By Michael Newman

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We have come to the biggest two weekends of the cross country season in Illinois. On Saturday, schools that advanced out of the regional meet competition will toe the line to see if they are one of the five teams to advance to Detweiller Park for next weekend’s state meet.

 

For some, their dreams will be realized. For the unlucky teams that are not in the first five team places or top seven individuals, they will realize that dreams are just dreams.

 

An averted strike allows Hinsdale Central to defend their state championship on the Boys side while Hinsdale Central’s Girls team chases after conference rival and defending state champion Glenbard West. The individual races are shaping up like most hoped they would. Now it is just a matter of getting to that line in Peoria.

 

Here is a look at each of the five 3A sectional meets that will take place throughout Illinois on Saturday.

 

 

Chicago Marist Sectional @ Midlothian Meadows

 

Girls (10:00 AM)

 

Individuals – The big question will be whether last year’s 3A state second place finisher Alexa Haff will be with her teammates on the starting line Saturday morning. The sophomore suffered an injury before her dual meet against Glenbard West on October 9. Haff has missed her conference meet and last week’s regional meet. She will most likely be running Saturday morning. She would be the one runner to watch. She ran 16:41 to win the First to the Finish 3A race in September at Detweiller Park.

 

The individual field is good but not over powering. Rachael Lau (North HS, Plainfield) has run 17:46 this season at Detweiller Park. She would be one runner to watch. Haff’s teammate Annie Zaher won the regional race at Katherine Legge Park last week. She has the potential to be among the first five runners in this race. Maryclare Leonard (Marist HS, Chicago) has been running great the last few weeks. She won her regional race by 48 seconds last week and could be among the first five runners.

 

Other runners that I would keep an eye on in the front pack include Alexis Grigg (South HS, Plainfield), Morgan Bollinger and Emmie Hahn (Lockport Township HS), Grace McCabe and Reilly Revord (Hinsdale Central HS), Emma Moravec (North HS, Downers Grove), Casey Jensen (Sandburg HS, Orland Park), and Anastasia Bernat (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville).

 

Teams – With Alexa Haff most likely in the starting seven, #2 Hinsdale Central will be a tough team to beat in this sectional. Even without Haff, the Red Devilettes will still be tough to beat. They could have potentially four runners in the first ten with Haff, Annie Zaher, Reilly Revord, and Grace McCabe. Their gap between four and five averages near one minute. That will not make a difference in this meet.

 

There are six ranked teams in this sectional. Five teams will fight for the remaining four spots. #11 Lockport packed it up on the hills of Dellwood Park last week winning their regional with a 34 second five runner split. The Lady Porters will have Morgan Bollinger and Emmie Hahn fighting for top ten spots. They had the same split at their conference meet. Any 5 runner split under 40 seconds will advance this team to the state meet. #15 Neuqua Valley is coming on strong the last few meets. Their most improved runner in this stretch has been Anastasia Bernat who was third overall at the Lockport regional race. The Wildcats had a split of 60 seconds last week. Expect that to be lower this Saturday. #16 Downers Grove North ran a great race last Saturday at Hinsdale finishing second. Emma Moravec ran her best race so far this season. She could be in the top 10 in this race. The Trojans had a tight 19 second 2-5 split last weekend. They will need to have that pack 50 seconds behind Moravec with the same type of split in order to make it to Peoria.

 

#18 Downers Grove South finished third twenty points behind cross-town rival Downers Grove North last weekend at Hinsdale. Amanda Thate and Katie Stapleton will need to be in the first 15 in this race with an overall split near 60 seconds. Last week the split was 71 seconds for the Mustangs. #19 Oswego does not have the strong front runner like the above five schools have. This team does run in a pack that could be beneficial in this meet. At Lockport last week, their five runner split was 64 seconds in their third place finish. Their split at their conference meet on a flat course was 50 seconds. The Panthers will need a split near 45 seconds with Grace Pagone or Allyson McLaughlin in the top twenty to advance to Peoria. Lyons Township finished a distant fourth at Hinsdale. They will need to have their pack start in the low 20’s with a 45-50 second split to make it into the top five. Sandburg won their regional meet with their top three runners within 18 seconds of each other. Their overall split in that race was 81 seconds. That has to be lower if they are to make it to Peoria.

 

Boys (11:00 AM)

 

Individuals – Ryan Clevenger (North HS, Downers Grove is the overwhelming favorite in this race. He took it easy in the Hinsdale Regional race yet still ran 14:51 winning by 22 seconds. Peter Johnsrud (Oswego HS) won the Lockport Regional fairly easy by 21 seconds. He will be one of the runners that could push Cleveneger. Connor Horn (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville) ran 14:45 at the beginning of the year at Peoria. He did not race last weekend at Lockport. He should have fresh legs waiting for this Saturday. Sean Torpy and Tom Brennen lead a potent Sandburg attack. They should be among the top runners in this meet. Connor Madell (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange) did not run his best race of the year two weeks ago at his conference. He was rested last week. He could be a difference maker in this race.

 

Just like the Girls race, this is a deep individual field. Watch for Alex Lima (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange), Michael Widmann and Daniel Weiss (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville), Jack Sebok (North HS, Plainfield), Blake Evertsen, Chris Brenk, and Matt McBrien (Hinsdale Central HS), Max Lenhardt and Chris Torpy (Sandburg HS, Orland Park), Caleb Washington (Shepard HS, Palos Heights), Jack Lalonde (South HS, Downers Grove), and Alec Danner (North HS, Downers Grove).

 

Teams – Yes, you could call this a preview of what we could see next week at Peoria. The top four teams in the 3A state rankings are ready to run. I would not call the winner of the meet having a big advantage at the state meet. In the 2002 Niles West Sectional, the top two teams in the state Lyons Township and York faced each other with Lyons Township. The following week at the state meet it was York’s turn to win.

 

The top four teams are pretty much locks to advance to Peoria. #1 Hinsdale Central were able to rest Chris Brenk and Matt McBrien at last week’s sectional meet and still win the regional title. Their split on the first three runners was only 16 seconds. Blake Evertsen will join Brenk and McBrien to give the Red Devils a strong first three. Their split early in the year was between 20-25 seconds. At their conference meet it was 38 seconds. It will need to be near 25 seconds to come out on top in this meet.

 

#2 Sandburg has rolled through its meets after an opening win at Lyons Township on September 6. The Eagles have made it look easy running to easy wins at Richard Spring, Peoria Central, and their conference meet. Coach John O’Malley rested his top six getting them ready for this race. Their split at conference was only 13 seconds. That kind of split with Sean Torpy and Tom Brennen in the top six will give this team a sectional title. #3 Neuqua Valley played it smart also not running their top six on the Dellwood Park hills. The Wildcats have the similar kind of splits that Sandburg and Hinsdale have. Connor Horn should be in that top five individually leading that pack. #4 Lyons Township will again run a tight pack led by Connor Madell and Alex Lima. Their split usually runs near 25 seconds as well. Their split was 22 seconds at their conference meet but the pack did not move up during the race. That cannot happen again in the next two meets.

 

Who will win? I don’t think any of the coaches know. I can’t even tell. All I know it could be 15-18 points separating all four of these teams.

 

It will be three teams fighting for the final qualifying spot. #17 Downers Grove North finished second at Hinsdale last week behind Ryan Clevenger’s individual win. The split in that race was 93 seconds with a 2-5 split of 59 seconds. That split needs to be near 40 seconds for this team to have chances to qualify. #19 Plainfield South did not run with one of their top runners Kenny Peters in the regional meet finishing second. Their split was only 21 seconds. They do not have a front runner. The Cougars will need a runner to be in the top 18 with that kind of split. #21 Oswego has a 52 second 2-5 split with Peter Johnsrud most likely in the top five. That split will need to come down in order for the Panthers to advance.

 

Quincy Sectional @ Bob Mays Park

 

Girls (10:30 AM)

 

Individuals – It could be a 1-2-3 sweep by Minooka runners in this race. Ashley Tutt has the potential to finish the top ten at the state meet. She should be the favorite in this race. Mackenzie Callahan and Emily Shelton could be close to their teammate.  Angela Buch (O’Fallon HS) won the Belleville West Regional by seven seconds ahead of Lizzie Lynn (Edwardsville HS). Both runners could finish in this meet in the top ten.

 

Other runners that should be towards the front include Morgan Crouch (Minooka HS), Sarah Duffy (O’Fallon HS), Danielle Beckstead (Normal Community HS), Agok Ayuen (Rock Island HS), Charlotte Youell (West HS, Joliet), and Carly Marchal (Lincoln-Way North HS, Frankfort).

 

Teams – Does anyone get close to #12 Minooka in this sectional? It would be hard to imagine. The Indians should have four of the top seven runners in this race. Their five runner split was close to 90 seconds last week. The big split will not mean a thing for this week’s meet. #24 O’Fallon is starting to run better as evidenced by their last two meets winning their conference and regional meet. Angela Buch and Sarah Duffy should be the top runners in this meet for this team. A split of 62 was run on their first five in last week’s win. It is hard to see the Panthers not qualifying out of this sectional. Conference rival Edwardsville should also advance out of this sectional. The Tigers run close to a 65 second split on their five runners. Lizzie Lynn could finish in the top six in this meet.

 

It is a toss-up on who will qualify out of this sectional in the final two spots. Lincoln-Way Central has a nice pack led by Liz Venezio. Their split on four runners last week was 46 seconds with an overall split of 66 seconds. Their overall split on five in their conference meet. If they can have a runner in the first 15 with that kind of split, the Knights could make a return trip to the state meet. Joliet West won easily at Andrew taking the first three places. Their average five runner split has been close to 90 seconds this season. If that split comes down with either Charlotte Youell or Kiersten Perry in the top 20, the Tigers are a good bet to run another week. Normal Community ran good enough to qualify finishing third out of the Minooka Regional. Watch for Danielle Beckstead to be among the top five runners. If they can keep their five runner split near 100 seconds, this team could qualify. Providence runs with a tight pack but really do not have a front runner. The Celtics could be a surprise if their pack starts in the low 20’s and keep their split near 55 seconds.

 

Boys (11:30 AM)

 

Individuals – Dorrian Gordon (O’Fallon HS) and Brydon Groves-Scott (Edwardsville HS) both were rested last week and did not run in their regional meets. The two raced each other at their conference meet the week before with Gordon winning by 21 seconds. Gordon is one of the top runners in the state. He will showcase his talents in this sectional. Gordon should be the favorite. I would not count out Groves-Scott. You can expect him to be a little closer. One runner that should be up front is Raul Rosendo (Central HS, Joliet). The junior finished second in his conference meet. He came back to win the Andrew Regional by eight seconds ahead of John Chomiak (Lincoln-Way North, Frankfort).

 

Other runners that I would keep an eye on up front include Logan Whorton and Severin Blenkush (O’Fallon HS), Will O’Keefe (Granite City HS), Gabe Ceballos (Minooka HS), Tommy Kolacki and Ian Peterson (Lincoln-Way Central HS, New Lenox), Jared Peters (Normal Community HS), Ben Walczak (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort), and Wes Schoenthal (Edwardsville HS).

 

Teams - #14 O’Fallon has bounced back from a so-so performance at the Richard Spring Invitational where they finished sixth almost 100 points behind fifth place York. They have looked good in the last two meets that their full varsity has run. Dorrian Gordon will give the Panthers low points. Watch for the split between Gordon and #2 runner Logan Whorton. At their conference meet it was 30 seconds. If they can keep that split with an overall split between 55-60 seconds, O’Fallon should win the Sectional Championship.

 

#20 Lincoln-Way Central should have Tommy Kolacki and Ian Peterson within the first seven runners. The Knights could win if they could keep their split near 40 seconds on their five scorers. They should qualify out of this sectional. #22 Edwardsville could be a surprise in this sectional. They will be tough up front having Brydon Groves-Scott and Wes Schoenthal within the top seven individually. The Tigers have received a boost by the return of Ethan Townzen. The junior was one of their top runners in 2013 but has been out most of this season with an injury. He was the fifth runner at the conference meet and third last week. Edwardsville should qualify but a split between 40-45 seconds could put them on top.

 

I think then it will be four teams fighting for the final two qualifying spots. The one team that could sneak into the top three is Lincoln-Way North. The Phoenix have been a solid team all year led by the front running of junior John Chomiak. Their split on five was 52 seconds last week. If Chomiak is in the top ten and their split is under 50 seconds, this team will make the trip to Detweiller Park. Minooka could also be a factor in the top five. They have the good senior leadership up front with Gabe Ceballos. They have a young squad behind Ceballos with three sophomores in the top five at the regional meet. The gap between Ceballos and the pack needs to be close to 40 seconds with a team split close to 70 seconds overall for the Indians to make a qualifying spot.

 

Joliet Central will have Raul Rosendo in the front five. Their pack behind him last week at the regional meet was 58 seconds with a team overall split at 88 seconds. Both splits need to come down if the Steelmen want to run at state. Normal Community could be in the top five but will need the top runners Austin and Jared Peters along with Carson McCormick in the first 15. Their five runner split at the regional meet was close to two minutes. If that split goes down to 90 seconds with those three up front, Normal could finish in the first five.

 

Schaumburg Sectional @ Busse Woods

 

Girls (10:00 AM)

 

Individuals – This should be a repeat from last week’s regional race at Palatine between Lauren Van Vlierbergen (Jacobs HS, Algonquin) and Kelly O’Brien (Palatine HS). Van Vlierbergen and O’Brien were together until the Jacobs senior broke away in the last mile for a 24 second win. These two runners should be the main principles in this race but I think O’Brien will be closer at the end. It could come down to a last 400 for the win.

 

Kaitlyn Ko (Buffalo Grove HS) started the season with an injury but has come on strong in the past few weeks. Her win at the Libertyville Regional shows that she could finish in the top five in this meet. Ayako Higuchi won last week on this course. What a difference a year makes. In last year’s state series Higuchi was sick and not at 100%. Now in perfect health, the Fremd senior could leave Busse with the sectional championship.

 

This is a good individual field. Other runners I would watch up front include Ali Gutt and Erin Falsey (Schaumburg HS), Amy Kieliszewski (Palatine HS), Katie Escobar (Fremd HS, Palatine, Alondra Aguirre and Megan Biddle (Hoffman Estates HS), Brooke Wilson (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect), Melissa Manetsch (Libertyville HS), Becky Haight (Warren HS, Gurnee), Lauren Conroy (Barrington HS), Caitlin Shepard (Lake Zurich HS), and Sydney Davis (Conant HS, Hoffman Estates).

 

Teams – While all eyes have been on the 3A teams in the west suburbs of Chicago, #3 Palatine has quietly been getting ready for the state meet. Each week’s performance heading down the stretch is a little better. Kelly O’Brien will gives them low numbers being up front. You even should see Amy Kieliszewski and Megan Beach in the top ten. The Pirates put seven in the first twelve last week. Their pack on five was 52 seconds last week. That kind of split with their front firepower will have Palatine defending their sectional championship.

 

There are 8 ranked teams that will be fighting for 5 spots. We have already acknowledged Palatine’s strength. There are some other strong teams in this sectional that will be in the top ten at the state meet. #6 Schaumburg has kept the pack together all season. They won the Hoffman Estates Regional last week with a 37 seconds split between first runner Ali Gutt and fifth runner Lauren Kubinski. The Saxons could challenge Palatine, but would need Gutt and Ellie O’Connell in the top ten with the same kind of split. #13 Hoffman Estates bounced back from a sub-par conference performance placing second behind Schaumburg. The Hawks ran a 72 second split in last week’s meet. If top five runner Mishah Baig returns to the lineup with Megan Biddle and Alondra Aguirre in the first 12, the split will go down along with Hoffman Estates challenging Schaumburg for the second spot. #14 Fremd could be hurt with their gap between three and four runners. The Vikings should have Ayako Higuchi, Katie Escobar, and Anita Grudzien in the top 15. The 93 second gap they had after that last week needs to be cut down by 30 seconds for this team to be a solid top five team.

 

#17 Lake Zurich will contend for a top five spot. Caitlin Shepard should be among the top ten runners in the race. The Bears will need to keep their split at 45 seconds on 5 to advance. #20 Libertyville turned the tables winning their own regional after they finished behind #21 Warren at the North Suburban Conference. Libertyville is young but talented up front. Melissa Manetsch could place in the top ten with fellow freshman Avryl Johnson in the top 15. Their split needs to be near 60 seconds on five for this team to qualify for the state meet. Warren will have Becky Haight and Emily Jahn in the top 15 in this race. They ran an 84 second split last week. That needs to come down if they want to finish in the top five.

 

#22 Barrington held back at Palatine but still qualified with a fifth place finish. The Fillies could be a surprise in this meet. Lauren Conroy should be in the top ten. Jocelyn Long was close to Conroy most of the season. If she runs along with Conroy, it gives Barrington a big boost.

 

Boys (11:15 AM)

 

Individuals – This is the first time that Jesse Reiser (McHenry HS) and Zach Dale (Conant HS, Hoffman Estates) have faced each other this season. The two nationally ranked runners could be feeling each other out getting ready for state next week. Both are undefeated. Reiser ran 14:20 at Detweiller at First to the Finish. The following week, Dale opened his season running 14:29 in muggy conditions. It will be intriguing to see how the two run this race. That is the main thing I am watching for.

 

We should not forget about Matt Pereira (Lake Zurich HS) in this race. At last week’s Palatine Regional Meet, Reiser could just not shake the sophomore winning by only five seconds. Expect Pereira in the front battling as well.

 

There is plenty of talent behind these three runners. Keep an eye in the front on Graham Brown (Palatine HS), Kevin Salvano (Buffalo Grove HS), David Rodriguez (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights), Sam Oh (Stevenson HS, Lincolnshire), Dustin Macuiba (Warren HS, Gurnee), Ben Casey (Highland Park HS), Brian Leonard (Palatine HS), Kyle Monahan (Barrington HS), Michael Hahndorf (McHenry HS), and Justin Loquercio (Wheeling HS).

 

Teams – There is no overwhelming team in this sectional that will run away from the rest of the pack. There are five ranked teams in the top 25 at Schaumburg. There could be up to 11 schools that could be fighting for a top five qualifying spot.

 

Lake Zurich and Hersey should battle for the sectional team crown. #10 Lake Zurich has been boosted by Kyle & Brian Griffith and freshman Patrick Burns moved up to the varsity level on the weekend before conference. The Bears will be tough with Matt Pereira up front and the pack behind him. Last week, the 2-5 split was 16 seconds with an overall split of 67 seconds. The split could be lower. If that happens, Lake Zurich could be on top. #11 Hersey is peaking at the right time. David Rodriguez should be in the top five in this race. The Huskies’ pack is rounding into shape especially with the return of Grant von der Lippe who missed a month due to injury. It will be a battle between the 2-5 packs of this team and Lake Zurich that will decide the sectional championship.

 

#16 Buffalo Grove was only four points behind Hersey at the MSL Meet two weeks ago. Once again, it is a matter of the pack behind the star runner that will decide the team race. Libertyville regional champ Kevin Salvano will be fighting for a top five spot. Their 2-5 pack was within 29 seconds of each other last week. If the pack can stay within 30 seconds of Salvano, this team could pull off the surprise. #23 McHenry came close to Lake Zurich last week. They will need that same kind of effort to make it to Peoria as a team. We know Jesse Reiser will be in the first two spots and Michael Hahndorf should be in the top ten. Daniel Tonyan, usually their 6-7 runner, stepped in as their third runner to give the team a boost. Their 3-5 pack was 20 seconds. If the pack can move 10 seconds closer to Hahndorf, McHenry could be among the top five. #25 Prospect does not have the front runner like most of the teams in this sectional. The Knights do have a solid pack led by Michael Anderson. Their split the last two weeks has averaged 35 seconds. If Anderson is in the first 18 with that kind of split, Prospect could make that Peoria trip.

 

Hoffman Estates has been in and out of the top 25 this season. Just like Prospect, the Hawks do not have that strong front runner. A tight pack led by Bryan Gamboa in the top 20 could give this team a state qualifying berth. Palatine has been a staple at the state meet. That run could be in jeopardy. The Pirates will have both Graham Brown and Brian Leonard in the first twelve. They will need a five runner split under 50 seconds to make it to state. Barrington has been up and down this season. Kyle Monahan should be in the top 15 in this race. The Broncos will need Alex Maher close to Monahan along with their split under 45 seconds to make it to Peoria. Wheeling has been the most improved team in the MSL this season. The Wildcats could be a surprise in this sectional if they can keep their split under 48 seconds with Justin Loquercio finishing in the first ten. Another surprise could be Crystal Lake South. Freshman Jack Becker has boosted this young team. They have a solid first four, but their gap of 30 seconds between four and five could hurt the Gators in his meet.

 

Skokie Niles West Sectional @ Niles West Campus XC Course

 

Girls (1:00 PM)

 

Individuals – Lindsay Graham (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn) has been dominant the last three weeks. She first ran 16:35 at Katherine Legge Memorial. She followed up with easy wins at WSC-Silver and then last week’s win at Lake Park. She will not be alone in this race. She will have company. Defending 3A champion Mimi Smith (New Trier HS, Winnetka) has been flying under the radar just like she did last year. Her 17:18 time solo last week at Harms Woods shows that she will push Graham for the win.

 

Lindsey Payne (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn) is having a great freshman season and could be in the first five in this race. Other runners that should be towards the front include Olivia Ryan (Fenwick HS, Oak Park), Kathryn House (Loyola Academy, Wilmette), Christine Mujica (Niles West HS, Skokie), Grace Rogers and Lisa Luczak (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn), Kyleigh Spearing (St. Ignatius Prep, Chicago), Maggie Scholle (Lane Tech HS, Chicago), and Grace Fagen & Caroline Fix (New Trier HS, Winnetka).

 

Teams - #1 Glenbard West is a lock to make it out of this sectional. They potentially could have 3 runners in the first 6, 5 runners in the first 12. It is hard to see the Hilltoppers finishing no lower than first in this meet. The thing that I would like to see in this meet is how close #5 New Trier could be to Glenbard West. They have been winning easily the last two meets. The Lady Trevians looked good in placing third at Palatine a month ago. Mimi Smith will be in the first two. The Trevians ran a tight 19 second 2-5 split at their conference meet. The key will be where will that pack start?

 

Glenbard and New Trier will qualify. The other three qualifying spots are wide open. #23 St. Ignatius has a solid first three led by Kyleigh Spearing, Jill Porretta, and Alexis Jakubowski. Their split needs to be near 60 seconds to make it to Peoria. With Kathryn House back up front, Loyola Academy could make a trip back to Peoria if they can keep their 2-5 pack within 45 seconds of their star runner. York surprised some by finishing a strong second at Lake Park. If Elizabeth Hagstrom can finish in the top twelve with a 50 second five runner split, York could make a Peoria trip. Fenwick had a down race at Lake Park. Look for the Friars to bounce back if they get a top five finish by Olivia Ryan, a top 12 finish by Anne Mannion, and keeping their five runner split under 110 seconds for five runners. Glenbard East held back at Lake Par. They could sneak into the top five with strong runs by Allison Hansen and their five runner split near 43 seconds.

 

Boys (2:00 PM)

 

Individuals – This will be a wide open race. There is no clear favorite. Henry Mierzwa (Maine South HS, Park Ridge) won the regional title at Harms Woods seven seconds ahead of Josh Rosenkranz (New Trier HS, Winnetka). The margin was the same but Rosenkranz was on top two weeks ago at the CSL Meet. Both runners will be in front in this race. Dan Santino and Andy Weber (St. Ignatius Prep, Chicago) have been towards the front this season. Santino won his regional race by two seconds ahead of freshman Clayton Mendez (Whitney Young HS, Chicago) and ten seconds ahead of Weber. Those three runners should also be towards the front. Chris Buechner (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn) and Irwin Loud (Oak Park-River Forest HS) had a seven second lead on York’s Charlie Kern with less than 1200 meters to go. The York freshman caught the two runners with 500 meters to go and went ahead and won by eight seconds ahead of Buechner. All three runners will be towards the front but if it is close Kern has showed that he has the wheels for a big finish.

 

One runner to watch is Pavlo Hutsalyuk (Lane Tech HS, Chicago). The senior took it easy in finishing ninth in his regional race. He did win the CPL City Championships running 15:03. It is one runner that could end up on top. Don’t forget about Jack Carroll (Loyola Academy, Wilmette). The CCL champion did not run last week but should be among the front runners in this race. Other runners to watch include Dhruvil Patel (Niles North HS, Skokie), Austin Santacruz (New Trier HS, Winnetka), Matt Plowman (York HS, Elmhurst), Paul Christian and Eric Neumann (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn), Mark Protsiv and Will Sarchet (Jones College Prep, Chicago), and Christian Badillo (Lane Tech HS, Chicago).

 

Teams – This is going to be so close. There are seven teams ranked in the first 25 that will be going after five qualifying spots. All of these teams are so evenly matched. #5 New Trier has a good front runner that will be in the top ten. The key to New Trier’s success in this top five pack. They have been averaging between 30-35 seconds most of this season. That could be the ingredients to get them to Peoria. #6 Loyola Academy has the strong front runner with Jack Carroll. The Ramblers put seven runners in the first eleven at their conference meet. Their split in that meet was 52 seconds. That needs to come down by 10 seconds in this meet to be in the top five. #7 St. Ignatius has a strong presence up front with Daniel Santino and Andy Weber. John Lennon was close to the front two at regionals. Their 1-4 split at regionals was only 18 seconds. What could kill the Wolfpack is their gap between four and five. Last week, the overall split was 67 seconds on five.

 

At the end of September, fans were writing off perennial power #8 York when they finished 11^th at the Palatine Sectional. With the addition of Freshman Charlie Kern and Sophomore Liam Hill to the varsity, the Dukes are healthy and ready for a good last two meets. York’s split was 50 seconds off of Kern’s individual win. If Matt Plowman can finish in the top seven with their pack getting to 40 seconds, York could win this meet. #9 Glenbard West has been a solid team all season. They showed that last Saturday when they tied York at Lake Park. The Hilltoppers have a solid first three with Chris Buechner, Paul Christian, and Eric Neumann all capable of finishing in the top ten. The 53 second split on five from last week needs to get closer. The pieces are there for Glenbard to make the trip to Peoria.

 

#12 Jones Prep could be a team ending up in the first five. They packed it up at their conference meet with only a ten second split on five. At Palatine, their split was 36 seconds. If they can get a runner in the first 12 with a tight 30 second split, the Eagles could be on the starting line at Detweiller Park. #18 Maine South is sneaky good and could be a surprise in the field. Henry Mierzwa will be in the top five in this race. Paul d’Ambrosio is capable of placing in the top ten. The Hawks had an 84 second split on their first five last week in regional competition. If it is cut down to near 60 seconds, Maine South could be in the top five. Whitney Young is a young team and could be a year away from doing some serious things. It would not surprise me if the Dolphins finished in the top seven.

 

St. Charles East Sectional @ Leroy Oaks FP

 

Girls (10:00 AM)

 

Individuals – At the Elgin City Classic at the beginning of the season, freshman Audrey Ernst (North HS, St. Charles) won by close to 30 seconds ahead of Gabby Juarez (Streamwood HS). It was closer at the conference meet two weeks ago when Ernst nipped Juarez at the line by less than a second. The two should be towards the front again in this sectional race. Rachel Hoffman (Central HS, Naperville) won easily two weeks ago at the DuPage Valley Conference. She was held out of last week’s regional meet. The Hoffman sisters (Rachel, Katie, and Nikki) have a history of injury problems. Hopefully it was just a week to rest and nothing serious. Rachel will be in the front if she is in the race.

 

This is a good and deep field with many quality runners. Runners that I would watch for up front include Alana Austin (Central HS, Naperville), Sara Atkins and Allison McGrath (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS), McKenzie Altmayet and Emma Ehrhardt (Geneva HS), Torree Scull (East HS, St. Charles), Kelly Meehleib (Huntley HS), Emma Stephens and Dakota Roman (Batavia HS), Elly DeTurris, Judy Pendergast, and Claire Hamilton (North HS, Naperville), and Janelle Ferguson (Auburn HS, Rockford).

 

Teams – This should be the best of the 3A Girls sectional meets on Saturday. There are five teams ranked in the top ten that will be on the starting line at Leroy Oaks. #4 Naperville North had a little scare at their conference winning on the sixth runner ahead of Naperville Central. This team has a great pack. Their split on five have been in the low 20’s the last few meets. The regional split was 21 seconds. The Huskies should have a runner in the top ten. With a pack like that, it could be tough to defeat them.

 

#7 Batavia has been a surprise team this season especially with the addition of five freshmen in the top seven. Dakota Roman was rested last week but should be in the top ten in this meet with West Chicago regional champion Emma Stephens. Their split was 36 seconds at conference two weeks ago. #8 Geneva has come on strong the past few weeks. Emma Erhardt and McKenzie Altmayer are capable of being in the top ten in this race. The Vikings’ split can range anywhere from 60 to 80 seconds. The smaller the split with the runners up front the better.

 

#9 Naperville Central ran a great conference race but their split was over 60 seconds. Without Rachel Hoffman last week, their split was 46 seconds. Hoffman should be in the top five in this race with Austin possibly in the first 12. If they can get their split to 50-52 seconds on five, the Red Hawks could be among the top teams in this meet. Even without Hoffman in their lineup, Central should still advance. #10 Wheaton-Warrenville South split in their regional win last week was 97 seconds. That is kind of deceiving especially with Sara Atkins in the front. The sophomore’s improvement this season has been dramatic. She should be in the top five in this race. Allison McGrath should also be near the top ten. If the Tigers 4-5 runners get 20 seconds closer to their front three, they could finish in the first three.

 

#25 St. Charles East has a good team but could have trouble advancing out of this tough sectional. Torree Scull will be in the first 7 runners. Their split from Scull to the rest of the pack was 46 seconds last week. That split needs to be cut ten seconds and keeping their 2-5 split between 15-20 seconds. That could get them into a qualifying spot. Benet Academy has a solid team that would qualify out of any other sectional. It will be tough to do so here.

Claire McCabe could finish in the top 15 in this race. Their split on five needs to be cut down from 80 seconds to 65 for the Redwings to be close to the top five teams.

 

Boys (11:00 AM)

 

Individuals – The one runner that I think could be the favorite in this race is Keagan Smith (Huntley HS). He ran 14:46 at Peoria almost a month ago. He looked strong winning the Guilford Regional Meet by more than half a minute. The one runner that I would watch to challenge him is Jon Klaiber (North HS, Naperville). The DVC Champion has improved this season and could be in the top ten at state next week. Kyle Cepeda (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS) was close to Klaiber at conference. He could be a factor in this race and should finish in the top five.

 

Other runners I would watch in the front include Geoffrey McCullough (Central HS, Naperville), Brady Bobbitt (Marmion Academy, Aurora), Connor McCue (West HS, Aurora), Kerry Gschwendtner (North HS, Naperville), Ryan Wieties (Batavia HS), Mark Sciurba (East HS, St. Charles), Jon Vollrath (Waubonsie Valley HS, Aurora), Jared Christiansen (Hononegah HS, Rockton), Seth Conroy (Huntley HS), and Michael Deamantopulos (Geneva HS).

 

Teams – It will be a battle of Naperville for the team title. The two teams have split championships the last two weeks. Central ran a little conservative in the first mile at DVC before coming on strong at the end only to come up short. They were a little more aggressive last week resulting in a two point win at West Chicago. #13 Naperville North will have Jon Klaiber in the first five. Their first four pack is close together with a 20 second average split. Their overall split is near 50 seconds. This team could be tough if that split cuts down by ten seconds. #15 Naperville Central has the good front runner in Geoffrey McCullough. Their split on five last week was 43 seconds. If they run the same race like last week, they could come out on top in this meet.

 

#24 St. Charles East should also qualify for the state meet. Mark Sciurba ran his best race of the year to place second at the regional meet. The Saints had a 2-5 split of 23 seconds in that meet also. If their overall split can get to 45 seconds, this team could be running at state.

 

It will be crowded with six teams challenging for the final two qualifying spots. Marmion Academy will have Brady Bobbit in the first five in this race. The Cadets split through four last week was 57 seconds. The gap between their fourth to fifth runners was 47 seconds. The overall split needs to be near 65-70 seconds for this team to run at state. Batavia ran a 63 second split at their conference meet two weeks ago. Ryan Wieties should be in the top ten in this race. Their front four is between 20-25 seconds. The gap between four and five needs to come down for this team to qualify. Hononegah could be a factor in the team competition. Their five runners were within 50 seconds of each other. They will need that kind of split along with Jared Christiansen in the top ten to make it to Detweiller Park. Huntley has a solid front three. Keagan Smith, Mike Grocholski, and Seth Conroy could all be in the top ten in this meet. It is their split from 3 to 4 that needs to cut down for this team to advance.

 

Benet Academy made state last year in 2A. They could in the higher classification this season but will need to get Jack Tuttle or Brady McLaughlin in the top 20 with a 30-35 second five runner split. Geneva ran a great race last week finishing second at Glenbard North. Michael Deamantopulos could be in the top 15 in this race. The Vikings ran a tough eight second 2-5 split. That kind of race could get them to Peoria.

 

 

Good luck to all runners, coaches, and fans this Saturday!