Donald Sage had little time to spare for interviews Saturday after winning his first Class AA cross-country championship.
Sage was needed on a mock stage–in this case a picnic table in Detweiller Park–to share the spotlight with coach Joe Newton and revel in York’s 20th team championship in cross country. Their audience ranged from Newton’s pals from his days at Parker (now Robeson) High School to Elmhurst politicians.
It was a long-awaited celebration, at least by York’s lofty standards, as five years had passed since the Dukes last won a team championship.
York put an exclamation point on the victory by placing six runners in the top 25 and scoring 24 points, the second-lowest total in state history.
“To have a state championship and share it with Mr. Newton makes me so happy,” said Sage, who beat runner-up Tim Keller of West Chicago by 21 seconds.
Newton was so delighted he announced he is postponing his retirement as York’s cross-country coach, a job he has had since 1960. Rather than go out on top, Newton said the championship and his team’s request that he return will bring him back.
“I’ve got my confidence back,” the 70-year-old coach said. “For four years I thought I lost my touch.
“I lost faith in myself. So I said, `This is it.’ Then I started talking about that 1 percent (chance of returning). For an old man, I feel like a million bucks.”
The same could be said for Sage, who had runner-up finishes the last two years in the state final to Wheeling’s Jorge Torres, currently running at Colorado.
Sage said those finishes were “extra motivation” for him to win in 14 minutes 3 seconds, the sixth-fastest time in state meet history.
Craig Virgin, who holds the meet record, was on hand to congratulate Sage after the race.
What was the primary motivation?
“We were trying to win No. 20 for Coach Newton the whole time,” Sage said.
Teammate Pete Cioni agreed.
“We had so much pressure, such a burden on our shoulders,” said Cioni, who ran sixth. “To win it for Coach Newton, to come out of a slump–that’s been on our backs all year.”
Saturday, Newton lined up one All-State runner after another: Sage, Adam Palumbo (fifth), Cioni, Adam Roche (eighth), Peter Stasiulis (12th) and John Janulis (24th). York’s final finisher, Jay McGrane, ran 73rd.
For opposing coaches, the meet was a race for second place.
“No one was going to beat York today,” said Schaumburg coach Jim Macnider, whose team was second with 139 points to 194 for third-place Lockport.
“That was one of the most unbelievable performances I’ve seen in Class AA,” said Eureka coach Brett Charlton, whose own Class A team turned in an impressive score of 32 points to win a championship.
“It’s getting harder and harder for him to get from Point A to Point B,” said Newton’s son Tom, a dean at York. “I want him to have a retirement. But his idea of retirement might be coaching–strictly coaching.”
That is exactly Newton’s plan. He gave up teaching last year and will coach track this spring for his final season with hopes of winning his first state title in that sport.
He said he’ll remain as cross-country coach year to year.
“I’m leaving it open because of my age,” said Newton, who was honored by the Illinois High School Association after the meet for his contributions to the sport.
A “revitalized” Joe Newton has set two more goals for himself.
“I want to live one more year,” he said, “and win No. 21.”
