The Lady Dukes of York hoist the 2023 3A state championship trophy for the second time in three years.
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It has been a pressure cooker, the hot seat for York, especially head coach Lauren DeAngelis, who had to sit and wait on her team's fate, whether or not they would advance to Portland, Oregon, for the Nike Cross Nationals.
"It's been crazy," said DeAngelis, aware of the at-large process that several other Midwest teams had to endure for several weekends leading up to 'Selection Sunday.'
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Nothing is a slam dunk in the Nike high school cross country world.
On the surface, Kroy's road to Portland seemed like last year, where a dominant team should have their suitcases packed for the City of Roses even in a third-place situation.
During the recognition period, York won the state championship over Prospect and Downers Grove North. Both of those great squads would finish 1-2 in Terre Haute. The Dukes previously beat Prospect four times and DGN three out of five times when it mattered.
But would the selection team listen and take heed?
Yes. It was determined that York was more than good enough to represent the state of Illinois and the Midwest in Portland on December 2.
AT-LARGE TEAMS:
Buchanan (California) -- 2nd at California DI
Mountain Vista (Southwest) -- 3rd at NXR Southwest
York (Midwest) -- 3rd at NXR Midwest
Lone Peak (Southwest) -- 4th at NXR Southwest