ILXCTF.com Illinois HS Track & Field 2021 Season Awards - Girls Distance

By Michael Newman

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It was a memorable 2021 season in Girls High School Distance Running in Illinois. 2022 could be even better as records should continue to fall.

In a normal track & field season in this state, there could be three runners that could be named the top distance runners in the state. We had to choose just one.

Ali Ince, the fantastic freshman from Normal Community, was our choice as the ILXCTF.com Girls Distance Runner for the 2021 season. What this freshman did during this season was fantastic and proved not only she was the top runner in the state but also the nation.

Ince caught the attention of some nationally when she won the Freshman mile in 4:50.54 and then came back to win the 800 Meter Run in 2:09.42 at the adidas Indoor Nationals in February. That was only the beginning for Ince as she entered the outdoor season. She achieved the three fastest 800 Meter Run times ever run by an Illinois High School runner including running 2:03.98 to win the Brooks PR Invitational at the beginning of July.

Ince was a double state champion missing Courtney Clayton’s state record by .01 of a second. Her 1600 Meter Run race was memorable under the lights in Charleston as she outkicked Josephine Welin to set a new IHSA State Meet Record in 4:40.85. It was also the second fastest time ever at the distance for an Illinois High School Girls runner.

Ince has two of the top three times ever for 1600-meters and four of the top five 800-meter times ever in this state. She’s only a freshman.

It will be great to see how Josephine Welin of Oak Park-River Forest progresses in her senior season after what she accomplished in 2020-2021. Welin was also considered for the top spot. She won the 3200 Meter Run in the Class 3A State Meet under less than opportune conditions (10:36.36) with temperatures in the 90’s. Welin came back to also go under the state meet record in running 4:42.55 to finish second behind Ince in the 1600 Meter Run.

Welin came back to run to become the third fastest runner ever in the state as she ran 10:03.72 to win at the Illinois Girls Meet of Champions a week later.

Ava Parekh of Latin School was a slim choice to the Class 2A Distance Runner of the Year ahead of teammate Marianne Mihas. Parekh had a solid junior season which included helping her school win the Class 2A team title along with Mihas. Parekh was the state champion at 3200 Meters, finished fourth in the 800 Meter Run, and then finished second in the 1600 Meter Run. Her season kicked off indoors as she earned All-American honors by finishing third in the 2 Mile Run and then the next day winning the 1 Mile Run at the adidas Indoor Nationals. Parekh ran 10:18.76 to finish sixth at Brooks PR Invitational in July.

Marianne Mihas concluded her high school career on her high note with a fantastic set of performances in the 2A State Meet. Mihas anchored Latin School to a win in the 4x800m Relay, she won the 800 Meter Run and second in the 400 Meter Dash, and then finished fifth with her teammates in the 4x400m Relay. Mihas ran under 2:10 three times in 2021 including 2:07.44 at the end of June.

It was tough to put my finger on one athlete in Class 1A. We had three different winners in that classification with Maleigha Huston of Bushnell Prairie City winning the 800 Meter Run, Natalia Martino of Winnebago winning the 1600 Meter Run, and Mattie Kindelsperger of Sherrard winning the 3200 Meter Run.

Our choice for Class 1A Distance Runner of the Year was Eris Nelson of Belleville Althoff Catholic who helped her team win the Class 1A Team Championship on June 10. Nelson finished second in both the 3200 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run with temperatures in the 90’s. Nelson missed half of her season due to an injury. Her strength in coming back to race at state will be remembered in years to come.