By Pantagraph staff pantagraph.com
A brief preview of the 2010 Intercity girls cross country teams.
Bloomington
Coach: John Szabo, 29th year
2009: 4th in Big 12; 3rd in regional; 15th in sectional
Returnees from top seven: Sr. – Leah Mullenix, Shelby Wiist; Jr. – Sarah Schneider; So. – Meg Fitzgerald.
Other key contributors: Sr. – Tiziri Seffal; Jr. – Chrissy Little; Fr. – Kendall Wiist.
Storyline: Mullenix, Schneider and Fitzgerald were part of the sixth-place 2A state 3,200 relay last spring. Mullenix, a 12:42.14 3,200 runner, should lead the team as she did in 2009. BHS, which couldn’t field enough runners to score in last year’s Intercity Meet, has 10 girls out. “That’s the most girls we’ve had out in a few years and the best group we’ve had in a while,” said Szabo, who’d like to see his team crack the Big 12′s top three and reach the sectional.
Keep an eye on: Little, a good track athlete in the 300 hurdles and triple jump, is out for the first time. Also new to the team is soccer player Tiziri Seffal.
FULL ROSTER
Seniors- Jessie Alvis, Leah Mullenix^, Lauren Osterbrock, Tiziri Seffal, Shelby Wiist^; Juniors- Chrissy Little, Sarah Schneider^; Sophomore- Meg Fitzgerald^; Freshmen- Hailey Wall, Kendall Wiist.
Central Catholic
Coach: Tom Engelhorn, 9th year
2009: 1st in Intercity; 3rd in Corn Belt; 2nd in regional; 2nd in sectional; 7th in 1A state.
Returnees from top seven: Jr. – Mallory Paul, Katie Einck, Maureen Christensen; So. – Alex Van Hoof.
Other key contributors: Sr. – Kali Lewis; Jr. – Anne Brady.
Storyline: Two-time state champion Kelly Curran has moved on to Notre Dame while Lindsay Stopa and Colleen Besler did not come out. Despite those losses, Engelhorn believes his eight-girl squad is “going to be much better than I thought.” He hopes a top-four Corn Belt Conference finish leads to a post-season surge. The Saints are 13th in the Dyestat preseason rankings.
Keep an eye on: Van Hoof earned all-state honors as a freshman, clocking 18:48 for 23rd in 1A. “We’d like to see her in the top 15 at state,” said Engelhorn, who reports Lewis, a first-year runner, has stayed with Van Hoof in preseason practice.
FULL ROSTER
Senior- Kali Lewis; Juniors- Anne Brady^, Maureen Christensen^, Katie Einck^, Kelsey Milligan, Mallory Paul^; Sophomores- Abby Rhodes^, Alex Van Hoof^; Freshman- Elizabeth Catt.
Cornerstone
Coach: Michele Larsen, 4th year
2009: 9th in regional
Returnees from top seven: Sr. – Katie Wilhelm; Jr. – Nicki Wilhelm, Brittany Madden; So. – Ashley McGhee, Kaley Summers.
Other key contributors: Jr. – Sara Newcom, Hannah Critchfield; Sophomore – Sarah Kelly.
Storyline: This eight-girl roster is the largest in school history. In last fall’s regional, Katie Wilhelm finished 35th, Nicki Wilhelm 45th, McGhee 53rd, Summers 57th and Madden 58th.
Keep an eye on: Katie Wilhelm ran 5:58.64 in the 1,600 last spring while McGhee motored 13:31.74 in the 3,200.
FULL ROSTER
Senior- Katie Wilhelm^; Juniors- Hannah Critchfield, Brittany Madden, Sara Newcom, Nicki Wilhelm; Sophomores- Sarah Kelly, Ashley McGhee, Kaley Summers.
Normal Community
Coach: Tom Patten, 26th year
2009: 4th in Intercity; 2nd in Big 12; 1st in regional; 7th in sectional
Returnees from top seven: Sr. – Raquelle Gibson, Kelly Weekes; So. – Carly Pederson, Carley Catherine, Brittany Hull.
Other key contributors: Sr. – Kelsey Stiles; So. – Tiffany Lam, Emily Jacob, Rachel Hile-Broad; Fr. – Rachel Johnson.
Storyline: Pederson, the reigning sectional champion, placed 24th in the 3A state meet, clocking 17:55. Her 3,200 best was 11:16.33 last spring despite suffering from anemia. “She has got her iron levels back up and she is looking nice and strong,” said Patten, who has a 33-girl roster.
Keep an eye on: Johnson, 13th in the junior high state meet, gives NCHS a solid trio up front with Pederson and Catherine, who ran 12:33.14 in the 3,200 last spring. “It’s a question of what we can put together with them,” Patten said. “Obviously we’d like to make it to sectionals and see how things stack up there.”
FULL ROSTER
Seniors- Lori Claricoates, Raquelle Gibson^, Grace Leighton, Kelsey Stiles, Kelly Weekes^, Lauren Zager; Juniors- Malaney Abel, Sara Freed, Nicole Gilbert, Lindsey Gist, Morgan Heerde, Jennifer Hughes, Madison Martin, Hailey Mott, Rachel Sabick, Miranda Schlehuber, Lexi Wyatt; Sophomores- Tess Campbell, Carley Catherine^, Rachel Hile-Broad, Brittany Hull^, Emily Jacob, Tiffany Lam, Carly Pederson^, Alexi Silva; Freshmen- Sydney Biedenharn, Carly Blystone, Emily Frazier, McKenzie Hayes, Rachel Johnson, Rachel Richter, Jacey Whiteside, Erin Wilhelm.
Normal Community West
Coach: Steve Destri, 3rd year
2009: 2nd in Intercity; 1st in Big 12; 2nd in regional; 3rd in sectional; 25th in 3A state.
Returnees from top seven: Sr. – Taryn Basting, Jaci Clark; Jr. – Hannah Magnuson, Bailey Kerschieter, Michaela Fowler, Amy Monks; So. – Becca Rood.
Other key contributors: Sr. – Ali Cleinmark; So. – Emily Brelsfoard.
Storyline: The Wildcats return their state lineup intact and have added Brelsfoard, who didn’t compete last fall, but placed fifth in the 3A state 3,200 in 10:46.11, the No. 3 time in area history. She also clocked 5:05.46 in the 1,600. “She is certainly one of the top 10 runners in the state based on what she did in the 3,200 in track,” Destri said.
Keep an eye on: Cleinmark, a softball player who didn’t run last fall, placed fourth in a recent intra-squad time trial. Kerschieter, the reigning Big 12 800 champion at 2:20.75, shared the team’s No. 1 and 2 spots last year with Magnuson. Fowler ran 12:13.88 in the 3,200 last spring while Basting clocked 12:32.94 and Magnuson 12:36.34. They hope to battle O’Fallon for downstate supremacy in 3A.
FULL ROSTER
Seniors- Taryn Basting^, Jaci Clark^, Ruth Kenney, Bethany Salm, Ali Cleinmark; Juniors- Michaella Fowler^, Bailey Kerschieter^, Hannah Magnuson^, Amy Monks^, Michelle Stevens, Caileigh Peterson; Sophomores- Emily Brelsfoard, Megan Fort^, Megan Kaiser^, Emily Peacock^, Bekka Rood^, Becca Rupard^, Tyraina Schupbach, Kelsey Kinley; Freshmen- Shelby Andrews, Emily Waibel, Taylor Weber, Paige Weekly.
University High
Coach: Lester Hampton, 22nd year
2009: 3rd in Intercity; 4th in Corn Belt; 2nd in regional; 9th in sectional.
Returnees from top seven: Sr. – Emily Clay, Kelsey Emmert, Emily Bugg; So. – Morgan Cross, Alexandra Walch.
Other key contributors: Sr. – Natalie Bowman, Elizabeth Composto, Marissa Tank; Jr. – Jordan Armstrong, Lyndsay Shaver, Kiara Vance, Haylee Weakly; So. – Madison Abel, Elizabeth Fansler; Fr. – Sydney Billingsley, Paige Smid.
Storyline: In the Intercity Meet, Clay has placed fourth, second and fourth the past three seasons. The Division I pole vault prospect, who is part of a 30-girl roster, reported for preseason practice in the best shape of her career. “I think Emily certainly does have a shot at a state medal,” Hampton said.
Keep an eye on: Emmert, Walch, Bugg and Cross placed 23rd in the 2A state track 3,200 relay. “That has given that group a shot in the arm,” Hampton said. “I think we can compete for championships.”
FULL ROSTER
Seniors- Natalie Bowman^, Emily Bugg^, Emily Clay^, Elizabeth Composto, Kelsey Emmert^, Melanie Goebel, Mia Hartung, Marissa Tank^; Juniors- Jordan Armstrong, Cheyenne Bowers, Bayli Doubet, Emily Honzel, Katie Lane, Lyndsay Shaver, Kiara Vance, Haylee Weakly; Sophomores- Madison Abel, Morgan Cross^, Elizabeth Fansler, Delaney Kroll, Tori Morgan, Bethanie Namoff, Kylie Thompson, Alexandra Walch^, Samantha Supan; Freshmen- Sydney Billingsley, Morgan Jacob, Ariana Jahiel, Minda Ruiz, Paige Smid.
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