2020 Illinois High School Cross Country Individual Previews - Class 3A Girls

 

Poglitsch, Schlenker lead a talented Class 3A pack

 

By Michael Newman

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One thing that we will not be saying is who will challenge Katelynne Hart this year? The four-time state champion has moved on to the University of Michigan. There will be a new state champion this fall with the big hopes that we have a state meet.

 

The top two runners back come from the same conference. Samantha Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South and Katrina Schlenker of Batavia both run in the DuKane Conference. The two raced against each other in the conference with the two kicking in the final 100-meters. Poglitsch got the win by one second. It was the same in the state meet when Poglitsch unleashed another kick to run 16:37 to finish second at Detweiller Park. Schlenker finished third three seconds behind. The two could face each other a number of times in dual meets this fall as well as their conference meet. If we get a state series, the two will face each other in their sectional race before state.

 

There are three juniors in the top five. This classification is deep in talent with 15 out of last year’s top 25 all back.

 

The main thing is that these kids get to run with their friends and race. That is what this sport is all about. It might not be invitational meets. It might be just dual meets and that is okay with me.

 

The previews that have been written are focused on IF we have a state series and IF we have a state meet. As of this time, that is yet to be determined.

 

There was never the chance that these would not be written for the upcoming season. It is more of a tribute to the student/athletes that did not get a chance to compete this spring and now have that opportunity this fall. This preview is for all of you.

 

 

Top 5 Class 3A Girls Runners

 

 

1 Samantha Poglitsch – SR – Wheaton-Warrenville South

 

Comments – The one thing that I noticed about Samantha Poglitsch as she progressed through her junior cross country season was the improvement that she showed in her racing. It was not in her times. She improved by only a couple of seconds both for three-miles and 5000 meters. It was in the confidence that was growing inside of her after every race she finished. There was a sense in the beginning of the season she would hold back at the beginning of races. Each race that she ran in that got closer to the state meet, she was closer to the front. It did not help that in the state series races she would be racing against Katelynne Hart. In Class 3A racing, Hart was in a zone of her own. It was Poglitsch that would stay with the pack that was trailing the four-time state champion. It was the confidence in her eyes that Hart maybe ahead of her, but no one else was going to pass her. Regardless.

 

That showed in the DuKane Conference Meet where in the final 200-meters of the race, she battled Katrina Schlenker for the win. Only a second separated the two all-state runners, but as Poglitsch approached the finish line you felt she was going to win. The same held true at the state meet where Poglitsch and Schlenker made the turn to go up the final incline to the finish. Poglitsch and Schlenker leading a pack with Poglitsch again in front.

 

The same thing happened during the indoor season where the Wheaton-Warrenville South senior was behind in the three individual races. Each of those races, she found another gear that the rest of the field did not have.

 

That is the one thing that Poglitsch has that the rest of the state does not: a killer kick. What is more important is she has the confidence with her racing that she feels that no one can beat her.

 

“As most track & field athletes, Sam was disappointed about not competing last spring,” said Wheaton-Warrenville South Coach Rob Harvey. “That disappointment quickly turned into the goal of becoming the best runner she could be. She is good at controlling the controllable and dismissing everything else. Sam has become a student of the sport: training and racing-wise. And she is taking her training to a new level. Sam has a unique ability to connect with everyone on the team. The team aspect seems to drive her individual success and motivation.”

 

 

 

2 Katrina Schlenker – JR – Batavia

 

Comments – The first few times that I saw Katrina Schlenker race her freshman year, the though came on me: she is only a freshman? I think the one thing was she did not race like a freshman. She let the race play out and waited for her moment to make a move. Her state meet race in magical. Katelynne Hart was going for a sub-16 time. She just could not shake Schlenker and Alex Morris. She finished only eight seconds back in second. Hart was winning by double digit numbers all season. And the margin at the end of the race was only eight seconds. A freshman had run 16:07. It was then the fastest freshman time ever on that course. That tells you the mental toughness that Schlenker has.

 

It was remarkable that Schlenker finished third last year considering what she had gone through. She came down with an injury in the middle of the summer that curtailed her training. She slowly built herself back into shape and contention in races. After finishing second behind Poglitsch in the DuKane Conference Meet, Schlenker started feeling like her old self. It showed in the state race. She put in a couple of races at 3200-meters this summer to test her fitness level. A 10:59.16 at the Illinois Meet of Champions at the end of July showed she was ready to go for this fall. Remember she ran 16:49 at Detweiller Park in July of 2019. The 3200 time is a great starting point.

 

 

 

3 Maggie Gamboa – SR – Naperville North

 

Comments – A vision that I have of Maggie Gamboa was after the Nike Cross Nationals in 2018. She did not look good after the race as the rain started to hit the runners. She was under the weather, not feeling great after she finished 181st. Teammates were getting her sweats on because she was shivering and that is what teammates do, try to help their friend who was struggling. She still had a smile on her face because she sensed that her team had a great race. Naperville North finished second in the nation. She was sick, but that smile stayed on her face.

 

Gamboa has been on the team’s top seven all three years. All three years, the team has won a state championship. She will enter this fall again as the team’s top runner. She lifted her racing game to another level in 2019 challenging some of the top runners in the state. She won the DuPage Valley Conference Meet, the St. Charles East Sectional race before running 16:45 to finish fifth at state. She finished 36th at the Nike Cross Nationals and would have been a top returner in that meet if it had not been cancelled this year.

 

She is in great shape entering this season according to her Coach Dan Iverson. They have not had any opportunities to see where everyone is at, but she looks good in the longer runs in the view of Iverson. We may not have a state meet this fall, but it will be fun to see how fast this senior pushes it in her final high school cross-country campaign.

 

 

 

4 Aly Negovetich – JR – Fox Lake Grant

 

Comments – The second of three juniors in the top five of this list. There is something about this junior. She has that sense of good racing where she diagnoses her race and then goes after it. At the same time, she is the perfect teammate. She may finish way ahead of them but waits for them all to finish and then heads back to their team area. That is what impressed me when I saw her win at the Lake County Invitational last year and then she waited.

 

Negovetich won seven of nine races last year leading up to the state meet including wins in the Palatine Regional and Hoffman Estates Sectional. She had a good five months of training, so it will be interesting to see how her season progresses.

 

“Aly is in a great place both physically and mentally right now,” said Grant Coach Jeff Durlak. “Her training and consistency has been phenomenal throughout the spring and summer.  Aly continues to take the next steps with her training both in terms of mileage and the quality of her workouts.  Aly has taken these last few months well and has not let the lack of competitions affect her. Aly made a comment at our summer camp recently that she just loves to run and that she would be training and running regardless of what happened with spring and fall sports. Aly also has the big picture in mind when it comes to her training and future in running.”

 

 

 

5 Josephine Welin – JR – Oak Park-River Forest

 

Comments – The one runner that has come on like gangbusters has been Josephine Welin. The Oak Park junior was finding her racing legs last fall improving in every race. It does help when you have another all-state runner like Nora Wollen by your side in practices and in races.

 

Welin caught most onlookers attention at the end of July when she dropped her personal best for 3200-meters by 30 seconds running 10:25.35. Before the track season stopped, she had run 10:54 indoors for the distance. That is some drop considering her seasonal best a year ago was 11:31.

 

Welin has run in both state meets she could have while in high school. She finished 80 as a freshman. She came back to run 17:09 to finish 16th in last year’s state race. Her fourth-place finish in the WSC-Silver Championships and then sixth-place finish showed that she was ready for an all-state finish. The 10:25 that she ran in July indicates she is ready for something big this fall.

 

“Josephine spent the spring and summer driving all over the western suburbs to run on trails,” said Oak Park-River Forest Coach Ashley Raymond. “Besides running big mileage, Josephine did a great job prioritizing all the little things this spring and summer. We caught a glimpse of her fitness last week at the Illinois Meet of Champions. She is feeling great and has big goals for this season.”

 

 

 

Next Class 3A Runners (In Alphabetical Order)

 

 

 

Audrey Allman – JR – Glen Ellyn Glenbard West

 

Comments – We have not had to say this for at least three seasons but there will be a new 31 runner for Glenbard West this fall. Audrey Allman is the perfect candidate to take over for graduated state champion Katelynne Hart.

 

Allman earned all-state honors last fall when she finished 18 in the state meet running a 17:12 time. She ran with more confidence at the end of the XC season when third in the WSC-Silver Championships, Glenbard West Regional, and the Lake Park Sectional. She also put up some good times when she went under 5-minutes for the first time running 4:59.64 at North Central College. She also ran 2:14.68 for 800-meters.

 

“Audrey Allman is in amazing shape,” said Glenbard West Coach Paul Hass. “She recently joined us in camp after spending all 31 days of July in Colorado training at altitude.  If the shortened track season is any indication, Audrey is prepared for a stellar 2020 cross country campaign.  In her last two meets in March she clocked 4:59.64 in the 1600 (Cardinal Classic), and posted a solo

 

2:14.68 effort 800m (PW Panther Invite). Audrey continued to train throughout the track

 

season even after the shut down and maintained her conditioning.  Last fall Audrey placed 3rd at the Glenbard West Regional, 3rd at the Lake Park Sectional, and earned All-State honors with an 18th place finish and a time of 17:12.7 at the 3A state meet.  The following week at the Midwest Nike Regional she was not feeling well and faded to 125th (19:18.4).  In a subsequent doctor’s appointment she was diagnosed with mononucleosis, and the doctor indicated that she had carried the illness the previous 6 weeks. If Audrey can be all-state with mono, we are hoping for even greater things when she is fully healthy! So, after a promising start to her freshman year and suffering a stress fracture, competing with mono as a sophomore, Audrey is finally ready for a

 

truly break-out junior campaign – that could possibly be limited by a global pandemic. Regardless, Audrey will be ready to go in whatever capacity exists for cross country this fall.”

 

 

 

Josephine Bober – SR – Lockport Township

 

Comments – A runner that has not been in the statewide spotlight. Josephine Bober has the talent to accomplish that this fall. She has run in the 3A state meets in 2018 and 2019. She ran 17:59 to finish 76th in her sophomore year. Bober followed that up by running 17:35 to finish 34 in last year’s state meet. She also returns as the defending Southwest Suburban Conference champion.

 

“Josephine is a positive person,” said Lockport Coach Regan Cronholm. “She is a leader on our team and is always pushing herself and others to get the most out of practice. Personally, she has worked hard this summer to really improve in the areas she needed to. Right now, after a few time trials, she is sitting comfortably in our top seven.”

 

 

 

Audrey Boles – JR – Minooka

 

Comments – Audrey Boles was the team’s top runner in 2019 after running 17:34 to finish 33rd at last year’s state meet. “Unfortunately, Audrey Boles is out for the season,” said Minooka Coach Kevin Gummerson. “She has suffered an injury that will require surgery. She is a tough kid, and there is no doubt in my mind that she will bounce back for the track season.”

 

 

 

Jenna Buchanan – JR – Bartlett

 

Comments – Jenna Buchanan has qualified for the state meet in the two years of high school running. She ran 17:35 to finish 47 as a freshman in 2018. She followed up last year by running 17:27 to finish 30th at state. If we get to state, she is a good bet to finish among the top 20 runners. She will be one of the top runners in the Upstate Eight Conference along with her sister Camille.

 

“After Jenna's performance at the state meet in 2019, many of us Bartlett were excited to see where she would be for the 2020 state meet,” said Bartlett Coach Christina Rentner. “Although that will not be happening, we are still excited to see Jenna compete this season. She and her sister (Camille Buchanan) are tough competitors and regardless of the current situation, they bring 100% to every race. They know how to run smart and compete with those around them. We may not be going to Peoria, but I am thankful that those two will get one last high school season together.”

 

 

 

Kate Dickman – SR – LaGrange Lyons Township

 

Comments – Kate Dickman will look to bounce back in her season. She has run in the state meet all three years of high school. Her best finish was in her sophomore year when she was all-state placing 16th running a 17:00 time. She finished 38th as a freshman in 2017 and 54th last year. She had top 10 finishes last fall in the Mike Kuharic Invitational, the WSC-Silver Championships, and the Hinsdale Central Sectional.

 

“Kate is as fit as she's ever been at this point in the year,” said Lyons Township Coach Alex Lyons. “I think she also understands that her senior leadership will be more important than what she does in the races, particularly in a year as tumultuous as this one.”

 

 

 

Delaney Engel – JR – Glen Ellyn Glenbard West

 

Comments – Delaney Engel said at the beginning of the summer that there was an 80% chance that she would play club soccer in the fall and not run. The 20% won. On the first day of practice, the junior was ready to run. Engel finished 43rd in last year’s state meet as the team’s third runner. A top 25 finish could be within her reach. She finished 141st as a freshman in 2018.

 

“Delaney Engel is an extremely self-driven, hardworking athlete who had little issue with

 

continually performing exceptional workouts on her own and maintaining excellent fitness throughout the spring,” said Glenbard West Coach Paul Hass. “After placing 4th in both the Glenbard West Regional and Lake Park Sectional, I know she was a bit disappointed in her 43rd place finish at the 3A state meet (17:44.5).  However, we saw the genuine Delaney reappear at NXR Midwest where she placed 51st (18:34.3).  She and I both believe that she is capable of being an all-state caliber athlete, and her performances last fall are evidence of that belief.   I continued to write workouts for her in early summer and she looks amazing in the hill workouts she executed this summer.  Delaney spent large parts of the summer participating in club soccer and training for triathlons, as she has done in previous years.  It is quite possible that Delaney decides to stick with club soccer this fall, but if she decides to join us this year she will, unquestionably, improve our team outlook dramatically, and we would love to have her.”

 

 

 

Molly FitzPatrick – SR – Barrington

 

Comments – Molly FitzPatrick is a two-time All-State runner. She ran 17:10 to finish 21st as a freshman. She missed all-state as a sophomore placing 26th. FitzPatrick ran 17:13 to finish 19 in last year’s state meet. The senior was in the top three in all her races leading up to the state meet last year. That included wins in the 3A race at the First to the Finish Invitational and the Mid Suburban League Championships.

 

“She has been nursing an injury she sustained last XC season,” said Barrington Coach Deb Revolta. “She started running at the beginning of June and has added cross-training to her workout regimen.”

 

 

 

Audrey Ginsberg – JR – Mt. Prospect-Prospect

 

Comments – It was a breakout season for Audrey Ginsberg in 2019. She earned all-state honors last fall when she ran 17:14 to finish 21st. Ginsberg also ran in the state meet in 2018 when she finished 65th overall. She finished in the top five in three races last fall including second at the Libertyville Invitational, second at the Peoria Central Invitational, and third at the Mid Suburban League Championships.

 

“Audrey is a phenomenal kid,” said Prospect Coach Peter Wintermute. “She is cool and calm, very coachable, and is growing confidence every week. She has a lot of raw speed (58-59sec 400m speed) and a big heart. She and I have talked about big goals for the season and she is ready for the challenge to be a part of the State's top tier of runners.”

 

 

 

Anna Harden – SO – Arlington Heights Hersey

 

Comments – Anna Harden had a fantastic freshman season which ended with a 23rd place finish at the state meet. She ran 17:17 to earn that all-state honor. Harden came on strong in the three races prior to the state meet. She finished fifth at the Mid Suburban League Championships, second at the Prospect Regional, and third at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. She ran 11:22 for 3200-meters and 5:20.26 for the 1-Mile Run at the Illinois Meet of Champions at the end of July. Faster times are ahead in her sophomore year.

 

 

 

Brooke Johnston – SO – Lake Zurich

 

Comments – The top runner from the Class of 2023. Brooke Johnston earned all-state honors by running 17:06 to place 13th at the state meet. She stepped into the forefront of racing when she won the North Suburban Conference Meet. She followed that up by finishing fifth at the Palatine Regional and then sixth at the Hoffman Estates Sectional.

 

“Brooke was about to break out BIG in Indoor Track and Outdoor,” said Lake Zurich Coach Jeremy Kauffman. “I believe she would have broken all of our school records in the 1600/3200/800. She was training at higher levels gaining some great varsity experience and was winning all of her races with some great times on 150m & 160m tracks alone most of the time. She had a great spring of training all the way through JUNE, but after 4 weeks this summer we shut her training down due to injury. She is going to be simply building her base system as the season progresses so week to week we should see her improve.  She is talented, extremely competitive, and very committed and the sky is the limit for her. Out of my 24 years coaching, she is the full package.”

 

 

 

Helena Kleronomos – SR – Yorkville

 

Comments – The top runner for Yorkville last year and again this fall. Se is a three-time all-state runner in Cross Country. She ran 17:05 to finish 17 as a freshman in 2017. She came back to run 16:35 to finish fifth as a sophomore in 2018. She placed 17th last year running 17:10. Kleronomos won four races last fall including the Rock River Run, the Southwest Prairie Conference, the Minooka Regional, and the Normal Sectional.

 

“Helena has constantly trained very well this spring/summer and with other girls starting to step up to her level on the team, could really help push her,” said Yorkville Coach Chris Muth. “She was on an island last year training wise, and that took a little toll on her race performance, but she has looked very much more herself the last few months of training.”

 

 

 

Riley Knoyle – SO – Edwardsville

 

Comments – Abby Korak was supposed to be Edwardsville’s #1 runner last year, but an injury ended that for her. In stepped freshman Riley Knoyle and the rest is history or history in the making. Knoyle had a fantastic freshman season finishing in the top 10 in al eight races she ran in before the state meet. That included wins at the Madison County Meet, Southwestern Conference Meet, and the Quincy Regional. She finished second behind Helena Kleronomos in the Normal Sectional before finishing 20th in the state meet.

 

“Riley is having a solid summer,” said Edwardsville Coach George Patrylak. “As I mentioned, she has been training with the boys and is in really good shape.  She is well ahead of her midseason form from a year ago. I worry that Riley is going to struggle to find the competition she needs. The current rules of competing against conference schools and schools in your COVID-19 region will affect her ability to be pushed. I look forward to seeing her battle Payton Schieppe from O'Fallon, but that is the only other All-State caliber runner she will face if we do not have any changes to season. Riley is more motivated than ever to have a strong cross country season.”

 

 

 

Hope Leman – SR – Evanston Township

 

Comments – Hope Leman made some huge strides last fall in her junior season. That season ended when she finished 27th running 17:22 at the state meet. Leman finished in the top five in 2019 finishing fourth at the Warren Blue Devil Invitational, third at the Niles West Invitational, and second at the Central Suburban League Championships. She ran for Deerfield her freshman year in 2017 before transferring to Evanston. She ran in the state meet for Deerfield that year running 20:02 and finishing 161st in the Class 2A state meet.

 

 

 

Audrey Mendrys – SR – Naperville North

 

Comments – Audrey Mendrys again will be one of the top runners for Naperville North entering her senior season.  She had her best finish in the three state meets that she has run placing eighth in last year’s state meet. Mendrys also finished 32nd, as a sophomore, and 75th as a freshman. All three races helped Naperville North win a state championship. She is in great shape after a good summer of training according to Coach Dan Iverson.

 

 

 

Campbell Petersen – SR – Naperville North

 

Comments – The potential is there for Petersen to have a super senior season. We got a glimpse of that last indoor season before it stopped prematurely. She did run under 5-minutes at North Central College running 4:59.74 for 1600-meters. An injury slowed her down last cross-country season. She did run on the state championship team last fall finishing 101. She did fight back to be the team’s third runner at NXN. She has been all-state twice in Cross Country finishing 25 for Naperville North in 2018 and finishing second for Dunlap in the Class 2A meet in 2017.

 

 

 

Rachel Price – JR – St. Charles North

 

Comments – Rachel Price is a two-time all-state runner as in many high school years that she has run. Price finished 18th running 17:01 as a freshman in 2018 and then finished 12th running 17:06 to finish last season. She finished fourth last season in both the DuKane Conference Championships and then fourth in the St. Charles North Regional.

 

“She has been training with the boys all summer, so she is in really good shape this year,” said St. Charles North Coach Shari Hayes. “She looks stronger this season than in previous seasons.”

 

 

 

Naomi Ruff – JR – South Elgin

 

Comments – Naomi Ruff should be one of the top runners in the Upstate Eight Conference again this season. She earned all-state honors as a freshman when she ran 16:46 to finish 12th at state in 2018. Ruff did not have her best race at state last fall as she finished 60th. She bounced back the following week to place 65th at the NXR Midwest Regional. She was strong before the state meet last year winning the race at the Upstate Eight Conference Meet, finishing third at the St. Charles North Sectional, and finishing seventh at the St. Charles East Sectional.

 

“Naomi came to our summer camp the last few weeks ready to run,” said South Elgin Coach Jorie Bartholomew. “She has been staying shape and training with her triathlon group this summer. She will be a great leader as a junior this year on the team.”

 

 

 

Jenna Schifferer – SR – Batavia

 

Comments – It was a great breakout junior season for Jenna Schifferer. She has run in three state meet for Batavia She finished 98 as a freshman in 2017, 106 as a sophomore in 2018, and then 52nd last year as a junior. She had top 10 finishes last fall finishing sixth at the DuKane Conference Championships, fifth at the St. Charles North Sectional, and then placing sixth at the St. Charles East Sectional. Do not let her state finish from last season fool you. She could be among the top 20 Class 3A runners this fall.

 

 

 

Hailey Simmons – SR – Yorkville

 

Comments – It did not look like at the beginning of last season that Hailey Simmons would be running the season. She is a national class equestrian rider that suffered an injury while riding during the summer of 2019. She came back strong at the end of last season to finish 41st at the state meet. She has run in two previous state meets placing 61st as a freshman in 2017 and then 30th as a sophomore. A top 20 finish is in her future this fall if we have a state meet.

 

“Hailey Simmons is coming into this season in peak physical condition and is two months ahead of schedule compared to years past,” said Yorkville Coach Chris Muth. “Her mindset and attitude have shifted in a way that will consistently place her in our top three throughout the season.  She has reached another level this summer/spring.”

 

 

 

Audra Soderlind – SO – Oswego

 

Comments – Audra Soderlind stepped up as one of the top runners for Oswego last fall and should run side by side this season with Rebecca Corbett. Soderlind finished 39 in last year’s state meet just one second behind Corbett. Soderlind, as a freshman, ran as the #1 runner for most of the season. She finished 11 at the Palatine Meet of Champions, second at the Sterling Invitational and then seventh at the Southwest Prairie Conference Meet.

 

“Audra, like our top group, has had a great summer,” said Oswego Coach Eric Simon. “I was looking forward to track and seeing her 3200.  She ran 11:22 in her first and only at Batavia in February. I believe she would have broken 11 by DNIP.  She is very motivated to run well this season, especially after losing most of the track season.  If it were a year with a state meet I believe she could be in the 15 to 25 range.”

 

 

 

Brenda Torres – SO – Wheeling

 

Comments – One of the bigger surprises last season. Brenda Torres qualified for state as an individual last year. She ran 17:32 to finish 32nd in that state race. She ran stronger at the end of last season finishing seventh at the Mid Suburban League, third at the Lake Forest Regional, and ninth at the Hoffman Estates Sectional.

 

 

 

Nora Wollen – SR – Oak Park-River Forest

 

Comments – A part of a strong duo up front for Oak Park with Josephine Welin. She was all-state last season placing 15th running 17:07 and placing just ahead of Welin. Wollen also ran at state as a sophomore running 17:36 in 49th place. She did not have her best race at the WSC-Silver Championships last fall placing 13. She bounced back at the Lake Park Sectional the week before state finishing fifth.

 

“Nora started the indoor track season with a foot injury,” said Oak Park Coach Ashley Raymond. “Right when she was about to get back, the season was canceled. Nora put in a ton of work this spring and summer and she is ready to go. Watch out, she has not raced since the state meet last year.”