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20 Conference Meets to Watch in Illinois - October 11, 2018

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ILXCTF - Mike Newman   Oct 11th 2018, 11:47pm
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By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

Before we get to the state series leading to the IHSA State Meet on November 3, bragging rights will need to be settled in conference meets across the state. For some teams, it will be a meet to get out of it safely before we head to next week’s regional meets. For other teams, it will mean a big step up point for the hopes that they have and dream about to get to Detweiller Park in November.

We could not write about every meet across the state. What we did do is write brief storylines to watch for across the state for 20 meets held on Friday and Saturday.

Here is a look at some of those meets.

 

DuKane Conference Championships @ Lake Park East Campus

The inaugural meet in this new conference could exceed expectations. It could be one that is remembered for years to come. The Boys race is a repeat of the St. Charles North Invitational from two weeks ago when Wheaton-Warrenville South and St. Charles East turned the race into a dual meet with South winning 28-35. The race could be faster on Saturday considering that this meet is being run on the quick grounds of Lake Park East Campus course.

The key for St. Charles East is simple: they have to win the one on one battles with Wheaton-Warrenville South. The Saints cannot let the Tigers put seven runners ahead of their fifth runner. Take your pick on who could win in this race. Billy Hauenstein and Scott Maison went 1-2 in the race 14 days ago and could repeat here. St. Charles East’s Bob Liking or Bennett Melone could be the first varsity champion. Batavia did not run their varsity runners in that race and could change the scoring with Christopher Levario or Adam Kennedy in the top 10. Ryan Kredell of Geneva and Ryan Arnold of St. Charles North could also find their way into the top 10.

Wheaton-Warrenville South, Batavia and St. Charles are state ranked and lead the Girls field. The individual race should be special with three runners that have run faster than 17-minutes this fall. Katrina Schlenker is coming off a second-place finish at Naperville Twilight Invitational and could be the slight favorite. Alice Abbott of St. Charles East and Samantha Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South have also run under 17 and will push Schlenker in this race. Wheaton-Warrenville South has the team advantage and could have their top five runners in the top 10 spots. Batavia missed Mia Gianfrancesco in last week’s Naperville Twilight meet and it is not known if she will be on the line. Gianfrancesco running gets Batavia closer to South.

 

West Suburban Silver @ Proviso West HS

The toughest XC conference in the nation should prove how tough these teams are Saturday afternoon on the Proviso West Campus course. Four Boys teams are ranked in the top 12 in Class 3A and will challenge for the win. Lyons Township has been running with a tight pack all season and will need that again in this race. York brought their sophomores up on the Varsity level two weeks ago in Peoria which resulted in a third-place finish only six points away from Lyons Township. Glenbard West finished second last Wednesday at Naperville Twilight and has the runners in the front that could come away with the win. Downers Grove North ran without their top runner Jack Roberts at Twilight. Roberts, along with a healthy Matt Moravec in the front could make the score between these four teams that much tighter.

York could surprise with Ethan Kern, Daniel Klysh, and Collin Hill all in the top 10. If the Dukes can place their front three ahead of Lyons top runners Ryan Bonfiglio or Jack Ehlert with a 50 second team split, York could capture the conference crown. One of those Lyons Township runners will need to finish between fifth to seventh with a 25 second split to capture team title for the Lions. Glenbard West will have two runners in the front with Rory Cavan and Stephen Moody leading the way. Getting Will O’Brien and the pack closer to the front two with a split under 55 seconds could get the Hilltoppers the team title. The split on five at Naperville was 72 seconds. Downers North could get into the top three with a healthy Roberts along with Moravec in the top 10. Getting their top five in the top 20 would also help.

Cavan has been hot this fall going undefeated in his three big races. Kern and Roberts could push for the win with Moody close. Cavan’s kick could be the deal breaker at the end.

There is no question that Katelynne Hart of Glenbard West will be the favorite in the Girls race with Glenbard West’s Katie Hohe, Hinsdale Central’s McKenna Revord, York’s Sarah May, and Lyons Township’s Kate Dickman challenging for the second spot.

The team race will come down to Glenbard West and Lyons Township in the front. The Lady Hilltoppers need their top five runners in the first 15 to capture the team title. Lyons Township needs three runners in the top eight, five in the first 12 to offset the Glenbard West strength in the front. It will be interesting to see the Oak Park-River Forest pack in action. With 42 to 46 Varsity runners in this race, their 29 second split on five could be a difference maker with five runners in the top 20 with Violet Harper and Nora Wollen in the top 10. Hinsdale Central and York both have the runners that could finish in the top three teams in this powerhouse conference.

 

Mid-Suburban League @ Melas Park, Mt. Prospect

Hersey is the favorite in the Boys race as they are one of three ranked teams in this race. Barrington and Rolling Meadows are the other ranked teams in this race. Hersey has the strength in the front as Josh Methner, Ryan Buch, and Max Svienty could all finish in the top five. The Huskies need to have their top five in the first 13 to win the league title. Rolling Meadows is having a great season and could make it a tight race. Eddie Lennon leads the Mustangs that will need to get their top five in the first 15. Barrington will use good pack running with Patrick Furlong and Greg Van Hollen possible top ten finishers. Their top five split needs to be under 35 seconds to get into the second spot. Methner is the favorite in the individual race.

The Girls team race should be tight with Barrington, Prospect, Palatine, Fremd, and Hersey all ranked. Barrington has not raced since Palatine three weeks ago but does have the individual favorite in this race in Molly FitzPatrick. Alyssa Norris could also finish in the top five, but the Fillies will need to get their top five in the first 25 runners. Prospect looked powerful at Peoria in an easy win and could take home the team crown if they can get Julia O’Grady, Marissa Valenti, and their top five runners all in the first 17 runners. Palatine will need their scorers in the top 25 with Anne Marie Jordan challenging for the win and Kate Lechowicz somewhere in the top 10. Fremd has a strong pack led by Rebecca Markham that will need to stay within 20 to 25 seconds of each other. A runner in the top 10 makes the Vikings tough in this race.

 

DuPage Valley Conference @ Waubonsie Valley

This conference is down to five teams with the addition of the DuKane Conference. It could be a sweep for 3A top ranked Naperville North who could sweep the top seven places in the Girls race.

The Boys race could be tighter especially with only five teams in this race. Neuqua Valley comes off a win at Naperville Twilight but with a split on their scorers of 42 seconds. Watch for the Wildcats to get their pack to 30 seconds or under in this race. Five runners in the top 10 could clinch the team win for them led by Michael Madiol and Chris Keeley. Naperville Central could pull off the team win led by individual favorite Thomas Shilgalis. The Redhawks need to put four runners in ahead of Neuqua’s third with their fifth runner finishing 15th or better to capture the team title. Central has been running under the weather the past few weeks. A healthy squad could make it close.

 

Southwest Prairie Conference @ Channahon Community Park

One of two conference meets scheduled for Friday afternoon. The Boys team race could come down to Oswego and Minooka challenging for the win with Plainfield South a solid third. Oswego East should have a solid pack in the front led by Luke Wentz, Heriberto Alvarez, and Nick Bozarth all capable of finishing in the top five. Keeping their split under 45 seconds with five runners in the top 10. Minooka could capture the win and could also get five runners in the top 10 in this race. The Indians need one runner in between Oswego East’s first three runners to get close for the win. Christian Knowlton of Plainfield South should be the big favorite in this race. A slow early pace could favor the South senior.

It could come down to five points or under between Minooka and Oswego in the Girls team race. Oswego could have three runners in the top five led by Isabelle Christiansen, Becca Corbett, and Ella Hale. Getting their top five in the first 15 will be something to watch for if the Panthers want to win. Minooka, led by Vivian Van Eck, will need to keep their split under 65 seconds to stay close to Oswego. Five runners in the top 12 with their second runner Julia Dames in between the Oswego front pack could be a key to help the Indians win. Juliana Stogsdill of Plainfield North finished 16th at Naperville Twilight, but that was after running 17:28 four days earlier in Peoria. Stogsdill is rested and will be one of the favorites in the race along with Christiansen and Van Eck.

 

Mid-Illini Conference @ Detweiller Park

This is the other meet that will take place on Friday. Conditions will be cool. We could see some fast times on this course especially in the Girls race. Morton’s Aspen Gordon is coming off a win last week at Metamora and two weeks ago running 17:00.8 on this course. She could lead Morton to the conference win. Dunlap, Pekin, Metamora, and Washington could all be within 25 points of each other in this tight race. Defending champion Dunlap could be the team to watch especially if Abby Johnson is healthy for this race.

Metamora, Pekin, and Washington will be the teams to watch in the Boys race. Adam Gilbreath-Glaub was held back in his first race of the season two weeks ago in Peoria. He did not run last week at Metamora. If he is healthy, the state champ in the 2A 3200 could put the Redbirds in position for the win. Gilbreath-Glaub, if healthy, could be the favorite. If not, Sam Lange of Morton and Brody Blackwell of Pekin could be runners to watch.

 

Central Suburban League @ Deerfield HS

It could be the front running of Maine South versus the pack running of New Trier that decides the Boys League championship.  Tommy Brady, Ian Spears, and Joey Kasch could all be in the top five for the Hawks. Their fourth and fifth runners need to finish between 15th to 20th in order to secure the team win. New Trier has a solid pack that could be within 20 seconds of each other in this race. Charlie Forbes and Ford Baker could be among the top 10. Getting their top five runners in before Maine South’s fourth runner will be something to watch for. Glenbrook South could be a surprise in this race after their strong run two weeks ago in Peoria. Will Kelly and Will Houser could finish in the top five. That would help their team chances. The Titans placing their top five in the first 15 could give them the team win. Brady is the big favorite in the individual race.

The packs of New Trier and Vernon Hills will decide who wins the Girls team championships. We could see neither of the two teams first runners in the top five. New Trier has averaged near 36 seconds led by Bridget Forbes and Leah Ulrich. The Lady Trevians need that kind of a race along with their top five in before 14 to capture the crown. Vernon Hills, the 2A #2 team in the state, has a strong first four that could finish between 7th and 13th led by Hannah Ray and Emma Wakefield. Getting their fifth runner in at 17th or higher could give the Cougars the team win.

Kate Jortberg of Glenbrook South is coming off a 17:10 run at Detweiller two weeks ago should be the favorite in this race with Natalie Sandlow of Glenbrook North and Evanston’s Abigail Osterlund pushing Jortberg.

 

Central State Eight Conference @ Scovill GC, Decatur

2A Boys Top Ranked Chatham-Glenwood should be the favorite in the team race with Normal University and Springfield the closest teams challenging. The Titans could win this meet with four in the top 10, five in the first 15 led by Dathan & Drey Maton and Graham Turk in the front. Normal University looked good in their win last week at Metamora and could get close to Chatham-Glenwood. U-High will need to get Jackson McClure to break up the Glenwood top three stranglehold in the front and to get their top five in the top 10 to defend their conference title.

Normal University should dominate the Girls race. It would not surprise me if they get their scorers in the first eight places. Chatham-Glenwood is a solid second-place team in this race with Springfield leading the pack. U-High’s Ella Bittner and Mackie Madix should be challenged by Chatham-Glenwood’s Nia Gibson for the individual win.

 

Big Northern Conference @ Oregon

Dixon and Rockford Christian face each other for the first of four straight weeks in this meet. Dixon could place five in the first 10 led by Collin Grady. Rockford Christian’s Riley Wells, Grady, and Dawson Smith of Rock Falls will be the runners to watch in the front.

Rock Falls was ahead of Winnebago in Monday’s Amboy Invitational. The two 1A powers will have Dixon to deal with in the Girls race as the favorite. The Duchesses, if they are healthy, should have Paige Stees and Jade Miller in the top five in this race. Rock Falls or Winnebago will need to get their top five runners in the first 15 to challenge Dixon. Bailee Fortney of Rock Falls finished ahead of Winnebago’s Natalia Martino at Amboy. Those two runners, along with Stees could make it a close individual race.

 

West Suburban Gold @ Harvester Park, Burr Ridge

Downers Grove South should christen the new XC course at Harvester Park with team wins on Saturday afternoon. The nationally ranked Girls team, led by Brenna Cohoon, should sweep the first seven spots in the race to make it 20 conference team titles in a row. The Boys team from South could also make it a sweep in their race led by Eddie Siuda with Hinsdale South and Morton Township challenging for the second team spot.

 

Big 12 @ Detweiller Park

Bloomington could put their top four runners in the top ten in the Boys race. The 2A #2 team in the state should defend their conference title with Danville, Normal West, and Normal Community all in a close battle for the second spot. Bloomington’s Nick Doud and Normal West’s Charlie Wetzel should challenge for the individual title.

It could be a four-team battle for the Girls team title with Normal Community and Normal West the front runners. Peoria Notre Dame and Bloomington are also in reach to grab the top prize. Olivia Hartke of Normal Community will be the runner to watch in the front.

 

Chicago Public League Championships @ Washington Park

Jones Prep is the hot Boys team in this race after finishing fourth last Wednesday at the Naperville Twilight Invitational. The Eagles should have a pack split of 25 seconds or better led by Anthony Maida and AJ Fundator for a chance at the city championship. Whitney Young and Lane Tech are the two teams that could step into the top spot if Jones has an off race. Whitney Young’s Sam Rivera and Charlie Nevins along with Lane Tech’s Julian Higueros are the runners to watch in the front.

Whitney Young has been running strong as of late and will be the favorite in the Girls race. Four runners in the top 10 could happen for the Lady Dolphins. Lane Tech, Northside Prep, and Taft should be the teams challenging for the second team spot. Whitney Young’s Ella Behrens is the individual favorite in this race.

 

Chicago Catholic League / GCAC Championships @ Lewis University

Marmion Academy could be separated by 15 points or less in the Catholic League Championships with St. Ignatius and Loyola Academy. The Cadets should place all their scorers in the first 15 but will need Anthony Zangler or Jack Brewster finish among the top five. Loyola’s Spencer Dzyacky and the St. Ignatius duo of Jacob Flynn and John Walls should be the runners that you keep an eye on in the front.

St. Ignatius , Fenwick, and Loyola will be the three teams that will challenge for the GCAC Girls title. Rhiannon O’Keefe of St. Ignatius should be the individual favorite.

 

NIC-10 @ Rockford Jefferson

The Girls team race between 2A top ranked Belvidere North and Hononegah could be closer than you think on Saturday. North will have the power in the front led by individual favorites Madison Diercks and Gianna Sagona. The Blue Thunder will need their top five in the first 13 runners to secure the win. Hononegah will need to keep their split under 55 seconds on their top five to win the team title. Hononegah getting all seven runners ahead of Belvidere North’s fourth runner could secure the win for the Indians.

Hononegah should be the Boys team favorite and could put all of their scorers in the top 10 led by Spencer Hielkema. Belvidere North, Rockford East, and Belvidere will challenge for the second team spot. Rockford East’s Noah Friske should be the individual favorite.

 

NIB-12 @ Geneseo

Yorkville will be the big team favorite in their final Girls conference meet. The school will be entering the Southwest Prairie Conference next fall. Kaneland and Geneseo are the teams that will challenge for the second spot. Kaneland will be challenged by Sycamore and Yorkville in the Boys team race. Yorkville’s Emily Eberhart, Kailey Fox, and Helena Kleronomos will be the runners to watch up front in the Girls race. Daniel Occhipinti of Kaneland is the Boys race individual favorite.

 

ESCC @ Arlington Park Race Course

This is the first time that a cross-country meet will be held at legendary Arlington Park Race course. That might not change the fact that Benet Academy will sweep both the Boys and Girls team race.

Benet Academy has been ranked among the top five 2A teams most of the season and should roll in the Boys race. St. Viator and Marist should be the closest teams. Benet’s Connor O’Keefe is the individual favorite. Benet Academy’s Girls team should be the favorite but 2A ranked Carmel Catholic and St. Viator could make it close. Benet’s Emily Spellman should be the individual favorite.

 

Fox Valley Conference @ Hampshire HS

Both Boys and Girls team races should be better than people think. Crystal Lake South, ranked #3 in 2A, leads a strong field in the Girls race that has Jacobs, Huntley, Cary-Grove and Prairie Ridge among the teams that could also challenge for the win. Mackenzie Aldridge and Olivia Beckwith lead the Gators that will need to have five runners in the top 14 to capture the team title. Those two runners should be the individual favorites along with Jacobs’ Elizabeth Kania and Cary-Grove’s Morgan Dieschbourg.

Huntley and Jacobs should be the top teams in the Boys team race with Dundee-Crown the next team leading the pack. Huntley has the power in the front that could have Jaden Conroy and Ian Geisler challenging for the individual title. Jacobs, led by Mark Lemke, will need two runners in the first five along with all of their scorers in the top 15 to challenge the Red Raiders for the conference title.

 

NLCC @ Round Lake

It could come down to less than five points in deciding the girls team champion between Grant Community and Lakes Community. Grayslake Central, who will need their scorers in the top 18, could challenge those two teams. The individual race should be fantastic with Round Lake’s Fatima Giron, Lakes’ Brooke Stromsland, and Grant’s Aly Negovetich all challenging for the conference title.

Solid pack running should give Lakes Community the win in the Boys race. Grant Community and Grayslake Central will be the teams challenging for the possible win. The Eagles could have five runners in the top nine led by Jack Erwin to secure their conference title. Charlie Smith of Antioch is the individual race favorite.

 

North Suburban Conference @ Vernon Hills Athletic Complex

Mundelein should roll in the Boys race led by Dillon Blake and Robert St. Clair. The Mustangs could place their entire top seven in the first 12 runners. Lake Zurich and Stevenson should be the closest teams. The Girls race featuring Libertyville, Mundelein, and Stevenson could come down to 10 points or less separating the first three teams. Brielle Rochester of Libertyville, Kendall Roberts of Stevenson, Jordyn Miller of Mundelein, and Emily Burns of Lake Zurich will be the runners to watch in the front.

 

Southwest Suburban Blue @ Lockport Township Campus Course

Sandburg’s pack will have the clear advantage in the Boys race as they could score between 20 to 26 points for the win. Lockport will be the closest team to the Eagles. Bolingbrook’s Tyler Cushing will be the individual favorite with Sandburg’s Ben Giblin and Lincoln-Way East’s Brett Gardner close behind.

Lockport and Lincoln-Way East will be the top teams in the Girls race with Lincoln-Way East’s Jenna Couwenhoven challenged by Lockport’s Kate Wojcikiewicz for the individual conference title.

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