Elk Grove travelled to Palatine on Tuesday for the cross-country boys team’s first meet of the 2018 season. Seniors Joe Ahlgrim, Luke Sauerland, and Malcolm Filichia led the team to an 18-47 victory over the Elk Grove Grenadiers, continuing the decades-long dual meet victory streak.

“We have one goal this year: state,” senior Luke Sauerland said.

During the 2017 sectional meet, the boys team missed the state meet qualifying score by only four points, despite being ranked among the top 20 state teams. From that point on, the team has committed itself to constant work and improvement, determined to make it back to the state meet during the 2018 season.

“We’re determined to run hard when we get there,” head coach Chris Quick said.

“This team has several promising freshman, and a lot of enthusiasm and hopefulness,” added senior Joe Ahlgrim. “In the past few years, it’s been a roller coaster of successes, but this year, we’re going to go in it, all out, with nothing to lose.”

The Pirates’ season is is only getting started, as they travel to the Hornet-Red Devil Invitational on Saturday, September 1, to face off against some of the highest-ranked teams in the state.

“We’ve had an influx of dedicated freshman throughout the past three years. [The boys cross-country team] has changed and adapted a lot in that time,” said senior Malcolm Filichia. “Our priority is to work towards getting on top.”