in the finish chute, and that an error was made. On Sunday morning, the Northside coaching staff received additional photographic evidence of the finish, clearly showing Fahad Sarvari finishing in 20th place, and not 26th place. A protest was filed with the CPS. The Jones College Prep coaching staff, and the 19th place runner confirmed that Fahad Sarvari finished directly behind him for 20th place. The CPS has resolved the matter, and is issuing a 20th place Medal and All City T-shirt to Fahad Sarvari for placing 20th overall. On Sunday evening, the CPS Cross Country Country Advisory Committee signed a contract to add Chip Timing, and a Video Tape Finish for the 2010 CPS Cross Country Championships, to prevent this from happening again. Also, there was a similar error in the Sophomore division, to a Lane Tech runner, who finished 14th, but was not even listed in the race results after race number tags were accidently dropped by the same race official in the Sophomore race. A Medal has also been issued by the CPS to the Lane Tech runner in the Sophomore race. 

 More importantly, Fahad Sarvari ran his best race of the season, with a personal best time of 16:40.86. Fahad Sarvari dropped 58 seconds from the Pat Savage Invitational!!! Prior to the CPS Championships, Fahad Sarvari had been the Mustangs seventh runner, and went from seventh man to fifth man in one day! Fahad Sarvari showed incredible guts and determination and came through big for the TEAM to put them over the top.

 Northside Senior Jiasong Yang finished sixth for the Mustangs and 35th overall with an outstanding time of 17:09.12. Jiasong Yang dropped 12 seconds from the Pat Savage Invitational!

 Northside Junior Erik Zuehlke finished seventh for the Mustangs and 37th overall with a PERSONAL BEST time of 17:16.99. Erik Zuehlke battled through a side stich, and still dropped 19 seconds from the Pat Savage Invitational! 

 Northside WON 2009 City Title with an official score of 44 points, and posted victories over (2) Lane Tech 60 points, (3) Mather 64 points, (4) Whitney Young 116 points, (5) Jones College Prep 157 points, (6) Lake View 221 points, (7) Payton 231 points, (8) Kenwood Academy 257 points, (9) Curie 274 points, (10) Kennedy 315 points, (11) Hubbard 327 points, (12) Little Village 363 points, (13) Noble Street 368 points, (14) Gage Park 388 points, (15) Kelly 406 points, (16) Schurz 410 points, (17) Du Sable 486 points, (18) Morgan Park 490 points, (19) Marine Military Academy 493 points, (20) Fenger 502 points, (21) Manley 568 points, Lincoln Park, Chicago Mather & Science, Juarez, Rickover Naval Academy, Hyde Park, Steinmetz, Urban Prep, Von Steuben, George Washington, Austin, Corliss, Kelvyn Park, Hancock, Lindblom, Al Raby, Dunbar, Harper, Bowen, and Simeon. The Northside Varsity Men were 39-0 on the day, and now have a season record of 175-34!!!  

  In a ceremony following the meet, the Northside Mustangs were presented with a Gold plated Chicago Public League Athletic Association Championship Shield. CPS Cross Country Coordinator Cyrus McGinnis also presented City Champion Medals to the Northside Varsity Men, the entire coaching staff, and each member of the Northside Top 12. The Northside Team Captains also poured a cooler of ice water over Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon in celebration of the Mustangs first City Title!!!

 The Gold Plated Chicago Public Athletic Association Championship Shield will be put on display inside the main entrance of Northside College Prep, and will be later moved to a permenant location in the Northside Trophy case.

 On Saturday evening, Northside Head Coach Jon Gordon continued a long time CPS tradition, of the winning coach, taking the coaching staffs of Lane Tech, Mather, Whitney Young, and Lake View for dinner at Kelly's Grill to celebrate the conclusion of the CPS Championships.   

 In the Spring, the Northside Mustangs will be honored again at a special dinner at the Hyatt Regency, to honor all of the City Championship Teams for each sport in the Chicago Public League.

 A special thanks to Bob Geiger, Kris Roof, Tony Jones, Dale DeVinney, Ivan Sarudi, Eric Weigmann, Derek Calhoun and all members of the CPS Cross Country Advisory Committee for all of their hard work in helping set up Washington Park in preparation for the largest conference meet in the history of the United States, and for all of the hours spent stuffing race packets the night before the meet. 

  On Monday, October 19, 2009, the Northside Mustangs will meet at 3:45 pm for Team meeting in the Teacher's lounge to vote on awards, collect banquet ticket orders, and collect uniforms from the Junior Varsity, Sophomore, and Freshman teams. Athletes in the Northside Top 12 will have practice after the Team meeting, in preparation for IHSA Regionals. 

WIN = What's Important Now?

 During the IHSA State Series, the Mustangs are allowed to carry a maximum roster of 12 Men and 12 Women to each post-season meet. Although only 7 athletes race in the IHSA Regional Championships, IHSA Sectional Championships, and IHSA State Championships, all 12 athletes travel to ALL post-season meets as alternates, and get the opportunity to race alternates from other teams with the possibility of earning a Top 7 spot for the next post-season meet. The experience is priceless. All roster spots were determined by the results of the CPS Championship meet.

1. Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss             Senior

2. Cooper Eben                                   Senior

3. Charlie Mesimore                           Junior

4. Wesley Laytham                             Junior

5. Fahad Sarvari                                 Junior

6. Jiasong Yang                                  Senior

7. Erik Zuehlke                                    Junior

8. Pat Duffy                                          Sophomore

9. Luis Gaytan                                     Junior

10. Ed Moreno                                    Junior

11. Jusuf Skelic                                   Sophomore

12. Brendan Kelly                               Freshman

Note:  Due to a non-running medical issue, Northside Senior Forrest Cortes is unable to complete the season, and the Mustangs are hoping he is healthy soon.

NORTHSIDE TOP 12 WOMEN

1. Karlyn Gehring                               Junior

2. Bessie Nolan                                  Senior

3. Su Yang                                           Junior

4. Yesenia Valadez                            Senior

5. Maggie Ivanova                              Junior

6. Taylor Provax                                  Freshman

7. Dava Batjargal                                Junior

8. Phoebe Randall                              Freshman

9. Simmone Seymour                        Senior

10. Merita Bushi                                 Senior  

11. Karly Raber                                  Sophomore

12. Anna Pezanoski-Cohen              Freshman

 On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Northside Freshman Girls traveled to Washington Park for the Chicago Public League Cross Country Championships. Medals and All City T-shirts were awarded to the top twenty athletes in the Freshman Girls race.

 The Northside Freshman Girls were led by Taylor Provax. Taylor Provax finished in third place overall with a personal best time of 13:47.60. Taylor Provax was awarded a Medal for placing third overall. Taylor Provax will run Varisty for the Mustangs at the IHSA Regional Championships on Saturday, October 24, 2009. 

 Phoebe Randall finished second for the Mustangs and sixth overall with a personal best time of 14:19.79. Phoebe Randall was awarded a Medal for placing sixth overall. Phoebe Randall also ran a Northside Top 12 Time! 

 Anna Pezanoski-Cohen finished third for the Mustangs and 14th overall with a personal best time of 14:57.91. Anna Pezanoski-Cohen was awarded a Medal for placing 14th overall. Anna Pezanoski-Cohen also ran a Northside Top 12 time! 

 Hyunji Ward finished fourth for the Mustangs and 16th overall with a personal best time of 15:08.75. Hyunji Ward was awarded a Medal for placing 16th overall.

 Claire Scheib-Feeley finished fifth for the Mustangs to complete the scoring and 23rd overall with a personal best time of 15:52.17.

 Eva Stoops finished sixth for the Mustangs and 40th overall with a personal best time of 17:32.64.

 Ryan Speese finished seventh for the Mustangs and 41st overall with a personal best time of 17:35.34.

 The Northside Freshman Girls finished in third place overall! The Northside Freshman Girls will receive their Freshman Numerals and will be honored on November 11, 2009 at Hackney's in Glenview, Illinois at the 2009 Northside Cross Country Banquet.

 On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Northside Freshman Boys traveled to Washington Park for the 2009 Chicago Public League Cross Country Championships. Medals and All City T-shirts were awarded to the top twenty athletes in the Freshman Boys race. 

 The Northside Freshman put seven athletes in the top twenty-two to finish in second place overall in the Chicago Public League Cross Country Championships!!! The Northside Freshman boys received silver medals for placing second overall in the CPS Cross Country Championships, and will also receive CPS Runners-Up Trophies at the November 11, 2009 Northside Cross Country Banquet.

 The Northside Freshman Boys were led by the one-two punch of Brendan Kelly and Alex Bologna.

 Brendan Kelly finished 8th overall with a personal best time of 12:36.58. Brendan Kelly was awarded a Medal for placing 8th overall, and an All City T-shirt for placing in the Top 20 in Chicago! Brendan Kelly ran a Northside Top 12 time!

 Alex Bologna finished second for the Mustangs and 12th overall with a personal best time of 12:42.13. Alex Bologna was awarded a Medal for placing 12th overall, and an All City T-shirt for placing in the Top 20 in Chicago!

 Nick Parker finished third for the Mustangs and 15th overall with a personal best time of 12:47.16. Nick Parker was awarded a Medal for placing 15th overall, and an All City T-shirt for placing in the Top 20 in Chicago! The Mustangs have big time plans for Nick Parker in the 800m run and the 4x800m Relay for the 2010 Track season.

 Chaojie Gonzalez finished fourth for the Mustangs and 18th overall with a personal best time of 12:55.64. Chaojie Gonzalez was awarded a Medal for placing 18th overall, and an All City T-shirt for placing in the Top 20 in Chicago!

  Palwinder Sodhi finished fifth for the Mustangs to complete the scoring and 19th overall with a personal best time of 12:56.90. Palwinder Sodhi was awarded a Medal for placing 19th overall, and an All City T-shirt for placing in the Top 20 in Chicago!

  Brian Glatter finished sixth for the Mustangs and 21st overall with a personal best time of 12:58.24.

 Calvin Gang finished seventh for the Mustangs and 22nd overall with a personal best time of 13:01.50.

 The Northside Freshman Boys finished in second place overall! The Northside Freshman Boys will receive their Freshman Numerals, and CPS Cross Country Championships Second place Trophies at the Northside Cross Country Banquet on November 11, 2009 at Hackney's in Glenview, Illinois.

 On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Northside Sophomore Team traveled to Washington Park for the CPS Championships, without several key athletes due to the PSAT Exam. 

 Members of the Northside Freshman Team were promoted to the Sophomore Team, prior to the meet to help a short handed Northside Sophomore Team.

 The Northside Freshman responded with their best meet of the season, and the remaining Northside Sophomores also came through big time, to put the Mustangs over the top.

 Northside Sophomore Pat Duffy led the Mustangs by placing fourth overall with a PERSONAL BEST time of 11:23:53! Pat Duffy was awarded a Medal for placing fourth overall, and an All City T-shirt for placing in the top twenty. Pat Duffy also ran a Northside Top 12 Time!

 Northside Sophomore Jusuf Skelic finished second for the Mustangs and 35th overall with an outstanding time of 12:32.19. Jusuf Skelic also ran a Northside Top 12 Time!

 Northside Freshman Nathaniel Argharse finished third for the Mustangs and 38th overall with an outstanding time of 12:40.32. 

 Northside Sophomore Pedro Juarez finished fourth for the Mustangs and 42nd overall with an outstanding time of 12:50.67.

 Northside Freshman Griffin Hilly finished fifth for the Mustangs to complete the scoring and 64th overall with a PERSONAL BEST time of 13:45.76.

 Northside Freshman Nick Hill finished sixth for the Mustangs and 66th overall with an outstanding time of 13:54.96.

 Northside Freshman Alex Kritikos finished seventh for the Mustangs and 67th overall with an outstanding time of 13:56.55.  

 The Northside Sophomore-Freshman Boys Team finished in fifth place with 144 points, and posted victories over Kenwood (145 points), Von Steuben (167 points), Harlan (215 points), Jones (215 points), and Noble Street Charter (269 points).

 The Northside Sophomore-Freshman Team will be honored on November 11, 2009 at the Northside Cross Country Banquet at Hackney's in Glenview, Illinois.

 On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Northside Sophomore Team traveled to Washington Park for the CPS Championships. The Sophomore Team was down to a single member due to the PSAT Exam.

 Northside Sophomore Karly Raber ran an outstanding time of 14:39.98 to place 21st overall. Karly Raber ran a Northside Top 12 Time! and will serve as an alternate for the Varsity for the IHSA State Series.

 On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Northside Junior Varsity Boys Team traveled to Washington Park for the CPS Championships.

 The Northside Junior Varsity Boys finished in third place overall with 90 points, and posted victories over: 4. Jones College Prep (116 points), 5. Mather (141 points), 6. North Grand (180 points), 7. Foreman (192 points), 8. Hubbard (198 points), 9. Noble Street College Prep (250 points), and 10. Orr Academy (263 points).

 The Mustangs were led by Senior Forrest Cortes. Forrest Cortes finished in third place overall with an outstanding time of 11:24.32.

 Junior Luis Gaytan finished second for the Mustangs and 19th overall (15th for scoring) with an outstanding time of 12:07.27.

 Junior Ed Moreno finished third for the Mustangs and 24th overall (18th for scoring) with an outstanding time of 12:12.15.

 Senior Peter Wilk finished fourth for the Mustangs and 42nd overall (27th for scoring) with an outstanding time of 13:03.16.

 Northside Sprinter Neal Capapas came out of retirement for the CPS Championships to put the Mustangs over the top. Senior Neal Capapas finished fifth for the Mustangs to complete the scoring and 50th overall (28th for scoring) with an outstanding time of 13:39.79.

 Additional Northside finishers include: 54. Sam Olver 13:54.93, 55. Andrew Czyszczon 13:57.65, 70. Paul Ricks 14:41.72, 73. Kendall Elue 14:54.31, 83. Alfredo Almaraz 15:57.60, 86. Andy Voung 16:09.05, and 115. Ben Mauk O'Connor 21:55.39.

 The Northside Junior Varsity Boys will be honored on November 11, 2009 at the Northside Cross Country Banquet at Hackney's in Glenview, Illinois.

 On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Northside Junior Varsity Girls traveled to Washington Park in Chicago, Illinois for the CPS Championships.

 Lane Tech had the most impressive Junior Varsity Girls performance in the history of the CPS Championships, by placing 1, 3, 5, 6, and 7 for a score of 22 points to win the Junior Varsity Girls City Title.

 The Northside Mustangs were led by Senior Merita Bushi. Merita Bushi finished seventh overall with an outstanding time of 14:33.18. Merita Bushi ran a Northside Top 12 time!

 Northside Senior Rachel Trenchard finished second for the Mustangs and 51st overall with a time of 16:46.60.

 Northside Junior Lindsey Shallberg was unable to finish the race due to an injury. The Mustangs are looking forward to Lindsey Shallberg's upcoming Track & Field season. Lindsey Shallberg can run any event from 100m to two miles, and is also one of the Mustangs top hurdlers.

 The remaining members of the Northside Junior Varsity Girls Team did not compete because of the PSAT Exam.

 The Northside Junior Varsity Girls will be honored on November 11, 2009 at the Northside Cross Country Banquet at Hackney's in Glenview, Illinois.

On Saturday, October 17, 2009, Northside Alumni legend Patrick O'Connor was at Washington Park to greet the Mustangs and celebrate with them as he witnessed the first Chicago Public League Cross Country Title in Northside history!

Northside Alumni legend John Krumsee ran quarters with the Mustangs the week before the CPS Championships, and predicted the victory. A few days later, John Krumsee ran a 2:37 in the Chicago Marathon!

Northside Alumni legend Dan Kittaka personally congratulated the Mustangs by coming to practice on Tuesday to run a Woods run with the TEAM. The entire Kittaka family is planning on coming to the Mustangs IHSA Regional meet!

Northside Alumni legends Eric Nelson, Craig Melhuse, Joey Paquette, James Smith Gratten, Nick Florence, and Mary Shelus are dancing in the streets at the University of Illinois.

Northside Alumni legend Simon Vecchioni did 50 pull-ups and 2000 crunches with a 25 lbs medicine ball at Brown, in honor of the Mustangs victory!!! 

Northside Alumni Jordan Stacey is telling his Cornel teammates about the Mustangs.

Northside Alumni Madde Roche also celebrated the Mustangs victory at Cornel.  

Northside Alumni Jon Kittaka and Rachel Kittaka are telling their Carleton teammates about the Mustangs. 

Northside Alumni Preston Buehrer is celebrating at Boston University, wishing he was in Chicago to see it.

Northside Alumni Joe Terdik is telling everyone at the University of Chicago about the Mustangs. 

Northside Alumni Santino Merino is telling his Oberlin teammates about the Mustangs. 

Northside Alumni Brad Eben is celebrating at Georgetown University.

  The Northside Mustangs cross country parents are organizing a Pasta Dinner on the eve of the City Championships for the entire TEAM. The dinner will be held at Northside in the cafeteria after team practice on Friday, October 16, 2009. 

  If you can help with dinner contributions, please contact Northside parent Ellen Youniss at eyouniss@gmail.com. A special thanks to the Northside parents for enhancing the Northside athletes City Championship experience, and for providing them with the proper nutrition to excel at the City Championships.

   The starting line is along Russel Drive, and the course features a chicago landmark fountain sculpture, completed in 1922, called "The race for time". The course is mostly grass terrian with patches of gravel, and concrete. 

  On Friday, October 16, 2009, the Northside Cross Country Booster club will host a Team Pasta Party after practice in the Northside Cafeteria to provide the Northside Mustangs with proper nutrition the night before the 2009 Chicago Public League Cross Country Championships.

 The 2009 Chicago Public League Championships will take place on Saturday, October 17, 2009. The meet is being sponsored by Universal Sole. Northside College Prep will be taking two buses to the meet. The Northside Freshman Team, and Sophomore Team will leave from Northside College Prep for the Meet at 6:30 am. We need ALL Freshman on the first bus (6:30 am). Due to the PSAT Exam several Freshman will have to run in the Sophomore division instead of the Junior Varsity division. The Northside College Prep Junior Varsity Teams, and Varsity Teams will leave from Northside College Prep for the Meet at 7:30 am. Parents dropping off athletes in the morning, should wait before leaving the campus, until they see a bus present, just in case there is any problems with the Bus arriving on time. Thanks.

  Alumni, Parents, and fans traveling to the meet should take I-94 East to Exit 57 (Garfield road), and stay on Garfield until it merges with 55th Street, and then go one block past Martin Luther King Drive, and Park in front of the Washington Park Fieldhouse and Acquatic Center on Russell drive. (5900 South Payne Drive).

                        CPS Cross Country Championship Time Schedule  

            7:00 AM                      Team Check-In

            8:00 AM                      Freshman Girls            (2.0 Miles)

            9:00 AM                      Sophomore Girls         (2.0 Miles)

            10:00 AM                    Varsity Women           (3.0 Miles)

            10:40 AM                    Varsity Men                 (3.0 Miles)

            11:30 AM                    Junior Varsity Girls      (2.0 Miles)

            12:00 PM                    Junior Varsity Boys     (2.0 Miles)

   The Northside Varsity Men will be seeking their first City Title in school history! The Northside Varsity Women will be seeking their fifth top two finish since 2004. The Mustangs will face great teams from throughout the CPS and it will be one of the most exciting Championship meets in Chicago history.

  On Monday, October 12, 2009, to honor the Northside Sophomore and Freshman Cross Country Teams during City Championship week, all members of the Northside Mustangs will assemble at the Main Entrance of Northside College Prep for an optional practice on Monday, at 7 am, to run as a TEAM to IHOP for breakfast.

  In 2009, the Northside Cross Country Team had their largest number of Sophomore and Freshman athletes in the history of the program.  

  For 89% of the Northside Sophomores and Freshman, City Championship week is their final week of the Cross Country season. As a result, the Northside Coaching staff wants to honor the Northside Sophomore and Freshman Teams during City Championship week for their hard work this season. The Northside coaching staff is also looking forward to their upcoming Track & Field season.

 The Northside Sophomores and Freshman, along with the Northside Top 12, and Junior Varsity Teams, will be honored again at the largest Cross Country banquet in Northside history at Hackney's in Glenview, Illinois, on Wednesday, November 11, 2009.

The Northside College Prep Cross Country Website has been named a "Spotlight" site by its host company eteamz.com. It has been rated as one of the top sites out of over 725,000 sites.