Illinois HS XC Weekend Highlights - Fun times ahead for Class 3A Girls Teams

September 9, 2023 – Nalley continues to shine with convincing win in Missouri (Dylon Nalley finishing in St. Louis – Marion HS Photo)

By Michael Newman

What do you get three of the top four teams in the state in the same meet?

Answer: Fun.

This will be a fascinating season in Girls Cross Country in Illinois this fall especially in Class 3A. We saw that on Saturday with top 5 teams Barrington and Naperville North facing off. We also had the best race of the weekend across the state as defending 3A State Champion and runner-up Prospect and York facing up and coming Downers Grove North at the Harvey Braus Invitational Saturday at Lake Park’s East Campus course.

You can’t consider Downers Grove North as up and coming after their race on Saturday. They are here.

#4 Downers Grove North edged #2 York 47-48 with #1 Prospect scoring 57 points to finish third. 2A #8 St. Ignatius Prep scored 147 points to finish fourth with #15 Glenbard West scoring 190 points to finish fifth just ahead of #22 Huntley (195 points). It was a 1-2 finish for Prospect. Veronica Znajda pulled away to run 17:14 to win the individual race five seconds ahead of teammate Meg Peterson (17:19.8). Lily Eddington of Downers Grove North edged York’s Katherine Klimek for third (17:22.8-17:23.1). McKenzie Willard was North’s second runner running 17:29.6 to finish fifth.

The key for Downers Grove North in their “win” was the gap closing between Eddington and Willard. The week before at Lyons Township the two runners were separated by 23 seconds. Eddington and Willard were separated by just 7 seconds. The Trojans ended up placing 5 runners in the top 15 in this race with Sarah Paul (11th), Ava Gilley (13th), and Alayna Todnem (15th). The team’s top five split was 43 seconds.

York placed 5 runners in the top 17 with Klimek, Michaela Quinn (6th), and Margaret Owens (9) finishing in the top 10 followed by Anna McGrail (12th) and Maggie Quinn (17th). The top 5 split for the Dukes in this race was 43 seconds. Their top seven runners all finished in the top 20 with the seven separated by 54 seconds.

Prospect had the boost finishing 1-2. This was the first race of the season for Lily Ginsberg who was the team’s third runner finishing 14th running 18:02. Ireland Wildhart (19th) and Sophie Fransen (21st) followed. The top five split in the race for the Knights was 67 seconds. The split between Ginsberg and Fransen was 19 seconds.

Maria Polyakov of Glenbrook North was the first “non big three” runner to finish as she placed 7th. Annika Swan of St. Ignatius Prep had the same time as she finished 8th. Sofia Arcuri of Maine South finished tenth running 17:52.

The top six runners in the Boys race finished within six seconds of each other creating a tremendous end of race. Tommy Nitz of Huntley pulled away in the final 300-meters on the track finish at Lake Park to run 14:52 for the individual win. Will Kozlowski of Lane Tech was leading/within the lead throughout this race. He opened his first three-mile race of the season running 14:55 in placing second. Josiah Narayanan of Wheaton-Warrenville South ran 14:58.5 to finish third ahead of John Ihrke from Glenbrook North (14:59.8), Jed Wilson of St. Charles East (15:00.9), and Aiden Noel of Wheaton-Warrenville South (15:00.9).

The wonder kids of #10 Wheaton-Warrenville South looked better this week than they did the week before at Hinsdale scoring 59 points to win the team title. Narayanan and Noel are the only runners from last year’s state team and led in the top 10 on Saturday. Their inexperienced runners are getting that experience in their first two races. Atticus Cunningham (14th), Angelo Ruggio (15th), and Jayden Bauer (21st) were part of the Tigers top five and separated by 16 seconds. The team’s top five split was 71 seconds.

#11 St. Charles East finished second with 72 points led by top 10 finishes from Wilson, Oscar Frontjes (8th) and Greyson Ellenson (9th). Lane Tech finished third ( 85 points) behind Kozlowski’s finish and Brendan Bradish finishing in 10th place.

Forest Park XC Classic @ Forest Park, St. Louis – Dylon Nalley of Marion started out last season on a fast note running some great races on his way to the Class 2A title. He is running even faster starting this season evidenced by his race Saturday in St. Louis. Nalley started out fast and finished the same way in winning the Green Championship race in Forest Park. His winning time of 14:54.7 for the 5k course was 27 seconds ahead of Isaac Rivera of Lincoln College Prep MO.

Nalley had the lead by the first mile passing that point in 4:40 with Gavin Genisio of Benton and Rivera at 4:47. Nalley opened up a 12 second lead at 2-miles passing that mark in 9:32. There were two more Illinois runners that finished in the top 10 in this race. Zach Thoman of O’Fallon ran 15:48 to finish fifth. Genisio ended up running 16:11 to finish seventh. St. Louis University scored 66 points to win the team title ahead of Rockhurst MO (82 points) and Festus MO (107 points). O’Fallon was without their top runner Dylan Ybarra but finished fifth just ahead of Marion.

1A #1 Benton ran the rest of their team in the Gold Division and without Genisio. The Rangers led by a 1-2 finish from Gabe McLain and Cole Buchanan won that division with 101 points. McLain ran 16:26 to win ahead of Buchanan (16:39) and Alexander Moresi of Parkway Central MO (16:39).

Mary McKenzie of Cor Jesuit Academy MO ran 18:43 to win the Green Division race. Ellie Bush of O’Fallon ran 19:22 to finish second. O’Fallon placed their top 5 runners in the first 31 spots to win the team title with 88 points. Cor Jesuit Academy scored 114 points to finish second.

Aubreigh Desmond of Belleville Althoff ran 19:42 to win the Girls White Division race. The freshman won by 24 seconds ahead of Chloe Glosser of Pekin MO (20:06). Althoff finished third in that division with 81 points.

Joliet Central Steelman Invitational @ Channahon Park – When things go wrong, they really go wrong. It those moments, you make lemonade out of lemons. This was the case in the Boys Varsity race when the leader in the race, Finn Richards of Benet Academy, took a wrong turn and 15 other runners followed.

“Finn (Richards) was leading the race and at 1.25 miles, took a wrong turn and about 15 other runners followed him and went the wrong way,” said Benet Academy Coach Kevin Renicker. “Our top 3 runners went .1 mile in the wrong direction.  Once they figured it out, they turned around and went back the .1 mile.  In total, those guys ran .20 miles extra.  Some York and Oswego guys did as well.  Interestingly, Finn ended up in 30the place by the time he got back on the course.  But he was on a mission and by the end, he won it.”

Richards ended up running 16:17 for 3.2 miles (?) to win this race. Harlon Matson of Plainfield Central (16:19) and Nicholas Dul of Lincoln-Way West (16:20) finishing second and third. Benet Academy scored 55 points to win ahead of Oswego (88 points), York (96 points), and Plainfield Central (99 points).

7 points separated the first teams in the Girls race. Neuqua Valley edged Benet Academy 73-74 for the team title. Lincoln-Way East edged Lincoln-Way Central 79-80 for third. Lincoln-Way Central freshman Brea Counihan ran 18:14 to win the individual race with Delilah Helenhouse of Benet Academy running 18:29 to finish second. Elizabeth Hall of Neuqua Valley (18:56), Madison King of Joliet Central (18:58), and Janellisa Oceguera of Joliet West (19:05) finished in the top five.