Will Schwartz repeat in 2A?

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

Photo – Jenna Schwartz is back to defend her 2A State Championship (Laura Duffy Photo)

 

The first part of the 2017 cross-country season was a time of learning every time Waterloo’s Jenna Schwartz would step to the line in Peoria. At the First to the Finish Invitational in early September, Schwartz pushed the pace leading until the final 800-meters where she faded to finish fourth. The same applied in the Peoria Invitational at the end of September, she led up until the final 300-meters in the race until Shanice Garbutt passed her for the win.

Frustration showed in Schwartz’s face after those races. The thing was, she was not finding different ways to lose rather learning how to win a state championship.

That happened in the final two state series races of the year. She first pulled away from Danville’s Garbutt to win the sectional title at Decatur MacArthur. In the state race, it was a picture of perfection as she again pulled away from the field this time crossing the line as state champion.

Schwartz duplicated those efforts on the track in May winning the 2A 3200 Meter Run. She was seventh in the 1600 Meter Run behind race winner Campbell Petersen.

It was thought heading into the summer that Schwartz and Petersen would challenge in November for the 2A title. That storyline changed when Petersen and her family moved from Dunlap to Naperville where she will attend and compete for Naperville North.

Schwartz enters the season as the runner to beat in this classification. There are 13 runners back that were all-state last year but no one runner jumps out that could challenge the Waterloo senior.

Perhaps it will be Belvidere North’s Madison Diercks who was dominant most of last year before she had a bad race in the state meet. It could also be Brooke Stromsland of Lakes Community is the next returning runner from the 2017 race. Possibly Marianne Mihas is the runner to watch. The Latin School sophomore was sick in last year’s race finishing 18^th overall. She rebounded in track winning the Class 1A 1600 Meter Run and recording a seasonal best of 4:55 for the distance during the year. That deserves keeping an eye on.

Here is a look at some of the top runners that you can expect to see in the front this fall.

 

1 – Jenna Schwartz

SR – Waterloo

Notes – Schwartz had a couple of setbacks early in the 2017 season finishing fourth at the First to the Finish Invitational and then second to Shanice Garbutt at the Peoria Invitational. She learned from those races that gave her the edge at the end of the season winning the 2A State Championship running 17:05. She is a three-time cross-country all-state runner finishing 24^th as a freshman and sixth as a sophomore. With Campbell Petersen transferring out of Dunlap, Schwartz enters this season as the big favorite in 2A.

Jenna earned her second state title winning the 2A 3200 Meter Run. Schwartz ran personal bests of 10:44.40 for 3200-meters and 5:00.70 for 1600-meters. She finished seventh in the state finals. “Jenna has been working hard and doing all of the right things this summer,” her coach Larry Huffman said. “She really wants to get under that 17-minute mark and beyond.  I think she is definitely capable of having a memorable season.”

 

2 – Olivia Rosenstein

JR – Urbana

Notes – The second spot behind Schwartz is up for grabs. Rosenstein looks like the safest bet entering this season. The junior finished in the top five in the nine races she competed in during the regular season including fifth in the 2A State Meet. Olivia finished 15^th as a freshman in 2016.  In her track season, she was part of Urbana’s 3200 Meter Relay squad that finished fifth in the 2A state finals. Rosenstein achieved a personal best of 5:13.19 for 1600-meters.

“Olivia has been plagued with shin issues over the last several seasons (track/xc) despite a very conservative approach to training,” her coach Forrest Farokhi said. “Olivia has committed herself fully to every step necessary for recovery, but the journey has been difficult to say the least. She is a runner through and through. Her commitment to training, thirst for knowledge, and respect for her teammates’ day to day success is something to be admired. She will be a strong leader going into the season for the girls’ side at Urbana.”

 

3 – Brooke Stromsland

SO – Lake Villa Lakes Community

Notes – Stromsland had a breakout cross-country season as only a freshman. After running 18:49.6 at Detweiller Park in early September, she came back to run 17:15 to finish fifth overall in the 2A State race. Injuries forced her to miss most of the outdoor track season. Before she was forced out, she ran 5:05.12 for 1600-meters at Distance Night in Palatine in April. “Brooke will continue to lead the way up front,” said Keith West. “She had a breakout State series culminating in a 4th place finish at Detweiller. She has elevated the performances of her teammates by her consistent dedication to running and classwork and overall just by leading by example.”

 

4 – Lyndsey Wolters

SO – Normal University

Notes – More should be in store for this sophomore after a banner freshman season last fall.  She dropped her time down to 17:59.5 at Detweiller Park at the end of September. It dropped even more in the next five weeks as she ran 17:18 to finish sixth in the 2A finals. Her team did not make the trip last fall but should be by her side. It was not Lyndsey’s best track season as she did not make it to Charleston for the state meet. She did run 11:47.01 for 3200-meters in her sectional race.

“Obviously Lyndsey had a stand out fall as a freshman,” said U-High assistant coach John Neisler. “She definitely exceeded my expectations.  Unfortunately, Lyndsey’s track season wasn’t what I had hoped for (11:47 3200 at Sectional).  She’s got asthma and it was a major factor this spring in her training and racing.  We’re hoping some changes in her treatments will help this fall and she’ll bounce back as strong as she was last fall.  She was really consistent for us last fall and having a strong front runner like her is a confidence booster for everyone on the team.”

 

5 – Madison Diercks

JR – Belvidere North

Notes – If there is one person that could challenge Schwartz at the end of the season, it could be Diercks. She won an early meeting against the state champion running 17:16 at the First to the Finish Invitational. Diercks won seven of eight races before state. Her state race was not the best finishing 21^st overall and her team’s third runner. Madison finished fourth as a freshman. She bounced back during track season as part of the Belvidere North’s 3200 Meter Relay quartet that finished fifth in the 3A state finals. Diercks also made the finals of the High Jump and the 1600 Meter Run. The then sophomore ran under five-minutes twice outdoors with a 4:58.74 personal best.

“Madison is a great all-around athlete.  In track she qualified for state in the high jump, the 1600, and was part of the 4 x 800 relay that finished 5th in the 3A meet,” said her coach Ken Husser. “Also, she is an All-Conference basketball player.  In track she ran under the five-minute mark twice and has had a solid summer of training.  Madison is a fierce competitor, we just need to be a little more careful with her training and I feel she can be one of the top runners in 2A this year. My perception is it was a combination of overtraining and nourishment.  Madison is also an all-area basketball player and she spends significant time in the summer training for basketball and cross country.  I think by the end of the season she was worn out physically and emotionally.  This year it will be extremely important to be aware of her stress levels in relation to her performance.  There were indicators last year and while some adjustments in training were made, I have to do a better job of managing that with her this year.”

 

6 – Gianna Sagona

JR – Belvidere North

Notes – Sagona ran side-by-side with Diercks for the majority of the season. The two runners give Belvidere North the strongest 1-2 punch up front in the state. She was in the top ten in every race last fall finishing seventh in the 2A state meet. Gianna dropped her 3200 Meter Run time down to 11:01.90 as she finished second qualifying for state in her sectional race. Sagona placed 18^th in the 3A state finals.

“Gianna is a dedicated athlete and a great teammate,” said Ken Husser. “During the track season she lowered her 3200 time by almost twenty seconds and qualified for the state meet.  Gianna has had a strong summer of training rarely missing a day and we hope to see the same improvement in her three-mile time as in the 3200.  Gianna has consistently improved each season and that is a trend we hope to continue.”

 

7 – Olivia Schmitt

JR – Lake Villa Lakes Community

Notes – If the Belvidere North duo is not the top twosome up front in 2A this fall, it will then be Schmitt and her teammate Brooke Stromsland. Olivia missed most of the cross-country season going out with an injury at the Minooka Invitational. She came back to help her team at state finishing 58^th in the 2A State finals as the team’s second runner. She continued to build during the track season qualifying for the state meet in the 3A 800 Meter Run. Schmitt ran a personal best of 2:16.97 at Palatine in April.

“She trains with Brooke (Stromsland) and should give us a strong 1-2 punch for low team scores,” Keith West said. “Both Olivia and Brooke are motivated to help the team have the best season in school history.”

 

8 – Chelsea Gale

SO – Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge

Notes – Gale had a good freshman season that should translate to better sophomore season in 2018. She was first noticed when she finished 10^th at the Palatine Invitational. Chelsea soared from there finishing third in the 2A Kaneland Sectional and finishing 10^th in the state meet. She has started out strong in 2018 running 18:14 at Detweiller at Dark in July.  She does not run track and competes in soccer during the spring. The transfer in of all-state runner Carsen Forte from Harvest Christian Academy gives the Wolves a good 1-2 in the front.

“Chelsea is a great kid with a great work ethic,” said her coach Kelly MacDonald. “Our main goal will be to keep her healthy and to not have her do too much so that she will be ready to race at the end of the season. She also loves soccer and her fall season can be very strenuous.”

 

9 - Rachel Richtman

JR – Maple Park Kaneland

Notes – Richtman won six of the eight races she ran in before she got to the state meet. She finished fourth in her sectional race before finishing 12^th in the 2A State Meet. Rachel should move up the ladder this fall. She improved by more than 30 seconds in a year on the track at 3200-meters running 11:07.40 to finish 12^th in the 3A State Meet finals.

“Rachel continues to improve as a distance runner,” said Kaneland Coach Doug Ecker. “Running at the 3A level in track competing again tougher competition and having success helped her progress as distance runner. Her overall conditioning is the best it has ever been, and we are hopeful for the continued improvement she showed in track to continue into XC.”

 

10 – Marianne Mihas

SO – Chicago Latin School

Notes – Her 18^th place finish last November at Detweiller Park last November was not characteristic of what she did the rest of her freshman season. She ran sick at that race according to her coach Dan Daly. She ran 17:36 early in September at First to the Finish Invitational. She ran 17:45 at state. Times close to 17-minutes are possible for this sophomore. Mihas came on strong during track that ended with a state championship in the 1A State Meet 1600 Meter Run.  She achieved personal bests of 2:16.65 for 800-meters and 4:55.68 in winning the 1600 Meter Run at Distance Night in Palatine towards the end of April. “Marianne had a fantastic freshman year but because she was sick at state last year she only finished 18^th,” said Daly. “She's motivated to run healthy and finish higher up this November.”

 

11 – Kylie Hagmann

SR – Woodstock

Notes – Hagmann has achieved a number of things quietly for her team. She has been all-state twice finishing 22^nd as a sophomore in 2016 and then running 17:35 to finish 13^th last November. Bigger things re ahead for Kylie entering her senior season. Hagman has been all-state twice in track finishing sixth in the 3200 Meter Run in 2017 and eighth at the same distance in 2018. She ran a seasonal best of 11:22.78 in that state race.

“Kylie went to Germany for the month of June but did her training there,” Woodstock coach Jay Fuller said. ” She is our captain and is leading the team down the correct path.  She is ready for the season.”

 

12 – Jadyn Jacobs

SO – Washington

Notes – The freshman stepped up for Washington as the team’s top runner throughout last season.  Her third-place finish in the 2A Metamora Regional and 10^th place finish at the 2A Normal University Section led her to a 16^th place finish at Detweiller Park.  A top ten finish this fall should be in her sights.  She plays in her school’s soccer team in the spring. “She is a great competitor in any race,” said Washington XC coach Troy Walcott. “I expect her to be up in the front pack in any race that she runs.  I know she wants to improve on last year's state meet performance and has the tenacity to do just that.”

 

13 – Aspen Gordon

SR – Morton

Notes – Gordon has showed tremendous improvement over the past school year leading her to bigger things in 2018. She was her team’s top runner last fall while finishing 30^th in the 2A State Meet running 18:13 at Detweiller Park. Aspen had run 17:48 at Detweiller three weeks earlier. She has showed her improvement already running 17:50 at Detweiller at Dark in July. Gordon earned all-state this spring running 11:10.71 to finish third in the 2A 3200 Meter Run. She also ran a personal best of 5:15.95 for 1600-meters. “Aspen has really looked strong this summer, running nearly a PR at Detweiller at Dark a couple of weeks ago,” said Joel Zehr. “With a breakout season last fall and a strong showing in track this spring, we are looking forward to her leading our ladies this fall.”

 

14 – Brisa McGrath

SR – Mahomet-Seymour

Notes – McGrath had a breakout junior season after finishing 66^th in the 2A State Meet her sophomore year. Brisa ran a personal best 17:55 to finish 24^th in last fall’s state meet. She qualified for making the state track meet last spring. McGrath still ran personal bests of 11:43.4 for 3200-meters and 5:21.04 for 1600-meters.

“Brisa has really stepped up into a leadership position for her Senior year,” said new Mahomet-Seymour XC Coach Kristin Allen. “She has set some hefty personal and team goals for this season.  She had an outstanding run at Detweiller at Dark last week earning an 11th place finish.  She has set herself up for a great season. She makes coaching easy.  Her success is all because of her.  She is self-driven, self-motivated, fearless when it comes to setting high goals for herself and the team, and most importantly she is the ultimate teammate.  She is genuinely ecstatic when any of her teammates reach their personal goals in a race.  She is a quiet leader, the "lead by example" kind of person.  Actions definitely speak louder than words with McGrath.  I cannot wait to see what she does this season, not only for herself, but the impact she will have on the current team as well as the future of the program.  The nine freshmen have one of the best role models with Brisa.”   

 

15 – Abby Johnson

SR – Dunlap

Notes – Another runner in this state that has quietly earned all-state honors in all three years competing at Dunlap. After finishing 22^nd as a freshman and 23^rd as a sophomore, Johnson was the team’s fourth runner on last year’s state championship team placing 25^th. In her senior season, she will be the leader for the Eagles. Abby ran a personal best of 11:24.48 for 3200-meters and 5:28.64 for 1600-meters last spring.

“She is a three-time all-state runner in a quiet fashion,” said her coach Chris Friedman. “She is a hard-working runner who gets everything out of her talents. After running track this past spring for the first time, I think she is a good place to have that break through to a top 10-15 individual spot at state.”

 

16 – Chian Scott

JR – Urbana

Notes – Scott should again be one of the leaders of the Tigers. She was all-state last fall placing 23^rd in the 2A State Meet. Chiann was part of Urbana’s 3200 Meter Relay that finished fifth in the 2A State Track Meet. She also qualified for state in the 1600 Meter Run. Scott achieved personal bests of 2:25.43 for 800-meters and 5:15.37 in the state prelims of the 1600 Meter Ryun. She finished 11^th in the finals.

“Chian is another All-State runner from last year and has also committed herself to training during the off-season,” said Forrest Farokhi. “She has been a consistent factor in our success in both XC and Track. The girls track program has just come off a first ever 3rd place team finish at State this year. Chian has been working hard this summer alongside her teammates. I’m sure her efforts will pay dividends come November.”

 

17 – Carly Sear

JR – Vernon Hills

Notes – Losing their top runner Lauren Katz to graduation may sting a little for Vernon Hills. The Cougars are so deep that loss may not hurt as much. Carly Sear could be the runner to step into the top spot. She finished 28^th at state last fall as a sophomore. Her track season shows us that she is capable of some big things this fall. Sear finished sixth in the 3A Palatine Sectional but did not make it to state. Earlier in the year, Carly ran 11:13.72 at Distance Night in Palatine. Sear also ran 5:26.40 for 1600-meters.

 

18 – Meagan Moreno

SR – Morton

Notes – Could challenge Aspen Gordon for the top spot on Morton’s team. She has run in the state meet three years with 26^th place in the 2015 2A State Meet her freshman season her best finish. She finished 45^th in last fall’s state meet. Moreno missed most of the outdoor season due to injury. She still ran 5:36.1 for 1600-meters and 12:06.17 for 3200-meters.

 

19 – Paige Stees

SO – Dixon

Notes – A surprise that could finish in the top ten this November. Stees, as a freshman, ran a personal best 18:16 to finish 32^nd in the 2A State Meet. Stees plays soccer in the spring. “Paige is a soccer player so no track last year, said her coach Evan Thorpe. “However, she has had a great summer of training and I believe she will be looking for a top 25 spot in November.”  She could place higher than that.

 

20 – Samantha Hengehold

JR – Highland

Notes – Could be a runner to watch for from the southern part of the state. Hengehold could start out slow this fall still battling some nagging injuries according to her coach Doug Bradley. Samantha finished 37^th in last year’s 2A State Meet after finishing 6^th the week before in her sectional race. She ran a personal best of 12:16.58 last spring for 3200-meters.