Jenna Schwartz enjoyed a great cross country season which should float into the track season
3200m-
2017 State Champion: Grace McLaughlin (Sr., Rockford Boylan Catholic) 10:40.45
Key Returners:
McLaughlin, Jenna Schwartz (Jr., Waterloo), Jordan Harmon (Jr., Tolono Unity), Ayah Aldadah (Dunlap),
Season Outlook: The cross country season may or may not determine whether some of the players from the fall will turn out to be high rollers this spring. For one, very few people outside of defending state champion Grace McLaughlin's camp knew that she sustained an injury at the beginning of her xc summer training. Trips to the doctor and 15 weeks later McLaughlin had to come to a realization that her senior campaign would not come to fruition. Through the pain and agony she was able to squeeze in one race that she ran 17:55 on the undercard circuit. If only she can get back to health, it will mean trouble for the entire state of Illinois. The New Balance Outdoor Nationals 5k All-American shall be ready in time.
Jenna Schwartz's psyche received a tremendous boost after winning the harrier title and according to her father Nick Schwartz, Jenna will be ready to run fast this spring with additional speed training to supplement her tremendous strength. Since 2A all-star cross country performer Shanice Garbutt of Danville is moving up to 3A, it is time to look some new faces on the scene. Let's take Dunlap for example, they have a bevy of returning distance talent such as Ayah Aldadah and Franny Verville, but the real deal is freshman phenom Campbell Petersen who took the cross country world by storm. In her introductory season, she was able to place second to Schwartz. Don't be surprised if she has her eyes set on the top spot by season's end.
Top returning performances:
| RANK | TIME | ATHLETE/TEAM | GRADE | MEET DATEPLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10:31.58 | 2018 | ||
| 2 | 10:55.35 | 2018 | ||
| 3 | 10:57.01 | 2019 | ||
| 4 | 11:00.03 | 2018 |
800m-
2017 State Champion:
Abby Fioresi (Aurora Central Catholic) 2:12.37
Key Returners:
Rachel Hickey (Sr., Lasalle-Peru), Gillian Fiene (llliana Christian), Brooke Delahanty (Aurora Rosary), Shaheeda Dade (Chicago Lindblom)
Season Outlook: Rachel Hickey was not happy about coming up short on her goals last season. She was not able to defend her state title from the previous year nor did she get the classification record 2:10.73. As the state's #4 returner based on time, Hickey will be well tooled endurance wise after producing her best ever cross country season. On the fabled Detweiller course, Hickey placed 15th with a time of 17:41- both personal bests. Perhaps we will see a mark under 2:10 this season. Gillian Fiene will compete as an Illinois competitor for the final season. The standout sophomore who placed 3rd behind Hickey will see her school move to Indiana for the 2018-19 season. Brooke Delahanty is another name to watch out for.
Top returning performances:
| RANK | TIME | ATHLETE/TEAM | GRADE | MEET DATEPLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2:13.49 | 2018 | ||
| 2 | 2:13.57 | 2020 | ||
| 3 | 2:16.39 | 2018 | ||
| 4 | 2:18.12 | 2018 |
Grace McLaughlin completed the state distance double last year at state (Jeffery Sides photo)
1600m-
2017 State Champion: Grace McLaughlin (Rockford Boylan Catholic) 5:02.43
Key Returners:
McLaughlin, Franny Verville (Dunlap), Claire Hengesbaugh (Rosary), Jenna Schwartz (Waterloo), Kayla Schiera (Sandwich), Jordan Harmon (Unity)
Season Outlook: A strong cast of milers returning will make this event one of the strongest in Illinois. If Grack McLaughlin is healthy this season she will go under 5:00. The same for Jenna Schwartz who has been working on her leg speed. Overall, look for many names such as Franny Verville, Jordan Harmon and Kayla Schiera will be in the mix.
Top returning performances:
| RANK | TIME | ATHLETE/TEAM | GRADE | MEET DATEPLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:00.69 | 2018 | ||
| 2 | 5:06.32 | 2018 | ||
| 3 | 5:09.53 | 2018 |