By Michael Newman

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Here are some of the things to watch for in the team races as we head to Charleston for the IHSA State Cross Country Championships in May.

Class 1A could come down to two athletes in deciding a team champion. DaeLin Switzer could win four individual events in helping Decatur St. Teresa move from third-place to the top team in this classification. Could a team that specializes in the distances win a team title? Chicago Latin School could be that team led by Marianne Mihas and Ava Parekh.

Class 2A will have a new team champion now that two-time team champion Dunlap is now in 3A. It could be Springfield Southeast, led by Serena Bolden, that has the edge ahead of East St. Louis-Senior, Monticello, and Urbana.

Naperville North will look to defend their Class 3A State title led by Halle Bieber. Homewood-Flossmoor and Belleville West have the talent to challenge.

Here are summaries of what we see as the top ten teams to watch for at the beginning of this season. We might update this list as the season progresses. At this point, not much will appear to change.

 

1A Girls

 

1 – Decatur St. Teresa

Team Notes – The Bulldogs left O’Brien Field last May with a third-place trophy. Expectations will be just as high in 2019 especially with an athlete like DaeLin Switzer leading the way. Switzer will score the bulk of her team’s points again this season. She is the defending champion in the High Jump and the 300 Hurdles. She will also score big points in the 100 Hurdles and the 200 Meter Dash. Noelle DeJaynes made the finals last year in the Shot Put and Discus. She could get points for St. Teresa this spring in both events. Veronica Hein is also a possibility of scoring in one of the distance events.

 

2 – Chicago Latin School

Team Notes – Can a team win a state title just on distance events? Latin School could achieve that in 2019. Marianne Mihas is the defending champion in the 1600 Meter Run and will be the favorite in the 800 Meter Run. Ava Parekh finished fourth last fall as a freshman in the 2A State XC Meet. Parekh could be the runner to watch in the 3200 Meter Run as well as challenge her teammate Mihas in the 1600 Meter Run. The Romans qualified for the state meet last year in the 1600 Meter Relay. Getting that relay to the Saturday finals will be a big plus for their team.

 

3 – Danville Schlarman

Team Notes – Even though that Schlarman finished 29^th in last year’s state meet, the Hilltoppers have the talent to contend for a trophy finish. Capria Brown will be the anchor on this team will abilities to score points in the 100 Hurdles, 200 Meter Dash, 400 Meter Dash, and the Long Jump. Sarah Craig will be one of the favorites this season in the Pole Vault.

 

4 – Arthur-Lovington

Team Notes – When it comes to the Knights, all the points will come down to star junior Kenli Nettles. She scored all 26 points in Arthur-Lovington’s eighth-place finish. Nettles finished second in the High Jump, 100 Hurdles, and 300 Hurdles as well as finishing eighth in the Triple Jump. She will place again in all four of those events, but how many points will she score? Tyra Wingler is also a possibility of placing in the Discus.

 

5 – Manlius Bureau Valley

Team Notes – The Storm could find a spot into the top three teams this May. Bureau Valley scored 34 points to finish fourth last year missing a trophy by one point. Kamryn Kolb had a breakout freshman season earning all-state honors in four events. She will get points this year in the 200 Meter Dash and the Long Jump as well as helping their relays win the 400 Meter Relay and finish second in the 800 Meter Relay. Another sophomore, Jade Aber, will help in the relays and could also score points in the High Jump and Triple Jump.

 

6 – St. Joseph-Ogden

Team Notes – 33 of the 43 points that the Lady Spartans scored to win the 1A State Championship last May came from the four relay events. SJO’s strength again will come from the relays as they return three athletes from the 4x1, 4x2, and 4x4 and two runners from the 4x8. Atleigh Hamilton again will be a key for this team. She was a part of the success of the three sprint relays as well as coming back as the defending champion in the Long Jump. Cassidy Bagby and Hannah Rajlich are also possible athletes to score points in the individual distance events. The Spartans could also get bonus points from Sarah Chahine in the Discus.

 

7 – Fulton

Team Notes – A team to keep an eye on especially when we get to the state series. Chloe Lindeman is the defending state champion in the Shot Put and finished fourth in the Discus. She could win both this season. Daekota Knott finished second in the Triple Jump and will go after the title this year. Emily Schipper made state in the 800 Meter Run. She could be a surprise in that event this spring.

 

8 – Orion

Team Notes – Danielle Taets will carry the load for the Chargers this spring. Taets is the defending state champion in the Triple Jump and the 100 Hurdles. She also finished third in the 300 Hurdles.

 

9 – Liberty

Team Notes – An interesting team that could score in multiple events getting enough points to finish in the first three places. Katelyn Robbins is healthy entering her senior track season. She will be among the favorites in the 3200 Meter Run and capable of scoring points in the 1600 Meter Run. Julia Hahn is a possible athlete to score in the Shot Put. Paige Kaufman finished fifth in the Long Jump and could be one of the favorites this year. Kaela Wellman made the High Jump finals in 2018 and could be a top nine finisher this spring.

 

10 – Rock Island Alleman

Team Notes – Field events will be strengths for the Pioneers. Tori Thomas finished second in the Pole Vault as well as fourth in the 200 Meter Dash. Kiah O’Neal finished third in the High Jump. Both athletes should score the bulk of Alleman’s points. Ali Van DeHeede finished eighth in the Discus. She will look for a higher finish in 2019. Alex Cajigal is also a possibility of scoring in the 3200 Meter Run.

 

2A Girls

 

1 – East St. Louis-Senior

Team Notes – The Flyerettes will contend for the 2A State title especially now with two-time champion Dunlap now in 3A. Veronica Sherrod finished third in the 300 Hurdles and will be the favorite in 2019. Sherrod could also score in the 100 Hurdles. Eastside is the defending champion in the 1600 Meter Relay and will be the big favorite again in that relay. They could also be among the favorites in the 400 Meter Relay and 800 Meter Relay. Shonjahnea will be a big part of the team’s relay success. She could also be a favorite in the 400 Meter Dash. Kaila Poole is a possibility of scoring in both the Shot Put and Discus.

 

2 – Springfield Southeast

Team Notes – It would not surprise me if the Spartans take home the championship trophy in May. They do have the talent especially with all state athletes Serena Bolden and Raven Moore leading the way. Bolden was all-state last year in three events and helped their 400 Meter Relay team finish fourth. The entire quartet from that relay is back. Bolden will be the big favorite in the Long Jump and 100 Meter Dash as well as getting big points in the Triple Jump. Moore anchored the 400 Meter Relay and finished second in the 400 Meter Dash last year in which she will challenge for the title. Moore could also score in the 200 Meter Dash and could help the 1600 Meter Relay make the finals. Osiana Small is a possibility of placing in the Discus.

 

3 – Monticello

Team Notes – The Sages finished sixth last year missing a trophy by 3.5 points. This could be the year for this team to jump into that top three. Emelia Ness will be their key. Ness will be one of the favorites in the 100 and 300 Hurdles. Mattie Lieb could get her team points in the 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash. Alyssa McPike will be in the mix to score in the 1600 Meter Run. Landis Brandon will be among the favorites in the Pole Vault.

 

4 – Urbana

Team Notes – The Tigers finished third a year ago and again will be in the hunt for another trophy. Diamonasia Taylor will be go after her third straight title in the High Jump. She will also be a part of Urbana’s 800 Meter Relay team that returns two and finished fourth. Olivia Rosenstein and Chian Scott will contend for places in the 1600 Meter Run and also help out in the 3200 Meter Relay. Lanaeja Carter will look to improve on her eighth-place finish in the Discus. Michelle Williams could also get the team points in the Shot Put.

 

5 – Olympia Fields Rich Central

Team Notes – Jayla Campbell will be the supplier of most of the Olympians points when they get to the state meet. Campbell will look to defend her state title in the 400 Meter Dash and look to improve on her state finishes in the 200 Meter Dash (5^th) and the Triple Jump (3^rd). Their 400 Meter Relay, with Campbell part of the quartet, also has a possibility of making the state finals.

 

6 – Morton

Team Notes – The Potters could be a team that sneaks up on others after finishing in a tie for 26^th last season. Aspen Gordon should be one of the favorites in the 3200 Meter Run and could also get her team points in the 1600 Meter Run. Haven Lyons should be among the top finishers in the High Jump. Lauren Doerr may surprise some in the 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash. Addison Cox could provide some scoring in the Shot Put. Emma Skinner and Meagan Moreno could also place in either the 1600 Meter Run or 3200 Meter Run.

 

7 – Waterloo

Team Notes – Jenna Schwartz is the defending champion in the 3200 Meter Run. She should be able to get points in that event as well as the 1600 Meter Run. Maddie Valerius could be among the state finalists in the 400 Meter Dash. Elise Dodel could be a surprise in the Discus.

 

8 – Park Forest Rich East

Team Notes – Their sprint squad should supply the majority of the team points. Makiah Sherman made the finals of the 200 Meter Dash where she finished sixth. She could be among the top three in that event as well as scoring points in the 100 Meter Dash with teammate and sister Myah Sherman. Both athletes will be part of strong 400 Meter Relay and 800 Meter Relay teams that could contend for state titles.

 

9 – Mahomet-Seymour

Team Notes – The Bulldogs will look for a top ten finish after finishing 15^th in 2018. Mara Pletcher could be among the top athletes in the Pole Vault this spring. Brisa McGrath and freshman Elizabeth Sims could provide points in one of the three distance events. Their 1600 Meter Relay made the finals last year and return three runners from that team. Their 3200 Meter Relay squad could also score points in that event.

 

10 – Marengo

Team Notes – The majority of the points for the Indians will come from field events. Bailey Bertrand finished fourth in 2018 in the Discus. She could score in both the Discus and Shot Put this season. Lillie Simons is a possibility to score points in either the Long or Triple Jump or perhaps the short sprints.

 

3A Girls

 

1 – Naperville North

Team Notes – The Huskies will look for back to back championships for track and field to go along with their three in a row titles in Cross Country. Alex Morris finished off last fall with two All-American honors and will be one of the top runners in the state in the 3200 Meter Run. Claire Hill should be among the favorites in the 800 Meter Run. Campbell Peterson won the 2A 1600 Meter Run last spring as a freshman. She could get points in that event or the 3200 Meter Run. Their 3200 Meter Relay will again be strong as they finished fourth last year and are deep in talent. Halle Bieber is the defending champion in the 300 Hurdles and finished second in the 100 Hurdles. She could win both in 2019. Bieber could also be a part of the 1600 Meter Relay. She was not last year but they do also return two from that squad.

 

2 – Belleville West

Team Notes – A third-place trophy is what the Maroons took back to Belleville from Charleston last May. They have the talent to finish higher in 2019. LaQwasia Stepney is the defending champion in the Long Jump and was all-state in both hurdle events. The possibility of winning all three events this May is there. Jessica Coughlin qualified in all three sprint events for state including finishing sixth in the 400 Meter Dash. She could score in two of those events. Kelvi Searcy finished sixth in the 100 Hurdles. That finish could be higher. Their relay quartet finished fourth last year in the 400 Meter Relay. That is also a possibility. N’dia Johnson could score points in the Discus and has a chance to make the state qualifying standards in the Shot Put.

 

3 – Homewood-Flossmoor

Team Notes – The Vikings lost some sprint talent to graduation last year but will reload this season to contend for another state trophy. They start with defending state champion Kaylah McCall who will go for back to back titles in the 100 Meter Hurdles. McCall also led off Homewood-Flossmoor’s winning 400 Meter Relay. Trelyn Newkirk also returns from that relay. She could also qualify in the 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash. Ashanti Denton finished fifth in the 400 Meter Dash finals. She will be a key runner in that event. She also anchored the Vikings 1600 Meter Relay team to a third-place finish. Two other runners are also back from that relay team. Trinity Daniels finished fifth last year in the Triple Jump. She is the second-best finisher returning in that event. Madison Myrick made last year’s final in the Long Jump. She could place in that event as well as the High Jump.

 

4 – Aurora West

Team Notes – It is hard to judge the Blackhawks entering this season. They could end up as one of the top five teams. At the same time, they could be fighting for a finish in the top 20. They finished in a tie for 19^th in last year’s finals. It will all come down to the health of Dajour Miles. The senior has had injury problems entering the state meet for the past two years. She has been able to just run one event in each of those years in the finals winning the 400 Meter Dash. She will go for three years in a row. If she is healthy, she could make the finals in the 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash and helping Aurora West in the 400 Meter Relay. We should see a great sophomore season from Victoria Spagnola who finished seventh in the 100 Hurdles and ninth in the 300 Hurdles as a freshman. The Blackhawks return their entire quartet from their state qualifying team in the 800 Meter Relay. Abigail Kuhn could be a surprise in the Pole Vault as well as Kendra Battle in the Discus.

 

5 – Glen Ellyn Glenbard West

Team Notes – The Hilltoppers finished sixth in last year’s meet and again will challenge for a top ten finish. It does help that they will have Katelynne Hart going after her third state titles in the 3200 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run. Katie Hohe finished fifth in last year’s 1600 Meter Run and again could be a factor in that event or the 3200 Meter Run. Glenbard West does have the talent to make it to state in the 3200 Meter Relay. Ashley Samuta could surprise some in the Triple Jump.

 

6 – South Holland Thornwood

Team Notes – There is not that much depth for the Thunderbirds to contend for a state trophy. Thornwood does again have the points to be a top ten team at state. They do have Jasmine Mitchell back defending her state titles in the Shot Put and the Discus. Mitchell is currently ranked #3 nationally in the Shot Put and is a good bet to win again. Her teammate Morgan Reed finished fifth in the Shot Put. Reed could be among the first three in 2019 as well as getting points in the Discus. Macaiah Cook is also a possible qualifier in the 100 Meter Dash.

 

7 – Danville

Team Notes – The Vikings should be among the top ten teams at this year’s state meet. How high they finish depends on the state weekend Ameia Wilson has. The senior was all state three times last spring finishing third in the Long Jump and the 200 Meter Dash as well as second in the 100 Meter Dash. A win in all three events is within Wilson’s reach. Gabi Springer is a possibility to score points in the Pole Vault. The same holds true for Hallee Thomas in the 100 Hurdles.

 

8 – Highland Park

Team Notes – This could be a team that finishes in the first five spots. Two athletes could push them higher after finishing 10^th in 2018. Taylor Gilling had a breakout junior season finishing fourth in the 100 Meter Dash and second in the 200 Meter Dash. She will be the favorite in both events. Stephanie Kriss finished fourth as a sophomore in the 800 Meter Run and will also be one of the favorites in that event. Annelise Van Den Akker could be a surprise in the 400 Meter Dash. Keep an eye also on their 400 Meter Relay. They could shock some people by the time they get to May.

 

9 – Bolingbrook

Team Notes – Another team that could be a surprise in the top five. Kayla Walters earned all-state honors in the 100 Hurdles and should challenge for the individual title. Walters could also score in the 300 Hurdles and the Triple Jump. Katelynn Johnson was all-state in the 100 Hurdles. She could score again in that event as well as the 300 Hurdles. Ta’Jae Jackson could also get her team points in either the 200 Meter Dash or 400 Meter Dash.

 

10 – Hinsdale Central

Team Notes – The Red Devilettes tied for 23^rd in last year’s state meet. Central could challenge for a finish in the top ten.  McKenna Revord was among the top nine finishers in the 3200 Meter Run and could be among the top five this May. Emma Watcke, who transferred to Hinsdale Central from Minster, Ohio, won the Ohio D3 Championship in the 1600 Meter Run. She could score points in either that event or the 3200 Meter Run. Hinsdale Central is the defending champion in the 3200 Meter Relay but lost their top two runners to graduation. They have good 800-meter depth to help offset that loss. Their 1600 Meter Relay team also has the talent to score points. Dior Nicholson was all-state in the Discus in 2018. She could be among the top nine again in that event as well as the Shot Put.