2022 Palatine Meet of Champions Preview

Prospect and York meet for third week in a row; Top 3A Boys team face off led by #1 Plainfield South

By Michael Newman [email protected]

The 10 o’clock hour at Palatine’s Deer Grove East Forest will be the place to be for Illinois High School Cross Country fans. The Girls and Boys Varsity races in the Palatine Meet of Champions will be taking place during that time. It is a can’t miss meet in the final full weekend in September.

Prospect and York meet for the third and final time before the IHSA State Meet in November. The Dukes won the first time at Lake Park. Prospect edged York by one point last week at the Richard Spring Invitational. Prospect is racing next weekend at the Nike Twilight Invitational in Indiana. We will see if they run their usual lineup in this meet. The Girls field is loaded with 20 ranked teams (14-3A, 6 2A) in a 31 team field.

The Boys Varsity race that follows became even more interesting after last week’s race in Peoria when Oak Park-River Forest won the Boys race ahead of a shorthanded Hinsdale Central team that did not have their top runner Daniel Watcke in the race. The top three teams in Class 3A are in the race. Plainfield South has not raced since the First to the Finish Invitational two weeks ago. The Cougars and Hinsdale Central will race next week in Indiana. It is hard to say how these teams will race if they run their top seven. All three teams together would make a great race. Two out of those three teams going against each other will also be special. 18 ranked teams are entered in the Boys race.

Here is a look at each of the two races Saturday morning in Palatine.

Watch highlights of the 2021 Varsity races: Boys | Girls

Link to Live Results (when available)

Girls Varsity Race – 10:20 AM (31 Teams)

Class 3A: #1 Prospect, #2 York, #4 Downers Grove North, #8 Hersey, #9 Lyons Township, #11 Oak Park-River Forest, #12 Palatine, #13 Wheaton-Warrenville South, #14 Maine South, #18 Loyola Academy, #20 Oswego, #24 Edwardsville, #25 Barrington, #30 Libertyville, Buffalo Grove, Dundee-Crown, Fremd, Jones College Prep, Lake Zurich, Lockport Township, Mundelein, New Trier, Stevenson

Class 2A: #1 Grayslake Central, #2 Lakes Community, #10 Crystal Lake Central, #13 Vernon Hills, #16 Cary-Grove, #21 Prairie Ridge, Fenwick, Prairie Ridge

Out of State: Assumption KY

Team Preview – It is doubtful we will see the same race that we saw last week in Peoria between #1 Prospect and #2 York. The big thing will watch for in their third race of the season is what they learned the week before. Prospect was victorious last week with one of their top three runners Lily Ginsberg as their seventh runner in that race. Hailey Erickson has been a solid #1 runner for the team all season. Ginsberg near the front will be a plus and could make this team stronger. Let’s see what lineup they show us in this meet.

York made a charge in the final of last week’s race to get to that one point difference. The key in that race was Prospect moving in the middle mile while York did not counter the move. Bria Bennis has been York’s top runner all season. Prospect put three runners in before York’s pack with Michaela Quinn, Katherine Klimek, and Brooke Berger crossed the line. Breaking up Prospect’s front pack is something to watch from the green clad York runners.

Downers Grove North was a distant third behind Prospect and York last week. It should be the same scenario this week with this good team led by Lily Eddington and Claire Pyne. Hersey had their breakthrough race last week at Peoria and now the Huskies are ranked in the top 10. Anna Harden will be one of the individual favorites in this race. Let’s see how Hersey responds on Saturday. Lyons Township has demonstrated great pack running this season. They will have all-state runner Catherine Sommerfeld also in their lineup. It will be interesting how the return of Sommerfeld boosts this team in this race. Oak Park-River Forest was another team that ran great in Peoria last week. The team led by Katie Stabb will be among the top five in this team race.

Wheaton-Warrenville South ran a solid race at Peoria followed last week in Geneseo with a convincing win. This will only be the second 3-mile race of the season for Maine South. This could be a better team than their ranking right now. We will have good idea of this team by Saturday afternoon.

The top 2A teams are in this race. Grayslake Central finished ninth last week in Peoria. Lakes Community finished fifth at Warren but did not have their full lineup in that meet. We will see how the two teams compare on Saturday morning. Crystal Lake Central will not run in Peoria until state. Let’s see the comparison along with the two top 2A teams in this meet.

Assumption HS out of Louisville KY makes their annual trip up north for this meet. Their last big meet was two weeks ago when they won the Varsity race at Rumble in the Jungle running a 42 second split on their top five led by Julia Schmitt and Leah Penick. This race will be a prep race for next week when the Rockets compete at the Great American XC Fest in North Carolina.

Individual Preview – Brooke Johnston of Lake Zurich is the defending champion in this meet having run 16:53.6 to win. Johnston has not raced since September 6 when she won a triangular meet at Stevenson running 17:33. Anna Harden of Hersey ran 17:06 last week in Peoria to finish second and will be one of the runners to watch in the front. Scout Storms of Barrington opened her season two weeks ago in Peoria running 17:25 to win in the First to the Finish Invitational. You will also see her in the front.

Prospect and York will have runners in the top 10 like they did last week. Prospect is led by Hailey Erickson. York is led by Bria Bennis. Audra Soderlind of Oswego finished seventh last week. You can expect her in the lead pack in this race. Katie Stabb of Oak Park-River Forest and Hadley Ferrero of Crystal Lake Central are also runners to watch in the front. Catherine Sommerfeld of Lyons Township and Evelyn Hett of Jones Prep has not raced yet this fall. Both will make their debuts in this meet. Both runners could be in the top 10. Nicole Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South, Ava Henne of Grayslake Central, Rachel Soukup of Prairie Ridge, Emily Nuttall of Edwardsville, Abigail Jordan of Palatine, and Jane Lynch of Loyola Academy are some of the runners that you could see in the top 15 in this race.

Boys Varsity Race – 10:50 AM (31 Teams) 14/4

Class 3A: #1 Plainfield South, #2 Hinsdale Central, #3 Oak Park-River Forest, #6 Palatine, #9 Lake Zurich, #10 Maine South, #14 Oswego East, #15 Hersey, #16 New Trier, #17 York, #18 Barrington, #21 Prospect, #23 Jones Prep, #27 Downers Grove South, Dundee-Crown, Edwardsville, Fremd, Libertyville, Loyola Academy, Mundelein, Plainfield North (JV), St. Ignatius, Stevenson

Class 2A: #1 Grayslake Central, #5 Prairie Ridge, #9 Marmion Academy, #11 Crystal Lake Central, Cary-Grove, Fenwick

Out of State: St. Louis University MO, St. Xavier KY

Team Preview – Hard to think of the scenarios that could play out in the team race especially with Plainfield South and Hinsdale Central running next week in Indiana. Plainfield South did not race last week. I would guess we will see their full lineup in this meet led by individual favorite Camyn Viger. The Cougars ran a 30 second split on their second through fifth runners in their Peoria win with Ethan Reynoso and Dylan Maloney both running near 14:50. Three runners in the top 10 could secure a team win for South.

I don’t see Hinsdale Central running three big meet races in as many weeks even without Daniel Watcke racing last week. If they do run, Watcke and Aden Bandukwala could finish in the top five. It will be interesting where their top five land. Oak Park-River Forest had a convincing race and win last week. The Huskies will have Liam Newhart in the top five in this race. Their top five split last week was 45 seconds. That pack needs to narrow in this meet to contend with Plainfield South.

Lake Zurich finished fifth in Peoria led by Dylan Meyers finishing in the top 10. Maine South won at the Minooka Flight Invitational last week without their #1 runner Luca Arcuri. The Hawks also opened the season winning at Lyons Township three weeks ago. Don’t be surprised if they finish in the top 5 teams in this race.

11 of the top 20 3A teams are entered in this meet. Palatine most likely will keep their star frosh/soph runners down in this meet. The Pirates still could be in the top five led by Mason Krieg. Oswego East did not run their best race last week in Peoria finishing seventh. The Wolves could play a factor in this race led by one of the individual race favorites Parker Nold. Hersey finished a strong sixth in Peoria last week and will contend for a top finish on Saturday. New Trier showed a solid pack two weeks ago in Peoria. The Trevians may not have a runner in the top 10 but will still have a solid pack at 30 seconds or under on their top five. York did not have their top runner Aidan Hill in the lineup last week in Peoria, but the Dukes still finished 12th. They had only a 28 second split on their first four runners. Let’s see if their pack moves up in this race. Barrington did not have their best race of the season due to illness and a runner who suffered a concussion. Watch for the Broncos to bounce back in this meet.

Grayslake Central is the top 2A in the state and could finish in the top 10 in this meet. The Rams finished eighth last week in Peoria. Trey Sato is the top runner on this team and could be among the top 10 finishers. Marmion Academy is coming off a strong race last week in Peoria and could contend for a top upper half finish. Prairie Ridge looked strong last week at Woodstock and could challenge Marmion for the second 2A team in this field. Defending 2A State Champion Fenwick has yet to run with a full line up in the first three weeks of the season. Their top two all-state runners Grayden Rill and Nathaniel McKillop are entered for this race and could make their debut on Saturday.

There are two out of state teams that will compete in this meet. St. Xavier KY has won this meet in the past. The Tigers could contend for a top five finish in this meet after finishing second last week at the Trinity / Valkyre Invitational. Sami Hattab finished sixth in last week’s race and could challenge for a finish in the top five on Saturday. St. X had a 39 second split from their second through fifth runners. That pack will need to move closer to Hattab in this race. The split last week was 51 seconds.

St. Louis University is another out of state regular attending team in this meet. The Junior Bills finished fourth at the Forest Park XC Fest in St. Louis two weeks ago. U-High had a 47 second split on their top five led by Nolan Meara. Their top five split from two to five in that race was only 17 seconds.

Individual Preview – Marcellus Mines of Joliet West is the defending champion in this meet. The junior sprinted down to the finish last year running 14:40.3 to win that race. Mines was within 10 seconds of Connor Burns last week at the Richard Spring Invitational coming out of the triangle. Mines was forced to drop out just before two miles due to back spasms. He looks back on track after winning Wednesday at Bradley-Bourbonnais. Mines is undefeated in the five races he has finished this season.

It could Camyn Viger of Plainfield South as the runner to watch in this race. The junior pulled away in the final mile two weeks ago at Detweiller Park to run 14:22.8. He has the finishing speed to match up with Mines. Parker Nold of Oswego East and Liam Newhart of Oak Park-River Forest finished within two tenths of a second last week in Peoria and could also contend for the win. Sami Hattab of St. Xavier KY ran 15:24 for 5k to finish sixth in last week’s Trinity / Valkyre Invitational. I would not count him out in this race.

Mason Krieg of Palatine will be on his home course and in contention to be within the lead group throughout this race. Plainfield South duo of Ethan Reynoso and Dylan Maloney will also contend for finishes in the top 15 along with Dylan Myers of Lake Zurich. Trey Sato of Grayslake Central finished in the top 10 last week in Peoria. He could be a surprise in this race. Owen Forberg of HL Richards, Ben Crane of New Trier, Joe Bregenzer of Barrington, and Carter Smott of Downers Grove South are some of the runners that you could see finish in the top 20.