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DyeStat Illinois - 2015 IHSA 3A Sectional Meet Previews - October 30, 2015Published by
By Michael Newman
Everyone will have to deal with the weather on Saturday as meteorologists are predicting a 90% or better chance of rain throughout the state. It could affect the Hinsdale Central Sectional and the Schaumburg Sectional the most. Conditions could get sloppy at Katherine Legge Memorial Park in Hinsdale as runners will try to navigate Legge Creek without injury. Busse Woods, the home of the Schaumburg Sectional, has tight turns that could be tougher especially with wet grounds.
Each 5 sectionals will be exciting to watch. Top ranked teams Naperville North and Sandburg should get out to Peoria but how much trouble will they have? With the weather volatile on Saturday, will it give some underdogs a chance to take advantage of the conditions to punch a ticket to Peoria? We should have the fields filled for the 3A state meet after 3 PM on Saturday. Those questions also will be answered.
Here is a look at each of the 5 3A sectionals that will take place throughout Illinois on Saturday.
Hinsdale Central Sectional Katherine Legge Memorial Park, Hinsdale Girls – 11:00 AM; Boys – 12:00 PM
Girls teams to watch - #8 LaGrange Lyons Township, #10 Hinsdale Central, #15 Lockport Township, #20 Downers Grove South, #22 Lisle Benet Academy, Orland Park Sandburg, Oak Park Fenwick, Chicago Mother McAuley
Individual Girls to watch (In alphabetical order) – Sarah Barcelona (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange), Morgan Bollinger (Lockport Township HS), Ashley Canner (Mother McAuley HS, Chicago), Claire McCabe (Benet Academy HS, Lisle), Grace McCabe (Hinsdale Central HS), Reilly Revord (Hinsdale Central HS), Kyleigh Spearing (St. Ignatius Prep, Chicago), Katie Stapleton (Downers Grove South HS), Annie Zaher (Hinsdale Central HS).
Outlook – The complexion of this sectional changed last week when Lockport and Hinsdale Central won regional meets ahead of higher ranked Downers Grove South and Lyons Township. It could be close Saturday morning with only 20 to 25 points separating these squads. Benet Academy also could be in the mix.
Hinsdale Central had Annie Zaher back in their top 7 after she missed most of the season due to injury. She helped the Red Devils win at Lyons Township as the team’s #2 runner 9 seconds behind their #1 runner Reilly Revord. The presence of Zaher gives this team 4 runners within 30 seconds of each other. It could also make them tough to beat on their home course on Saturday. Lyons Township has found a #1 runner in freshman Sarah Barcelona. Their split on their top 5 went from 85 seconds at their conference meet to 73 seconds last Saturday. Hinsdale had their top 4 runners ahead of Lyons top 4 last week. That needs to change on Saturday for a different outcome.
Lockport ran their best race of the year with only a 28 second split last Saturday in winning at Plainfield South. Morgan Bollinger, Karlee Stortz, and Aubrey Friedrich were within a second of each other last week. Their split at their conference meet was 37 seconds. Getting 2 runners into the top 10 on Saturday with that kind of split could give the Porters the sectional championship. Downers Grove South did not run their best race of the year in placing third at Plainfield South. They ran bad at Naperville earlier in the year and bounced back with a good race at Peoria. We could see a good race from the Mustangs at this meet. They ran a 70 second split last week behind their #1 runner Katie Stapleton. The split in that race from their 2 to 5 was 38 seconds. At their conference meet, that 2 to 5 split was only 28 seconds with an overall split of 62 seconds. Tightening that pack behind Stapleton could be the difference in getting the Mustangs a top finish. Benet Academy ran their best race of the year in placing 2nd behind Lockport at Plainfield South. Their split on five was 71 seconds behind Claire McCabe’s 2nd place finish. Their split at conference was 69 seconds. A split of 65 to 70 seconds off of McCabe could get Benet Academy to the state meet.
Sandburg and Fenwick were only separated by 8 points at the Sandburg Regional. Fenwick could inch into the top 5 but will need Margaret O’Brien or Laura Durkin in the top 20 with a 45 second split. Sandburg’s front 4 is within 33 seconds of each other. Their split on 5 is too big and will need to be cut to 70 seconds with a runner in the top 20 to qualify for state. Mother McAuley was 2 points behind these two teams last week. Ashley Canner and Ashley Bryja were 1-2 in that race. Both runners will need to be in the top 20 with the team split under 90 seconds to find their way into the top 5.
Reilly Revord and Sarah Barcelona finished within 8 seconds last week at Lyons. Katie Stapleton, Kyleigh Spearing, Annie Zaher, Claire McCabe, and Morgan Bollinger could be up front in what could be an exciting race.
Boys teams to watch - #1 Orland Park Sandburg, #2 LaGrange Lyons Township, #5 Hinsdale Central, #14 Downers Grove South, #17 Downers Grove North, #18 Plainfield South, Chicago St. Ignatius Prep, Palos Heights Shepard, Berwyn-Cicero Morton
Individual Boys to Watch (In alphabetical order) – Chris Brenk (Hinsdale Central HS), Alec Danner (Downers Grove North HS), Blake Evertsen (Hinsdale Central HS), Dylan Jacobs (Sandburg HS, Orland Park), Danny Kilrea (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange), Jack Lalonde (Downers Grove South HS), Max Lehnhardt (Sandburg HS, Orland Park), Conner Madell (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange), Daniel Santino (St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago), Chris Torpy (Sandburg HS, Orland Park), Sean Torpy (Sandburg HS, Orland Park), Caleb Washington (Shepard HS, Palos Heights), Vince Zona (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange).
Outlook – Top ranked Sandburg races “all-out” for the first time since most of their top 7 ran at Peoria at the beginning of October. The Eagles have been tough to beat all season. With Sean Torpy, Max Lehnhardt, and Dylan Jacobs leading their lethal pack, it would not be surprising to see 5 runners within the first 12 in this loaded field. Lyons Township came within 1 point of Sandburg in their first meet of the season and then finished 2nd at Peoria by a wider margin. The last race the Lions ran with their “full” top 7 was at the WSC-Silver Meet when they finished 2nd behind York. That race saw the re-emergence or Conner Madell as their #1 runner. Their normal #1 runner this season Vince Zona was sick during their race and finished as the team’s 5th man. The Lions have averaged around 40 seconds on their top 5. They have the firepower in their first 3, along with Danny Kilrea, to challenge Sandburg. It’s their split that needs to go down to 30 seconds in order to make a challenge against the state’s top team.
Hinsdale Central will have the advantage of being on their home course and having a front runner with the caliber of Blake Evertsen. The junior ran a great race at WSC-Silver finishing 9 seconds behind Irwin Loud. The pack behind Evertsen led by Chris Brenk has been on an average 30 seconds back but being within 15 to 18 seconds of each other in the group. They will need a tighter split on 2 to 5 and be within 20 seconds of the front running Evertsen on order to challenge for the team championship.
Downers Grove South continues to improve as evidenced by their conference win and then last week at Plainfield South. Jack Lalonde should be in the top 12 in this meet. Their top 5 split is averaging right now around 35 seconds. That kind of split plus the finish by Lalonde up front could mean a trip to Peoria for the state meet. Crosstown rival Downers Grove North raced #2 runner Robbie Prescott for the first time since the beginning of October. He ran in the Trojans pack behind their #1 runner Alec Danner. If Prescott is healthy, he could run 15 seconds behind that of Danner. If Danner is in the top 10 and their split can be under 50 seconds, North could be on the road to Peoria. Plainfield South will challenge Downers North for the fifth qualifying spot. John Partee leads a tight under 20 second split on their top 4. The Cougars will need to lower their top 5 split to under 33 seconds with a runner in the top 15 in order to qualify for state.
St. Ignatius Prep has an outside shot of getting into the top 5 teams. Dan Santino should be in the top 10 in this meet. Their split on their 2 to 5 pack, led by Vince Lewis and Michael OBroin averages close to 40 seconds. That will need to lower itself as well as running within 25 seconds of Santino. Shepard has a good top 2 led by Caleb Washington and Paul Milkus. Their split on 5 of 101 seconds will not advance them to state especially in this talented field. Washington and Milkus in the top 20 with a split under 80 seconds could give them a chance.
The individual race is wide open. I am doubting that the race will be tactical especially with Sandburg loving to push the pace early. Blake Evertsen, Sean Torpy, Dylan Jacobs, Max Lehnhardt, Conner Madell, Vince Zona, and Alec Danner all should be up front with Evertsen having a slight edge.
West Aurora Sectional Stuart Sports Complex, Montgomery Girls – 10:00 AM; Boys – 11:00 AM
Girls teams to watch - #1 Naperville North, #4 Batavia, #5 Geneva, #13 Naperville Neuqua Valley, #16 Plainfield North, #18 Oswego, #21 Aurora Metea Valley, Huntley, Naperville Central
Individual Girls to watch (In alphabetical order) – McKenzie Altmayer (Geneva HS), Alana Austin (Naperville Central HS), Isabelle Christiansen (Oswego HS), Audrey Ernst (St. Charles North HS), Caitlin Horn (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville), Rachael Lau (Plainfield North HS), Judy Pendergast (Naperville North HS), Mary Raclawski (Huntley HS), Dakota Roman (Batavia HS), Sara Schmitt (Naperville North HS), Emma Stephens (Batavia HS), Juliana Stogsdill (Plainfield North HS).
Outlook – This sectional race is the toughest of all the five 3A Girls races on Saturday. It is too bad that two quality teams (or more) will miss their chance to race at Detweiller Park. The way that top ranked Naperville North has been running this year, it is hard to see anyone getting close to them in this race. Judy Pendergast will guarantee her team at least 1 point in the first position. Sara Schmitt could be in the top 5 in this race. The Huskies split on what would be their 3 to 5 runners last week was only 21 seconds with an overall top 4 split off of Schmitt at 48 seconds. That kind of combination will be tough to beat.
Batavia and Geneva have challenged each other first at the UEC Meet then last week at St. Charles North. They will be fighting for qualifying spots. Batavia has been running around 50 to 55 second splits off of their #1 runner Emma Stephens. A 50 second split off of Stephens this week, especially if she is in the top 5, will make the Bulldogs in the top 5. McKenzie Altmayer leads an improving Geneva team that has a good 2 to 5 split on that pack. Last week, it was at 30 seconds. At their conference meet, it was only 25 seconds. The split on the Vikings’ top 5 last week was 95 seconds. A split like that this week could prevent this team from advancing. The pack needs to get closer to Altmayer.
Neuqua Valley’s split on 5 dipped from 85 seconds to 77 seconds at West Chicago last weekend. Caitlin Horn could be in the top 10 in this meet leading the Wildcats. The split on their 2 to 5 went up to 40 seconds last week. If the pack can tighten up with that kind of overall split, Neuqua Valley might find themselves in the top 5. Plainfield North is peaking at the right time led by Rachael Lau and Juliana Stogsdill who could be in the top 5 individually in this race. Their 3 to 5 split was at 48 seconds last week. It could hurt especially with more quality teams in this race. A 32 second split on the three scorers could pay dividends on getting Plainfield North to the state meet.
Oswego has been on a rollercoaster this season. The last race at West Chicago was not their best finishing 4th behind Plainfield North. Isabelle Christiansen has emerged as the #1 runner for the team. She could be in the top 15 in this race. Their split on their 2 to 5 last week of 68 seconds is too big and could prevent the Panthers from qualifying for the state meet. A split of 35 seconds on the pack with it being 28 seconds behind could get them to Peoria. Metea Valley had an off race last week when they finished 5th at West Chicago. Their 5 runner split was 54 seconds at the DVC Conference Meet. It was 63 seconds last week. If they run a race similar to what they did at their conference meet led by good finishes by Nicki Cast and Leana Goldman could put the team in the mix for the top 5. Huntley won the Hononegah Regional led by the individual win of Mary Raclawski. Their 100 second split on the top 5 makes it tough for them to make it into the top 5. Napervile Central used pack running to advance last week. Alana Austin should be more in the front. They ran a 94 second split at conference. That needs to decrease if the Redhawks want to make it to state.
Judy Pendergast has the fastest 3 mile time in the state this year and is the big favorite in this race. She could win by a minute. That is saying a lot since this field is loaded. Sara Schmitt, Rachael Lau, Juliana Stogsdill, McKenzie Altmayer, Audrey Ernst, Emma Stephens, and Caitlin Horn that will be among the pack in the front.
Boys teams to watch - #4 Naperville Neuqua Valley, #10 St. Charles East, #12 Aurora Marmion Academy, #16 Huntley, #19 Geneva, Plainfield North, Aurora Waubonsie Valley, Naperville Central, Oswego.
Individual Boys to Watch (In alphabetical order) – Andrew Burroughs (Marmion Academy, Aurora), Seth Conroy (Huntley HS), Dominic Dina (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville), Mike Grocholski (Huntley HS), Emerson King (Naperville North HS), Tyler Lau (Geneva HS), Aidan Livingston (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville), Jake McEneaney (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville), Bennett Peterson (Oswego HS), Michael Ronzone (Marmion Academy, Aurora), Keagan Smith (Huntley HS).
Outlook – The Boys race in this sectional is the opposite of what fans see an hour earlier in the Girls race. It is doubtful that Neuqua Valley will score a perfect 15 like they have the past 2 meets. The Wildcats will still be the favorite. Their pack running has been a saving grace for this team especially with their top runner Connor Horn sidelined for the season with a stress fracture. Their split on 5, led by the individual win by Aidan Livingston, was only 6 seconds. Coach Paul Vandersteen confirmed that Scott Anderson, who was the #2 runner in their first meet of the season when he broke his leg, will be in the lineup. Anderson has not raced in almost 2 months. He could be a big help for this team.
St. Charles East has exhibited great pack running the past month. That should be on display again this weekend. The Saints have been averaging a 30 second split on their top 5 in their last 3 meets. Mike Gerkin leads the 4 man pack that was within 4 seconds of each other last weekend. If Mike Gerkin or Mark Sciurba can place in the top 10 with that kind of pack, St. Charles East could get close to Neuqua Valley. Marmion Academy was only 6 points behind the Saints last week at St. Charles North. They have a good 5 man pack with a 42 second split on the group. They could have Andrew Burroughs and Michael Ronzone in the top 10 in this race. That could put the Cadets on the starting line at Detweiller Park next week. Geneva was another 2 points behind Marmion in that meet. Tyler Dau led the team winning the individual race. The Vikings had a 38 second split last week. Their split on the 2 to 5 pack was only 18 seconds in that race. That pack needs to be tighter with it starting around 15th to 18th place. That could get the Vikings downstate.
Huntley won the Hononegah Regional demonstrating their firepower up front. Keagan Smith, Seth Conroy, and Mike Grocholski took the first 3 places in the race. Smith will be race favorite Saturday with Conroy and Grocholski running in the top 10. The key for this team is moving their 4th and 5th runners up. The top 5 split was 70 seconds last week. It could be higher in this race. That could hurt the chances of the Red Raiders of winning this sectional. They are a good shot of placing in the top 5 especially with their power up front.
Plainfield North has showed improvement now that Jack Sebok is back recovered from an injury that sidelined him most of the season. He was the team’s #1 runner when they finished 2nd at West Chicago last week. Their 31 second split is good. If it stays close to that gap this week with Sebok in the top 22, this team could advance. Naperville Central ran an 18 second split on their top 5 at their conference meet. The Redhawks were spread out last week at West Chicago with their split at 39 seconds. That needs to change this weekend if they want to advance. Their pack needs to start in the top 20 to 25 runners to make a Peoria trip happen. Waubonsie Valley could be the surprise in this race. The Warriors rested top runner Justin Caton last week. They still finished 6th without Caton and a subpar race from conference #1 Wes York. This team also thrives with pack running. The pack needs to start near 20th with a 26 second split if they want to make it to Peoria. Oswego could also make it in. Bennett Peterson should be in the top ten. If their 2 to 5 pack, which ran within 30 seconds of each other last week with a 52 second split overall, can be within 20 seconds of each other, they could make the Peoria trip.
Keagan Smith ran 14:26 earlier this year at Peoria and will be the favorite in this race.
Roselle Lake Park Sectional Lake Park East Campus XC Course, Roselle Girls – 1:00 PM; Boys – 2:00 PM
Girls teams to watch - #2 Glen Ellyn Glenbard West, #6 Wheaton-Warrenville South, #9 Winnetka New Trier, #19 Park Ridge Maine South, Wilmette Loyola Academy, Elmhurst York, Evanston Township, Chicago Northside Prep, Oak Park-River Forest
Individual Girls to watch (In alphabetical order) – Sara Atkins (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS), Emma Dzwierzynski (Evanston Township HS), Grace Fagan (New Trier HS, Winnetka), Caroline Fix (New Trier HS, Winnetka), Elizabeth Hagstrom (York HS, Elmhurst), Kathryn House (Loyola Academy, Wilmette), Kaitlyn Kenwood (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn), Allison McGrath (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS), Olivia Nizolek (Maine South HS, Park Ridge), Lindsey Payne (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn), Grace Rogers (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn), Maggie Scholle (Lane Tech HS, Chicago), Emily Stegmeier (Elk Grove HS).
Outlook – The top two teams in this sectional, Glenbard West and Wheaton-Warrenville South, faced off at the York Regional last week. The Hilltoppers won but only by 8 points. Their split on 2 to 5 was 61 seconds last week. It has been as low as 25 seconds in recent meets. Lindsey Payne will be up front for this team. The key for Glenbard is keeping their pack under 30 seconds and at least 60 seconds behind Payne. Wheaton-Warrenville South demonstrated that they could contend for a trophy at next week’s state meet with their regional performance. Their split was 78 seconds on their top 5. With Sara Atkins and Allison McGrath in the top 5, that split becomes a little more impressive. They will need that kind of race to secure a state meet trip.
New Trier has quietly run their way into the top 10 in the 3A rankings and could challenge these two teams up front. The Trevians usually run with a good tight pack. That is the case again this year. Caroline Fix led the team last week with the top 5 within 37 seconds of each other. The 2-5 split for the team was only 7 seconds. If Fix or Grace Fagan place in the top 10 with that kind of split, this team will return to Peoria. Maine South relied on a 15 second split on their top 5 early this season. It grew to 38 seconds at their conference meet but with Olivia Nizolek towards the front. Just like New Trier, the Hawks can run this same type of race that will push them back to Peoria.
Loyola Academy is continuing to improve now that they have top 2 runners Kathryn House and Lainey McKinley back from injury. McKinley was held out of the regional meet in which the Ramblers placed third. Along with Margot Dooley up front, Loyola could secure a final state berth. They will need to keep their 5 runner split near 50 seconds to achieve that. York did not run their best race last week when they placed 3rd in their regional. It was better than the conference meet race when the Dukes had an 83 second 5 runner split. Last week, the split was 76 seconds with a 2 to 5 split of 25 seconds. York will need to lower their split and keep Sarah May within 10 seconds to #1 runner Elizabeth Hagstrom. That could get their team down state. Evanston Township could be a surprise in the top 10. They will need Emma Dzwierzynski in the top 15 with their 2 to 5 pack within 30 seconds of each other. Oak Park-River Forest ran a 28 second split on their top 5 last week. They will need to move their pack up to make that split more effective. Northside Prep could surprise in this race. The Chicago City champions ran a 42 second split in winning the Whitney Young Regional. They will need # 1 runner Sara McCoy 25th or better with that split to be close to the top 5.
It is hard to imagine anyone getting close to Lindsey Payne in this race. The sophomore ran 16:28 earlier in the year on this course in September. Rainy conditions could slow this course down. A time under 17 minutes is not out of the possibility. Sara Atkins, Allison McGrath, Grace Rogers, Kathryn Kenwood, Caroline Fix, and Maggie Scholle should be in the front battling for the second spot.
Teams to watch - #3 Elmhurst York, #6 Oak Park-River Forest, #9 Winnetka New Trier, #11 Chicago Whitney Young, #20 Park Ridge Maine South, #25 Wilmette Loyola Academy, Glen Ellyn Glenbard West, Wheaton North, Chicago Jones College Prep.
Individual Boys to Watch (In alphabetical order) – Martin Barr (Niles North HS, Skokie), Warren Blood (New Trier HS, Winnetka), Max Denning (York HS, Elmhurst), Josh Derrick (New Trier HS, Winnetka), Charlie Kern Jr. (Elmhurst York HS), Irwin Loud (Oak Park-River Forest HS), Jaime Marcos (Van Steuben HS, Chicago), Clayton Mendez (Whitney Young HS, Chicago), Eric Neumann (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn), Ralph Patejunas (Maine South HS, Park Ridge), Danny Rosen (Northside Prep, Chicago), Paolo Tiongson (Loyola Academy, Wilmette)
Outlook – York continues to get better right when it matters the most. Even though the regional race was extremely tactical, the Dukes placed 6 runners in the top 10 to win the meet. Charlie Kern Jr. and Max Denning continue to lead the team. Their split on 5 has averaged near 30 seconds all year. That could grow especially with the two York front runners moving closer to the front, but the pack behind them will stay close together. A 40 second split or faster would be a good thing for this team.
Oak Park-River Forest finished 2nd behind York last week without #4 runner Martin Pimentel. Their split off of their #1 runner Irwin Loud was 63 seconds at their conference meet. It was 56 seconds on their top 4 last week. The Huskies should have a lock on a state berth, but will need a split under 60 seconds to do that. New Trier ran a 58 second split on 5 last week in winning the Niles West Sectional. They did that with 3 runners in the top 5 led by Josh Derrick’s individual win. Their 5 man split at the CSL Championships was 29 seconds 2 weeks ago. That kind of split with Derrick and Warren Blood in the top 10 could place them close to York in this race. Whitney Young has Clayton Mendez up front that will give his team low points. Their split on 5 last week was 51 seconds. At the Chicago Public League Championships, that split was at 65 seconds split with Sam Rivera in the top 5. Rivera is out for the rest of the year with an injury. They will need to keep the split under 65 seconds with Mendez in the top 5 to secure a trip to the state meet.
Maine South was close to New Trier last week at the Niles West Regional finishing 2nd. Ralph Patejunas has stepped up as the team’s #1 runner ever since Reese Jordan went out of their lineup. He has not raced since the Palatine Invitational at the end of September. The split for the Hawks last week was 55 seconds. If Jordan returns to run on Saturday, that split could get close to 40 seconds making them a threat for the top three spots. Loyola Academy ran without #1 runner Paolo Tiongson last week when they placed 3rd at Niles West. Loyola ran only a 40 second split with Tiongson leading the way at their conference meet. The Ramblers could have the edge for the fifth spot if Tiongson can finish in the top 5 with that split.
Glenbard West bounced back from their WSC-Silver performance with a 3rd place finish at the York Regional. The Hilltoppers ran a 64 second split led by Eric Neumann. Glenbard will need to decrease their split by 10 seconds with Neumann in the top 10 for a chance in the top 5. A split on their 2 to 5 like they had last week (20 seconds) will help with that task. Wheaton North had a 9 second split on their top 4 last week. That pack needs to move up if the Falcons want to run in Peoria. Jones College Prep ran a 60 second split on 5 in finishing second at the Chicago City Championships 2 weeks ago. Nico Moreno and Ethan Baretto will need to keep Jones’ pack to near 40 seconds. If the two runners can place 20th or better, this team has the possibility of making it to state.
Irwin Loud should be the favorite in this race. His tactical approach last week back fired as he finished 2nd behind Charlie Kern Jr. The York sophomore should be up front with Loud along with Clayton Mendez, Josh Derrick, Martin Burr, and Max Denning. Watch for Loud to push the pace at the gun to see if anyone will go with him.
Schaumburg Sectional Busse Woods Forest Preserve, Elk Grove Village Girls – 10:00 AM; Boys – 11:15 AM
Girls teams to watch - #7 Mt. Prospect – Prospect, #11 Barrington, #12 Lake Forest, #14 Palatine, #17 Schaumburg, #24 Fox Lake Grant, #25 Lincolnshire Stevenson, Lake Zurich, Glenbrook South, Highland Park
Individual Girls to watch (In alphabetical order) – Meagan Biddle (Hoffman Estates HS), Sydney Davis (Conant HS, Hoffman Estates), Jocelyn Long (Barrington HS), Melissa Maletich (Libertyville HS), Madison Marasco (Schaumburg HS), Emma Milburn (Lake Forest HS), Charlotte Nawor (Highland Park HS), Kelly O’Brien (Palatine HS), Madison Romig (Grant HS, Fox Lake), Caitlin Shepard (Lake Zurich HS), Isabelle Sparreo (Stevenson HS, Lincolnshire), Marissa Valentini (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect), Brooke Wilson (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect).
Outlook – This could be a wild team race but not if Prospect can help it. The Knights have come off of 2 close races winning at both with a total margin of 5 points. They would prefer not to go through that again. Brooke Wilson will be upfront as one of the individual favorites in this race. They could get help up front if Maria Valentini is racing. She has missed the past two meets. Aileen White has stepped up for this team as their #2 runner. The split last week on their 2 to 5 runners was at 74 seconds last week. That will need to come down for Prospect to capture the sectional championship.
Barrington ran a 79 second split in winning the Palatine Regional last week behind Jocelyn Long’s 3rd place finish. There split off of #2 runner Lauren Conroy was 25 seconds last week. The gap between Long and Conroy needs to narrow down to 40 seconds with the same pack split. That effort could earn them the sectional win and a state meet berth. Lake Forest won their own regional despite that #1 runner Emma Milburn was sick and the team’s #4 runner. The team ran a 67 split on 5 in winning the NSC Conference Meet. The split in their first 4 runners was only 25 seconds. A similar type of pack could get them a trip to the state meet this year in 3A. Palatine finished behind Barrington at their own regional without their #3 runner Sabina Yosif. She is expected back on Saturday. Kelly O’Brien could lead 4 runners in the top 20 in this race. The Pirates will need Yosif close to Anna Buckstaff to achieve that. The split on their top 5 needs to be under 90 seconds to get them back to the state meet.
Schaumburg ran their best race of the year last week in finishing only 3 points behind Prospect in their regional meet. They will need that kind of race this week to make it to Peoria. Part of that had to do with keeping a 3 second split from their 2nd through 4th runners. Their split on 5 improved from 132 seconds to 89 seconds last week. Madison Marasco will need to be in the top ten with that split for this team to make the trip south to Peoria. Grant ran a good race in placing 3rd at Palatine. Madison Romig and Danielle Osmon will need to be in the top 12 in this meet with their split under 80 seconds to make a trip to state. Stevenson finished 2nd behind Lake Forest led by the individual win from Isabelle Sparreo. A split under 60 seconds on their 2 to 5 runners could boost the Patriots into the top 5.
Isabelle Sparreo ran 17:05 last week and will be the runner to watch in this race. She will have company up front with Brooke Wilson, Kelly O’Brien, Caitlin Shepard, and Jocelyn Long all capable of winning this race.
Boys teams to watch - #7 Lake Zurich, #8 Buffalo Grove, #13 Mt Prospect-Prospect, #15 Hoffman Estates, #21 Highland Park, #24 Lincolnshire Stevenson, McHenry, Gurnee Warren, Palatine Fremd, Arlington Heights Hersey.
Individual Boys to Watch (In alphabetical order) – Jared Borowsky (Stevenson HS, Lincolnshire), Tom Cleary (Buffalo Grove HS), Brett Davidson (Highland Park HS), Bryan Gamboa (Hoffman Estates HS), Brian Griffith (Lake Zurich HS), Kyle Griffith (Lake Zurich HS), Michael Hahndorf (McHenry HS), Justin Loquercio (Wheeling HS), Dustin Macuiba (Warren Township HS, Gurnee), Shiv Patel (Hoffman Estates HS), Matt Pereria (Lake Zurich HS), Danny Peterson (Fremd HS, Palatine), Kevin Salvano (Buffalo Grove HS).
Outlook – Lake Zurich won over Buffalo Grove at the Palatine Regional last Saturday. Buffalo Grove was without their #1 runner Kevin Salvano, He will be back with the team this week. The outcome should be closer. Both teams are similar to each other. Salvano leads a strong 3 runner pack up front with Tom Cleary and Mitchell Guittar. Lake Zurich has the same luxury with Brian and Kyle Griffith close to their #1 runner Matt Pereira. Both teams have similar 1 to 5 splits. Buffalo Grove ran a 61 second split on their top 5 2 weeks ago at their conference meet. Lake Zurich’s split last week was 69 seconds. Buffalo Grove has the slight edge. Lake Zurich will need to win all the individual battles up front along with having their #4 runner ahead of the Bison #4 runner. The difference between the two teams should be under 10 points.
Prospect finished 6 points behind regional winner Hoffman Estates last weekend. Prospect has the slight edge. The Knights do not have the star runner up front but run a tight pack led by Karson Lecomte. The split on 5 last week was only 30 seconds. The split two weeks ago at their conference meet was only 15 seconds. They finished only 3 points behind Buffalo Grove in that meet. Prospect has to start their pack at 15th place or better. It the split is under 24 seconds, they could walk away with the sectional title. Hoffman Estates has been up and down this season. They had a down week two weeks ago when they finished a distant third behind Prospect in their conference meet. It was a different team last week as the Hawks placed their 4 runners in the top 10 to win. The split on that top 4 last week was only 23 seconds. Their overall split was 43 seconds. Hoffman Estates will need to again get their 4 runners in before Prospect’s 2nd. If they could accomplish that, they could end up in the top 5 with a return trip to Peoria.
Highland Park has come on strong the past two weeks having a chance to make it to state. The Giants won the Lake Forest Regional behind Brett Davidson’s 3rd place finish. Their split on 5 last week was 52 seconds. Davidson being in the top 5 this week would be a plus. The 23 second split from their 2 to 5 pack could help them make a dream a reality in getting to the state meet. Stevenson has the front runner with Jared Borowsky who could finish among the top 5 on Saturday. They also had a 72 second split on their top 5 last week which could make qualifying for state difficult. A split under 60 seconds for their scorers could make the outcome closer for Stevenson to make it to state.
Kevin Salvano and Matt Pereira will go head to head for the individual race championship. Last year’s race came down to an all-out sprint to the finish with Jesse Reiser winning in a split. The rainy conditions could make the tight turns at Busse Woods perilous for the runners. We could see the same type of tactical race on Saturday. Jared Borowsky, Kyle & Brian Griffith, Brett Davidson, Dustin Macuiba, and Tom Cleary should all be chasing these two runners.
Normal Community Sectional Maxwell Park, Normal Girls – 1:00 PM; Boys – 2:00 PM
Girls teams to watch - #3 Minooka, #23 New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central, Edwardsville, O’Fallon, Normal Community, Frankfort Lincoln-Way East, Rock Island.
Individual Girls to watch (In alphabetical order) – Agok Ayuen (Rock Island HS), Maddie Blaauw (Joliet West HS), Mackenzie Callahan (Minooka HS), Caitlyn Clinton (O’Fallon HS), Julianna Determan (Edwardsville HS), Rachel Schoenecker (Edwardsville HS), Emily Shelton (Minooka HS), Ashley Tutt (Minooka HS), Brooke Witzel (O’Fallon HS).
Outlook – Minooka will be the overwhelming favorite to capture the team championship in this sectional. It would not surprise me to see them take the first 4 places. Watch for the 5 runner split from this team this weekend. Their top 4 split last week without #2 runner Emily Shelton was 56 seconds. Lincoln-Way Central will lead the pack for 2nd. The Knights finished 2nd behind Minooka last week led by a 29 second split on their top 4. Kelly Robbins and Jenna Diers could be in the top 10 in this race for their team. Normal Community finished third in this meet with a 46 second split on their top 5. Expect the pack to be bigger this week with Rachel Zimmerman shooting to finish in the top 10. A split of 50 to 55 seconds could be possible. It could also get them to the state meet with that kind of effort.
Edwardsville and O’Fallon were only separated by 1 point two weeks ago at their conference meet. The two teams will battle for area supremacy along with finishing in the top 3. Julianna Determan and Maddie Miller led Edwardsville two weeks ago with the team running an only a 20 second split on their top 5. Last week the split was 46 seconds. A split of 36 seconds or better could get the Tigers to the state meet. O’Fallon was without #2 runner Caitlyn Clinton did not run last week but should be in their lineup on Saturday. Brooke Witzel along with Clinton leading them could place in the top 12 individually. If they can keep their top 5 spread of 55 seconds or better, the Panthers should advance to Peoria. Andrew Regional champion Lincoln-Way East could find their way into the top 5. They will need to have Jenna or Erin Couwenhoven in the top 15 in this race with their pack under 55 seconds. That could get the Griffiths into the top 5.
Ashley Tutt could lead a Minooka sweep of the first four places in this race. Brooke Witzel, Agok Ayuen, and Julianna Determan will be in the pack up front looking for places in the top ten.
Boys teams to watch - #22 Minooka, #23 Frankfort Lincoln-Way North, Lansing Illiana Christian, O’Fallon, Joliet Central, East Moline United, Edwardsville, Lincoln-Way Central
Individual Boys to Watch (In alphabetical order) – Joey Black (O’Fallon HS), Colin DeYoung (Illiana Christian HS, Lansing), Kyle Dismukes (O’Fallon HS), Soren Knudsen (Minooka HS), Will O’Keefe (Granite City HS), Demetri Panici (Lincoln-Way North HS, Frankfort), Kyle Riege (United Township HS, East Moline), Raul Rosendo (Joliet Central HS), Nick Wondaal (Illiana Christian HS, Lansing).
Outlook – Minooka and Lincoln-Way North should battle for the team championship in this sectional. Minooka is running better as a team especially after the return of their #1 runner Soren Knudsen. The Indians ran a 55 second split led by Knudsen’s win to capture their own regional crown. The split will need to come down for state meet success. But 55 seconds or better could give them the sectional title. Lincoln-Way North is hungry for this championship since their school will close down next spring. The Phoenix won the Andrew Regional title despite their split on 5 was 49 seconds. Demetri Panici and Noah Healy led the pack up front. This team normally runs a split near 40 seconds. That kind of pack along with having three runners in before Minooka’s second could give them a sectional championship on their final try.
Illiana Christian is new to 3A after picking up trophies the past few years in 2A. The Vikings are a good bet to make it to Peoria next weekend. Colin DeYoung give his team low numbers along with Nick Wondaal. Their split on the top 4 was 45 seconds last week. Their overall split of 105 seconds will make it close to whether they make it in or not. The low points by DeYoung and Wondaal could seal the deal. O’Fallon was looking to rebuild this year after losing all 7 scoring runners a year ago. The Panthers could make it back to Peoria behind a young group led by Joey Black and freshman Kyle Dismukes. Joliet Central could make it to Peoria behind #1 runner Raul Rosendo in the top 5. Their 2 to 5 split needs to be under 45 seconds for that to happen. East Moline United is sneaky good led by Kyle Riege who should finish in the top 5 in this race. Their split last week of 87 seconds needs to drop 20 seconds in order for this team to make a state meet trip. Lincoln-Way Central could make it in. The Knights will need #1 runner Nathan Coppens to place 18th or better with their split on 5 under 43 seconds. Edwardsville did not think they would be in contention for a state berth after losing the core of their team to graduation a year ago. The Tigers have 3 freshmen and 2 sophomores in their top 7 that ran a 61 second split on 5 to win their regional. The team could sneak in with a runner in the first 15 with a split under 52 seconds on 5.
Colin DeYoung won the 2A 3200 Meter Run last spring. He will be in contention for the sectional individual title along with Soren Knudsen and Kyle Riege. A pack led by Will O’Keefe, Raul Rosendo, and Nick Wondaal should be close behind.
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