Sports
Excessive heat halts Falcons' first invite race
Officials call off the St. Charles East/Leavey Invitational after earlier runners were treated on the course and taken to the hospital.
Nobody can accuse Wheaton North boys cross country coach Nate Roe of not having a sense of humor.
“Man, it was fast,” Roe said of Saturday’s boys varsity race at the St. Charles East/Leavey Invitational.
It was so fast that it was over in the blink of an eye.
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Moments before the start of the 11 a.m. boys race, officials called off the varsity event due to oppressive heat and humidity, putting an early end to the Falcons’ day.
Several runners who had competed in earlier races struggled with the 86-degree, 60-percent humidity weather and had to be treated on the course and taken by ambulance to nearby Delnor Community Hospital.
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“It was a decision made between the fire chief, Doc (St. Charles East trainer) Nielson and (athletic director) Jim (Bloch),” said St. Charles East assistant athletic director Rob Klemm. “With the amount of kids who had already been taken to the hospital, it was the right decision.”
Roe agreed with the decision.
“The decision to cancel the race was made on the advice of the fire department because they could no longer guarantee transportation for others with heat-related issues,” said Roe. “You can’t just roll the dice and say it’s not going to happen.
“I’m not surprised,” Roe added. “This isn’t the first time that it has happened in a race but it is the first time that it has happened here. Last year, temperatures were in the 60s and it was beautiful. Today, I think the relative humidity is in the 60s or 70s. That’s like the conditions in the Bayou.”
The Falcons entered the season’s first invite with high expectations after their 22nd-place state showing of a year ago.
“It’s disappointing but maybe we’ll find somebody who wants to race for fun this next week,” said Roe. “You’d like to get a measuring stick for your guys. We got it for the majority of them but we didn’t get it for the varsity guys.”
Last season, juniors Aidan Aiken (68th), Sam Hoffman (72nd), and sophomores Wyatt Didier (182nd) and Paul Steeno (183rd) participated in the state meet at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.
They’re all back in 2011.
“We have a lot of experience,” said Roe. “Aidan (Aiken) and Sam (Hoffman) have taken the other guys up another step with their leadership.”
In the frosh-soph race, the Falcons placed eighth (221 points) behind a 10th-place finish from sophomore Joseph Emmanuel (16:37.2). Classmate Chris Stopka finished 32nd (17:12.7).
