Once again, it's Prospect out in front
Prospect's girls cross country team took first at the Mid-Suburban League Meet last week, and the Knights showed no signs of letting up at the Hoffman Estates regional.
Prospect placed five runners in the top 10 to win its sixth regional title with 36 points at a muddy Busse Woods on Saturday.
Schaumburg had three runners in the top six and finished second with 46 points, followed by host Hoffman Estates (73 points), Rolling Meadows (75 points), and Conant (162 points).
All five teams advance to next Saturdays Schaumburg sectional.
Schaumburg junior Britten Petrey pulled away in the final mile to secure the individual title in 18:13.
Prospect, ranked No. 1 in the Illinois Cross Country Coaches Poll, was without No. 2 runner Annette White, but the freshman duo of Brooke Wolfe (18:23) and Lauren Poplawski (19:11) paced the Knights by finishing second and seventh.
Wolfe took the lead after the 2-mile mark, but took a fall after losing a shoe and relinquished her top spot.
The freshman made a nice recovery in taking second.
"It was really sloppy," said Wolfe of the course conditions. "The main thing today was just getting through."
And the Knights did that in fine fashion with senior Kasey Krum, junior Savannah Snead, and sophomore Laura Maibuecher taking 8, 9, and 10th place.
"I think our team knows they can run with anybody," added Poplawski of the Knights depth. "We can adapt."
Petrey did a nice job of adapting in the final mile. The junior made separation after Wolfe's fall and closed the race with a flourish.
"The back loop is when it really started to pick up," added Petrey of the final surge. "So I just went with it and I was feeling great."
Junior Karen Lesiewicz (18:27) and junior Colette Falsey (18:41) took third and sixth place to aid the Saxons' charge.
"You put the pieces together a piece at a time," said Schaumburg coach Jon Macnider of his team's finish. "Hopefully you can put the whole puzzle together when it counts."
Haley Goers (18:36) took fifth and Takshaka Patel placed 11th to lead Hoffman Estates to third.
"It was a little bit sloppy today and I think they underestimated that they were going to feel slow today," said Hoffman Estates coach Kirk Macnider of the course conditions. "I felt like we weren't mentally engaged today and let the race go."
Christina Gastfield (18:31) took fourth, pacing Rolling Meadows to fourth place.
"The whole team is working together and it shows," added Gastfield of the Mustangs' finish. "We were working as a pack."
Senior Becky Sulentic finished 20th in helping Conant advance.
Individual qualifiers included Elk Grove's Agnes Kukla (30th place), and Maine West's Taylor Stephenson (31st place) and Rachel Gallichio (36th place).