By Michael Newman

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The Niles West Sectional Boys race is a repeat of last weekend’s Lake Park Regional where Wheaton-Warrenville South won over top five ranked Glenbard West and York. The sectional race is deeper with seven teams chasing after five team spots for the state meet.

Waubonsie Valley High School will host a sectional where both races will have three teams in each race a solid choice to make it to state with 12 teams chasing for the final two spots in each of the Girls and Boys races.

Here is a look at each of the five sectionals that will take place across Illinois on Saturday morning.

 

Photo: Naperville North Girls team after their win at the Oswego East Regional (Mike Newman Photo)

 

ILXCSPEEDRATINGS.COM SECTIONAL PROJECTIONS

 

Niles West Sectional @ Niles West HS, Skokie

Girls Race – 10:30 AM

Regional Team Qualifiers - #4 Wheaton-Warrenville South, #9 York, #10 Glenbard West, #13 New Trier, #17 Oak Park-River Forest, Whitney Young, Wheaton North, Evanston Township, St. Ignatius Prep, Glenbard East, Loyola Academy, Maine South, Northside Prep, Lane Tech, Taft, Jones College Prep, Glenbard North, Lincoln Park.

Team Notes – Wheaton-Warrenville South started out the season on a rocky note “struggling” early in their meets. Entering the state series, the Lady Tigers have looked great with strong performances with team wins at the DuKane Conference Meet and last week at the Lake Park Regional. Samantha Poglitsch could finish as high as second in this race with Laurel Moneysmith a possibility in the top five. South could win by 20 to 25 points in this meet if they place five runners in the top 22 spots.

York ran their best race of the year last week at Lake Park and will need to take it up a little to advance to Detweiller Park. Sarah May should be in the top 10. The pack behind May in last week’s race led by Lydia Hickey ran a 22 second split on their second through fifth runners. The pack starting around 15^th with a similar split on the pack gets the Dukes back to the state meet.

The team that is a mystery is Glenbard West. The Hilltoppers did not have three of their top five runners in last week’s regional race at Lake Park but still managed a third-place finish. Katelynne Hart and Katie Hohe give the team solid single digit numbers in the front. If Abby Hoffman and Chloe Connelly return to race and are healthy, Glenbard West could be among the top three teams. It could be tight for the Hilltoppers if those two runners are not in the lineup. Good pack running from last week (two second split from their third to fifth runners) will be a big help in this race.

New Trier did not have their top runner Bridget Forbes in their regional lineup but still received a team win. Forbes, who could finish in the top 10 in this race, could move this team close to or at second in this meet. The Lady Trevians could have their first four in the top 15 but will need their fifth runner in before 28^th place to clinch a state spot.

Oak Park-River Forest had 26 to 32 second splits on their top five early in the season. In the past two meets, that split has changed. The Lady Huskies edged Glenbard West by one point at the WSC-Silver Meet but had a split of 66 seconds on their top five. Oak Park won the Jones Regional last week with a split of 54 seconds on their scorers. Their top four split in that race was dynamite with Hannah Thompson leading the top four within nine seconds of each other. The top four runner pack on Saturday needs to start at 16^th to 19^th place. An early season split on five puts this team solidly at state. A split of 48 to 52 seconds on the top five could make things interesting for Oak Park.

Whitney Young is the next team to watch. Ella Behrens should be among the top five runners with Daphne Murray among the first 20. The Lady Dolphins pack between three and five needs to move up in order to get closer to Oak Park.  Wheaton North and Evanston are close to Whitney Young and could finish ahead of the Chicago Public League Champs in the standings.

 

Individuals to Watch – Katelynne Hart, Glenbard West; Samantha Poglitsch, Wheaton-Warrenville South, Katie Hohe, Glenbard West; Laurel Moneysmith, Wheaton-Warrenville South; Ella Behrens, Whitney Young, Sarah May, York; Bridget Forbes, New Trier; Kaitlyn Nenninger, Wheaton-Warrenville South; Abby Osterlund, Evanston Township; Victoria Palma, Willowbrook; Marlee Fradkin, New Trier; Elizabeth Finnigan, New Trier; Haley Ansiel, Wheaton-Warrenville South; Rhiannon O’Keefe, St. Ignatius Prep; Leah Ulrich, New Trier.

Individual Notes – So who gets second in this race? The question will be how hard that Katelynne Hart pushes the pace the week before state. Hart missed Judy Pendergast’s course record at Lake Park by three seconds. She could hold back in this race. Then again, slowing down may not be in her mojo.

Samantha Poglitsch and Katie Hohe will be the next two with Laurel Moneysmith, Ella Behrens, and Bridget Forbes leading the next pack.

 

Boys Race – 11:30 AM

Regional Team Qualifiers - #1 Wheaton-Warrenville South, #3 Glenbard West, #4 York, #10 Whitney Young, #11 New Trier, #21 Maine South, Loyola Academy, Jones Prep, Wheaton North, St. Ignatius Prep, Evanston Township, Lane Tech, Glenbard North, Leyden, Niles North, Oak Park-River Forest, Niles West, Payton Prep.

Team Notes – A rematch of last week’s Lake Park Regional is on tap in this meet. Wheaton-Warrenville South showed why they are one of the top teams in the nation as they placed five runners in the top 10 led by the 1-2 finish from William Hauenstein and Scott Maison. The Tigers could have three runners in the top ten with their first six runners in the top 18. It would not be a surprise if South scores between 45 to 50 points.

Glenbard West ran a better regional race than their conference effort and will chaise after the sectional championship in which they won a year ago. Rory Cavan and Stephen Moody should be among the top five runners in this meet. Their key is third runner Will O’Brien. He was 19 seconds behind Cavan in regional race. The senior needs to stay within 15 to 20 seconds of the front two to make the Hilltoppers click. Keeping five runners in the top 28 keeps them in second and close to the top spot.

It was not one of York’s best race last week at Lake Park. The Dukes still were only six points behind Glenbard West in that race. Ethan Kern will be one of the individual race favorites with Daniel Klysh possibly in the top five and Colin Hill in the top 10. York’s fourth through sixth runners were 22 seconds in their conference and regional meets. Cutting that split to under 18 seconds cut put York in second and close to Wheaton-Warrenville South. Five runners in the top 22 is a possibility.

It comes down to five teams fighting for the final two spots in this ultra-tough sectional. Whitney Young dominated in winning the Jones Regional with a 1-2 finish from Sam Rivera and Charlie Nevins. The team had only a 36 second split from their second through fifth runners to make that happen. The gap between Nevins and the pack had averaged near 35 seconds during the year. Rivera could be among the top five in this race. Nevins finishing in the top 15 with their top five in the first 50 places could get Whitney Young to the state meet.

New Trier has lived and died with great pack running during the season. Their display of an 11 second split on the top five in winning the Loyola Regional was impressive. Ford Baker and Andrew Flynn were their top runners last week. Starting their pack around 15^th to 18^th ending near 35^th place could get the Trevians close in the top five on Saturday.

Maine South finished ahead of New Trier in winning the Central Suburban League Championship two weeks ago. The Hawks finished second behind New Trier last week. Tommy Brady will be among the individual favorites in this meet. Ian Spears and Joey Kasch finishing in the top 15 would be a plus for Maine South. Their fourth and fifth runners need to finish in the top 40 for Maine South to make it to state.

Jones Prep only had an 11 second split when they won the Chicago City Championships two weeks ago. It went up to 42 seconds last week at Washington Park when they finished second behind Whitney Young. The Eagles will need a split near 22 second on five in this race with either Anthony Maida or AJ Fundator finishing in the top 25. It seemed like Wheaton North was a mile away on the Lake Park Regional finishing fourth. Consider the teams that were ahead of them. The Falcons could make it to Peoria with Connor Zydek finishing in the top 15 and getting all of their scorers in before 54^th place.

 

Individuals to Watch – Tommy Brady, Maine South; William Hauenstein, Wheaton-Warrenville South; Ethan Kern, York; Rory Cavan, Glenbard West; Sam Rivera, Whitney Young; Daniel Klysh, York; Stephen Moody, Glenbard West; Scott Maison, Wheaton-Warrenville South; Colin Hill, York; Sean Maison, Wheaton-Warrenville South; Ian Spears, Maine South; Jacob Kluckhohn, Wheaton-Warrenville South; Connor Zydek, Wheaton North; Max Peterson, Evanston Township; Charlie Nevins, Whitney Young.

Individual Notes – This should be a fascinating race to watch with some of the best runners in the state competing. Tommy Brady has looked strong in winning has last two races after finishing second to Josh Methner at Palatine and Thomas Shilgalis at Peoria. The same applies to William Hauenstein who has looked string in winning his conference and regional race. Ethan Kern won the WSC-Silver two weeks ago but had an off race last week at Lake Park. He should bounce back this Saturday. Rory Cavan and Stephen Moody finished close together last week at Lake Park with Cavan pushing the pace the first half of the race. Will Cavan use that same strategy on Saturday? Samuel Rivera could be the surprise in this race after running 15:04 last week at Washington Park. Will the pace go out fast? Who will make the first move? Those are a few of the things to keep an eye on. The race finishes on Niles West’s track. Moves in the final 300-meters could change around the team standings.

 

Waubonsie Valley Sectional @ Waubonsie Valley HS, Aurora

Girls Race – 10:30 AM

Regional Team Qualifiers - #1 Naperville North, #7 Batavia, #8 Oswego, #16 Benet Academy, #22 Naperville Central, #24 St. Charles North, #25 Waubonsie Valley, St. Charles East, Hononegah, Geneva, Huntley, DeKalb, Neuqua Valley, South Elgin, Bartlett, Machesney Park Harlem, Rockford Auburn, Rockford Guilford.

Team Notes – There are three solid teams that are good bets to make it to next week’s state finals in Peoria. Then there are up to eight teams that have a chance to making it into the top five.

The top ranked team in the state Naperville North is the team to beat in this race though I think none of the 17 other teams in the field will. Alex Morris was dominating in winning last week’s regional meet and Campbell Petersen led the pack that had a 24 second split from the second through seventh runners with all placing in the top 10. The field is tougher this week. The Lady Huskies could place their top seven runners in the top 17.

Batavia looked good in winning the Hampshire Regional with Katrina Schlenker winning and five runners in the top 14. The Bulldogs should advance to state with Schlenker challenging for the individual sectional win. Five runners in the top 40 could clinch a top five qualifying spot.

Oswego has a strong first three led by Isabelle Christiansen. Becca Corbett and Ella Hale could be among the 20 in this field. The Panthers have run two strong races in their conference and regional meets. Placing their fourth and fifth runners in before 56^th place could be the formula to get Oswego back to Detweiller Park.

After these three teams, have fun guessing the next two teams qualifying for a spot in Peoria. Seven teams separated by just 25 points could make things interesting.

Benet Academy ran a good race in finishing third at Oswego East. Emily Spellman in the top 20 with five runners in the first 50 could get the Redwings downstate. Waubonsie Valley was a surprising fourth at Oswego East running their best race of the year. A repeat of that race on their home course could have the Lady Warriors making the top five if Ashley Heidenreich finishes in the top 20 and their two to five split staying under 40 seconds. Naperville Central did not have their best race finishing fifth behind Waubonsie Valley. Their split on five will need to stay under 30 seconds with Kayla Zimmer and Emily R Scott finishing in the top 25.

St. Charles North was a surprising second behind Batavia at Hampshire led by Rachel Price’s fourth-place finish. Price could be among the top 10 in this race and could also have Grace Dorrance and Natalie Galvin in the first 30 places. Moving their four-five pack within 40 seconds of Dorrance could get the North Stars close to the top five teams. Geneva has been coming on strong and could be a top five threat. Sophia McDonnell should be among the top 10 and Adrienne Larsen a possible top 25 finisher. Moving their pack up will be something to watch from this Geneva team. St. Charles East finished fourth at Hampshire with hopes of getting close to the top five in this meet. Alice Abbott should be among the top runners in this race. Four runners in the top 40 and their fifth runner in before 62^nd could get the Saints to the state meet.

Hononegah could be the surprise team in this meet getting into the top five after winning the Guilford Regional. The Indians need Alicia Repka and Taylor Frommier in the top 20 with all of their scorers finishing before 58^th place.

 

Individuals to Watch – Katrina Schlenker, Batavia; Alex Morris, Naperville North; Alice Abbott, St. Charles East; Katherine Olsen, DeKalb; Isabelle Christiansen, Oswego; Campbell Petersen, Naperville North; Rachel Price, St. Charles North; Naomi Ruff, South Elgin; Sophia McDonnell, Geneva; Audrey Mendys, Naperville North; Madison Zarembski, Oswego East; Lucy Westlake, Naperville North; Mia Gianfrancesco, Batavia; Becca Corbett, Oswego; Alice Repka, Hononegah, Abby Spellman, Benet Academy.

Individual Notes – Katrina Schlenker finished five seconds ahead of Alex Morris at the Naperville Twilight Invitational more than three weeks ago. The two could be that close in this race. Alice Abbott finished behind Schlenker and Naomi Ruff last week at Hampshire. Both runners should be among the top five in this race. Campbell Petersen, Isabelle Christiansen, and Katherine Olsen lead a strong pack chasing the first four.

 

Boys Race – 11:30 AM

Regional Team Qualifiers - #2 St. Charles East, #6 Neuqua Valley, #9 Oswego East, #16 Naperville Central, #17 Batavia, #18 Geneva, #20 Huntley, Waubonsie Valley, Naperville North, Marmion Academy, DeKalb, Hononegah, St. Charles North, Hampshire, Rockford East, West Chicago, Rockford Auburn, Machesney Park Harlem.

Team Notes – Even with Bob Liking falling in last week’s Hampshire Regional, St. Charles East still had only a 19 second split on their top five to easily win the team title. The Saints will be challenged by Neuqua Valley in this race. Liking, Aidan King, and Bennett Melone should all finish in the top 10. East keeping their top five runners in the first 23 with a split under 30 seconds could be a statement race for this team heading into their state race.

Neuqua Valley should make another trip back to Peoria but how close will they be to St. Charles East. The Wildcats had a 37 second split on their “no-name” pack led by the second and third place finishes from Chris Keeley and Michael Madiol. Both runners should be in the top 10 in this race. Getting the pack led by Michael O’Connor within 50 seconds of the top two with a 30 second split on their top five gets Neuqua Valley with 20 points of St. Charles East.

Oswego East had only a 26 second split on their top five in finishing second behind Neuqua Valley last week. A key for the Wolves is moving their pack closer to the front. Luke Wentz would need to be among the top 10 runners in the race while their pack led by Herbie Alvarez would need to finish before 40^th place to finish ahead of Neuqua Valley.

Just like the Girls race, it will be a scramble for the final two spots. Naperville Central, led by individual favorite Thomas Shilgalis, will be in the hunt for a finish in the top five teams. The Redhawks second through fourth runners will need to place in the top 25 and their fifth runner in before 48^th place to make that happen.

Huntley just missed making state in 2017. They don’t want lightning to hit twice in this sectional. Ian Geisler and Jadon Conroy finished 1-2 at the Guilford Regional with five runners in the top 13. Their split however in that race was 75 seconds on their top five. Geisler and Conroy could finish in the top five on Saturday with Jeremy Roe in the top 20. Their pack split needs to be lower with their final scorer crossing the line in 52^nd place.

Batavia split on five was 27 seconds when they finished behind St. Charles last week at Hampshire. The Bulldogs, with a similar split could make the Peoria trip. Damian Rodriguez or Adam Kennedy in the top 20 starting that pack is something to keep an eye on in this race.  Naperville North has a solid 1-2 with Nicholas Trattner a top 10 possible finisher and Jake Allen a possibility in the top 25. The Huskies need all of their runners in before 49^th place to have the chance to run at state. Geneva has showed great improvement over the past few weeks and could be a threat for a top five finish. Ryan Kredell will be a runner to watch in the top five. The Vikings need their first four runners in the top 50 with their fifth runner getting within 15 seconds of the pack.

Waubonsie Valley did not have their “A” race last week at Oswego East where they finished fifth but have showed improvement in the last two meets. The Warriors will be on their home course in this race. Having Wes Beitler in the top 20 with only a 30 second split or less could get Waubonsie Valley in the mix for a top five finish. Marmion Academy finished behind Waubonsie Valley last week. Anthony Zangler could be among the top 15 but will need their split under 35 seconds with five runners in the first 60.

 

Individuals to Watch – Thomas Shilgalis, Naperville Central, Ryan Kredell, Geneva; Bob Liking, St. Charles East; Jadon Conroy, Huntley; Michael Madiol, Neuqua Valley; Ian Geisler, Huntley; Aidan King, St. Charles East; Chris Keeley, Neuqua Valley; Bennett Melone, St. Charles East; Nicholas Trattner, Naperville North; Noah Friske, Rockford East; Luke Wentz, Oswego East; Jesus Nava, East Aurora; Aidan Donohue, DeKalb; Anthony Zangler, Marmion Academy; Heriberto Alvarez, Oswego East.

Individual Notes – Thomas Shilgalis is the runner to watch in this sectional. He controlled the pace in winning his regional race. We could see the same thing in this meet using it as a tune-up before state. Ryan Kredell and Bob Liking are runners that could push Shilgalis. Jadon Conroy and Ian Geisler could also be among the front group runners.

 

Quincy Sectional @ Bob Mays Park, Quincy

Girls Race – 10:00 AM

Regional Qualifying Teams - #2 Yorkville, #6 Minooka, #19 Edwardsville, O’Fallon, Lockport Township, Belleville East, Lincoln-Way East, Lincoln-Way Central, Normal Community, Pekin, Lincoln-Way West, East Moline United, Granite City, Joliet West, Belleville West, Quincy, Andrew, Bloom Township.

Team Notes – Two teams ranked in the 3A top ten led by Yorkville. The Lady Foxes could have five runners in the top 11 led by Helena Kleronomos, Emily Eberhart, and Kailey Fox sweeping the first three places. The addition of Olivia Borowiak, who was rested the past two weeks for an injury, will be a plus for the Foxes. They could score 35 points or under in this meet.

Minooka is the other school in this field that should easily qualify for the trip back to Peoria. The Indians looked good behind Yorkville last week at Normal and looked just as good two weeks prior at the SW Prairie Championships. Vivian Van Eck should be one of the top five runners in this race. Minooka could place five runners in the top 23 to capture the second position.

Edwardsville is another team that is coming on strong and should again make the trip north to Peoria. Abby Korak will be one of the challengers to the front with Maddie Miller a top 10 possibility. The Tigers’ pack should move up in this race. Five runners in the top 35 could get them close to Minooka.

O’Fallon and Lockport look like next two teams that could qualify out of this sectional. O’Fallon, led by Sofia Parker finishing in the top 15, has a solid first four that could be among the top 35. The Panthers just will need their fifth runner within 15 seconds of their pack for O’Fallon to make it to state. Lockport has a solid pack led by Kate Wojcikiewicz. The Lady Porters would need Wojcikiewicz to finish in the top 30 with the team split under 30 seconds should get them into the top five and maybe ahead of O’Fallon.

Belleville East has been one of the surprises in the state that could make it to Peoria. Hannah Eastman should finish in the top 15 and Myecia Bright could be among the top 25. The Lancers need to cut their top five split from 100 seconds to 70 seconds to get close to a top five finish.  Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way East could get close to Belleville East to challenge for a sixth-place finish.

 

Individuals to Watch – Helena Kleronomos, Yorkville; Emily Eberhart, Yorkville; Abby Korak, Edwardsville; Kailey Fox, Yorkville; Vivian Van Eck, Minooka; Paige Arseneau, Pekin; Olivia Borowiak, Yorkville; Maddie Miller, Edwardsville; Olivia Hartke, Normal University; Lydia Kurfman, Quincy; Julia Dames, Minooka; Sara Klemm, Yorkville; Hailey Simmons, Yorkville; Hannah Eastman, Belleville East; Sofia Parker, O’Fallon; Merrigan Allen, Lincoln-Way Central.

Individual Notes – We could see a Yorkville sweep in the first three places like we did last week at the Normal Regional. Helena Kleronomos, Emily Eberhart, and Kailey Fox could be the runners in those spots. Abby Korak and Vivian Van Eck will look to break up that sweep in the top five.

 

Boys Race – 11:00 AM

Regional Qualifying Teams - #19 Minooka, #24 O’Fallon, Edwardsville, Normal University, Yorkville, Lockport Township, Normal West, Normal Community, Belleville East, Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East, Lincoln-Way West, Bradley-Bourbonnais, Granite City, Quincy, Collinsville, Andrew, Bloom Township.

Team Notes – Seven teams could be fighting for the five qualifying spots for state. It could come down to two Southwest Conference teams that could leave Quincy with the top prize. O’Fallon edged Edwardsville by two weeks ago in their conference meet. O’Fallon rested most of their top seven last week and should be ready for Saturday’s challenge. This team could place their top five led by top ten finishes from Will Van Alstine and Nick Edwards. A split under 45 seconds on their top five could mean a sectional win.

Edwardsville has a strong first three runners led by Roland Prenzler, Max Hartmann, and Jack Pifer all finishing in the top 10. Prenzler could contend for the individual race title. Their gap between three and four could be close to 38 seconds in this race. It was 37 seconds in the conference race. Edwardsville matches well with O’Fallon up front. Moving the pack closer to their front three could get the Tigers the sectional title.

Minooka is a team that could come away with the sectional win. The Indians are a good bet to make it back to Peoria as a team. Minooka will need strong pack running to get to the top. Vincent Van Eck and Jason Hoffman could be among the top 15 runners. Having the pack led by Jordan Freese with five runners in the top 31 could get the Indians to the top of the mountain.

It looks like three teams will challenge for the final two qualifying spots. Normal University has been coming on strong in their first season in 3A. The Pioneers finished behind Minooka and Yorkville last week. Jackson McClure, Dane Alexander, and Copper Wilken all finishing in the top 20 with a split under 35 seconds on their top five solidifies a top five finish. Yorkville is another school to come on strong led by Ivan Westcott and Ben Tholen that both could finish in the top 20. Yorkville needs to cut down their five-runner split to under 37 seconds in order to finish in the top five.

Lockport Township does have the runners to repeat last year’s state meet appearance. What the Porters will need to do is have some solid pack running led by Marc Schelli and Donovan Paske. Their first runner will need to be in the top 25 with a split of under 31 seconds necessary to return back to Detweiller Park. Normal West could be a surprise out of these seven teams. Charlie Wetzel will be among the top runners in this race. Their pack behind Wetzel needs to start at 30^th and finish near 65^th place for the Wildcats to punch their ticket for the short trip to Peoria.

 

Individuals to Watch – Roland Prenzler, Edwardsville; Andrew O’Keefe, Granite City; Charlie Wetzel, Normal West; Jared Kreis, Lincoln-Way Central; Brett Gardner, Lincoln-Way East; Will Van Alstine, O’Fallon; Jack Pifer, Edwardsville; Fiker Rosen, Quincy; Max Hartmann, Edwardsville; Jackson McClure, Normal University; Jason Hoffman, Minooka; Brody Blackwell, Pekin; Ivan Westcott, Yorkville; Byron James, Belleville East; Nick Edwards, O’Fallon; Dane Alexander, Normal University; Jackson McClellan, Moline.

Individual Notes – Andrew O’Keefe finished fourth in last week’s Edwardsville Regional in his first race since Peoria three weeks before. That rust is knocked off. The senior could contend for the sectional title with regional champion Roland Prenzler. Freshman Fiker Rosen was seven seconds behind Prenzler and could be among the leaders on his home course. Brett Gardner has not run any big showcase meets this season. The junior does have the talent to win this race. This field is deep with Charlie Wetzel, Will Van Alstine, and Jared Kries all challenging for top five finishes.

 

Marist Sectional @ Midlothian Meadows, Markham

Girls Race – 10:00 AM

Regional Qualifying Teams - #3 Downers Grove South, #5 Lyons Township, #20 Hinsdale Central, Downers Grove North, Plainfield North, Fenwick, Marist, Bolingbrook, Sandburg, Mother McAuley, Plainfield South, Plainfield Central, AA Stagg, Argo, Reavis, Oak Lawn, Curie.

Team Notes – The team race is a repeat between Downers Grove South and Lyons Township. South won last week by only two points. The Mustangs should be at full strength in this race as one of their top five runners Erin Reidy was rested last week. They will need a tight pack race to win before next week’s state race. Brenna Cohoon will be one of the individual favorites in this race. This team could get all of their runners in the top 15 with their scorers in the first 10.

Lyons Township is coming on strong as evidenced by last week’s regional race. Kate Dickman will be one of the top runners in this race leading the Lions. Their two to four pack behind Dickman last week was only two seconds. Their top five split was 63 seconds. One thing to keep an eye on is the return of Emily Henkel.  The senior had missed most of this season due to an injury. Her first race back was at WSC-Silver. In last week’s race, she was the team’s seventh runner but had ran one minute faster than her conference meet. She was the team’s second runner in last year’s state meet.

Hinsdale Central is the final ranked squad of the three teams in this sectional and should advance to next week. McKenna Revord will be among the front runners in this race. The Red Devilettes will need a split under 40 seconds on their second through fifth runners to have a solid grasp on a third-place finish.

Four schools will chase after the final two qualifying places. Downers Grove North finished sixth in this meet last year missing qualifying by six points. The Trojans have a good chance to make it to state on Saturday. Melissa Jachim and Eva Bednard led a pack last week that only had a 19 second split on their top five. Those two runners could finish among the top 20. Another split on their scorers like last week could nail down a top five spot.

Plainfield North looks for a third straight trip to state and could do that. Julianna Stogsdill will challenge for the individual tile. The Tigers will need a split of under 30 seconds on their next four with the group coming in before 34^th place for the team to head back to Peoria.

Marist took the top five places in winning their regional and hopes of running into November. Jill Borza and Nora McClorey could be one of the top 15 runners in the race. The Redhawks will need all of their scorers in the top 49 to make the trip to state. Fenwick could also advance with Laura Durkin leading the way in the top 15. The team could get a top five finish if they can keep their split under 60 seconds with five runners in the top 40.

 

Individuals to Watch – Brenna Cohoon, Downers Grove South; Abby Lopez, Argo; McKenna Revord, Hinsdale Central; Julianna Stogsdill, Plainfield North; Kate Dickman, Lyons Township; Melissa Weidner, Downers Grove South; Marta Kogucki, Lyons Township; Erin Reidy, Downers Grove South; Becky Versaskas, Downers Grove South, Maggie Abbs, Lyons Township, Sarah Barcelona, Lyons Township; Laura Durkin, Fenwick; Jill Borza, Marist; Kennedy Warden, Downers Grove South.

Individual Notes – Abby Lopez led most of the Hinsdale Central Regional race before Brenna Cohoon came from behind in the final 800-meters to win the individual title. Both runners will challenge each other for the sectional crown on Saturday with McKenna Revord, Kate Dickman, and Juliana Stogsdill their top pursuers.

 

Boys Race – 11:00 AM

Regional Qualifying Teams - #5 Lyons Township, #8 Downers Grove South, #12 Sandburg, #13 Downers Grove North, #14 Hinsdale Central, #25 Plainfield South, Morton Township, Fenwick, Plainfield North, Brother Rice, Plainfield Central, Shepard, Bolingbrook, AA Stagg, Marist, Reavis, Oak Lawn, Lindblom Academy.

Team Notes – Six top 25 ranked teams are in this race. Only five teams will advance (unless there is a tie). Lyons Township did not run their entire top seven last week at Hinsdale Central. The Lions still came away with a 35 second split on their top five in winning ahead of Downers Grove South. They could win again on Saturday with Ryan Bonfiglio and Jack Ehlert finishing in the top five. A split under 25 seconds with five runners in the top 16 gives them a close win.

Downers Grove South did not run a “full-tilt” race last Saturday in finishing second behind Lyons Township. We could see them at full speed in this race. Eddie Siuda will be one of the top runners in this field. John Norris and John Heneghan could be among the top 10. The Mustangs simply need their fifth-runner in before Lyons Township’s fifth to make it close.

Sandburg held most of their top seven runners out of last week’s Sandburg Regional but still finished second. Ben and Will Giblin should be among the top 10 runners leading the Eagles. Five runners in the top 23 secures another trip to Peoria for Sandburg. Downers Grove North has been without their top runner Jack Roberts but should have their ace back in this race on Saturday. Matt Moravec should join Roberts in the top ten. The defending 3A state champions should make it back to Peoria but getting five runners in the top 35 will help.

Hinsdale Central’s first big race was at Palatine five weeks ago. Injuries slowed the Red Devils down early in the year, but they look to be on the verge of getting back to Peoria. Central did not run all of their top seven last week in finishing fourth in their regional. The addition back in the lineup of Piyush Mekla, Keegan Caveney, and Alec Hill could get this team perhaps ahead of Downers Grove North. They are a good bet to finish in the top five in this meet.

Plainfield South has finished sixth in this sectional for the past two years. The Cougars do not want to make it three in a row. Christian Knowlton should be among the top five in this race. South will need to have a split of 20 seconds from their second though fifth runners. Starting their pack between 28^th and finishing at 45^th could get this team finally to the state meet.

 

Individuals to Watch – Jack Roberts, Downers Grove North; Eddie Siuda, Downers Grove South; Tyler Cushing, Bolingbrook; Matt Moravec, Downers Grove North; Ryan Bonfiglio, Lyons Township; Ben Giblin, Sandburg; Jack Ehlert, Lyons Township; Christian Knowlton, Plainfield South; John Norris, Downers Grove South; Will Giblin, Sandburg; Guillermo Ibarra, Morton Township; John Heneghan, Downers Grove South; Jocqael Thorpe, Lyons Township; Matt Kusak, Hinsdale Central; Thomas Leonard, Marist.

Individual Notes – The question will be what kind of shape Jack Roberts is in since he has not raced in a big meet since Minooka on September 15. A hamstring injury slowed him down, but he should be ready to run on Saturday. Eddie Siuda and Tyler Cushing should be the two runners that will be pushing him the most.

 

Hoffman Estates Sectional @ Busse Woods, Schaumburg

Girls Race – 10:00 AM

Regional Qualifying Teams - #11 Prospect, #12 Barrington, #14 Palatine, #15 Grant Community, #21 Hersey, #23 Fremd, Warren Township, Hoffman Estates, Libertyville, Mundelein, Glenbrook South, Stevenson, Lake Zurich, Jacobs, Glenbrook North, Wheeling, Buffalo Grove.

Team Notes – Palatine won the Grant Regional where the first four teams were only separated by 11 points. Prospect did not run all of their top runners in winning by 10 points ahead of Hersey and Fremd in the Hoffman Estates Regional. Only five teams advance to Peoria. This team race should be fun to watch Saturday morning.

Mid Suburban League Champion Prospect is the slight favorite in this race and has the pack to support that fact. The Lady Knights could have their top five runners in the first 25 led by Julia O’Grady and Marisa Valentini who could finish in the top 15. A split under 30 seconds gets them on the Detweiller Park starting line next week.

Palatine’s pack behind Anne Marie Jordan has improved over the past month. The Lady Pirates ran a 14 second split from their second through fifth runners in their regional race. Palatine could win this sectional with Jordan among the top five runners. The pack needs to be within 37 seconds of Jordan on Saturday. If the top five split can stay under 51 seconds, Palatine could be crowned sectional champions.

Barrington finished third at Grant only six points behind Palatine. Molly FitzPatrick should be the individual favorite with Alyssa Norris a possibility finishing in the top 10. A key to watch is keeping third runner Anne Berquist within 10 seconds of Norris in the top 15.  Their fourth and fifth runners need to be in before 60^th place if the Fillies want to advance back to the state meet.

Grant is the surprise team in this field after finishing second behind Palatine last week. They should be a surprise after this weekend. Freshman Aly Negovetich won the individual race last week. She will be one of the favorites in this race. Their split form second to the fifth runners in that race was only 18 seconds. Grant could make it to state, but their pack needs to be within 60 seconds of Negovetich instead of the 80 seconds of last week. Cary-Grove did not run their best race of the year but still finished 11 points behind Palatine. Allison Drage, Morgan Dieschbourg, and Maggie Mason could all finish between 15^th and 30^th. Their fourth and fifth runners need to be close together and within 30 seconds of their front three in order to make a state meet return trip.

Hersey could crack the top five but will need Katie Fredian in the top 20 with their top five in the first 50 to achieve that. Fremd had a 40 second split in their regional race at Hoffman Estates. Rebecca Markham should lead the Vikings finishing in the top 25. Their pack needs to close the gap to at least 30 seconds with their pack near 45^th place to get close to the top five. Warren Township has been running great the past two weeks. That momentum could get the Blue Devils into the top five. Raina Rice could lead three runners into the top 30. A split under 52 seconds on their top five could make things interesting for this team

 

Individuals to Watch – Molly FitzPatrick, Barrington; Aly Negovetich, Grant Community; Kate Jortberg, Glenbrook South; Anne Marie Jordan, Palatine; Fatima Giron, Round Lake; Kendall Roberts, Stevenson; Emily Burns, Lake Zurich; Julia O’Grady, Prospect; Natalie Sandlow, Glenbrook North; Alyssa Norris, Barrington; Christina Pieroni, Wheeling; Marissa Valenti, Prospect; Kate Lechowicz, Palatine; Elisabeth Kania, Jacobs; Morgan Dieschbourg, Cary-Grove.

Individual Notes – Aly Negovetich edged Molly FitzPatrick by eight seconds for the win at Grant. The two runners should challenge each other for the individual title again in this meet. Kate Jortberg, Fatima Giron, and Anne Marie Jordan should be the runners leading the next group.

 

Boys Race – 11:15 AM

Regional Qualifying Teams - #7 Hersey, #15 Mundelein, #22 Rolling Meadows, #23 Barrington, Lake Zurich, Jacobs, Glenbrook South, Palatine, Libertyville, Warren Township, Prospect, Deerfield, Cary-Grove, Fremd, Glenbrook North, Dundee-Crown, Stevenson, Wheeling.

Team Notes – Hersey is the team to beat in this meet. Josh Methner should be individual favorite with Ryan Buch and Max Svienty a good possibility to finish in the top 10. The Huskies did not run their full top seven last week in their regional win. The split on their top five in the league meet was 86 seconds Getting Buch and Svienty within 10 seconds of each other would be something to watch for. Hersey placing their top five in the first 28 gets them the win in this meet.

Mundelein has gone through injuries in their top seven but seem to be ready for the next two weeks. Dillon Blake and Robert St. Clair were rested in last week’s regional race. The two runners could be among the top ten in Saturday’s race. The Mustangs could be closer to Hersey than people think. Getting their top five runners in the top 30 while having their fourth and fifth runners ahead of Hersey’s fifth could put Mundelein ahead of Hersey.

Rolling Meadows is having an unprecedented great season on the verge of making it to the state meet for the first time in the program’s history. Eddie Lennon could be among the top five individuals on Saturday with Stephen Barretto a possibility in the top 10. The Mustangs will get to state but will need their top five in the first 38 to get there. Barrington is quietly having a big season and should return back to Detweiller Park next weekend. Patrick Furlong and Greg Van Hollen lead this team and could finish among the top 20 in this meet. Keeping their five- runner split under 35 seconds will be something to watch from this team.

Jacobs is one of the unranked sectional teams that could be in the hunt for a state trip. Zach Albrecht is again healthy giving the Golden Eagles a strong first three runners. Keeping five runners in the first 54 could move Jacobs ahead another week. Lake Zurich was eight points behind Barrington at Grant and could make it to Peoria. None of their runners in the top seven are seniors. Jack Gilboy and Jake Myers in the top 20 with a split under 42 seconds could get the Bears one of those top five spots.

Glenbrook South seems to be coming on strong at the right time and could be one of those teams that could contest for a top five finish.  The Titans only finished 10 points behind Rolling Meadows in the Hoffman Estates Regional. Will Kelly and Will Houser could be among the top 20 runners in this race with their pack finishing in the top 45.

 

Individuals to Watch – Josh Methner, Hersey; Eddie Lennon, Rolling Meadows; Dillon Blake, Mundelein; Robert St. Clair, Mundelein; Ryan Buch, Hersey; Max Svienty, Hersey; Erik Snell, Prospect; Adam Swanson, Dundee-Crown; Will Kelly, Glenbrook South; Zach Albrecht, Jacobs; Jose Reyes, Highland Park; Richie Jacobo, Palatine; Mark Lemke, Jacobs; Patrick Furlong, Barrington; Jack Gilboy, Lake Zurich’ Bradley Brodsky, Deerfield, Stephen Barretto, Rolling Meadows.

Individual Notes – It is hard to see anyone ahead of Josh Methner at the end of this race. The junior could win by more than 15 seconds ahead of Eddie Lennon and Robert St. Clair who will be leading the chase pack.