2020 Batavia Distance Madness Preview

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

The Batavia Distance Madness Meet is still scheduled to go on as planned with the first race starting at 5:15 PM on March 13.

Here is a look at each of the six races that will take place at the Batavia Fieldhouse.

 

MEET INFORMATION | MEET HEAT SHEETS

 

 

Girls 800 Meter Run – 6:00 PM

 

Meet Record: 2:14.57 – Michaela Hackbarth, Downers Grove South - 2016

 

Preview – The first championship race of the night has only one runner entered that has run under 2:20 this indoor season. Lauren Huber of Glenbard East ran an IL #6 2:18.46 last Saturday on this track and should be the big favorite. She is also the defending champion having run 2:21.17 for the win in 2019. She should be under 2:20 in this race.

 

It is open who will finish in the second spot behind Huber. Maia Italia of Rosary, Lia Skoufos of Prospect, Elizabeth Camic of Benet Academy, Rebecca Diddia of Downers Grove South, and Annie Macabobby of Wheaton-Warrenville South are some of the runners to keep an eye on that could contend for the second position.

 

 

 

Boys 800 Meter Run – 6:05 PM

 

Meet Record: 1:57.91 – Charles Harders, Lyons Township - 2018

 

Preview – This should be an interesting race with the meet record possibly being surpassed. Niko Schultz of Plainfield South ran his state leading 1:56.99 on his home 180-meter track two weeks ago and should be the favorite in this race. His closest competition should come from Taft junior Lucas Guidone who finished ninth overall in this race a year ago. Guidone looked good last week at York when he ran 1:58.72 (IL #8) to finish second. A tactical race could give him a chance. Let us remember that Shultz ran 50.83 (IL #4) last week at the Charger Classic.

 

DeKalb’s Aidan Donohue and Juan Castro have run under 1:57 outdoors and could be factors in this race. Will Houser of Glenbrook South ran a 1:59 split on his home 160-meter track (without spikes) in a relay and could be the surprise in this race. the senior also has run 4:26 (also on his home track). Jocqael Thorpe of Lyons Township ran 2:01.35 coming back from a 4x8 relay leg and is someone also to watch. Batavia’s Joseph Knanishu and Jonah Fallon both ran on their team’s 7:54 4x8 relay on Monday. Both could be under two-minutes in this race. Ian Bacon of Jones Prep has run 4:27.98 for 1600-meters two weeks ago and could be a surprise in this race.

 

Six runners ran under two minutes in last year’s meet. There are only two top 10 state ranked runners in this race. The championship race is deceptively deeper meaning we could see up to eight runners break that barrier.

 

 

 

Girls 3200 Meter Run – 6:55 PM

 

Meet Record: 10:34.25 – Sarah Schmitt, Naperville North - 2018

 

Preview – Alice Abbott of St. Charles East and Brenna Cohoon of Downers Grove South raced against each other last Thursday at North Central College. Cohoon ran an IL #7 11:04.26 finishing 18 seconds ahead of the top seed Abbott who ran 11:22.62 in that race (IL #14). Cohoon ran a 2:20.9 split in her team’s winning 3200 Meter Relay as well as a 62.5 split in the 1600 Meter Relay on Monday at the Mustang Relays. Cohoon has a good finish which could give her the advantage if the race is close.

 

A late entry in the meet was the addition of Lydia Roller of Staunton in this event. The junior finished second in the 1A state XC meet and is in shape for a fast 3200m race. Roller ran 2:21.52 and 5:16,49 last week at Jacksonville. She has a seasonal best of 11:11.06 (IL #9) having run that in Missouri two weeks ago. She will be in the front in this race.

 

There are three runners in this race that have yet to run this distance this winter but should be considered as front runners Friday night. Audrey Ginsberg of Prospect continues to show great improvement having run 5:09.08 (IL #8) last week at York. Kate Jortberg of Glenbrook South has a 5:13.99 (IL #13) for 1600-meters under her belt and could also challenge for the win. Audrey Mendrys of Naperville North has looked strong in her races this season with a 5:05.13 (IL #7) best for 1600-meters and will be in the front.

 

Oswego freshman Audra Soderlind ran 11:22.27 (IL #13) on the Batavia track two weeks ago and could be a surprise in this race. Sophia McNerney of Downers Grove South and Anna Hunter of Yorkville could dip under 11:20 in this race.

 

 

 

Boys 3200 Meter Run – 7:10 PM

 

Meet Record: 9:18.06 – Tyler Cushing, Bolingbrook - 2019

 

Preview – The championship race at this distance could be one of the top races at Batavia Distance Madness. Two-time defending champion Tyler Cushing is in this field and broke the meet record in last year’s race. The field in the final section of this race could have five or six runners that could break the record.

 

Cushing is ready for this race having run 9:22.76 in a meet three weeks ago. Ian Geisler of Huntley looked strong when he ran 4:21.57 (IL #2) for 1600-meters on his home track two weeks ago. It was a great race last week at York when Jake Allen of Naperville North ran 4:21.79 (IL #3) to edge Palatine’s Richie Jacobo (4:21.97, IL #4) in the 1600 Meter Run. All three of these runners, along with Cushing, could run under 9:15 if they do not run a slow first mile.

 

This is a powerful field that has so many quality runners that could be difference makers in this race. Nathan Schmitt of Lake Forest ran 9:12 last year and should be near the front. Anthony Maida of Jones Prep has a 4:27 best for 1600-meters and will also be a threat. Arthur Graham of Naperville Central, Thomas Leonard of Marist, Jack Ehlert and Owen Hays of Lyons Township, Charlie Siebert of New Trier, and Ben Calusinski of Geneva all are in shape to dip under 9:30 in this race.

 

The two races at this distance before the championship should also be good. Tim Neumann of Downers Grove South and Nick Falk of New Trier are the top seeds in Section 2. Jackson Edwards of Yorkville and Tyler Ackerman of New Trier are the top seeds in Section 3 where we could see six or seven runners dip under 10-minutes.

 

 

 

Girls 1600 Meter Run – 8:55 PM

 

Meet Record: 4:49.30 – Judy Pendergast, Naperville North - 2016

 

Preview – The 12-runner field in the championship race is dynamite. It should be the race to watch on Friday night. There is so much quality runners stepping to the line it is anyone’s guess who will take home the win.

 

Campbell Petersen of Naperville North is the top seed with her IL #4 time 4:59.74 achieved last Thursday at North Central College. Emma Watcke of Hinsdale Central ran 5:04.83 in that race (IL #6) and will play a factor in this race. Teammate McKenna Revord has run 11:04.85 (IL #8) for 3200-meters and could dip under 5:05 Friday night.

 

Samantha Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South has only run 5:13.75 which happened at the beginning of the year. Her IL #2 time of 10:56.43 for 3200-meters in her win last week at NCC shows she is capable for a sub-five time in this race. Katrina Schlenker of Batavia ran 5:09.45 (IL #10) solo almost two weeks ago on her home track. She has a 4:51 personal best from last year at this distance.

 

Lianna Surtz of Rosary will be running her first individual race of the season, but we know what she is capable of. The defending 2A state champion in this distance ran 4:55.53 at the end of last season and could be capable of reaching that time. Erin Reidy of Downers Grove South has looked strong early in the indoor campaign with season bests of 2:12.43 (IL #3) for 800-meters, and 5:07.5 (IL #8) for 1600 meters. Maggie Gamboa of Naperville North has run under 11-minutes twice already this season for 3200-meters and will be near the front.

 

Jenna Schifferer of Batavia, Natalia Martino of Winnebago, Lydia Camp of Harvest Christian Academy, and Emma Skinner of Morton will also be in the field. There are athletes that will be willing to push the pace early to try to string the pack out early and take the kick out of some of the runners’ legs. It will be the runner at the end of the race who has the most confidence in their kick that will end up with the win. Four or five runners could go under five-minutes.

 

The sixth section of this event should also be strong with Yorkville’s Helena Kleronomos, Naperville North’s Lucy Westlake and Jana Dawson, Hinsdale Central’s Catie McCabe and Taylor Wagner, and Adrienne Larsen of Geneva leading a deep and talented section.

 

 

 

Boys 1600 Meter Run – 9:02 PM

 

Meet Record: 4:17.47 – Keagan Smith, Huntley - 2015

 

Preview – Last year’s final won by Sean Maison was tactical where Maison waited to the final lap to decide a winner. We don’t think we will see that kind of tactics in the final race of the night.

 

Jared Kreis of Lincoln-Way Central likes to push the pace and is in shape. His 9:10.52 (IL #3) for 3200-meters displayed that at Olivet Nazarene two weeks ago. Ben Rosa of Lake Forest finished second in last year’s race and again should be in the mix. He ran a 1:59 800-meter split on Monday at NCC when his team was out of contention for the win.

 

Four runners of St. Charles East’s state championship team (Aidan King, Bob Liking, Micah Wilson, Luke Schildmeyer) will be in this section. This will be the first individual race for Liking and Wilson. King ran 1:25.82 (IL #7) for 600-meters last week at York. Schildmeyer ran 1:59.45 for 800-meters in the same meet.

 

Batavia’s Adam Kennedy has already run 1:57.78 (IL #4) for 800-meters and 4:27.20 for 1600-meters. He could have the home track advantage in this race. Sam Lange of Morton, Ethan Seng of Wheaton-Warrenville South, and Damian Rodriguez of Batavia won’t be surprises if they are close to the front in the closing laps of this race.

 

The fifth and sixth sections should be interesting to watch. Ryan Harvey of South Elgin and Stephen Thomas of Rockford Christian are the top two seeds in Section 5. Joey Kasch of Maine South and Wilson Georges of Limestone are two of the runners to watch for in Section 6.