2019 Illinois IHSA XC State Series - Five Class 1A Regional Meets to Watch

Photo: IC Catholic Prep looks for the regional title at Walther Christian (@iccpgirlscrosscountry)

By Michael Newman

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There should not be that much drama throughout the 15 Class1A regional races on Friday and Saturday. Seven teams automatically qualify for sectional races in Class 1A.

For the first time since the Chicago Public League held their state qualifying race on Friday afternoons, the IHSA granted the Ida Crown Regional to be held Friday afternoon in Skokie.

In the following five mini-previews, we look at a meet in each of the five sectional meet complexes that could be interesting this weekend.

Also read: Class 3A 5 Meets | Class 2A 5 Meets

Tuscola Regional @ Whipple Park, Tuscola

Boys Race – This is the toughest meet of the three in the St. Anthony Sectional with four ranked teams set to toe the starting line Saturday morning. #2 Monticello starts their road to the state meet as the favorite in this race as they could place 5 runners in the top 10 led by Josh Baysore and Luke Sokolowski. #10 Urbana University has a good duo in front of races this year with Aryan Lalwani and Henry Kraatz. They could get close to Monticello if they can get their next three runners in the top 20.

#17 St. Joseph-Ogden and #25 Paxton-Buckley along with Tolono Unity are good bets to finish in the top fie teams. St. Thomas More and Tuscola should also qualify.

Ryder James of Paxton-Buckley-Loda will be the individual favorite in this race with Bayshore, Lalwani, and Kraatz chasing him for the win.

Girls Race – This could be a closer race than people think with three of the top six teams in Class 1A in this race. Top ranked Monticello has been hot over the last month winning meets at the Patriot Invitational and the Illinois Prairie Conference as well as winning at Amboy against then #1 Winnebago. The Sages find their strength in the front led by Mabry Bruhn, Rachel Koon, and Emma Brown. They will need 5 runners in the top 15 to take home the regional title.

#3 Tolono Unity has the depth to win this race led by Taylor Joop, Kylie Decker, and Evelyn Atkins. To win this meet, their top four runners need to be in the top 10 with their fifth runner 14th or better. Monticello edged Unity 40-47 in their conference meet on October 8. Monticello won 31-52 at the 31-team Patriot Invitational last Saturday. There will be less teams in this meet meaning a closer margin.

#6 St. Joseph-Ogden could sneak up on these two teams and will need strong pack running to accomplish that led by Jillian Plotner and Hannah Rajlich. #14 St. Thomas More and #15 Urbana University also could make their case f finishing in the top three teams.

Mabry Bruhn is having a great freshman season and could be challenged by another freshman Kate Ahmari for the regional title. St. Thomas More’s Fran Hendrickson will also be in the front with these two runners.

Winnebago Regional @ Fuller Forest Preserve, Winnebago

Girls Race - #2 Winnebago is the class of this meet and should roll to the regional title placing 5 runners in the top 7 led by Natalia Martino. #16 Harvest Christian Academy has not really raced since their home meet at the end of September and could be a surprise in this race challenging #20 Rockford Christian for the second-place spot. Martino will be in the front in this race along with teammates Grace and Katie Erb, Kaylee Woolery, and Marissa Roggensack. HCA’s Lydia Camp is a runner to watch that could challenge for the individual win. Rockford Christian’s Renate Toldo is another runner that could find her way in the middle of Winnebago’s pack.

Boys Race – This could be an interesting race that could turn into a dual meet between #4 Harvest Christian Academy and #22 Rockford Christian. I don’t think people realize how good Harvest Christian is and could be in the next few weeks since the Lions have not raced in any “big-time” meets this fall. HCA could place 5 runners in the top 7 led by individual race favorite Matthew Olech. Rockford Christian will have D’Artagnon Beaver leading them. The key for the Royal Lions is getting their tight second through fifth runner pack within 20 seconds of Beaver to get close to Harvest Christian Academy.

Stanford Olympia Regional @ Olympia JHS

Boys Race – All three regionals in the Elmwood Sectional will have good races on Saturday. This regional at Olympia is the deepest with eight good teams challenging for seven qualifying spots.

Top ranked Stanford Olympia is the class of the field on their home course with the possibility of scoring under 20 points in this meet. The Spartans is led by possible individual race winner Charlie Kistner and Jon Neville. # 19 Deer Creek-Mackinaw, led by Colby Johnson, and #21 El Paso-Gridley are interchangeable talent wise and will challenge for the second spot along with a good Eureka team. Minonk-Fieldcrest, Clinton, Tremont, and Bloomington Central Catholic are four teams challenging for the final three qualifying spots. Any of the teams behind Stanford Olympia will need their “A” races to advance to Elmwood.

Girls Race – We could see a similar situation in this race with eight teams in the hunt for seven spots. #9 Eureka is coming on strong led by Anna Perry and Alexi Fogo. The Hornets enter this meet as the slight favorite ahead of #19 Stanford Olympia and Bloomington Central Catholic. Tremont and El Paso-Gridley will challenge for the fourth and fifth positions. Prairie Central, Clinton, and Tri-Valley look to be the three teams racing for the last two spots.

The individual race should be a good one with Eureka’s Perry and Fogo, Olympia’s Savanah Beavers, and Clinton’s Payne Turney all in the mix for the win.

Walther Christian Regional @ Miller Meadow, River Forest

Girls Race – The top two ranked teams in this sectional, #10 IC Catholic Prep and #23 Chicago University are the class of the field in this regional meet. IC Catholic Prep has the power in the front with Carly Manchester, Kennedy Calcagno, and Frankie Chaidez all possible top five finishers.

U-High will have Amanda O’Donnell up front challenging Manchester for the individual race. Keep an eye on Wheaton Academy, led by Lily Lebo, that could be a surprise in the second position as well as Westmont who looked good in winning their divisional race at the Metro Suburban Meet. Timothy Christian’s Hope Clark could also challenge for the individual win.

Boys Race – This could come down to Chicago University, Wheaton Academy, and Montini Catholic challenging for the team win. U-High has the front runners with Luke Sikora and Nicky Edwards-Levin challenging for the win.

Montini has Nick Fisch that could win the individual race. Wheaton Academy has a strong pack that will need 5 runners in the top 12. To win the regional title. U-High, with the power in the front needs 5 in the first 15 for the win. Montini could win but needs their fifth runner in before the other two teams.

New Athens Regional @ Okaw Valley Park

Boys Race – Out of the three regionals in the Benton Sectional, this appears to be the most interesting. Five points could separate #9 Father McGivney and #23 Freeburg for the regional team title. Freeburg has the tighter pack with a split under 60 seconds on their top five led by Evan Wilkerson. Father McGivney could have 2 runners in front of Freeburg’s first runner with individual race favorite Tyler Guthrie and Zachary Brasel leading that pack.

The Griffins will need 5 runners in the top 25 to win this race. Freeburg has to have all 5 runners in before 18th place. Breese Mater Dei, Roxana, and Trenton Wesclin will challenge for the next 3 spots. The individual race should be a good one with Guthrie and Trenton-Wesclin’s Justin Mumford challenging for the win.

Girls Race - #22 Roxana and #25 Freeburg will challenge for the team title. Breese Mater Dei, Breese Central, and Althoff Catholic are the next three teams to watch for. Roxana’s Janelynn Wirth will be the individual runner to watch in the front with Freeburg’s Breanna Chandler and Breese Central’s Kristen Ess being close by. Freeburg has the better pack with the possibility of getting all of their scorers in the top 15. Roxana needs 5 runners in the top 15 with their top 3 in before Freeburg’s third runner crosses the line.