#1 Kewanee-Weathersfield will hope to get things done with their pack play (Steve Bugarin photo)
preview by Alex Goodlad (agmoneymeister@gmail.com)
Overall Remarks:
The field this year is just…with a lack of a better phrase…very deep! Where we typically have one dominant team, or even four teams contending for a trophy, this year we have six. And in addition to that, there are a lot of dark horse teams that are all looking to place in the top ten. Out of all the top 21 ranked teams, your guess of who makes the top ten is as good as mine!
Editor's note: tables contain team sectional performances
1) Kewanee-Wethersfield
| Kirstie Ramsey (Jr.) | 1 | 19:36 |
| Olivia Draminski (Sr.) | 2 | 19:39 |
| Joycelyn VanAntwerp (Sr.) | 3 | 20:44 |
| Whitney Johnson (Fr.) | 4 | 21:39 |
| Sarah Gomez (Sr.) | 5 | 22:02 |
| Diana Satkauskas (Jr.) | 6 | 22:08 |
| Sarah Gomez (Sr.) | 7 | 22:14 |
Without much returning to start the season, the Flying Geese did not right away reach out as the favorite. Things also looked uncertain when their front runner Kirstie Ramsey was sitting out for a lot of races. But without Ramsey the team was consistently dominating the smaller races and with the ace in tow, the state's top squad stole the spotlight at Peoria Heights [Invitational] from all the other favorite candidates. "I can honestly say, I have never coached a team as ready and prepared as these girls," remarks Coach Creston Fenn. "They are confident that they have prepared themselves physically and mentally to the utmost. Physically, they are in the best shapes of their lives and healthy." Furthermore, she states: "You cannot coach or teach experience. Having girls that ran on a 4th and 3rd place state team goes a long way. They have fought this battle before. I think that is a big part of why they see this state meet as not pressure that they have to run out of their minds to be great but as an opportunity show off their best." Their mentality seems to always be in the right place at this point of the season, and it is for that reason that Wethersfield goes into state ever-so-slightly the favorite.
2) Urbana (University)
| Arielle Summitt (So.) | 2 | 17:38 |
| Annemarie Michael (Jr.) | 3 | 17:44 |
| Berit Hudson-Rasmussen (Sr.) | 13 | 18:53 |
| Anika Kimme (Fr.) | 25 | 19:31 |
| Katie Tender (Sr.) | 36 | 20:02 |
| Mariam Arif (Sr.) | 39 | 20:07 |
| Elizabeth Atkinson (So.) | 44 | 20:14 |
Going into the beginning of the season, it was a concern as to the state of their front two Annamarie Michael and Arielle Summit. But at the Decatur St. Teresa Sectional, they appear healthy and ready to go. Their third runner Berit Hudson-Rasmussen has stepped up nicely to be their key runner and link to the back of the scoring pack who can also score low. The main concern will be if their fifth runner scores low enough to edge off the depth of teams like Tolono Unity and St. Joe-Ogden. The Illineks nearly did just that at sectionals against Unity but ended up tying them and losing due to Unity having the better sixth man.
3) Tolono Unity
| Jordan Harmon (Fr.) | 5 | 18:13 |
| Nicole Bagwell (Jr.) | 14 | 18:58 |
| Savannah Day (So.) | 16 | 19:06 |
| Miranda Fairbanks (Fr.) | 22 | 19:18 |
| Audrey Hancock (Fr.) | 24 | 19:28 |
| MacKenzie Brunk (Fr.) | 34 | 19:56 |
| Taylor Renfroe (Sr.) | 57 | 20:45 |
In between all the returning and incoming talent, the Rockets have a lot of depth. That paid off really well for them at the Decatur Sectional as their sixth runner Audrey Hancock who went 19:28 ended up being the tie breaker to edge off Urbana. In fact, there was so much depth that we saw a lot of change in their varsity roster throughout the season. It appears as though this new young roster of four freshmen, including their number one Jordan Harmon, has proven to be their best one yet, and it should be the one we see go at it in state.
4) St. Joseph Ogden
| Hayley Grice (So.) | 8 | 18:36 |
| Faith Houston (So.) | 9 | 18:40 |
| Hanna Atwood (Jr.) | 15 | 19:05 |
| Abby Gawthorp (Sr.) | 26 | 19:34 |
| Madi Smith (Sr.) | 40 | 20:08 |
| Keely Smith (Jr.) | 45 | 20:15 |
| Emma Melchior (Sr.) | 46 | 20:16 |
Injuries suck. Just ask Coach Jason Retz whose team this year had quite the injury bug. But nevertheless, these girls are still in the mix for a trophy. "We are thrilled as always just to have to opportunity to compete for a state title," states Retz, "We have battled a lot of injuries this year and are finally coming into rhythm as the year draws to a close. We have done what we can, now we put faith in our training and hope we can make something special happen. This group of young women are ready put it on the line for each other, and that's all I can ask."
5) Liberty
| Katelyn Robbins (Fr.) | 2 | 18:23 |
| Jacki Graham (Sr.) | 7 | 19:02 |
| Kaela Wellman (Fr.) | 15 | 19:24 |
| Katie Cook (Sr.) | 24 | 20:15 |
| Courtney Riley (Fr.) | 26 | 20:17 |
| Megan Barry (Jr.) | 27 | 20:25 |
| Katelyn Obert (Jr.) | 34 | 20:48 |
"This is the first time our team has qualified for the state championships as a team in 25 years. To say the girls were excited is an understatement and winning Saturday just made it that much better." These were among Head Coach Jared Schmidt's many thoughts reflecting their performance in the Elmwood Sectional. The Eagles looked good all season, with or without their lead runner Katelyn Robbins who they sat out some of the season to recover from her injury. With Robbins, they are definitely one of the teams this Saturday in contention for a trophy, and Coach Schmidt seems to agree. "In my opinion 5 or 6 teams have separated themselves from the rest of the field and I think we are one of those teams. The team battle should be really close and it will make for an exciting race for sure."
6) Petersburg (PORTA)
| Maria Brauer (Sr.) | 6 | 18:58 |
| Adrienne Brauer (Sr.) | 11 | 19:12 |
| Anna Tamborski (Sr.) | 29 | 20:32 |
| Katherine Pickerill (Sr.) | 32 | 20:40 |
| Keely Miller (Sr.) | 49 | 21:25 |
| Noelle Wiseman (Fr.) | 56 | 21:39 |
| Amber Stier (So.) | 76 | 22:34 |
Even though some teams really seemed to have stepped up this year and the Lady Jayes took a step back from not having their major third runner Anna Tamborski until late this season, I would not rule the preseason favorite out from contention for a trophy. This is a team of five seniors and they will race like the vets they are come Saturday. Coach Jim Brauer: "I am thrilled that these five seniors will be capping off their high school careers at Detweiller Park. I'm also pleased that our freshman, Noelle Wiseman has had opportunity to benefit from their positive influence. She, along with Amber Stier, Madison Kuehl and Audie Bell will have the experience to draw from in the years to come. I will miss these girls very much, especially, of course, my girls Adrienne and Maria [Brauer]. I have watched them grow up with Anna, Katherine and Keely and am very proud of the young ladies they have all become."
7) Seneca
| Eva Bruno (Jr.) | 1 | 19:44 |
| Sarah Virgo (Jr.) | 2 | 21:13 |
| Carina Collet (Jr.) | 3 | 21:28 |
| Emily Misener (Jr.) | 4 | 22:18 |
| Eve Odum (So.) | 5 | 22:30 |
| Karlie Punke (Sr.) | 6 | 23:20 |
| Lexi Bogren (Sr.) | 7 | 24:33 |
Putting conditions and the course into perspective, the Lady Irish ran a great race at the Oregon Sectional and definitely look ripe for a solid finish! Even with some injuries they had to battle, they should finish somewhere in the neighborhood of top seven to ten, which is about where this camp is aiming. "Our team is hoping for a top 10 finish this weekend," explains Coach Kim Sedlock. "Our preseason goal was top 7, but one of our runners had a late season injury, so we are not sure what to expect for her performance this weekend if we decide to run her. Our girls seem ready and excited. Being our second year at state, I think the girls are more comfortable and know what to expect. I'm very excited to see how well they perform."
8) Eureka
The Hornettes are back on the Detweiller path where they belong! This was despite unfortunately only having six runners finish in the race. But luckily their depth kept them alive for state this Saturday. They stand as a solid top ten bet and a nice dark horse for a top five finish.
9) Carlinville
| Jacey Roper (Sr.) | 6 | 18:19 |
| Colleen Madden (Sr.) | 7 | 18:30 |
| Molly Lewis (Fr.) | 47 | 20:19 |
| Madelynn Williams (So.) | 48 | 20:23 |
| Stasia Nejmanowski (So.) | 66 | 20:55 |
| Mackenzie Harris (So.) | 70 | 21:04 |
| Ryleigh Gibbel (So.) | 77 | 21:10 |
The Cavaliers are one of the many teams that have been racing against the heavy Central Illinois competition have definitely majorly stepped up last year. Not only do they have their 1-2 punch of state veterans Colleen Madden and Jacey Roper, but their 3-5 pack has been their major X-factor that gave them the edge to make it out of the tough Decatur St. Teresa Sectional. This pack should also give Carlinville the edge they need for a top ten finish.
10) Springfield Lutheran
To tell you the truth, this is a school I really did not see coming until regionals. The Crusaders have a pack of four really young and talented runners and would be contending for a trophy if not for their fifth coming in far behind. But that has appeared to not stop them getting as far as they have placing third in the Elmwood Sectional and it should not stop them from placing in the top ten at State.
11) Herrin
| Kara Martin (Sr.) | 1 | 19:37 |
| Maura Farrell (Sr.) | 3 | 20:10 |
| Kaelan Hall (Fr.) | 6 | 20:20 |
| Courtney Garrison (Jr.) | 25 | 21:45 |
| Skye Ross (So.) | 36 | 22:27 |
| Larraitz Blanco (Jr.) | 82 | 24:24 |
| Lexis Wieland (Sr.) | 92 | 24:53 |
This squad of Tigers is a really good team! Their front three have gone 1-2-3 in most of their races and should all be within the top 40 individuals on Saturday. Their 4-5 have also ran well this season and should be no different this year! In most other years they would be a top five team but with a year of this kind of parity they should land somewhere in this neighborhood, if not inside the top ten outright.
12) Litchfield
| Madi Throne (Fr.) | 18 | 19:13 |
| Brianna Travis (Jr.) | 27 | 19:39 |
| Alexandria Quarton (Sr.) | 28 | 19:39 |
| Alexis Throne (Jr.) | 30 | 19:43 |
| Jordan Brandt (Jr.) | 82 | 21:32 |
| Elli Holan (Jr.) | 87 | 21:39 |
| Brittany Uehling (Sr.) | 127 | 23:06 |
After having a state caliber team for the last two years, the Panthers finally have an opportunity to show themselves at Detweiller. With Madi Throne emerging as the leader of this strong pack of four, it should be interesting to see how they perform. "I am happy that the girls team of LItchfield High School have the opportunity to race at the state cross country championships," remarks Coach Jeremy Palmer, "The hard work that has been put in through the summer and training is paying dividends. It is our goal to have a positive performance up at the state meet."
13) Rockford Christian
| Madison Franseen (Fr.) | 1 | 19:59 |
| Andrea Zwonitzer (So.) | 2 | 21:59 |
| Carolynn Claussen (Sr.) | 3 | 21:59 |
| Cecily Holliday (Fr.) | 4 | 22:08 |
| Elise Combs (Sr.) | 5 | 22:23 |
| Kate Smith (Sr.) | 6 | 22:24 |
| Stefanie Walsh (Sr.) | 7 | 23:30 |
These group of Royal Lions made the strong statement Saturday that if the boys are getting spontaneously success multiplied to 2A, then they have to get bumped up, too. Because the girls had a really successful season this year finishing only eight points behind Seneca at Oregon. Definitely a team to watch for!
14) Stanford Olympia
The young Spartan ladies of Stanford Olympia have come a long way. "Our girls team is very young, 5 freshmen," Explains coach Michael Neisler, "We didn't spend any time this season talking about going to state, we just practiced and raced and continued to get better. Our sectional lost two of the top 5 teams from last year to 2A this season, so there were several teams that saw that opening and thought they had a chance, we were one of those teams." Coach Neisler continues: "It is always nice to have a front runner that doesn't score very many team points as well," referring obviously to front runner Shelby Stillman. "We are hoping for a top 20 finish and to run some season best times at Detweiller on Saturday. It is always fun to get to run on the final day of the season."
15) Elgin Harvest Christian Academy
| Nygia Pollard (So.) | 1 | 20:19 |
| Hannah Nelson (Sr.) | 2 | 21:50 |
| Rachel Higbee (So.) | 3 | 21:54 |
| Kaelie Sjodin (Jr.) | 4 | 22:11 |
| Richter Cassidy (So.) | 5 | 22:35 |
| Hannah Pientowski (So.) | 6 | 23:05 |
| Rayna Steiner (So.) | 7 | 23:12 |
Even assigned to the tougher Oregon Sectional, the Lions of Harvest Christian Academy have been putting it down as this season ends, which is amazing considering this school's short history. "This is HCA's 5th season in IHSA competition," explains Coach Steven Bland, "We are a small school, 180 students which is the biggest enrollment in our schools short history. This will be the girls second consecutive year qualifying for the state meet, last year we finished 19th. We would love to see our girls finish in the top 15, maybe a little better." Should be interesting to see what this young team does on Saturday.
16) Breese Mater Dei
| Elyse Faust (Fr.) | 11 | 20:34 |
| Sophia Lager (Jr.) | 12 | 20:44 |
| Abby Haag (Sr.) | 16 | 21:04 |
| Amy Krebs (Sr.) | 20 | 21:15 |
| Malina Isaak (So.) | 22 | 21:26 |
| Kinsey Stockmann (So.) | 39 | 22:37 |
| Grace Fuehne (So.) | 62 | 23:35 |
The Knights have a pack of five a minute deep that was able to keep it within ten points of Herrin, so this is yet another team to watch for as well in terms of potential top ten contenders.
17) Palos Heights (Chicago Christian)
| April van Ryn (Jr.) | 2 | 20:18 |
| Allie Boss (So.) | 5 | 20:46 |
| Jill Van Dyk (Jr.) | 12 | 21:31 |
| Cassidy VandeKamp (Jr.) | 13 | 21:39 |
| Sarah Claud (Sr.) | 21 | 22:09 |
| Lexi van Ryn (Jr.) | 26 | 22:34 |
| Becca Falb (Jr.) | 33 | 22:55 |
The Knights are the team coming on top of the Lisle area, and should make some noise at state if their front runners squeeze into the top 50 and their pack has a good day. "While obviously we were happy to qualify for State last year," explains Coach Jake Christiansen, "We weren't satisfied with our 18th place finish and hope to improve upon that spot. We believe our team is better this year than last, and while we have no delusions about breaking into the top 3 teams we are looking to simply take another step forward towards making Chicago Christian a team that perennially qualifies for State and maybe challenges for a State trophy in future years."
18) Freeburg
| Ashley Gilmore (Jr.) | 10 | 20:32 |
| Kayla Whitworth (So.) | 18 | 21:10 |
| Kristen Collier (Jr.) | 19 | 21:13 |
| Katherine Marler (Fr.) | 33 | 22:18 |
| Page Lee (Fr.) | 47 | 22:50 |
| Grace Wolf (Sr.) | 48 | 22:51 |
| Brandy Stambaugh (Fr.) | 63 | 23:37 |
It's unusual to see Freeburg finish only third in the southern sectional, but it speaks more to their area overall getting better than their team not being good. Right now the young Lady Midgets are rallying members of their top five and are looking to be a great team next year. But that is not to say they couldn't be in top 15, or even top 12 territory, this Saturday.
19) Westmont
| Halle Nash (So.) | 4 | 20:33 |
| Peyton Nash (So.) | 18 | 22:06 |
| Lisa Niemiec (So.) | 20 | 22:08 |
| Lily Arndt (So.) | 23 | 22:12 |
| Frankie Fabry (Fr.) | 31 | 22:48 |
| Brittany Eiermann (Sr.) | 38 | 23:04 |
| Hannah Abbatacola (So.) | 39 | 23:06 |
Westmont was definitely one of the teams hyped and the preseason and thus far they are living up to the hype. This young team finishing inside the top 20 is not such a bad thing considering the overall competitiveness of the field. Coach Steve Wolf: "With the addition of sophomore Halle Nash and a tight 2-3-4 pack, the Sentinels hope to move up considerably in the standings. We are a much improved team over last year but it remains to be seen just how much we have improved. The key will be to keep our 5th runner as close as possible to our middle pack."
20) Winnebago
| Hannah Insko (Jr.) | 1 | 20:48 |
| Hailey Gomon (Fr.) | 2 | 21:04 |
| Samantha Heavlin (So.) | 3 | 22:16 |
| Tiana Bielskis (So.) | 4 | 22:20 |
| Cameryn Baldwin (Jr.) | 5 | 22:55 |
| Kelsey Shellhorn (Sr.) | 6 | 22:56 |
| Lauren Peterson (Fr.) | 7 | 23:53 |
The Indians have really been hampered this season by health issues but despite that they still managed to live another Saturday in the Oregon Sectional. "We are starting to get over our illnesses and we are hoping to be even healthier this weekend," says Coach Janet Erb, "Really proud of how resilient they have been and how hard they are working."
21) Clifton Central
| Andrea Pace (Jr.) | 14 | 21:43 |
| Katie Kleinert (So.) | 17 | 22:02 |
| Lauren Ladehoff (Jr.) | 25 | 22:31 |
| Fallon Gray (Fr.) | 32 | 22:55 |
| Kaleigh Ladehoff (Fr.) | 36 | 22:57 |
| Hanna Gray (Sr.) | 55 | 23:57 |
| Mikayla Caspary (Fr.) | 92 | 26:01 |
Things are looking optimistic for this Clifton Central team as they qualify out of Lisle. They ran quite the race for their 17th place finish last year and should do so again. "We are looking at a healthy crew entering the meet," explains coach David Ladehoff. "I have Andrea Pace, Katie Kleinert, Lauren Ladehoff, and Hanna Gray returning from the 17th place team last season…Hanna, my senior, knows that this is her last high school cross country meet and is looking at a top 125 finish…Andrea, Katie, and Lauren are entering the final week with similar training paces and will keep a strong front pack for us. My freshmen, Fallon Gray and Kaleigh Ladehoff, running 4th and 5th for the team have consistently improved through the season, seem fearless, and pack hunt the races as a pair. Both have older sisters on the team and are looking to catch them both. Mikayla Caspary will round out the team. 4 of the team members competed at the 2013 IESA 1A State and finished 4th. I feel that we can push towards a 11th or 12th place team finish at State this year."
22) Carterville
| Reese Herrin (Fr.) | 5 | 20:15 |
| Megan Adams (Jr.) | 8 | 20:27 |
| Shelby Olson (So.) | 13 | 20:50 |
| McKenzie Rogman (Fr.) | 60 | 23:29 |
| Ashlee Childers (Sr.) | 67 | 23:43 |
| Josie Hoch (Sr.) | 80 | 24:21 |
There are three strong runners for the Carterville Lions and that gave them the competitive edge to qualify for state out of the Edwardsville Sectional. A top 80 finish from those three should be expected, and hopefully the rest takes care of itself.
23) Roxanna
| Kyrston Scifres (Sr.) | 9 | 20:30 |
| Shalyn Edwards (Jr.) | 26 | 21:46 |
| Michaela Tarpley (Fr.) | 27 | 21:57 |
| Victoria Tarpley (Fr.) | 45 | 22:46 |
| Alexis Stumpf (Sr.) | 55 | 23:14 |
| Sarah Stover (Fr.) | 72 | 24:05 |
| Jaidyn Peebles (Fr.) | 81 | 24:23 |
Coach Scott Edwards: "We are so excited to go to state! It's only the 3rd time in our history making it up to STATE but our 3rd time in the last 5 years. Our goal is to outperform our last two appearances which would be by placing 21st. I understand this may be low expectations for some but we are only playing the cards we can play. It's is just an honor and a blessing to make it to the state finals. Our super bowl was last weekend at the sectionals. Anything after that is gravy."
24) Des Plains Willows Academy
| Maeve Dunaway (Sr.) | 8 | 20:55 |
| Kailey Mongoven (Fr.) | 28 | 22:35 |
| Anne O'Regan (So.) | 29 | 22:38 |
| Stephanie Sommers (Sr.) | 37 | 23:02 |
| Julie Snitzer (Sr.) | 43 | 23:23 |
| Maura Walsh (Sr.) | 51 | 23:40 |
| Teresa Kenny (Sr.) | 54 | 23:50 |
They have a pretty strong front runner with a pack to work off of. Could very well exceed this ranking.
25) Elmhurst Timothy Christian
| Hannah Bosman (Sr.) | 15 | 21:50 |
| Megan Middel (Sr.) | 27 | 22:35 |
| Olivia Reamer (Fr.) | 30 | 22:48 |
| Nicole Terpstra (Sr.) | 45 | 23:32 |
| Elsa Johnson (Jr.) | 59 | 24:08 |
| Jill Forgac (Fr.) | 68 | 24:27 |
| Morgan Hoving (Fr.) | 69 | 24:27 |
Unless there's something I'm missing about the toughness of this sectional compared to others, I think this is the team to go last. But I could be wrong.