Illinois High School XC Conference Meet Highlights - October 19, 2020

 

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

 

Here are highlights that some of the conference meets that took place across Illinois. Meets are listed in alphabetical order by conference.

 

Apollo Conference @ Eastern Illinois University

 

This meet took place on October 13. Mahomet-Seymour was in control of the Boys meet. The Bulldogs placed five runners in the top nine to score only 25 points finishing ahead of Mattoon (60 points) and Lincoln (85 points). Chris Cherry of Taylorville stormed away with the win (15:39) with Mahomet’s Kyle Nofziger finishing second (15:51). Mahomet’s top five split was 63 seconds.

 

Mt. Zion scored 46 points in winning the Girls title placing five runners in the first 14. Mahomet-Seymour (60 points) finished second. Freshman Becca Heitzig of Lincoln ran 18:44 for the win.

 

Big Northern Conference @ Walcamp, Genoa-Kingston

 

This two day meet featured the Girls races on Saturday. One thing that we were reminded of is how good 2019 State Champions Winnebago is and why they are the top team in Class 1A. Bago put all of their top seven runners in the first nine places to score a measly 17 points to repeat as conference champions. Natalia Martino led the pack as she ran a blistering 17:31 on the three-mile course to capture the win. Teammates Grace Erb, Kaylee Woolery, and Marissa Roggensack followed. Katie Erb was the team’s fifth runner as she placed seventh overall. Dixon finished second with 44 points paced by a 5-6 finish from Jade Miller and Emma Smith.

 

Dixon took the top two spots in the Boys race on Saturday. It was Rockford Christian after that taking the next five spots. It helped the Royal Lions win the conference title with 25 points. Dixon finished second with 33 points. Brock Drengenberg was the individual winner as he and teammate Cadyn Grafton crossed the line in 15:50. Then came Rockford Christian’s pack led by third-place finisher D’Artagnon Beaver who ran 16:04. The team’s top five split was a miniscule 32 seconds.

 

Big 12 Conference Championship @ Detweiller Park

 

Normal Community’s Ali Ince has proved through this fall that she is among the top freshman in Illinois. This showed at Detweiller Park on Saturday when she captured the conference crown running 17:22 on the fabled Peoria course. Kaitlin Skeate of Bloomington (17:33) and Maria Stedwell of Peoria Notre Dame (17:55) finished second and third and were the only runners under 18-minutes in this race. Normal Community, with four runners in the top nine, were the Girls team champion (30 points) followed by Peoria Notre Dame (54 points).

 

The chase for the team title in the Boys race was close between Normal West and Peoria Notre Dame. Luke Reinhart won the individual title leading three Wildcat runners in the top six and helping win West win the team title 38 to 40 over Notre Dame, The Irish, led by Logan Keene’s third-place finish, placed four runners in the top nine. Reinhart’s winning time of 16:05 was four seconds ahead of second-place Sam Lambert of Urbana.

 

Cahokia Conference Meet @ Trenton-Wesclin HS

 

This conference consists of the Mississippi Division and the Kaskaskia Division.

 

Steeleville won the Boys Kaskaskia Division race with only 22 points. Red Bud scored 56 points to finish second. Steeleville placed six runners in the top eight led by the individual win from Christian Rees (16:48).

 

Justin Mumford ran for the final time on his home course and made a statement in the process. Munford is one of the top runners in Class 1A. He ran 15:05 on the 3-mile course to win by 77 seconds ahead of Freeburg’s Evan Wilkerson. It was Freeburg that had the advantage in the team battle placing five runners in the top in winning with 32 points. Host Trenton-Wesclin scored 49 points to finish second.

 

Freeburg swept the Mississippi Division by winning the team title with 29 points. The Lady Midgets placed five runners in the top nine paced by the third-place finish from Reagan Lucas. Breese Central finished second (54 points) led by the individual win from Kristen Ess. The senior ran 19:06 to win by 46 seconds ahead of Columbia’s Madison Missey.

 

Red Bud edged Marissa 30-39 for the Kaskaskia Girls Division title. Red Bud’s Adrienne Vallett dominated this race winning in 20:20 and finishing 78 seconds ahead of Marissa’s Olivia Leemon.

 

Central Illinois Conference @ Darcy Trails, Shelbyville

 

Host Shelbyville placed four runners in the first five to win the Girls Conference title with only 20 points. Gabrielle Spain routed the competition on her home course as she ran a staggering 17:44 to win by almost two minutes ahead of teammate Brook Schutt. Clinton finished second with 56 points.

 

Shelbyville edged St. Teresa 47 to 52 in winning the Boys team race. Clinton’s Ethan Black ran 16:06 for the individual win 16 seconds ahead of St. Teresa’s Caleb Kernaghan.

 

Central Suburban League North Division Boys Race @ Deerfield HS

 

Deerfield scored 35 points on their home course to capture the North Division title placing 5 runners in the top 12. Josh Puyear finished third to lead the Warriors. Their top five split was only 32 seconds. Highland Park finished second (55 points) were led by the 1-2 finish of senior Jason Polydoris (15:00) and freshman Nate Wehner (15:19).

 

Central Suburban League North Division Girls Race @ Vernon Hills Athletic Complex

 

Vernon Hills repeated as the North Division title doing so in a strong fashion heading into the state series. The Cougars placed five runners in the top eight to score only 20 points ahead of second-place Deerfield (36 points). Vernon Hills had a 77 second split on their top five led by Anna Todd’s individual win crossing the line in 18:27. Teammates Reina Hill (18:53) and Rose Sheridan (18:58) finished second and third.

 

Central Suburban League South Division @ Duke Childs Field, New Trier

 

New Trier enters the state series as the top boys team in Class 3A. Saturday’s race was evidence of the statement as they won the division title with only 27 points. Maine South scored 50 points to finish second. The Trevians placed five runners in the first eight with only a 25 second split. Their split from second runner Charlie Siebert and fifth runner George Cahill was only six seconds. New Trier’s Nick Falk captured the individual win (14:59) finishing just two seconds ahead of Maine South’s Matt Coyle.

 

In the Girls race, New Triers five runners in the top 13 distanced themselves from the rest of the pack as they scored 39 points for the divisional title. Claire Finnigan (3rd) and Samantha Fellman (4th) paced the Lady Trevians that had a 40 second split on their scorers. Maine South (60 points) and Glenbrook South (66 points) finished second and third. Natalie Sandlow of Glenbrook North claimed the individual title (18:29) finishing seconds ahead of Molly Durow of Glenbrook South.

 

Chicago Catholic League / Girls Catholic Athletic Conference @ Loyola Glenview Campus

 

Host Loyola Academy was in charge in the Chicago Catholic League Championship race. Spencer Werner and Aidan Simon finished 1-2 while placing six runners in the top ten as the Ramblers scored 23 points for the team win. St. Ignatius College Prep finished second (45 points) led by the 3-4 finish from brothers Nick and Zach Kiley. Fenwick scored 105 points to finish third. Werner’s winning time of 15:39 was 19 seconds ahead of his teammate Simon.

 

Loyola Academy swept the first three places and six runners in the top ten to win the GCAC title with only 23 points. Freshman sensation Morgan Mackie was the individual winner (18:27) with sophomores Ellie Grammas and Maeve Norman within 17 seconds of Mackie. Fenwick (47 points) and St. Ignatius Prep (70 points) finished second and third. Fenwick’s top three runners were within five seconds of each other and just behind Loyola’s trio. Bella Daley finished fourth to lead the Friars.

 

Chicago Public League Championships @ Washington Park

 

This event was held on Sunday. It was all Jones Prep as they captured the Boys Varsity Championship with only 20 points placing an incredible five runners in the top six. Taft (68 points) and Whitney Young (82 points) finished second and third. Lucas Guidone of Taft is having a great senior season. It showed in this race as he ran 15:17 to capture the individual title. Jones Prep’s Aaron Hou ran 15:22 to finish second. Jones’ split from Hou to fifth runner Luke Benes was only 15 seconds.

 

It was a tight battle for the team title in the Girls race contested on Saturday. Five points separated the top three teams with Lane Tech having the edge with 62 points. Payton Prep (64 points) and Jones Prep (67 points) were a close second and third. It was not that close in the individual race. Junior Ella Ton-That of Northside Prep ran 17:48 for the win with Evelyn Hett of Jones Prep running 18:04 to finish second.

 

DuKane Conference Championships @ Lake Park East Campus Course

 

The never ending race saga for 2020 from Batavia’s Katrina Schlenker and Wheaton-Warrenville South’s Samantha Poglitsch turned another page on Saturday as two of the top Class 3A runners in the state faced off once again. Schlenker stormed away in the final mile to claim her second career conference title crossing the line in 17:03. Poglitsch finished second in 17:25 with St. Charles North’s Rachel Price running 17:42 to finish third.

 

The race was defined in the first 400-meters as Poglitsch and Schlenker broke away from the rest of the pack with Price within reach of the two runners. The duo passed 5:35 at the mile and 11:27 at two-miles. Just as she did earlier in the season on this course, Schlenker made her move up the hill just after two-miles. When she made the turn to go down, she did not coast as she did in the first race. Schlenker continued to push the pace. It was move that Poglitsch tried but could not respond to.

 

St. Charles East showed in the Girls race that they could be one of the top five teams in Class 3A. The Lady Saints placed all of their top seven in the first 17 spots to claim the conference title with 45 points. The 5-6 lead by Marley Andelman and Morgan Sandlund and a 63 second split on their top five also helped out. Batavia, with top 10 finishes from Schlenker, Jenna Schifferer (4th), and Lauren Hunecke (7th), finished second. St. Charles North (78 points) and Wheaton-Warrenville South (85 points) finished third and fourth.

 

2019 Class 3A State Champion St. Charles East flexed their muscles in the Boys race. The Saints placed four runners in the top seven to score only 31 points. The individual race was one of the top races we have seen in the state this fall between teammates Micah Wilson and Luke Schildmeyer. The two runners separated themselves from the rest of the pack early in the race going through the first mile in 4:45. Winds started to whip up during the Boys race with gusts close to 30 mph hitting the runners in the face from the south. The two teammates kept the pace up despite the wind as the two passed two-miles in 9:37. That is when the fun began.

 

Schildmeyer made the first definite move as he moved away from Wilson going up the hill after the two-mile point. Wilson stayed close looking for the right moment. He did so passing his teammate into the wind entering the wooded portion of the course. With 450-meters left before entering the track, it was Wilson who was in the lead.

 

The two teammates entered the track and another gust of wind hit them in the face. At that moment, Schildmeyer took the lead when most other runners would have waited until the curve and the final 200-meters. The move paid off because Schildmeyer did not give up that lead crossing the line with a scream and a 14:33 time. Wilson was next in 14:38.

 

Zach Loomis (4th), and Connor Murphy (7th) were next in the first wave race giving the team a 58 second split. Tyler Tobin finished second in the second wave race, 17th overall, to close the door for the Saints.

 

Wheaton-Warrenville finished second (59 points) paced by a fifth-place finish from Michael Atkins, and an individual second wave win by Matthew Dale who finished 13 overall as the team’s fourth runner. That was the difference as Wheaton North scored 62 points to finish third led by the third-place finish from Ryan Schreiner.

 

DuPage Valley Conference @ Waubonsie Valley HS

 

The two day event started with the Girls teams in the spotlight Friday afternoon on the Waubonsie Valley Campus Course. Three time defending state champion Naperville North was the easy winner to repeat as conference champions. The Lady Huskies placed seven runners in the top nine to score only 17 points. Neuqua Valley was the next closest team as they scored 61 points for second-place.

 

Audrey Mendrys led the North sweep of the first four places. Her time of 17:38 was less than two seconds ahead of her teammate Campbell Petersen, Lucy Westlake, and Maggie Gamboa finished third and fourth. Sophie Golobitsch and Kate Donaldson finished together in sixth and seventh. 49 seconds separated their top six runners. Maria Widmann was the first runner across for Neuqua Valley placing fifth.

 

Trouble hit Neuqua Valley in the first 800-meters of the Boys race on a windy Saturday as two of their top seven runners fell at that point. It opened the door for Naperville North. They placed four runners in the top seven to help them with the conference win with 32 points. Neuqua Valley finished second (39 points) led by the individual win from Nicolas Dovalovsky. His winning time of 15:23 was 15 seconds ahead of Riley Newport of DeKalb.

 

Naperville North’s first four runners, led by Gabe Ryan (3rd), were separated by only nine seconds. Their top five split was only 17 seconds. Neuqua Valley only had a 33 second split placing five runners in the top 12.

 

Waubonsie Valley finished third (72 points) behind top 10 finishes from Angel Solis (8th) and Zach Benziger (10th).

 

East Suburban Catholic Championships @ Arlington International Racecourse

 

Defending 2A Girls State Champion Benet Academy was more than in control in the Varsity race. The Redwings placed six runners in the top seven to easily win with 17 points. Marist (63 points) and Nazareth Academy (70 points) finished second and third. Benet ran a 36 second split on their top five runners which included a sweep of the first three race spots. Elizabeth Camic captured the individual race (18:26) followed by teammates Louisa Diamond (18:31), and Kelly Andrews (18:52). Their split from third runner Andrews to fifth runner Joy Jackson was only eight seconds.

 

Benet Academy also captured the Boys Varsity title scoring 34 points placing all five scorers in the top 10. Marist was the closest team to Benet as they finished second with 52 points. One runner that you should keep an eye on is Peter Walsdorf from Marian Central Catholic. The Class 2A runner will be a force in the state series after winning in this meet running 15:16. Marist’s Jake Phillips (15:24) and Niklas Anderson of Benet Academy (15:29) finished second and third.

 

Fox Valley Conference @ Plato Park, Elgin

 

This meet was held on October 10. One of the bigger surprises in this conference meet season came in the Boys race. Crystal Lake Central scored 44 points with four runners in the top 12, five in the first 23 to win the team title. Regular season dual champion Jacobs finished second (72 points) ahead of Hampshire. The Tigers were helped to the win behind a great race from Thomas Landt. The senior ran 15:03 on the 3-mile course to capture the win ahead of teammate Karson Hollander.

 

It was close in the Girls Varsity race. Prairie Ridge won their first conference title 74 to 76 ahead of Huntley. The Wolves placed three runners in the top ten to help in winning the title. Crystal Lake South’s Bella Gonzalez ran 17:46 to win by two seconds ahead of Prairie Ridge’s Rachel Soukup.

 

Heart of Illinois Conference @ Detweiller Park

 

This meet was held on Thursday on the state meet course. Eureka rolled to the Girls team title in this inaugural race placing five in the first seven to score only 19 points. Tremont (66 points) and El Paso-Gridley (73 points) finished second and third. Anna Perry of Eureka ran a fast 17:08 to capture the win 22 seconds ahead of teammate Alexi Fogo (17:30).

 

Nathan DeMarb ran 15:49 for the individual crown and to help El Paso-Gridley to win the Boys team championship with 32 points. DeMarb was seven seconds ahead of runner-up Noah Perry of Heyworth. Deer Creek-Mackinaw (57 points) and Eureka (77 points) finished second and third in the team standings.

 

Illinois Valley Conference Championships @ St. Joseph-Ogden

 

This meet was held on October 10. Monticello has been tough all season. This was another example in the Girls race. The Lady Sages placed four runners in the first six to win the team title scoring 29 points. Tolono Unity placed second (45 points). Mabry Bruhn remained undefeated this season by running a fast 17:19 to claim the win 50 seconds ahead of teammate Grace Talbert. Stanford Olympia’s Savanah Beavers ran 18:13 to finish third.

 

It was close in the Boys Varsity race as Olympia edged Monticello 39 to 44 for the team title with St. Joseph-Ogden finishing third (60 points). Charlie Kistner of Olympia ran 15:19 for the win finishing ahead of Monticello’s Jackson Grambart and Josh Baysore by more than 20 seconds.

 

Interstate 8 Conference Championships @ Sycamore HS

 

Defending 2A State Champion Kaneland had a 33 second split on their top five as they repeated as conference champions with only 30 points. The Knights’ Isaiah Dallal ran 16:53 under windy conditions to win individually. Sycamore’s Jack Cambier placed second (17:02) helping his team finish second.

 

Kaneland repeated as conference champions in the Girls race scoring 33 points. Sycamore was also second (47 points) in this race. Sophomore Joy Dudley of Morris ran 20:24 to claim the conference title ahead of Lily Baker of Sycamore (20:33) and Olivia Franklin of Kaneland (20:37).

 

KRC Conference Meet @ McHenry Township Park

 

Woodstock won the Boys Team Title (31 points) ahead of Marengo (43 points). Marengo’s Luke Chaffin of Marengo ran 16:09 to win the individual race. Catherine Miller ran 20:57 to help Richmond-Burton to win the Girls team title 27 to 38 ahead of Woodstock. Hannah Pittman was just 2 seconds behind Miller to finish second.

 

Metro Suburban Conference @ Legacy Park, Marengo

 

Lianna Surtz of Rosary is ready to roll heading into the state series and then post-season races. The defending 1A state champion ran 17:51 to claim the Blue Division individual title. The IC Catholic Prep duo of Carly Manchester and Kennedy Calcagno came in together in second and third 65 seconds behind Surtz. Rosary put three runners in the top nine to help them win the divisional title 38 to 47 ahead of IC Catholic Prep.

 

Chicago Christian placed four runners in the top eight to score 31 points in winning the Red Division Girls race. Kankakee McNamara scored 48 points in placing second. Evita Martinez, a freshman from McNamara, ran 19:41 to win the individual race five seconds ahead of St. Edward’s Sophia Scheider.

 

Wheaton St. Francis placed five runners in the top ten with only a 44 second top five split to win the Boys Divisional race with 30 points. Riverside-Brookfield was next (51 points) followed by Aurora Central Catholic (87 points). RB took the first two spots in this race with freshman Cooper Marrs running 15:36 for the win followed by teammate Paul Proteau (15:51) who finished second.

 

Kankakee McNamara placed three runners in the first four to help them win the Red Division with 25 points. Timothy Christian (63 points) and Ridgewood (71 points) finished second and third. Chase Provost ran 16:59 for the individual win finishing eight seconds ahead of his brother Christian.

 

Mid-Illini Conference Meet @ Detweiller Park

 

Wilson Georges ruled the day in the Boys Race at Detweiller Park as he has in conference dual meets all season. The junior was in control throughout as he ran 14:54 for an 18 second win ahead of Metamora’s Ian O’Laughlin. Pre-season conference favorite Morton came out with the team win 44 to 50 over a good Metamora team. Freshman Josh Weeks led Morton with a fourth-place finish. The Potters placed five runners in the first 16 with a 52 second split on the group. Metamora had five in the first 18 with Morton winning the one-on-one battles from the third runner down.

 

The Girls team race was extremely tight with the first five teams separated by only 13 points. Metamora needed top finishes from Katie Lalumandier and Audrey Heil to win the team title with 68 points. Pekin was second one point behind with 69 points. Morton (71 points), Washington (79 points), and Dunlap (81 points) followed in the standings. Emma Skinner of Morton ran 18:15 for the win. Jadyn Jacobs of Washington (18:37) and Kerrigan Vandel (18:39) followed.

 

Mid Suburban League Championships @ Hoffman Estates HS

 

This meet ran a different format than most other conference meet having teams running in groups of three with up to 12 runners entered.

 

We found out how good Barrington was in the Boys race after not seeing any results from them during the regular season. The Broncos placed five runners in the first 15 to capture the Boys League Championship with 34 points. Barrington had a five runner split of 37 seconds led by a second through fourth-place finish from Alfredo Arnieri, Jake Ziebarth, and Joey Furlong. Stephen Barretto became the second runner from Rolling Meadows to win a league championship. The senior ran 15:19 to win the individual race finishing four seconds ahead of Barrington’s Arnieri.

 

Hersey finished second (60 points) paced by Conner Oiler, Quinn Born, and Luis Vasquez all coming in together at 15:47 and finishing sixth through eighth. Prospect (100 points) and Palatine (108 points) finished third and fourth.

 

Prospect is one of the top five Class 3A Girls teams in the state all season. They showed that in this league championship win. The Lady Knights placed four runners in the first seven with all of their scorers in the top 16 to score 33 points for the win. Their top five split was only 51 seconds.

 

Anna Harden of Hersey is having a great sophomore season and was the queen of the course on this day in one of the most dominating performances in this meet’s history. Harden was clocked in 17:35 for the win. She finished an amazing 48 seconds ahead of Prospect’s Cameron Kalaway. Audrey Ginsberg of Prospect (18:25), Brenda Torres of Wheeling (18:26), and Hailey Erickson of Prospect rounded out the top five.

 

Barrington finished second (50 points) with a 36 second split based off the sixth-place finish from Molly FitzPatrick. Hersey (83 points) and Palatine (117 points) placed third and fourth.

 

Mississippi Valley Conference @ Mascoutah

 

This meet was held on October 13. Joe Schwartz of Waterloo ran 15:52 for the individual Boys race win by 14 seconds ahead of Mascoutah’s Sam LaJoye. Mascoutah placed five in the first seven in winning the team title with only 22 points. The team ran a 23 second split on their top five. Triad scored 68 points to finish second.

 

Highland scored 43 points in winning the Girls title placing five runners in the first 12. Angelynn Kanyuck, a freshman from Waterloo, ran 19:23 for the win. She finished 10 seconds ahead of Triad’s Sydney Hartoin.

 

NIC-10 Conference @ Belvidere HS

 

Hononegah, paced by a 3-4 finish from Hailey Henry and Indigo Sterud, won the Girls team title with 33 points. Rockford Guilford’s Michelle Gasmund ran 18:29 for the individual win finishing 53 seconds ahead of Boylan Catholic’s Rachel Hilby.

 

Belvidere North scored 49 points in capturing the Boys Conference Championship ahead of Hononegah (77 points) and Guilford (98 points). Auburn’s Peter MacUlan ran 16:05 for the individual win some six seconds ahead of Hononegah’s Nathan Halbrader.

 

North Lake County Championships @ Lakes Community HS

 

This meet turned to be one of the top matchup’s during conference weekend between Lakes Community’s Brooke Stromsland and Grant’s Aly Negovetich. Once again, Negovetich came ahead with the win as she remained undefeated this season. Her winning time was the fastest in the state this season for 3-miles (16:52). Stromsland also ran great running 17:12 to finish second.

 

Stromsland helped host Lakes Community win the Girls conference championship. The Eagles placed five runners in the top 13 to score 37 points finishing ahead of Grayslake Central (51 points) and Antioch (96 points).

 

Round Lake surprised some in the Boys Varsity race capturing the team title 44 to 49 ahead of Grayslake Central. Bryan Vale of Central won a close race for the individual title timed at 15:50 and finishing just a second ahead of Round Lake’s Cody Arenas.

 

North Suburban Conference @ Warren Township

 

If there is a team that is among the top three Class 3A Boys teams in the state, it could be Lake Zurich. The Bears only scored 20 points in winning the team title ahead of good squads from Warren (64 points) and Libertyville (68 points). Lake Zurich put all five scorers in the top eight led by the individual win from Jacob Myers. His time of 14:48 was 14 seconds ahead of teammate Jack Gilboy. Warren’s Luke Wiley finished third (15:17). The top five split for the Bears was 66 seconds.

 

Five points separated the top three schools in the Girls Varsity race. Lake Forest, led by a third-place finish from Skyler Kreunen, helped them win the team title with 52 points. Libertyville (56 points) and Lake Zurich (57 points) were a close second and third. Brooke Johnston of Lake Zurich claimed her second conference title running 17:44 for the win ahead of teammate Kristin Loftus (18:02).

 

SIRR Conference Mississippi Division @ DuQuoin

 

DuQuoin finished in the four of the top five places to help them win the Girls Divisional title with 21 points. Pinckneyville was second (43 points). Olivia Philips was the overall winner covering the 2.94 mile course in 19:16.

 

Pinckneyville placed five runners in the top seven to help them win the Boys Divisional title scoring only 20 points. Freshman Issac Teal led Pinckneyville by winning the individual title (15:42) ahead of DuQuoin’s Landen Swiney (15:55).

 

SIRR Conference Ohio Division @ Murphysboro

 

Benton placed five runners in the first six to easily win the Boys Divisional title with only 16 points. Herrin scored 47 points to finish second. Reece Johnson won the conference title for the second year in a row timed at 16:25. Freshman teammate Gavin Genisio ran 16:44 to finish second.

 

Benton also had the advantage in the Girls race placing four runners in the first six scoring only 25 points ahead of Murphysboro (54 points). Ansley Bailey of Massac County won by almost two minutes as she ran 18:39 for the victory. Benton’s Mia Wills and Hailey Wallace finished second and third.

 

South Seven Conference @ Centralia HS

 

This meet was held on Thursday. Marion put their five scorers in the top 12 to help them win the conference title scoring 41 points. Carbondale scored 55 points to finish second. The individual race was close. Alex Partlow of Carbondale ran 15:01 for the individual title. Teammate Tucker Poshard ran 15:08 to finish second two seconds ahead of Marion freshman Dylon Nalley.

 

Carbondale’s Madeline Prideaux ran 18:44 for the individual win as she helped her team win the Girls title with 40 points. Mt. Vernon (59 points) finished second ahead of Belleville Althoff Catholic (61 points). Julia O’Neill of Althoff Catholic ran 18:52 to finish second.

 

Southwest Prairie Conference @ Channahon Park

 

The conditions were good on Friday for this meet. It was the West Division races that were in the spotlight. Gabby Kics of Minooka surprised many on this course as she pulled away in the second half of the race to win in 17:56. Helena Kleronomos of Yorkville, who finished third overall, was the one that took the lead when no one else wanted it. She led the group through a 5:47 first mile. Kics bided her time slowly moving up on the Yorkville senior before moving ahead 400-meters later. Audra Soderlind of Oswego also stayed in pursuit not letting Kics get out of her reach. Kics had the speed at the end as she went on for the win. Soderlind (18:04) and Kleronomos followed. Yorkville had the edge in the teams with six runners in the first 11 scoring only 30 points with only a 38 second split on their top five runners. Oswego East ran their best race of the season scoring 59 points and finishing second behind the fifth-place finish from Naylah Allen. Oswego (73 points) and Minooka (75 points) were close in third and fourth.

 

It was a great team race in the Boys West race. Oswego had three runners ahead of Yorkville’s second runner heading into the final mile and appeared to have the win. The Foxes made a move in the final mile to edge Oswego 48 to 50 for the team title. Minooka was also in the hunt throughout the race as they finished third overall (59 points).

 

Austin Popplewell pushed the pace from the start going through the mile in 4:50 opening up a 10 second lead. He went on to extend that running 15:11 to win by 19 seconds ahead of Oswego’s Balin Doud. Vincent Van Eck of Minooka, Ivan Westcott of Yorkville, and Ethan Forsell of Oswego were next three seconds back and another two seconds of each other.

 

Joliet West placed three runners in the top ten to win the East Division 41 to 46 ahead of Plainfield Central. West’s Avery Kittl ran 20:03 for the win six seconds ahead of Plainfield Central’s Kaelyn Wiltse.

 

Plainfield South exhibited some strong pack running in the East Division Boys race. The Cougars placed all seven runners in the first 12 to win with 32 points. Joliet West was next (52 points). South’s split on their top five that were all in the top 10 was only 34 seconds. Freshman Marcellus Mines of Joliet West cruised to the win running 15:56 and 15 seconds ahead of teammate Tony Kochev.

 

Southwest Suburban Conference Meet @ Lockport HS

 

Sandburg once again won the Boys title placing five runners in the top 11 and scoring only 34 points and a 50 second split. Lincoln-Way Central (76 points) and Lockport (87 points) finished second and third. The course appeared to be fast with Wil Kiley of Lockport running 14:33 for the win in what was reported to be a 3-mile course. Ismail Tineh of Sandburg finished second (14:41) ahead of Jay Parker of Lincoln-Way Central (14:51) and Griffin Lehnhardt of Sandburg (14:53).

 

Lockport won the Girls Varsity race by taking the first two pots in the race and five runners in the first 15. The Porters scored 39 points for the win as Kayla Shea won the individual race (17:31) followed by teammate Monica Skibicki (17:37). Sandburg (67 points) finished second followed by Lincoln-Way Central (88 points) and Lincoln-Way East (89 points).

 

Southwestern Conference @ Swansea Clinton Hills Park

 

This meet was held on October 3. Edwardsville dominated the Boys race putting four runners in the top five to win with only 24 points. Ryan Watts continued a strong junior season as he ran 15:19 for 5000-meters to win the individual title. Teammate Geo Patrylak ran 15:46 to finish second ahead of Belleville East’s Byron Jones (15:52).

 

Edwardsville edged O’Fallon 28 to 38 points for the Girls team title. Edwardsville placed five runners in the top nine led by the third-place finish from Riley Knoyle. O’Fallon’s Peyton Schieppe ran 17:53 to win the individual race just five seconds ahead of Belleville West’s Alyssa Elliott.

 

West Suburban Conference Gold Division @ Proviso West HS

 

It was no surprise that Downers Grove South won the Gold Division title scoring only 22 points. Hinsdale South finished second with 58 points. This was the Lady Mustangs 22nd divisional title in a row. Sophia McNerney ran 19:02 to claim the individual crown. She finished 15 seconds ahead of Viviana Sanfilippo of Addison Trail and another second ahead of teammate Kelsey Casella.

 

Downers South also won the Boys title scoring 35 points and placing their top seven in the first 11 places. Tim Neumann is developing into one of the top juniors in the state. Conditions were bad at Proviso West with winds gusting over 35 mph. Neumann still ran 16:10 on the 3-mile course for the win. Hinsdale South’s Julian Watson finished second (16:28).

 

West Suburban Conference Silver Division @ Camera Park, Glendale Heights

 

This was one of the worst conditions that I have been at a cross country meet. There was a little bit of drizzle and a ton of wind. When the final race was started, winds were close to 35 mph gusting over 50. It showed in the fist mile of the Boys race as all they could muster was a 5:17 opening mile.

 

Owen Hays of Lyons Township was the workhorse in this race willing to lead from the start despite the winds. He made a major move just after 2-miles breaking away from the pack and the win in 14:51. Pierce Cousins of Glenbard West ran 14:57 edging Hinsdale Central’s Daniel Watcke by one second.

 

Downers Grove North was impressive in winning the divisional title with 44 points placing four runners in the top nine. Evan Cummins and Roy Llewellyn finished together within two seconds of each other in fourth and fifth. Fifth runner Elijah Chen won the first wave finishing 18 overall. His win helped the Trojans claim the title. Their top five split was only 34 seconds. Lyons Township finished a close second (51 points) behind Hays’ win and a top 10 finish from Charlie McLawhorn. Hinsdale Central finished third (55 points). York finished sixth out of seven teams. Their top seven could not run due to quarantine.

 

The Girls race was extraordinary. We found out more about the tenacity of Josephine Welin of Oak Park-River Forest in her win.

 

The junior had raced against Glenbard West’s Audrey Allman two weeks before on the same course with Allman winning by 14 seconds. It did not look like any of the runners would be under 17-minutes. Someone forgot to tell Welin that.

 

She forced the pace from the outset daring the rest of the pack to go with her. By two miles, the lead was over 20 seconds and the race was hers. Her winning time of 16:49 was about the same time that she had run under perfect conditions on this 2.88 mile course. That is what made this effort great on Saturday.

 

Freshman Michaela Quinn of York ran her best race of the season finishing second running 17:10. Audrey Allman did not have her best race of the season but still finished third in what is one of the toughest conference meets in the nation.

 

The York Girls team has flown under the radar most of this season. They showed why they are one of the top five Class 3A teams in the state scoring only 38 points for the division win. York placed five runners in the top 14 keeping their split at 73 seconds in the group. The thing with this team to watch for next year is their top six runners will all return.

 

Western Big Six @ Saukie GC, Moline

 

It was a two runner battle in the Boys race that took place on Thursday. Fiker Rosen of Quincy ran 15:03 for the individual win finishing just two seconds ahead of Moline’s Jackson McClellan. Geneseo, led by a fourth-place finish from William Plumley, won the team title (51 points) placing three runners in the top eight. Moline was second (61 points).

 

Quincy edged Geneseo 44 to 49 in the Girls team race. Rock Island Alleman scored 59 points to finish third. Anna Schuering of Quincy ran 17:56 to win the individual race. Maddie Kindelsperger of Alleman ran 18:30 to finish second.