A nearly picture-perfect day at Detweiller Park for the girls cross country IHSA state meet, where both 2A and 3A girls’ varsity runners look to fight for a top spot. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
The runners are off from Detweiller Park
The Benet Academy Redwings are competing in the 2A region of the state final as their seven runners look to build off their second-place finish at sectionals. Payton Mathelier, Keira Jenke, Terese Tully, Faye Ferrell, and Ashley Donovan are the top five leading the Redwings.
The gun sounds, and the runners are off as they take the obstacle of a three-mile course one final time for the 2023 cross-country season.
Under the shadows of the trees, the runners make their way to the first checkpoint, as it’s Lincoln’s Becca Heitzig, St. Ignatius Annika Swan, Sandwich’s Sundra Weber, and Normal University’s Natalie Bierbaum in the top four. The second Normal runner, Zoe Carter, rounds out the top five. Glenwood’s Ali Londrigan is in sixth and Benet’s Keira Jenke is in eighth.
The pack of four continues to lead the way as the girls approach mile two, and Heitzig, with Weber and Bierbaum, stay stride for stride. Zoe Carter has a noticeable gap between the top four and the sixth runner. The rest of the runners follow behind.
Glenwood wins the 2A state meet
A close one at the finish, but Heitzig signals that she’s got the first-place finish ahead of Swan by fifth-tenths of a second. Weber is in fourth, and Bierbaum and her teammate Carter round out the top five. Ton-That is in sixth, followed by Landrigan and McGreal. Lemont’s Niki Tselios is in ninth, and Waterloo’s Cameron Crump is in 10th. Benet’s freshman and first-place runner Payton Mathelier cracks the top 50 for the Redwings.
Ultimately, Glenwood takes home the Class 2A State Championship with a score of 84 after three runners finish in the top 20. Grayslake Central in second place and St. Ingatius in third.
Class 3A girls cross country IHSA state meet
Following the conclusion of the 2A races was the start of the 3A races, which features Neuqua Valley, Metea Valley, Waubonsie Valley, Naperville North, and Naperville Central.
A sunny 60-degree November day was unlike last season’s rain and cold, which gets the runners feeling better for the three-mile journey as they get going.
Barrington’s Scout Storm leads the way, followed by Mt. Prospects Meg Peterson. Naperville North’s Julie Piot and Naperville Central’s Liv Phillips trail not too far back. After a herd of runners, It’s no surprise that Shania and Rhianna Tandon who round out the top 25.
Peterson pulls away at the two-mile marker, with Storm and Phillips jostling for second. Piot follows behind, and Danielle Jenson from McHenry and Nicole Poglitsch from Wheaton Warrenville South are knocking on the door.
With a turn of events just after the second mile, Phillips and Storm now battle for the first place as Peterson falls back, leaving Piot in the top three.
Naperville Central’s Liz Phillips finishes in second
Storm takes first, Phillips in second, and Piot in third. Anna Lester from Vernon Hills comes in fourth, followed by Jenson. Barrington’s Mia Sirois finishes in sixth, while Poglitsch gets seventh for Wheaton South. Mt. Prospect one and two in Peterson, and Lily Ginsberg end in eighth and ninth. Ten through fourteen are a combination of three Downers Grove North runners and two York runners, Katherine Klimek and Margaret Owens. Shania Tandon is in fifteenth, followed by Margaretha Grabske from Arlington Heights. Brea Counihan is in 18, Morgan Dick is in 19th, and Lindsey Gerhardstein rounds out the top 20. Rianna Tandon takes 23rd to earn All-State honors as well.
It’s York at the end who takes home first place as a team in this year’s Class 3A race, after six runners finished inside the top 32. Downers Grove North finishes in second place with Barrington in third. Naperville North finishes the day in 5th and Naperville Central takes 6th place as a team.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
