Girls cross country: Young Vernon Hills seeks another state run

With five top-three trophies in the past six years, the Vernon Hills girls cross country program has become a force to be reckoned with.

And despite losing five of their top seven runners to graduation, the Cougars are hoping to be in the hunt for yet another top-three trophy in 2019.

Vernon Hills made its first trip downstate in 2012, and that experience led to the first of four third-place Class 2A trophies in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Then last year, the Cougars brought home the second-place trophy to cap off their incredible six-year run of success.

"Our first year making it to state was 2012 so that was a huge jump just to make it, and getting a trophy the second year was unexpected," said Vernon Hills coach Suzanne Curry, who is beginning her 15th season at the helm. "They kind of just started a culture of running and enjoying to run. It just kind of grew from there, and the younger girls had some great leadership when they were freshmen."

Three-time all-stater Vivian Overbeck (senior at NIU) was one of the first big difference-makers to join the program in 2012, before three-time all-stater Lauren Katz (sophomore at University of Illinois) entered the pack as a freshman in 2014.

"Vivian came along the first year we made it to state so that was just such a huge hurdle for us because our sectional was always so strong and packed with good teams," Curry said. "The others just followed her lead with her attitude and her passion, and she got us going there."

"Lauren (Katz) didn't think she was much of a distance runner when she started high school. But when she came into cross country season her sophomore year she was just kind of a different runner, and she also shared her passion with the team," added Curry.

Overbeck and Katz were two of the keys to the Cougars' early success. Four-time state qualifier Hannah Ray (36th in 2018) will be running as a freshman at Marquette this season.

Other huge losses to Vernon Hills' lineup from last year were four-time qualifier Ryan Schofield, four-time qualifier Payton Makowskyj, and twins Leah and Katie Wilkowski, who reached the state meet all three years that they competed on trophy-winning teams.

Current sophomore Emma Wakefield was Vernon Hills' No.-1 runner downstate last year. Wakefield just missed the all-state team (Top 25) by placing 26th at Peoria's Detweiller Park.

Senior Carly Sear is a two-time state qualifier for the Cougars, and she also just missed the all-state team when she placed 28th in the state as a sophomore.

"We didn't have any all-staters last year, but it proves that pack running works. We emphasize pack running, and it was really quite impressive to watch when they raced together," said Curry, whose team placed second to Belvidere North by 35 points in 2018. "I don't expect much of a drop off. These (new) girls are excited to get to high school, and we'll just have to see how it plays out."

One of the reasons that Curry is so hopeful heading into this fall is the addition of freshman Rose Sheridan, who was all-state in middle school in cross country as well as the state champion at 800 meters in middle school. Sheridan also added a second-place finish in the 1,600-meter run.

Freshman Reina Hill will be another newcomer to watch closely for Vernon Hills with plenty of other young runners expected to battle it out for one of the top seven places on the varsity lineup.

"Our goal is to stay at the level we've been at the last couple of years. I think there is enough experience with Carly and Emma that the girls can follow their lead, and they will be there mostly to calm their nerves," said Curry, who was on four state-qualifying teams, including a third-place cross country squad in her freshman year, at York. "It's a long season and anything can happen once you start racing, but I believe they've bought into the culture of our program."

Lake County girls cross country at a glance

Top returning runners: Lakes junior Brooke Stromsland (defending state champion in Class 2A); Grant sophomore Aly Negovetich (fourth place in Class 3A); Round Lake senior Fatima Giron (11th place in Class 3A); Grayslake North senior Kelli Tosic (14th in Class 3A); Mundelein sophomore Jordyn Miller (third in NSC); Libertyville sophomore Bree Ponchak (fourth in NSC); Warren sophomore Raina Rice (fifth in NSC)

Top teams: Grayslake Central - eighth-place finish in Class 3A state meet ... return junior Anissah Groark, sophomores Grace Kokkin, Bryn Sato and Caroline Kokkin.

Vernon Hills - five top-three trophies in Class 2A in past six years. ... sophomore Emma Wakefield and senior Carly Sear should lead pack.

Grant - 15th in Class 3A state meet ... sophomore Aly Negovetich leads way. Sophomore Laura Bishop and senior Drew Polka also return with state-meet experience.

Top meets: Lake County Invitational (Sept. 4 at Waukegan Sports Complex), First to the Finish Invitational at Peoria's Detweiller Park (Sept. 14), Palatine Invitational at Deer Grove East Forest Preserve (Sept. 28)