Girls cross country: It's good times for Elk Grove's Stegmeier
Elk Grove's Emily Stegmeier is definitely in a good place.
The Grenadiers junior capped a breakout season on Saturday by finishing fourth at the Lake Park sectional, qualifying individually for the Class 3A state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria this weekend.
Stegmeier's finish was the best sectional finish for an Elk Grove runner and she becomes the first Grenadier to qualify for state since Gina Erbacci made it in 2008.
"Oh yeah it's a very cool place for her to be," said Elk Grove coach Mark Heintz of Stegmeier's big season. "A big part of it has been her training. She has been very consistent and each year she has made a jump, and this season is no different."
And what a jump it's been. Stegmeier finished 59th at the Schaumburg sectional last season.
She had a fast start this fall, finishing second behind Prospect junior Brooke Wilson at the Fenton Invitational. Stegmeier continued to impress by taking fourth at the Lake Park Invite, dipping under 18 minutes for the first time in her career.
The Grenadiers junior kept climbing, placing fourth at Mid-Suburban League Meet behind Wilson, Palatine senior Kelly O'Brien and Barrington sophomore Jocelyn Long.
Stegmeier, who had finished 28th at the MSL meet in 2014, suddenly felt like she belonged among the elite.
"Running with that top group for most of the race gave me confidence I could run with anyone in state," said Stegmeier of her MSL effort. "It definitely gave me boost going into the state series."
That confidence started to build during the spring track season, when Stegmeier qualified for the 800-meter run and hit a personal best 2:17.05 at the Class 3A state preliminaries.
"A lot of her success has come from a changing mindset in where she belongs in a race," said Heintz. "Being in the MSL, she has had people to push her every single race and she has started to believe she can be in that top group."
Stegmeier is among an impressive group of MSL runners that have had breakout seasons. That list includes Long, Conant junior Sydney Davis and Schaumburg sophomore Maddie Marasco.
Elk Grove has had only one individual medal in girls cross country. Michelle Hirschmann earned back-to-back state medals for the Grens in 1983 and 1984.
Stegmeier has definitely put herself in the conversation for a state medal, which would also be a pretty cool place.
And the Grenadiers junior definitely is feeling the excitement build as the state meet approaches.
"Of course it's exciting," said Stegmeier, "I've definitely been thinking about state, but I just have to keep doing what I've been doing. I just want to run my best race and I'll be happy."
State meet scouting Where: Detweiller Park, Peoria
When: Class 1A at 9 a.m.; Class 2A at 11 a.m.; Class 3A at 1 p.m.
Class 3A teams to watch: Defending Class 3A state champion Naperville North enters as the favorite. Senior Judy Pendergast has powered the Huskies this season and has them primed for a second consecutive Class 3A state title. Naperville North had seven runners in the top 17 in cruising to the West Aurora sectional title. After the Huskies, it's wide open, with up to 12 teams competing for a trophy. New Trier, Minooka, Lake Forest, and Hinsdale Central all won sectional titles and will be in the hunt. Wheaton Warrenville South, Glenbard West, Lockport, Lyons Township, Geneva, Batavia, Barrington, and Grant will also challenge for a trophy.
Area teams:
Barrington - The Fillies finished third, 1 point behind Grant, at the Schaumburg sectional and will be running with a lot of confidence. Sophomore Jocelyn Long finished third at the Schaumburg sectional and will power the Fillies' attack. Long has had quite a season, also finishing third in the Mid-Suburban League. She has been running with confidence all season and is definitely in the mix for a state medal. Senior Lauren Conroy is a two-time state medalist; she has been running on a sore foot the past few weeks but her experience will help the Fillies. Junior Samantha Samaryczew has been very solid this season. Barrington has also received a huge lift from a pair of freshman sisters. Sophie Hoeltgen has steadily risen and was the Fillies No. 2 runner at sectional, her twin sister Eve has been equally impressive. Last year Barrington missed qualifying for the state meet, but that has helped the Fillies run with purpose this season. A state trophy run is not out of the question for the Fillies. "We've worked really hard and we are looking to go down and run our best race of the season," added Barrington coach Deb Revolta.
Palatine - The Pirates have not run with a full deck all season. Sophomore Lauryn Simons was a contributor to the Pirates' second-place state finish last season, but she missed the entire regular season to an injury this year. Senior Sabina Yosif missed the regional and sectional meet to a lower leg injury, and her status for Saturday is still unclear. Despite the setbacks Palatine coach Joe Parks guided his team to a 16th consecutive state meet appearance with a fifth-place finish at the Schaumburg sectional. Senior Kelly O'Brien has earned two consecutive top 10 finishes in Class 3A, including a third-place effort last season. She will be seeking her third consecutive state medal on Saturday. Senior Sam Lechowicz missed the MSL meet but has since returned strong and could be in contention for a state medal on Saturday. Junior Anna Buckstaff has also helped solidify the Pirates' attack. Senior Rebecca Duran has been impressive in stepping up into the top five for the Pirates and will combine with Jaclyn Frank to provide key depth. A fully healthy Palatine squad would be contending for its second consecutive state trophy. "I'm very proud of the girls and how they have bonded together and shown a lot of toughness this season," said Parks.
Individuals to watch: Naperville North's Judy Pendergast has been running with authority this season and has the top individual mark (16:18.9) at Detweiller Park this season. She enters as the individual favorite. Glenbard West sophomore Lindsay Payne has also been impressive this season and will challenge for a title.
Area individuals:
Brooke Wilson, Prospect - The Knights junior has been very impressive this season and has the potential for a top-five finish. Wilson has won the Mid-Suburban League, Hoffman Estates regional and Schaumburg sectional titles the past three weekends and is primed for a big finish. Prospect won the MSL title but missed qualifying for state by finishing sixth at the Schaumburg sectional. Wilson may use that for motivation. "She is feeling great and definitely is running fast, she has put herself in good position," said Prospect coach Pete Wintermute.
Emily Stegmeier, Elk Grove - The Grenadier juniors finished fourth at the Lake Park sectional, cementing her place at state. She definitely has the potential for an all-state finish.
Maddie Marasco, Schaumburg - The Saxons sophomore has come on strong this season and placed fourth at the Schaumburg sectional. Marasco was coming off a knee injury entering her freshman year and finished as the Saxons' No. 6 runner at last year's state meet. She has had an explosive sophomore campaign and has put herself in contention for a state medal this season. She was part of the Saxons' 3,200 relay team that finished sixth in Class 3A last spring and has not looked back. "We saw a twinkle in her early last year, and once she got over that knee injury she was good to go. She has put herself in a very good position," said Schaumburg coach Courtney Smith.
Sydney Davis, Conant - The Cougars junior finished 16th at the Schaumburg sectional in securing her spot at state. Davis finished sixth in the MSL this season and has been consistent since the start. A state medal is definitely a possibility for the Cougars junior.
Meagan Biddle, Hoffman Estates - The Hawks senior was off pace a bit early at the Schaumburg sectional but used an explosive finish in the last half mile to secure 18th place and the final qualifying spot. Biddle is making her third consecutive appearance at the state meet and has potential for a state medal. She earned an eighth-place medal at the Class 3A state track meet in the 1,600 last spring and has plenty of state experience.
Class 2A and Class 1A: A young and talented St. Viator team just missed qualifying for the Class 2A state meet, finishing in sixth place, 6 points behind Chicago Mather and Deerfield for the final two spots at the Chicago University Class 2A sectional. Freshman Payton McDonnell finished sixth at the sectional and advanced as an individual qualifier. The future is bright for the Lions and McDonnell is hoping to make her mark on Saturday. Christian Liberty Academy junior Isabella Wolke finished third at the Lisle Class 1A sectional securing her third consecutive state qualification. Last year Wolke finished ninth in Class 1A and will be seeking her second consecutive state medal.
- Michael Eaken