ILXCTF Cross Country Season Previews

Photo: Jordan Harmon of Tolono Unity is the top returning individual from the 2016 1A Girls State Meet (Laura Duffy Photo)

 

By Michael Newman

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It has been easy to write the 1A Girls Individuals Previews the past three years. You would start the first half of the article about Anna Sophia Keller and then write about the rest.

The 2017 chase for the 1A Girls individual title will be up for grabs and that is not because Keller is now at the University of Notre Dame. The top five runners from last year’s state race have all graduated including multi all-state runners Claudia Magnussen and Daly Galloway.

Jordan Harmon and Payne Turney have the fastest returning times from last year’s 1A race (17:49). It might be Gillian Fiene. This is the sophomore’s last year in Illinois as her school Illiana Christian will move into a new building in Indiana. She ran 17:28 to finish seventh in the 2A race.

It will be interesting to watch how this season plays out especially in this classification.

Here is a look at some of the top 1A Girls runners for the upcoming 2017 Illinois cross-country season.

 

Top 10

 

1 Gillian Fiene – SO – Lansing Illiana Christian

2016 2A State Finish – 7^th

Notes – Fiene steps into the top spot right now. Her best time at Detweiller Park (17:28) was 21 seconds faster than any of the 1A returnees. How tough is this sophomore? She ran with a stress fracture in Charleston at the state track meet as she achieved all-state honors in the 800 Meter Run (2:13.57). She is mentally tough and has what it takes to win a state championship.

Coach Deb Top said:

Gillian Fiene recovered from a stress fracture that was discovered after the state track meet last year where she placed 3^rd in the 800 Meter Run. She is running again and doing a lot of cross training, gait analysis work, and weight training.

 

2 Jordan Harmon – JR – Tolono Unity

2016 1A State Finish - 6^th

Notes – Harmon is the highest returning placer in 1A. She has been all-state in both her years at the state meet finishing 13^th as a freshman in 2015 and then her sixth-place finish last year. Her 2A state track meet performance puts her in this second spot as she was all-state in the 3200 and 1600 Meter Run. She achieved personal bests of 5:14.40 at 1600-meters and 11:07.87 for 3200-meters.

Coach Kara Leaman said:

Jordan has been having a great summer of training, and took a break from racing.  She is getting stronger and able to handle heavier mileage weeks as she progresses.  She also balances her training with swimming and core strength conditioning.  She has big goals for the season, including looking to place as high as possible at the state meet.  Top 3 is well within her reach.

 

3 Payne Turney – SO – Clinton

2016 1A State Finish – 7^th

Notes – Had the same time as Jordan but was just one step and place behind her. The sophomore has the talent to finish in the top three this November. Turney’s track season included just getting on to the awards podium by finishing ninth in the 2A State 800 Meter Run. She achieved personal bests of 1:10.67 for 400-meters, 2:18.55 for 800-meters, and 5:19.17 for 1600-meters. That’s just her freshman season. Her times will come down over the next three seasons.

 

4 Katelyn Robbins – JR – Liberty

2016 1A State Finish – 14^th

Notes – One of the reasons why Liberty brought home a state trophy. Her state race was not her best finishing 14^th last November. She has the talent to be right in the front. She achieved personal bests in track of 5:11.33 for 1600-meters and 11:18.3 for 3200-meters. Robbins earned all-state honors by finishing ninth in the 3200 Meter Run.

Coach Jared Schmidt said:

Katelyn will be among the top individuals based off what I hope she can do and the athletes that graduated. The Junior class is loaded with talent. I think there are several people that will be in the running for the individual title and it's wide open. Katelyn has been nursing a small injury during the month of July and may be a little behind where we would like her to be right now. However, she was probably in the best shape of her life, or close, last Spring and was having some great training when she started back up in June. She ran a PR in the 1600M prelims at State which was super exciting. Unfortunately, I don’t think her 32 race on Saturday or her 1600 Final really showed her true fitness as we've had some bad luck with some medicine she's taking and I think it affected her then. She's had some ups and downs but the fact she set some PR's last spring has me hoping we've finally figured some stuff out. We'll see where her fitness progresses to decide when she starts racing, but we've been through this in the past and she'll be ready to roll by the end of the Fall. She raced for the teams benefit last year late in the race to help us secure our 1st state trophy which probably hindered her individual placing a bit. I believe she's capable of being in the front group in November, if all goes well.

 

5 Emma Argo – JR – Eureka

2016 1A State – 8^th

Notes – Argo was one of the most consistent runners in 1A placing in the top 10 in every race that she competed in. During the state series, Argo finished second in the Farmington Regional, fifth in the Elmwood-Brimfield sectional, and then her eight place finish at state. A top five finish is in her range this fall. She qualified for the 2A state track meet in the 1600 Meter Run. Argo achieved a 5:16.44 personal best at that distance.

 

6 Nygia Pollard – SR – Elgin Harvest Christian Academy

2016 1A State Finish – 9^th

Notes – Pollard earned her second all-state honor last fall when she ran 17:53 to finish ninth at state. She could repeat that feat in November. Pollard was all-state in the 3200 Meter Run last spring. She did that by winning the first section of that event. Her time of 11:35.47 gave her a seventh-place finish.

Coach Steven Bland said:

We are hoping for a much better season than last year.  I need to fix a couple of mistakes that I made with Nygia (and the whole girls team for that matter) so that she can finish the season a little stronger.  She has been working hard all summer, we never have a problem with that, and, as you noticed, she doesn’t give up, ever.  She is already much stronger than she was last year.  However, she will carry a lot of fatigue into the front end of the season and so I don’t expect her to really get noticed until we get to the IHSA series.  If she were on the boys’ team, she would probably be our #8 or #9.

 

7 Madison Franseen – JR – Rockford Christian

2016 1A State Finish – 13^th

Notes – Franseen should be one of the top 1A runners in the state this fall. She is also one of the reasons why the Royal Lions will make a trip to state as a team. She all state twice (21^st as a freshman, 13^th last year). Franssen was all-state in track when she ran a season’s best of 5:15.25 to finish eighth in the 1600 Meter Run. She finished fourth at state the year before.

Coach John Derry said:

Madison continues to impress me with her training. More than just base mileage, she continues to strengthen her body and find deficiencies prior to any sign of weakness. She is poised and ready to improve upon her state finish and season best sub-18-minute time from last year's finish. Her continued humility and leadership is a blessing to the team and program.

 

8 Whitney Johnson – JR – Kewanee Wethersfield

2016 1A State Finish – 17^th

Notes – Johnson was one of the surprises last year as she improved from 73^rd her freshman year to 17^th place last fall. Her state series races before state was a predictor as she finished second at the Rock Falls Regional and third at the Oregon Sectional. She did qualify for state in the 3200 Meter Run. Her personal best at the distance was 12:01.49.

Coach Creston Fenn said:

She is ready to run with the best in the state. She has the grit and desire to do what it takes to be a top 10 runner.

 

9 Maya Stovall – JR – Macomb

2016 1A State Finish – 11^th

Notes – Stovall is another two-time all-state runner as she finished ninth as a freshman and 11^th last fall. This junior should make it three years in a row. Before the state meet last November, she finished no lower than fourth with wins at the Monmouth Invitational and the West Central Conference Meet. She qualified for the 2A state meet in both the 3200 and 1600 Meter Run.

 

10 Caroline Jachino – SO – Pleasant Plains

2016 1A State Finish – 12^th

Notes – Jachino had a great freshman season where she finished in the top ten in all but two of her races. Her track season did not end the way she wanted to as she qualified for the 3200 and 1600 Meter Run but did not finish in the top nine. She did record personal bests during the season of 11:26.57 for 3200-meters and 5:18.79 for 1600 meters.

 

Runners to Watch

(In Alphabetical Order)

 

Breanna Chandler – SO – Freeburg

2016 1A State Finish – 25^th

Notes – Chandler stepped into the top spot for Freeburg as a freshman as she garnered the final all-state spot in the 1A race. She was part of Freeburg’s 3200 Meter Relay that finished 3^rd in the 2A State Meet. She did qualify for state in the 400 Meter Dash running 1:01.63 to finish second.

Coach Carl Florczyk said:

Breanna has had a tremendous summer! She has done a great job with building her base mileage, while sharpening her speed and strength.  She has been very dedicated in putting in the miles this summer.  She will have a strong base going into the season.  She recently opened up with a 19:24 at Detweiller at Dark, which was a really strong opening race for her.

 

Elyse Faust – JR – Breese Mater Dei

2016 1A State Finish – 32^nd

Notes – Faust was champion in two meets this year winning the St. Anthony Bulldog Classic and the 1A Freeburg Invitational in back-to-back weeks. She did qualify for the 1A State Meet in the 3200 Meter Run. She ran a personal best (12:45.30) at state.

 

Anna Heffren – SO – Lewistown

2016 1A State Finish – 23^rd

Notes – We saw improvement from Heffren during track season as she finished eighth at state in the 3200 Meter Run and fifth in the 1600 Meter Run. She achieved personal bests of 11:34.55 for 3200-meters and 5:08.62 for 1600-meters. We might not see her race this fall due to an injury.

Coach Shannon Pritchard said:

Anna Heffren has been nursing a foot injury this summer and hasn't run since the state track meet. It's still up in the air as to whether or not she's going to compete this fall. She doesn't find out until after the season starts if she can run or not. She'll have some catching up to do if she gets the go ahead. I see her as one of the top 15-20 runners in the state, regardless of class, as far as talent goes, so she has that going for her.  If she can get some consistent training in, get back into shape, and stay healthy she could potentially be at the pointy end of the stick at the end of the season. 

 

Fran Hendrickson – SO – Champaign St. Thomas More

2016 1A State Finish – 26^th

Notes – Had a great freshman season that ended missing all-state by one spot (26^th place). Hendrickson was part of the Sabers fourth-place team in the 3200 Meter Relay at the 1A State Meet. She also qualified for state in the 1600 Meter Run with a 5:18.56 personal best at the St. Joseph-Ogden Sectional. She has the talent to be among the top 15 this fall.

 

Faith Houston – SR – St. Joseph-Ogden

2016 1A State Finish – 11^th

Notes - A total team runner that has been all-state all three years of high school. She could be among the top five individually by the time we get to November. Staying healthy this fall will be a key for her. She could be on the podium for her third time with a state championship trophy. There are a handful of athletes that can stake that claim.

Coach Jason Retz said:

Faith has had her best summer to date.  We will look for her to be in our lead group as the season begins.  If we can keep her healthy she should help pull our pack along.

 

Hailey Janssen – JR – Beecher

2016 1A State Finish – 36^th

Notes – One of the reasons why Beecher made it to state last year and could repeat that in 2017 as the team’s top runner. Janssen achieved a personal best of 5:36.16 for 1600-meters during the track season.

 

Abby Lewis – JR – Bloomington Central Catholic

2016 1A State Finish – 30^th

Notes – Lewis made it to state qualifying individually placing 30^th. If everything works as planned, this junior should finish in the top 25 at Detweiller. She missed most of the outdoor track season due to injury but ran personal bests of 2:34.92 for 800-meters and 5:47.71 for 1600-meters.

Coach Bill Rhodes said:

Abby ran 18:30 in the IHSA State meet last year.  She is nursing some nagging injuries which cut her track season short.  She is hoping to run this season, but we will wait and see how her injuries heal up.

 

Amelia McLain – SO – Benton

2016 1A State Finish – 10^th

Notes – One of the top freshmen in 1A last year that could belong in the top five by the time we get to the state meet. McLain ran 17:59 at Detweiller at the beginning of October and then lowered that time to 17:55 at the state meet. She missed qualifying for the 2A state track meet by finishing third at the Salem Sectional in the 1600 Meter Run. Her personal best at that distance was 5:20.58.

 

Alyssa McPike – SR – Monticello

2016 1A State Finish – 27^th

Notes – Just missed all-state last year by two spots. That won’t happen this fall with a top 25 or even a top 15 finish in her future. Her time dropped by 27-seconds from the Patriot Invitational to state. McPike had times of 11:41.84 for 3200-meters and 5:23.43 for 1600-meters.

Coach David Remmert said:

As talented as I believe Alyssa is, she is only just now discovering what it takes to be a high-level runner.  She has done well, but also had some disappointments during her track season.  Being able to convert those disappointments into consistent training and aggressiveness is the key to her improvement.  I believe she trained harder this summer than she has in past years and I suspect I’ll see her reaching a more competitive level this season.  I’m really looking forward to that! 

 

Jillian Milton – JR – Herscher

2016 1A State Finish – 29^th

Notes – Milton was another runner who just missed all-state. It is possible for her this fall. She does not run track during the spring. Milton did pick up wins last fall at the Lisle Mane Event and the Seneca Twilight in the Woods Invitational.

 

Ailey Mitchell – SO – Shelbyville

2016 1A State Finish – 19^th

Notes – Mitchell was all-state as a freshman finishing 19^th. She was the top runner for Shelbyville last year but they may not have enough runners to field a full squad. Mitchell ran personal bests of 5:40.04 for 1600-meters and 11:42.73 for 3200-meters in which she qualified for the state meet.

Coach Kevin Kramer said:

Ailey Mitchell has had a great summer of running.  She just came back from Sub5 camp and looks ready to roll.  She has put herself in great position for running faster times than last year with the work she has put in this summer.