By Yaakov Rosenberg-
The Running Aces have started their short, two-month 2019 season strong.
After last year’s conference sweep by the Aces, the team lost many important runners, including Yonah Steinberg, Tzippy David, and Tova Oliff. In order to repeat as champions, the running Aces needed to run hard over the summer and get back in shape.
“Last year, the practices and races were really tough, but the feeling of being champions was so worth it that we will do anything to win again,” Meir Cohen emphasized.
With over 15 new runners, the Aces gained a new, energetic team who is ready to work hard. Coaches Ezra Jaffe and Dana Hunter spent all offseason planning races and creating new ideas for practices.
Beginning with the intra-squad race, improvement already showed. Four runners— Micah Cohen, Yaakov Rosenberg, Isaac Zipperstein, and Yonatan Chavel— ran personal records for the two mile race, while the majority of the team either finished within thirty seconds of their personal record (PR) or ran their first race ever.
The first real race of the year was the burning hot, swampy Niles West race. In the 90 degree heat, the Aces powered through. Micah Cohen placed 11th in Varsity, and Isaac Zipperstein placed 9th in Open, leading the team through a brutal battle.
After many practices of core workouts, plyometric exercises, and track runs, Ida Crown was ready for the Steinmetz race. Although a bussing issue caused an Uber scramble that depleted the Aces’ warmup time, the team performed well overall without ample stretching time, with three runners getting PRs in a slightly longer than 2 mile race. Once again, Micah Cohen and Isaac Zipperstein led the team, medaling 4th and 23rd respectively. After the race, many runners met and took pictures with J.B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois who was a surprise attendee at the race.
The next week, the Rochelle Zell rival meet finally arrived. With seventy degree weather and the sun protruding out of the clouds, it was a beautiful day to run. Unlike the usual open and varsity races format, the meet took form in two races: a Freshman/Sophomore race and a Junior/Senior race. Three medals would be given out to the top runners of each gender for each grade; whichever team won the most medals would win the meet.
Although the Aces were missing a few stars runners, they crushed Rochelle Zell, winning 15 out of 24 medals. (Congratulations to: Ray Goltz, Yaakov Rosenberg, Meir Cohen, Dina Obodyanik, Tova Kahan, Isaac Zipperstein, Rachel Schwartz, Pelah Cohen, Abigail Koenig, Amitai Kakon, Ethan Comrov, Yolie Starck, Hannah Rothner, Emma Felix, Naomi Cohen, and all of the other Running Aces!) It was a true team effort, as 31 out of 49 runners got a PR.
“We ran as one,” sophomore Yolie Starck explained. “We work as a team and finish as a family. Without that, we wouldn’t win anything.” Later in the week, the Aces ran a grueling 2.15 mile race at Lane Tech, with Micah Cohen winning first in open, Ray Goltz medaling, and two runners opting to run both the varsity race and the open race back to back. Yet another tough race that showed great improvement and determination for the Aces.
With conference coming on the horizon, the Aces have their eyes focused on another conference championship; they also have a new upcoming challenge. For the first time ever, the IHSA (Illinois High School Association) has agreed to hold a regional race on a non-Saturday.
“In past years, all IHSA Regional XC races across the states were held on the same Saturday, therefore, rendering ICJA unable to compete,” Coach Ezra Jaffe commented.
With the help of Dan Daly, the Cross Country coach at Latin School and a member of the IHSA Cross Country Advisory Counsel, the IHSA board agreed to change their ways. After two years of denied requests, the first Sunday regional race in IHSA history will be held on Friday, October 25th at Pooch Park starting at 1:00 PM.
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