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2019 IHSA State Cross Country Championships - Class 3A Girls PreviewPublished by
2019 IHSA State Cross Country Championships - Class 3A Girls Preview
By Michael Newman
Eras always end. It will end for Glenbard West’s Katelynne Hart as she will race for the final time at Detweiller Park on Saturday. Hart is the queen of this course having won three state titles and searching for her final cross country title Saturday afternoon. Hart enters this meet with two of the three fastest Girls High School times on this course. She has a good sense of history when it comes to that. She ran 16:00.7 to win the Richard Spring Invitational in September. Last year, she ran 16:14 at Detweiller Park during the season, then ran 15:59.9 at state improving by over 15 seconds. Imagine what her time will be on Saturday if she displays that kind of improvement. It is hard to consider if anyone will be close to Hart in this race. It could be the case for second-place that could be just as exciting led by Samantha Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South and Maggie Gamboa of Naperville North leading the way. Aly Negovetich of Grant Community won by more than 14 seconds last week at Busse Woods and will be among the front runners. Brenna Cohoon of Downers Grove South lost a shoe in the first 400-meters of her sectional race but still won. She will be among the runners in the first five. Katrina Schlenker of Batavia missed the first half of the season due to injuries but should be among the leaders in this race. Some of the other runners to watch for in the front include Ashley Heidenrich of Waubonsie Valley, Audrey Allman of Glenbard West, Molly FitzPatrick of Barrington, McKenna Revord and Emma Watcke of Hinsdale Central, Helena Kleronomos of Yorkville, Riley Knoyle of Edwardsville, and Alice Abbott of St. Charles East. Here is a look at the 25 teams that will toe the line in this Class 3A race. Naperville North will look to go after their fourth straight state title. There will be other teams ready to race thinking that the state championship belongs to them.
ALSO READ – PREVIEWS – 1A BOYS | 1A GIRLS | 2A BOYS | 2A GIRLS | 3A BOYS
Naperville (North)
Preview – The Lady Huskies go after their fourth Class 3A State Championship in a row using seemingly the same formula that has been successful for them year after year. Sectional Individual champion Maggie Gamboa has put herself in position to finish in the top five. After Gamboa, the next six runners are interchangeable talent wise which makes this team oh so tough. Molly Morton has stepped up as the second runner in their conference and sectional races. Audrey Mendrys, and Lucy Westlake have been consistent runners in the top five. Two (maybe three) runners could be all-state. The team had a 60 second split on their top five in their sectional win last week at St. Charles. The split from Morton to #5 runner Mendrys was only 14 seconds. Gamboa will get them the single digit points in the front. North could also have two more runners in the top 25. I think the other two scorers will be in by 45th place at the most. This team has been consistent most of the year. Their top five split in a dominating Naperville Twilight win was 67 seconds with a 20 second group pack. It could be hard to beat that kind of race on Saturday.
Downers Grove (South)
Preview – The one team that has been lurking close to Naperville North all season has been the Lady Mustangs. This will be the second time that they will race against the defending state champions. The first time was at Naperville Twilight where they finished second. Brenna Cohoon is the top runner on this team. She has developed into one of the top runners in the state and could finish in the top five Saturday afternoon. Erin Reidy has been on the average 23 seconds behind Cohoon in the last three races. She finished second behind Cohoon last week by just 12 seconds (Cohoon lost her shoe early in the race). Reidy could finish between 15 to 20 but will need to be ahead of Batavia and Naperville North’s second runner. Sophomores Sophia McNerney and Alex Sprang finished within six seconds of each other last week. They will need to be within 15 seconds of Reidy in this race. The key for this team is where their fifth runner will finish. Their top five splits at conference and sectionals have been 72 seconds. At Naperville Twilight, that gap was only 53 seconds off Cohoon. Expect the split off Cohoon to be near 58 seconds on Saturday. The key will be getting Kennedy Warden or Rebecca Diddia closer to the sophs. South finished third last year. They would like to improve on that at Detweiller Park on Saturday.
Batavia
Preview – The return of Katrina Schlenker to the lineup at the end of September gave this Batavia team a big boost. The Bulldogs are on a roll having run their best race of the season (so far). All this team needs to do is replicate their sectional race on Saturday and they could leave Peoria with a state trophy. Schlenker finished third in last week’s sectional race in which they finished second behind Naperville North. The sophomore should finish in the top 10 in this race. However, I would never count her out of the top five. Jenna Schifferer and Mia Gianfrancesco should finish in the top 25. Both runners were ahead of Naperville North’s second runner in the sectional race. That would be a good thing for Batavia if that happened again. Katie Cole has been in the top five and will need to stay within 40 seconds of Gianfrancesco or Schifferer in this race. Ava Thomas and Audrey Pellico need to be as close as possible to Cole in this race. When the Bulldogs won their conference meet, their split between second and their fifth runners was 30 seconds. That split was 71 seconds last week, but just because their second and third runners were closer to the front. If Batavia has three all-state runners, then the gap on the two through five needs to be under 50 seconds for this team to earn a trophy.
Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West)
Preview – The Hilltoppers are running with confidence winning regional and sectionals after finishing second in their conference meet. In both the regional and sectional races, West put three runners in the first four spots. It is doubtful that they will have that kind of presence up front but still could have three all-state runners. Figure one point for Katelynne Hart as she goes after her fourth straight state cross country individual championship. Audrey Allman is the one runner that is showing “Hartsian” confidence in the way she has been racing the past few weeks. A top 10 finish for Allman is reasonable for her and could happen. Delaney Engel continues to run better and will be among the top 25 finishers. The two sophomores have finished on an average of 10 seconds from each other in the past two meets. Ava Powell and Anna Nickoley have been consistent on the four to five spots. The two runners will need to be within 65 seconds of Allman in this race. Accomplishing that could mean a top three trophy for this team.
Barrington
Preview – The Fillies did not have their best race of the season last week when they finished second by one point behind Prospect at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. The one good thing is that it least it was not this weekend. Barrington has the potential to have three all-state runners in this race. That is how they have placed close to each other in the front. Molly FitzPatrick finished second overall in last week’s race and has the potential to finish in the top 10 in Peoria. Allison Drage was within 16 seconds of FitzPatrick but 26 seconds last weekend. Alyssa Norris was 23 seconds from FitzPatrick at conference but only 11 seconds back at Busse Woods. Both runners should be all-state on Saturday. The question is how close will they be to their #1 runner? What could be concerning for the Fillies is the split on their fourth and fifth runners compared in those two meets. The top five split at conference was 75 seconds. It climbed to 107 seconds at sectionals. Barrington could be a contender for a state trophy but needs to have five runners within 70 to 75 seconds of each other with three runners all-state. That could be the formula for success for this Barrington team.
Yorkville
Preview – Look in the dictionary and look for the phrase “injury prone”. You may see the team picture of Yorkville in that definition. The Lady Foxes appear to be at full strength after a series of early season injuries slowed them down. It is now full steam ahead for Yorkville after convincing wins the past three weeks. Helena Kleronomos has been the rock as the team’s #1 runner this fall. The junior could finish in the top 10 in this meet. After Kleronomos, there are close to eight people that could jump into the next four scoring spots. Freshman Katie Melzer was a surprise as the team’s second runner last week. The return of Kailey Fox and Hailey Simmons strengthens this top five. Alex Stewart, Margaret Hunter, and Sara Klemm could also contribute as top five runners. The gap between Kleronomos and her teammates averages 28 seconds from the conference and sectional races. The two through five splits in those two meets are similar with the split at conference 16 seconds and the split last week at 17 seconds. Whoever is the second runner on Saturday needs to stay within 17 to 19 seconds of Kleronomos. If the gap shrinks to near 10 seconds, that could mean big things for this team. Remember, they had a five second split on that group in the first race of the season on this Detweiller Park course.
Hinsdale Central
Preview – If there is one team that has the potential to finish in the top three spots on Saturday, it could be Hinsdale Central. The Red Devillettes have the potential to be one of those three teams with the talent that they have. McKenna Revord and Emma Watcke finished within five seconds of each other last week at Lyons Township and should be runners that you see in the top 15. It is the pack behind that could be concerning to other teams in this meet. Catie McCabe and Laura Brorson were within 11 seconds of each other last week with McCabe within 16 seconds of Watcke. A top four split of 30 seconds or faster is what Hinsdale fans would like to see. Their top five split at conference was 54 seconds. It climbed to 96 seconds last week. A split of 55 to 58 seconds on the top five could be the times to hit for this team to contend for a trophy.
Wheaton (W.-Warrenville South)
Preview – The Lady Tigers have had two good races in a row and will look for three straight when they toe the line at Detweiller Park Saturday afternoon. Samantha Poglitsch is having a strong junior season that could result in a top three finish in this meet. Kaitlyn Nenninger is running great down the stretch. She could be all-state but will need to be within 45 seconds of her teammate. Haley Ansiel has been a solid #3 runner the past two meets. The senior staying with 25 seconds of Nenninger will be something to watch for. The team’s second through five pack was at 63 seconds. This team could contend for a state trophy but needs to get that gap to 45 seconds with two all-state runners leading the way.
Oswego
Preview – The Panthers found their formula in their conference meet when they had a top four split of only nine seconds. Their formula disappeared the following week at regionals when that group separated like loose Legos thrown all over the place with a 64 second split. Oswego found togetherness last week and hope that it last’s when the gun fires Saturday. Audra Soderlind stepped up this fall as the team’s top runner. The freshman has the talent to finish in the top 20 in Peoria. The pack of Rebecca Corbett, Ella Hale, and Peyton Brueck were only separated by five seconds and 16 seconds behind their freshman. Repeating that would be a good thing for this team. Oswego had a 72 second top five split last week. Closing that gap to under 56 seconds could get this team close to a top five finish.
Mt. Prospect (Prospect)
Preview - The key to success for Saturday for this Prospect team is running a top five split similar to what they had last week in winning their sectional championship. The split between #1 runner Cam Kalaway and #5 runner Annika Erickson was a mere 27 seconds. Audrey Ginsberg was right with Calaway in that race. Ginsberg ran 17:28 about a month ago on this course. She could finish in the top 30 Saturday. The Lady Knights will need a runner getting low points. That runner could be Ginsberg. The split on their top five was 64 seconds in the Peoria race and 62 seconds at conference. Keeping the top five split under 55 seconds with the pack behind Ginsberg within 17 to 23 seconds of each other could mean big things for this squad.
Minooka
Preview – The Indians got a needed boost last week when top five runner Julia Dames returned to their starting seven. Dames was the team’s third runner as Minooka finished second at Normal behind Yorkville. Audrey Boles has developed into the team’s top runner in Dames’ absence. Don’t be surprised if one or both runners place in the top 25. The team ran a 40 second top five split off Boles’ lead with only 17 seconds separating the second through fifth runners. Dames could be close to Boles in that race so expect that split to shrink by three or four seconds. That could move this team into the top 10 mix.
St. Charles (East)
Preview – It was not their best race of the season for the Saints. They still advanced to Peoria by finishing fifth in their own sectional. A good race on Saturday could get East closer to the top 10. Another race similar to sectionals could get this team finishing between 16 to 20. Alice Abbott is the strong front runner for this team that could end up finishing the top 10. Brooklyn Walker has averaged 50 seconds behind Abbott in the conference and sectional races. Getting her five seconds closer would a big help for this group. The split from their second through fifth runners behind Abbott was at 40 seconds in their conference race. It grew to 64 seconds last Saturday. Getting that split cut under 49 seconds could mean moving into the top 10.
Elmhurst (York)
Preview – York has used tight pack running to succeed in races this fall. Saturday’s race will display of green and white runners circling the Detweiller Park course. The Dukes finished third in their last three meets. Kaitlyn Winton has emerged as the top runner in the last two races. She could finish 30th or better in this meet. Their average top five split has been 43 seconds in the last three races. It was 49 seconds last week but with Bria Bennis and Lydia Hickey within 12 seconds of Winton. You could see this team run under 30 seconds for a top five split with Winton leading them. That could mean a finish in the top 10 for this group.
Oak Park-River Forest
Preview – Nora Wollen and Josephine Welin have led this group all season. Top 25 finishes from both runners could keep this team in the first 15. The Huskies had a top five split of 97 seconds in their conference race and 103 seconds last weekend at Lake Park. The pack staying within 30 seconds of their front two runners and staying within 40 seconds of each other would give this team their best race of the season.
Huntley
Preview – The Red Raiders surprised some by finishing fourth last Saturday in the ultra-tough St. Charles East Sectional. Huntley was ranked earlier this season among the top 20 teams. Do not be surprised if they climb higher in this race. The team ran a super pack race with their first three runners, led by Bailey Wilk, within 11 seconds of each other. Their overall split in that race was their best of the season at 35 seconds. A similar type of race Saturday could catapult this team into the top 10.
LaGrange (Lyons Township)
Preview – Kate Dickman and Maggie Abbs finished within five seconds of each other in last week’s third place sectional finish. The split on their top five runners dropped to 56 seconds in that race with only four seconds separating the other three scorers. Closing that gap even more is a possibility for a program that saves their best race of the season for Detweiller Park.
Palatine (Fremd)
Preview – The Vikings finished third last week at the Hoffman Estates Sectional setting themselves up for big things in Saturday’s state race. The team had a 38 second split led by Julia LaDuke. The senior also was the team’s top runner in their league championship. Sisters Amanda and Rebecca Markham were within 15 seconds of LaDuke and could duplicate that effort in this meet.
Arlington Heights (Hersey)
Preview – Hersey was only seven points behind Fremd in last week’s sectional race. They would like to surpass their MSL rival on Saturday. Ava Harden has been the top runner for the Huskies all of her freshman season. Chances are good that she could finish among the top 20 runners. Hersey had a 98 second split on their top five runners at Busse Woods. It was only 29 seconds between their second through fifth runners.
Lockport (Township)
Preview – The basic rule for Lockport’s Girls team in racing is staying close together. That was not the case last week when they finished fourth in their sectional race when they had a 55 second split on their top five runners. The positive from that was that there was only a 23 second split on their first three runners. Josephine Bober and Kayla Shea only had six seconds separating them. Watch for the split to get cut in half this week with hopes that the Lady Porters finish in the first 15 in their race.
Downers Grove (North)
Preview – The Trojans make it back to state for the second year in a row after finishing fifth in their sectional race at Lyons Township. Melissa Jachim has been the top runner for this team all season. She is capable of finishing in the top 20. The team had a split of 93 seconds on their scorers but only 32 seconds on their group behind Jachim. Lowering that split moves this team among the top 20 in this race.
O’Fallon
Preview – The Panthers had a setback this year when their top runner Peyton Schieppe was injured early in October. She was ruled out of running in Saturday’s race. She is only a sophomore. She will come back strong in 2020. O’Fallon still made it to state finishing third with Julia Monson, Emma Jordan, and Kaitlyn Walker all finishing within eight seconds of each other.
Winnetka (New Trier)
Preview – It was not a typical season for the Lady Trevians. They still got the job done finishing fifth at the Lake Park Sectional qualifying for state. Bridget Forbes is the team’s top runner with hopes of finishing 40th or better on Saturday. The team had a 42 second split in their sectional race. The same race with Forbes in the front could move this team into the top 15.
New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)
Preview – The Lady Knights could be in position to finish in the top 20 in this race with strong performances from Rachel Baumgartner and Merrigan Allen. The two runners finished within six seconds of each other led by Allen. The team had an 81 second top five split in their fourth-place sectional finish at Norma’s Maxwell Park.
Palatine
Preview – After missing qualifying for state by finishing seventh in their sectional a year ago, Palatine is back after finishing fifth at Busse Woods. Anne Marie Jordan was injured a year ago after qualifying individually for state. She was the team’s top runner last week with hopes of finishing in the top 30 in this race. The Lady Pirates had an 81 second split on their top five runners but only 27 seconds form their second through fifth. The possibility is there for this team to climb into the top 20 and maybe farther up the ladder.
Edwardsville
Preview – This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Lady Tigers after losing their top runner Abby Korak to an upper leg injury. Freshman Riley Knoyle stepped into the #1 position and is having a great season including finishing second I last week’s sectional race. Edwardsville surprised most by finishing fifth in their sectional qualifying for state for the seventh year in a row.
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