Folders |
DyeStat Illinois – 2014 IHSA 3A Girls State Cross Country Meet PreviewPublished by
By Michael Newman
I stated as the season began that I thought that this 3A Girls race could top that of 2012. I still stand by the statement after seeing all of the sectional results. The team battle could be an epic one. Defending 3A champion Glenbard West is loaded with talent and could have three runners that could be in the top ten. Hinsdale Central defeated Glenbard West in a dual meet at the beginning of October. They have been the only team to be in front of the 3A champs this season. The Red Devils have runners up front to finish ahead of their conference rival.
Palatine has 2 runners that could be all-state. They also have a tight pack that could put them up front at the end. Naperville North has been running tremendous splits on their first five. Will it be enough to finish at the head of the pack? New Trier is peaking at the right time with affront runner and a pack just behind her.
The individual race will be just as exciting. Lindsay Graham (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn) has been the most dominating runner in 3A running under 16:40 twice this season. Alexa Haff and Mimi Smith will have other thoughts of letting Graham get away.
Here is a look at each of the 3A teams that will run in this race. There is also a preview of what we think will happen in the individual race.
Good luck to all athletes, coaches, and fans this Saturday afternoon!
Individuals
Lindsay Graham has been the most dominating runner in 3A this year going undefeated against 3A state runners. Her only setbacks were to Maryjeanne Gilbert and then to Ohio’s Annie Heffernan at Wheaton North. Graham ran 16:34 to win at Niles West last weekend.
Alexa Haff (Central HS, Hinsdale) has a no quit attitude when she gets in a race. That showed last year at the state meet where she held on until the last 200 meters before being passed for the state championship. She came down with an injury 3 days before she raced Graham in their dual meet. The two ran side by side before Graham pulled away in the last half mile for a 27 second win. Haff missed the next two weeks to recover. She showed she was ready to race state by winning the Marist Sectional. She ran 17:02 to pull away in the last quarter to win.
Mimi Smith (New Trier HS, Winnetka) is the defending 3A champion. Even though Graham was more than 40 seconds ahead of her this past meet, I would never doubt the New Trier runner’s perseverance. She came back from 30 meters down in the last mile to win a year ago.
Lindsey Payne (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn) is having a great freshman season and could be in the top five. Lauren Van Vlierbergen (Jacobs HS, Algonquin) has been tough the past few weeks. Her confidence in her win at the Schaumburg Sectional shows she is ready to compete for the state championship. Ashley Tutt (Minooka HS) also has been near perfect for most of the season. It would not surprise me if she finishes in the top five.
There are up to 10 individual runners that could challenge for a top 25 finish. Runners that I would watch include Gabby Juarez (Streamwood HS), Alexis Grigg (South HS, Plainfield), Madison Romig (Grant HS, Fox Lake), Rachael Lau (North HS, Plainfield), Maryclare Leonard (Marist HS, Chicago), Torree Scull (St. Charles East HS), Lauren Opatrny (McHenry HS), Audrey Ernst (North HS, St. Charles), and Lauren Conroy (Barrington HS).
Team runners that could challenge for a top 25 finish include Megan Biddle (Hoffman Estates HS), Erin Falsey and Ali Gutt (Schaumburg HS), Lisa Luczak, Grace Rogers, and Janie Nabholz (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn),Sara Atkins and Allison McGrath (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS), Rachel Hoffman and Maggie McClowry (Central HS, Naperville), Elly DeTurris, Sara Schmitt, Clare Hamilton, and Judy Pendergast (North HS, Naperville), Danielle Beckstead (Normal Community HS), Annie Zaher, Grace McCabe, and Reilly Revord (Hinsdale Central HS), Kaitlyn Shepard (Lake Zurich HS), Olivia Ryan (Fenwick HS, Oak Park), Kelly O’Brien and Amy Kieliszewski (Palatine HS), Ayako Hyguchi (Fremd HS, Palatine), Cara Keleher (New Trier HS, Winnetka), Emma Stephens (Batavia HS), McKenzie Altmayer and Emma Ehrhardt (Geneva HS), MacKenzie Callahan and Emily Shelton (Minooka HS), and Morgan Bollinger (Lockport HS).
Teams (Listed in final rankings, then alphabetical)
Glen Ellyn Glenbard West Final DS IL Ranking – 1 Sectional – 1st – Niles West Box – 8
Overview – The defending 3A champions are loaded and ready to race this Saturday. They have been dominant almost the entire season. The only setback that the Hilltoppers had was 25-30 loss in a dual met to Hinsdale Central at the beginning of October. Lindsay Graham will be the runner to beat in this meet. It is possible that Glenbard could have 3 runners in the first 10 with Lindsey Payne and Lisa Luzcak up front along with Graham. Grace Rogers and Janie Nabholz are runners who could be in the top 25. If Glenbard has three in the top 10, they will be tough to beat. If their split is between 70 and 80 seconds, it could be even tougher.
Hinsdale Central Final DS IL Ranking – 2 Sectional – 1st – Marist Box – 19
Overview – If there is one team that could get close to Glenbard West, it could be this team. The Red Devils do have the confidence having defeated Glenbard West 25-30 on their home course almost a month ago. Alexa Haff showed she is back at 100% after winning the sectional race at Marist. Annie Zaher should be in the top 6. Grace McCabe has been running 10 seconds behind Zaher. If she does that on Saturday, she will be all-state. Reilly Revord is the same difference behind McCabe. The freshman will need to be closer to McCabe for Central to have a chance. The split between their 4 and 5 also needs to have a gap of 10-15 seconds for this team to win.
Palatine Final DS IL Ranking – 3 Sectional – 1st – Schaumburg Box – 24
Overview – The Lady Pirates continue to get better as the season gets to its conclusion. It has showed with wins at conference, regional and their sectional meets. Palatine had a 29 second split last week on five but that is kind of deceptive. Kelly O’Brien faded down the stretch. You can expect her to be in the top 10 in this race. Amy Kieliszewski is improving at the right time. She could in the top 15 in this race. Their split on 3-5 has been dynamite. Last 2 weeks it has only been 6 seconds. If they have 5 runners in the first 35, this team will contend for a state championship.
Naperville North Final DS IL Ranking – 4 Sectional – 1st – St. Charles East Box – 12
Overview – It is hard to say that Naperville North has flown underneath the radar this season. It could be true since all of the focus has been on Hinsdale Central and Glenbard West. It would be a mistake to ignore this Huskies team. They have been running a solid pack all season. Last week’s 34 second split was their largest this season. It has been anywhere from 15-20 seconds in their last 3 meets. Freshman Sara Schmitt was their #1 runner last week. The last two weeks it was Claire Hamilton and Elly DeTurris. This team could have a tight pack that starts in the first 25. North will need a 20-24 second split on their first five to be in trophy contention. This team will be in contention for the state championship if that happens.
Winnetka New Trier Final DS IL Ranking – 5 Sectional – 2nd – Niles West Box – 25
Overview – Here is another team that could contend for the state championship. New Trier lives and ties by the pack. They are showing that strength again this season. Mimi Smith will be up front going after the individual state championship. Cara Keleher continues to improve. She could be in the top 20 in this race. Their split on five last week was a good 57 seconds. The difference maker for the Trevians was their 2-5 split of only 19 seconds. If they get down to 15 seconds with both Smith and Keleher towards the front, then put New Trier down as another title contender.
Schaumburg Final DS IL Ranking – 6 Sectional – 2nd – Schaumburg Box – 5
Overview – The Saxons strength this season has been their tight pack. The only time they were above 40 seconds was early in the year at the Richard Spring Invitational at 71 seconds. All other meets have had 5 runner splits in the mid 30’s. Schaumburg will need that kind of effort again Saturday to contend for a state trophy. Ali Gutt has come on strong at the right. She could contend for a top 25 spot. Erin Falsey was only 11 seconds behind her teammate. The two running together Saturday just makes this team stronger. The team is 7 runners deep. 1 runner could have a rough race and someone will be there to pick up the pieces. They could be a surprise in the top 3 if they keep the split low with a runner in the first 25.
Batavia Final DS IL Ranking – 7 Sectional – 4th – St. Charles East Box – 27
Overview – The Bulldogs did not have their best race of the year last week at Leroy Oaks, but they still finished 4th in this tough sectional. Freshman Emma Stephens is running like an upperclassmen. She could finish in the top 15 individually. The 5 runner split at their conference meet was only 36 seconds with Dakota Roman right with Stephens. Last week, it was 65 seconds. Batavia will need to keep their split between 40-45 seconds if they want to finish in the top ten teams.
Geneva Final DS IL Ranking – 8 Sectional – 2nd – St. Charles East Box - 28
Overview – This team could contend for a top 6 finish. Mackenzie Altmayer finished second in the sectional race running 17:02. She could be in the top 15 on Saturday. It would be a plus on Saturday for Emma Ehrhardt to be within 10 seconds of Altmayer I the race. Their split on 5 was 86 seconds last week with their 3 to 5 split at 30 seconds. Both splits need to be cut down if this team wants to be in contention for a trophy.
Naperville Central Final DS IL Ranking – 9 Sectional – 3rd – St. Charles East Box – 11
Overview – This team could contend for a trophy if they are 100% healthy. The Redhawks and Naperville North scored 37 points at the DVC Championships with North winning on the tiebreaker. Central had Rachel Hoffman leading them in that race. The senior has missed the past two weeks to an undisclosed injury. With Hoffman at 100%, this team would be in the hunt for a trophy. The split with Hoffman in the race has been between 60-70 seconds. That would need to come down. There is good talent on this team. Alana Austin and Maggie McClowry could finish between 20th and 30th. The key is to have their split within 4- to 45 seconds for this team to be in the hunt for a trophy.
Wheaton-Warrenville South Final DS IL Ranking – 10 Sectional – 5th – St. Charles East Box – 9
Overview – The Tigers did not have their best race of the season last week. They still finished fifth to qualifying living to race one more time. The have a strong pack of three runners up front. Sara Atkins has been a surprise on the state scene that could finish in the top 15 in this race. Allison McGrath has run with Atkins this year. If she stays with her, she could finish in the top 25 as well. Mary Erdman had a good race last week. A repeat of that could finish her placing in the top 35. The gap between the first 3 and then 4 and 5 has averaged near 30 seconds this season. If that comes down, this team could finish in the first 6.
Lockport Township Final DS IL Ranking – 11 Sectional – 2nd – Marist Box – 35
Overview – The Porters were a surprise last year when they finished fifth last year. The runners are there to repeat that kind of performance. Morgan Bollinger and Emmie Hahn are capable of finishing in the first 25 for Lockport. Their overall split last week was 54 seconds with only a 14 second split between 3 and 5. This team could be a surprise if they have a split of 35 seconds or better on Saturday.
Minooka Final DS IL Ranking – 12 Sectional – 1st – Quincy Box – 34
Overview – This is a team that could do some damage and finish in the first five. Ashley Tutt has emerged as one of the top runners in the state. She could be in the top 10 Saturday. MacKenzie Callahan has run within 10 seconds of Tutt at least 4 times this year. The sophomore could be in the top 15 if that happens. Emily Shelton had an off race last week. If she finishes 30 seconds behind Tutt, Minooka could have 3 all-state runners. The key is their overall split. Last week, it was over 2 minutes. It has to be at least 90 seconds for this team to be in the trophy hunt.
Hoffman Estates Final DS IL Ranking – 13 Sectional – 4th – Schaumburg Box – 3
Overview – The Hawks have been struggling with a few injury problems. They still made it to state qualifying fourth at Schaumburg. Megan Biddle has been the lead runner at sectionals and conference. A good race from Biddle could put her in the top 25. Their overall split last week was 70 seconds with the 2-5 split at 34 seconds. If the overall split goes between 52 and 55 seconds, Hoffman Estates could finish in the top 10.
Palatine Fremd Final DS IL Ranking – 14 Sectional – 3rd – Schaumburg Box – 23
Overview – The Vikings made it to state pushed by great performance by their front three Ayako Higuchi, Katie Escobar, and Anita Grudzien. Higuchi could be in the top 20 in this race. Fremd’s split was 107 seconds last Saturday. If it goes under 90, Fremd could finish in the top ten.
Naperville Neuqua Valley Final DS IL Ranking – 15 Sectional – 4th – Marist Box – 32
Overview – The Wildcats ran a tight 24 second 5 runner split in finishing 4th at Marist last week. Anastasia Bernat stepped up into the #1 spot at West Aurora and has held on since. The gap from 2 to 5 was only 6 seconds last week. These kind of splits could have Neuqua Valley looking at a top 12 finish.
Downers Grove North Final DS IL Ranking – 16 Sectional – 3rd – Marist Box – 17
Overview – The Trojans are 1 of 4 WSC-Silver Girls teams in this meet. They punched their ticket o Detweiller by finishing third at Marist. Emma Moravec has been the #1 runner for North all season. The 17:41 that she ran at Midlothian Meadows shows she is capable of placing in the top 25. The gap between Moravec and the pack was 30 seconds. If that is cut down by 10 seconds with their overall split at 52 seconds, this team could finish between 8th and 12th in the team battle.
Lake Zurich Final DS IL Ranking – 17 Sectional – 5th – Schaumburg Box – 20
Overview – Caitlin Shepard has been the #1 runner for the Bears and could be in the top 25 in this race. Lake Zurich’s split was at 73 seconds last Saturday. If they can run near similar to what they ran at their conference race at 57 seconds on five, this team could finish 15th or higher.
Downers Grove South Final DS IL Ranking – 18 Sectional – 5th – Marist Box – 19
Overview – The WSC-Gold champs finished fifth to qualify last week led by the front running of Amanda Thate. The senior has the talent to contend for all-state honors. The Mustangs could be in the top ten. They had only a 23 second split on 2-5 last week. If Katie Stapleton can get within 25 seconds of Thate with the overall split of 45 seconds, that top ten finish could happen.
O’Fallon Final DS IL Ranking – 24 Sectional – 2nd – Quincy Box – 16
Overview – The Panthers continue to get better just at the right time. Freshman Brooke Witzel led O’Fallon to a second place finish behind a tough Minooka team. Their split last week was 41 seconds. That kind of split starting with a runner in the 30’s could put this team at 15th place or higher.
Edwardsville Final DS IL Ranking – Unranked Sectional – 3rd – Quincy Box - 31
Overview – A tight 4 second split on their first 3 runners put Edwardsville back to state with a 3rd place team performance. Lizzie Lynn is usually the Tigers front runner. She was #2 on Saturday. Expect her to be in the front for this team. It is possible for their first three to be between 40th and 60th place. That could put them at 20th or better at Detweiller Park.
Elmhurst York Final DS IL Ranking – Unranked Sectional – 3rd – Niles West Box - 7
Overview – The Dukes ran a great race last week at Niles West to finish third. Their five runner split was a tight 34 seconds. Elizabeth Hagstrom has stepped up to be the #1 runner the past 2 meets. She could finish in the first 50 on Saturday. If York can keep the same type of split like they did last week, this team could finish 15th or higher.
Joliet West Final DS IL Ranking – Unranked Sectional – 5th – Quincy Box – 29
Overview – The Tigers make the trip to Peoria after a 5th place finish at Quincy. Kiersten Perry and Claire Youell have been the front runners for this team all season. Their split on the first five has been in the 90’s the last three meets. That will need to come down if this team wants to finish higher than 20th.
Normal Community Final DS IL Ranking – Unranked Sectional – 4th – Quincy Box – 13
Overview – Danielle Beckstead has been the top runner for Normal all season. She will be in the top 30 leading the team again in this meet. Normal ran their best race of the year running a 57 second split on their first 4 last week. Their gap between 4 and 5 was 43 seconds. This team could finish in the top 20 if that split could narrow down.
Oak Park Fenwick Final DS IL Ranking – Unranked Sectional – 4th – Niles West Box – 21
Overview – The Friars showed that they could make the state meet earlier this year by finishing second at Peoria Central. They backed that up with a fourth place finish to qualify last Saturday. Olivia Ryan should be in the top ten in this meet. Freshman Annie Mannion has stepped up to give Fenwick a strong #2 runner. The 2-5 split of 95 seconds could be a problem. If that split goes down, this team has the possibility of placing 20th or higher.
Wilmette Loyola Academy Final DS IL Ranking – Unranked Sectional – 5th – Niles West Box – 4
Overview – The Ramblers finished fifth at Niles West last week behind the 8th place finish by Kathryn House. She could be in the top 25 in this race. Loyola had a 97 second overall split with a 2-5 split of 50 seconds. That will need to come down if this team wants to finish higher than 20th.
More news |