Schlenker, Morris within eight seconds of Hart; Classic team race with Naperville North winning third straight 3A title by seven points ahead of Yorkville

By Michael Newman

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Peoria – The sight after the finish line area was a picture that could tell you what kind of race the 3A Girls competition was Saturday afternoon at Detweiller Park. Runners on the ground, runners grasping each other in long hugs.

RESULTS

That race went quick, the race was fast. It was one of the fastest Girls overall races that we have ever seen in the IHSA State Meet. It exceeded pre-meet expectations.

Katelynne Hart of Glenbard West gave everything that she had in this race winning the 3A state title for the third year in a row. Her time of 15:59.8 was the second time that a female runner has run faster than 16 minutes and the second fastest time ever behind the 15:53.8 that Judy Pendergast ran in winning her title in 2015.

It was expected to be Hart and then who ever finished behind her. The race did not play out that way. Hart had the lead at 880 in 2:26 and then the mile in 5:11.

There was a pack that was only four seconds behind Hart that included Katrina Schlenker of Batavia, Alex Morris of Naperville North, Aly Negovetich of Grant Community, and Alice Abbott of St. Charles East.

Hart tried to extend the lead in the back half of the triangle, but the advantage of four seconds stayed the same. It was Morris and Schlenker that stayed close as they moved away from the pack in the pursuit of Hart.

The Glenbard West All-American passed by two-miles in 10:36 adding another second to her lead as Schlenker and Morris passed by in 10:41.

Hart had a stressed but concentrated look on her face as she entered the final loop of the course. It was not that she was running poor. Far from that. It was that no other runner had been within 30 seconds of her most of this season. The duo behind her were five seconds back and started to close the gap with a half mile to go.

That is when Hart put the hammer down trying to extend the lead. That she did just that.

The clock was clicking closer to the record as Hart was getting closer to the finish line. Time ran out before she could cross. Still, her time was just under 16-minutes. It was quite an accomplishment for such an accomplished runner.

“I wanted to go out hard for the first mile around 5:12,” Hart said.  “I tried to work my arms the second mile and attack the down hill in the final mile. I knew that they were pretty close. They both ran amazing races. I feel in every state meet I feel a little more pressure. I just try to stay relaxed and felt that way because I am a little more experienced now. I was a little nervous, but I had to focus on having a good race.”

Schlenker ran the fastest freshman time ever on this course (16:07) and the fourth fastest time ever. Morris finished in a best of 16:10 which was the fifth fastest time ever at Detweiller Park.

The team race was just as tight especially in the final mile of the race. Yorkville and Naperville North had faced each other twice with each team winning once. Downers Grove South had been in both races finishing third in both.

Naperville North had the advantage in the first half of the race with Yorkville and Downers Grove South more than 30 points back. Both teams made a push on the two-time defending state champions in the last mile of the race.

Yorkville got close but could not surpass the Lady Huskies. Naperville North was the 3A state champions with 80 points. Yorkville was second with 87 points. Downers Grove South finished third with 127 points.

“Anytime you break 100 points in this meet, you expect to win,” Naperville North Coach Dan Iverson said. “That tells how good all three teams are when it is only a seven-point margin. It was stressful but fun to watch.”
“Our girls ran amazing today,” Yorkville Coach Chris Muth said. “I was really happy with their performance.”

Naperville North’s was outstanding. Their team time of 84:49 for the Detweiller three-mile course is the fastest team performance in state meet history.

All seven of their runners finished 38^th place or higher. Two other runners finished with all-state honors besides Morris. Sophomores Maggie Gamboa and Campbell Petersen finished 19^th and 25^th overall. Lucy Westlake was the team’s fourth runner finishing 28^th. Audrey Mendrys finished 32^nd to finish out the scorers. Claire Hill was right behind in 34^th while Megan Driscoll placed 38^th.

Naperville North placed all their runners in before Yorkville’s fifth runner which made the difference in the race considering how strong the Lady Foxes front pack was. Three runners for Yorkville finished in the top 13 led by the fifth-place finish from Helena Kleronomos. Kailey Fox (10^th) and Emily Eberhart (13^th) were seven and eleven seconds back. Hailey Simmons was the team’s fourth runner (30^th) while Olivia Borowiak finished the Yorkville scorers placing 53^rd.

Yorkville’s team time of 84:57 was the second fastest team time ever and only eight seconds behind Naperville North.

Downers Grove South also had their best race of the year with their 127-point total. Brenna Cohoon was the lone all-state runner for the Lady Mustangs as she finished ninth overall. The split from South’s second through fifth runners was only 20 seconds. Melissa Weidner led the group finishing 29^th followed by Erin Reidy (39^th), Kennedy Warden (43^rd), and Rebecca Diddia (46^th).

Lyons Township finished fourth (191 points) behind Kate Dickman’s 16^th place finish. Minooka was fifth (219 points) led by the sixth-place finish from Vivian Van Eck. Samantha Poglitsch finishing seventh and the 17^th place finish from Laurel Moneysmith helped Wheaton-Warrenville South finish sixth (239 points).

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