Illinois HS XC - Weekend Highlights - September 16, 2019

By Michael Newman

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This weekend took the cross-country season up another notch with great races at the Harvey Braus Invitational along with the First to the Finish Invitational at Detweiller Park.

Here is a look at some of the highlights from this past weekend.

First to the Finish Meet Coverage | Saturday Results

Harvey Braus Invitational @ Lake Park East Campus Course, Roselle

In the first matchup this fall between the two DuKane Conference rivals, it was St. Charles East that had the advantage in the Boys Varsity race on the fast Lake Park East Campus Course. The #3 Saints placed 5 runners in the top 10 to win the team championship with 28 points. #2 Wheaton-Warrenville finished second with 48 points. #16 Jones College Prep (132 points), Lane Tech (137 points), and #14 Wheaton North (142 points) rounded out of the top five teams.

St. Charles East’s Bob Liking pulled away from the pack to win the individual race (14:41) by eight seconds ahead of William Hauenstein of Wheaton-Warrenville South. Ian Geisler of Huntley (14:50), and St. Charles East’s Micah Wilson (14:51) & Aidan King (14:55) rounded out the top five individuals.

St. Charles East had a 42 second split on their top five runners that also included Luke Schildmeyer (8th) and Zach Loomis (10th). Wheaton-Warrenville South placed 5 runners in the top 19 with David Zeller (6th), Ethan Seng (9th), Michael Atkins (12th), and Michael Macabobby (19th) rounding out their scorers. Their top five runner split was 55 seconds.

Alice Abbott took the lead early in the Girls Varsity race and never let it go. The St. Charles East junior ran 17:10 for the win with Naomi Ruff of South Elgin (17:33) placing second. #9 York, led by the sixth-place finish from freshman Brooke Berger, won the Girls team championship with 62 points. The Dukes only had a 29 second split on their top five runners placing five runners in the top 17. #11 Glenbard West, without star runner Katelynne Hart who was on a college recruiting trip, finished second (82 points) behind the 3-4 finish from sophomores Delaney Engel and Audrey Allman. #25 St. Charles East (125 points), Downers Grove North (151 points) and 2A #6 St. Ignatius Prep (152 points) rounded out the top five teams.

Lee Halberg Invitational @ Lincoln Park, Springfield

The 1-2 finish from Carter Schoor and Dillon Blake gave #23 Mundelein the push in winning the Boys Varsity race with 43 points. Schoor ran 15:25 for the individual win on the tough Lincoln Park course finishing five seconds ahead of his teammate. The Mustangs placed 5 runners in the top 21 to secure their win. 1A #2 Monticello, without their top runner Luke Sokolowski, still had the strength to finish second (79 points) behind top 10 finishes from Josh Bayshore (5th) and Morgan Dixon (7th). 2A #2 Chatham-Glenwood finished third (85 points) led by the third-place finish from Graham Turk (15:46).

Olivia Rosenstein of Urbana came away with her second individual win of the season in the Girls Varsity race. Rosenstein ran 17:56 for the win finishing ahead of Olivia Hartke of Normal Community and Mabry Bruhn of Monticello by 14 seconds. Both runners were timed at 18:10.

1A #3 Monticello had the edge for the team title (49 points) led by top 10 finishes from Bruhn and Rachel Koon (4th). Normal Community finished second (71 points) ahead of 2A #8 Chatham-Glenwood (90 points) and 2A #9 Urbana (93 points).

Forest Park XC Festival @ Forest Park, St. Louis MO

The Green Division Boys race had the top three teams separated by only two points. Liberty MO took home the team title (140 points) just ahead of #11 Neuqua Valley and St. Louis University who both scored 142 points. Nico Dovalovsky led the Wildcats finishing fourth overall. Neuqua Valley had a 74 second split on their top five runners.

O’Fallon’s Peyton Schieppe made a huge statement in winning the Girls Green Division race. The sophomore ran 18:58 to win the individual title by 20 seconds ahead of Carolyn Ford of Rock Bridge MO. #7 O’Fallon finished third in the Green Division (135 points) behind Missouri schools Rock Bridge (106 points) and Eureka (118 points).

Amelia McLain of Benton dominated the Girls Gold Division race running 19:22 for the individual title ahead of the pack by 38 second. Freeburg’s Breanna Chandler was the only other runner from Illinois in the top 10 in this race placing sixth. 1A #15 Benton finished fifth overall while 1A #19 Freeburg finished seventh and Belleville East placed tenth.

1A #19 Freeburg finished ninth overall in the Boys Gold Division race led by the 50th place finish from McKallen Smith. Brady Gischer of Benton was the top Illinois runner in that race as he finished sixth.

Joliet Central Steelmen Invitational @ Channahon Park, Channahon

#1 York did not run some of their top seven due to ACT testing. The Dukes still dominated the Boys Varsity race in their season opener placing five in the top seven to score only 22 points. York’s Colin Hill edged Joliet Central’s Jason Dworak by a tenth of a second (15:34.7 – 15:34.8) for the win. York had a 37 second split on their top five runners that included Sam Ayers (3rd), Will Yasdick (5th), Jackson Geiger (6th), and Sam Rodgers (7th).

Maria Widmann ran 18:41 for the win to lead #23 Neuqua Valley to the Girls team win with 41 points ahead of #15 Oswego (52 points) and Lincoln-Way Central (59 points). Widmann won by three seconds ahead of Rachel Baumgartner of Lincoln-Way Central and another two seconds ahead of Oswego freshman Audra Soderlind.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda Invitational

The Boys Individual race was high powered with some of the top Class 1A runners in the state. Arthur-Lovington’s Layton Hall emerged from the pack to win the individual title on the Paxton-Buckley-Loda campus. His time of 15:30 was seven seconds faster than Drew Rogers of Herscher (15:37), Isaiah Ditta of Clifton Central (15:40), and Ryder James of Paxton-Buckley-Loda (15:50).

Ditta led two other of his teammates in the top 10 in 1A #4 Clifton Central’s win with 51 points. #23 Herscher (73 points), #10 Paxton-Buckley-Loda (91 points), and #17 Arthur-Lovington (93 points) rounded out the top four teams.

1A #4 Tolono Unity packed it up with five runners in the top seven to win the Girls team title with 21 points. #22 St. Thomas More (53 points) and #23 Herscher (107 points) finished second and third. Fran Hendrickson of St. Thomas More ran 19:25 for the individual win ahead of Tolono’s Caroline Bachert (19:32).

Royal Cadet Invitational @ Marmion Academy, Aurora

It was another solo run for Rosary’s Lianna Surtz on the Marmion Academy course. She won for the second times in three weeks on this course as she ran 17:17 for the win. She was 59 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Josephine Welin of Oak Park-River Forest. Surtz will not be alone this Saturday as she will race at the Richard Spring Invitational.

2A Top ranked Benet Academy placed 5 runners in the top 13 to win the Girls team title with 38 points. #19 Oak Park-River Forest (50 points) finished second. #24 Huntley and Geneva scored 92 points to finish third and fourth. Benet had a 50 second split on their top five runners led by the third-place finish from Elisabeth Camic.

Geneva’s Ben Calusinski ran 15:47 to win the Boys Varsity race with Lincoln-Way East’s Nolan Rogers finishing second (16:11). Glenbard East won the team title 35-37 ahead of Geneva.

Shelbyville Trail Invitational

Marshall won the Boys team title (61 points) led by the 3-4 finish from Dylan Stillwell and Ben Ross. 1A #15 St. Anthony scored 72 points to finish second. St. Anthony’s Brian Dust ran 16:01 to win the individual race.

Shelbyville’s Ailey Mitchell and Gabrielle Spain finished 1-2 in the Girls race. Mitchell’s winning time of 18:25 was 31 seconds ahead of teammate Spain. Marshall edged Shelbyville 25 to 35 for the Girls team win led by third-place finish from Isabel Arthur.

Photo Credit: © 2019 Gary Mattes