Emma Argo pulls away for individual race title

Photo: Jordan Harmon (#284) was a big reason why Tolono Unity won the 1A Girls team title (Laura Duffy Photo)

By Michael Newman

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Peoria – In her first cross-country race in the past three weeks, Jordan Harmon was the difference maker in helping Tolono Unity win their second IHSA 1A Girls State Championship in the past three years Saturday morning at a foggy Detweiller Park.

Harmon had not run in the past three meets due to strain in her foot. She had done every possible training in the pool trying to stay in shape for this one moment. The week before at the IHSA Sectional Meet in Carlinville, their area rival St. Joseph-Ogden came away with the sectional win ahead of Tolono Unity by three points. After almost 45 minutes after the conclusion of the race, Tolono Unity had found out that they were the winners but just barely 108 to 110.

Part of the formula for the Rockets was having three all-state runners finishing in the top 25 including Jordan who gutted her way through the race. Freshman Caroline Bachert led the Rockets with a 13^th place finish. Then it was Harmon (21^st place) followed by another freshman Evelyn Adkins (25^th place). Kylie Decker (46^th place) and Audrey Hancock (70^th) were the team’s other scorers. The split on their top five was 70 seconds.

“"The team just picked up exactly where they needed to, every single one of them," Tolono Unity coach Kara Leaman said after she found out her team had won. "To win by two points is just incredible."

St. Joseph-Ogden came up close to winning their second straight team championship despite the fact they lost #2 runner Sam Mabry at the end of September for the rest of the season due to a foot injury. The Spartans were led by senior Faith Houston who earned all-state honors (7^th place overall) in her final cross-country race for the team. 39 seconds separated the next four runners with Hannah Rajlich finishing 31^st, Cassidy Bagby in 34^th, Emmy Houston in 37^th, and Ally Monk rounded out the top five placing 66^th. St. Joseph-Ogden only loses Faith Houston from their top seven for the 2018. Tolono Unity returns their top six runners from the meet. This time next year, we could again be talking about these two teams battling for a trophy.

Monticello finished third with 181 points making them the third team placing from the newly formed Illini Prairie Conference. The Sages achieved a trophy with no runners in the top 25, but an efficient pack that had a 26 second split led by Alyssa McPike’s 42^nd place finish.

Rock Falls, who was one of the pre-meet team favorites, finished seventh (233 points) led by 3 runners in the top 28 led by Alex Gomez who finished 16^th overall. Bailee Fortney, who ran side-by side with Gomez all season, struggled down the stretch and collapsed after she crossed the finish line. She was transported to a local Peoria hospital where she was diagnosed with severe dehydration. The sophomore is expected to be released on Monday according to Rock Falls coach Mark Truesdell. The Rockets will be itching for another race at Detweiller Park next year. They return all this year’s top seven runners.

Eureka’s Emma Argo and Nygia Pollard broke away from the rest of the pack during the half way point of the race passing two miles in 11:47. As they two made the turn with 1200 meters to go, Argo started to push the pace slowly breaking away from the field. Argo, who is a junior, pulled away to a state championship crossing the line 12 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack.

“I just wanted to be near the front among the leaders working hard trying to break away,” Argo said afterwards. “I never imagined this. It’s so amazing.”

The next three runners behind Argo were within two seconds of each other. Sophomore Ailey Mitchell of Shelbyville led the way in second (17:46). It was two unexpected freshmen that followed. Frankie Chaidez from IC Catholic Prep had finished second to Pollard the week before at the Lisle Sectional but stayed up towards the front the entire race to finish one second behind Mitchell in third. Karlie Hey of Sterling Newman, who had finished third at the Oregon Sectional, was another second back in fourth-place finish. Pollard, who made the race by pushing the pace for the first two miles, held on to finish in 24^th earning al-state honors.

2018 promises to be just as exciting. Nine of the top ten finishers in this classification return.