2019 IHSA Cross Country Class 3A Sectional Previews

 

By Michael Newman

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It is put up or shut up time at five sectional meets across the state this weekend. For some teams and athletes, they will live to run another race. For some, their season will be complete.

The crazy weather that has hit Illinois in the past week will change some runner’s strategies when they step to the line Saturday morning. Instead of looking for a fast time, it might be the survive and advance strategy of getting to the state meet.

Strange things could happen. Slippery and wet grounds could mean unexpected falls where favorites may not advance and the runners who were not thought to make it to Peoria will earn that chance.

For 3A races, what happens at Katherine Legge Memorial for the Hinsdale Central Sectional with the creek crossing. Temperatures will be in the low 30’s with most likely a swollen creek. Do they run around it on the road? St Charles East has a new course at Leroy Oakes since rain at the end of September has part of the trails still under water. Reports say that there are half a dozen spots on the course that are under water.

It just makes this Saturday’s races that more interesting.

 

 

READ ALSO:  CLASS 1A SECTIONAL Previews | CLASS 2A SECTIONAL Previews

 

St. Charles East Sectional

Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve, St. Charles – 3.0 Miles

 

Girls Race – 9:00 AM

Ranked Teams: #1 Naperville North, #3 Batavia, #10 St. Charles East, #15 Oswego, #19 Neuqua Valley, #22 Geneva, #23 Metea Valley, #25 Naperville Central

Sectional Qualifiers: Huntley, Oswego East, St. Charles North, South Elgin, Hononegah, Bartlett, Machesney Park Harlem, DeKalb, Rockford Auburn, Elgin Larkin

Runners to Watch: Maggie Gamboa-Naperville North; Katrina Schlenker-Batavia; Alice Abbott-St. Charles East; Ashley Heidenrich-Waubonsie Valley; Naomi Ruff-South Elgin; Audrey Mendrys, Lucy Westlake, Molly Morton, Campbell Petersen-Naperville North; Sophia Sandy-Metea Valley; Jenna Schifferer, Mia Gianfrancesco-Batavia; Bailey Wilk-Huntley; Rachel Price-St. Charles North; Audra Soderlind, Oswego; Morgan Ede-Oswego East.

Preview – Naperville North’s depth was in evidence in last week’s regional race as three of their top seven runners did not race including #1 runner Maggie Gamboa. The Lady Huskies did win their regional and will look to defend their sectional title on Saturday. Don’t be surprised if North scores under 40 points placing five runners in the top 11 in this race led by Gamboa, Audrey Mendrys, and Molly Morton.

Batavia has been running strong especially since the return of their #1 runner Katrina Schlenker to their lineup. Batavia placed five in the top 13 in their regional win last week. The Bulldogs should be a solid second with five runners in the top 30 with Mia Gianfrancesco and Jenna Schifferer finishing in the top 15.

It was not the best race for Oswego in their regional meet last week, but they still finished second behind Naperville North. The Panthers had a 64 second split on their top four runners compared to a seven second split on the same four in their conference meet the previous week. The team will need to keep their top five split off top runner Audra Soderlind under 55 seconds to have a good chance of returning back to the state meet.

There are eight ranked teams in this loaded field. Three of them will have their season end in this race. St. Charles East is coming on strong led by returning all-state runner Alice Abbott. The Saints could make it to state but will need their scorers in the top 50 to accomplish that. The same holds true for Huntley who was ranked #18 heading into regionals. Bailey Wilk has a chance to finish in the top 10. The Red Raiders need their pack behind Molly Allen finish between 24th place and 52nd place to get that state shot. Neuqua Valley could have Maria Widmann finish in the top 20 and Julia Rushing in the top 25. The Wildcats need a 45 second split from their second to fifth runners to have a chance to make it to state.

Geneva showed improvement in their regional race on this course last week. The Vikings are in reach of a top five finish but will need either Andrine Larsen or Sarah Pratt finishing in the top 20 with a 60 second split on their top five runners. Metea Valley will have Sophia Sandy among the top 10 finishers. The Mustangs will need their top five runners in the first 58 spots.

Naperville Central will also be close but will need a 28 second top five split off their leaders Emily Scott and Kayla Zimmer. It was 20 seconds in last week’s regional race. Oswego East has a strong four runner pack with a split of 33 seconds last week off #1 runner Morgan Ede. Closing the gap from four to five will be something to watch for if the Wolves want a shot of qualifying for state.

The individual race should be a great one with Katrina Schlenker, Maggie Gamboa, and Alice Abbott challenging for the win. Ashley Heidenrich, who won at Oswego East last week, Naomi Ruff, and Rachel Price are runners that you will also see in the front.

 

Boys Race – 10:00 AM

Ranked Teams: #1 St. Charles East, #7 Oswego East, #8 Naperville North, #10 Batavia, #17 Waubonsie Valley, #19 Neuqua Valley, #22 Naperville Central

Sectional Qualifiers: St. Charles North, Oswego, Bartlett, DeKalb, Geneva, Huntley, South Elgin, Rockford Guilford, Rockford Auburn, Machesney Park Harlem, Hononegah

Runners to Watch: Bob Liking-St. Charles East; Ian Geisler-Huntley; Jake Allen-Naperville North; Nicolas Dovalovsky-Neuqua Valley; Micah Wilson, Aidan King, Zach Loomis, Luke Schildmeyer-St. Charles East; Jackson Morrill-West Aurora; Ryan Arnold-St. Charles North; Heriberto Alvarez, Luke Wentz-Oswego East; Damian Rodriguez-Batavia; Zach Benziger-Waubonsie Valley; Ryan Harvey-South Elgin; Emmanuel Yepiz-DeKalb.

Preview – It is hard to think of anyone touching St. Charles East for the sectional title in this race. The sloppy course conditions at Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve could dictate otherwise with seven other ranked teams in the field.

The Saints have been the top ranked team in the state most of the season and one of the top squads in the nation. Bob Liking and Micah Wilson will be up front in this race with the team possibly having all top five runners in the first 10. It will be interesting to see their race strategy in conditions that are expected to be less than optimal.

Oswego East had troubles this fall with having too big off a split from their fourth to fifth runner. It seems that they solved that last week in winning their own regional with only a 16 second split off top runners Heriberto Alvarez and Nick Bozarth. The key for the Wolves in this race is just duplicating that split. A big gap in that spot could mean troubles for this team.

Naperville North finished behind Oswego East with Jake Allen winning the individual race. Allen will be up front again. The pack will be a key as they will need Tommy Paltzer in the top 25 and the rest of their scorers finishing in the first 40 to make it to state. Batavia ran their best race of the season in finishing second behind St. Charles East last week at Leroy Oakes. The Bulldogs will need the same kind of effort as last week with Damian Rodriguez in the top 15 and their pack led by Adam Kennedy finishing in the first 44.

Waubonsie Valley did not have their best race of the season at Oswego East finishing fourth. They should rebound this week but will need good pack running to accomplish that. Zach Benziger stepped up as the team’s top runner last week and could be in the top 15 on Saturday. The key is having four runners in the top 28, five runners in the top 35 with a split under 32 seconds to make it to the state meet. Neuqua Valley tied with Waubonsie Valley and will also need a strong pack behind Nicolas Dovalovsky who will be among the runners in the front. Aidan Stone has been a solid second runner for the team but will need to be in the top 25 in this race. Their next four runners were within 12 seconds of each other but 22 seconds behind Stone last week. If that gap closes, the Wildcats should make another trip back to state.

Naperville Central ran a 23 second top five split in winning at Naperville Twilight on October 9. Their split was 52 seconds in last week’s regional race. Arthur Graham will need to be among the top 20 finishers with a split under 36 seconds for the Redhawks to have a chance for a state berth.

Bob Liking runs his final race on his home course and should be the favorite in this race. Teammate Micah Wilson should be close to Liking along with Ian Geisler who won last week at Hononegah. Jake Allen is running hot and should be in the front along with Nicolas Dovalovsky and Jackson Morrill.

 

Lake Park Sectional

Lake Park East Campus Course, Roselle – 3.0 Miles

 

Girls Race – 1:00 PM

Ranked Teams: #4 Glenbard West, #8 Wheaton-Warrenville South, #9 York, #17 Oak Park-River Forest

Sectional Qualifiers: Loyola Academy, Wheaton North, New Trier, Maine South, Evanston Township, Willowbrook, Glenbard East, Niles West, Leyden, Elk Grove

Runners to Watch: Katelynne Hart-Glenbard West; Samantha Poglitsch-Wheaton-Warrenville South; Audrey Allman, Delaney Engel-Glenbard West; Kaitlyn Nenninger-Wheaton-Warrenville South; Hope Leman-Evanston Township; Sophie Daigle-Wheaton North; Josephine Welin, Nora Wollen-Oak Park River Forest; Ellie Grammas-Loyola Academy; Brooke Berger, Lydia Hickey, Katelyn Winton-York; Bridget Forbes, Emma Braband-New Trier; Haley Ansiel-Wheaton-Warrenville South.

Preview – Glenbard West and Wheaton-Warrenville South were only separated by two points in last week’s regional race. It could be as just as close in this 14 team field. The Hilltoppers will get their usual one point from Katelynne Hart. Audrey Allman and Delaney Engel will definitely be in the top 10, maybe even the top five like they were a week ago. Five runners in the top 30 could secure a sectional win.

Wheaton-Warrenville South ran their best race of the season so far last week and will look to improve on that effort in Saturday’s race. Samantha Poglitsch will be one of the top three runners in this race with Kaitlyn Nenninger possibly again finishing in the top five. The Lady Tigers will need five runners in the top 20 to offset Glenbard West’s strength in the front.

York has relied on tight pack running and will do so again in this race. Brooke Berger could be among the top 10 finishers with Katelyn Winton and Lydia Hickey close behind. The Dukes will need a split under 35 seconds to get close to both Glenbard West and Wheaton-Warrenville South for a possible win.

Four other teams will vie for the final two qualifying spots. Oak Park-River Forest should have Josephine Welin and Nora Wollen finishing in the top 10. Getting five runners in the top 50 will be a key for them. New Trier was only one point behind Loyola Academy last week and will look to return to state finishing in the top five. The Lady Trevians will need to keep a top five split under 40 second behind top runners Bridget Forbes and Emma Braband.

Loyola Academy could make it to Peoria with Ellie Grammas finishing in the top 10 and their top five runners in the top 45. Wheaton North could also make it having Sophie Daigle placing in the top 10 and having their fourth and fifth runners finishing before 50th place.

There is no question in the individual race what will happen as Katelynne Hart should capture her fourth straight sectional title. Samantha Poglitsch and Audrey Allman should be the top runners in the “chase” pack.

 

Boys Race – 2:00 PM

Ranked Teams: #2 Wheaton-Warrenville South, #3 York, #12 Maine South, #14 New Trier, #16 Wheaton North, #21 Glenbard West

Sectional Qualifiers: Loyola Academy, Glenbard East, Oak Park-River Forest, Evanston Township, Niles West, Maine West, Lake Park, Glenbard North, Leyden

Runners to Watch: Joey Kasch-Maine South; William Hauenstein-Wheaton-Warrenville South; Daniel Klysh-York; David Zeller, Jared Peaslee, Ethan Seng, Jacob Kluckhohn-Wheaton-Warrenville South; Ethan Kern, Colin Hill, Michael Moriarty, Brian Pratt-York; Max Peterson-Evanston Township; Adam Christopher, Maine South; Pierce Cousins-Glenbard West; Spencer Werner-Loyola Academy; Charlie Siebert, Nick Falk, Andrew Flynn-New Trier; Josh Gorup-Wheaton North.

Preview – We should see another close finish between Wheaton-Warrenville South and York like we did last week at Glenbard West. The Tigers had a six point advantage over the Dukes in that race. Billy Hauenstein will be one of the runners in the front challenging for the win. The pack behind Hauenstein consisting of David Zeller, Jared Peaslee, and Ethan Seng will need to stay within five seconds of each other and finish in the top 10. Jacob Kluckhohn and Michael Atkins were within 12 seconds of that group to form a 34 second top five split. That type of split will be needed for South if they want to repeat as sectional champions.

York ran a 22 second split on their top six runners in last week’s race but could just not catch Wheaton-Warrenville South in the end. The Dukes continue to improve with each race which could mean trouble for the Tigers. Daniel Klysh will be among the front runners in this race. Ethan Kern continues to improve in every race and could be a factor in their top three with Colin Hill. In last week’s race, South put three runners in just ahead of Hill who will need to split Peaslee and Zeller. York will need to find another runner, either Kern, Brian Pratt, Michael Moriarty, or Will Yasdick to finish ahead of Seng. This race could be closer than last week’s six point margin.

New Trier and Maine South tied at 37 points in last week’s regional and should be two of the five teams making it to state. New Trier has a tight pack with Nick Falk and Charlie Siebert that will need one of their top runners in the top 10. The Trevians top five split last week was only 23 seconds. Maine South will have Joey Kasch as one of the front runners with Adam Christopher and Matt Cull possibilities in the top 20. Maine South had a 46 second split in that regional race. A split of under 50 seconds will be necessary from this team for a Peoria state trip.

Wheaton North finished just two points ahead of Glenbard West last week but that was without their top runner Josh Gorup. The Falcons could surprise some but will need Gorup and Will Roth finish in the top 20. North gets among the top five teams if they can keep their split on five runners under 42 seconds. Glenbard West did not have their best race last week. They will need Pierce Cousins finish in the top 10 and William Hohe in the top 20 along with a 55 second team split for a state trip to happen.

Loyola Academy will be in the top five mix if they can get Spencer Warner among the top 10 finishers with their pack at 38 seconds or faster.

The individual race should be great with Billy Hauenstein, Joey Kasch, and Daniel Klysh capable of winning. Kasch has a season’s best of 14:26 at Detweiller Park run at the beginning of October.

 

Hinsdale Central Sectional

Katherine Legge Memorial Park, Hinsdale – 3.0 Miles

 

Girls Race – 11:00 AM

Ranked Teams: #2 Downers Grove South, #6 Hinsdale Central, #12 Lyons Township, #16 Downers Grove North, #18 Lockport Township

Sectional Qualifiers: Marist Plainfield North, Sandburg, Bolingbrook, Mother McAuley, Plainfield South, Reavis, AA Stagg, Morton Township, Thornton, Argo, Oak Lawn, Proviso East

Runners to Watch: Brenna Cohoon-Downers Grove South; Emma Watcke, McKenna Revord-Hinsdale Central; Abby Lopez-Argo; Erin Reidy, Sophia McNerney, Alex Sprang, Rebecca Diddia-Downers Grove South; Melissa Jachim-Downers Grove North; Ella Jeffries-Sandburg; Maggie Abbs, Kate Dickman-Lyons Township; Louisa Brorson, Catie McCabe-Hinsdale Central; Caroline Turner-Lockport Township; Ava Geiger-Downers Grove North.

Preview – There might not be that much drama in the team race. The five ranked teams in this race are a step ahead of the rest of the field.

Downers Grove South was impressive in the rain in last week’s regional at Lyons Township as they won 29-40 over Hinsdale Central. Brenna Cohoon has stepped up her game even more and could be scoring single digits at the state meet. Erin Reidy leads the Mustang pack that should have a top five split of 45 seconds off Cohoon. Five runners in the top 10 is a possibility for this team.

Hinsdale Central continues to improve led by Erin Watcke and McKenna Revord who should be among the top five runners in this race. Their split has improved as it was 61 seconds off Revord in last week’s race. The Red Devilettes could have five runners in the top 15 on their home course getting closer to Downers Grove South in this race.

Lockport Township, Lyons Township, and Downers Grove North are interchangeable all within 15 points of each other. Lockport scored a perfect 15 in winning at Plainfield South last week led by freshmen Kayla Shea and Caroline Turner. Both runners should finish in the top 20 this week. The team ran a 32 second split on their top five last week. It should be close to that on Saturday.

Lyons Township has Maggie Abbs and Kate Dickman among the top 15 in this meet. Keeping their split under 52 seconds gets this team back on the road to the state meet. Downers Grove North should also advance with Melissa Jachim a top 10 possibility. Placing 5 runners in the top 32 would also be a big help for the Trojans.

If any one of these teams have a bad race, then there could be three teams ready to challenge to step in. Marist looked good in winning their own regional and could use that momentum to advance on Saturday. Nora McClorey and Nora McNicholas finishing in the top 30 would be a good start. Sandburg has Ella Jeffries who should finish among the top 10 individually. The Eagles need all their scorers in the top 50 to make the Peoria trip. Plainfield North has a solid pack led by Aminah Hussain and Sarah Conley that had a 42 second split last week. Either Hussain or Conley finishing in the top 25 could push the Tigers closer to the top five.

Brenna Cohoon is running at her best right now and should be the favorite in this race. Abby Lopez, McKenna Revord, and Emma Watcke are the runners to expect near the front with Cohoon.

 

Boys Race – 12:00 PM

Ranked Teams: #5 Sandburg, #6 Downers Grove North, #9 Lyons Township, #18 Hinsdale Central

Sectional Qualifiers: Downers Grove South, Plainfield North, Lockport Township, Plainfield South, Marist, Shepard, Morton Township, Reavis, Eisenhower, AA Stagg, Plainfield Central, Oak Lawn, Proviso East, Argo

Runners to Watch: Guillermo Ibarra-Morton Township; Tyler Cushing-Bolingbrook; Jack Ehlert-Lyons Township; Ben Giblin, Will Giblin, Ismail Tineh-Sandburg; Evan Cummins-Downers Grove North; Evan Jamrozy-Sheard; John Heneghan-Downers Grove South; Owen Hays, Sawyer Madell-Lyons Township; Sam Rodriguez, Griffin Lehnhardt-Sandburg; Thomas Leonard-Marist; Piyush Mekla-Hinsdale Central.

Preview – The four ranked teams in this meet should advance to state. In what order, we will find out Saturday afternoon. Sandburg has been one of the top teams in the state and should be the favorite in this race. The Eagles rested their top seven runners last week but still won the Regional title displaying their depth. Ben and Will Giblin will lead this team and should finish among the first five runners. Don’t be surprised if they score under 40 points with a split on their scorers under 33 seconds.

Downers Grove North kept their top runners on the sidelines as they finished second last week in the rain at Lyons Township. Evan Cummins will be among the top 10 runners and lead this team. Their pack behind Cummins, led by Kyle McNally and Andrew Thompson, will need their top five runners in before 25th place to secure a top five finish.

Lyons Township is on the rise and could get close to Sandburg in this race. Jack Ehlert should be one of the top three runners in this race. Sawyer Madell, Owen Hays, and Jocqael Thorpe all could finish between 8th and 16th. Getting Cade Wilson in before 21st place could make things interesting.

A team that could finish in the top three teams could be host Hinsdale Central. The Red Devils have their #1 runner Piyush Mekla back and again leading them. Carter McCarroll and Daniel Watcke could finish in the top 20 in this race. Five runners in the top 30 are possible for Central.

Three teams should challenge for the fifth-place qualifying position. Downers Grove South is having a rollercoaster top season looking for their best race on Saturday. John Heneghan should be the team’s top runner and in the first 15. The Mustangs need five runners in the first 35 to make it to state. Jacob Hinchley could finish in the top 20 leading Lockport Township for a top five finish. The Porters ran a 63 second split last Saturday which will need to come down to punch their ticket to Peoria. Plainfield North had a 42 second split off #1 runner Matthew Thomas. The Tigers will need their pack between 23rd and 55th to put themselves in position to run at state as a team.

Guillermo Ibarra and Tyler Cushing finished within a tenth of a second of each other in September in Peoria and should challenge for the win. Jack Ehlert won the Lyons Township Regional ahead of Ibarra and will be in the mix for the win in this race. Evan Jamrozy, Ben Giblin, Will Giblin, Evan Cummins and Ismail Tineh will be among the runners in the front.

 

Hoffman Estates Sectional

Busse Woods, Schaumburg – 3.0 Miles

 

Girls Race – 10:00 AM

Ranked Teams: #5 Barrington, #11 Prospect, #14 Fremd, #21 Hersey, #24 Palatine

Sectional Qualifiers: Libertyville, Cary-Grove, Lake Zurich, Glenbrook South, Warren Township, Grant Community, Jacobs, Lake Forest, Wheeling, Glenbrook North, Zion-Benton, Stevenson, Schaumburg

Runners to Watch: Molly FitzPatrick-Barrington; Aly Negovetich-Grant Community; Kate Jortberg-Glenbrook South; Allison Drage-Barrington; Sheila Tucker-Libertyville; Audrey Ginsberg-Prospect; Brooke Johnston-Lake Zurich; Alyssa Norris-Barrington; Fatima Giron-Round Lake; Annika Erickson-Prospect; Anna Harden-Hersey; Skyler Kreunen-Lake Forest; Natalie Sandlow-Glenbrook North; Brenda Torres-Wheeling; Kelsey Hamilton- Zion Benton; Raina Rice-Warren Township.

Preview – Barrington is the hot team in this Girls race and could run away with the sectional title. Molly FitzPatrick and Allison Drage should be in the top five, Alyssa Norris in the top 10 to lead the Fillies. Barrington had a 91 second split off race winner FitzPatrick last Saturday. Five runners in the top 30 should give this team the win.

Prospect and Fremd finished within three points of each other at the Prospect Regional. Prospect won the regional without their #1 runner Audrey Ginsburg in their lineup. Ginsburg could finish among the top five in this race. The Knights will need the remaining four scorers in the top 30 to position themselves in the top five. Fremd had a 38 second split on their top five runners led by Julia Finegan and Rebecca Markham in last week’s race. Their top five placing between 17th and 34th puts the Vikings in a prime spot to finish in the top five.

Hersey, led by freshman Anna Harden, will be in the hunt for a top five finish. The Huskies will need a top 12 finish from Harden along with five runners in the top 52 to earn their trip to Peoria next week. Palatine just missed making state last year finishing seventh in the sectional race. Anne Marie Jordan appears to be healthy and could finish among the top 15 in this race. The Lady Pirates placing five runners in the top 40 could get their team back to Detweiller Park.

Libertyville and Warren Township could challenge for top five spots. Sheila Tucker is a top 10 possibility and Bree Ponchak could finish in the top 20 to lead Libertyville. The Tigers will need their other runners in before 55th place to get close to the top five teams. Warren Township will need top 20 finishes from Raina Rice and Taylor Latza along with their next three runners in at 60 place or better to qualify for state. It would not surprise me if Cary-Grove punches a ticket back to Peoria. Glenbrook South could be the surprise team in this field.

The individual race should be a dandy with Aly Negovetich, Molly FitzPatrick, and Kate Jortberg among some of the runners that could win this race. Allison Drage, Sheila Tucker, and Audrey Ginsberg are some of the other runners that you will see in the front pack.

 

Boys Race – 11:15 AM

Ranked Teams: #4 Hersey, #11 Lake Zurich, #13 Palatine, #20 Barrington, #23 Warren Township, #25 McHenry

Sectional Qualifiers: Glenbrook South, Prospect, Libertyville, Deerfield, Stevenson, Mundelein, Lake Forest, Rolling Meadows, Fremd, Glenbrook North, Cary-Grove, Jacobs

Runners to Watch: Josh Methner-Hersey; Dillon Blake-Mundelein; Nathan Schmitt-Lake Forest; Richie Jacobo-Palatine; Max Svienty-Hersey; Carter Schorr-Mundelein; Jack Gilboy, Jacob Myers-Lake Zurich; Will Gordon-Libertyville; Jason Polydoris-Highland Park; Will Kelly-Glenbrook South; Corey Pacernick-Stevenson; Griffin Pasha-Warren Township; Erik Snell-Prospect; Liam Tucker-Libertyville.

Preview – It could be a close race for the second through fifth spots behind Hersey. Josh Methner should defend his invitational title in this race with Max Svienty finishing in the top five. The next two runners for Hersey should finish in the top 25. Their fifth runner needs to finish 45^th place or lower to defend their sectional team title.

Lake Zurich has been coming on strong the past couple of weeks and could get within 30 points (or closer) of Hersey. Jacob Myers and Jack Gilboy should be among the top 15 runners. The Bears placing their next three runners in the top 40 would mean another trip back to Detweiller Park. The addition of freshmen Andrew Jordan, Jack Casaccio, and possibly Mason Krieg has given a boost to a good group for Palatine. Richie Jacobo will chaise after a top three finish with the pack led by James Spencer hopefully finishing between 30th and 40 to get Palatine back to the state meet.

Barrington has a shot of making it back to the state meet top 20 finishes from Patrick Furlong and Trevor Giampa to get them there. Warren Township is peaking at the right time and could earn a trip to state. Griffin Pasha and Luke Wiley have the talent to finish in the top 25. The Blue Devils will need a split of 48 seconds or faster to secure a top five finish.

McHenry has been running hot the past two weeks and could be a surprise in this race with Jessi Garcia among the top 20 finishers. McHenry needs a tight pack with a split under 35 seconds to help them earn a trip to Peoria. Glenbrook South ran great last week at Prospect finishing second behind Hersey last week. Will Kelly could be close to a top 10 finish. The Titans need a split off Kelly of under 50 seconds to get close to the top five. Libertyville could have Will Gordan and Liam Tucker finish in the top 15. The Tigers need big races from their pack finishing in the top 50 to make it to a qualifying spot.

It should be a great race led by defending Class 3A State Champion Josh Methner. Dillon Blake had an exciting finish win over Nathan Schmitt last week at Lake Forest. The two runners could be close to Methner at Busse Woods. Will Gordon, Max Svienty, Carter Schorr, Richie Jacobo, and Jason Polydoris are some of the other runners that will be close to the front.

 

Normal Community Sectional

Maxwell Park, Normal – 3.0 Miles

 

Girls Race – 11:00 AM

Ranked Teams: #7 Yorkville, #13 Minooka, #20 Lincoln-Way Central

Sectional Qualifiers: O’Fallon, Normal Community, Lincoln-Way West, Pekin, Edwardsville, Moline, Lincoln-Way East, Joliet West, Granite City, Normal West, Andrew, Belleville West, Belleville East, Bloom Township, TF South.

Runners to Watch: Helena Kleronomos-Yorkville; Riley Knoyle-Edwardsville; Olivia Hartke-Normal Community; Audrey Boles, Julia Dames-Minooka; Alex Stewart, Kailey Fox, Hailey Simmons, Margaret Hunter-Yorkville; Rachel Baumgartner, Merrigan Allen-Lincoln Way Central; Alyssa Elliott-Belleville West; Kate Guderjan-Lincoln Way East; Gabriella McCollum-Minooka; Peyton Schieppe, Julia Monson-O’Fallon.

Preview – Yorkville made a big statement winning at Minooka last week scoring a perfect 15 last week. The Lady Foxes should be two or three steps faster in this weeks race. Helena Kleronomos should be one of the individual favorites with her teammates Hailey Simmons, Alex Stewart, Margaret Hunter, and Kailey Fox within 35 seconds of her.

Minooka should be back at full strength with the return of one of their top runners in Julia Dames. Audrey Boles and Dames should be among the top 10 finishers. Their pack led by Gabriella McCollom should have the rest of their scorers in the top 25 with a split under 49 seconds. The Indians are a good bet to make it back to Peoria.

The big question for O’Fallon is whether their top runner Peyton Schieppe will be in the Panthers’ lineup Saturday. Schieppe has not raced for almost a month with her last race happening at Wheaton North. You could see a pack of Schieppe, Julia Monson and Emma Jordan in the top 20. O’Fallon will need their other two scorers in before 33rd place for O’Fallon to make it to the state meet.

Lincoln-Way Central had a good race last week at Andrew and should be in the top five mix. Rachel Baumgartner and Merrigan Allen finishing in the top 10 will be a big help for the Knights. Normal Community will challenge Lincoln-Way Central for the fourth spot with Olivia Hartke a top five finishing possibility. Normal will need their top three runners in the top 25 to push themselves into top five positioning.

Pekin has a tight pack that could have a top five split of under 45 seconds in this race. Jaylynn Riley or Lily Wagemann finishing in the top 20 would be a good place for their pack to start. Lincoln-Way East and Lincoln-Way West are teams that have a chance of making it into the top five teams with their best races of the season.

Helena Kleronomos should be challenged by freshman Riley Knoyle for the individual title. Olivia Hartke and Audrey Boles could be the runners that are leading the chase pack in this race.

 

Boys Race – 12:00 PM

Ranked Teams: #15 Minooka, #24 Edwardsville

Sectional Qualifiers: Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East, Yorkville, O’Fallon, Bradley-Bourbonnais, Joliet Central, East Moline United, Pekin, Belleville East, Lincoln-Way West, Moline, Andrew, Quincy, Homewood-Flossmoor, Bloom Township

Runners to Watch: Brett Gardner-Lincoln Way East; Jared Kreis-Lincoln Way Central; Charlie Wetzel-Normal West; Jack Pifer-Edwardsville; Jason Hoffman, Hunter Phillips, Vincent Van Eck-Minooka; Jay Dworak-Joliet Central; Byron Jones-Belleville East; Fiker Rosen-Quincy; Cassius Havis-Alton; Jeremiah Perry-Granite City; Ivan Westcott-Yorkville; Jacob Fritz-Bradley Bourbonnais; Zach Walters-Edwardsville.

Preview – Minooka should be the big favorite in the team race with Jason Hoffman, Vincent Van Eck, and Hunter Philips finishing in the top 10. Daniel Schalk should finish in the next 10 spots. Getting their fifth runner between 34th and 42nd place should get the Indians the sectional team title.

The question for Edwardsville is whether they will have their #1 runner Jack Pifer in their lineup Saturday? The senior has missed the past two meets due to a minor injury. Pifer healthy gets Edwardsville close to Minooka in this race. The Tigers should have four runners in the top 20 and will need their fifth runner to finisher no lower than 41st place to earn a trip to the state meet. Yorkville just missed making it to state last year. The Foxes have a good chance to make it to Detweiller Park if Ivan Westcott finishes in the top 15 and their pack finishes in the top 37. Lincoln-Way Central will get single digit points from Jared Kreis in the front. Caden Simone could finish in the top 20. The Knights would need their next three runners in before 50th to get this team to Peoria. Brett Gardner will be one of the individual favorites leading Lincoln-Way East. Nolan Rogers could be among the top15 finishers. The Griffins really need five runners in the top 48 to secure a top five finish.

Pekin has a solid pack led by Jackson Custer and Seth Kasinger. One of those two runners will have to be in the top 25 with a top five split under 36 seconds to have this team challenging for a top five finish. O’Fallon could make it into the top five teams with Nick Edwards finishing in the top 20 and all five runners in before 54th place.

The individual race should be one of the best among the five Class 3A sectionals. Brett Gardner and Jared Kreis have gone through tight finishes in the past two weeks. That should not change at Maxwell Park. Charlie Wetzel, who is a returning all-state runner and has run under 14:40 this season should be close to Gardner and Kreis. Jack Pifer, if he is healthy, could be in the front along with Jason Hoffman, Jay Dworak, and Byron Jones.