2A: Riverside-Brookfield Boys, Grayslake C Girls Are Champs

2A Boys recap reel tells it all

RESULTS I PHOTOS I VIDEOS 

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The course was lathered up by the time the middle-class race toed the starting line. The girls got out reasonably fast on the strength of senior Tatum David of Richland County whose return to Illinois has been nothing short of fruitful. David was completely solo after the first mile, destined to win another state title and the first one since her freshman year. 

David hit the first mile around 5:28, about ten seconds ahead of the chase pack led by Rachel Soukup (Sr., Prairie Ridge). The sizable lead would grow during the next half mile in the back loop to push David to 8:16 through the first half. Mia Kotler (So., Chicago Latin) and Becca Heitzig (Jr., Lincoln) joined the chase party behind Soukup. 

With one mile remaining, the race was all but over as David crossed in 11:15. The gap on Soukup remained double digits at 15 seconds followed by another dozen seconds on Kotler and Heitzig. There was a huge pack trailing them that contained the team implications. It appeared as though top ranked Grayslake Central was in control with five runners among the top 30 runners.

David, who led every step of the way, strolled home in 17:05- 19 seconds better than Soukup's 17:24. Heitzig put on a surge down the stretch against Kotler with her speed to finish seven seconds faster in 17:50. The fifth finisher was Hannah Meiser (Sr., Civic Memorial) in 18:10. 

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There would eventually be an upset in the making but don't tell #2 Riverside-Brookfield that. 

The story coming into the weekend was Dylon Nalley (Jr., Marion) who had plans on breaking 14:00 and possibly significantly faster after running 14:03 completely solo on the same course. Unfortunately, extremely bad weather conditions halted any record talk.

Nalley still was able to hit the first mile in 4:35 and was well ahead of the pack. Dale Johnson (Jr., Sterling) did not mess around as he cleared himself of running in a pack. 

The second mile was all Nalley would roll through the checkpoint in 9:26. Johnson was second in 9:43 and equally in control of his own affair.

Cruising home safely in the fastest time of the day by Nalley in 14:44. Johnson took second in 15:06 and a surprising Julian Baker (Jr., Mt. Zion) in third with a time of 15:25. Evan Horgan (Sr., Belvidere North) clocked 15:26 and ahead of Cooper Marrs (Jr., Riverside-Brookfield) who smiled after learning his team won the team title.