Monday Morning Finish Line – January 7, 2013

Welcome to the 2013 Track season!

This is the first of the Illinois Prep Harrier Monday Morning Finish Line Video shows. I will do one more in January. When Dyestat Illinois opens in the next month, this feature will continue on that site.

Illinois Prep Harrier will continue as we continue into this season. Dyestat Illinois is not something new. It is just a continuance of what I started with Illinois Prep Harrier. I am excited for what is to come and I am sure you all will be as well. There are many stories to tell in the 2013.

Thank you for letting me serve you in doing this.

Any questions: newman.dyestatil@gmail.com

Monday Morning Finish Line – October 29, 2012

There will be no Monday Morning Finish Line Video this week.

Here are the interviews that were done from both the Schaumburg Sectional and the Niles West Sectional:

Interview with Brooke Wolfe of Prospect

Interview with Quentin Shaffer of Prospect

Interview with Madeline Perez of Glenbard West

Interview with Jack Keelan of St. Ignatius

COMING THIS WEEK:

State Meet Previews

Monday Morning Finish Line – October 22, 2012.

The Crystal Lake Central Boys team celebrates their win at the 2A Kaneland Regional last Saturday. Photo by Phil Bush

On to this Saturday’s sectionals.

There were some meets that had some significance on this regional weekend.  Here are some of the highlights:

Watch the Monday Morning Finish Line Video Show

3A

Lockport Regional

#2 Neuqua Valley holds off #12 Plainfield South 45-50 in the Boys Race. Plainfield South actually had a 1 point lead through 4 runners. Read more about the meet here.

Lake Park Regional

#1 York runs four within the first five in the boys race to win with 25 points. However, their 1-5 split was 53 seconds. #3 Lake Park girls run an aggressive early part of the race to hold off #2 Glenbard West 43-47. Madeline Perez of Glenbard West makes a move at the half way point to win the individual race by 20 seconds over Emma Fisher of York. Kaylee Flanagan of Lake Park finishes 4^th. Read more about the meet here.

Edwardsville Regional

#3 O’Fallon Boys runs their best split of the year at 36 seconds and defeats #22 Edwardsville 17-41. Alex Riba 15:40 and Patrick Perrier 15:48 lead the O’Fallon to the first 4 places.  #8 O’Fallon run 7 in the first 8 to win the Girls Team title.

Grant Regional

It was more like a dual meet. #16 Lake Zurich placed 4 in the first 9 to hold off #5 Palatine 41-48 to win the Boys Regional title

Loyola Regional

#15 Maine South dominates the Boys race placing 3 in the first 5 to win the Boys team title 31-52 over #19 New Trier. Jon Vaccaro of Maine South wins the Boys race over New Trier’s Ethan Kaplan 15:14 – 15:21.  #6 New Trier runs 3 in the first 4 led by the individual win by Jessica Ackerman to win the Girls Team title 33-46 over #10 Maine South.

2A

Kaneland Regional

Behind the individual win by Victoria Clinton, #5 Kaneland defeats #4 Crystal Lake Central to win the Girls race 43 – 44. CLC actually had a 3 point lead after 4 runners. #4 Crystal Lake Central’s Boys team  places 5 in the first 12 to win the regional title. Alex Baker wins the individual race by 30 seconds.

Jacksonville Regional

#7 Chatham Glenwood’s pack was a little stronger than #8 Springfield’s in the Girls race. Led by the individual win by Lindsay Rogers, Glenwood placed 6 in the first 12 to hold off 35 – 47. #5 Springfield turned the tables in the boys race placing 7 in the first 11 with a 25 second split to win the Boys race 27 to 56 over #19 Chatham-Glenwood. Sam Welbourne of Jersey wins the individual race by 10 seconds over Chatham Glenwood’s Marc Maton.

Galesburg Regional

#21 East Moline United uses a 1-2 finish by Austin Webster and Tyler Rasso  to push to a 51-55 regional title over #12 Peoria Notre Dame. Stephanie Saey sets a course record winning the Girls race in 18:14 on the Lake Storey course. #14 Peoria Notre Dame wins the Girls Regional title 51-67 over Geneseo.

1A

Carlinville Regional

#4 Mt. Zion’s 1-2-3 finish led by the individual win by Jake Brown  was enough to hold off the #2 Shelbyville pack to win the Boys regional 35-49. #1 St. Teresa places 7 in the first 9 led by Rachel Devereux’s individual victory to win the team title 16-57 over #2 Monticello.

Franklin Regional

#3 Rochester wins the Girls team title 26-45 over #5 Petersburg PORTA behind the 1-2 finissh by freshman duo Taylro Bartolozzi and Megan McNicholas.

Coming up this week:

Tuesday – FINAL Dyetrack Top 25 State Ratings

Friday – Previews of Sectionals in all classes.

2012 IHSA Boys 3A Regional Previews

Though the regional weekend has lost its luster, there will still be some meaningful races that will take place this weekend. Some teams will use it as a tune-up for the sectional meet; some teams will rest key runners knowing that they will get in without them. Some just would like to win a regional crown.

Nevertheless, there will be some good races at the 15 regional sites throughout Illinois. Here is a look at each of those regionals.

View the WEEKEND PREVIEW SHOW

Marist Sectional

Lyons Township Regional – 3PM

Last year, #4 Lyons Township rested some of their top runners in this race. Expect more of the same from this team this Saturday. They are a deep team as evidenced by the fact that they won the JV race at the WSC-Silver meet over York. Watch for them to be the slight favorite in this race. #18 Hinsdale Central will look to bounce back from a sub-par conference performance. If Downers Grove North has Ben Eaton back in the lineup, they could challenge their conference rival. WSC- Gold champ Morton could also surprise North and Central.

Zack Smith of Downers Grove North is the favorite in this race. If Mike Matusiak of Lyons Township is entered, he might be the one runner to push him along with teammate Ryan Speir. Also watch for Billy Magnesen of Hinsdale Central, Erik Diaz of Curie, and Omero Montalvo of Morton to challenge in the front pack.

Sandburg Regional – 10:45 AM

Just like the Lyons Regional, host #8 Sandburg could be resting some of their top runners in the sectional. If Pat McMahon and Pat Letz do not run, Sand burg still has the horses to qualify out of this 9 team regional. Brother Rice had a strong performance last week at the Chicago Catholic League meet and could push Sandburg. Also watch for Marist and SSC Red Champion Shepard also to be up towards the front.

If McMahon and Letz do not run, the individual race should come down to Kyle Hauser of Marist and Pat McGuire of Brother Rice being towards the front along with Shepard’s duo of Josh Maier and Abel Hernandez.

Lockport Township Regional – 10:45 AM

Could be the best out of the three regionals in this section. #2 Neuqua Valley has been running with a tight pack the last couple of weeks. We should expect more of the same on this hilly Dellwood Park course. #12 Plainfield South is coming off of a strong performance where they won the Southwest Prairie Conference title and will be the chief team to push the Wildcats. Oswego, Plainfield East, and Lockport should be the next three teams.

Good individual field at  this meet led by Dan Lathrop of Plainfield South, Caleb Beck of Oswego, Joseph Suarez of Plainfield East, Alekh Meka & Nick Bushelle of Neuqua Valley, Will Giroux of Lockport, and Charles Thornton of Oswego East.

Normal Community Sectional

Minooka Regional – 10:45 AM

#17 Lincoln-Way Central looks to be the favorite for the regional team honors. Host Minooka should be the next closest team to challenge the Knights. Also watch for mid-state teams Normal Community and Pekin to challenge Minooka for 2^nd.

Joey Santillo of Minooka looked to be back in full form in winning the Southwest Prairie Championship last weekend. The main runners that I would watch to push Santillo in this race would be the Lincoln-Way Central pair of Chris Kaminski and Dru Rozewicki.

Andrew Regional – 10:45 AM

I think it could be a tighter battle than most people think. Thornwood comes in after running a tough race on Tuesday where they won the SWSC-Red title. Lincoln-Way East will be the one team that could win the regional title away from the Thunderbirds.

Leo Teneyuque, the SWSC-Red Individual winner from Andrew, should be the favorite in this race. Expect him to be pushed by Luke Johnston of Lincoln-Way East and Reggie Brown of Thornwood.

Edwardsville Regional – 11 AM

It will be interesting to see how this regional shakes out or how it is run. Only 8 teams are participating on the SIU-Edwardsville course, so many things could take place here. #3 O’Fallon and #22 Edwardsville are the chief teams in this race. When they raced last week at the Southwestern Conference Meet, O’Fallon defeated Edwardsville 23-38. The Tigers are a team on the rise and would like to get a little closer to highly rated O’Fallon on Saturday. The Panthers split last week was 74 seconds. Expect it to come down this week.

The O’Fallon pair of Patrick Perrier and Alex Riba are the clear favorites in this race.

St. Charles East Sectional

West Chicago Regional – 2 PM

This is most of all the 3A Boys Regionals. There are eight good teams vying for seven spots to advance to sectionals. #13 Naperville North battled back from a tough start last week at the DuPage Valley meet and only lost by 5 to Wheaton North. They could be the only team assured of going through. The rest of the squads will need to have a good day on Saturday.

#25 Batavia ran a good race last week at Leroy Oakes and will be the first challenger. Naperville Central ran their best race of the year behind Matt Stern and Christian Shaffer and will need to duplicate that kind of performance this weekend. East Suburban Catholic Conference Champion Benet Academy is another team that is getting better and better every week and will be in the mix to qualify. Suburban Catholic Conference Champ Marmion Academy could surprise some with a top 3 finish in this race. Wheaton-Warrenville South and Aurora West did not run their best races of the year last week at the DVC. Watch to see how they respond to last week’s race. Waubonsie Valley had a good performance last week at Upstate Eight from their top 4. They will need to have all 7 ready to go if they want to race at sectionals.

Along with a tough team battle, there should be a great individual race. DVC Champ Jimmy Qiao of Naperville North heads a strong field that includes Omar Gomez of Aurora West, Nolan McKenna of Wheaton-Warrenville South, John Kraft of Marmion Academy, Anton Vershay of Benet Academy, and Matt Stern of Naperville Central.

Wheaton North Regional – 11AM

This meet is not as deep as the West Chicago meet, but there is good quality that will toe the line at St. James Farm. #9 Wheaton North ran their best race of the year last week on this course. They will need to duplicate that on Saturday. #24 St. Charles North ran a good race last Saturday and will challenge the Falcons for the regional title. Geneva is coming on strong exhibited by a great race last week at their conference meet. The Vikings have Mike Bianchina back from a broken leg that he suffered in track. With him at full strength, they could surprise in this race. Also watch for DeKalb who also ran well in their conference to be a factor.

The individual race is up for grabs. Watch for Spencer Gray of St. Charles North, Paul Steeno & Alex Ryan of Wheaton North, and Marc Dubrick of DeKalb to strive for first on Saturday.

Rockford Guilford Regional – 10:45 AM

#10 Jacobs is the top rated squad in this 8 team field and should win the team title here. Jason Reynolds, 4^th at the NIC-10 meet, should be the individual favorite in this race followed by either Ryan Ross or Matt Johnson of Jacobs.

Schaumburg Sectional

Hoffman Estates Regional – 11:00  AM

We should see a nice battle in this race between MSL-East powers #7 Hersey and #11 Prospect. These teams finished 3-4 last week in the Mid Suburban League Meet and would like to walk away from Busse Woods this week with some hardware. Fremd should be the next team in line.

Quentin Shaffer of Prospect is emerging as one of the top runners in the state and will be the favorite heading into this race. The individual field is good. Also watch for Harry Winter of Fremd, Evan Prizy of Schaumburg, Billy Thomas of Hoffman Estates, and David Rodriguez & Andy Philipose of Hersey.

Grant Regional – 10:00 AM

A good team race is expected with the two top teams in the MSL, #5 Palatine and #6 Barrington, heading the field. #19 Lake Zurich dominated the North Suburban Conference last week and could challenge these two. The surprise in the team race could be McHenry. They ran their best race of the year last week at the Fox Valley Championship.

It will be interesting to see how the individual race shakes out. Good individuals are entered in this race. Watch for Jesse Reiser of McHenry, Ryan Burgoon of Barrington, Christian Zambrano of Palatine, and Alex Milner of Lake Zurich to be amongst the leaders.

Libertyville Regional – 3:00 PM

#23 Highland Park is the class of this field and should be the favorite to leave Adler Park with the regional championship. The top teams to challenge Highland Park could be Stevenson, Warren, and an improving Buffalo Grove.

Good individual race with a rematch of last week’s North Suburban Conference race. Last week, Billy Bund of Lake Forest defeated Warren’s Martin Martinez by 3 seconds. Steven Salvano of Buffalo Grove, runner-up last week at the MSL, will challenge the two NSC runners for the individual championship.

Niles West Sectional

St. Ignatius Regional – 10:15 AM

#14 St. Ignatius did put four in the first seven in last week at the Chicago Catholic League Meet, but they have a problem that needs to be fixed in the gap between their 4^th and 5^th man. Look for them to work on that this weekend. Lane Tech, 2^nd last week at the Chicago Public League, could take advantage if St Ignatius runs a similar race. Also watch for Whitney Young, Northside Prep, Lincoln Park, and Leyden to challenge for the next spots.

Jack Keelan of St. Ignatius is the big favorite in the individual race. The question is how will he run it? Whatever strategy he uses, he should come out on top. Marcello Burbano of Lane Tech will be the lead runner that will chase him.

Lake Park Regional – 2:30 PM

The question in this race is how low will #1 York score? This is a good team field, but York looked so strong last week as they began their march for another state title. #21 Glenbard West ran their best race of the year at Schiller Woods in the WSC-S race. Can they duplicate that kind of effort again on Saturday. Lake Park will be running on their home course. Expect them to run a good race here as well. Fenwick, Oak Park-River Forest, and Glenbard East should be the next three teams in.

The individual race will come down to which one of the York “M’s” will cross the line first. WSC- Silver champ Scott Milling ran a great race last week and looks to be running better with every meet. Chris May, Alex Mimlitz, Kyle Mattes, or Alex Bashqawi could also be up there. Also watch for Dakota Morales of Lake Park, Brandon Bonifer of Glenbard West, and Pat Yerkes of Fenwick also to challenge.

Loyola Academy Regional – 10:45 AM

#15 Maine South looks to be fully healthy as they head into the state series. They looked good last week winning the CSL championship and will go for regional honors on Saturday. #19 New Trier and #20 Niles North have the strength to topple the RedHawks in this race. Also watch for up and coming Loyola Academy, who ran their best race of the year last week at the CCL.

CSL champ Micah Beller of Niles North should be the individual favorite in this race. Keep a close eye also on Ethan Kaplan of New Trier, Jon Vaccaro of Maine South, and David O’Gara of Glenbrook South to challenge Beller.

2012 IHSA Boys 2A Regional Previews

Some coaches and fans complain that the IHSA should eliminate the regional round. Do not tell that to the teams that go to the line looking for a regional title. Here is a look at each of the Boys 2A regionals that will occur at 15 sites throughout Illinois.

Watch the WEEKEND PREVIEW SHOW

Belvidere Sectional

Kaneland Regional – 11:00 AM

#4 Crystal Lake Central should be the team to beat in this regional. #16 Kaneland, Burlington Central, Sycamore, and Prairie Ridge should be the next teams in line. Alex Baker of Crystal Lake Central, the FVC champion last week, enters this competition as the individual favorite. FVC runner-up Joe Cowlin of Prairie Ridge should again challenge Baker. Clay Musial & Josh Schwarting of Burlington Central and Kyle Carter of Kaneland should be close behind.

Antioch Regional – 10:00 AM

We could see an interesting team race between #11 Deerfield and #20 Vernon Hills on the Fox River Park course. Grayslake Central will be the chief team challenger. Alex Gold of Deerfield is the individual favorite in this race. Also watch for Kyle Whitney & Ben Mohrdieck of Vernon Hills, and Ryan Prais of Lakes to challenge Gold.

Belvidere North Regional – 10:45 AM

Host #2 Belvidere North should be the team favorite in this meet. Watch to see what their 1-5 gap will be in this race. It is getting closer with every meet. #10 Dixon will be the chief challenger to the North Stars. The Dukes looked good last week at the NIB-12 conference meet. Garrett Lee of Belvidere North will be the individual favorite in this race followed close by his teammate Tyler Yunk and Simon Thorpe of Dixon.

Bensenville Fenton Sectional

DeLaSalle Regional – 11:00 AM

#1 Jones College Prep could run their JV team and still win in this meet. That is how much talent they have. Last year, Jones did not run their top 5 in the regional. I can’t see them running their big 5 on Saturday. They still will be the favorite. With Jones’ top 5 not running, expect Armando Rodriguez of Jones to be the individual favorite.

Elmwood Park Regional – 10:00 AM

Lake View ran a good team last week at the Chicago City championships and could be one of the team favorites in this race. Elmwood Park, Payton, and St. Patrick will also challenge for the team title. Anthony Campanaro of St. Patrick, Juan Berumen of Lake View and Jacob Turner of Payton will be three of the front runners in the individual race.

St. Viator Regional – 10:00 AM

#14 Fenton will be challenged by #22 St. Viator for the team title in this regional. Mather and Niles Notre Dame could challenge in the sectional’s toughest regional. Fabiel Uruza of Fenton, Nick Brey of St. Viator, and Deivi Tahiraj & Claudio Flores of Mather will be the top individuals in this race.

Decatur MacArthur Sectional

Taylorville Regional – 11:00 AM

#7 Mahomet-Seymour enters this meet as the team favorite. The Bulldogs are coming off of a tight race and a two point loss to Normal University. #24 Charleston has come on the past few weeks and should battle for 2^nd. Champaign Central and Mattoon should be in the hunt for the next positions. Riley McInerney should be the favorite in a good individual field. Johnny Leverenz of Danville, Forrest Smoes & Jonathan Schaap of Mahomet-Seymour, and John Righter of Mattoon will be in the front pack as well.

Troy Triad Regional – 10:00 AM

This will be a tough team battle with any of 4 teams battling for the top spot. #23 Carbondale is coming off of a tough two point win last week at their conference meet with Mt. Vernon. #25 Troy Triad and Waterloo were close also at the Mississippi Valley Conference. Do not be surprised if 15 points separate the these teams.  The individual race should be good as well as the Mascoutah duo of Chris Martin and Murphy Affolder will be challenged by Josh Rodenberg of Waterloo.

Jacksonville Regional  – 10:00 AM

#5 Springfield looked great last week at their conference putting 6 runners in the first 11. Look for a tight pack from them Saturday. #13 Springfield Sacred-Heart Griffin and #19 Chatham-Glenwood will battle for 2^nd. Marc Maton of Chatham Glenwood should be the individual favorite after his win last week at the CS8 Conference meet. Sam Welbourne of Jersey and Tyler Owens  & Nathan Hoffman of Springfield.

Peoria Notre Dame Sectional

Normal West Regional – 10:45 AM

#6 Normal University looks to be the top team in this good regional field. #17 Pontiac and #18 Metamora should challenge the Pioneers. Josh McCoy, Shawn Milhauser & Zac Justus of Pontiac should challenge Adam Bruno and Brendan Hoskins of Normal University for the individual title.

Galesburg Regional – 10:45 AM

A good 3 team battle at the Lake Storry course with #12 Peoria Notre Dame, #15 Dunlap, and #21 East Moline United going for the regional crown. Individual race should be good as well with Zach Plank of Dunlap, Austin Webster & Tyler Rasso of East Moline United, and Jordan Starkey of Geneseo  chasing to be first across the finish line.

Morris Regional – 10:45 AM

Lincoln-Way West should be the team to beat in this regional. Also watch for West’s Ryan Kennedy to be the individual favorite.

West Chicago Wheaton Academy Sectional

Wheaton Academy Regional – 11:00 AM

Only 7 teams in this field which means all advance. This race will be all about regional pride. #1 Yorkville & #8 Glenbard South will battle for the team title. Jake & Luke Hoffert of Yorkville will challenge for the individual title going against John Wold & Joe Singleton of Glenbard South and Matt Meyers of Aurora Central Catholic.

Riverside-Brookfield Regional – 10:00 AM

Host Riverside-Brookfield should be the team favorite in this regional. Leonardo Flores of Kennedy looks to be the individual favorite in this race.

Illiana Christian Regional – 11:00 AM

#9 Illiana Christian is the team to beat in this regional. Bremen, Oak Forest, and Marian Catholic will battle for the second position. Watch for teammates Nick Fiene and Anthony Wondaal of Illiana Christian to battle for the individual honors.

2012 IHSA Boys 1A Regional Previews

15 teams will leave their regional site on Saturday as regional champions and another step closer to Detweiller Park. One of the reasons why these races should continue. Here is a look at each of the regionals to be contested on Saturday.

Watch the WEEKEND PREVIEW SHOW

Edwardsville-Metro East Lutheran Sectional

New Athens Regional – 11:30 AM

#12 Freeburg should be the favorite for the team championship. Edwardsville Metro-East Lutheran, Wood River, and Belleville Althoff will battle for the 2^nd spot.  Jacob Marler of Freeburg will be the individual favorite.

Harrisburg Regional – 10:45 AM

Host Harrisburg should be the team to beat in this regional race contested on the campus of Southeastern Illinois College.

Chester Regional – 10:30 AM

#22 Sparta will be the team to watch in this regional.  It is the deepest of the three with Carterville, Herrin, Chester, Nashville, and Pinckneyville challenging for a top 3 finish. Dylan Huether of Sparta will enter this race as the individual favorite.

Effingham-St. Anthony Sectional

Olney-East Richland Regional – 10:00 AM

Teutopolis should battle Olney-East Richland, Robinson, and Mt. Carmel for the team championship. Blake Hale of Robinson is the individual favorite in this race.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda Regional – 10:45 AM

#1 St. Thomas More is the team to beat in this class and also in this regional this Saturday. #11 St. Joseph-Ogden and #18 Tolono Unity should challenge for the next spot. It will be a good individual race between Nick Hess of St. Thomas More and Jesse Hahne of Danville Schlarmann chasing the regional individual title.

Carlinville Regional – 11:00 AM

4 rated teams crowd this field at Carlinville. #2 Shelbyville and #4 Mt. Zion will square off in what could be the top regional battle in 1A this weekend. #7 Monticello could battle these teams along with #24 Neoga. Jake Brown of Mt. Zion should be the individual favorite in this race.

Elmwood Sectional

Macomb Regional – 11:00 AM

Monmouth-Roseville comes off of a West Central Conference win on Tuesday and will be the favorite in the team race. Devin Clark of Monmouth-Roseville and Jack Cavett of Macomb should be the two individuals to watch in this race.

Franklin Regional – 10:45 AM

A quickly improving #16 Pleasant Plains had a great performance last week at the Patriot Invitational at Detweiller Park. They do have to get past a challenge a talented #6 Rochester squad, who should be the favorite. Liberty and Quincy Notre Dame will challenge. Daniel Plunkett of Pleasant Plains is the individual race favorite.

Farmington Regional – 10:45 AM

This is the toughest regional out in this sectional complex. #8 Tremont and #9 Elmwood-Brimfield are equally matched which should make it a close team battle. #21 Stanford Olympia, Canton, and Heyworth should challenge for the next spots. A good individual race should occur with Connor Ehnle of Tremont, Noah Isbell of Elmwood, and Chad French of Canton leading the way.

Lisle Sectional

Luther North Regional – 11:00 AM

Latin should be the team favorite in this meet. Also watch for Andrew Nadler of Latin to be the favorite in this regional race.

Bishop McNamara Regional – 11:00 AM

This is a wide open race for the team championship in this regional. Beccher, Prairie Central, and Herscher should challenge for the top spot. Grant Nykaza of Beecher is THE favorite in this individual race.

Aurora Christian Regional – 10:00 AM

#3 Richmond Burton should be the team favorite after a strong Big Northern Conference race where they won the team title. #19 Westmont should be the chief competition. Nate Novtna of Westmont and Dj Wolfram of Richmond Burton should challenge for top honors in the individual race.

Oregon Sectional

Winnebago Regional – 11:00 AM

4 rated squads will head the 12 team regional. It is up for grabs between #10 Winnebago, #14 Byron, #15 Harvard, and #20 Rockford Christian. The individual race is also wide open with Alex Keilback of Winnebago, Jorge Picardo and Timmy Wiltshire of Harvard, and TJ Pitcock of Byron all expected to be in the front pack.

Rock Falls Regional – 10:45 AM

#5 Rock Island Alleman enters this race as the team favorite with #15 Sterling Newman, #23 Bureau Valley, and #25 Rock Falls their chief competition. Ethan Adlfinger of Alleman should be the favorite in the individual race with Brandt Cole of Rock Falls close behind.

Peru-St Bede Regional – 10:00 AM

#13 Ottawa Marquette will be the team to beat in this regional. Marquette’s Luke Hill is the individual favorite.

2012 IHSA Girls 3A Regional Previews

The journey starts this weekend for all the 3A girls teams at 15 regional sites. Here is a brief look at each of these regionals:

Watch the WEEKEND PREVIEW SHOW

Marist Sectional

Lyons Township Regional – 2:00 PM

#4 Downers Grove South trounced the competition last weekend at the WSC-Gold meet scoring a perfect 15. They will run up against tougher competition this weekend at this regional. #13 Hinsdale Central, #20 Lyons, and #25 Downers Grove North lead a strong field at the Lyons Township South Campus course. Jill Hardies of Hinsdale Central missed the WSC-Silver meet last week due to an on-going foot problem. Coach Mark McCabe hopes to have her back on Saturday. The individual field should be tough with Becca Marcotte of Hinsdale Central, Katie Strelau & Amanda Thate of Downers Grove South, and Kaitlyn Bonfield of Downers Grove North.

Sandburg Regional – 10:00 AM

Host Sandburg will be challenged by Marist at this regional at Midlothian Meadows. Also watch for Mother McAuley to be challenge for a top position. Carly Krull of Sandburg is the favorite in this race.

Lockport Regional – 10:00 AM

#20 Lockport comes off a 21 second split on 5 and a strong win at the SWSC-Blue Conference Meet and will be the favorite in this race on Saturday. Oswego and Neuqua Valley should be Lockport’s chief competition. Kelsey Hjorth of Oswego will be the favorite in this race..

Normal Community Sectional

Minooka Regional – 10:00 AM

#18 Minooka had a great pack last week when they won the Southwest Prairie Conference and should be the team favorite in this tough regional. Normal Community, Moline, and Lincoln-Way Central could challenge Minooka for the title. The individual race should be a 2 runner battle between Carly Pederson of Normal Community and Haley Verbeke of Moline.

Andrew Regional – 10:00 AM

Lincoln-Way North had a strong run Tuesday in winning the SWSC-Red championship. They should be challenged by Lincoln-Way East and Andrew for the team championship. Freshman Abby Casey of Lincoln-Way North is one of the favorites in the individual race.

Edwardsville Regional – 10:00 AM

#8 O’Fallon placed 5 in the first 6 last week at the Southwest Conference meet. Expect more of the same on Saturday. O’Fallon’s Tami Cardenas and Samantha Lapp  will be the individual favorites.

St. Charles East Sectional

West Chicago Regional – 1:00 PM

#1 Naperville North will be the team to beat at Reed Keppler Park. The question will be who will get the second spot. #14 Wheaton-Warrenville South will look to rebound from a subpar conference performance, while #16 Naperville Central, Benet Academy, and Batavia look to build off of good races last week. Elly DeTurris & Maria McDaniel of Naperville North will be two of the favorites individually. Watch for Dakota Roman & Lexi Slome of Batavia, Kendall Cast of Metea Valley, Ashley Bruner of Waubonsie Valley, and Hope Schmelzle of Wheaton-Warrenville South to challenge.

Wheaton North Regional – 10:00 AM

#12 Geneva ran a great race last week at their conference meet. They will toe the line at this regional as a favorite. Do not dismiss either #21 St. Charles North #24 St. Charles East, and DeKalb. These three teams are peaking at the right time. The individual race is up for grabs with Torree Scull of St. Charles East, Kelsey Schrader of DeKalb, Ashley England of St. Charles North, and Brooke Nusser & McKenzie Altmayer of Geneva all having the talent able to win this race.

Rockford Guilford Regional – 10:00 AM

#9 Jacobs is the team favorite in this regional. It could be a good individual race with Laura Van Vliebergen of Jacobs being challenged by Courtney Clayton of Rockton Hononegah and Moriah Palmer of Machesney Park Harlem.

Schaumburg Sectional

Hoffman Estates Regional – 10:00 AM

With three rated teams in this field including #15 Schaumburg, #22 Fremd, and #23 Prospect, the regional title is up for grabs. The Saxons are coming off of a good MSL performance and will try to build off of that this Saturday. Also watch for Hoffman Estates who could break into the top 3 in this race. Caroline Kurdej of Schaumburg should be the individual favorite. Teammates Ali Gutt & Erin Falsey, Kelly Breen of Fremd, and Lauren Poplawski should be up towards the front as well.

Grant Regional – 11:00 AM

It could be a repeat of last week when #5 Palatine & #7 Barrington were within 6 points of each other. Lake Zurich and Cary Grove will be towards the top as well. Great individual race led by Lauren Conroy of Barrington, Tess Wasowicz of Palatine, Lauren Opartrny of McHenry, and Talia Duzey of Cary-Grove.

Libertyville Regional – 2:00 PM

#17 Lake Forest will be the team to beat in this regional. Mundelein, who was rated last week, will look to bounce back on Saturday after a sub-par performance at conference. Kaitlyn Ko of Buffalo Grove looks to be the individual favorite in this race.

Niles West Sectional

St. Ignatius Regional –  9:30 AM

Both St. Ignatius and Lane Tech are coming off of conference winning performances last week and will look for a regional title on Saturday. The top four runners in the Public League Meet, Joanna Podosek and Carina Coss of Lane Tech, Madison Weatherly of Northside Prep, and Shianne Baggett of Whitney Young along with Veronica Boswell of St. Ignatius should vie for the individual championship in this race.

Lake Park Regional – 1:30 PM

#2 Glenbard West and #3 Lake Park race against each other again on Lake Park’s home course. A month ago at the Lake Park Invitational, the host Lancers won by 8 points. #12 York and a good Fenwick squad will be involved in this meet. Should see a great individual race between Kaylee Flanagan of Lake Park, Madeleine Perez and Lisa Luczak of Glenbard West, Emma Fisher of York, Lindsay Graham of Glenbard East, and Olivia Ryan of Fenwick.

Loyola Regioinal – 10:00 AM

The big question in this regional is whether #10Maine South will be that close to #6 New Trier as they were last week at the CSL Championships? New Trier only won the meet by 6 points. There will be a gap after these two teams with Glenbrook North and Loyola Academy battling for the third spot. Courtney Ackerman of New Trier should be the favorite in this race. Mimi Smith and Jessica Ackerman of New Trier, Emily Leonard and Megan Lemersal of Maine South, Valerie Bobart of Glenbrook North, and Sarah Kelley of Loyola will be in the next pack.

2012 IHSA Girls 2A Regional Previews

There are some great races that will occur this weekend as the march to Detweiller Park begins. Here is a look at each of the 15 Girls 2A regionals that will take place on Saturday.

Watch the WEEKEND PREVIEW SHOW

Belvidere Sectional

Kaneland Regional – 10:00 AM

A good regional both individually and team wise. #4 Crystal Lake Central & #5 Kaneland will battle for the team title at Elburn Woods. Great individual race between Sami Staples of Crystal Lake Central, Victoria Clinton, and Maura Beattie of Woodstock.

Antioch Regional – 10:00 AM

#16 Vernon Hills will start its quest for its first state meet berth as the team favorite in this regional. Grayslake Central should be the main team chasing them. Kristen Whitney of Vernon Hills and Danielle Griesbaum of Lakes should be the top individuals in this race.

Belvidere North Regional – 10:00 AM

#3 Marengo comes into this race as the team favorite, but will be pushed by NIC-10 powers #15 Belvidere North and #198 Rockford Boylan. Katie Adams of Marengo will be the favorite in this race.

Bensenville Fenton Sectional

DeLaSalle Regional – 10:00 AM

Only 7 teams racing in this regional, so all will advance. Jones College Prep is the squad to watch for the team title. Julia Heller of Jones should be the individual favorite.

Elmwood Park Regional – 9:00 AM

Should be an interesting regional as 5 of the top rated sectional teams will race here. Resurrection finished 4^th at the GCAC last week and will be the slight favorite in the team race. Payton, Trinity, Elmwood Park, and Regina Dominican will challenge for the crown. Elizabeth Molina of Lake View should be the individual race favorite.

St. Viator Regional – 9:00 AM

Here again…only 6 teams running in this regional. #9 St. Viator is the big favorite in the team title chase. Watch for St. Viator’ Hanna Winter and Megan Carroll to battle for the individual race title.

Decatur MacArthur Sectional

Taylorville Regional – 10:00 AM

Apollo Conference champs #11 Mattoon enter this race as the team to watch. #24 Mahomet-Seymour, Champaign Central, and Taylorville will be the squads chasing Mahomet-Seymour. Victoria Drake and Megan Shaffer of Matton will be challenged by Laura Whitehouse of Mahomet-Seymour for the top individual honors.

Troy Triad Regional – 10:00 AM

Host #25 Troy Triad, Highland, and Carbondale will battle for the regional championship. Hope Elliott of Waterloo looks to be the favorite individually.

Jacksonville Regional – 10:00 AM

It could be a repeat of the Central State Eight meet a week ago as #7 Chatham-Glenwood and #8 Springfield were only separated by only four points. #20 Springfield Sacred Heart-Grifffin will also push their two conference rivals. Jacksonville’s Emma Chelsvig was the surprise individual winner last week…can she repeat that again on Saturday? Meghan McClain of Sacred Heart-Griffin, Lindsay Rogers of Chatham-Glenwood, along with Natalie Motor & Sophia Gullo of Springfield will be going for the top spot as well.

Peoria Notre Dame Sectional

Normal West Regional – 10:00 AM

#2 Normal University has been progressively getting better this season displaying a tight 5 runner  pack. The Pioneers will be pursued by #13 Normal West and #23 Morton. Sydney Billingsley of Normal University, Emily Brelsfoard of Normal West, and Bridget Carius of Morton will challenge each other for the individual regional championship.

Galesburg Regional – 10:00 AM

#14 Peoria Notre Dame, #17 Galesburg, and #22 Dunlap will challenge for the regional team championship. Also watch for Geneseo and Rock Island to contend. Maryjeanne Gilbert of Peoria Notre Dame and Stephanie Saey of Galesburg should be the top runners individually in this race.

Morris Regional – 10:00 AM

Lincoln-Way West looks to be the strong favorite in the team race. Natalie Waters of West is the individual to watch in this race.

Wheaton Academy Sectional

Wheaton Academy Regional – 10:00 AM

8 of the 10 top rated sectional teams are in this regional. #1 Yorkville is the favorite in the team race with #6 Montini, #10 Glenbard South, #18 Lemont, and #21 St. Francis close behind. Skyler Bollinger of Yorkville should be the individual favorite in this race.

Riverside-Brookfield Regional – 9:30 AM

Riverside-Brookfield and Joliet Catholic should be the teams to watch in this regional.

Illiana Christian Regional – 10:00 AM

#12 Illiana Christian will be the team to watch in this regional. Alexa Beezhold of Illiana will be the individual to watch in this race.

2012 IHSA 1A Girls Regional Previews

15 teams will walk away from their regional sites this Saturday as champions. Here is a look at each of those 15 regionals.

Watch the WEEKEND PREVIEW SHOW

Edwardsville Metro-East Lutheran Sectional

New Athens Regional – 10:30 AM

#4 Breese Mater Dei and #12 Freeburg, the two top rated teams in this sectional will battle for first in this regional. Madeline Lager of Breese Mater Dei looks to be the individual race favorite.

Harrisburg Regional – 10:00 AM

SIRR-Ohio Division runner up Benton appears to be the favorite in this regional. Kaitlyn Schutt of Benton will be one of the top runners in this race.

Chester Regional – 10:00 AM

Carterville and Red Bud will be the top two teams that will challenge for a regional championship on Saturday. Kami Hankins of Carterville should be the individual favorite in this race.

Effingham-St. Anthony Sectional

Olney-East Richland Regional – 10:00 AM

Effingham St. Anthony, Olney-East Richland, and Mt. Carmel will chase after the regional championship. Leah Hutchison of Toledo Cumberland could be the top individual in this race.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda Regional – 10:00 AM

#10 St. Joseph-Ogden, #18 Tolono Unity, and #21 St. Thomas More will be the top teams in this regional. Alyssa Pridemore of St. Joseph-Ogden should be the individual favorite in this race.

Carlinville Regional – 10:00 AM

The top two teams in state will race against each other for the 2^nd straight week. #1 St. Teresa is loaded and looks to repeat their state championship. #2 Monticello will try to deny them of that. #15 Mt. Zion is the only other rated team in this field. Hannah Houska of Monticello, and the St. Teresa duo of Ivy Handley and Rachel Devereux will race for the individual championship.

Elmwood Sectional

Macomb Regional – 10:00 AM

Monmouth-Roseville should be the favorite in this regional followed closely by Macomb. The two teams finished 2-3 on Tuesday at the West Central Conference Meet. Karyn Paisley of Macomb should be the individual race favorite.

Franklin Regional – 10:00 AM

#3 Rochester has been a power most of the season and should get a challenge from #5 Petersburg PORTA in this regional. #19 Liberty is the other rated team in this regional. Megan McNicholas of Rochester, if healthy, should be the favorite in this race. If not, watch for Mackenzie Griffin and Maria Brauer of PORTA, along with Amanda Nelson of Rochester to contend for the individual championship.

Farmington Regional – 10:00 AM

5 state rated teams are in this field led by #8 Tri Valley. #11 Canton, #13 Elmwood-Brimfield, #22 Eureka, and #25 Bloomington Central Catholic are also in the field. Jess Clarke of Tri Valley should be the favorite in this race followed closely followed by Faith Weiland of Bloomington Central Catholic, Madison Lefler of Canton, and Maddison Zimmer of Delavan.

Lisle Sectional

Luther North Regional – 10:00 AM

Latin School should be the favorite in the team championship, but watch carefully for a surging Willows Academy team. Victoria Bianco of Latin School should be the individual favorite.

Kankakee Bishop McNamara Regional – 10:00 AM

Host #9 Bishop McNamara is the favorite for the team championship. #24 Prairie Central will make it a little tough for the host school. Cassidy Devenouges of Bishop McNamara should be the favorite in this race.

Aurora Christian Regional – 10:00 AM

It should be a wide open team battle between Timothy Christian and Richmond-Burton. Watch for Westmont and Aurora Christian to challenge as well. The individual race should come down to two Westmont runners: Chloe Marshinski and Maggie Arndt.

Oregon Sectional

Winnebago Regional – 10:00 AM

#6 Winnebago will be challenged by #14 Byron, #17 Rockford Lutheran, and #23 Rockford Christian in this regional. Cheyenne Moore of Winnebago and Kelsey Hildreth of Byron will challenge for the individual championship.

Rock Falls Regional – 10:00 AM

#7 Rock Falls is the only rated team in this regional and the big favorite to capture the team championship. Megan Weidner of Bureau Valley along with Paige Davis of Rock Falls will challenge for the individual championship.

Peru St Bede Regional – 10:00 AM

It will be a two team battle for the regional championship between #16 Henry-Midland and #20 Ottawa Marquette. Julie James of El Paso-Gridley should be the favorite in the individual race.

Monday Morning Finish Line – Conference Review – October 15, 2012

Nick Bushelle of Neuqua Valley celebrates his Upstate Eight Conference championship Saturday with Coaches Paul Vandersteen and Jamie Janota at Leroy Oakes FP in St. Charles. (Photo Courtesy of Paul Vandersteen & Neuqua Valley HS).

Conference Weekend is over….now on to Regional Saturday!

Watch the MONDAY MORNING FINISH LINE. (This is a short version of MMFL. Hope to have a longer version up in the next day. Sorry for the inconvenience).

All results I hope to have up by Monday Evening. My thanks to all the coaches that efforted to get the results to me. An entire state of Cross Country fans in Illinois are grateful. VIEW RESULTS HERE!

Corn Belt Conference Meet (cancelled on Saturday) is being run at 4PM today at Stanford Olympia HS. Results should be up this evening.

Coming Tuesday:

Dyetrack State Ratings

FINAL Dyetrack Sectional Ratings for 2012

FINAL Illinois XC Coaches Poll for 3A