New Trier’s Caroline Fix. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER
She still has time to “Fix” this.
She still has time to get the upper hand on Maine South’s Maddie Dingle and Olivia Niziolek.
So far, Maine South’s prized duo has gotten the best of New Trier ace Caroline Fix.
Dingle and Niziolek went 1-2 at the CSL South Championship race on Oct. 15 at Glenbrook North.
Then, on Oct. 22, they repeated that scenario at the Class 3A Loyola Regional.
Third place went to Fix. Both times.
It’s possible that Fix was upset with those finishes.
But you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at her. The senior all-stater (20th at last year’s state meet at Peoria’s Detweiller Park) is fairly stoic before, during and after a three-mile cross country race.
“She’s pretty unshakable,” says NT head coach John Burnside. “She doesn’t take anything personally.”
Chasing isn’t fun in this sport. Seeing the heels of your competitors can be a little disconcerting.
“Hopefully, I’ll move up on them next week,” says Fix, ever the optimist.
Fix cruised the three-mile layout at LA’s Munz Campus in 17:55.3, finishing 12 seconds behind Dingle and 11 seconds in back of Niziolek.
At the league meet, Fix was clocked in 17:43.47. Dingle won in 17:30.04. Niziolek took second in 17:36.56.
Thus, there’s a chunk of time for Fix to make up, when the three runners go at again at the Niles West Sectional on Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. They will be joined by the top runners from the Lake Park and St. Ignatius Regionals.
Fix has a tradition of running well in sectional meets. Last year, at Lake Park, she took ninth overall. Two years ago, at Niles West, she placed 10th.
“She’s grown as runner every year,” says Burnside. “She keeps getting better and better.”
The coach likes that Fix is driven — in practices.
“She’s a determined runner. A tenacious worker,” Burnside says. “She loves practice.
“Grace [Fagen] is the same way,” the NT coach adds. “Both are excellent leaders on a daily basis.”
Fagen placed fifth at the Loyola Regional in 18:33.2. She was followed in by teammates Savannah Noethlich (9th, 18”50.1), Caroline Trukenbrod (10th, 18:57.4), Elizabeth Finnigan (13th, 19:07.8), Meagan Rittmanic (17th, 19:24.9) and Marguerite Solberg (22nd, 19:30.7).
The Trevians took second in the meet with 40 points. Maine South was the champ with 38.
“We ran well as a team today,” says Fix. “We did a better job of communicating with another.”
New Trier Boys
The battle between Maine South’s Reese Jordan and New Trier’s Warren Blood continues.
In fact, it’s tightened.
Only two seconds separated the two distance aces at the Class 3A Loyola Regional on Oct. 22.
Jordan was clocked in 15:14.3. Blood’s time was 15:16.2.
A week earlier, at the CSL South Meet at Glenbrook North High School, Jordan beat Blood by nearly eight seconds.
Meanwhile, Blood’s runner-up showing went a long way in helping New Trier to the team title (38 points). Glenbrook South took second with 77 points, while Loyola (89) and Maine South (96) wound up third and fourth, respectively.
The Trevians had seven runners in the top 17: Patrick Norrick (4th, 15:26.9), Cooper Woolford (7th, 15:50.9), Matt Burke (11th, 15:57.1), Kiran Baakkonen (14th, 16:03.3), Matt Roge (16th, 16:10.7) and Charlie Forbes (17th, 16:15.3).