Photo: Rachel Hickey looks to bounce back to win her second 2A title in the 800 Meter Run in three years (Laura Duffy Photo)

By Michael Newman

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It’s the mystery and anticipation of what happens next that gets us through a story. The same can be said about a track season that starts for some in February and ends for some in June.

For Rockford Boylan’s Grace McLaughlin, it is the journey of what will happen next on her next turn.

If there was anyone that had a breakout season, it was what McLaughlin achieved during the 2017 track season. The junior missed the Illinois Top Times Championships due to illness. She bounced back outdoors to win both the 3200 and 1600 Meter Run in the 2A State Meet.

McLaughlin decided to extend her outdoor season into June last year by competing at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. She earned All-American honors in both the 5000 Meter Run (fourth-place) and the 2-Mile Run. Expectations were high for her as she entered the 2017 Cross Country Season.

Injury postponed those expectations and those dreams for McLaughlin. She tried running in one race at Sterling in October and she ran 17:55 for 3-miles. The pain the day after the race was a message that this dream was not meant to be.

So, what is in store for her in this 2018 track season?

In a blog that McLaughlin that started writing this December, she said in a December 24 post:

“I’m not sure what is going to happen next and I’ve once against focused my energy to heal this stupid injury rather than spend hours in the pool. I’m still planning on running track and have goals, but I’m also aware that I need to be very realistic with how much success I can have after a 7-month injury. I will not be able to compare this spring to last spring, but I’m okay with that. I run because I love it. It makes me feel alive, free, empowered, and strong. I don’t need medals and fast times to love running, I simply need to be able to run.”

There was disappointment for LaSalle-Peru’s Rachel Hickey after the 2A 800 Meter Run in Charleston. Her expectations were to defend her state championship that she won in 2016 (sophomore season). She finished second in that race behind Abby Fioresi.

Hickey came back strong during her cross-country season where she earned all-state honors for the second time by finishing 15^th in the 2A State Race at Detweiller Park. The love for the sport showed in her racing last fall. Perhaps it was something that eluded her at times last spring.

It is evident that both McLaughlin and Hickey love to run. If both are ready to go and 100% fit, they could possibly see a state championship.

For McLaughlin, just stepping to the line and seeing what she has inside her would be good enough.

Here is a look at the three individual state events in 2A this spring. A preview of the 3200 Meter Relay is also included.

3200 METER RUN

Top Returnees

Notes – The top seven runners all return led by state champion Grace McLaughlin who ran 10:31.58 during last season. She could be tough to beat if 100% healthy. If not, there are some great runners looking to win a state championship. Jenna Schwartz of Waterloo could be the one runner to watch. The junior won the 2A State championship this fall at Detweiller Park. She finished seventh at state last May. Disregard that. Schwartz is running with immense confidence right now. This Waterloo runner could run under 10:40 by the end of this track season.

Dunlap’s Ayah Aldadah, Franny Verville, and Miranda Krusiwyk all are among the top ten returnees in this event. Add the possibility of freshman Campbell Petersen, who finished second last fall at Detweiller, and you could see two scorers in this event for the Eagles. Jordan Harmon of Tolono Unity should be recovered from an injury that slowed her down during cross-country. Harmon finished third in this event and has the possibility of bettering that this spring. Kayla Schiera of Sandwich finished fourth last year from the first section of this event at state. It would not be wise to overlook her this year at state.

Libby Cultra of Urbana, Maya Stovall of Macomb, and Kylie Hagmann of Woodstock are some of the runners that could find their way into the top five. This event should be tough. It may take 11:14 or faster to earn an all-state spot.

800 METER RUN

Top Returnees

Notes – Five all-state runners are back in this event led by 2016 champion Rachel Hickey. Now a senior, Hickey should be the spotlight runner in this event. She had a personal best of 2:13.49 in 2017. The LaSalle-Peru runner could go under 2:10 by the time we get to May. She could also get her second state championship to match the two second-place finishes from her freshman season and last year.

If there is one runner that could run faster than Hickey, it could be Illiana Christian’s Gillian Fiene. She is a mystery at this point. The sophomore missed almost all last cross-country due to an injury. Her 800 time of 2:13.57 at last year’s state meet was only eight hundredths of a second behind Hickey in finishing third. A healthy Fiene could push Hickey for the state title.

Brooke Delahanty of Rosary, Shaheeda Dade of Lindblom Academy, and Payne Turney of Clinton were all-state last year and would like to repeat those honors again. Stephanie Gregersen of Wheaton Academy and Josie Brown of Geneseo are some of the runners that could find their way into the top five.

1600 METER RUN

Top Returnees

Notes – This event is wide-open even considering that five of the top six runners return. Defending state champion Grace McLaughlin has the fastest returning time (5:00.69) by over five seconds ahead the rest of the field. Watch for her status as the season goes on especially with the injury that she is recovering from.

Franny Verville finished third and Claire Hengesbaugh finished fourth in last year’s state meet. They could one of many that could win this race. Campbell Petersen ran 5:18 last year in eighth-grade to finish fourth in the IESA State Meet. Her improvement last fall shows that she could win this event in May.

There are several runners that doubled last year at state that could be in the mix to finish among the top three. Rachel Hickey made the finals last year finishing 12^th. She fifth fastest returning time making her someone to watch in case she decides to run the 800/1600 double again. Jordan Harmon and Kayla Schiera finished fifth and sixth at state last year. Keep an eye on both these runners. Emma Argo of Eureka enters this track season as the 1A State Cross Country Champion. The 5:16 that she ran last spring along with her improvement of last fall shows that she could be well under 5:10 by the end of the year.

Jenna Mirande of Limestone, Olivia Rosenstein of Urbana, and Aileen Hull of Carmel Catholic are some of the other runners that could also get to close or under 5:10. Those types of efforts could mean a spot on the podium.

4x800 METER RELAY

Top 2017 Times

Notes – With top five finishers Washington, Kaneland, and Vernon Hills all competing in 3A this spring, Dunlap has a good chance of repeating as state champions in this event. Three of their quartet return led by Sarah Georgieff. There is also the possibility of using Campbell Petersen in this relay. Dunlap has the fastest time by 10 seconds ahead of the rest of teams from the 2017 season.

Rock Falls ran 9:41 and returns all their runners from last year’s eighth-place state team. They could be a factor. Dixon, who finished sixth last year, also returns their entire quartet with hopes of getting into the top three. Eureka also returns all four led by Emma Argo. The Hornets would like to improve on last year’s seventh-place finish. Rosary, Mahomet-Seymour, and Sterling all made the finals last year along with returning most of their core. Keep an eye on these three teams. Tolono Unity and Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin are squads that could be among the top six by the time we get to state.