Heitzig multi-tasks her way to a close Class 2A Girls State win

Chatham-Glenwood’s seasonal dominance shows in team title

By Michael Newman

Peoria, Ill – While most runners the days before the Illinois State Cross Country Championships would be doing light work to tune up for Saturday’s championships race, Becca Heitzig of Lincoln had a different way of doing things. Most runners were on the Detweiller Park course with light workouts and tuning up, Heitzig was on the volleyball court helping her Lincoln Volleyball team making it to the state semifinals.

Results | Videos | Photos

“Our match at Taylorville ended early. We ended up winning in straight sets,” Heitzig said. “I got home and took an ice bath, had a power drink and pasta, and then got to bed. We drove up here this morning.”

The multi-tasking that Heitzig was doing kept her mind off the race at hand on Saturday morning. It was also the closest finish in state meet history. The closest finish among the first four runners in a Girls State Meet. Somehow, the pressure did not seem to phase Heitzig in her championship win.

The race quickly transformed ion the first mile from a field of 243 runners to five runners that separated from the rest of the field. Heitzig, Natalie Bierbaum of Normal University, Annika Swan of St. Ignatius College Prep, and Sundara Weber of Sandwich all passed the first mile in 5:18 with Zoe Carter of Normal University just 2 seconds behind. The rest of the field was another 10 seconds back.

It was an amazing sight as the four runners approached the second mile. The four runners had lengthened their lead on Carter by 14 seconds, on sixth-place Ali Londrigan of Chatham-Glenwood who was now 32 seconds behind the front pack. No one seemed to flinch as they passed 2-miles in 11:01 with Heitzig leading this four runner pack. The question was who would make the move at that point to solidify the lead. Weber, Swan, Heitzig, and Bierbaum were not ready to go all focused on the lead vehicle ahead of them.

They had run the first mile in 5:18, the second mile slowed down to 5:43. The pace was picking up again as they made the left turn onto the Route 29 portion of the course. There Swan started getting anxious and pushed the pace just a little more. Heitzig refused to let Swan go. Weber and Bierbaum let the two go with maybe hopes that Swan and Heitzig would slip back to them. That never happened.

The crowd of near 20k fans were going crazy watching the moves that were happening in the final 400-meters of the race. Swan made a move that Heitzig would immediately counter again and again coming up the final incline of the course. Each move brought the frenzy of the crowd just a little louder.

There was just no definite move that ended this race. Swan just could not get by the two time defending Class 2A champion in the 800 Meter Run. Heitzig pointed to the sky just 10 meters from the finish giving thanks. Swan had not given up hope and made one more surge. The final line came before the surge took effect. Heitzig won the race in 16:34.75. Swan ran 16:34.80. The two passed the line stopped and congratulated each other knowing what an epic race they had been a part of on this Saturday morning.

“I still do not like cross country. I like the racing though. This has been a hard two weeks. All I could do is depend on my faith, the work that I have done, and the support that my family and friends gave to me,” added Heitzig. “I felt relaxed at two miles. I kept telling myself to stay patient until the final straight were my kick would take full effect. I was scared in the final meters of the race. I just told myself I didn’t lead the race the entire way to lose it.”

Sunny Weber closed in to run 16:40.33 to finish third by a second ahead of Natalie Bierbaum (16:41.45). Bierbaum’s teammate Zoe Carter ran 17:08.56 to finish fifth.

Chatham-Glenwood stepped to the line in every race with no fear and it showed in an undefeated season. It showed once again in their dominant racing putting themselves in position in the first mile and never giving up the lead from that point. The Titans scored 84 points to win their first state championship in the school’s Girls team. Ali Londrigan had led the team all season in the front of their pack and did so here. The freshman was passed by Northside’s Prep Lulu Ton-That just before the line to finish seventh overall with a 17:40.00 time. Ashlyn Chopra was the team’s second runner finish 11th (17:43.15). Sophie Rentmeister was the team’s all-state runner in this race running 17:56.03 to finish 24th. Ally Knudson (36th place) and Brenna Sloman (42nd place) were Glenwood’s fourth and fifth runners. Their team split in this race was 39 seconds.

2021 and 2022 champion Grayslake Central fought hard in this race to challenge for the win. They moved up dramatically in the final mile to end up second with 124 points. The Rams also had three all-state runners in this race led by Sara Armstrong running 17:45.81 to finish 12th overall. Ava Henne was five seconds behind Armstrong as she finished 20th. Isabella Domier finished 23 to give her team a nine second split on three runners. Sofia Witt (63rd) and Jordan Sutter (65) were the team’s fourth and fifth runners passing 12 runners in the final mile to get to those places. The Rams had an overall split of 51 seconds.

St. Ignatius College Prep earned their first team trophy in the program’s history. The Wolfpack scored 166 points to finish third led by Swan’s second-place finish. Ella Hwang also earned all-state honors finishing 15th. Lizeth Montes (54th), Meghan Summer (69th), and Emma Valencia (79th) were also a part of the team’s top five runners. Their split from Hwang to Valencia was 64 seconds.

Washington scored 209 points to finish fourth with Madeleine James (28th), Jayne Hermann (29th), and Sophia Ramirez (40th) all separated by 11 seconds. Mt. Zion finished fifth (256 points) led by Renee Ballard finishing 32nd and Avery Sommer finishing 39th.