IL HS XC Weekday Meet Highlights - September 18, 2020

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

 

There were some good meets during the past four weekdays including meets moved from Saturday due to the weather. This included the Mid-Illini Preview Meet and the Eureka Classic. Here are highlights of some of the meets that took place from Monday to Thursday as we march ahead to a busy weekend of cross-country meets in Illinois

 

2020 Illinois HS XC Race Videos

 

Mid-Illini Conference Preview Meet @ Dunlap Middle School

 

This meet was moved from Saturday to Tuesday due to thunderstorms that postponed the meet on that day. Tuesday’s weather was much more acceptable. It showed in some of the performances in this meet.

 

Limestone’s Wilson Georges continued his undefeated season. The junior broke the course record running 15:10 to win the Boys race by 28 seconds ahead of Metamora’s Ian O’Laughlin. The team race was closer with the first three teams separated by only four points, four teams within 12 points.

 

Pekin, led by the fourth-place finish from Drae Heiple, placed their scorers in the top 21 to score 64 points for the win. Morton, who was missing their top runner Cade Zobrist in this race, still placed three runners in the top 10 to score 67 points to finish second. Dunlap (68 points) and Metamora (76 points) finished third and fourth overall.

 

Emma Skinner and Arlie Akers finished first and second to help Morton win the Girls title with 40 points. Skinner covered the three-mile course in 18:53 for the win 12 seconds ahead of teammate Akers. Washington, led by the third-place finish from Jadyn Jacobs, scored 73 points to finish second. Dunlap (78 points), Pekin (79 points), and Metamora (86 points) finished third through  fifth in the team standings.

 

York / Hinsdale Central Girls Dual Meet @ Berens Park, Elmhurst

 

This was the first time that York ran their entire top lineup in a meet this season. Thursday’s race showed that the Dukes are one of those top teams among Class 3A. York placed their top seven runners in the top ten spots for the win 21-39 over last year’s third-place Class 3A state team Hinsdale Central.

 

Brooke Berger pulled away after a 5:50 opening mile a cruised to the win in 15:37 over the 2.67-mile course. Teammate Michaela Quinn was 17 seconds back in second-place. Hinsdale Central was led by a 3-4 finish from Catie McCabe and Sarah Fischer.

 

York’s top five split was 59 seconds. Their split from Quinn to fifth runner Katelyn Winton was 48 seconds.

 

DuQuoin Invitational @ DuQuoin State Fair Grounds

 

Olivia Phillips individual win and a second-place finish from Lauren Heape helped host DuQuoin win the Girls team championship in this five team meet with 28 points. Benton took the next four spots to claim second with 33 points.

 

Phillips was dominant in her win covering the 2.94-mile course in 19:59. Heape followed with a 20:48 time. Benton, led by Addisyn Miller’s third-place finish, had only a 21 second split on their four runner pack.

 

The Boys team from Benton rolled to the team title placed four runners in the top five with only 23 points. DuQuoin scored 52 points to finish second.

 

Gavin Genisio continues to display why he is one of the top freshman boys runners in the state. The Benton freshman won his third race in a row covering the course in 16:00 ahead of all-state teammate Reece Johnson who ran 16:27. DuQuoin’s Landen Swiney ran 16:32 to finish third.

 

Collinsville Invitational @ Collinsville HS

 

Only three tenths of a second separated the top two runners in this Wednesday afternoon Boys race. Drake Bleier of Troy Triad, who was a Class 2A all-state runner in 2019, and Collinsville freshman Trey Peterson both ran 16:40 with Bleier claiming the win. Bleier led four Triad runners in the top six places to help the Knights to the team win with 28 points. Collinsville scored 40 points to finish second.

 

It was closer in the Girls team race in this meet. Triad, led by the individual win from Sydney Hartoin, placed four runners in the top seven to help them hold on to the win 30-32 over Granite City. Harotin ran 20:47 to win by a convincing 55 seconds ahead of Granite City’s Claire Sykes (21:42) and Lacey Kunz (21:49). Granite City ran a 73 second split on their top five that finished in the top 10.

 

Bolingbrook / Sandburg Boys Dual Meet @ Bolingbrook HS

 

Sandburg rested some of their top runners heading towards a big meet at Midlothian Meadows on Saturday. It gave the opportunity for Grant Giblin to pick up his first high school varsity race win. The freshman covered the three-mile campus course in 16:18 for the win just three seconds ahead of teammate Trent Anderson. Sandburg did have six runners in the top ten runners to help them with the win 22-34 ahead of host Bolingbrook. Joshua Beechler ran 16:49 to finish third and to lead Bolingbrook.

 

Deerfield / Maine West Boys Dual Meet @ Deerfield HS

 

Josh Puyear of Deerfield ran a fine 15:19 to win the Varsity race in this meet by 23 seconds ahead of Maine West’s Jesus Vallejo. Deerfield was in control in the team battle placing five in the top seven to win 20-39 over visiting Maine West. Deerfield’s top five split was only 49 seconds.

 

Grayslake Central / Antioch Dual Meet @ Grayslake Central HS

 

Host Grayslake Central picked up team wins in both the Boys and Girls Varsity races at this meet on Tuesday.

 

A 1-2 finish by Bryan Vale and Trey Sato helped the Rams to a 21-38 win ahead of Antioch. Vale ran a good 16:08 on this three-mile course for the win with freshman teammate Sato running 16:35 to finish second. Central placed five runners in the top seven in that race.

 

The Girls race also fell into the host team’s favor with Bella Domier leading a sweep of the first three places and seven runners in the top nine. Grayslake Central won 18-43 ahead of Antioch. Domier, a freshman, ran 18:53 for the win with teammates Bryn Sato (19:17) and Sara Armstrong (19:38) following. Sarah Benes ran 19:56 to finish fourth and to lead Antioch.

 

Jacobs Triangular Meet @ Jacobs HS, Algonquin

 

Jacobs upped their Boys conference standings to 6-0 as they won this triangular 22-40 ahead of McHenry. Crystal Lake South scored 74 points. Andrew Doetsch continues to be impressive in this 2020 season. The junior’s time of 16:22 earned him the win 13 seconds ahead of teammate Connor Maloney. McHenry’s Caleb Schopen ran 16:43 to finish third.

 

Crystal Lake South was dominant in the Girls Varsity race scoring only 24 points placing seven runners in the top ten. Jacobs (42 points) and McHenry (76 points) followed. Bella Gonzalez of Crystal Lake South ran 18:23 to easily win by 51 seconds ahead of Jacobs’ Kelly Carpenter.

 

Wauconda / Lakes Community Dual Meet @ Matthews Middle School, Wauconda

 

Brooke Stromsland returned to racing for Lakes Community and showed her fitness level crushing the field in this race. Her winning time of 18:21 was 95 seconds ahead of Wauconda’s Jessie Pakaski. Lakes placed eight runners in the top ten to win 23-38 ahead of Wauconda in this NLCC Dual Meet Tuesday.

 

Quincy Notre Dame Running Raider Invitational @ South Park, Quincy

 

Fiker Rosen of Quincy continued his undefeated string at Tuesday’s meet. The junior ran 16:22 for the win ahead of Macomb’s Stan Melkumian by 23 seconds. Quincy scored 28 points for the team win ahead of Macomb (33 points).

 

Eureka Classic @ Eureka Lower Lake Park

 

This flight meet moved from Saturday to Monday again showed the dominance of Stanford Olympia in this race. The Spartans placed four runners in the first nine places to capture the Boys team win with 32 points. El Paso-Gridley placed three runners in the top five to score 45 points to finish second. Olympia’s Charlie Kistner ran 15:41 to win by 31 seconds ahead of Nathan DeMarb of El Paso-Gridley.

 

Two Class 1A team powers faced off in the Girls race with Eureka edging Normal University 40-43 for the team title. Stanford Olympia scored 56 points to finish third. Eureka controlled the top two positions as Anna Perry ran 17:53 for the win ahead of teammate Alexi Fogo by five seconds. Savanah Beavers of Stanford Olympia (18:23) and Lyndsey Wolters of Normal University (18:38) were the only other runner under 19-minutes placing third and fourth.