Illinois Distance Running 360: How Did 2016-17 Class 2A Girls Do?

Grace McLaughlin stomped away to All-American honors on the track

High school sports are 360 in nature- a full circle if you will. Most long distance runners will begin their quest during the early months of summer training for cross country. The three months of training that kids put in are an attempt to run in the state championship in November. For the few lucky ones, they will go on and compete in Nike Cross Nationals, Foot Locker or some other post-season meet. But what has been lost in the sauce is the entire school calendar which runs through the winter indoor campaign and finally back around to the all important outdoor track and field season.We wanted to chronicle the very beginning and end. Obviously athletes get lazy after cross country or hurt. Some play other sports in the spring like lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, etc. 

Below are the 2016 top 25 Class 2A Girls cross country all-state placers. We chronicled indoor and outdoor track seasons as appropriate.


1 Jenna Lutzow (Sr., Belvidere North) 16:35- Competed in 3A classification and ran only the 41st fastest open 800m (2:18.51), but anchored the state championship 4x800 relay to victory with a 2:13.xx split

2. Delaney Appino (Sr., Rockford Boylan Catholic) 16:45- Placed 2nd in the 1600m (5:03.68); won the Illinois Top Times indoor 1600m title; won ITT 3200m crown in 10:59.23 (did not contest event outdoors)
 
3. Grace McLaughlin (Jr., Rockford Boylan Catholic) 17:10- Enjoyed a dominant season that produced two state championships: 3200m (10:40.45), 1600m (5:02.43); ran personal bests IL#3 10:31.58/5:00.69; earned New Balance Outdoor Nationals 5k All-American honors

4. Madison Diercks (Fr., Belvidere North) 17:19- Competed in several field events during indoor and outdoor season favorably. However, it was the partaking in the 3A 4x800 relay that won the state championship; ran 5:01.00 in the 1600m and missed the state final

5. Annemarie Michael (Sr.,  Urbana University) 17:21- Placed 6th in the state 3200m (11:34.86) and took 9th in the state 1600m (5:16.65)

6. Jenna Schwartz (So., Waterloo) 17:22- Ran personal best 3200m 11:14.63 indoors at the Illinois Top Times; finished 7th in the state 3200; clocked a personal best 10:57.01 at Distance Night in Palatine

7. Gillian Fiene (Fr., Lansing Illiana Christian) 17:28- Best evemt was the 800m where she ran 2:13.57 and placed 3rd in the 800m

8. Megan Safranski (Sr., Burlington Central) 17:28- Just missed all-state honors with a 10th place finished; ran personal best 11:14.44

9. Kayla Schiera (Jr., Sandwich) 17:29- All state in 3200 (4th/11:15.18) and 1600 (5th)

10. Janine Orvis (Sr., Crystal Lake Central) 17:29- Competed in 3A; did not advance to state in any event

11. Gianna Sagona (Fr., Belvidere North) 17:30- Competed in 3A; did not advance to state as best effort was indoors at Illinois Top Times (11:19.81)

12. Grace Breitbach (Jr., Peoria Notre Dame) 17:35- Did not compete in track

13. Franny Verville (Jr., Dunlap) 17:36- Breakout season that produced several big honors: 2nd at state in 3200 and 3rd in 1600m; ran personal best 11:00.48 indoors at Illinois Top Times

14. Lauren Katz (Jr., Vernon Hills) 17:37-  Qualified for state in the 3200 but finished 22nd in the prelims

15. Olivia Rosenstein (Fr., Urbana) 17:37- Qualified for state in two events: 800 and 1600. Ran 5:14.34 in the 1600

16. Kari Lalumandier (Sr., Metamora) 17:38- Does not compete in track and field; played basketball and soccer in the winter and spring

17. Kelly Doerr (Sr., Crystal Lake Central) 17:38- Did not have a complete senior season as Doerr ran just a handful of races.
 
18. Rachel Richtman (Fr., Maple Park (Kaneland) 17:39- Completed a solid season with a 5th place state finish in the 1600; clocked 1:03.37 for the 400; ran 3200 just one time

19. Abby Fioresi (Sr., Aurora (Central Catholic) 17:48- Rebound season ended in a storybook state championship and IL#1 800m (2:12.37); IL#1 indoors with 2:14.35
 
20. Rachel Hickey (Jr., LaSalle -Peru) 17:48- Defending state 800m champion came up short to Abby Fioresi at state running IL#4 2:13.49; won Top Times indoor title in the 800

21. Abigail Jones (Sr., Woodstock Marian) 17:49- Ran just 5:44 in the 1600m; placed 12th in the 3200m state championship in 11:37.08 

22. Kylie Hagmann (So., Woodstock) 17:49- Dropped nearly a minute off of 2016 3200m personal best and placed 6th in the state meet (11:26.72)
 
23. Abby Johnson (So., Dunlap) 17:50- Played soccer in the spring

24. Katelyn Smith (Jr., Crystal Lake Central) 17:52- Competed in 3A during the track season and ran 5:22 in the 1600 as key highlight

25. Ayah Aldadah (Jr., Dunlap) 17:52- Qualified for two state final events (1600/3200); clocked personal best 10:55.35