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800m-
3A state champion: Ince 2:07.06
Top returners: Ince, Katrina Schlenker (Sr., Batavia), Bella Domier (So., Grayslake Central), Catie McCabe (Jr., Hinsdale Central), Audrey Allman (Sr., Glenbard West), Ava Parekh (Sr., Chicago), Jordyn Miller (Sr., Mundelein), Elia Ton-That (Sr., Chicago Northside Prep), Audrey Ginsberg (Jr., Prospect), Becca Heitzig (So., Lincoln), Colleen Zeibert (Jr., Rochester), Naomi Ruff (Sr., South Elgin), Aly
Breakdown: This event starts with Ince and the superlatives to describe her are endless. "The best ever", "the greatest", "awesome," and many more.
Ince accomplished many new firsts for an Illinois runner in their initial season. 1) Indoor national title, copped two all-time records and built a widely recognizable name out of the gate. Now the main question will 'can Ince duplicate all of her feats in 2022?' We all know that it will be incredibly difficult to run 2:03.98 (#1 all-time) again. But then again no one else will have the same pressure as Ince. Only time will tell if she maintains her dominance.
Veteran Katrina Schlenker is stealth at any distance despite surprising some pundits with her 2:12 clocking a year ago. The ersatile Bella Domier was runner-up to Ince at 3A state and will likely make major strides of improvement this season.
We also will see a downstate 800 rivalry between Colleen Zeibert and Becca Heitzig. the two top returners in 2A. A name to keep an eye on is Brooke Johnston. Johnston ran the 800/1600 double in 2021, but showed she can be competitive in the 3200 as well with her 3A cross country third place finish. The 800 may be a solid bet for an athlete like Johnston with her closing speed.
There will be runners who perform well here without running the event in primetime. Ava Parekh or Elia Ton-That (though she could try a late-season double of some sort) are very good overall in this middle-distance affair.