State Champions Ben Crane and Mia Sirois Lead Entries For Ninth Edition of Distance Night in Palatine

By Michael Newman of DyeStat

Meet Website | Live Results

Every year we leave Chic Anderson Stadium on the campus of Palatine High School thinking that the Distance Night in Palatine Meet is the best meet they have been at. The following year, Meet Director Chris Quick produces a better field than the year before. The popularity of this three-distance race is due to Quick’s creativity and his devotion to give back to Special Olympics in which they hold a race devoted to those runners before the start of the championship races.

It is the most memorable race of the evening just before 9:00 PM.

Some of the top runners in Illinois as well as Wisconsin and Missouri will converge on Palatine once again. Middle School races will begin at 4:20 PM while High School races begin at 5:30 PM. Last fall’s state champions Mia Sirois and Ben Crane will be highlighted with Sirois leading a strong field in the Girls 2 Mile Run and Crane leading the Boys 1 Mile Run field.

Here are previews of each of the races that will take place on Saturday evening.

Girls 800 Meter Run

Meet Record – 2:04.10 – Ali Ince, Normal Community 2021

2024 Champion – Ali Ince, Normal Community - 2:07.35

Championship Race (9:03 PM) – There will be a new champion in this event after Ali Ince ruled the race winning all three times she attempted it. It could be someone outside of Illinois that comes away with the win. Charlize-Trinity McKenzie of Cedarburg WI could be the odds-on favorite to come away with the win. The junior finished fifth at New Balance Nationals Indoor in March. Her win at The Circuit Boston race at the end of February and head of the field in this race but close to five seconds does make her tough to beat.

Annika Swan of St. Ignatius College Prep could be the runner to push the pace in this race. Swan ran 2:13.61 last week at Schaumburg and is ready to run faster after a great indoor season and then running 4:46 at the Mile at Arcadia two weeks ago. Keira Jenke of Benet Academy is having a great junior season having the fastest time indoors in the state and winning a highly competitive 800 to win at Illinois Top Times. Mia Forsyth of Lincoln-Way Central started her outdoor season running 2:14.57 on her home track on April 12. Forsyth finished second state last year and is hungry to take that next step up in this race where she finished fourth a year ago.

Emily Stecky of DePaul College Prep could be the Darkhorse in this race capable of finishing in the top three or even higher. The sophomore ran 2:13.02 indoors at the beginning of March and will run this distance for the first time outdoors. Erin Hinsdale of St. Francis finished second in the 2A State race last May and could be dangerous in the front. Lindsay Wenz of Plainfield North and Lily Hodneland of Hinsdale Central have seed times under 2:15 and will play factors in this race. This 13-runner championship field will also include Francesca Mora of Latin, Cecilia Hilby of Aurora Central Catholic, Gwen Hobson of St. Charles North, Kate Murray of Payton Prep, and Madison King of Joliet Central. These runners have seed times under 2:17.6 and could finish among the top five runners in this race.

Section 3 (8:04 PM) – We could see a time near 2:16 in this section. 11 of the 14 runners slated in this section have 2:20 or faster seed times. The top three runners in this race are under 2:19 but able to lower their bests under optimal conditions. Avery Braker of Morton ran 2:19.01 last week at Bloomington and made it to the Class 2A finals in 2024. Natalie Nahs of Minooka ran 2:20.54 on her home track after running 2:18.21 to finish fifth at Illinois Top Times at the end of March. Polina Krupsky of Lake Zurich ran 2:18.34 at Buffalo Grove two weeks ago and could be the runner to come away from this section with the win.

Sophie Rentmeister of Chatham-Glenwood has showed improvement this season and could run in the 2:17’s in this section. Athena Triner of Yorkville is having a standout freshman season and could shine in this race. We usually see Madeline Fox of Marshall running distance doubles in the meets she competes in. Fox could shine in this one race. Ashley Gaba of Maine East could be the surprise in this race.

Section 2 (6:16 PM) – How tight and competitive is this section. The 16 runners in this field are separated by two and a half seconds. It could be a breakout race with only two seniors in this field. Iya Repple of Schaumburg has the top seed time followed by Margaretha Grabske of Hersey, Adriana Dal Porte of Lincoln-Way Central, and Alicen Sheldon of St. Francis. Any of these four runners could come away with the win. Also watch out for Eloise Graft of Naperville Central who could be the surprise in this race.

Section 1 (6:11 PM) – Less than two separates the 16 runners in this opening section of this event. Ayah Zenati of Lincoln Park has the top seed (2:22.79) It could be one of the St Ignatius College Prep duo of Greata Sheaffer or Gabriella Duque that come away with the win.

Boys 800 Meter Run

Meet Record – 1:52.71 – Daniel Watcke, Hinsdale Central - 2021

2024 Champion – Owen Horeni, Yorkville 1:55.30

Championship Race (9:08 PM) – 14 runners are in this championship led by defending champion Owen Horeni of Yorkville. The junior won last year’s race in 1:55.30. He ran 1:53.60 indoors at New Balance Nationals Indoor followed by running 1:54.75 at Arcadia two weeks ago. This field is strong that Watcke’s meet record might fall. The one runner to watch is Samuel Wollak of St. Charles East who ran 1:53.64 on his home track on April 12. The foundations to Payton Prep’s 4x8 quartet start with Tra’Monti Williams and Preston Ellis who are in this field and could play a big part in who wins. It could be Williams that might be the threat having won the Public League Championships in March with a 1:53.72 time. Ellis ran 1:55.79 last week at Downers Grove South and is primed along with Williams for a big race.

Three Wisconsin runners are in this field. Spencer Alf of McFarland ran 1:55.71 indoors at Grand Valley State in February. Alf was all-state last spring running 1:54.27 finishing second at the Wisconsin D2 State Meet with a 1:54.72 time. Mason Brocious of Madison West ran 1:55.05 at Nike Indoor Nationals and was D1 all-state in 2024. He will play a factor in this race. Jay Tally of Homestead has a 1:55.31 seed time and ran 4:23 time in the 1600 Meter Run getting him in this race.

Mateo Ramiro-Garcia of Sandburg could find himself in the top five in this race. The same can be said with Zach Born of Metamora and Michael Wilson of St. Charles East. Other runners in this field include Nathan Gehrmann of West Aurora, Ethan Petrillo of St. Ignatius College Prep, Silas Moody of Whitney Young, and Kyle Friedl of Lincoln-Way Central.

Section 3 (8:09 PM) – Declan Slavin of Payton Prep Is part of his team’s successful 4x8 quartet and could be the favorite in this race which could see a winning time in the 1:55’s. Slavin ran a solo 1:56.2 at York two weeks ago and will push this race. Normal Community’s Drew Patterson and AJ Ince finished 1-2 at Illinois Top Times and could both go under 1:56 in this race. Bryce Counihan of Lincoln-Way Central was part of his team’s success at Top Times in winning the 4x8. Counihan is a runner to watch having a 1:56.47 best.

This is a deceptively deep field with almost two seconds separating the 15 runners in this field. Brady Moser of Chatham-Glenwood and Nathan Gabriel of Joliet Central have times under 1:57 and should play a factor in this race. Also watch for Connor Schupp of Oak Park-River Forest, Mateus Salomao of Hersey, and Dean Geiger of Dixon in this third section.

Section 2 (6:25 PM) – It is hard to see who the favorite since all 15 runners in this race within a second of each other. Austin Ward of Urbana and Elias Ulmen of Homestead WI both have seed times just under 1:58. Will Patzia of Chatham-Glenwood, Evan White of Rockford Christian, and Matthew Miller of Sandburg are some of the runners to watch in the front.

Section 1 (6:21 PM) – All runners in this field have times under two minutes led by Lucas Reed of St. Charles North the only runner with a seed time under 1:59. Connor Harmon of Oak Park-River Forest will be in the mix for the win along with Cooper Revord of Hinsdale Central, Will Fontana of Glenbrook South, and Payton Hudson of Joliet West some of the runners to watch in the front.

Girls 2 Mile Run

Meet Record – 10:13.91 – Lauren Pansegrau – Middleton WI 2021

2024 Champion – Mia Sirois, Barrington – 10:35.90 (2 Miles)

Championship Race (9:13 PM) – This is the one race in this meet that should have a record fall. Mia Sirois of Barrington pulled away to win last year’s race with a 10:35.90 time. The sophomore has run faster since last year’s race including running 10:04.02 for 2 miles to finish second at the Nike Indoor Nationals. Sirois ran a solo 10:14.64 to win in her home invitational last Thursday. She readied herself running 4:5West Divisions Championships.

What will make this race fascinating is that Sirois will have Allison Shutler of St. Ignatius College Prep in this race pushing her. The freshman has stepped up in a big way during her first track season having run 10:20.54 indoors at the end of March. The 4:52 she ran two weeks ago shows she is ready to challenge for the race title. The record will fall but who crossed the line first.

There are four runners that could challenge for a finish in the top three. Zoe Carter of Normal University finished fourth last year in this race and has a personal best of 10:35.58 from last year’s state meet. She won Illinois Top Times Class 2A in the 3200 in March. She ran a double of 10:54/5:03 last week at Bloomington and is primed to run a fast race. Molly Farrell of Marshall finished third in last year’s race and ran well at Illinois Top Times winning the Class 1A race. Prospect’s Veronica Znajda and Meg Peterson will push each other in this race with Znajda already having a personal best under 10:40. Peterson is known for her middle-distance speed, but the 10:44 time she ran to win at Batavia Distance Madness demonstrates she could win a big race in this meet along with her teammate.

We saw six runners run under 11-minutes in last year’s race. The quality in this field could see at least 14 runners under that standard. Ellie Robinson of Dodgeville/Mineral Point WI and Maya Ledesma of Minooka both have times under 10:50. Nia Ortega of Downers Grove South, Delilah Helenhouse of Benet Academy, Maggie Behler of Kohler WI, Sophie Baumert of Streamwood, Elizabeth Hall of Neuqua Valley, and Marlie Czarniewski of Plainfield North all could push each other down to near 10:50 times. Ella Satre of Hinsdale Central, Maddie Romaine of Wheaton North, and Rianna Tandon of Naperville North could have times under 11-minutes in this race.

Section 3 (8:13 PM) – This section has a similar feel as this section race from last year’s meet. Nicole Poglitsch of Wheaton-Warrenville South finished third in this race last year and Rosalyn Gonzalez of Antioch placed sixth. Both again are in this section with St. Charles North freshman Kara Glenn the top seed. All three runners are seeded at 11:09. Do we see a time close to 11-minutes from these three talented runners? This is a tighter field that last year with nine seconds separating the 18 runners in this field.

Shania Tandon of Naperville North and Julia Rodney of St. Charles North have 11:10 seed times at 11:10 and will push for a top three finish. Karlin Janowski of York ran 11:11 in Oregon three weeks ago. The only runner that beat her during the cross-country IHSA season was Mia Sirois. She could get to 11 minutes in this race. Ashlyn Chopra of Chatham-Glenwood, Taya Gummerson of Minooka, and Palatine’s Abigail Jordan and Elizabeth Garrett are some of the runners to watch for.

Section 2 (6:59 PM) – The top eight runners in this section are separated by just four seconds. Three runners are just under 11:20 entering this race led by Adley Wilson of St. Charles East, Brooklyn Smith of Geneseo, and Elena Mamminga of St. Francis. 17 out of the 19 runners in this field are all underclassmen. Freshmen Emaline Foster of Prairie Ridge, Samantha Lobacz of Prospect, and Victoria Tanara of Barrington are all capable of stepping into the spotlight finishing among the top three in this race.

Section 1 (5:45 PM) – Emaan Hussain of Plainfield North has raced only five times this season a lingering illness slowing her down. She has looked strong during April. Her seed time of 11:37.94 leads the opening race in this event run last year in her sectional race. Ellen Anderson of Latin and Aleah Box of Anna-Jonesboro both have times under 11:40 and will be in the front with Hussain in this race. 11 Seconds again separates the 18 runners in this race. Ruby Nissen of Lake Zurich, Rose Jones of Downers Grove South, and Celia Lukas of Chicago University are some of the runners to watch for in the front.

Boys 2 Mile Run

Meet Record – 8:57.38 – Drew Rogers, Herscher 2021

2024 Champion – Dylan Ybarra, O’Fallon – 9:08.14 (2 Miles)

Championship Race (9:28 PM) – Do we see the meet record fall in this race? This year’s Illinois List leader Ben Crane ran 8:49 two weeks ago at Arcadia and will focus on the 1 Mile Run in this meet. This race is wide-open with no clear favorite in this race. Joe Bregenzer of Barrington is the defending Class 3A state champion and entered in as the top seed with his 8:58.10 state winning time. The senior has run the 3200 twice this season with his best race coming at Huntley at the end of February winning in a 9:21.56 time.

There are three runners in this field that have times under 9:10. Alex Bregana of St. Louis University ran 9:05.25 at the end of March and could be ready for his first sub-nine race. He has dropped his personal best by 28 seconds this season. It could go lower on Saturday night. It could be three Plainfield North runners that we keep a close eye on. Thomas Czerwinski ran 9:06.49 at Belleville West two weeks ago and is ready for another big 3200. Quinn Davis ran 9:08.67 in the Belleville West meet as the two worked off each other and could do the same on Saturday. Aidan Connors ran 14:37 last November at Detweiller Park but missed all-state by one spot. Connors has already run 9:12.21this season and could be itching to have a breakthrough race in this meet.

It is wide-open that we could see finishing among the top five finishers. 15 runners in this field have run 9:20 or faster. Karanveer Patil of Lake Zurich ran 9:12.94 indoors and will look to improve on that time. Berwyn-Cicero Morton’s Orlando Sandoval, Alex Rodriguez, and Miguel Flores were all part of their team’s 4x8 last week at Downers Grove South that ran 7:52. We could see big races from this trio. Liam O’Connor of Oak Park-River Forest ran 4:20.42 last week at Minooka in the 1600 and will be near the front. Chaz Oberkfell of Gillespie is the Class 1A State XC Champion and ran a solo 9:21 early in this outdoor season and could be among the leaders in this race. 3A Top Times Champion Santiago Chavez of Reavis along with Aidan Murphy of Wheaton North and Greyson Ellensohn of St. Charles East are some of the many runners to watch in this race.

Section 3 (8:27 PM) – 10 seconds separate the 18 runners in the race. Sean Hanrahan of Lincoln-Way East enters this race with the top seed time of 9:24.35. Out of state runners Isaac Ewing of McFarland WI and William Poelker of Desmet Jesuit MO have run under 9:30 and could dip under 9:20 in this race. Michael Gamboa of Hinsdale Central had a breakout race at the WSC-Silver Indoor Meet running 9:26.61 for the win. Look for this junior to be in the front pack ready to challenge for the section win.

Caleb Mathias of Champaign Central and Liam Bettis of Taylorville will be among the front pack runners able to finish among the top five. Jiberil Lesman of Lake View, Landon Samuelson of Hononegah, David Moore of Fremd, and Brady Faulkner of Hoffman Estates are some of the runners in this section that could leave this meet with big personal bests.

Section 2 (7:13 PM) – This should be a close race throughout with 18 runners seeded within six seconds of each other. Ian French of Metea Valley leads this group with a 9:34.07 seed time. Luke Atzman of Sandburg ran 9:35 last week at Minooka and is ready to improve on his personal best. Owen Lencki of Waupaca WI, Wojtek Gilarski of Hinsdale South, and Sean Kaeb of Normal University all are in the mix in winning this section. Aaron Conderman of Dixon, Daniel Grauer of Mt. Zion, and Arjun Shah of Fremd might also find their way in a top five finish.

Section 1 (5:59 PM) – A good opening section of this event that will have 20 runners in the field with seed times separated by just six seconds. Expect surprises up front in this race. Maxwell Kirby of Peoria Notre Dame and Collin Ryan of Prospect lead the pack with 9:40 seed times. This could have a sophomore winning this race. Ethan Ensign and Kellan Hernandez from Plainfield South were in the 9:40’s last week breaking a meet record at Minooka and are in the mix to drop their personal bests even lower. Brayden Gaffud of Sandburg was right behind the two Plainfield South runners in that race and could go under 9:40. Christopher Quick of Palatine, Nathan Marotta of Hersey, and Keatan Fletcher of Palatine should also challenge for a finish towards the front of the pack.

Girls 1 Mile Run

Meet Record – 4:46.84 – Ali Ince, Normal Community 2022

2024 Champion – Elyse Wilmes, Father Tolton – 4:51.37 (1 Mile)

Championship Race (9:41 PM) – There are numerous fresh faces that will grace the front of the pack in the final Girls race of the meet. Then there is the veteran Scout Storms of Barrington who won her sophomore year (2023) and finishing second in 2021. She did not run her best race last year in this meet finishing seventh. Storms ran 4:58.98 at Grand Valley State in December. She will run faster than that in this race.

One of the new faces to watch in this race is Klarke Goranson of Manteno who ran 4:50.29 at Gately Park in the beginning of March. What was impressive was what she ran at Illinois Top Times three weeks later when she ran 2:13.59 and then 45 minutes later running 5:04.57 to win both races. She has run 10:44 for 3200-meters, She has the strength to run under 4:50 Saturday night.

Ali Londrigan of Chatham-Glenwood is having a breakthrough sophomore season having run 4:55.45 in Springfield on April 8. Kyla Babb of Westmont continues to improve having run 4:56.10. She is ready for a faster race. Juniors Piper Schuster of Slinger WI and Margaret Andrzejewski of St. Francis have times under five-minutes. So do seniors Lily Babiak of Waubonsie Valley and Stella Davis of Evanston Township. You can expect fireworks from this group in this race.

Emma Berres of Naperville North is seeded 17 out of 18 runners in this race using an indoor time of 5:07.23 for her seed. She has been managing her racing readying herself again for another end of season run. Berres ran 4:55.01 at the end of last season at Magis Miles. I would not count her out in this race. Elsie Czarniewski of Plainfield North, Aubrey Denning of St. Anthony, and Sofia Arcuri of Maine South all are ready to run a sub-five race.

Other runners in this race include Abigail Radich of DePaul College Prep, Brooke Zeibert of Rochester, Eliza Pfarr of Home School Eagles WI, Mary McKenzie of Cor Jesuit Academy MO, Reese Kohnle of Rockford Boylan, and Izzy Bing of Mundelein Carmel. Any of these runners could finish among the top five to end the evening.

Section 4 (8:39 PM) – Ireland Wildhart of Prospect decided on track for her final semester in school and her running on the track suits her well. The two-time all-state cross-country runner leads this section with a 5:09.22 time. Only four seconds separate Wildhart and the other 15 runners in the race. Madeline Bialko of Hersey is one of the runners to watch for. Bialko ran 5:12.85 indoors. The 10:46.63 in her indoor conference meet indicates she is ready for a fast time.

Barrington’s Angelica Hil and Abby Lewis will be runners to watch in the front. Kathryn Rohr of Naperville North has run 5:10.78 in her freshman season. There is more promise for her to run faster. Meghan Zopel of Peoria Notre Dame, Avery Sommer of Mt. Zion, and Evelyn O’Connor of Seneca are some of the runners to watch in the front.

Section 3 (6:37 PM) – This should be a good section race led by Tessa Russo of Plainfield North and Mary Laba of Prospect. Laba has the seventh fastest time in the state (2:14.73) run last week at Downers Grove North. Ainsley Carter of Lane will play a factor in this race especially with a 5:14.67 best. This race will be wide open after Russo and Laba. Watch for Keira Faxel of Lincoln-Way Central, Sophie Fransen of Prospect, Lauren Hamilton of Zion-Benton, and Avery Hacker of Batavia all able to finish in the top three in this section.

Section 2 (6:29 PM) – Some good runners in this 17-runner field separated by just four seconds. Nicole Golebiowski of Glenbrook North and Stella Rosso of York are the top two seeded runners in this race. Faye Ferrell of Benet Academy, Monika Urbaniak of Palatine, and Madison Petersen of Grayslake North are some of this field you should see towards the front.

Section 1 (5:30 PM) – The first high school race of the night is led by the top seed Elsie Colin of Libertyville. The freshman has already run 5:24 this season. 17 runners are in this field. Keep an eye on Liliana Camargo of Yorkville, Natalie Misener of Herscher, and Clara Getsoian of Minooka who will be some of the runners to watch for in the front pack.

Boys 1 Mile Run

Meet Record – 4:08.64 – Sean Torpy, Sandburg (2016); Clayton Mendez, Whitney Young 2018 (1600)

2024 Champion – Trey Sato, Grayslake Central – 4:12.00 (1 Mile)

Freshman Meet Record – 4:25.74 - Thomas Jochum, Glenbard South 2024

2024 Freshman Champion – Thomas Jochum, Glenbard South – 4:25.74 (1 Mile)

Championship Race (9:50 PM) – The final race of the meet features Class 3A State XC Champion and two-time All-American Ben Crane of New Trier. Crane ran 8:49.02 to finish ninth at Arcadia two weeks ago running the final 800 in 2:04. Crane ran 4:13 in January and could be under 4:10 Saturday night. Jacob Barraza of DeKalb did not run during the indoor season. He is the top seed in this race from his 4:11 time from Magis Miles last June. He is in good shape having run 51.57 in a triangular meet on Tuesday.

Remy Strichartz of Indian Trail WI ran 4:12.03 three weeks ago at the Wisconsin Indoor State Meet and will be a factor in this race. Landon Franke of Racine Horlick WI is another Wisconsin runner to watch in this race having a best of 4:14.06. Dylan Maloney of Plainfield South ran 9:00 at Arcadia and will be in the front after the gun goes off. Nicholai Martino of Winnebago and can win this race along with Jameson Tenopir of Cary-Grove, and Gabriel McLain of Benton having times of 4:15 or faster. Christian Harris of Morton won the Class 2A Illinois Top Times race and could be among the top three at Palatine. Carter Hayes and Alex Krieg ran great races at Arcadia and could play factors on their home track in the final stages of this race.

Rory Gaan of Fremd, Jesse Kramer of Belvidere North, Simon Lane of Chicago University, Josiah Narayanan of Wheaton-Warrenville South, and Reed Grotenhuis of Slinger WI have strong resumes and will be challenging for top five finishes in this race.

Section 3 (8:46 PM) – There is plenty of talent in this field where we should see a winning time well under 4:20. Landon Harris of Granite City ran 4:20.59 indoors at the University of Missouri In February and will be one of the runners to watch in this race. New Trier’s Jordan Kreiner and Joey Papanicholas both have times at 4:20 and will be among the leaders. Henry Theut of Niles Notre Dame and Ellery Shutt of Woodstock could run away with the section win.

The field is close in times with all runners in this field between 4:19 and 4:22.90. Jack Jennings of Fremd, Dylan Buturusis of Plainfield South, Braden Hoff of Lincoln-Way Central, and Finn Richards of Benet Academy are some of the runners in the front.

Section 2 (6:52 PM) – This will be a close section with 17 runners separated just under two sections. Hersey’s Gabriel Gronski and Elliott Balk lead this section having run 4:23. Andrew Kurien of Rockford Christian will be among the pack up front which could include Finn Kelly of Oak Park-River Forest, Benjamin Gibson of Latin, Emmett Bradford of York, and Bryant Lester of Vernon Hills.

Section 1 (6:45 PM) – Luke Eiden of Pacelli WI, Vaugh Collier of Payton Prep, and Tate Pavelka of Lyons Township will be the front runners in this 19-runner opening section. Will Fusion of Cerro Gordo-Bement, and Evertt Sinson of York are some of the runners you could see in the front.

Freshman Race (5:38 PM) – The first Boys race of the night features 21 runners in the freshman runners. Judah Binger of Belvidere North enters this meet with a leading 4:27.88 time. Andrew Aldeman of Normal University won the 1600 last week at Springfield and will be a factor in this race along with Anthony Garcia of Oswego East and Abe Martin of Morton. York’s Michael Gurgone and Patrick Hill will also be a front in this race. Hill ran 9:30 at the Oregon Relays and might run away with the win in this meet.