Premium Preps photo by Dave Surico
Winner Cuitlahuac Pineda-Youniss didn't have to look over his shoulder in Northside's time trials Wednesday.Pineda-Youniss sets pace for Northside
Posts five-minute miles in victory
By Phil English
It might have only been a team time trial, held in the pounding rain at North Park College’s track Wednesday afternoon, but it turned out to be more than that for Cuitlahuac Pineda-Youniss.
The Northside Prep senior turned in an impressive two-mile trial, besting his own personal record from the previous season, in an early-season statement run that has the Mustangs thinking big for 2009.
Without junior Charlie Mesimore, his best challenger on the team who was resting in preparation for next week’s St. Patrick Invitational, Pineda-Youniss pushed himself to a team and personal best 10:00 finish over two miles and established himself as potentially one of the city’s best cross country threats. Pineda-Youniss clocked back-to-back five minute splits.
“I kind of know where I’m at, but I wanted to use this day to see how my legs are at this point of the season,” said Pineda-Youniss. “I’m pretty happy overall because I felt I had a little more in me at the end.”
“He brings it every day,” said Northside coach Jon Gordon of Pineda-Youniss. “He’s been contributing every day since day one.”
Wednesday’s time trial provided a challenge to the Northside Prep runners. The top seven finishers earned team warm-ups and duffel bags to go along with their uniforms. But this was also an opportunity to gauge the depth of Mustang team.
Perhaps equally as impressive as Pineda-Youniss’ personal record was the progress of junior Wesley Laytham, whose 10:21 improved on his time-trial time of the previous year by 27 seconds. Senior Cooper Eben was just off the pace with a 10:36, while junior Fahad Sarvari trimmed his personal best by 33 seconds (11:05). Senior Jiasong Yang (11:08) knocked 29 seconds off his best time from a year ago while junior Erik Zuehlke (11:17) slashed 50 seconds of his previous best.
The Mustangs have high hopes especially after capturing the Whitney Young Class 3A Regional title last season. They followed that with a seventh-place finish at the Niles West Sectional the following week, just missing a team berth in the state finals.
It’s a team and personal goal Pineda-Youniss has firmly in his sites.
“Personally I didn’t think I did as well (last season) as I hoped," he said. "Hopefully I can come out this year with a more positive attitude.
“As long as our team stays strong we can go down (state) instead of just a couple of guys. And hopefully we can work ourselves into being a Top 20 team.”
Sophomore Jusuf Skelic won the frosh-soph boys race in 12:10. Junior Ed Moreno took the JV race in 12:22.
Northside will travel to Schiller Woods in Chicago (corner of Cumberland and Irving Park) for the St. Patrick Invitational Wednesday.
Northside entries for St. Patrick Invitational
Varsity (8/26 time trial, 2 miles)
1. Cuitlahuac Pineda Youniss, sr. 10:00
2. Wesley Laytham , jr. 10:21 )
3. Cooper Eben, sr. 10:36
4. Charlie Mesimore, jr. DNR
5. Fahad Sarvari, jr. 11:05
6. Jiasong Yang, jr. 11:08
7. Erik Zuehlke, sr. 11:17
Frosh-soph
1. Jusuf Skelic, so. 12:10
2. Pat Duffy, so. 12:29
3. Nick Parker, fr. 12:34
4. Palwinder Sodhi, fr. 12:39
5. Alex Bologna, fr. 12:40
6. Nathaniel Agharese, fr. 12:49
7. Dan Graham, so. 13:25
