Preview: 2024 IHSA Class 2A XC Sectional Meets

By Michael Newman

Katherine Legge Memorial Park in Hinsdale will be the setting of two sectionals that will take place on Saturday. The two top Class 2A teams in the state, Payton and St. Ignatius College Prep will go up against some great competition in two fantastic races. The top 7 teams from sectionals will advance to next week’s state meet.

Darien (Hinsdale South) Sectional @ Katherine Legge Memorial

Girls (8:00 AM)

Sectional Qualifying Teams - #1 Chicago (St. Ignatius College Prep), #3 Chicago (DePaul College Prep), #6 Wheaton (St. Francis), #17 Lisle (Benet Academy), #24 LaGrange Park (Nazareth Academy), #25 Oak Park (Fenwick), #26 Aurora (Rosary) | West Chicago (Wheaton Academy), Chicago (Payton), Glen Ellyn (Glenbard South), River Forest (Trinity), Chicago (University), Elmwood Park, Chicago (Noble ITW/Speer), Chicago (Hancock), Chicago (Lindblom), Chicago (Noble/Pritzker), Chicago (Noble/UIC).

Notes – This is the first time in IHSA Sectional history that a sectional race has started this early. There are seven ranked teams in this race headlined by three of the top six teams in Class 2A. St. Ignatius College Prep emerged as the top team in the state after a close win over defending state champion Chatham-Glenwood three weeks ago. The Wolfpack rested five of their top seven runners last week and will be at full strength. DePaul College Prep packed it up last week with an easy win at the Elmwood Park Regional. St. Ignatius has the strong top two with Annika Swan and Allison Shutler with DePaul having a solid pack led by front runner Emily Stecky. St. Francis will have two of the top runners in this race with Elena Mamminga and Erin Hinsdale. The Spartans have been without Margaret Andrzejewski for the past three weeks. The return of this junior could give this team a big boost. Benet Academy is healthy and will make a charge for a finish in the top three. Nazareth Academy, Fenwick, and Rosary are all ranked in the top 30 and have the edge to make it to state. Wheaton Academy has been running strong and could replace one of those teams in the top seven in this sectional.

This is a powerful individual race led by St. Ignatius Prep’s Annika Swan, who should be the race favorite, and freshman Allison Shutler. Delilah Helenhouse of Benet Academy is back and healthy after a minor injury. She will push up front for the win. Molly McGreal of Trinity won at Elmwood Park and could be a difference in this race. Mamminga and Hinsdale should be among the top runners in this race. Julia Gamboa of Fenwick, Emily Stecky of DePaul College Prep and Kathleen Brady of Nazareth Academy are all in the mix to also finish in the top 10.

Boys (9:00 AM)

Sectional Qualifying Teams - #1 Chicago (Payton Prep), #3 Chicago (Latin), #7 Chicago (St. Ignatius College Prep), #12 Aurora (Marmion Academy), #16 Lisle (Benet Academy), #21 Chicago (DePaul College Prep), #23 Burbank (St. Laurence) | #29 Glenbard (Glenbard South), West Chicago (Wheaton Academy), Chicago (University), Darien (Hinsdale South), Chicago (Noble/ITW Speer), Chicago (Solorio Academy), Chicago (Hancock), Chicago (Noble/Mansueto), Chicago (Mt. Carmel), Elmwood Park, Chicago (Noble Street Charter).

Notes – The question is do we see the top Class 2A team in the state Payton run their top seven in this race. They ran some of their seven last week at Elmwood Park. They will be tough to beat in tis race. The Grizzlies will be challenged by Latin in this race. The Romans with the additions of freshmen Micah Weiss and Nico Rastatter have given their team a solid top five pack that will challenge them for the win. St. Ignatius Prep and Marmion Academy, who won on this course last week, are teams we should see in Peoria next week. Glenbard South could challenge for a top seven spot along with St. Laurence, Benet Academy, and DePaul College Prep. Eight teams are ranked in this field. The sixth, seventh, and eighth place teams could be separated by 10 points when all is said and done.

Finn Richards of Benet Academy ran 14:15 to finish third on this course at the beginning of this season. His 14:24 time on this 2.9-mile course shows he is in position to win again on this course. He is the race favorite. There will be good competition behind him with Thomas Jochum of Glenbard South and Luis Flores of St. Laurence appear the top runners to challenge Richards in the front. Ben Gibson of Latin School, Simon Lane of Chicago University, Tra’Monti Williams and Stepen Jiang of Payton, and Wojtek Gilarski of Hinsdale South you should all see challenge in the top 10.

Maple Park (Kaneland Sectional @ Kaneland HS

Girls (10:00 AM)

Sectional Qualifying Teams - #4 Crystal Lake (South), #7 Rockford (Boylan, #11 Mundelein (Carmel), #12 Grayslake (Central), #15 Arlington Heights (St. Viator), #19 Lake Forest, #22 Chicago (Northside Prep) | #23 Crystal Lake (Prairie Ridge), #27 Crystal Lake (Central), #29 Antioch, Burlington (Central), Grayslake (North), Wauconda, Dixon, Rock Falls, Maple Park (Kaneland), Sterling, Bensenville (Fenton)

Notes – Crystal Lake South has a great program where you see them move up and become highly competitive team in championship season. The Gators ran great last week in their regional race and should be the favorite on Saturday. Rockford Boylan emerged early in the season and have become one of the elite teams in this sectional. The Titans will also be in the hunt for the title. Grayslake Central will challenge for the top three teams this season. St. Viator and Mundelein Carmel have been surprising teams this fall and could punch a ticket to the state meet. There are six teams that could challenge for the final two qualifying spots. Crystal Lake Central Hadley Ferrero missed a month due to an injury and will give the Tigers a boost to possibly get into the top seven. Antioch, Lake Forest, Prairie Ridge, and Northridge Prep are teams to watch challenging for a top seven finish.

The individual race is open with as many as six runners that could challenge for the individual win. Izzy Bing of Carmel Catholic is the hot runner in this race having run 17:32 last week in her regional race. Lulu Ton-That of Northside Prep won the Chicago City Championships two weeks ago and is primed for a big race. Reese Kohnle of Rockford Boylan, Josslyn Wade of Fenton, and Pilar Rosales of Lake Forest are some of the runners you could see in the front.

Boys (11:00 AM)

Sectional Qualifying Teams - #4 Dixon, #5 Maple Park (Kaneland), #11 Crystal Lake (Central), #13 Lake Villa (Lakes), #14 Belvidere (North), #22 Woodstock, #24 Sycamore | #27 Rock Falls, Niles (Notre Dame), Crystal Lake (Prairie Ridge), Antioch, Mundelein (Carmel), Crystal Lake (South), East Dubuque, Grayslake (Central), Chicago (Lake View), Lake Forest, Chicago (Northside Prep).

Notes – Dixon and Kaneland were separated by two points in last week’s regional race and again will challenge for the sectional title. There are six other ranked teams that will challenge for five state spots in this meet. Crystal Lake Central, Lakes, and Belvidere North are improving teams that should advance to Peoria. The sixth and seventh spots should be tight with Woodstock, Rock Falls, and Sycamore all capable of being at Detweiller Park next week.

Evan Nosek of Kaneland after a so-so race at conference bounced back last weekend and will be one of the runners to watch from on Saturday. The field is deep with Jesse Kramer of Belvidere North. Ellery Shutt of Woodstock, Jiberil Lesman of Lake View, Carson Kaiser and Evan Whildin of Kaneland, Jackson Summy of Lakes, and Aaron Conderman of Dixon are some of the runners in the front in this race.

Metamora Sectional @ Black Partridge Park

Girls (10:30 AM)

Sectional Qualifying Teams - #5 Washington, #9 Morton, #13 Normal (University), #14 Dunlap, #21 Morris, #28 Geneseo, #30 Sandwich | Metamora, Lemont, Joliet (Catholic Academy), Manteno, Oak Forest, East Peoria, Midlothian (Bremen), Tinley Park, Calumet City (Thornton Fractional North), Evergreen Park, Chicago (Agricultural Science).

Notes – Washington and an ever-improving Morton team went at it last week in Galesburg with Washinton coming away with a convincing win. The two Mid-Illini Conference teams are the only two top 10 ranked teams in the field, Washington, though, is the team to watch in this race. Normal University has been without one of their top runners Natalie Bierbaum since the middle of September. U-High should be able to advance without her led by Zoe Carter. We could see Bierbaum running next week. There are seven ranked teams in total in this race with a good probability of all of them advancing, Metamora could be the surprise team in this field making it into the top seven.

Last week at the Morris Regional Sundara Weber of Sandwich finished ahead of Zoe Carter. These two runners’ that figure to be the favorites in this race. Klarke Goranson of Manteno and Hannah Farley of Lemont finished together last week at Morris and will challenge for top three spots. Abby Tudeen of Dunlap, Sophia Ramirez of Washington, Avery Braker of Morton, and Brooklyn Smith of Geneseo are some of the runners you should see in the front in this race.

Boys (11:30 AM)

Sectional Qualifying Teams - #2 Morton, #6 Washington, #8 Metamora, #15 Normal (University), #17 Morris, #25 Geneseo, #30 Dunlap | Chicago (Brother Rice), Lemont, Oak Forest, Chillicothe (Illinois Valley Central), Pontiac, Sandwich, Tinley Park, LaSalle-Peru, Chicago Heights (Marian), Evergreen Park, Crete-Monee.

Notes – Morton has come on like gang busters in the past month and will be favored to win this sectional team title. Fellow Mid-Illini squads Washington and Metamora have showed vast improvement over that time and could be team title contenders if Morton has an off race. Five teams could challenge for the final four team qualifying spots on Saturday headed by Normal University and Morris who should advance to state. Brother Rice has the strength in the front to challenge for a top seven position along with Dunlap and Geneseo.

It could be a showdown between Cuyler Swanson of Morris and Gavin O’Connor of Brother Rice for the individual race title. Both runners have run under 14:45 this year. Zach Born of Metamora and Morton’s Christian Harris and Boston Beyer ready to challenge for top five finishes along with Andrew Straley of Brother Rice, Ben Gorsage and Fisher Rinkenberger of Washington, Dylan Gehl of Geneseo, and Sean Kaeb of Normal University.

Olney (Richland County) Sectional @ Olney Central College

Girls (10:00 AM)

Sectional Qualifying Teams - #2 Chatham (Glenwood), #8 Rochester, #10 Waterloo, #16 Carterville, #18 Mahomet (Seymour), #20 Mascoutah, Champaign (Centennial) | Highland, Troy (Triad), Olney (Richland County), Effingham, Mt. Zion, Champaign (Central), Mt, Vernon, Taylorville, Freeburg, Centralia, East St. Louis (Senior).

Notes – Defending 2A State champion Chatham-Glenwood will tune up for Detweiller Park with a strong race to win in this sectional. Rochester has run extremely strong the past couple of weeks and will be challenged by Waterloo for the second spot and perhaps Carterville who has put together for some stronger races in the next month. Mahomet-Seymour and Mascoutah are the two other ranked teams in the field as should be team qualifiers. Highland and Champaign Centennial look to challenge along with Troy Triad for the seventh and final qualifying position.

Cameron Crump of Waterloo as well as Ali Londrigan and Ashlynn Chopra of Chatham-Glenwood will challenge for the win with Crump having the edge. Brooke Zeibert of Rochester ran a good race for the Jacksonville Regional and will be someone also to watch in the front. Molly Robertson of Carterville should be in the top five and could be a surprise for the win.

Boys (11:00 AM)

Sectional Qualifying Teams - #9 Mahomet (Seymour), #10 Marion, #18 Bethalto (Civic Memorial), #19 Highland, #20 Chatham (Glenwood), #26 Mt. Vernon, #28 Mascoutah | Mt. Zion, Taylorville, Herrin, Champaign (Central), Troy (Triad), Charleston, Waterloo, Carterville, Olney (Richland County), Urbana, Lincoln.

Notes – This could be one of the most wide-open team races that we could see this Saturday. Seven schools are all ranked among the top 30 in Class 2A. Augustus Gaudio and Henry McMurry did not run in their regional race, but Mahomet-Seymour did come away with their regional team win. They will be one of the favorites in this race along with Marion. We saw the Wildcats build through their season losing by eight points in their sectional and then winning the Class 2A team state championship. Marion has a tight top two pack with Raphael and Gabriel Greer and an improving pack behind them. Keep an eye on them in this race. Bethalto Civic Memorial, Highland, and Chatham-Glenwood are interchangeable to finish third. Mt. Vernon and Mascoutah could be challenged by Taylorville and Mt. Zion for the final two spots.

It will be a wild finish up front in this race with Max Weber of Bethalto Civic Memorial, Caleb Mathias of Champaign Central, and Liam Bettis of Taylorville all capable of winning this race. Drew Twyman of Troy Triad, Gabriel and Raphael Greer, Leo Cozzi of Mascoutah, and Augustus Gaudio all will challenge for spots in the top five.