Vastly improved Kriss thrives as HP’s No. 1

Highland Park High School’s Veronica Kriss drives to the finish line at the CSL Championships. She took third place in the North Division. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER

Veronica Kriss and Kaitlyn Twadell are best buds.

In fact, the two Highland Park High School cross country runners are “inseparable” according to their coach, Andy Butler.

The buddy system certainly paid off for the HP duo in the Central Suburban League Championships at Glenbrook North on Oct. 15.

Kriss drove to a third-place finish (18:23.68) in the North Division, while Twadell battled to a ninth-place showing (19:06.18).

In fact, it paid off for the whole squad. The 1-2 punch of Kriss and Twadell helped the Giants to a second-place team finish (52 points) behind CSL North newcomer Vernon Hills (18).

“I usually try to hang with her,” said Twadell. “I try to stay with her as long as I can.”

Twadell has found the right buddy — and role model.

Kriss has worked her way to the No. 1 position in the HP lineup.

Work, by the way, is the operative word here.

Butler loves the work ethic of his ace performer.

“I’d have to say she’s the most improved runner that I’ve ever coached here,” said the HP coach. “As a freshman, she was running three miles around 23 or 24 minutes.

“She’s just a kid who really wants it,” Butler added. “She’s tough. She’s gritty. Everything that she’s gotten, she’s earned. She’s really developed a passion for running.”

Despite dealing with some troubling injuries, Kriss has moved to the front of the class. She runs with the leaders.

“She’s medaled in every invite this year,” said Butler. “Right now, I think she’s a little frustrated. She knows that she can run faster than what she did today.

“But she has a left shin injury, and that’s hampered some of her workouts,” the Giants coach added. “She hasn’t been able to do as much volume. Her mileage training is down. Her intervals are down.”

But her spirit remains up. Way up.

“I know that running is going to hurt,” said Kriss, who sustained a couple of stress fractures in her left tibia earlier in her high school career. “But I do it anyway. Injuries come with the sport.

“I’m totally devoted to running,” she added.

Some of her toughness no doubt is gene-pool related. Her mother, Renata, is a marathon runner. Her dad, Doctor Steven Kriss, is a body builder.

“I enter each race looking to go out well and pushing through,” said Kriss, who lived in Okinawa, Japan, prior to enrolling at HPHS four years ago. “The best part is always the finish line. And the cool-downs are pretty cool, too.”

Shortly after being interviewed, Kriss and Twadell, who, by the way, is nursing a right shin injury, went on a cool-down together. ’Cause that’s what best buds do.

But before they left, Kriss had a prediction about Twadell.

“She’s going to be faster than me next year.”

Notable: The other runners helping HP’s cause were two up-and-comers. Freshmen Stephanie Kriss (11^th, 19:34.43) and Jillian Butler (12^th, 19:37.02) picked up all-CSL North accolades (top 14), while senior Robin Israel was the team’s fifth runner (17^th, 20:03.67).

Highland Park Boys

Power in play.

Highland Park came up with a dominating performance to take top honors in the CSL North Division last Saturday at GBN.

Led by senior Jonathan Rosenfeld (2^nd, 15:27.26), the Giants scored 28 points to easily beat rival Deerfield (55 points).

All seven runners earned all-league recognition: junior Alec Glazier (4^th, 15:40.06), junior Fitz Laurie (5^th, 15:45.74), sophomore Jose Reyes (8^th, 15:50.96), senior Charlie Skurie (9^th, 15:55.34), senior Matthew Casey (10^th, 15:55.68) and junior Nate Amster (11^th, 15:57.22).

Glenbrook North Girls

Paced by three freshmen, the host Spartans finished third in Saturday’s CSL North race with 73 points. Freshman Maya Epstein made all-league honors (7^th, 18:46.89) as did fellow freshman Chloe MacMillin (14^th, 19:48.38). Freshman Alexandra Chertok came in 15^th (19:51). The other scorers were sophomore Sarah Sandlow (18^th, 20:05) and junior Emma Cintado (19^th, 20:09).

Glenbrook North Boys

Michael Ocasek, a junior, was the lone all-league performer for the host Spartans in the CSL North boys race on Oct. 15. He placed 14^th in 16:16.30 as GBN took fourth in the division with 91 points. Junior Mike Lee (15^th, 16:16.98) and sophomore Dana Sullivan (16^th, 16:17.29) just missed all-league accolades. Jeffrey Van Spankeren (22^nd) and Simon Lumby (24^th) were the team’s other scorers.

Lake Forest Girls

Brett Chody and Emma Milburn did their thing.

The two junior standouts came away with high finishes in the North Suburban Conference Championships at Adler Park in Libertyville on Oct. 15.

Chody cruised the three-mile course in 18:19.0 to take runner-up honors. She just missed beating Libertyville junior Melissa Manetsch (18:18.20).

Milburn raced to a sixth-place finish in 19:12.80.

The Scouts, who took third place (74 points) behind Stevenson (36) and the host Wildcats (58), also received solid showings from sophomore Courtney Schmidt (16^th, 20:16.40), senior Haley Click (23^rd, 20:31.80) and junior Erika Marchant (28^th, 20:50.70).

Lake Forest Boys

Etienne Najman came up with a top-15 effort in the NSC Championship Meet at Adler Park on Oct. 15. The LF senior ran the three miles in 16:21.80.

Lake Forest tallied 196 points to finish seventh in the team standings. Junior Cameron Redding placed 47^th in 17:40.