2014 Class 2A Girls Distance Pre-Season Preview

The chase for distance supremacy will be on this season

The loss of the German import Mailin Struck will be felt not only in this classification but also in the state of distance running as a whole.  The 2A state cross country champion junior from Riverside-Brookfield returned home to her native country during the Christmas holiday break to finish up her studies.  There are other defections and additions due to IHSA enrollment classification cutoffs that will affect this event.  

3200m-
2013 State Champion: Maura Beattie (Sr., Woodstock) 10:55.77
Key returners: Beattie, Maryjeanne Gilbert (So., Peoria Notre Dame), Diane Lipa (So., Glen Ellyn Glenbard South), Olivia Ryan (Jr., Oak Park Fenwick), Allison Zobrist (So., Highland), Rebecca Sippel (Jr., Glen Ellyn Glenbard South).
Outlook: The battle for the long distance supremacy crown is going to be fierce. Maura Beattie is the defending champion who hails from a running family pedigree.  After finishing a somewhat disappointing fifth in the cross country state championship, she more than likely took some time to mentally regroup. If so, we should see some amazing times.  Maryjeanne Gilbert has two runner-up finishes in her last two state championship races.  She will be itching to get to get her first state title this year. Diane Lipa has been one of the most consistent young runners in the state after producing a fourth on the track and then a third on the track.  Lipa is quietly moving up the charts.  It is conceivable that she could run in the 10:40s this season. One name that hasn’t been mentioned yet is Olivia Ryan.  Ms. Ryan also comes from a running family. Her older brother James Ryan is a key member of the LaGrange (Lyons Twp.) cross country and track teams.  Olivia rebounded nicely from an injury riddled 2013 track season that limited her to just a 5:12 mile and no measurement in the 3200m.  That should change as the fall was once again a healthy one.  There are a few good choices to watch out for this season.  The key name to look for this spring is Allison Zobrist. Zobrist has already clocked 11:34 this winter on the strength of conditioning training.
 

Rank Time Athlete Name Team C/O Date Meet
1. 10:55.77 Maura Beattie Woodstock High School 2014 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
2. 11:00.31 Maryjeanne Gilbert Peoria Notre Dame High School 2016 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
3. 11:17.75 Diane Lipa Glenbard South High School 2016 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
4. 11:17.89 Ashley Lafayette Normal University High School 2015 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
5. 11:19.33 Brianna Bower Kaneland High School 2016 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
6. 11:21.59 Allison Zobrist Highland High School 2016 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
7. 11:25.30 Lauren Whitehouse Mahomet-Seymour High School 2016 03/30/2013 Champaign County Meet
8. 11:25.73 Meagan Mcnicholas Rochester High School 2016 04/20/2013 Rochester Rocket Invitational
9. 11:25.84c Victoria Clinton Kaneland High School 2015 06/08/2013 Midwest Distance Festival
10. 11:31.71 Shannan Supan Normal University High School 2016 05/09/2013 2A Dunlap Sectional (Girls)
11. 11:34.36 Caitlyn Allen Marengo High School 2015 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
12. 11:34.90 Meghan Mcclain Sacred Heart-Griffin High School 2015 04/24/2013 Springfield Girls City meet
13. 11:34.92 Hannah Wright Champaign Central High School 2014 05/11/2013 2A Bloomingotn Central Catholic (Girls)
14. 11:36.33 Natalie Waters Lincoln Way West High School 2015 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
15. 11:38.02 Mercedes Sanchez Sterling High School 2015 05/10/2013 2A Burlington Central Sectional (Girls)
16. 11:38.53 Maria Brauer PORTA High School 2016 04/20/2013 Rochester Rocket Invitational
17. 11:39.42 Abigail Nielsen Mahomet-Seymour High School 2014 05/11/2013 2A Bloomingotn Central Catholic (Girls)
18. 11:40.98 Briana Daley Fenwick High School 2014 04/20/2013 Carol Koszola Classic
19. 11:40.99 Ellie Willging Freeport High School 2014 05/10/2013 2A Burlington Central Sectional (Girls)
20. 11:42.82 Megan Krolak LaSalle-Peru High School 2015 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships


800m-
2013 State Champion: Michelle Dobbs (Rochelle) 2:10.78
Key returners: Karina Liz (So., Aurora Central Catholic), Leilani Hill (Jr., Metropolis Massac County), Allie Sprague (Sr., Marengo), Tyra Buss (Sr., Mt. Carmel), Zoe Mead (Sr., Princeton), Twinkle Mehta (Jr., Mahomet-Seymour), Karyn Paisley (Sr., Macomb).
Outlook: Karina Liz will lead a strong cast of half-milers that are on line to have the best ever year for this classification. Liz ran 2:13 last spring and continued the momentum through the summer track season.  There is possibility that she could dip close to the 2:09-2:10 range along with a few other patrons. Allie Sprague ran 2:14 last year in the shadows of long-time teammate Katie Adams.  Sprague enjoyed her first breakout cross country season that netted all-state honors.  Hopefully, she will be able to parlay that into an unforgettable track season. Leilani Hill and Tyra Buss are from the same area but appear to have taken a different path to stardom. Hill is more of a speed merchant who competed in the 200m at the state qualifying level. Buss on the other hand is one of the classification’s best long hurdlers who happened to place 40th in the state cross country meet last fall.
 

Rank Time Athlete Name Team C/O Date Meet
1. 2:12.41 Karina Liz Aurora Central Catholic High School 2016 07/28/2013 AAU Junior Olympic Games
2. 2:14.30 Allie Sprague Marengo High School 2014 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
3. 2:17.27 Zoe Mead Princeton High School 2014 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
4. 2:19.79 Twinkle Mehta Mahomet-Seymour High School 2015 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
5. 2:20.50 Hannah Boehme Taylorville High School 2015 05/09/2013 2A Jacksonville Sectional (Girls)
6. 2:20.64 Karyn Paisley Macomb High School 2014 05/09/2013 2A Dunlap Sectional (Girls)
7. 2:20.75 Hannah Houska Monticello High School 2014 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
8. 2:20.88 Danielle Griesbaum Lakes High School 2015 06/07/2013 AAU Area 14A National Qualifier
9. 2:21.80 Kristina Kladar Boylan High School 2015 05/03/2013 Northern Illinois Conference (NIC-10) Championships (Girls)
10. 2:21.82 Naomi Springer Stanford Olympia High School 2014 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
11. 2:21.95 Ashley Knott Washington High School 2014 05/09/2013 2A Dunlap Sectional (Girls)
12. 2:22.52 Meagan Mcnicholas Rochester High School 2016 05/02/2013 CS8 Girls Conference Championship
13. 2:22.52p Halle Olson Geneseo High School 2014 07/28/2013 AAU Junior Olympic Games
14. 2:22.76 Olivia Ryan Fenwick High School 2015 05/01/2013 East Suburban Catholic Conference Championship
15. 2:23.34 Emily Holtzclaw Highland High School 2014 05/09/2013 2A Jacksonville Sectional (Girls)
16. 2:23.84 Sydney Strang Kaneland High School 2014 05/10/2013 2A Burlington Central Sectional (Girls)
17. 2:23.90 Kortney Schardt Lakes High School 2016 05/09/2013 2A Grayslake Central Sectional (Girls)
18. 2:24.00 Taylor Smith Mattoon High School 2015 04/05/2013 Annies Invitational
19. 2:24.51 Meghan Carroll St. Viator High School 2014 05/01/2013 East Suburban Catholic Conference Championship
20. 2:25.19p Maggie Schultz Tinley Park High School 2014 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships


Maura Beattie will have a say in how fast this event will be this season

1600m-
2013 State Champion: Katie Adams (Marengo) 5:00.84
Key returners: Allie Sprague (Sr., Marengo), Meagan McNicholas (So., Rochester), Adrienne Brauer (So., Petersburg-Porta), Maryjeanne Gilbert (So., Peoria Notre Dame), Olivia Ryan (Jr., Oak Park Fenwick), Sydney Billingsley (Sr., Normal University), Diane Lipa (So., Glen Ellyn Glenbard South), Allison Zobrist (So., Highland), Maria Brauer (So., Petersburg-Porta), Maura Beattie (Sr., Woodstock).
Outlook: The incomparable Katie Adams has finally moved on to the University of Iowa after a stellar high school career. Her former teammate Allie Sprague is the prime target in this event because she is the supposed heir apparent after placing second in the 1600m seven seconds back in 5:07. However, with a solid field returning, there will be a host of girls looking to gain the top spot. Meagan McNicholas ran 5:09 and placed third at the state meet. The Brauer twins Maria and Adrienne are tough and will link together in the meets that matter at the end of the year.
 

Rank Time Athlete Name Team C/O Date Meet
1. 5:07.19 Allie Sprague Marengo High School 2014 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
2. 5:09.68 Adrienne Brauer PORTA High School 2016 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
3. 5:12.58 Maryjeanne Gilbert Peoria Notre Dame High School 2016 05/09/2013 2A Dunlap Sectional (Girls)
4. 5:12.84 Olivia Ryan Fenwick High School 2015 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
5. 5:12.96 Sydney Billingsley Normal University High School 2014 05/09/2013 2A Dunlap Sectional (Girls)
6. 5:13.09 Meagan Mcnicholas Rochester High School 2016 04/20/2013 Rochester Rocket Invitational
7. 5:16.72 Maria Brauer PORTA High School 2016 05/09/2013 2A Jacksonville Sectional (Girls)
8. 5:17.13 Allison Zobrist Highland High School 2016 04/25/2013 Nashville Invitational
9. 5:17.25 Briana Daley Fenwick High School 2014 05/10/2013 2A Glenbard South Sectional (Girls)
10. 5:17.50 Diane Lipa Glenbard South High School 2016 05/16/2013 IHSA Girls State T&F Championships
11. 5:17.60 Maura Beattie Woodstock High School 2014 04/06/2013 Gary Johnson Bulldog Relays
12. 5:18.48 Meghan Carroll St. Viator High School 2014 05/01/2013 East Suburban Catholic Conference Championship
13. 5:19.12 Kortney Schardt Lakes High School 2016 05/09/2013 2A Grayslake Central Sectional (Girls)
14. 5:19.22 Victoria Clinton Kaneland High School 2015 04/26/2013 Kane County Invitational
15. 5:19.32 Megan Schaffer Mattoon High School 2015 04/26/2013 Ubana Girls Invitational
16. 5:19.74 Ashley Lafayette Normal University High School 2015 05/09/2013 2A Dunlap Sectional (Girls)
17. 5:20.26 Rebecca Kaefring Champaign Centennial High School 2015 05/03/2013 Big 12 Girls Conference Championship
18. 5:21.39 Cassie Lira Vernon Hills High School 2014 05/09/2013 2A Grayslake Central Sectional (Girls)
19. 5:22.70 Emily Foley Monticello High School 2014 04/05/2013 Shelbyville Girls Invitational
20. 5:23.38 Karyn Paisley Macomb High School 2014 05/09/2013 2A Dunlap Sectional (Girls)