Palatine, Rolling Meadows sophomores star at state

PEORIA - This season has been the year of the sophomores in the Mid-Suburban League.

On Saturday, the new kids didn't disappoint at the IHSA Class 3A state girls cross country meet in Peoria.

Palatine's Sarah McIntosh (fourth place), Rolling Meadows' Christina Gastfield (eighth) and Schaumburg's Colette Falsey (ninth) - all sophomores - made a big splash on the state's biggest running stage.

Throw in veteran junior Annette White, who took 13th to lead Prospect to a surprising fifth-place team finish with 225 points, and the MSL savored a pretty special day at Detweiller Park.

Defending champion Geneva placed five runners in the top 29, leading the Vikings to their second consecutive state title with 51 points.

They easily outdistanced runner up Hinsdale Central (166 points) and third-place St. Charles East (197 points).

Lake Park senior Lindsay Flanagan won the individual title in 16:54, easily besting runner-up Kelly Whitley (17:07) and third-place Sarah Heuer (17:08), both from Geneva.

White proved that the third time really is a charm. The junior had failed to earn all-state honors her first two years, but she came up big this year with a time of 17:28.

"Finally. I knew I could do it this year, not only for myself but for my team," White said. "The first mile went out really fast, but the second mile you really had to use your head to pass girls. I knew every place counted."

The Knights' Emily Salzman (18:01) took 39th place, and Savannah Snead (18:11) was 60th.

"The whole group ran really well," said Prospect coach Dave Wurster. "We just had to run our race, and it came down to the fifth runner performing."

McIntosh ran her race, and the sophomore used a last-minute surge to take fourth place (17:10) as Palatine treated outgoing coach Steve Currins to seventh place (244 points).

"I was just trying to stay with the lead pack," said McIntosh, the MSL individual champion, "because I knew I could outkick some of them at the end. We've been talking about finishing, and I really felt it today."

The Pirates' Ruth Allen (17:40) finished 25th, securing the final all-state spot.

"I remember getting to the 200 mark and I was dying," Allen said. "You're tired and you have doubts, but once you see the finish line you know you have to give it everything."

Also giving it everything was Gastfield. The Rolling Meadows sophomore made quite a first impression at the state meet by securing eighth place (17:23).

"I just wanted to keep my eye on the lead pack and stay with them," said Gastfield, who settled in on the second mile. "I'm just really confident and I can't wait until next year."

Schaumburg is also champing at the bit for next year. Falsey (17:24) and Britten Petrey (17:42), both sophomores, finished ninth and 26th to lead the Saxons to 13th place with 319 points.

"I wanted to go out and do a good first mile, then stay confident and smooth the rest of the race," Falsey said. "The adrenaline kicked in the final mile. This is definitely the foundation for the next two seasons."

Hoffman Estates also has a pretty good foundation thanks to juniors Melissa Schmidt (17:35) and Hannah Worman (17:36), who finished 18th and 20th.

Schmidt was competing in her first year of cross country.

"I was just trying to keep up with Hannah," Schmidt said. "I caught up to her at the end."

"We found each other right after the mile, and at different parts of the race we kept pushing each other and working together," Worman said

Individually, Hersey's Ashley Martin (17:48) and Salena Clohisy (18:04) finished 28th and 47th.

Barrington senior Rebecca Tracy (17:55) was 32nd, and Elk Grove senior Gina Erbacci (17:57) finished 34th.

Freshman Olivia Jones (18:02) was 44th, leading first-time state qualifier Buffalo Grove to 17th place with 392 points.

Warren senior Heather Olson entered the race expecting to run with the lead pack. But a cold which caused her to miss two days of practice limited her effectiveness.

Olson was in the top group after a mile, but she fell back in the second mile and finished 117th.

"She is an amazing individual and unbeatable runner when she is at the top of her game," said Warren coach Cherly Anderson of the senior who finished 17th in Class AA in 2006 and took seventh last season. "You come out and hope for the best, but under these conditions when everyone is running their best it's tough."

"She has definitely taken Warren cross country and even Lake County cross country to another level."

In Class 2A, Antioch junior Erin Poss (18:01) took seventh, earning her second all-state berth after finishing 18th as a sophomore.

"This is definitely the hardest race I've ever run," said Poss, who was in 11th place in the final mile, "I was really pushing it the whole time, but the last 400 I really made my surge."

Vernon Hills' Danielle Dickman also picked up her second all state spot by taking 22nd (18:27).

"It was definitely my best race of the season," said Dickman, who finished 14th last season in 2A. "I've been kind of struggling this season, so it was a good way to finish."

Ariel Butzine (18:38) finished 29th and Katherine Schenck (18:50) took 42nd, leading Lakes to a ninth-place team finish with 243 points.