It should be another great time at Deer Grove East as a solid collection of the state's best teams come to do battle. Last year at this time it was then #1 Dunlap a team looking for respect from the big dogs. They already had it from their 2A peers, but as everyone knows respect comes from the top down. The Eagles smashed a tremendous field scoring 77 points and departed from the Chicagoland area with respect on their name.
There will be a number of attendees looking for respect on Saturday. Vernon Hills is a team that has been climbing up the mountain for several years. The Cougars are currently trying to etch their name on the IHSA state trophy annals. A great showing at Deer Grove East would go a long way toward their goal. The key for Vernon Hills great pack running. They are as good as any team in Illinois when it comes to staying together throughout the race. Compact racing will put them in a top five spot instantly. However, to get over the hump is someone stepping up and becoming a low-stick runner. Senior Hannah Ray has been the team's top runner the last two times out including First To The Finish Invite where she placed 16th overall.
The favorite teams here in all reality have to be Lyons, Oswego, and Barrington. Lyons slipped past Barrington a few weekends ago at the FTTF. That field, of course, was huge with over 40 teams. In a traditionally sized invite with 20-25 teams such as MOC, things could be interesting. Barrington may have the advantage with sophomore Molly Fitzpatrick leading the way. She is a candidate to win it all. Lyons, on the other hand, has a strong pack under 1:15. The Lions does have a strong runner in sophomore Kate Dickman who could cancel out Fitzpatrick with a top 10 finish. Oswego a factor as well. Their scoring average at the Richard Spring Invite was 18:16- better than Barrington and Lyon's 18:22 from Detweiller Park. Senior Isabelle Christiansen will be up there with Fitzpatrick and Dickman. It may come down to the #5 runner's placement in the end.
Overall, the field is deep at the top end as you can see. It is also potent in the middle. MSL powers Palatine and Prospect will be in the fight. They obviously will be in the top five mix. Good packs and someone stepping up will be key to the team's success.
The individual race should be a barn burner. With some big graduation and transfer moves of last year's field, Fitzpatrick is the leading candidate to grab the gold medal. She, of course, has raced several times on Palatine's home turf. Her personal best 16:44 personal best several weeks ago cannot be overlooked.
Sophomore Anne Marie Jordan of Palatine and freshman Brielle Rochester of Libertyville are next level distance runners this state is going to learn to recognize in time. Look for them to be fighting for a top five spot. Remember to watch out for Dickman. She was 43rd here last year. Look for that number to be significantly lower on Saturday. Two at-large entries from Chicago Latin have been granted access. Christensen was mentioned previously. She will upset the favorite balance sheet when the final results come out. Sophomore Marianne Mihas and freshman Ava Parekh will give added value to the field. Fans will not be disappointed, to say the least.