Photo – Downers Grove South and Yorkville (along with Naperville North) will take a road trip this weekend to Minnesota for Saturday’s Roy Griak Invitational (Photo Credit: @DGSCC – DGS Girls Distance)

By Michael Newman

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While there will be some teams off this week as well as a potpourri of meets taking across the state, eyes will be wondering north to Minnesota. The top three Illinois Girls teams Naperville North, Yorkville, and Downers Grove North will run at the Roy Griak Invitational held at the Les Bolstad Golf Course on the campus of the University of Minnesota.

Weather has been an issue on this hilly course in past years with either rain or high temperatures have plagued this race. The 2018 edition of the race will be held one week later. Temperatures will be in the 50’s mid-day Saturday. Perfect conditions to run cross-country for these runners.

It could be a great day for Illinois schools in the Girls race but there are two traditional Minnesota powers that could stand in the way.

I we believe that we have not seen Wayzata MN at full strength yet this season. This race could be their coming out party. The Trojans were ranked #1 at the beginning of the season nationally. At last week’s Milaca Mega Meet where they won the Large School race easily, the team ran a 69 second split off the 1/3 finish of individual winner Emma Atkinson and Caroline Sassan. Edina MN has not raced their varsity since early September but does have a good trio that could be near the front led by Maria Rickman, Morgan Richter, and Macy Iyer.

Naperville North has raced only once this fall. In their win at the First to the Finish Invitational on September 8, the Huskies ran a 39 second split on their top five led by Alex Morris and the pack led by Campbell Petersen. That type of race with Morris finishing in the top 10 could lead Naperville North to back to back wins in the Gold Division of this meet.

Yorkville has been coming on strong over the past meets after finishing second to Naperville North at FTTF. Helena Kleronomos, Emily Eberhart, and Kailey Fox all have the talent to finish in the top 20. Getting their fourth and fifth runners closer to the front pack could off set the Naperville North pack.

Downers Grove South finished one point ahead of Yorkville at FTTF and will need another race similar to that to be among the top teams on Saturday. Brenna Cohoon did not have her best race last week at Naperville but does have the potential to be in the top 10. She ran 17:07 in FTTF at Detweiller. Their pack will need to be within 30 seconds of Cohoon in this race led by Melissa Weidner and Erin Reidy.

Here are where some of the top schools will be heading this weekend as well as a few quick looks at some of the meets. Peoria Central Invitational Preview

St. Charles North Invitational @ Leroy Oakes FP, St. Charles

Boys Ranked Teams – 3A: #1 Wheaton-Warrenville South, #3 St. Charles North, #16 New Trier, #20 Jones College Prep, #24 Batavia

Boys Teams Entered – Addison Trail, Marmion Academy, Metea Valley, Waubonsie Valley, Glenbard North, Cary-Grove, Geneva, South Elgin, St. Charles North, Prairie Ridge, Riverside-Brookfield

Girls Ranked Teams – 3A: #5 Lyons Township, #7 Wheaton-Warrenville South, #8 Batavia, #14 Hinsdale Central, #16 Cary-Grove, #20 St. Charles East; 2A: #2 Belvidere North

Girls Teams Entered – Addison Trail, Metea Valley, Bolingbrook, Jones College Prep, Downers Grove North, Elgin, Geneva, Lake Zurich, Lincoln-Way Central, South Elgin, St. Charles North, Riverside-Brookfield

Notes – The Boys race showcases two of the top three teams in the state Wheaton-Warrenville South and St. Charles East. The two teams will face each other in two weeks at the Inaugural DuKane Conference championship Meet. The Tigers packed it up two weeks ago with a convincing win at the Richard Spring Invitational using a 13 second five runner split to accomplish that. Expect their pack to be as close to that in their second invitational race of the year. St. Charles East should be closer in this race after not running their best race two weeks ago in Peoria. Scott Maison of Wheaton-Warrenville South and Bob Liking of St. Charles East will be two of the runners to watch in the front.

Lyons Township will be the Girls team to watch after a strong race in their win last week at Palatine. Wheaton-Warrenville South will be there but will not run their varsity runners in this meet. Batavia ran well in their win last week at Bartlett and could challenge LT. Batavia’s Katrina Schlenker will be the runner to watch in her tune-up before the Naperville Twilight Meet next Wednesday. Kate Dickman of Lyons, Madison Diercks of Belvidere North, and McKenna Revord of Hinsdale Central will be some of the runners to keep an eye on in the front.

Other meets this weekend

Locktoberfest @ Dellwood Park, Lockport

Boys Ranked Teams – 3A: #5 Glenbard West, #6 Neuqua Valley, #17 Plainfield South, #19 Naperville North, #25 Whitney Young

Boys Teams Entered – Bolingbrook, Buffalo Grove, Joliet Central, Stevenson, Lockport Township, Glenbard East, Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way West, Oak Lawn, Plainfield East, Plainfield North, Wheaton North.

Wheaton North Falcon Classic @ St. James Farm, Wheaton

Girls Ranked Teams – 3A: #11 New Trier, #17 York, #18 Hersey, #19 Benet Academy, #20 St. Charles East, #21 O’Fallon; 2A: #8 Mahomet-Seymour, #20 Crystal Lake Central

Girls Teams Entered – Waubonsie Valley, Marist, Grant Community, Neuqua Valley, Oswego East, Maine South, Wheaton North, Lake Forest

Pat Savage Invitational @ Niles West HS, Skokie

Boys Ranked Teams – 3A #8 Oswego East; 1A: #21 Northridge Prep

Boys Entered Teams – Rockford Auburn, Lake Park, Round Lake, Niles North, Niles West, Argo, Willowbrook, Marist, Northside Prep, Payton Prep, St. Ignatius Prep, Taft, Evanston, Leyden, Machesney Park Harlem, Prospect, St. Viator, ITW Speer, St. Patrick, Marian Catholic, Elmwood Park, Montini Catholic, Niles Notre Dame, Oak Forest, Wauconda, Woodstock, Woodstock North

Girls Ranked Teams – 2A: #1 Vernon Hills, #13 St. Viator

Girls Teams Entered – Northside Prep, Payton Prep, Taft, Evanston, Leyden, Lake Park, Round Lake, Niles North, Niles West, Argo, Willowbrook, ITW Speer, Marian Catholic, Hinsdale South, Elmwood Park, Montini Catholic, Oak Forest, Trinity, Wauconda, Regina Dominican, Woodstock, Woodstock North

Loyola Lakefront Invitational @ Montrose Harbor, Chicago

Boys Ranked Teams – 1A: #17 Chicago University

Boys Entered Teams – Lane Tech, Lincoln Park, York (JV), Oak Park-River Forest, Loyola Academy, DePaul Prep, Bulls School, The Noble Academy

Girls Ranked Teams – 3A: #13 – Oak Park-River Forest; 2A: #9 Latin School

Girls Teams Entered – Lane Tech, Lincoln Park, Whitney Young, Loyola Academy, The Noble Academy, Bulls School, Chicago University

Freeport Invitational

Boys Ranked Teams – 2A: #3 Kaneland; 1A: #11 Winnebago, #13 Rock Falls

Boys Teams Entered – Rockford Jefferson, Belvidere, Freeport, Geneseo, Rochelle, Rockford Boylan

Girls Ranked Teams – 2A: #19 Kaneland; 1A: #4 Rock Falls, #10 Winnebago

Girls Teams Entered – Machesney Park Harlem, Rockford Auburn, Rockford Jefferson, Belvidere, Freeport, Geneseo, Rochelle, Rockford Boylan

Antioch Invitational

Boys Ranked Teams – 2A: #9 Lake Forest, #11 Crystal Lake Central, #15 Sycamore, #16 Burlington Central

Boys Teams Entered – Warren Township, Antioch, Crystal Lake South, Grayslake North, Marengo, Richmond-Burton, Marian Central Catholic, Johnsburg

Girls Ranked Teams – 2A: #4 Prairie Ridge, #11 Grayslake Central, #21 Burlington Central

Girls Teams Entered – Warren Township, Anticoh, Grayslake North, Richmond-Burton, Sycamore, Marian Central Catholic

Lisle Mane Event

Boys Ranked Teams – 2A: #22 Providence Catholic; 1A: #19 Herscher

Boys Entered Teams – Reavis, Dundee-Crown, Lincoln-Way East, Hampshire, West Chicago, IMSA, Nazareth Academy, Wheaton Academy, St. Francis, Timothy Christian, Walther Christian, Peotone, Westmont

Girls Ranked Teams – 2A: #18 Rosary; 1A: #6 Herscher

Girls Teams Entered – Reavis, Dundee-Crown, Hampshire, Joliet West, Oak Lawn, West Chicago, Providence Catholic, St. Francis, Wheaton Academy, Timothy Christian, Walther Christian, Peotone, Westmont

Elmwood Invitational

Boys Ranked Teams – 1A: #3 El Paso-Gridley, #6 Eureka, #14 Elmwood-Brimfield, #20 Deer Creek-Mackinaw

Boys Teams Entered – Canton, Bloomington Central Catholic, Illinois Valley Central, St. Teresa, Farmington, Havana, Macomb, Bureau Valley, Rockridge, Tremont

Girls Ranked Teams – 1A: #2 Eureka, #7 El Paso-Gridley, #16 Tremont, #20 Knoxville

Girls Teams Entered – Canton, Bloomington Central Catholic, Illinois Valley Central, St. Teresa, Farmington, Havana, Macomb, Bureau Valley, Rockridge

Jacksonville Invitational

Boys Ranked Teams – 1A: #16 Pleasant Plains, #25 Athens

Boys Teams Entered – Collinsville, Bethalto Civic Memorial, Highland, Jacksonville, Jersey, Rochester, Sacred Heart-Griffin, Springfield Lanphier, Springfield Southeast, Taylorville, Williamsville

Girls Ranked Teams – 1A: #8 Williamsville, #9 Pleasant Plains

Girls Teams Entered – Collinsville, Bethalto Civic Memorial, Highland, Jacksonville, Jersey, Rochester, Sacred Heart-Griffin, Springfield Lanphier, Springfield Southeast, Taylorville, Athens