By Michael Newman

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Here are highlights from each of the 15 2A regionals that took place on October 21

Normal University Sectional

Metamora Regional

If Saturday’s Boys race at this regional is an indication of what is to come, it should be an exciting one. #1 Normal University and #2 Mahomet-Seymour were tied with 49 points with five runners scored. They had to go to the sixth-runner with U-High having the edge with Tanner Gillam’s 26^th place finish. Mahomet-Seymour had the edge in the front as Mathias Powell (14:33) and Ryan Hodge (14:39) finished 1-2 on this 2.94-mile course with Riley Fortune finishing fourth (15:03). The Pioneers were led by the third-place finish from Jared Shuckman (14:44). It was the pack from U-High that was the difference as they placed their next four runners between 9^th and 15^th with only a 15 second split separating the group. This regional was tough as #8 Bloomington finished third (102 points), #21 Washington (115 points), #12 Normal West (118 points), and #13 Metamora (121 points) who did not run their #1 runner Adam Gilbreath-Glaub in this race.

The margin was a little bit bigger in the Girls race with #4 Mahomet-Seymour having the edge 51-65 ahead of #5 Normal University. #10 Washington (89 points), #18 Normal West (99 points) and Morton (100 points) were in the top five. Lyndsey Wolters of U-High ran 17:30 to win the individual title 18 seconds ahead of Morton’s Aspen Gordon and another two seconds ahead of Washington’s Jadyn Jacobs. Mahomet-Seymour placed 4 runners in the top 10 led by the fourth-place finish from Brisa McGrath.

Peoria Notre Dame Regional

#1 Dunlap held out some of their top five runners including freshman Campbell Petersen in this race. The outcome was the same for the Eagles as they won the regional title (58 points) led by Franny Verville’s individual win. Her time of 19:25 on the challenging Donovan Golf Club 5k course was 8 seconds ahead of Alleman’s Addie Pulley. #9 Notre Dame was next in the team standings (71 points) followed by Canton 78 points) and Geneseo (88 points).

Spencer Smith of Alleman stormed away to an easy win individually in the Boys race (16:25) winning by 48 seconds ahead of Notre Dame’s Chris Gilbert. It was the pack of Notre Dame, led by Gilbert as they placed 5 runners in the top 14 to win the team title with 35 points. Alleman finished second (37 points) with 4 runners in the top 8, 5 runners in the top 16.

Crete-Monee Regional

Urbana swept both team titles in this regional.

The #14 Girls team placed 4 runners in the top 8 led by the 2-3 finish from Libby Cultra and Olivia Rosenstein to win with 34 points ahead of city rival Urbana University (45 points). Morris finished third (92 points). U-High’s Arielle Summitt ran 18:20 to capture the regional title 8 seconds ahead of the Urbana duo.

Urbana’s Justice Carter ran 16:31 to win the individual race to lead Urbana to the team win 57-63 ahead of Morris.

Kaneland Sectional

Belvidere Regional

It looks like #2 Belvidere North is ready to defend their 2016 title. The Blue Thunder placed their first 5 runners in the top 6 to easily win the Girls team title with 18 points ahead of #9 Dixon (80 points). Madison Diercks and Gianna Sagona finished within two seconds of each other with Diercks taking home the individual win (18:08). Woodstock’s Kylie Hagmann finished third (18:39). North’s split on their top 5 was 75 seconds. Rockford Boylan just qualified for next week’s Kaneland Sectional by finishing sixth but did it without their #1 runner Grace McLaughlin. The 2-time state champion in track has missed most of the season due to injury but ran 17:55 two weeks ago in the open race at the Sterling Invitational. Since her team did qualify, there is still a chance that McLaughlin will run next Saturday at the Kaneland Sectional.

Jake Gebhardt of Sterling tuned up for next week’s sectional with an easy win on Saturday. Gebhardt’s time of 15:57 was 29 seconds faster than Dixon’s Christian Seagren. #20 Dixon used top ten finishes from Seagren and Andrew Lohse (6^th) to just barely win the team regional title 49-50 ahead of #19 Belvidere North. The Blue Thunder were paced by the 3-4 finish from Alec Scott and Virgil Munyemana.

Burlington Central Regional

The Boys team battle was crazy with one good team ending their season in this race. #3 Sycamore placed 5 runners in the first 16 led by the third-place finish from Stephen Poorten to win the team title with 48 points ahead of #4 Kaneland. It was close for the next three spots with Crystal Lake Central and Hampshire both scoring 98 points and Burlington Central (100 points) Crystal Lake South scored 123 points for the final qualifying spot finishing one point ahead of #11 Illinois Math & Science Academy. The individual race was great as Kaneland’s Matt Richtman took the regional title (15:08) three seconds ahead of Crystal Lake South’s Jack Becker.

Rachel Richtman ran 18:11 to win the individual title to lead #6 Kaneland to the regional title 51-55 ahead of #21 Crystal Lake South. Burlington Central (66 points) finished third. Katelyn Smith of Crystal Lake Central finished second (18:23) three seconds ahead of Kayla Schiera of Sandwich.

Antioch Regional

#3 Vernon Hills packed it up in the Girls race placing 5 runners in the first 9 to win the team title with 33 points. Lauren Katz led the Cougars with a third-place finish. The split on their top 5 was 74 seconds. It was only 17 seconds on their next four led by Ryan Schofield’s sixth-place finish. #24 Lakes (89 points) and #12 Carmel Catholic (94 points) finished second and third. It was a battle of freshmen in the front as Prairie Ridge’s Chelsea Gale ran 18:37 to win by 10 seconds ahead of Lakes’ Brooke Stromsland.

Vernon Hills got top ten finishes from James McDonald and Theodore Chen to make it a sweep for their school in winning the Boys team title with 69 points). Antioch (81 points) and Lakes (85 points) finished second and third. It was another 10 second margin in the individual race as Antioch’s Charlie Smith ran 16:13 for the win ahead of Grayslake North’s Connor Riss. Eli Minsky of Grayslake Central (16:28) finished third.

Decatur MacArthur Sectional

Highland Regional

#10 Mascoutah placed 5 runners in the top 16 to win the Boys Regional title with 51 points. Casmir Cozzi led his team with a fourth-place finish. #5 Waterloo, who was without their #1 runner Adam Robson, placed 4 runners in the top 12 on their way to a second-place finish (71 points). After a 40-point gap, it was close for the next three positions with Triad and Carbondale (112 points) followed by #14 Marion. John Bruce of Marion ran 15:38 for the win.

#16 Waterloo rebounded from their second-place finish to #15 Troy last week at the Mississippi Valley Conference Meet winning the Girls regional title in a close four team race. The Bulldogs, led by the 1-2 finish from Jenna Schwartz and Ella King, scored 47 points ahead of Triad (60 points), Mascoutah (67 points), and Highland (78 points). Schwartz looks ready for a state title run as she ran 17:41 for the win finishing 75 seconds ahead of her teammate.

Jacksonville Regional

Close finishes were the name of the game in both races. #9 Chatham-Glenwood’s 6 runners in the first 12 were the difference in the Boys race as they won the team title on a sixth-runner tiebreaker. Both the Titans and #7 Springfield both scored 32 points as the Senators placed 5 runners in the first 13, 7 in the top 15. The individual race finish was microscopic as Glenwood’s Drey Maton edges Springfield’s Kyle Boughter by 68 hundredths of a second. Both were times at 15:09 for the 2.9-mile course.

#17 Springfield got the edge over #13 Chatham-Glenwood in the Girls race as the Senators placed 5 runners in the first 12 for the 40-43 win. Springfield’s Gabby Wood ran 18:14 to win the individual race by 6 seconds ahead of Sydney Huffman from Springfield Southeast. Glenwood placed 3 runners in the top 10 led by Ali Wynn’s third-place finish.

Charleston Regional

#16 Danville ran a 30 second split on their top five to win the Boys team title with 53 points. #15 Mt. Zion (63 points), #22 Charleston (68 points), and Olney Richland County (72 points) finished second through fourth. Danville was led by Brandon Barfell’s seventh-place finish. It was a close individual finish as Charleston’s Nick Oakley ran 15:35 for the win two seconds ahead of Mason Jones from Mt. Zion.

Danville’s Shanice Garbutt continues to make statements as she stares at a chance to win the 2A individual title. Garbutt dominated this regional race running 17:58 winning by 93 seconds ahead of Charleston’s Megan Garrett. Mt. Zion placed 3 runners in the first 10 on their way to win the Girls team title with 50 points ahead of Charleston (60 points), Mattoon (68 points), and Effingham (76 points).

Wheaton Academy Sectional

Riverside-Brookfield Regional

Only three points separated Wheaton Academy and Riverside-Brookfield in last Monday’s MSC-Blue Meet with RB winning. It was closer in this race. #25 Wheaton Academy 5 runners in the first 15 gave them the edge to win the regional title 38-39 ahead of #19 Riverside-Brookfield. The Bulldogs’ Tara Janney ran 18:56 to win by 20 seconds ahead of Wheaton’s Julia Robleski and Stephanie Gregersen. Riverside-Brookfield placed 5 runners in the first 16.

#6 Riverside-Brookfield won the Boys regional race placing 5 runners in the top 11 to win with 36 points ahead of St. Francis (69 points) and Glenbard South (95 points). Montini’s Jacob Mondschean ran 15:51 for the win seven seconds ahead of RB’s Jacob Wardzala. The 5-runner split for the Bulldogs was 63 seconds.

Marist Regional

It was the pack of #23 Lemont proved to be the difference in the Girls race. Lemont’s 6 runners in the top 14 offset Rosary’s 5 runners in the first 15. Both teams scored 46 points with Lemont having the edge on the sixth-runner tiebreak. Hinsdale South’s Neha Chinwalla ran 19:37 for the individual win seven seconds ahead of Rosary’s Maia Italia.

Led by the individual win from Brett Haffner, #25 Hinsdale South won the regional title with 46 points ahead of Lemont (57 points) and Marist (58 points). Haffner’s time of 16:03 edged Marist’s Thomas Leonard for the win by three seconds.

Thornridge Regional

The 1-2 finish from Austin Ohm and Derek Van Prooyen gave #18 Illiana Christian the regional win with 47 points. Bremen (63 points) and Providence Catholic (77 points) finished second and third. Ohm’s time of 15:42 was 26 seconds ahead of his teammate.

Oak Forest edged Marian Catholic 43-48 for the Girls team title behind the individual win from Jaclyn Latocha. The senior’s time of 19:55 was just one second ahead of T.F. North’s Adriana Munoz.

Chicago University Sectional

Fenton Regional

The Boys race in this regional should be where the 5 sectional state qualifiers could come from in what is the toughest of the three regionals. Matt Gold ran 16:17 for the individual win to lead Deerfield to the regional win (49 points) ahead of St. Viator (59 points) and Fenton (75 points). Gold’s time of 16:17 was eight seconds ahead of second-place Audiel Perez of Mather.

St. Viator placed 6 runners in the top 9 to easily win the Girls regional title 23-44 ahead of Deerfield. St. Viator’s Katie Castelli ran 19:23 to win the individual title ahead of Deerfield’s Kelley Osborn.

Prosser Regional

Only six points separated the first three teams in the Girls race. #7 Latin and #22 Trinity both placed 3 runners as well as Payton Prep having 2 runners in the top 10. The 1-3 finish from Marianne Mihas and Olivia Syftestad gave Latin School the edge 46-47 ahead of Trinity. Payton scored 52 points to finish third. Mihas’ time of 18:11 was 63 seconds ahead of race runner-up Emma Creviston of Trinity.

Payton Prep placed three runners in the top five to win the Boys team title (29 points) ahead of Latin School’s 68 points. Payton’s Matthew Marchbanks ran 16:28 to edge DePaul Prep’s Alfredo MacLaughlin for the individual title.

De La Salle Regional

Solorio Academy swept both races in this regional. The Girls team placed 5 runners in the top 7 to win the regional title with 22 points. Mariah Torres led Solorio with the individual win (20:37) winning by four seconds ahead of Kenwood’s Amani Jackson-Gladney.

4 runners in the top 9 pushed Solorio to the Boys team win (31 points) ahead of Kenwood (57 points). Solorio’s Adonaliz Hernandez ran 17:13 for the individual win.