Girls cross country: Stromsland, Lakes finish second in Class 2A
After an eye-opening run to the Belvidere sectional championship last weekend, people were wondering if the Lakes girls cross country team was a contender for a top-three trophy Saturday morning at the 41st Annual IHSA state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria.
The answer to that question was a resounding yes as the Eagles brought home the runner-up trophy in Class 2A behind a fantastic team performance led by elite junior Brooke Stromsland's second-place finish.
Benet Academy rolled to the championship with 110 points while Lakes edged Prairie Ridge 177-179 for the coveted second-place trophy.
Fenwick (199 points) wound up in fourth place followed by Crystal Lake South (217) in sixth, and perennial power Vernon Hills (239) in 11th.
The individual race to the finish line wasn't even close this time around as Richland County freshman sensation Tatum David took home first place in 16:04-flat.
After winning the state title as a sophomore, Stromsland placed second Saturday in 16:33.9.
The third trip downstate in school history really proved to be the charm for Lakes as the pack of senior Olivia Schmitt in 43rd, freshman Rebecca Runyan in 52nd, freshman Madison Perez in 61st, and junior Alex Bryant in 81st put the Eagles' program on the state map.
"I knew there were going to be many teams competing for the top three spots, and I knew we were in the mix," said Lakes coach Keith West, who was cautiously optimistic the night before the big race.
"The girls really brought it again today. They were having fun the whole trip, and they had the competitive edge today."
Stromsland proved to be the big difference-maker for Lakes in the final standings as her second place finish pushed the Eagles over the top. David's winning time was almost two seconds faster than Class 3A champ Katelynne Hart of Glenbard West, who is ranked No. 2 in the nation.
"I think the key was keeping a positive attitude. We didn't even make it to state as a team last year, and the three new freshmen are really good," said Stromsland, who placed fourth in Class 2A as a freshman. "Our coaches are so great, they do their best to keep us motivated and they're the best coaches I've ever had."
After bringing home five top-three trophies in the past six years, Vernon Hills could not put together that same magic Saturday.
But the Cougars did get an all-state performance from freshman Rose Sheridan in 18th place. Sophomore Emma Wakefield was Vernon Hills' No. 2 runner in 66th place.
Wauconda's Jessie Pakaski also earned all-state honors in 24th place.
Grayslake North's Kelli Tosic placed 37th, Antioch's Sarah Benes was 63rd and Vernon Hills' Carly Sear finished 71st.
Class 3A: Naperville North raised the first-place trophy by a comfortable 90-142 margin over runner-up Yorkville while Hinsdale Central (183 points) placed third.
Hart rolled to first place by 32 seconds over her next closest competitor while elite Grant sophomore Aly Negovetich placed fourth for the second year in a row.
Lake Zurich freshman Brooke Johnston really shined in her first state meet by placing 13th. Round Lake senior Fatima Giron placed 35th in her third and final appearance downstate.
"She (Johnston) did an amazing job, she put herself in good position in the beginning of the race and it was phenomenal," said Lake Zurich coach Randal Dunbar. "She was 30 seconds faster than when she was in Peoria a month ago, and I think it was a 22-second PR so she ran great."