SVM scouts cross country sectionals
1A Oregon
When: Saturday – girls 10 a.m., boys 10:45
Where: Oregon Park West, 3 miles, Oregon
Advancement: Top 5 teams, top 7 runners not on those teams to 1A state meet, Nov. 3, at Detweiller Park, Peoria
Local teams: Boys – Newman, Rock Falls, Bureau
Valley, Erie-Prophetstown. Girls – Rock Falls, Erie-
Prophetstown, Oregon
Local qualifiers: Boys – Garrett Newman, Oregon sr.; Austin Burkhart, Oregon jr.; Cooper Pauley, Eastland-Milledgeville jr. Girls – Katelin Johnson, Bureau Valley jr; Jennifer Popovich, Amboy fr.; Haley Simpson, Newman so.; Regan Weidner, Bureau Valley so.
Other teams: Boys – Alleman, Galva, IVC, Rockford Lutheran, Byron, Harvard, Durand, Winnebago, Woodstock Marian, Rockford Christian, Marquette, Hall, Plano, Seneca, Princeton, Fieldcrest, El Paso-Gridley. Girls – Wethersfield, Alleman, Princeville, IVC, Galva, Winnebago, Byron, Rockford Lutheran, Woodstock Marian, Rockford Christian, Harvard, Marquette, Henry-Senachwine, El Paso-Gridley, Fieldcrest, Sandwich, Seneca, Hall
Outlook: While nothing’s guaranteed, Newman’s boys and Rock Falls’ girls are safe bets to make state. In fact, the Rockets’ girls could vie for the sectional title. As for the Rockets’ boys, they, like Bureau Valley’s guys, will need the race of their season to have an outside chance at punching their ticket to Detweiller Park as a team. If both squads come up short, Rock Falls’ Brandt Cole is a near-sure shot individually, and his classmate Carlos Gutierrez, Bureau Valley junior Ryan Taylor and Erie-Prophetstown senior Devin Johnson could get through. BV sophomore Regan Weidner has the inside track on an individual title. Oregon senior Shelby Hunter has a solid shot to make it, as do Newman sophomore Haley Simpson and E-P sophomore Corrie Reiley. If the Panthers fire on all cylinders, the whole E-P gang could get through. They’d likely need to beat out Wethersfield and Alleman, who finished second and third, respectively, behind Rock Falls at last Saturday’s regional.
2A Belvidere
When: Saturday – girls 10 a.m., boys 11
Where: Belvidere High School
Advancement: Top 5 teams, top 7 runners not on those teams to 1A state meet, Nov. 3, at Detweiller Park, Peoria
Local teams: Boys and girls – Dixon, Sterling
Other teams: Boys – Deerfield, Vernon Hills,
Grayslake Central, Lake Villa Lakes, Antioch, Woodstock North, Mundelein Carmel, Belvidere North, Boylan, Freeport, Marengo, Belvidere, Crystal Lake Central, Kaneland, Sycamore, Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge, Burlington Central, Woodstock, Hampshire. Girls – Deerfield, Vernon Hills, Grays-lake Central, Lake Villa Lakes, Antioch, Mundelein Carmel, Grayslake North, Belvidere North, Boylan, Freeport, Marengo, Belvidere, Crystal Lake Central, Kaneland, Sycamore, Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge, Burlington Central, Woodstock, Rochelle
Outlook: The boys’ race is a spin on musical chairs. Dixon, Belvidere North, Kaneland, Crystal Lake Central, Vernon Hills and Grayslake Central are the six teams that will likely vie for the five team berths. Belvidere North won its home regional, Dixon finishing runner-up. Should the Dukes get edged, Simon Thorpe, Skylar Mitchell, Roy Hummel and Cody Sondgeroth could be duking it out for individual berths. Sterling’s Keaton Dir and Nick Olds will need an outstanding showing to get into that competition. The Duchesses will be hard-pressed to crack the top five after placing fourth at the Belvidere North Regional. But Clara Thorpe, Brittany Schwarz and Katie Pitman, and Sterling’s Mercedes
Sanchez should be in the mix for one of the
coveted seven individual spots. Anyone other than Marengo’s Katie Adams winning the title would be an upset.
