CS8 and Area girls cross country preview and runners to watch

CARLINVILLE

The Cavaliers’ No. 2, 3 and 4 runners, sophomores Chloe Walton and Maddie Boente and senior Kelsey Klaus, are back from last year’s state-qualifying team. So is No. 6 runner sophomore Courtney Reid. A key newcomer is freshman Lea Viano, the younger sister of former standouts Austin and Kelsee Viano.

CHATHAM GLENWOOD

Glenwood must rely on its youth. The Titans have zero returning juniors and seniors. All-stater Lindsay Rogers and fellow sophomores Delaney Dixon and Elissa Lahr should team up with the incoming freshmen, who helped Glenwood Middle School win its third straight Illinois Elementary School Association state championship in 2009.

JACKSONVILLE

Junior Taylor Ingram and senior Kelsey Rammelkamp are the sole upperclassmen on the roster. The good news is the majority of the 2009 team is back, and Ingram is a two-time CS8 special mention pick. Coach Breck VanBebber’s group of underclassmen includes Alexis Jibben and Megan DeWitt, who were among four freshmen on the varsity last season. Key newcomers are freshman Clara Lee – she’s the sister of Jacksonville’s No. 1 runner last year, Hannah Lee, who now runs for Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville – and sophomore Natalie Flynn.

LANPHIER

Coach Mike Garcia had high hopes for sophomore Natalie Runkle, who finished one spot higher than SHG all-stater Emily Delvo at last year’s Lee Halberg Lanphier Invitational, but Runkle has transferred to the Aurora Illinois Math and Science Academy in suburban Chicago. Her absence makes the Lions’ rebuilding season more difficult.

LINCOLN

The Railers lost just one runner from last year. Juniors Brittney Bone, Melyssa Cooper, Ami Frost, Elaine Tiffany, Asia Glenn and sophomore Xavia Henessey are among the returnees, and that excites coach Kirk Dobihal. “I like it,” he said. “It makes for some intrasquad competition.”

ROCHESTER

Like their male counterparts, all seven of the Rockets’ top runners are back. Juniors Aspen Williams and Lynnett Ramsey are teaming up again with sophomores Alison Nowakowski, Kinzey Stoll, Emily Blankenship, Nicole Tabatabi and Erin Lindstrom. Add freshman Amanda Nelson, a junior high state track qualifier as an eighth-grader, and junior Caitlin Maxwell to the mix and a successful season is possibly in the works.

SACRED HEART-GRIFFIN

The Blazers’ cross country juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down despite graduation losses. Seniors Emily Delvo, Madz Negro, Maria Lowis and Taylor Moore and sophomore Meredith McClain competed at state last year. Delvo placed the highest at 15th. “We have more girls out than we’ve ever had,” SHG coach Ed Gaffigan said. “We have some young ones coming up. Right now it’s hard to access who the top seven are. It’s going to be a contest. It may change over the year.”

SOUTHEAST

Junior Misty Davenport is the Spartans’ top female runner again this year, said Southeast coach Chris Hood.

SPRINGFIELD

The good news is the defending Class 2A state champions return five of their top seven runners. The bad news is the Senators must stay healthy. “If somebody gets injured, we’re probably going to be hurting a little bit,” coach Dan Devlin said. “Last year we had a coupe of runners we could plug in.” Junior Kirby Hale placed fourth at state. Senior Madie Alexander placed 21st. Junior Maggie Cornelius, Christy Rolf and Leora Reyhan are back.

TAYLORVILLE

Junior Miranda Matheny, Taylorville’s No. 1 runner, is back. She was a sectional qualifier last year along with sophomore Lauren Pearce. Juniors Allison Champley and Madelyn Kahle and senior Cassie Corriveau round out the team’s nucleus. “Freshman Brooke Ward ran with us this summer,” Taylorville coach Gary McCullough said. “We expect good things from her and Allison.

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SIX KEY MEETS

SEPT. 4 — Rochester Invitational at Rochester Community Park
SEPT. 11 — Lee Halberg/Lanphier Invitational at Lincoln Park
SEPT. 11 — PORTA Invitational at Petersburg
SEPT. 25 — Springfield High Invitational at Lincoln Park
OCT. 16 — Central State Eight Conference Meet at Lincoln Park
NOV. 6 – Class 2A State Meet at Detweiller Park, Peoria

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RUNNERS TO WATCH

MADIE ALEXANDER, Springfield High The senior placed 21st at state last season. She had six top-10 finishes. “Kirby and Madie switched off a couple races there at the regional, sectional and conference,” Springfield coach Dan Devlin said.

KRISTEN GARWOOD, Lutheran The junior is a Class 1A state title contender. She placed third in 2008, but a fever at the 2009 state meet limited her to 50th. At the Class 1A state meet in the spring, she placed fifth in the 3,200-meter run and was 10th in the 1,600.

MADZ NEGRO, Sacred Heart-Griffin The defending CS8 champion had five top-five finishes during the 2009 cross country season and placed fifth in the 3,200 at the state track meet. “I think it (running track) helped her quite a bit,” coach Ed Gaffigan said.

KIRBY HALE, Springfield The two-time all-stater splits her time in the summer between cross country and basketball. She was eighth or better in nine meets last fall. Hale finished fourth at state.