BATAVIA – Veteran coach Mike DiDomenico welcomed three runners to his first Batavia boys cross country team in 1980.

The 2013 Bulldogs go more than 40 athletes strong, and on Saturday, five will collaborate on the program’s first team score at the Class 3A state meet in Peoria.

Batavia grabbed the fifth and final qualifying spot at last week’s Waubonsie Valley Sectional, edging Marmion by 15 points while also defeating St. Charles East, a regional champion that topped the Bulldogs for the Upstate Eight Conference River Division title.

The elation only escalated as the guys in the crimson and gold singlets realized the breaks would go their way.

“We’ve gotten close many years before and we’ve had individual athletes, but knowing that we made it down as a team not only is a great feeling for us but a great feeling for Batavia and the rest of the school,” senior Mitch Zabka said.

Runners feared they might be on the outside looking in once more at Waubonsie Valley.

Zabka paced Batavia with a 27th-place finish in 16:06, two seconds ahead of junior Ryan Wieties. The uneasiness mounted as Marmion’s top two runners scored 13 and 15 points, respectively, while East senior Max Rowland took ninth.

Ultimately, the Bulldogs advanced on the strength of a 16-second split separating Zabka and No. 5 runner Patrick Redmond. In between, senior Mitch Voellinger – traditionally the team's sixth or seventh man this fall – ran third for the
team until classmate Jorden Berendt passed him down the stretch.

“I definitely felt like I had to give it my all,” Voellinger said, “or else it was the end of our season.”

Junior David Morrison, injured for most of the year with Achilles tendinitis, further boosted the effort as the seventh runner, just a few seconds behind senior Chris Orlow.

DiDomenico – the venerable “Coach D” to hundreds of athletes he’s guided in both cross country and track – naturally used a “d” word to address the Bulldogs’ success. For perhaps the first time in a tenure that will end after this season, the program is known for its depth more than the strength of its individuals.

To this point, the Bulldogs’ top achievement in the sport arguably was senior Jesse Barnes’ narrow runner-up finish to future Olympian Jorge Torres of Wheeling at the AA meet in 1996. About a decade later, the launch of Rotolo Middle School’s feeder cross country program helped fuel what Batavia hopes is an ongoing turnaround.

“That depth came from the fact that kids knew about cross country stepping in,” DiDomenico said. “Where in the past, I’ve had kids come out for cross country and they’ve said two things to me. One: ‘What is cross country?’ Two: ‘Do you supply the skis?’ “

On Thursday, before the Bulldogs ventured through the neighboring streets for a tune-up workout ahead of a team dinner, DiDomenico distributed something safer: T-shirts. The words “Batavia Cross Country Making History” appeared around a photo of the Bulldogs’ pack.

Several athletes wondered why the shot was cropped below runners’ heads. “Coach D” delighted in his response.

“I didn’t want any heads on it. I wanted the feet,” DiDomenico said.

“Team, right?”

Descending on Detweiller

Here’s a look at the Chronicle-area athletes who are part of the field at Saturday’s six state cross country meets at Detweiller Park in Peoria. Times for each race are in parentheses.

BOYS

CLASS 3A (2 p.m.)

Jorden Berendt, Batavia, Sr.

Brady Bobbitt, Marmion, Jr.

John Graft, Marmion, Sr.

David Morrison, Batavia, Jr.

Chris Orlow, Batavia, Sr.

Patrick Redmond, Batavia, Jr.

Max Rowland, St. Charles East, Sr.

Mitch Voellinger, Batavia, Sr.

Ryan Wieties, Batavia, Jr.

Mitch Zabka, Batavia, Sr.

CLASS 2A (Noon)

Luis Acosta, Kaneland, Sr.

Ryan Bower, Kaneland, Sr.

Kyle Carter, Kaneland, Sr.

Andrew Hallet, St. Francis, Sr.

Chris Jones, Wheaton Academy, Jr.

Jonah Jones, Wheaton Academy, Fr.

Nathaniel Kucera, Kaneland, Sr.

Brandon Lach, Wheaton Academy, Jr.

Andrew Lesak, Kaneland, Jr.

Javier Montelongo, Aurora Central Catholic, Sr.

Clay Musial, Burlington Central, Jr.

Brandon Park, Kaneland, Jr.

Jimmy Ridge, Wheaton Academy, Fr.

Jacob Robleski, Wheaton Academy, So.

Mitchel Smith, Wheaton Academy, So.

Sean Spaetzel, Kaneland, So.

Noah Van Dyke, Wheaton Academy, Jr.

Nick Vilimek, St. Francis, Sr.

CLASS 1A (10 a.m.)

Tanner Chada, Aurora Christian, Fr.

Wal Khat, Mooseheart, Jr.

Note: Batavia, Kaneland and Wheaton Academy are team entries. Each school’s seven sectional finishers are listed.

GIRLS

CLASS 3A (1 p.m.)

Kathryn Adelman, Geneva, Sr.

McKenzie Altmayer, Geneva, So.

Audrey Blankenship, St. Charles North, Sr.

Allie Chen, St. Charles North, Fr.

Emma Ehrhardt, Geneva, Fr.

Ashley England, St. Charles North, Sr.

Katie Francissen, St. Charles North, So.

Sydney Geils, Geneva, Sr.

Madison Kauffman, St. Charles North, Fr.

Emma McSpadden, Geneva, So.

Brooke Nusser, Geneva, Jr.

Nina Olshever, St. Charles North, So.

Miranda Rea, Batavia, Jr.

Dakota Roman, Batavia, So.

Torree Scull, St. Charles East, Jr.

Gabrielle Thomson, Geneva, Fr.

Kaylee Wessel, St. Charles North, Sr.

CLASS 2A (11 a.m.)

Brianna Bower, Kaneland, So.

Erika Carlson, Kaneland, Sr.

Victoria Clinton, Kaneland, Jr.

Abi Hammer, Rosary, Sr.

Emma Knudtson, Rosary, Sr.

Aislinn Lodwig, Kaneland, Jr.

Emi Martin, Rosary, Jr.

Meghan McShea, St. Francis, Sr.

Abby Michel, Rosary, Sr.

Anna Piazza, Kaneland, Sr.

Madison Ronzone, Rosary, So.

Abby Shaw, Kaneland, Fr.

Sydney Strang, Kaneland, Sr.

Shea Vero, Rosary, So.

Anna Ward, Rosary, Sr.

CLASS 1A (9 a.m.)

Amy Brouch, Aurora Central Catholic, Fr.

Irene Crown, Aurora Central Catholic, Jr.

Stephanie Hall, Aurora Central Catholic, So.

Olivia James, Aurora Central Catholic, Jr.

Karina Liz, Aurora Central Catholic, So.

Katie Marter, Aurora Central Catholic, Sr.

Emily Ziegler, Aurora Central Catholic, Jr.

Note: St. Charles North, Geneva, Kaneland, Rosary and Aurora Central Catholic are team entries. Each school’s seven sectional finishers are listed.