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Ince - Willis showdown in Girls 800 Meter Run headlines memorable night at Distance Night in Palatine

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Distance Night in Palatine   May 9th 2021, 3:00pm
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Ince - Willis showdown in Girls 800 Meter Run headlines memorable night at Distance Night in Palatine

 

 

 

Ince sets new Illinois All-Time Best in 800m win; Pansegrau goes two for two in new Girls 3200m record; Rogers’ kick puts him under nine minutes with 3200m record

 

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

 

Palatine, Ill – Chic Anderson Stadium on the campus of Palatine High School was silent this time a year ago. No sounds. No activity. No spikes hitting the stadium track. 2020 was a year there was no outdoor track meets in Illinois. There was no Distance Night in Palatine.

 

The silence before the start of the first championship race of the night on Saturday gave us that reminder. That silence was deafening as the starter gave the runners instructions before the start of the Girls 800 Meter Run. Once the starter’s gun fired, it felt like track had never left. The crowd let the runners know that.

 

Normal Community IL freshman Ali Ince ran a race for the record as she covered the two-lap championship race in 2:04.10. Roisin Willis of Stevens Point, WI made this race pushing the pace from the start but getting caught by Ince in the end finishing second running 2:04.44.

 

MEET RESULTS | MEET INTERVIEWS

 

Ince shattered the meet record set by Rachel Hickey of 2:10.70 in 2018. Ince ran an all-time Illinois best bettering the old standard of 2:07.05 set by Courtney Clayton in 2013.

 

The race met everyone’s pre-meet expectations. Willis paced the 12-runner field through a 28.1 second first 200-meters. She paced the start finish line in a sizzling 59.3 seconds. Ince stayed on Willis’ shoulder refusing to budge from the hectic pace. Willis was looking for an Olympic Trials Qualifying time of 2:02.5 before the race. Ince was looking for a fast time.

 

The two runners, one a junior, one a freshman, were as one on the back stretch pushing to the 600-meter mark in 1:32.1. Willis made here move around the final curve. Ince still refused to budge holding on to the pace as the two runners entered the home stretch to a screaming track hungry crowd.

 

Willis had the advantage with 100-meters left but that changed in the next six strides. Willis started to fade to the outside from Lane 1 to Lane 2. It was something that surprised even Ince.

 

“I did not expect that. I was about ready to go to the right ready to try to pass her on the outside,” Ince said after the race. “I saw the inside lane opening up. I was thinking it would be dumb not to take it. I just took it and went from there.”

 

Ince made the final surge passing Willis on the inside in the last five meters of the race. Ince crossed the line and fell to the track 10-meters past the line in disbelief that she had did what she did. Willis collapsed on the infield in exhaustion knowing that she had given everything that she had.

 

While the eyes of the stadium were on the two runners, many personal bests were being collected behind them. Marianne Mihas of Latin School finished third with a personal best of 2:09.72. Kaylie Politza of Valparaiso IN once again broke her school record with a new personal best of 2:11.65. Katrina Schlenker of Batavia, known for her past races at longer distances, dropped down to this event and ran two seconds faster than she ever had with a fifth-place time of 2:13.43.

 

On this night, it was all about a freshman looking for a personal best which she accomplished and then some.

 

“I was honestly looking forward to racing her (Willis) tonight. I knew it would bring out the best in us,” Ince said. “I was not really psyched up for this race with the pre-race talk. I was really motivated. I did not have any race strategy just following her the entire way and knowing that it would pull me through for a PR. My goal was just to shoot under 2:07 since it was the state record.”

 

Two for two for Pansegrau

 

There were some schools in Wisconsin that were not able to compete in Cross-Country during the fall due to COVID-19 pandemic guidelines that hit their districts. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) set up a plan for the spring to allow athletes to compete for a state championship in May. Eight Girls teams qualified from Sectionals on May 1 to a state meet on Saturday morning in Janesville. One of those schools was Middleton HS.

 

The top runner for the Cardinals in the morning Cross-Country Championship was Lauren Pansegrau. The junior dominated the race on the Blackhawk Golf Course winning in 17:07.3 by a margin of 70 seconds ahead of Genevieve Nashold of Madison West. Pansegrau led her team to the Spring Alternative State Cross Country title with 41 points. Oregon WI was second with 76 points.

 

This was just the beginning for Pansegrau on this day. 10 hours later, she would be at Distance Night in Palatine running in the championship race of the 3200 Meter Run. It was a unique double that some were questioning she could accomplish. Just don’t tell this runner that.

 

Pansegrau and fellow Wisconsin runner Kora Malecek of Onalaska WI pushed each other to the limit in this race before the Middleton runner pulled away in the final 600-meters to set a new meet record of 10:13.91. Malecek ran 10:17.02 to finish second. The time missed an all-time Wisconsin High School best of 10:11.48 set by Allie Woodward in 2011.

 

“Our team had a good race this morning. I was happy about it,” Pansegrau said. “I was able to go home after the race this morning and do some recovery.”

 

Pansegrau and Malecek broke away from the pack early in the race that was led by Illinois runners Anna Perry of Eureka and Maggie Gamboa of Naperville North. The pace sped up in the second mile with both Wisconsin runners running negative splits in this race. In the final lap, Pansegrau had just a little more.

 

“The first mile of the race was actually the hardest. I could feel the lactic acid in my legs,” Pansegrau added. “As the race went on, it started to go away. I was hoping to PR. I just wanted to see how it would go.”

 

Gamboa ran a personal best 10:39.42 to finish third. Perry finished fourth (10:47.81) ahead of Wisconsin’s Leane Willemse of Homestead (10:52.16) and Amalia Malecek of Onalaska (10:53.64).

 

A kick in the end gives Rogers the win

 

Drew Rogers of Herscher bided his time early in the Championship race of the Boys 3200 Meter Run settling into his pace while Joshua Truchon of West Allis Nathan Hale WI pushed the pace through a 63.8 second opening lap. It was Rogers that had the final say closing in a 58 second final 400 in winning the race in a meet record of 8:57.78. Lucas Guerra of Highland IN was the only other runner under nine minutes as he clocked 8:58.75 to finish second.

 

The finish was a mirror to what happened almost two months ago at an indoor meet at Chicago’s Gately Park when Rogers used his kick to capture the win over Guerra.

 

After the opening 63 second 400, the pace settled into 70-71 second laps for the next three laps with Rogers taking the lead at 1200-meters and leading 11 runners through 4:33.4 for the first 1600-meters.

 

The pace picked up after that with Guerra taking the lead a lap later with a 68.4 lap. The pace slowed to 70.9 seconds and then picked up to 67.3 on the penultimate lap before the bell at 7:59.3.

 

Rogers waited and waited until the final turn before making his move.

 

“I thought the pace would go out a lot quicker. The pace slowed down the next three laps. The final three laps were pretty quick,” Rogers said after his race. “Lucas (Guerra) has a great kick. The finish was awesome. The atmosphere was great. It’s not like any other meet that I have been at.”

 

There were nine runners total in the championship race that ran 9:10 or faster on this 48-degree evening with no wind to be found. Nick Falk of New Trier moved on the final lap to finish third (9:03.28). The surprise of this race was Mathew Olech of Harvest Christian Academy who finished fourth (9:03.81) improving his personal best by almost 20 seconds.

 

Ben Calusinski of Geneva had his cross-country season end early last fall due to injury. He showed he was back on Saturday as he dropped his personal best down to 9:05.24. Matthew Hauser of Rock Bridge MO prepared himself for his upcoming state series by running 9:06.16 to finish sixth.

 

Joshua Truchon was next (9:07.52) followed by Wilson Georges of Limestone (9:08.69) and Micah Wilson of St. Charles East (9:09.14). All three runners achieved personal bests.

 

Parekh in control in Girls 1600 Meter Run win

 

Ava Parekh of Latin School fought off a challenge in the final lap by Northside Prep’s Ella Ton-That to win the championship race of the Girls 1600 Meter Run running 4:52.81 for the win missing the meet record by more than a second.

 

The junior from Chicago came into the meet as the top seed and the pre-race favorite. Parekh did not disappoint leading the pack through an opening 70.5 lap. Parekh was hoping for 70’s in her first two laps. The pace slowed in lap two as she passed 800-meters in 2:26.1.

 

Her pre-race plan was to surge on the third lap. She did just that breaking away from the pack and picking up the pace passing the bell lap in 3:40.4. Ton-That made her move with 500-meters left in the race moving on Parekh’s side entering the back straight away. One final surge by Parekh with less than 200-meters left closed the door on this race.

 

“It was such a special night. This is one of my favorite races of the season,” stated Parekh. “I just settled into a pace and felt good. The girls in the race came out and really pushed me.”

 

Aly Negovetich of Grant Community made a strong move in the final 100-meters to finish second (4:56.24) in a personal best. The story of this race was Ton-That who dropped her personal best down to 4:56.60 in finishing third.

 

Three other runners dropped under the five-minute barrier in this race including Lydia Malecek of Onalaska, WI in fourth (4:57.99), Lexi Affolter of St. Ignatius Prep in fifth with a huge personal best of 4:58.23, and Samantha Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South dropping her seasonal best by nine seconds finishing sixth with a 4:59.77 time.

 

It was the final 400 that gave Myers the Boys 1600 Meter Run win

 

Patience was the key in the win by Jacob Myers of Lake Zurich in his win in the championship race of the Boys 1600 Meter Run. Myers took the lead in the final 300-meters to capture the win (4:15.22) ahead of Hunter Krepline of Brillion WI finished second with a 4:16.56 recorded time.

 

Krepline was the runner that took charge at the start zipping ahead of the 16-runner field with a 62.3 first 400-meters. Luke Schildmeyer of St. Charles East moved through the pack on the second lap passing in second at 2:07.5 with Krepline still leading at 2:06.3.

 

The pace slowed on the third lap giving Myers to move from sixth to Krepline’s shoulder as the final bell lap went at 3:11.7. A final 63+ second lap gave Myers his win.

 

“I was just trying to stay relaxed (on the first two laps), said Myers. “I just got my self in a good position to go for it in the end.”

 

Griffin Pasha of Warren Township lowered his personal best by four seconds as he ran 4:17.53 to finish third. Zack Loomis of St. Charles East dipped his personal best under 4:20 as he ran 4:17.80 to finish fourth. Gavin Genisio of Benton continued his great freshman campaign as he ran 4:18.73 to round out the top five.

 

Four under runners were also under 4:20 including Luke Schildmeyer (4:19.24), Cadyn Grafton of Dixon (4:19.25), Justin Mumford of Trenton-Wesclin (4:19.89), and Ismail Tineh of Sandburg (4:19.90).

 

A sophomore leads them all in the Boys 800 Meter Run

 

This meet was conducive to fast times on Saturday night as the flag dropped down on the flagpole with no action evident. Just as the Girls race was won by a freshman, youth was in control again as sophomore Daniel Watcke of Hinsdale Central moved in the final straightaway in capturing the Boys championship race with a personal best of close to four seconds at 1:52.72.

 

There was no separation in the first lap at as the 12-runner group passed in a quick 56.3 seconds. Watcke waited for his moment moving to the right point to capture the win.

 

“Winning is always the main goal with the strategy panning out differently,” Watcke said. “My only goal was to try to get a personal best other than winning.”

 

Josh Delgado of Grant Community once again showed his strong kick as he ran 1:53.11 to finish second. Nicolas Dovalovsky of Neuqua Valley was close at hand in the end running 1:53.70 to finish third. Ryan Maseman of Plainfield North set a new school record as he ran 1:54.52 to finish fourth. Nathan Cumberbatch of Shorewood, WI rounded out the top five with his 1:55.05 time.

 

Other highlights from Distance Night in Palatine

 

There were so many great stores from Saturday night’s meet. Let’s look at the rest of the races.

 

In the Boys 1600’sDwight Hosni of Cedarburg WI made his move in front of the cheering grandstand as he ran 4:25.20 to win Section 3. Patrick Jamieson of New Trier (4:25.64) and Ryan Hardiman of Latin School (4:25.86) finished second and third as the top five runners in the race were within a second of each other.

 

Jake Ziebarth of Barrington took the lead in the final la away from Michael Schumacher of Saint Viator to capture the win in 4:25.07 in Section 2. Charlie Kistner of Stanford Olympia finished second (4:26.65) while Schumacher finished third (4:28.18).

 

The last runner to make it in the meet came away with the first 1600 win of the meet. Brock Davee of Mattoon improved his personal best by over 10 seconds as he moved with 200-meters left for the win of Section 1 in 4:34.37. Luke Noren of Naperville Central ran 4:36.77 to finish second.

 

One most exciting races of the meet came early in the Boys Freshman 1600 Meter Run. Marcellus Mines of Joliet West and Nate Wehner of Highland Park were side by side in the final 50-meters of the race. Wehner leaned a little early falling to the track just before the finishing line. Mines captured the win (4:26.43) with Wehner second (4:28.01). Camyn Viger of Plainfield South finished third (4:30.49). 16 of the 18 runners in the race achieved personal bests.

 

In the Girls 1600’s – A week ago Brooke Johnston of Lake Zurich was challenged by 40 mph winds to win her 1600 Meter Run race at Kaneland. Johnston took advantage of the perfect conditions from the start holding off challenges to the lead to win Section 4 in a personal best 5:04.91. Rachel Soukup of Prairie Ridge improved her personal best by almost 10 seconds by running 5:05.70 to finish second. Prospect’s Hailey Erickson was next to finish at 5:08.42.

 

Maeve Norman of Loyola Academy took the lead in Section 3 with 300-meters left to capture the race win in 5:15.79. Julia Wolke of Christian Liberty Academy (5:16.20) and Louisa Diamond of Benet Academy (5:16.99) finished second and third.

 

Kelly Carpenter of Jacobs led wire to wire in running 5:19.37 to win Section 2. Brenda Torres of Wheeling finished second (5:20.65).

 

Ella Hwang of St. Ignatius Prep took the lead just before the bell lap to win the first race of the meet in Section 1 of this event. Hwang’s time of 5:24.42 was almost two seconds ahead of second-place Sydney Day of Naperville North (5:26.31).

 

In the Boys 800’sBrock Dregenberg of Dixon missed the end of last fall’s cross-country season due to illness. He showed that he is 100% healthy by pulling away from the field in the end to win Section 3 with a huge personal best of 1:56.71. It was the seventh fastest time of the night at the distance. Matt Cull of Maine South ran 1:57.38 to finish second in that race.

 

Connor Murphy of St. Charles East it seems has been stuck on 2:01 most of this season. He changed that dialogue in Section 2 as he led from the gun to dip under 2-minutes in running 1:58.61 for the win. Aidan Simon of Loyola Academy (2:00.12) and Nick Kiley of St. Ignatius Prep (2:01.31) finished second and third.

 

Kevin Stokes of Prospect had command of Section 1 for most of the race. A commanding move by Nicholas Kania of Lemont caught Stokes at the line for the win by six hundredths of a second. Kania was timed at 2:00.69 ahead of Stokes’ 2:00.75. Michael Polizzi of Taft ran 2:01.02 to finish third.

 

In the Girls 800’s – It was another freshman that ruled in the Girls 800 Meter Run. Becca Heitzig of Lincoln IL took the lead at the start passing 400-meters in 63.5 seconds. She pulled away even further in the final 200-meters to run a four second personal best of 2:14.48 for the win in Section 3. She finished sixth overall. Elizabeth Camic of Benet Academy (2:17.77) finished second ahead of Mt. Zion’s Ashleigh Anderson (2:18.56).

 

Benet Academy’s Kelly Andrews ran a 2:21 split on her team’s 4x800m Relay on Friday night at the Gus Scott Invitational. She duplicated that time on Saturday by running 2:21.75 to win Section 2. Jessie Bailey of Neuqua Valley, seeded 12 out of 12 in her section, ran 2:24.72 in finishing second. Olivia Kunio of Rosary finished third (2:25.03).

 

Sydney Williams of Oswego East won the first Girls race at this distance of the meet. The sophomore ran a personal best by six seconds with her 2:25.51 section win. Jocelyn Onstot of Cary-Grove finished second (2:25.68).

 

In the Boys 3200’sChris Cherry of Taylorville has a chip on his shoulder from last fall’s cross-country season. He had an almost perfect season until the ShaZam Club Championships where he finished 24th overall. He closed the Section 3 race in an amazing 60.7 seconds to run 9:17.56 for the win. Alex Partlow of Carbondale ran a huge personal best of 9:18.77 to finish second. Jason Polydoris of Highland Park finished third (9:20.57) in a race where seven runners at one point had the lead.

 

Nicky Edwards-Levin of Chicago University after the race said that he smelled “blood in the water” as he entered the final lap of Section 3 in a distance third. He passed Rock Bridge MO freshman Andrew Hauser on the final lap and then held off Quinn Born of Hersey to win the section with a 9:23.74 time. Born was only four hundredths of a second back in second (9:23.78). Hauser’s pushing the pace was rewarded with a 9:26.89 in finishing third.

 

Justin Hoffman of Kankakee Valley IN missed most of last fall’s cross-country season due to a stress fracture. He showed his fitness level on Saturday with an impressive race. Hoffman had the lead from the start passing the first 1600-meters in a personal best of 4:40. The junior went on to run over a 20 second personal best in running 9:29.35 in winning Section 1. Sawyer Madell of Lyons Township moved from sixth in the final lap to finish second (9:40.34) ahead of Wheaton-Warrenville South’s Carson Rewiski (9:42.57).

 

In the Girls 3200’sHailey Heair of Galena-East Dubuque (COOP) ran cross-country for the first time. The results were strong as she finished second in the D1 race of the ShaZam Club Championships. Her strong running continued in this meet as she led from the start in running 11:06.04 to capture the win of Section 3. She ran last fall for first time because Volleyball was moved to the spring season. Her decision next fall is to do both sports. Evelyn Hett of Jones Prep finished second (11:09.43) ahead of Naperville North’s Marissa Magana (11:10.44).

 

The most incredible personal best drop of this meet came from Caroline Schoen of Homewood-Flossmoor in Section 2. The sophomore came into the meet with a seed time of 11:47.88. She left the meet with the section win of 11:01.28. This came after running 5:15 in the 1600 in a meet the night before. Schoen was pushed by Brooke Walker of Rock Bridge for most of the race before pulling away in the final kilometer of the race. Schoen’s pace was even throughout passing 1600-meters in 5:29.3 and finishing in 5:31. Walker finished second with an 11:15.50 personal best. Ruby Lueras of Lake Zurich finished third (11:38.87).

 

Anna Todd of Vernon Hills started the first of four 3200’s in this meet winning Section 1 with a 11:50.29 time. Todd pushed by Naperville North’s Peyton Milligan through the middle portion of the race before pulling away in the final two laps. Grace Spoonhour of Charleston ran 11:57.02 to finish second.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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