Illinois HS XC - Weekend Highlights - September 23, 2019

By Michael Newman

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Rains held off so that most of the meets scheduled in the state were completed. Only the Dunlap Invitational and the Geneseo Invitational were cancelled.

There were some great races in Peoria. You can read about the Richard Spring Memorial Invitational and watch the Varsity races on the meet’s homepage on RunnerSpace.com.

Here are some of the highlights from some of the races that took place over the past weekend.

Minooka Flighted Invitational @ Channahon Park, Channahon

Katrina Schlenker of Batavia was seen at the First to the Finish Invitational the week before watching her teammates run. Her coach Chad Hillman said after the meet that she was hoping to run. The sophomore had missed the team’s opening meets due to an injury.

Schlenker got her chance on Saturday staying under control during the championship flight. She ran 18:19 on the rain soaked course at Channahon Community Park to win the championship flight. Yorkville’s Helena Kleronomos was Schlenker’s closest competition as she ran 18:27 to finish second.

#3 Yorkville had the edge in the Girls team competition as they scored 10 points for the win. The Lady Foxes won four of seven flights led by the Flight 3 win from Makenna Edwards, Sara Klemm winning Flight 4, Hailey Simmons winning Flight 5, and Margaret Hunter winning Flight 6. #11 Batavia finished second with 16 points. They were without their #2 runner Mia Gianfrancesco who was held out of this meet. She had twisted her ankle the day before the First to the Finish Invitational.

The gun went off for the start of the Boys Championship flight. So did Lincoln-Way Central’s Jared Kreis who bolted to the lead. He was never touched as he won his fourth invitational of the season covering the 3-mile course in 15:08. Ian Geisler of Huntley ran 15:23 to finish second while Mane South’s Joey Kasch was eight seconds back in third-place.

Waubonsie Valley had made a statement the week before by finishing second in Peoria. They reaffirmed their #10 Class 3A ranking by winning four of the seven flights to win the team championship with 15 points. #12 Downers Grove North scored 22 points to finish second. #14 Minooka scored 25 points to finish third.

The Warriors received a fifth-place finish from Wes Beitler in the championship flight as well as wins from Zach Benziger in Flight 2, Jackson Bukala in Flight 3, Robert Szviak in Flight 4, and Aidan Oster in Flight 5.

Eddington Invitational @ Kaneland HS, Maple Park

The Boys team title came down to a pair of 3A schools instead of the top two teams in Class 2A. G

Glenbard West three runners in the top six to help them win the Boys Championship with 59 points. DeKalb finished second (68 points) behind the individual win from Riley Newport. The freshman ran 15:41 for his first individual win finishing ahead of Glenbard West’s William Hohe (15:42) and Pierce Cousins (15:46).

2A #1 Kaneland finished third (96 points) led by the fifth-place finish from Daniel Occhipinti. The Knights were without their #1 runner from the last race in Peoria Austin Adams. 2A #2 Benet Academy scored 101 points to finish fourth led by Dominic Adams and his 14th place finish. Their top five split was only 23 seconds.

2A #2 Benet Academy placed five runners in the top eight to easily win the Girls team title with only 22 points. The split from their first runner Emily Spellman (3rd) and fifth runner Louisa Diamond (8th) was 60 seconds. 2A #15 Burlington Central (108 points) and Crystal Lake Central (126 points) finished second and third. Rachel Richtman of Kaneland ran 18:13 on her home course to win the individual race eight seconds ahead of Grayslake North’s Kelli Tosic.

Edwardsville Invitational @ SIU-Edwardsville

Edwardsville, behind individual race winner Jack Pifer, placed all their scorers in the top 15 to win the Boys team title with 40 points. Ft. Zumwalt MO scored 91 points to finish second. Highland scored 118 points placing third.  Pifer ran 16:15 on the 5k SIU-Edwardsville course to win by seven seconds ahead of Alton’s Cassius Havis. Tyler Guthrie of Father McGivney finished third.

Edwardsville freshman Riley Knoyle had the kick at the end to win the Girls individual race (18:56) by just one second ahead of Kylie Goldfarb of John Burroughs MO. Nerinx Hall MO placed five runners in the top 13 to win the team title (41 points) ahead of 1A #4 Normal University (55 points) and 2A #12 Highland (81 points).

Bill Dawson Blue Devil Invitational @ Shiloh Park, Zion

The site of this meet changed on Thursday when the Warren Township campus course was deemed un-useable due to flood waters on the course. The runners did not seem to mind the meet moving to Shiloh Park in nearby Zion.

Antioch’s Charlie Smith opened his senior season with a win. Smith’s time of 15:43 was three seconds ahead of second-place Max Peterson of Evanston. Cary-Grove’s Maxum Caesar finished third (15:48) ahead of Warren’s Hunter Subry (15:52). Glenbrook South placed four runners in the top 20, five in the top 35 to win the team title with 89 points. Host Warren Township scored 92 points to finish second.

Kate Jortberg of Glenbrook South captured the Girls individual championship running 18:04 for the win. Emme Beaupre of Fremd ran 18:12 to finish second. Fremd had the advantage in the team race placing five runners in the top 16 with an 87 second top five split to win with 50 points. Evanston Township (104 points), 2A #16 Crystal Lake South (125 points) and Warren Township (126 points) were the next three teams.

Libertyville Invitational @ Adler Park, Libertyville

#23 Lockport Township only had a 19 second split on their top five runners to help them win the team title with 52 points. Freshman Monica Skibicki led the Porters with her 11th place finish. #13 Prospect finished second (54 points) behind the 2-3 finish from Audrey Ginsberg and Annika Erickson. Taft’s Sydney Partyka ran 18:55 for the individual win nine seconds ahead of Prospect’s Ginsberg.

#7 New Trier did not have all of their top seven on the line in this race. The Trevians’ depth showed as they placed five runners in the top 15 with only a 21 second split to win the Boys team title with 49 points. Prospect (68 points) and Libertyville (104 points) finished second and third. Highland Park’s Jason Polydoris ran 15:55 on the hilly Adler Park course to win the Boys individual race finishing ahead of Nathan Schmitt of Lake Forest (16:02).

Tuscola Invitational

1A #4 Urbana University dominated the Boys race placing five runners in the top nine to score only 22 points capturing the team title. 1A #18 Paxton-Buckley-Loda finished second (107 points) ahead of Tolono Unity (140 points), 1A #19 Arthur-Lovington, and 1A #12 Clinton. PBL’s Ryder James ran 15:52 for the individual win four seconds ahead of U-High’s Henry Kraatz (15:56) and Aryan Lalwani (16:08).

1A #5 Tolono Unity got a 4-5-6 finish from Kylie Decker, Evelyn Atkins, and Taylor Joop to help them win the Girls team title with 32 points. The Rockets placed five runners in the top nine with a 59 second split between the five scorers. 1A #7 Urbana University scored 61 points to finish second.

Kate Ahmari of U-High ran 18:28 for the individual win finishing ahead of Clinton’s Payne Turney (18:46) and Shelbyville’s Ailey Mitchell.

Olney Invitational

It was another meet where Richland County’s Tatum David wrecked the rest of the competition. The freshman ran a record 17:06 on the 2.96-mile course to win the Girls race by over two minutes ahead of Mattoon’s Kylie Haacke (19:18) and Quincy Collings (19:27). Richland County scored 54 points to win the team title with Newton (102 points) the next closest team.

2A #19 Centralia placed three runners in the top 10 paced by Brooks Harlan’s third-place finish to win the Boys team title with 43 points. 2A #21 Richland County was next (58 points) followed by Mattoon (65 points). Richland County’s Gavin Kirby ran 15:19 for the win ahead of Cort Ross of Casey-Westfield by two seconds.

Bureau Valley Invitational @ Bureau Valley MS, Walnut

Dawson Smith of Rock Falls was in control of the Boys race. Smith, who won last week at Peoria, ran 16:01 for the win 26 seconds ahead of Illinois Valley Central’s Elias Bergman. 1A #7 placed all their scorers in the top 21 to win the team title with 64 points. Minonk-Fieldcrest scored 94 points to finish second.

1A #3 Rock Falls placed their five scorers in the first 10 to win the Girls team title 29-55 ahead of 1A #8 Eureka. Rock Falls’ Bailee Fortney ran 18:33 to win the individual race ahead of the Eureka duo of Alexis Fogo (18:46) and Anna Perry (18:55).

Woodbridge XC Classic @ Silver Lakes Sports Park, Norco CA

Two Illinois Boys teams ventured west to run on an ultra-flat course in Norco a town southeast of California. #23 Mundelein scored 25th in the Boys Sweepstakes race. The Mustangs were led by a 14th place finish from Dillon Blake (14:28) and 22nd place from Carter Schorr (14:35). Mundelein ran a 118 second split on their top five and a 36 second split from their third through fifth runners.

1A #8 Clifton Central finished third in the Varsity White A Division race. Isaiah Ditta led the Comets with a third-place finish in the individual race (15:05). The split on their top five runners was 83 seconds with a 69 second separation from their second through fifth runners.

Photo Credit ©2019 Patrick McGuire