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2014 DyeStat IL XC Season Individuals Previews – 3A Girls

Published by
DyeStatIL.com   Aug 24th 2014, 6:02pm
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Mimi Smith leads what could be a fast state field

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

The wow factor certainly applies when we look at some of the top 3A Girls individuals that return and will be toeing the starting line at meets this fall. Mimi Smith is the defending champion and she will not give up that crown without a fight.

 

The talent behind her is simply amazing. In what I said at the beginning of the 3A teams preview applies here. We did not think there would be some amazing times in that 2012 season. First Kaylee Flanagan broke the Detweiller Park record at the Richard Spring Invitational. Six weeks later, it was Madeline Perez that rewrote that record. The question is will there be a runner in November take down that Perez record? Only time will tell. Alexa Haff will be better especially the experience that she gained in her first full year of cross country. Lindsey Graham was one of the most dominant distance runners last spring. That should transfer over to this fall. Lauren VanVlierbergen made it through an injury free summer of training. She has the potential to run fast at the Det.

 

The name of the game though is win a state championship for these runners. A record can always be broken. A state championship can never be taken away from you.  Here is a look at some of the top 3A Girls individuals that will participate in cross country in Illinois this fall.

 

3A Girls Individual Runners

(In alphabetical order)

 

Sara Atkins – SO – Wheaton-Warrenville South

-    Sara finished 28th at last year’s 3A state meet. She had a good freshman season in track helping her team qualify for state in the 4x8 relay. Her PR’s are 5:18.92 for 1600, 11:37.02 for 3200. A runner that should have a big upswing similar to sophomores in the past in the Wheaton-Warrenville South program. Only a sophomore, she should be one of the top runners for her team and an athlete that could finish in the 20 this fall at the state meet. “Sara had a great freshmen year. She, along with her teammates, are ready to take the next step in their evolution,” said her coach Rob Harvey. “You know about her cross country season, but in track she really started to understand her training. With that added knowledge and the confidence she gained throughout the track season, I see her having a very successful cross season.”

 

Mary Blankemeier – SO – Oak Park-River Forest

-    Mary earned all-state honors last year at the 3A state meet finishing 5th running 17:07. The following week at the NXN Midwest Regional, she finished 8th. Mary had a great track season. She was all-state in the 3200 when she ran 10:44.35 to finish 4th. She ran 4:55.58 for a full mile at the Festival Miles 10 days after her state meet. She is a runner whose potential could be limitless. She ran in the shadows of fellow freshman and WSC-Silver rival Alexa Haff. She could surpass Haff this season.

 

Morgan Bollinger – SO – Lockport Township

-    Morgan earned all-state honors at last year’s 3A state meet when she finished 8th running 17:14. She qualified for the state track meet last spring in the 1600. Her PR in that event was 5:11.67. She also ran 11:41.67 in the 3200. It was not until after the Naperville Invitational where she finished 2nd when she started to realize how good she could be. An injury slowed her down this summer, but she should be back at full strength soon. The key to why Lockport will be challenging for a trophy. “Our wonderful young "All Stater" has probably rested more than run this summer due to some lingering leg pain she experienced toward the end of the track season last year,” said Lockport coach Evon Schlotter. “We wanted her "pain free" before we started the season this year, so she is a little behind where she would prefer to be right now.”

 

Elly DeTurris – SR – Naperville North

-    Elly earned all-state honors at last year’s 3A state meet when she finished 10th running 17:16. She was also all-state her sophomore year when she finished 14th running 16:57. Elly has been all-state in the 3200 Meter Run the last two years. She finished 7th in 2013 running 10:44.93 and finished eighth last season running 10:54.53. The leader on and off the course for Naperville North. She is one of the most consistent runners in the state. She runs her best when the money is on the line. “Elly has had a very good summer.  She is bound and determined that this be her best year so far, and she definitely looks the part,” said North coach Dan Iverson. “I definitely expect big things from her.”

 

Lindsay Graham – JR – Glen Ellyn Glenbard West

-    Lindsey earned all-state honors at last year’s 3A state meet when she finished 17th running 17:25. She finished 20th as a freshman at the state meet running 17:01. She has been all-state twice in the 3200 Meter Run. She finished 5th while attending Glenbard East her freshman year running 10:42.42. She finished 2nd in the 3200 last year running 10:40.73. Her PR in that event is 10:36.83. Her PR in the 1600 is 5:03.30. Lindsey is probably the most savvy racer in the state where she is able change her strategy in mid-race. A knee injury slowed her down at the end of last cross country season. That and her finishing second in the 3200 have driven her to possibly big things this fall. “Lindsay Graham is coming into the cross country season following a very successful campaign in track that certainly elevated her confidence,” said her coach Paul Hass. “Last cross country season she struggled with knee pain throughout the fall that hampered her performances, particularly late in the year.  Despite her 17th place finish and all-state status, Lindsay was disappointed with her individual finish and is highly motivated to improve upon it this fall.  She has run a large number of miles this summer and worked tirelessly in training virtually by herself due to conflicts with a summer job that prevented Linsday from running with her teammates.  Lindsay has matured as a runner a great deal in the last year both in how she approaches training as well as competition, and we are very excited to see her apply everything that she has learned in the past this fall.”

 

Ali Gutt – SR – Schaumburg

-    Ali finished 31st at last year’s 3A state meet running 17:48. She qualified for the state track meet last spring in the 3200 Meter Run. Her PR’s are 5:13.4 in the 1600 (Soph Yr) and 11:11.25 in the 3200. Ali was the Hoffman Estates Regional champ last year. She followed that up with a fifth place finish at the Schaumburg Sectional. She did not run her best race at state last fall. She does have the potential to finish in the top 15 in 2014.

 

Claire Hamilton SO – Naperville North

-    Claire earned all-state honors in last year’s 3A state meet finishing 19th running 17:26. She qualified for the state track meet last spring in the 3200 when she ran 11:07.68 at the Minooka Sectional. Another talented sophomore on the Illinois running landscape. Perhaps the most underrated out of those sophomores but just as talented. “Claire is training at a much higher level than she did a year ago,” said Dan Iverson. “We’ll see where that puts her, but she certainly has emerged as a very positive force and a leader amongst our top group.”

 

Alexa Haff – SO – Hinsdale Central

-    Alexa earned all-state honors at last year’s 3A state meet finishing 2nd running 16:45. She was all-state at the state track meet last spring in the 3200 finishing 6th running 10:50.36. Amazing what she did last year considering that she did not run organized cross country in middle school. She is starting to figure out how to race making her a little more dangerous this fall.

 

Ayaiko Higuchi – SR – Palatine Fremd

-    Ayaiko did not run at last year’s 3A state cross country meet. She was all-state in the 1600 at last spring’s state track meet finishing 3rd. Her PR in the 1600 is 5:00.42 and 11:15.1 in the 3200. An illness slowed her down at the end of the cross country season causing her to miss her regional race. She was not at full strength when she ran at the sectional meet. The promise is there for this senior. She was 2nd at the MSL Meet last fall. She has the talent to run in the top 25 this fall if she can stay healthy.

 

Katie Hoffman – SR – Naperville Central

-    Katie earned all-state honors at last year’s state meet finishing 12th running 17:21. She had a great indoor season last year running 10:55 for the 3200 and 5:10.30 in the 1600. Injuries held her back outdoors. Injuries are the story for this talented runner. “Katie is recovering well from her stress fracture. She may not be racing much in September, but we’re looking forward to seeing her back to form in October,” said her coach Aislinn Hicks. “Katie is an extremely hard worker and has really killed it in PT, on the bike, while lifting, and on the elliptical. She knows that she is our returning all-state runner who we look to for leadership.”

 

Gabby Juarez – SR – Streamwood

-    Gabby finished 49th at last year’s 3A state meet running 18:03. She was all state last track season in the 3200 finishing 7th running 10:53.45 and 9th in the 1600 running 5:02.94. She had a breakout track season setting her up for some great things this fall. She has the potential of finishing in the top 10. “Gabby Juarez has truly developed into one of the best runners in the state this past year. Gabby finished 6th overall at the sectional meet last fall and placed 49th at the state meet last year at Detweiller. It was not until track season where Gabby had her coming out party at State where she placed 7th in the 2 mile (10:52) and 9th place in the mile (5:02) earning her two all-state honors,” said Streamwood Coach Dennis Lau. “I strongly believe that Gabby's understanding and development of how to actually race at a high level separates her from the rest of the girls. Her willingness to absorb information and ask questions about racing and workouts has been a pleasure from a coaching standpoint. We have extremely high individual goals for Gabby this year for xc which includes top 15 in the state this year at Detweiller.”

 

Amy Kieliszewski – SR – Palatine

-    Amy finished 39th in last year’s 3A state meet running 17:55. She qualified for the state track meet in the 3200 Meter Run. Her PR is 11:18.55 for 3200 Meters. She could be one of the most improved runners in the state. “Amy is not too focused on individual accolades at this time,” said Palatine Coach Joe Parks. “Amy has grown each year and should be shooting for all-state honors if she puts it all together.”

 

Kaitlyn Ko – JR – Buffalo Grove

-    Kaitlyn earned all-state honors in last year’s 3A state meet finishing 7th running 17:14. She was also all state her freshman year finishing 22nd running 17:07. Her PR in the 3200 is 10:55.8 her freshman season. She did not run track last spring. “I have high hopes for Kaitlyn Ko,” said her coach Sara Cleveland. “After her 8th place finish in last year’s state meet, I believe she will be in the top 5 this year.  She had a great summer of training and looks good starting the 2014 season.”

 

Mary Claire Leonard – SO – Chicago Marist

-    Mary Claire earned all-state honors in last year’s 3A state meet finishing 20th running 17:26. She qualified for the state track meet last spring in the 1600. Her PR in the 1600 is 5:01.87. Another one of the great sophomore runners in this state. She could be a top 15 runner in the state. “Mary Claire is focused on a great season,” said her coach Pat Quinn. “She put her state prelim behind her quickly and has trained with the state cross country finals in sight.”

 

Rachel Lau – JR – Plainfield North

-    Rachel earned all-state honors at last year’s 3A state meet finishing 24th running 17:32. She’s had a great summer finishing 2nd at the AAU National Junior Olympics 15-16 2k steeplechase. She also ran 17:42 at Detweiller at Dark at the end of July. She could be on the verge of a great cross country season after a successful summer of training with Yorkville’s Skyler Bollinger. Rachel has the potential of placing in the top 20 at this year’s state meet.

 

Lisa Luczak – SR – Glen Ellyn Glenbard West

-    Lisa earned all-state honors in last year’s 3A state meet finishing 9th running 17:14. She also was all-state her sophomore year when she finished 6th running 16:45. Lisa qualified for the state track meet in the 1600 last spring. She qualified for the 3200 at the state meet her freshman and sophomore year. Her PR for 3200 is 10:46.32 her sophomore year. Several hamstring injuries slowed her down last track season. “Lisa Luczak seems to be plagued by injuries in every season of her career, though I have learned to never count her out of any race scenario (reference the 2012 state XC meet where she was all-state despite a hamstring injury, after which she ran did not run again for 6 weeks; or, the 3200m 10:37.04 she ran in the 2013 Top Times meet after coming off an injury, for two examples),” said Paul Hass. “Once again, she is banged up but is on the path to recovery and is gradually increasing her mileage again.  Prior to getting hurt this summer, on July 4th she looked incredible, running a hilly Freedom Four race (4 miles) in 23:06!  As with Lindsay, Lisa looks forward to improving upon her 2013 state finish and, after a disappointing and injury-ridden track season, is approaching her senior season with high hopes, supreme confidence, and utter drive.”

 

Kelly O’Brien – JR – Palatine

-    Kelly earned all-state honors in last year’s 3A state meet finishing 6th running 17:13. She anchored Palatine’s 3rd place 4x8 relay at the state track meet. She also was all-state in the 1600 finishing 2nd running 5:00.09. Her PR for that event is 4:57.79. Kelly had the biggest improvement of any runner in the state. She was not even in the top 12 of her team her freshman season. She is just realizing how good she could be. “Kelly will need to have a strong season so that we can be successful as a team,” said Palatine Coach Joe Parks. “Kelly will return as one of the top girls in the state and the skies the limit as to what she can achieve. She's still quite inexperienced as a top level runner in XC, so I expect some bumps along the way, however she will be ready when the lights get the brightest.”

 

Ellie O’Connell – SO – Schaumburg

-    Ellie earned all-state honors at last year’s 3A state meet finishing 13th running 17:23. Her PR for the 3200 is 11:32.70 last indoor season. Ellie came on strong to be the #1 runner for Schaumburg at the end of last cross country season. She will push for another top 15 finish this season.

 

Lauren Opartny – SR – McHenry

-    Lauren earned all-state honors at last year’s 3A state meet finishing 16th running 17:24. She was all-state last spring in the 1600 meter run finishing 6th. Her PR for the 1600 is 4:58.05. Schaumburg Sectional champion last fall. She has a strong finishing kick which comes in handy in close races. “It's been very exciting to watch Lauren gain confidence and grow as a runner,” said her coach Beth Czubik. “She's a good leader, supportive teammate and very coachable athlete.”

 

Judy Pendergast – JR – Naperville North

-    Judy finished 43rd at last year’s 3A state meet running 17:58. She was all-state her freshman year finishing 23rd running 17:09. “Judy continues to impress as she works her way back from the disappointment of her freshman track season,” said Dan Iverson. “She improved steadily throughout her sophomore year, and given the summer she’s had, I don’t see any reason for that to change going into her junior year.”

 

Grace Rogers – JR – Glen Ellyn Glenbard West

-    Grace earned all-state honors at last year’s 3A state meet finishing 21st running 17:28. She has a PR of 11:19.65 for 3200 Meters (Freshman Year). Grace had a breakout season and was one of the reasons why Glenbard West won the team championship. “Grace Rogers is struggling to deal with an injury that has also slowed her down in the past (back pain), but she still managed to put in as many miles as in past summers.  After a track campaign that ended disappointedly with the 4x800 team not qualifying for the state meet, Grace’s motivation to work hard, if anything, has increased,” said Paul Hass. “Though others were, perhaps, surprised to see Grace in the top 25 at last year’s state meet, we knew that she was capable of earning such an honor after observing her improve consistently in workouts and meets.  Grace may not always be near the front early in the season, but observers should take note of how she performed late last season where she earned all-conference, all-regional, all-sectional, and all-state accolades.  Needless to say, we believe Grace will be where the team needs her by season’s end.”

 

Olivia Ryan – SR – Oak Park Fenwick

-    Olivia earned all-state honors at last year’s 3A state meet finishing 22nd running 17:29. She was all-state her sophomore year running 16:45 finishing 5th in the 3A race. As a freshman, she finished 16th in the 2A state meet running 17:46. She has been all-state 4 times in her career. Last year, she finished 9th in the 3200 and 6th in the 1600 in the 2A state meet. “Olivia is looking as strong, if not stronger than she did in the 2012 season where she took 5th at the state meet.  Her mileage over the summer is right where we expect it to be,” said her coach Mickey Collins. “Depending on what Olivia wants to do in the post season, we will work with her to peak at the right time. We look forward to not only seeing what she is able to do on Saturdays, but also see what she is able to bring to the team as one of our top student-athletes and leader of the group.”

 

Morgan Schulz – SR – Cary-Grove

-    Morgan finished 207th at last year’s 3A state meet. She was all-state last spring at the 3A state track meet in the 800 and 2nd in the 300 Hurdles. Morgan finished 4th last fall at the Schaumburg Sectional. Last year was her first year of cross country running. She could be a big surprise in 2014. “She had a good summer and is running very well so far,” said Cary Grove Coach Mark Anderson. “She's still learning a lot about XC (this is only her second season), and hopefully will continue to develop as a strong runner as the season goes on.”

 

Torree Scull – SR – St. Charles East

-    Torree earned all-state honors last fall at the 3A state meet finishing 18th running 17:25. She was a member of St. Charles East’s winning 4x8 relay last spring in the 3A state meet. She also was all-state in the 1600 finishing 4th running 5:01.26. Torree was all-state her freshman year in the 800. She could be one of the surprises during this cross country season despite her impressive resume. She could finish in the top ten or better at Detweiller in November.

 

Mimi Smith – SR – Winnetka New Trier

-    Mimi was the state champion last year at the 3A state meet running 16:42. She has been all-state all three years of her high school career. She finished 12th as a sophomore and 10th as a freshman. She was all state last track season in the 3200 Meter Run finishing 3rd running 10:41.17. She also qualified for the 1600. Her best time for the 1600 is 4:59.06 in 2013. She was a part of New Trier’s winning 4x8 relay team in 2013. She was also all-state in the 1600 that same year. Came from 10 seconds back in the last mile to pass Alexa Haff in the final 400 to win the state championship. She runs her own pace and it always leads her to running her best. “Mimi Smith continues to lead the team on a daily basis,” said New Trier Coach John Burnside. “Her contribution to the development of this team over the past year cannot be overstated.”

 

Amanda Thate – SR – Downers Grove South

-    Amanda finished 34th at last year’s 3A state meet running 17:50. She qualified for the state track meet last spring finishing 10th in the 1600. Her PR for that event is 5:03.01. Her PR in the 3200 is 11:05.21. Amanda is on the brink of a great senior season after a good track season. “Amanda is coming off of a great junior year after overcoming injury plagued sophomore seasons in both CC and track,” said DGS Coach Doug Plunkett. “I couldn’t be prouder of how she finished up track season running the mile and breaking Tina Stec’s school record.  Amanda is very determined and I expect her to compete for a top 25 spot by the end of CC season.”

 

Ashley Tutt – SO – Minooka

-    Ashley finished 26th last year at the 3A state meet running 17:40. She qualified in the 3200 at the Minooka Sectional running 11:00.96. Came on strong at the start of the state series and ended up the #1 runner for Minooka at state. A talent that has been overlooked by some. She is capable of a top 15 finish at state this fall. “Ashley Tutt is coming off an impressive freshman year in Cross-Country and in Track.  Her summer was exactly what we were looking for and she is excited about the upcoming season,” said Minooka Coach Kevin Gummerson. “She learned a ton this past year about the level of competition that this state has to offer, and is ready to take that experience and put it to good use.  Training wise it has been great to have Morgan Crouch and Mackenzie Callahan running with her and pushing each other on a regular basis.”

 

Lauren VanVlierbergen – SR – Algonquin Jacobs

-    Lauren earned all-state honors at last year’s 3A state meet when she finished 4th running 17:07. Lauren was also all state her sophomore year finishing 7th running 16:47. She won the 3A state championship in the 800 Meter Run last spring running 2:10.24. She also was all-state in the 1600 when she finished 5th. Her PR in the 1600 is 4:55.5 (indoors). She was all-state her sophomore season when she finished 4th in the 1600. Lauren could be the most talented runner in the state this season. It is amazing that her performances in cross country have happened with summer training halted when she came down with injuries. She had a great summer not interrupted with the injury bug. Does she have the stuff to go after the state record? It is a possibility. “Lauren had her first full summer of injury free training in a couple of years.  Her sophomore year she got hurt and had to cross train during most of the season and her junior year she wasn’t able to run at all over the summer,” said her coach Kevin Christian. “Both those years she finished 7th and 4th in state without full seasons of training.  We saw what she could do in track when she had a complete season with no injuries and we are hoping for the same in cross country.  There are a handful of girls in the conversation as possible state champs and we obviously consider her to be one of them.  We have the advantage of knowing that if it came down to a kick at the state meet no one else has 2:10 800m speed or 57 400m speed, we are hoping that her conditioning will put her in that position in November.”

 

Annie Zaher – JR - Hinsdale Central

-    Annie finished 42nd in last year’s 3A state meet running 17:56. She was the 3A state champion in the 1600 running 5:00.08. In the prelims of that state meet, she ran a PR of 4:58.50. Her PR in the 3200 is 11:16.18. Her win at last year’s state track meet surprised many. She has embraced the state championship and used that in this summer’s training. She could be a big surprise this fall in the top 10 giving Central a strong 1-2 punch with her and teammate Alexa Haff.

 

 



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