Girls cross country / State meeting scouting, Northwest
Girls cross country / State meeting scouting, Northwest
Where: Detweiller Park, Peoria
When: Class 1A at 9 a.m.; Class 2A at 11 a.m.; Class 3A at 1 p.m.
What to know: It is shaping up to be an interesting team race. Defending Class 3A champion Minooka, Naperville North, and Yorkville are positioned well. Minooka swept the top four spots in edging Yorkville 24-36 for the Edwardsville sectional title, while Naperville North ran to an impressive sectional title at West Aurora. Glenbard West, despite missing its No. 3 runner, still ran to the Niles West sectional title. Downers Grove South is coming on strong and the Mustangs will be in play for a trophy after taking first at the Marist sectional. Palatine has been moving up all season and will be in the mix for a top 10 finish. Hersey also is entertaining ideas of a high state finish. Glenbard West freshman Katelyn Hart has exploded onto the scene in her debut prep season. She has run like a veteran and has positioned herself for the Class 3A state title. Hart and junior teammate Lindsay Payne finished 1-2 at the Niles West sectional and could finish 1-2 in state. Barrington junior Jocelyn Long, Prospect senior Brooke Wilson and Schaumburg junior Maddie Marasco finished 1-2-3 at the Waukegan sectional and will push for a top-five finish on Saturday. Minooka senior McKenzie Callahan will also be in the mix for a top-five finish.
Area teamsPalatine: The Pirates started the year by finishing a distant sixth at the Hinsdale Central Invitational, but have been rising rapidly. Palatine tied Fremd and Schaumburg for the Mid-Suburban West title, took second in the MSL and then went on to win the Grant regional title and Waukegan sectional titles. Senior Danya Llloyd has been a pleasant surprise in her first year of cross country, taking fourth in the MSL and sectional races. She has been an anchor for the Pirates. Sophomore twins Liz and Kate Lechowicz have also supplied the Pirates with a boost. Junior Lauryn Simons ran an inspired sectional race, while senior Anna Buckstaff, senior Nadya Lloyd and senior Izzeh Stankiewicz have solidified the back pack. Palatine has offered plenty of surprises this year and could provide one more. A top-five finish is definitely within reach.
Hersey: The Huskies have been rolling since winning the MSL East title. Senior Sarah Harden and senior Hailey Bowes have provided a nice 1-2 punch. But the emergence of sophomore Teagan Beckley has really solidified the Huskies' front pack. Harden, Bowes, and Beckley went 8-12-13 in powering the Huskies to second place at the Waukegan sectional and the program's first state appearance since 2009. Hersey has also leaned on a pair of freshman in Katie Fredian and Erin Barton to provide a boost for its back pack. Fredian proved to be the difference in the Huskies' big dual meet victory over Prospect. Senior Hannah Mulroe has also provided experience for a team that has been rising and could be among the top 10 on Saturday.
Schaumburg: The Saxons have been simmering all season, and on Saturday they boiled over, finishing fifth at the Waukegan sectional and advancing to the Class 3A state meet. Junior Maddie Marasco has elevated her performance this year and will be among the state leaders on Saturday. She finished third at the Waukegan sectional. Junior Lauren Kubinski has been a consistent presence as the Saxons' No. 2 runner, while junior Rachel Vacarro has been coming on strong. Senior Ellie O'Connell and freshman Katie Smith provided a nice lift at the sectional. Schaumburg, after an up and down season, finally put the pieces together on Saturday, priming themselves for a big run at state meet.
Individual qualifiersBarrington junior Jocelyn Long and Prospect senior Brooke Wilson had to be a bit disappointed that their respective teams missed qualifying for state, as both the Broncos and the Knights missed qualifying for state by 10 points. Now Long and Wilson must fix their attention to the individual race, where the two talented runners should be among the front-runners. Long and Wilson finished 1-2 at the Waukegan sectional and head into the state meet with a bit of momentum. Wilson finished third in Class 3A last season, with Long taking fifth in Class 3A. Also joining the individual field is Fremd senior Linda Varela. The senior finished 71st at the Schaumburg sectional as a junior, but capped a huge season with a 17th-place finish at the Waukegan sectional. Elk Grove senior Emily Stegmeier returns to the state meet after placing seventh at the Niles West sectional. She finished 29th in Class 3A last season and is aiming for an all-state medal this season. St. Viator sophomore Payton McDonnell finished 22nd at the Fenton sectional and advances to the Class 2A meet. Christian Liberty Academy senior Isabella Wolke advanced to her fourth consecutive Class 1A state meet by securing eighth place at the Lisle sectional. Christian Liberty Academy freshman Sèphora Ducrozet will make her first appearance at the Class 1A state meet after finishing in 12th place at Lisle.
- Michael Eaken