Girls cross country: Scouting northwest conference meets
Girls cross country
Conference meet scouting report
MID-SUBURBAN LEAGUE
When: Girls varsity at 10 a.m. Saturday
Where: Deer Grove East Forest Preserve, Palatine
Team outlook: Palatine is the slight favorite as senior Colleen Standridge and junior Tory Wright are looking to lead a very deep and balanced Pirates squad to their 11th MSL title and first since back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005. Palatine won the MSL West division title and has been on a roll since mid- September. Defending MSL champ Barrington will not go down without a fight; senior Sam Learch and junior Rebecca Tracy will lead the Fillies who have the talent but are searching for the right mix. MSL East division champion Hersey and Prospect are also looking to have a say in the fight for a wide-open championship. Upstart Hoffman Estates will make things interesting with their solid pack running.
Individuals to watch: Conant's junior Kalli Dalton finished seventh at the Class AA state meet last year, and has looked strong this season going undefeated in dual meets. Dalton also won the Fenton, Rockford, and Sterling Invites and is running with a lot of confidence. Prospect sophomore Annette White has had a consistent season, finishing in the top 10 at all 5 her invitationals. Others in hot pursuit include Barrington's Tracy, Palatine's Wright, and Hersey's junior Megan Gojney.
What they're saying:
"We're starting to come around. It's our plan to peak at the end of the season. Our depth is a big advantage and the girls are all team oriented." -- Palatine coach Steve Currins
"We just have to pull it together and hit on the same day. We use to have one or two teams above the rest, but this year there seams to be a lot more parity." -- Barrington coach Debbie Revolta
"I'm not in the least bit surprised at the girls' success. I'm proud of the girls' commitment to the program and change. I don't have limits -- the sky is the limit for this team." -- Hoffman Estates coach Kirk Macnider
EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC
The East Suburban Catholic Conference will hold its conference meet on Saturday at Salk Creek Park in Rolling Meadows at 9:30 a.m. with the girls varsity race set to start at approximately 10:30 a.m. Benet will be seeking its 15th consecutive title. Juniors Amanda Kompanowski and Maggie O'Malley will lead host St. Viator. Both made all-conference last season, as Kompanowski is the ESCC top returning runner as she finished 2nd last year.
CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTH
Glenbrook North and Deerfield will be fighting it out for the title. Niles North will be hosting the conference meet which will be held at Harms Woods in Skokie beginning at 9 a.m. with the girls varsity race starting at approximately 10 a.m. Junior Lizzy Meier will lead Maine West. Last year she finished second in conference; the Warriors will battle for third place.
WEST SUBURBAN GOLD
The meet will be hosted by Proviso West at Schiller Forest Preserve in Schiller Park at 10 a.m. Saturday. The girls' varsity race will start at approximately noon. Hinsdale South finished with a 6-0 record in dual meets but will be challenged for the title by defending champion Downers Grove South. Defending individual champion Jamie Johnson will lead Leyden. The junior has had a strong season after qualifying for state last year. She is coming off a third-place finish at Elmwood Park where the Eagles won the title last Friday.
-- Michael Eaken