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2021 IHSA State Cross Country Championships - Class 3A Girls PreviewPublished by
2021 IHSA State Cross Country Championships - Class 3A Girls
By Michael Newman [email protected]
It will be interesting to see how the individual race that starts at 1:00 PM plays out on Saturday afternoon. The last time we were at Detweiller Park in 2019, Katelynne Hart was on her ay to her fourth state meet championship. It is another WSC-Silver runner Josephine Welin that would like to take home the top prize. Welin missed the first part of the season due to a stress fracture. She ran 16:40 at the Richard Spring Invitational to finish second behind Ava Parekh. She finished second behind Lake Zurich’s Brooke Johnston the following week at Palatine. Welin has been tough coming down the stretch remaining undefeated in that time including winning at Hinsdale by four seconds ahead of Sophia McNerney of Downers Grove South. Johnston and McNerney will be with Welin in Saturday’s race. Johnston and Aly Negovetich traded off wis at state series meets the past two weeks. Negovetich is ready for Saturday and could be the surprise in this race. Grace Schager of Glenbard South appears to be ready for the challenge and will be up front along with Katrina Schlenker of Batavia. Holly Johnson of Downers Grove South, Bria Bennis of York, Lucy Westlake of Naperville North, Naomi Ruff of South Elgin, Caroline Schoen of Homewood-Flossmoor, Audrey Allman of Glenbard West, and Catherine Sommerfeld of Lyons Township are some of the runners that you could see in the front in this loaded race. The team race does have the dramatics, but it will be for the second and third-place trophies. York has been dominant all season and will be tough to beat in this meet. There are five teams that could finish within 20 points of each other that include Naperville North, Prospect, Hinsdale Central, Minooka, and Downers Grove South. There are 28 teams that made it from the four sectionals. Here is a detailed look at each of those teams. READ THE OTHER STATE MEET PREVEWS HERE | LIVE RESULTS LINK FOR THE IHSA STATE MEET
Elmhurst (York)
Notes – Saturday marks the 35 time that York will compete in the Girls State Meet. It is the most for any Girls team in Illinois since the Girls Meet started in 1979. York will look for their second state championship. Their only state meet championship occurred in 2000. There have been a number of scenarios that I have thought of that could stop York in their quest for a state championship. The most absurd is a sinkhole opening up in front of York’s box right as the gun goes off. Nothing is certain in life. York is not a lock to win the state title, but they are pretty close to it. York has been unbeatable this fall with no team really coming close to them. Bria Bennis has emerged as the team’s #1 runner in the last three meet and could finish in the top 10. The top five split in their last three meets has been 41 seconds, 39 seconds, and then 40 seconds last week at Lake Park. Katherine Klimek, Kaitlyn Winton, Brooke Berger, Michaela Quinn, and Maggie Owens could all finish in the top 30. It is tough to beat scoring like that. It reminds me of the York Boys team of 1999. Every time saw that team race, I just shook my head in disbelief. I have been doing that a bunch this fall. Mt. Prospect (Prospect)
Notes – The Lady Knights will compete in the Girls State Meet for the 20th time. Their only trophy came in 1989 when they finished third in the Class AA State Meet. The Knights have the most experience racing York finishing second to them in three straight meets in September. Prospect loos to be ready as one of five teams that will be challenging for two trophies. Lily Ginsberg and Hailey Erickson have been the team’s top runners most of this season. The two were separated by four seconds in the MSL Meet. There was 15 seconds of separation in their sectional meet at Busse Woods. Audrey Ginsberg was 119 seconds behind Erickson last week. They will need that same kind of split in Saturday’s race. The Knights had 56 second split which would work in the state race. A split of 50 seconds or under would be better for this team in securing a state trophy. Naperville (North)
Notes – The Huskies are the only Girls team in the state that have competed in the State Meet since the Girls race distance was lengthened to 3 Miles in 2002. This is the program’s 30th State Meet appearance. The last time that a Naperville North team has not competed in a state meet was in 1990. The Huskies have won 10 State Championships including three in a row in the Class 3A State Meet from 2017 to 2019. The team had a hectic last few weeks losing two of top five runners to health-related issues just before their regional meet in which they finished third. Lucy Westlake returned last week. Marissa Magana has missed the last two meets. She hopes to race on Saturday. Westlake is the runner to watch in the front where she could finish in the top 10. The Huskies have a tight pack behind her with a two to five split of 35 seconds last week and a 30 second split in their win at Naperville Twilight. The Huskies have the tradition of running their best race at Detweiller Park in November. This should be one of those times for this North team. Minooka
Notes – Minooka will compete in the Girls State Meet for the 14th year. They have competed in every Girls State meet since 2008. The Indians did win a Class 3A title in 2015. Minooka has been among the top five teams for most of the season. The Indians have looked good in close wins in their regional and sectional races and will hope for the same on Saturday. Gabriella McCollom has stepped up as the team’s top runner in the last three weeks. Audrey Boles was within six seconds of McCollom last week. Gabrielle Kics and Jocelyn Host give this team a solid first four. Their top five split has been consistent near 60 seconds for most of the season. It was 59 seconds last week and 55 seconds the week before in their regional meet. The Indians will need more of that kind of split with at least two runners in the top 25 for this team to finish in the top three on Saturday. Hinsdale (Central)
Notes – This will be the 21st State Meet appearance for the Red Devilettes and their ninth IHSA State Meet in a row. Central has three state trophies to their credit including a State Championship in the Class AA State Meet in 2006. The Red Devilettes finished third in the Class 3A State Meet in 2019. Central is running hot at the right time winning big races at Lyons Township over a top field and then last week when they were the best ahead of seven other ranked teams. Catie McCabe is the team’s top runner and should finish in the top 10. Their top five split in that race was 79 seconds. The split from second runner Erin Milligan to fifth runner Louisa Brorson was 31 seconds. That may need to come down in Saturday’s race. This team runs big in this meet. They did so in 2019. The Red Devilettes could repeat that this weekend. Downers Grove (South)
Notes – The Lady Mustangs make it back to the State Meet for the 17th time. South has competed in every Class 3A State Meet since 2011. They have finished in the top five for the last four State Meets including finishing third in 2018. It was hard to figure out this team early in the year with the team going through illnesses and injuries. They showed how they could be finishing fourth in that tough Hinsdale Central Sectional. They have the power in the front with Sophia McNerney challenging for a state title and Holly Johnson challenging for a finish in the top 10. Kelsey Casella was within 50 seconds of Johnson last week. Getting that gap tighter could mean big things for this team. They have a tight split in their fourth and fifth runners. Closing that close to a one-minute gap could mean a second state trophy in the program’s history. Yorkville
Notes – The Lady Foxes will compete in their 13th State Meet all happening since 2008. They were in Class 2A until 2105 and Class 3A from 2016 on. Yorkville has finished no lower than second since 2009 including five Class 2A titles from 2011 to 2015. One team that has made the big charge at the end of the season. The Lady Foxes came within five points of Minooka last week at Quincy. They could finish in the top five on Saturday with anther good race. Anna Hunter stepped up winning the sectional race last Saturday and could finish in the top 15 on state meet Saturday. Makenna Edwards and Margaret Hunter give the team a solid second and third runners leading their pack. Yorkville had a 75 second top five split in their sectional. It was near 60 seconds in the previous two races. That needs to be under 60 seconds for this team to challenge for a trophy. Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West)
Notes – The Hilltoppers competed in the Girls State Meet for the 19 time. The last State Meet that they did not compete in was 2009. Their lone state title came in the 2013 Class 3A State Meet. This team has seen major improvement coming down the stretch and it could mean big things in Saturday’s race. Audrey Allman is the #1 runner for the Hilltoppers that could finish in the top five. Their pack behind Allman was great last week with only 14 seconds separating those runners as they finished second at Lake Park. Another race like that could get Glenbard West closer to the top five. Oak Park-River Forest
Notes – This will be the third year in a row (from 2018) that the Huskies have competed in the Class 3A State Meet. This will be the program’s 11th State Meet appearance. Oak Park bounced back after their performance in the regionals finishing third at Hinsdale Central; Josephine Welin is one of the individual race favorites and leads this team. Katie Stabb is a solid second runner for the Huskies and could finish in the top 40. Their team ran a 66 second split form their second through fifth runners in their sectional race. Lowering that split could mean good things for this WSC-Silver team this weekend. Naperville (Central)
Notes – This will be the 18 time that Naperville Central has competed in the Girls State Meet. It is their first time at Detweiller Park as a team since 2017. I have been impressed by this team especially with their top three this fall. Liv Phillips, Kate Tueting, and Ava Hendren finished within 14 seconds of each other in their Hinsdale Central sectional race. All three could finish in the top 25 on Saturday. The split between that pack and their fourth runner was 98 seconds at the sectional race. That type of split could hurt their chances of finishing in the top 10. Batavia
Notes – The Bulldogs compete in the IHSA State Meet for the seventh time in a row. This will be the team’s ninth state meet appearance. Batavia was not thought of one of the teams to qualify out of the tough Hinsdale Central at the end of September. The Bulldogs again peaked at the right time winning the DuKane Conference Meet, the Oswego East Regional, and then finished fifth last week to advance to the state meet. Katrina Schlenker is one of the runners that you will see up front in this race. The addition of three freshmen in their top seven has mad this team the way it is heading into this weekend. The split for Batavia from their second through their fifth runners was 55 seconds last weekend. Winnetka (New Trier)
Notes – This will be the 16 time that the Trevians have competed in the State Meet with the last 11 times coming in a row since 2009. The Trevians do have a state championship to their credit in 2011. The first year in cross-country has suited Beatrix Gilson nicely as she could finish in the top 25 on Saturday. The Trevians finished second at Hoffman Estates with a 56 second split on the pack behind Gilson. St. Charles (East)
Notes – This will be the 15th time that this school has competed in the state meet. 10 of those times has come as St. Charles East. The Lady Saints will look for a top 15 finish after finishing third at Lake Park. The team was led by Morgan Sandlund and Brooklyn Walker that could be in the top 60 in Saturday’s race. The Saints’ split has lengthened to 71 seconds from single digits before their conference meet. Getting their top five split under 60 seconds could get this team higher in the team standings. Barrington
Notes – This will be the 19th time that the Fillies have competed in the State Meet. Barrington is led by freshman Scout Storms that could finish in the top 25 on Saturday. Barrington made it back to Peoria finishing third with a 95 second split on their top five and 67 seconds on their second through fifth runners. Downers Grove (North)
Notes – This is the 25th time that a Downers Grove North team has made it to the state meet. They were part of the field for the first IHSA Girls State Meet in 1979. Their state championships in 1980 and 1985 came under the leadership of Hall of Fame Coach Bruce Ritter. The Trojans are the fifth WSC-Silver team in this field. North was supposed to be the one team out of qualifying at Hinsdale Central. Now they are in after their sixth-place finish. Claire Pyne and Ashley Novak led the Trojans with a 52 second split on their top five. Park Ridge (Maine South)
Notes – The Hawks will compete in the Girls State Meet for the tenth time. Maine South made it to state by finishing fourth at the Lake Park Sectional. Freshman Sofia Accuri is the team’s top runner that could finish in Saturday’s state race. The Hawks had a 62 second split on their first five runners with a split of 46 seconds on the pack behind Accuri. Wilmette (Loyola Academy)
Notes – The Ramblers compete in the Girls State Meet for the ninth time. It is their first time at Detweiller Park since 2014 when they finished 20th. Two of their top five runners, Morgan Mackie, and Maeve Norman, have not run in Loyola’s past three meets. The Ramblers still made it to state finishing fourth at Hoffman Estates. Ellie Grammas has stepped up as the team’s top runner. She could finish in the top 25 individually. St. Charles (North)
Notes – This will be the fifth State Meet appearance for St. Charles North. It is their first since 2013. The North Stars have a solid first three led by Bella DiCrosta and followed by Nora Dorrance and Rachael Price. DiCrosta has a good chance of finishing in the top 20. North finished fifth at the Lake Park Sectional with a 99 second split on their top five runners. Wheaton-Warrenville South
Notes – The Tigers appear in the Girls State Meet for the 22nd time. (Note: Three of those times came as Wheaton Central in 1988-1989 and 1991). South has finished in the top 10 14 times including a second-place trophy and three third-place trophies. South has had a n up and down season on a top seven that has three freshmen in its lineup. The Tigers just made it to Peoria finishing seventh at Lake Park. Annie Macabobby stepped up as the team’s top runner and could have a big race this Saturday. Freshman Nicole Poglitsch had been the team’s top runner most of the year but did not have a great race last week. Watch her to bounce back this Saturday. Algonquin (Jacobs)
Notes – This is the second Girls State Meet appearance. It is their first since 1985 when they finished 13th in the IHSA Girls Single Class Meet. This team is sneaky good with a second-place finish at the Fox Valley Conference Meet and then fifth last week at Hoffman Estates. Kelly Carpenter led a 66 second split on their top five in last week’s race. Lockport (Township)
Notes – The storied history of this Girls program continues as they make an appearance in the Girls State Meet for the 27th time. The Porters finished fourth last week at Quincy led by Kaya Shea. The junior has a good chance to finish in the top 25 individually. Their top five split is now at 103 seconds after last week’s race. Edwardsville
Notes – The Tigers will appear n the IHSA Girls State Meet for the 12th time. Emily Nuttall has stepped up as the team’s top runner after transferring in from Richland County. The Tigers missed their top runner Riley Knoyle who missed this season due to an injury. The Tigers still made it back to Peoria finishing third last week at Quincy led by Nuttall and Olivia Coll. Plainfield (North)
Notes – This is the fourth time that the Tigers will compete in the state meet. Their first three came from 2016 to 2018. The Tigers finished fifth at Quincy with a 50 second split on their top five led by Claire Wilson, Elsie Czarniewski, and Aminah Hussain. They could finish in the top 20 with a similar race on Saturday. Huntley
Notes – The Red Raider will make their third State Meet appearance and their second time in a row in the IHSA meet. Huntley ran a great race at Lake Park finishing sixth and making the trip to Peoria. Brianna Burak leads this team and could earn all-state honors on Saturday. Molly Alen and Brittany Burak give the Raiders a solid first three runners. Their top five split was at 120 seconds in last Saturday’s race. Libertyville
Notes – This will be the seventh time for the Tigers to appear in the State Meet. It is their first appearance since 2007. Bree Ponchak and Sheila Tucker were the top runners for the Tigers last week when they finished seventh at Hoffman Estates. O'Fallon
Notes – The Panthers will appear in the Girls State Meet for the 25th time. Peyton Schieppe is the team’s top runner. She could finish in the top 15 on Saturday. O’Fallon made it to state by finishing sixth last week at Quincy. Arlington Heights (Hersey)
Notes – Hersey makes the Girls State Meet for the 18th time by finishing sixth at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. Anna Harden has bee the team’s top runner that could finish in the top 10 on Saturday. New Lenox (Lincoln-Way West)
Notes – This will be the first time that Lincoln-Way West advances to the IHSA Girls State Meet. They made it to state by finishing seventh at the Quincy Sectional. Gianni Arizzi has been the team’s top runner all season. She has a good chance to finish in the top 25 in Saturday’s race. More news |
