The scene at Kenosha whether dry or snow will be furious (Colin Boyle photo)
Kenosha, WI-
The weather is supposed is supposed to be... umm, late fall, early winter like with the climes expected to be normal at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside National Course. The venue could be saturated from recent snow and rain. The expected high should reach 40 degrees by game time. The overall participation numbers have dropped over the past five plus years perhaps due to Nike Cross Nationals, athletes shutting down already long seasons, and competition from the deep post-season landscape. Regardless of the reasons Footlocker Midwest is still a quality draw and a destination for college coaches looking for their next recruits.
Illinois appears to have the most depth in the field and it certainly is enjoying a great overall season over hill and dale. Still, the competition will be fierce for the coveted top 10 spots to San Diego, California and the national championship. We decided to take a stab at some of Illinois' best chances of moving to sunny California. We also realize that some of the top talent may be running for fun and others could be in line for their peak races to date.
Jon Davis will have the intense look regardless of what position he is in (Colin Boyle photo)
Key boy entrants: Jon Davis (Sr., Oakwood), Blake Evertsen (Jr., Hinsdale Central), Soren Knudsen (Jr., Minooka), Matt Pereira (Jr., Lake Zurich), Sean Torpy (Sr., Orland Park Sandburg), Chris Torpy (Sr., Orland Park Sandburg), Alec Danner (Sr., Downers Grove North), Dustin Macuiba (Sr., Gurnee Warren)
-The talent is a little lighter than normal but it's still very solid. Jon Davis, of course, is ticketed to return to San Diego without doing too much. Don't expect him to go after any super fast times- just qualify and move on. Moving on for Davis will include keeping his undefeated season alive though finishing anywhere in the top 10 is a winner. Sean Torpy could be a qualifier as he has been a top five regional runner all season for top ranked Sandburg. Matt Pereira indicated that he is "ready to qualify." He stated that he put his bad race behind him. That race was the 57th place at NXN MW. A surprise qualifier could be Dustin Macuiba. He finished 41st at NXN MW but that could have been a blip. Others to watch should include Danner, Evertson, and Knudsen
Maryjeanne will be racing for one of her favorite destinations: San Diego (Colin Boyle photo)
Key girls entrants: Brooke Wilson (Jr., Prospect), Anne Zaher (Sr., Hinsdale Central), Isabelle Sparreo (So., Lincolnshire Stevenson), Caitlin Shepard (Sr., Lake Zurich), Judy Pendergast (Sr., Naperville North), Audrey Ernst (So., St. Charles North), Daly Galloway (Jr., Gardner- S. Wilmington), Maryjeanne Gilbert (Sr., Peoria Notre Dame), Jocelyn Long (So., Barrington), Rachael Lau (Sr., Plainfield North)
-Maryjeanne and Judy Pendergast are the obvious choices here. Maryjeanne is seeking her second trip to nationals and Pendergast is the talk of the Midwest in that she has blazed every course that she touches- the last two races were meet and course records. Brooke Wilson has run well all season with a third place finish at state and ninth at NXN MW. She is looking to become a qualifier for the first time and it can happen because she is one of the state's premier front runners. Wilson is a strong closer was well. Jocelyn Long is enjoying a great sophomore year with top notch finishes in every race this season: 5th and 7th respectively at state and NXN MW. Don't sleep on Daly Galloway, Cailin Shepard, or Rachael Lau.