The 3A girls splashed their way to success from cross country to 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, basketball, softball, etc.
Below are the 2016 top 25 Class 3A Girls cross country all-state placers. We chronicled indoor and outdoor track seasons as appropriate.
1. Katelynne Hart (Fr., Glen Ellyn Glenbard West) 16:31- Completed a fantastic introductory high school season. Hart checked off virtually every major category with a win and solidified herself as one of the best young elite talent in the country.
Indoor:
- Ran US#7/US Freshman #1/IL#1 10:21.41 at the U of Kentucky Invitational (US#1 time until New Balance Invite several weeks later)
- Clocked US#2 3200m in 10:11.51 in establishing a new all-time meet record at the Illinois Top Times
- Ran to IL#1 1600m all-time and US#3 4:48.60; state best in full mile 4:54.30 in completing UK Invite distance sweep
- Produced state best 800m in 2:14.09
Katelynne Hart demonstrates maturity in her first state championship
Outdoor:
- Won the overall state championship 3200m title (added virtual across all classes) in 10:32.33; rocked IL#1/US#10/US#2 freshman 10:14.47 at the York Sectional
- Ran IL#1/US#8 Two-Mile at Brooks PR (10:19.29)
- Ran IL#11 800m 2:14.20 at Sue Pariseau Invitational
- Ran IL#1/US#5 4:27.50 1500m enroute to mile at Magis Miles
- Overall Illinois state champion in the 1600m running a smooth 4:51.54
- Clocked IL#1/US#6/US#1 freshman and #3 Illinois all-time for 1600m (4:44.92) enroute to mile at Magis Miles
- Major highlight was the fastest ever recorded full mile for an Illinois girl in 4:46.54/US#12
2. Lindsey Payne (Jr., Glen Ellyn Glenbard West) 16:34- Supreme season. Payne started season with a second place finish at the Illinois Top Times indoor 3200m running IL#3 10:42.66; strong attack in placing 2nd in IHSA 3200m in 10:37.55. Ran season best IL#7 10:37.38 at Sue Pariseau Invitational; placed 7th in the state 1600m. Ran season best and IL#13 4:59.29 during the IHSA state prelim.
3. Emily Shelton (Jr., Minooka) 16:42- Advanced to state running 5:01.07 but did not advance to the final; 3rd in the Illinois Top Times 1600m (5:02.20); placed 4th in the state 3200m; ran 10:33.81, good for #5 in the state.
4. Mackenzie Callahan (Sr., Minooka) 16:48- Callahan showed tremendous depth by competing in events ranging from 200-3200m. Clocked 1:01.66 at tri-meet vs. Joliet; ran 800m in 2:15.99; ran a state runner-up finish IL#3 1600m 4:54.22; 11:05.21 for 3200m in very limited action
5. Brooke Wilson (Sr., Mt. Prospect (Prospect) 16:49- Off-season injury directed Wilson to run 4x800 relay which finished 6th in the state; returned to place 19th in the state 3200m (11:18.34); outdoor season best 10:51.78 and indoor season best 10:43.55 (IL#5); ran 4:59.62i all-time personal best at Nagel-Saylor Invite; qualified for IHSA final running 5:00.55 but DNF in the final.
6. Sarah Schmitt (Jr., Naperville North) 16:51- Placed 3rd in the state 3200m running 10:41.57; clocked a team best 10:31.74 at Sue Pariseau Invite in finishing second to Katelynne Hart; ran IL#4 10:43.08 indoors in a Batavia Indoor Madness meet; ran a personal best outdoors 4:58.00 for 1600m (IL#10)
7. Jocelyn Long (Jr., Barrington) 16:55- Just missed all-state honors in the 3200m with a 12th place finish (11:01.88) and 1600m (10th/5:17.15); personal best 4:57.97 is good for IL#8. The "deuce" saw Long go a season best 10:42.51 which rated #8 in the state.
8. Madison Marasco (Jr., Schaumburg) 16:56- Ran 4x800 relay anchor leg and led team to a 9th place finish in the state championship; ran a personal best 800m in 2:13.85; took 5th in the state for 800m; 6th indoors at Illinois Top Times; raced to a personal best in the 1600m at Distance Night in Palatine (5:03.51; did not contest the 3200m indoors or outdoors.
9. Isabelle Christiansen (So., Oswego) 17:01- Anchored 4x800 relay to a 10th place finish at the state meet; placed 6th in the state 1600m (5:00.60); ran 4:59.45 personal best for IL#14; ran the 3200m once indoors (11:19.49) but did not contest outdoors; 2:20.99 is the season best 800m for Christiansen.
10. Emma Ehrhardt (Sr., Geneva) 17:03- Did not run track
11. Sarah Barcelona (So., LaGrange (Lyons) 17:03- Key season highlight was winning the Distance Night in Palatine 3200m in IL#9 10:43.80; ran personal best 4:59.92 at WSC Silver meet; did not run the state series.
12. Olivia Niziolek (Jr., Park Ridge Maine South) 17:03- Stepped into the limelight with a great performance at Distance Night in Palatine. Niziolek took control of a deep field and won the 1600m in 4:54.85- good for IL#4. Niziolek would go on to place 3rd in the state meet running 4:55.95. Did not contest the 3200m but did run the 800m in 2:19.86; did not contest the 3200m in competitions.
13. Nicole Greyer (So., Yorkville) 17:04- Ran very limited track season in which Greyer did not compete outdoors
14. Danielle Osmon (So., Fox Lake Grant) 17:05- Qualified for state meet in the 1600; ran personal best 5:04.26 at Antioch Sectional; placed 27th in the state 3200m; clocked an IL#10 10:45.78 to finish 2nd at Distance Night in Palatine
15. Madeline Dingle (Sr., Park Ridge Maine South) 17:06- Competed at the state meet in the 1600. Ran personal best 5:03.49 at Distance Night in Palatine; ran 11:04.42 for 3200m at CSL South Conference meet
16. Emily Henkel (So., LaGrange Lyons) 17:10- Impressive outdoor season led by 9th place finish in the 3200m state championship; ran IL#14 10:48.31; ran 5:14.08 for 1600m
17. Ashley Tutt (Sr., Minooka) 17:12- Mixed season that was highlighted by a season best 3200m at the Batavia Distance Madness in IL#8 10:49.75; disappointing 22nd place in the state 3200m (11:22.20); 5:04.48 at Illinois Top Times garnered 4th place
18. Hannah Ricci (Jr., Naperville North) 17:14- BIG Season is full of highlights. Ricci anchored her 4x800 team to a 4th place finish in the state championship; did not compete in the 3200m in the state series but still clocked 10:46.98- good for IL#12; season best/personal best IL#6 4:55.66 at Wheaton-Warrenville South Invite; placed 8th in state 1600m
19. Alex Morris (So., Naperville North) 17:15- Another great season for a Huskie. Morris ran a career best 3200m and IL#6 10:35.34 at the Ottawa Sectional; placed 5th in the 3200 state championship; ran 5:02.17 for 1600m
20. Morgan Bollinger (Sr., Lockport) 17:15- Ran 11:05.47i at the Illinois Top Times; ran a personal best 5:02.49 at the state prelims
21. Sarah May (So., Elmhurst York) 17:17- Ran on team that placed 12th in the state 4x800 relay; produced a season best 2:17.34 mark in the 800m at the Distance Night in Palatine
22. Danya Lloyd (Sr., Palatine) 17:18- Ran 1600m in 5:23.01i and 800m in 2:27.82i
23. Vivian Van Eck (So., Minooka) 17:20- Clocked career best 3200m of 11:17.87 at the SW Prairie Conference meet; logged 5:24.14 at Minooka Invite
24. Linda Varela (Sr., Palatine Fremd) 17:21- Former sprinter completed a solid final two years as a distance runner. Varela placed 8th at the Illinois Top Times 1600m with a time of 5:08.30 (ran 5:07.15i PB overall); IL#19 10:54.94 at Distance Night In Palatine; advanced and competed at the state meet in the 4x80 relay
25. Alexis Grandys (Sr., Yorkville) 17:23- Departed ways with the 3200m and 1600m and competed in the 4x800 relay that placed 8th in the state