2024 Distance Night in Palatine Preview

 

Fast times and personal bests await the runners heading to Palatine 

 

Photo: Patrick Hilby set the meet record last year in the 800 Meter Run. Hilby will be in talent laden field in the Boys 1 Mile Run Saturday evening. (Griffin Forberg Photo)

 

By Michael Newman

 

The destination spot for high school distance runners on a Saturday night in April since 2016 has been Distance Night in Palatine. Meet director Chris Quick every year has put together great fields where every race feels like a championship race. The popularity continues to grow for this meet with 188 schools having athletes participate in Saturday evening’s meet, a record for this event. The field that has been put together by Quick  for the three distance events could be the best yet for the eighth running of this meet.

 

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The final race of the meet is the Boys 1 Mile Run. There is star power is incredible in this 18 runner field with four All-Americans from last spring and this past winter’s national meet toeing the line. Patrick Hilby and Gavin Genisio earned their honors a month ago in Boston. Dylon Nalley earned his status in March in New York City. Aden Bandukwala was an All-American as part of Hinsdale Central’s quartet that won the 4x800m Relay last June in Oregon.

 

Allison Ince holds the meet records for both the Girls 800 Meter Run and Girls 1600 Meter Run. In her final appearance at this meet, she will look for her third title in the 800 Meter Run. She should be the big favorite in that race and could come close to the meet record of 2:04.10 she set as a freshman in 2021.

 

Records could fall in this meet with a projected forecast for Saturday night with clears skies in temperatures in the upper 40’s with a slight breeze.

 

Here is a look at every race that will take place on Saturday evening.

 

1 Mile Run

Boys

Boys Main Event Race Record – Sean Torpy, Orland Park (Sandburg) – 4:08.64, 2016 (1600m)

Boys Main Event Race Record – Clayton Mendez, Chicago (Whitney Young) – 4:08.64, 2018 (1600m)

Boys Freshman Race Record – Marcellus Mines, Joliet (West) – 4:26.43, 2021 (1600m)

Boys Undercard Race Record – Rory Cavan, Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West) – 4:17.38, 2018 (1600m)

2023 Race Winner – Owen Bosley, Homestead WI – 4:12.65

2023 Freshman Winner – Owen Horeni, Yorkville – 4:27.06

Previews

 

Section 4 (9:50 PM) – The final race of Distance Night in Palatine could be the best of the meet. The 4:08.64 meet record is for 1600-meters, the mile equivalent is 4:10.08. If the first lap does not become tactical, we could see three maybe four runners under the record mark.  This is the most talented field for this event in the meet’s history.

 

Gavin Genisio of Benton finished fourth in this race last year. Since that race, the senior just missed the 2A State Meet record but won the title in that event. He repeated as state champion last November in the 1A State Meet. He’s rolled into his final high school track season hot. He ran a 4:04 split helping Benton finish third at the New Balance Indoor Nationals Distance Medley Relay. He earned All-American honors in the 1 Mile Run finishing fourth with a 4:07.25 time. Genisio will have a busy weekend running in the 3200 Meter Run Friday at the Eastern Relays in Louisville.

 

Another hot runner in this field is Camyn Viger of Plainfield South. He showed his fitness level two weeks ago at the Arcadia Invitational running a spectacular time of 8:57.90. Viger was part of Plainfield South’s quartet that finished third at the New Balance Indoor Nationals. Viger came back to run 4:08.85 to finish ninth in the 1 Mile Run. The senior ran in this race last year finishing second. He will try to better that finish in this race. Viger and Aden Bandukwala of Hinsdale Central had some memorable races at this distance at the end of last track season with Bandukwala winning both the 3A State Meet final in the 1600 Meter Run and then the next week the Mile at Magis Miles. The two runners will be close together in this race. Bandukwala defended his 3A state xc title last November at Detweiller Park. He has run 1:53 for 800-meters and last week ran 49.06 at Downers Grove South. Throw in the 9:07 he ran for 3200-meters to start the outdoor season shows his fitness level and readiness for a crazy fast time.

 

We saw what Patrick Hilby of Aurora Central Catholic this season what  he has done running 4:10.21 at the New Balance Grand Prix for the 1 Mile Run at the beginning of February. He returned to Boston to win the national championship in the 800 Meter Run running the fastest time ever for an Illinois runner indoors. Hilby won the 800 at Arcadia with a 1:49.71 time. He won the 800 Meter Run at Distance Night in Palatine setting a new meet record. He opted for this event. The above mentioned runners here give you an idea why. Trey Sato of Grayslake Central in his last two 800 races set a new meet record at Illinois Top Times running 1:51.95 for the win. Two weeks ago, Sato dropped his personal best down to 1:50.71 to finish fourth at Arcadia. Sato ran 4:12.47 for the 1 Mile Run at the end of January. How fast will he run in this race? Julian Baker of Mt. Zion could be a surprise in this race. Baker ran 4:16.40 for the 1 Mile Run at New Balance Indoor Nationals and followed that up running 4:14.52 in the 1600 Meter Run to finish second behind Genisio in the Class 2A race at Illinois Top Times. He will run faster than that in this race.

 

The one runner that was the surprise during the indoor season was Brady Golomb of York. The senior transferred back home to Elmhurst after running 3+ years at Southlake Carroll TX. He went undefeated indoors including 1:54 for 800-meters and 4:15.22 in the 1600 Meter Run. Golomb has not yet raced in an outdoor meet. He will do double duty this weekend in this meet and the night before at the Red Grange Invitational. His indoor 1600 best was run alone. He will have plenty of people with him in this race. Parker Dewey of Eau Claire Memorial WI could be a factor in this race. Dewey was all-state last spring finishing second in the Wisconsin D1 State Meet. His personal best at this distance came when he ran 4:15.24 at the Music City Challenge in February. In the same meet, he ran 1:51.31 for 800-meters. Brian Burns of Southern Boone MO has an older brother (Connor Burns) that ran some fast times in high school. Brian is just a sophomore and is making a name for himself in running. Burns ran 4:15.37 last week at Liberty North running a three second personal best. Burns finished seventh last fall in the Missouri Class 3 race. Watch for a big race from him.

 

Dylon Nalley of Marion is ending his high school career the right way before he heads off to Indiana University this fall. Nalley has won the Class 2A State Meet at Detweiller Park last year helping his school win the team title. His indoor season was impressive earning All-American honors running 14:21.56 for sixth at 5000-meters at the Nike Indoor Nationals. He has run under 9-minutes three times this season including running 8:50.47 for 2-miles at Notre Dame in February. He set a new meet record running 8:54.01 at Illinois Top Times. Gabriel McLain of Benton has shown dramatic improvement this season. He has gone from 4:22.69 at the end of his sophomore year down to when he ran 4:15.83 to finish fourth at Illinois Top Times. Both Nalley and McLain, along with Genisio, will run in the 3200 at the Eastern Relays on Friday, then drive up to race in this meet Saturday night. Expect fast times from Nalley and McLain in both races. Charlie Vater of Iola Scandinavia WI raced in this meet last year running 9:14.96 to win the Section 4 in the 2 Mile Run. Vater is the defending Wisconsin D3 State champion at both the 1600 Meter Run and the 3200 Meter Run. His 4:15.87 from last year’s state race is his personal best. He ran 4:20.92 to win the Wisconsin Indoor title almost two weeks ago.

 

Liam Naughton of Hersey is a runner that could be a surprise in this race. Naughton spent most of his indoor season running double events in meets. Naughton’s best came when he just missed all-state last May by one spot (4:15.62). He is running with a chip on his shoulder shown by indoor bests 1:56.48 and 4:21.49. A big race is ahead for him. Rory Gaan of Fremd is just a junior but he is already setting himself up for a great senior season. Gaan won the 3A race at Illinois Top Times with a 4:16.53. He looked great at Arcadia running 9:09.37 at Arcadia on Friday and then 4:16.14 for 1600-meters the next day. Owen Morgan of Taylorville deserves to be in this race after running 4:14.99 to finish third at Illinois Class 2A Top Times race. Morgan ran 1:55.87 last week in Springfield at 800-meters showing he is ready for a fast race.

 

Nick Strayer of Lyons Township is someone we could see finish in the top five. Strayer ran 4:16.85 to win at Batavia Distance Madness indoors. He started his outdoor season running 4:16.83 and then 1:57.71 at Arcadia. He won the 3200 Meter Run (9:25.23) last week at Minooka. One of the runners that we could see pushing the pace. Graham Stevener of Kirkwood MO made the Class 5 State finals in his state last year running 4:16.41. He enters this meet this season with a 4:20 1600 best and 1:56.48 for 800-meters. Grady Lenn of De Pere WI is on the radar running 9:00.30 in the 3200 Meter Run two weeks ago at Arcadia. He finished third last fall in the D1 State Meet and ninth at the NXR Heartland Regional. This could be his breakout race for the next two years.

 

Predictions in this race? None this time. If any, we could see double digit runners ending this race with personal bests. All I can say is cheer like crazy and watch the tactics and race play out. There are so many runners that have killer kicks to win this race. My only fear is a slow first lap which could kill the remaining three laps. I just see a record, but I do not know how fast. I think it will be fast enough to take everyone’s breath away. The potential for fast is there.

 

Section 3 (8:46 PM) – There are a number of great runners in this section that have the talent to be in the final section of the meet. There are just too many great runners in the final section to push any of them out. The top five runners in this race have seed times under 4:20 led by Will Gelon of Prairie Ridge and Dalton Lowery of Whitney Young. The one runner to keep an eye on is Josiah Hortin who could win multiple state titles at the end of May. Hortin won the 800 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run at the end of March at Illinois Top Times. Hortin two weeks ago at Arcadia ran 9:05.86 to finish second in his section race. Hortin ran 4:18.51 at Prospect last year. He ran 4:19.37 this indoor season. His teammate Will Foltz has run a 4:21.38 best but has the talent to finish among the top five runners in this race. Spencer Alf of McFarland WI ran 4:21.33 indoors at Louisville. His best was 4:19.59 when he finished third in the Wisconsin D2 State Championships.

 

Ben Crane of New Trier could be the runner to watch in this race. Crane ran 4:19.42 outdoors last year, then repeated that with 4:19.62 at a small meet in February at Proviso West. Crane finished eighth in this meet last year as a sophomore in the 3200 Meter Run. He ran 4:21.48 in his forst outdoor race at Schaumburg followed by 9:14.40 last week at Buffalo Grove. It may take 4:15 to win this section. Crane could be the runner to accomplish that. Dylan Maloney of Plainfield South was an All-American for 5000-meters at New Balance Indoor Nationals and ran an under 4:20 split for the Cougars in their All-American 4x1 Mile race in the same meet. I would not count him out on Saturday. Jocob Barraza of DeKalb and Palatine’s Carter Hayes and Alex Krieg will push for top finishes on their home track. Zach Self of Waubonsie Valley looked strong last week at Minooka. He could be a surprise in this race.

 

Section 2 (6:52 PM) – Three seconds separate the 18 runners that are assigned to this section. Jackson Summy of Lakes Community and Justin Hurtado of Barrington are the top two seeds in this section with Summy coming in with a 4:23.14 best. Josiah Narayanan of Wheaton-Warrenville South is running with more confidence and could come away with the win in this section. Narayanan will be running the 1600 Meter Run the night before possibly as preparation of what he could go through in a month. Joaquin DeAlba of Plainfield South could challenge for the win along with Ishan Patel of Woodstock and Max Sudrzynski of Jacobs also favorites to take home the win. Jack Graham of Naperville Central is one of the runners that could be a surprise in this section along with Colin Knowles of Batavia.

 

Section 1 (6:45 PM) – The first section of this event has three seconds separating the 18 runners in this section. Emmett Bradford of York went through an injury plagued cross-country season. His track season is good so far and enters this section with a 4:26.80 seed time. This race is wide open with Christian Harris of Morton, Jordon Kreimer of New Trier, Nicolai Martino of Winnebago, and John Peterson of Prospect some of the runners in this race that we could see crossing the line first.

 

Freshman (5:38PM) – We could see a race record on Saturday with Marcellus Mines record of 4:26.43 from three years ago catchable from the field assembled for late Saturday afternoon. Landon Harris won the middle school race last year in a race that had snow flurries in the air. Harris is the runner we could see break the record. He ran 4:26.41 at the end of the season at HOKA Festival of Miles. Harris running 4:23.35 at the Louisville Indoor Games indicates that he could go under 4:22 in this race. Bryant Lester of Vernon Hills and Tom Jochum of Glenbard South are the only other runners under 4:30 in this 23 runner field. Lester and Jochum could push Harris to a fast time or possibly win this race. It will take a record breaking time to accomplish that.

 

Girls

Girls Main Event Race Record – Allison Ince, Normal (Community) – 4:46.84, 2022 (1600m)

Girls Undercard Race Record – Alyssa Norris, Barrington – 4:59.88, 2019 (1600m)

2023 Race Winner – Scout Storms, Barrington – 4:56.95

Previews

 

Section 5 (9:41 PM) – There were a number of runners that entered in this event and the 800 Meter Run. The majority of those runners chose this distance making it a big appetizer before the Boys race. It could be just as good as the Boys race with 10 runners seeded at 5-minutes or under. The weather will be good making the Chic Anderson track ripe for a fast race.

 

There are a number of runners that could win this race. The one runner that has been impressive this season is Elena Rybak of Father McGivney. The junior ran 4:51.05 to win at Charleston and 4:52.17 to win the Illinois Top Times 1A race. She ran 4:57.05 last week at Robinson for the win. Rybak has great finish speed having run 2:09.27 for the 800 Meter Run at the New Balance Indoor Nationals. Her strength and fantastic finish speed could get her the win in her first appearance at this meet. Then there is Becca Heitzig of Lincoln that will look to win her third win in the 800 Meter Run in Charleston in May. First, she is ready for a fast time in this race.  Heitzig finished second behind Allison Ince in the 800 Meter Run in last year’s meet. The senior has a 4:53 best run last year by herself. Last week at Urbana, she ran 2:15.54 to win at 800-meters. Her speed is equal or perhaps a little better than that of Rybak. The two runners racing for the win will be interesting to watch. Annika Swan of St. Ignatius College Prep as all-state last year finishing second in the 800 Meter Run and seventh in the 1600 Meter Run. The sophomore finished fourth in this race last year and could finish higher on Saturday. Swan ran 4:57.84 at Arcadia two weeks ago. She ran 2:14.48 for 800-meters last week.

 

The last two years that Scout Storms of Barrington has run in the Mile in this meet, Storms won the 3200 Meter Run at the Sue Pariseau Invitational earlier in the day. She will be at Sue P on Saturday but just running the on their 4x800 Meter Relay. Storms in a close finish returns to this meet as the defending champion running 4:56.95 for the win in that race. Storms ran 4:53.88 later last season and then finished third at state. The 3A State XC Champion could be a good bet to defend her title on Saturday. Sophia Ramirez of Washington finished fifth in last year’s 3A State Meet which achieved a 4:54.85 personal best. Ramirez has done relay work so far this outdoor season but ready for this race. Elyse Wilmes of Father Tolton MO is the defending champion in Missouri’s Class 2 State 1600m. Her 4:54.98 at state and the 2:06.97 in the Running Lane Championship makes her a threat to win this race if there is a tight pack entering the final lap.

 

Mia Kotler of Latin School has not raced much this season but ran 10:31.71 in the 3200 Meter Run and 4:57.77 indoors at the beginning of March. Her Arcadia race could be a sign that a sub-5 race could be in the cards for her on Saturday. Stella Davis from Evanston Township ran 4:59.62 to finish fourth at Illinois Top Times in March. The Evanston junior finished eighth in this race last year and will look for a finish in the top five on Saturday. Liv Phillips of Naperville Central was involved in plenty of doubles that could give her plenty of strength in this race. Phillips ran 4:59.98 for the 1 Mile Run after running 10:41.99 in the 2 Mile at the New Balance Indoor Championships. Phillips finished third in the 2 Mile Run in this meet last year. Watch for her to be in the front in this race.

 

Jane Lynch of Loyola Academy ran 10:48.22 in the 3200 Meter Run and 5:15.99 the next day at the Arcadia Invitational. Lynch’s best is 4:59.91 for 1600 Meter Run in the 2023 indoor season. Abby Lewis of Barrington ran 5:00.47 last year’s sectional race 1600 Meter Run. She could be among the top eight finishers in this race. Emma Berres of Naperville North has been known for her 800 strength. She has moved up to distance and run well. She won Batavia Distance Madness running 5:02.85. She came back at Illinois Top Times to finish second in the 800 Meter Run. She ran 2:18.97 last week on her home track. She wants a sub-5 mile. Berres could have it in this meet.

 

Josie Cahill of New Trier enters this meet with a 5:03.56 best when she finished seventh at Illinois Top Times. Cahill ran 10:54.40 for 3200-meters at Barrington last week. A time near or under 5-minutes could be within her grasp. Marley Andelman of St. Charles East won the Illinois Top Times last month with a 2:15.65 personal best. She steps up to the mile where she ran 5:05.04 last outdoor season. Andelman could be a surprise in this race. Abigail Jordan of Palatine will be racing on the comfort of her home track. Jordan finished fourth in her section in this meet last year. She ran a 5:05.61 to make it to state in her sectional last May.

 

Grace Mullin of Chicago Christian had a breakthrough in this meet last year winning her race section with a 5:07.65. Her time lowered down to 5:05.82 when she finished third at Illinois Top Times in March. She ran 800-meters in 2:18.27 last week and could be ready for another personal best. Sophia Baumert of Streamwood ran a personal best of 5:07.32 in her win last week at Schaumburg looking for a lower time on Saturday. It has been a breakthrough track season for Delilah Helenhouse of Benet Academy lowering her best down to 5:07.86 indoors. She ran 5:10.52 last week at Naperville North and could run faster in this meet.

 

Section 4 (8:39 PM) – Another wide-open race with four runners with seed times under 5:10. It could be top seed Ali Londrigan of Chatham-Glenwood. This standout freshman was all-state last fall finishing seventh in the 2A State race. Londrigan ran her personal best two weeks ago (5:08.25) at a small home meet. The size and quality of the runners in this race should not affect Londrigan. Abby Moog of Naperville Central, Hannah Tiete of Taft, and Monika Urbaniak of Palatine all have times under 5:10 and should challenge for the win. Ella Hwang of St. Ignatius would not be a surprise if she won this sectional. Lily Babiak of Waubonsie Valley and Evelyn O’Connor of Seneca have run better throughout this season and could be surprise top three finishers.

 

Section 3 (6:37 PM) – Five seconds separate the 18 runners in this field. Sofia Donner of Hersey, Madison Twarling of Lakes Community, and Camille Mavis of Mt. Zion are the top seeds all with times in the 5:16 range. Maya Ledesma of Minooka along with Angelynn Kanyuck of Waterloo and Madison Popelar of Edwardsville are all separated by five hundredth of a second and could win this race. Rachel Behrens of Chatham-Glenwood and Nadia Bowden of Lincoln-Way Central could surprise some with wins.

 

Section 2 (6:29 PM) – The top five seeds in the second mile race on the Girls side all have times under 5:22 within a second of each other. Ava Giblin of Sandburg and Danielle Mudd are the lead seniors in this race along with Shannon Cranny of Lyons Township. Freshman Kaylee Wilson of Warren Township and sophomore Madison Peterson of Grayslake North will also be up front pushing for the win. Frida Martinez of Wheaton-Warrenville South, Ashley Zeibert of Rochester, and Alyssa Gregory of Bartlett will be near the front capable of winning this section.

 

Section 1 (5:30 PM) – No surprises in the opening race of this meet with the 17 runners in this field separated by just three seconds. Kaitlyn Ward of Plainfield North and Angelica Hil of Barrington are the top seeded runners.

 

2 Mile Run

Boys

Boys Main Event Race Record – Drew Rogers, Herscher – 8:57.78, 2021 (3200m)

Boys Undercard Race Record – Spencer Smith, Rock Island (Alleman) – 9:17.44, 2018 (3200m)

2023 Race Winner – Dylan Myers, Lake Zurich – 9:14.83

Previews

 

Section 4 (9:28 PM) – This field is good enough that we could see a winning time under 9:07. Dale Johnson of Sterling was second in this race last year that led him to finish second at state in the 3200 Meter Run and fourth in the 1600 Meter Run. Johnson ran 9:23 two weeks ago at East Moline. Expect him to run faster in this race. Tommy Nitz of Huntley in his first two outdoor races has run under 4:20 in the 1600 Meter Run. His best at this distance came at Illinois Top Times with a 9:14.12 to finish second. He has been improving in every race this season. Nitz would not be a surprise running under 9:10. Jackson Barrett of Tuscola finished fourth in this race last year and will look to better that finish on Saturday. Barrett ran 9:15.85 in last year’s race. The senior finished second in the 3200 and third in the 1600 at the 1A race at Illinois Top Times. He is ready for a big race. Two runners from last fall’s 3A State XC champion team Downers Grove North will be in this final section. Ryan Eddington last ran this event last year when he had a 9:22.98 time. The senior has already run 1:55 this outdoor season. I think we could see a huge personal best from him at Palatine. Grant Schroder ran 9:25 and could be a surprise in this race.

 

There are too many runners that we could see in the front. We could see a surprise winner such as Dylan Ybarra of O’Fallon, Quinn Davis of Plainfield North, and Joe Bregenzer of Barrington. Jack Jennings of Fremd is only a freshman that ran 9:16 indoors at Illinois Top Times. If he were in the Freshman mile, he would be a probable winner. The same could be said with Jennings in this race. Also watch for Sean Heetland of West Aurora and Luis Flores of St. Laurence who could surprise in this section.

 

Section 3 (8:27 PM) – Eight runners are between 9:27 to 9:30 in this section. Any of those six runners could win this race. Greyson Ellensohn of St. Charles East ran 9:27.30 on his home track two weeks ago and could have the edge in this race. Ellensohn ran huge personal bests during the indoor season. He could push for the win along with his teammate Jed Wilson who ran 4:21.80 for 1600-meters two weeks ago. Matthew Conroy of St. Ignatius College Prep will be in the mix for the win. He has the top seed (9:27.12) in this section. Juniors Gavin O’Connor of Brother Rice and Sean Hanrahan of Lincoln-Way East along with sophomore Alex Rodriguez of BC Morton all have been pleasant surprises this spring. It will be no surprise if any of these three runners win this race. Owynn Garrelts of Maine South, Evan Parker of Niles North, Liam O’Connor of Oak Park-River Forest, and Caleb Matthias of Champaign Central all have the times to challenge for the win. We could see sub 9:20 for the win in this section.

 

Section 2 (7:13 PM) – It could take a sub- 9:30 time to win this section. Benjamin Wuggazer of Lyons Township is coming off a good 9:34.15 effort last week at Minooka and has the top seed in this race. There should not be any surprises in this 16 runner field. Zach Bender of Downers Grove North, Ben Regennitter of Kohler WI, Lewis O’Connor of Oak Park-River Forest and Jermiah Lanum of Bradley-Bourbonnais all have seed times under 9:36 and will factor in the race pace. Zach Saltiel of York, Cole Tupper of Elgin, and Evan Cook of St. Teresa are having good seasons and could be surprises in the top five.

 

Section 1 (5:59 PM) – It took 9:48 to get into this meet. This section has the final 18 runners that qualified to run. Graham Faris of Glenbard West is the top seed with a 9:42 time. Bryan Malkowski leads the pack behind Faris that is separated by under one second. Riley Fink of Plainfield South, Samuel Rocio of West Aurora, and Sam Tellefson of Washington could come away with the section win.

 

Girls

Girls Main Event Race Record – Lauren Pansegrau, Middleton WI – 10:13.91, 2021 (3200m)

Girls Undercard Race Record – Ailey Mitchell, Geneva – 10:57.66, 2019 (3200m)

2023 Race Winner – Rachel Soukup, Crystal Lake (Prairie Ridge) – 10:32.59

Previews

 

Section 4 (9:13 PM) – The record set by Lauren Pansegrau three years ago looks to be untouchable but that could be an illusion. The record could be attained by one of these 18 runners in this field. Mia Sirios of Barrington enters this race with a 10:28.51 top sed that was run last Friday in winning on her home track. The freshman ran 10:30.29 indoors. Sundara Weber of Sandwich will be one of the runners that will push the pace in this race. Weber finished second last May to finish second in the 2A State race and will factor in this race. Weber ran 10:57 last week at Ottawa. Zoe Carter of Normal University  has been one of the hot runners this winter which included earning All-American honors in the 5000 Meter Run in March at the Nike Indoor Nationals. Carter came back two weeks later to run 10:37.14 to win the Class 2A race at Illinois Top Times for the win. Teammate Natalie Bierbaum ran 10:40.01 in the Illinois Top Times race will also be among the leaders. Molly Farrell of Marshall finished second in this race last year has already run under 10:51 twice this spring including 10:43 at Arcadia two weeks ago. The Naperville North trio of Julie Piot along with Shania and Rianna Tandon could be pushing for top five finishes along with Sofia Arcuri of Maine South and Danielle Jensen of McHenry.

 

Section 3 (8:13 PM) – 19 runners are in this section led by Nicole Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South and her 11:08.34 seed time. Poglitsch had a strong cross country season ending with a seventh place finish in the 3A race at Detweiller Park. Her fitness level along with confidence could put her near or under 11-minutes in this race. Four runners are under 11:11 seed times in this race that includes Poglitsch, Cameron Crump of Waterloo, Skyler Balzer of McHenry, and Makaylin Viet of Father Tolton Regional. No real favorites in this race. Keep a close eye on Ellen Anderson of Latin School, Sydney Gertsen of Montini Catholic, and Sabrina Roach of Barrington among the pack of runners you could see in the front in this section.

 

Section 2 (6:59 PM) – 18 runners are in this section with the top ten runners seeded within four seconds of each other. This means there should mean no surprises stepping into this section’s spotlight. Haley Rahman of Huntley, Amie Gronert of Shorewood WI, Sophie Krueger of Morton, and Taya Gummerson of Minooka all have times at 11:30. Also watch for Ashlynn Lindt of Montini Catholic, and Josslyn Gaona of Oswego East to be among the top runners up front. Molly Robertson of Carterville could be the surprise in this race.

 

Section 1 (5:45 PM) – The opening race in this section should set the tone for the night. 18 runners are in this field led by Kaylee O’Sullivan of Chicago Christian. Emann Hussain of Plainfield North is having a great sophomore track season and could play a factor on who wins along with Faith Miller of Sandburg and Audrey Heil of Metamora. All 18 runners are separated by just eight seconds. Abby Barrett of Wheaton-Warrenville South and Ashlyn Chopra of Chatham-Glenwood could be surprise runners to watch in the front.

 

800 Meter Run

Boys

Boys Main Event Race Record – Patrick Hilby, Aurora (Central Catholic) – 1:52.32, 2023

Boys Undercard Race Record – Shane Yamco, Riverton – 1:55.61 – 2018

2023 Race Winner – Patrick Hilby, Aurora (Central Catholic) – 1:52.32

Previews

 

Section 4 (9:08 PM) – Meet record holder and indoor national champion Patrick Hilby has opted to run in the 1 Mile Run in this meet. This race is wide-open with any of the 15 runners capable of winning. Foster Shelbert of Naperville Central enters the meet as the top seed and one of the favorites. Shelbert has not raced the distance much this season. His personal best is 1:53.66 in the state prelims and finished seventh in the state finals. John Ihrke of Glenbrook North looked strong in March when he won the 800 at Batavia Distance Madness and could come away with the win in this race. Owen Horeni of Yorkville won the freshman mile in this meet last year and will look for his second win at Palatine. He was also all-state last spring and has a 1:54.08 best. Marcellus Mines of Joliet West did not race indoors, but currently has the #6 time in the state. Mines was all-state in the 1600 Meter Run last year but does have great finishing speed that could give him the win. Payton Whitehead of Lakes Community finished second behind Ihrke at Batavia Distance Madness should be a threat in this race. Gavin Borger of Plainfield South ran 4:21 last week at Minooka but could be a surprise in this race. Mateo Ramiro-Garcia of Sandburg won the 800 at Minooka and should be a runner to keep an eye on.  Meyke Lomax of Marion was the Class 2A champion at Illinois Top Times in March and could finish in the top three. Tim Jochum of Glenbard South and Preston Ellis of Payton Prep could also be factors in this final.

 

Section 3 (8:09 PM) – To show how deep in talent this race has, two seconds separate the 15 runners in the field. Zach Thoman of O’Fallon has the top section seed of 1:57.15 and capable of dipping into the 1:55’s. Joshua Stewart of Bolingbrook is running hot right now having run 1:57.34 last week in his win at Downers Grove South. Tra’Monti Williams of Payton Prep could win this section. The sophomore broke the Frosh/Soph meet record that stood for 23 years with a 1:57.65 time. Austin McInturff of Waubonsie Valley and Anthony Nitti of Glenbard West both are in the 1:57.3 range and are legit contenders in this section. Daniel Johnson of Oak Park-River Forest and Calvin Allaband-Gamble of Whitney Young could find a finish among the top three runners.

 

Section 2 (6:25 PM) – The question is in this section who will step into the spotlight?  The 15 runners in this field are separated by less than a second with Austin Corey of Waterloo entering this race with the top seed of 1:58.62. There are no surprises in this section especially how evenly matched this race will be. Weather conditions could have the winning time in the 1:57 range with Jameson Tenopir of Cary-Grove, Felipe Wickler of Batavia, and Cameron Donner of Hersey runners that you see towards the front. Max Zangan of York, Gavin Corpin of Conant, and Niko Dayment of Grant Community could also come away from this meet with the section win.

 

Section 1 (6:21 PM) – The opening race at this distance is extremely tight with all 15 runners in this section have all run under 2-minutes led by top seed Dane Brown of Deerfield who has a best of 1:59.34. Dhairya Trivedi of Oswego East and Connor Schupp of Oak Park-River Forest have bests under 1:59.4. Nathan Gehrmann of West Aurora and Nate Witzig of Normal Community lead the rest of the field.

 

Girls

Girls Main Event Meet Record – Allison Ince, Normal (Community) – 2:04.10, 2021

Girls Undercard Race Record – Stephanie Kriss, Highland Park – 2:12.83, 2017

2023 Race Winner – Allison Ince, Normal (Community) – 2:05.04

Previews

 

Section 4 (9:03 PM) – Allison Ince enters her final race at Distance Night at Palatine as the big favorite having a seed time six seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Ince is coming off a national title indoors with a 2:03.85 time and at Arcadia running 2:05.26 two weeks ago. Ince has the top 10 fastest times ever run by an Illinois High School girl. She could make it 11 if she gets close to her meet record of 2:04.10. Charlize-Trinity McKenzie of Cedarburg WI is the only other runner in this section with a time under 2:10 running 2:09.81 USATF Meet in Minnesota at the end of February. The sophomore finished second in her WIAA State meet race last June and should be Ince’s chief competition. There is a five second gap after McKenzie with Gabrielle Walker of DePaul College Prep and Isabella Domier of Grayslake Central leading the rest of the pack in this 17 runner final section. Mia Forystek of Lincoln-Way Central and Janellisa Oceguera of Joliet West could be among the top three finishers as well.

 

Section 3 (8:04 PM) – 15 runners in this section are separated by just two seconds. The top five runners all have bests under 2:21 led by Abby Machesky of Crystal Lake South with her 2:20.09 best. Sydney Sukel of Barrington, Keira Jenke of Benet Academy, Elsie Czarniewski of Plainfield North, and Charlotte Hany of Hersey are all under 2:21 and should challenge for the win. Isabella Marsico of Lake Forest and Brooke Zeibert of Rochester could be surprise factors in determining the race winner.

 

Section 2 (6:16 PM) – 14 runners will toe the line in this section with Sophia Lane of Lake Forest the top seed at 2:22.05. This is a wide open field that could see Adeline Gobble of Stevenson, Madison Findley of Lyons Township, or Reagan Sipla of St. Charles North challenging for the win. I would not count out Sophia Rentmeister of Chatham-Glenwood or Ella Perrone of Hampshire in this section.

 

Section 1 (6:11 PM) – The top six runners in the opening Girls 800 race of the night are separated by just a quarter of a second of each other. Lana Alcorn of Normal University, Lydia Gurnsey of Chatham-Glenwood, and Klaire Eighner of Maroa-Forsyth are three runners you will see in the front.