Midwest region cross country preview

York IL may have its best boys team ever, and that's saying a lot.
Clarkston MI is leading girls team.

by Scott Bush, Midwest Region Editor

Boys - Girls

Boys

Every year the Midwest region seems to be a dominant region in terms of individual stars. At the Footlocker National Championships, the regional winner a while now has been the Midwest, while they dominated races up front (winning the last six competitions). This year the Midwest will be trying to show their dominance not only individually but also in terms of team strength. On paper only one team seems to be truly dominant in the region ( York), but over the span of the next few months, other teams will emerge as powerhouse teams and will prove that they deserve an invitation to run with the big dogs out in Portland.

Indiana – Indiana always has at least a handful of teams that are competitive. This year is no exception, as teams like Columbus North, Carmel and a few others will vie for a top spot in the state meet, and for a top ranking in the Midwest region.

• Columbus North – They were dominant last fall, winning the Indiana state meet by forty-two points and took second at the Midwest Meet of Champions in early September. This is a new year without the veteran leadership of a Footlocker All-American in Christian Wagner. They have a solid nucleus returning though, including some depth at the frosh/soph level. Their 1-5 split should be better than last year since they won’t have an all-star out front, which means they may be able to run a more team oriented race this season.

- Aaron Smith (Sr.) – He will be counted on to provide some senior leadership and to hopefully be their top guy. He had some solid results during the track season, but will have to step it up a notch if Columbus North has a shot to earn a NTN invite. He had a great fall last year, finishing 28 th at the Midwest Meet of Champions and 19 th at the Indiana State Meet.

- Sam Baker (Jr.) – One of the best number six runners in the nation last fall. He finished 67 th at state as a sophomore and with another summer of training under his belt, he should be counted upon to provide some results.

- Eric Cave (Jr.) and the best of the rest – Cave will have to step it up and become a solid number two or three guy this year. The junior was 38 th at the Midwest Meet of Champions and placed 40 th at the state meet. North also has some guys coming back from their JV and frosh/soph squads in junior Charlie Thayer, as well as Cameron Harper, David Tieike and Matt Burr. They had depth last year, which will help them greatly this season.

• Carmel – This team should believe that they are the best team in the state and one of the top three in the Midwest, because if history and statistics are any indicator they will be a team to keep an eye on for sure.

- Joel Shaw (Sr.) – Shaw has the potential to be one of the best in the Midwest this coming fall. He has a great coach that will get him ready to run with the best. Shaw did not run track this past season, but you can be ready that he will be hungry for some success on the grasses of Indiana.

- Tom Martin (Sr.) – He will be a solid number two or three guy. He was 56 th in the Indiana state meet in ’03 and will have to prove that he can be an all-state caliber runner if Carmel hopes to go after a NTN birth.

- Robbie Granger (Sr.) – He ran on Carmel’s very successful 4x8 team in the spring and hopefully will be able to use the momentum he gained from that and carry it over onto the rolling hills of Indiana.

- Ben Peterson (Sr.) and Will Peters (Jr.) – Peters was 39 th at the Midwest Meet of Champions last season. He is the best junior this team has and with some improvement could crack the top three. Peterson had a great fall last year as well, finishing 66 th at MMC, and will be counted on to lead their pack.

• Crown Point – This team could be very good, but they lack a front runner that most teams have. They will be led by a trio of seniors in, Michael Trybula, Ben Koch and Joel Koch.
• Hamilton Southeastern – They have maybe the best one-two punch in the state this coming fall. Justin Roeder (Jr.) and Jordan Kyle (Sr.) will lead the charge, as Southeastern returns five state experienced guys this season. Roeder ran under 4:20, while Kyle ran 9:22, both of whom peaked perfectly for the state track meet.
• Lawrence North – Their top dog Alvin Sangsuwangul (Sr.) ran 9:31 last year in the 3200m run and will be counted upon to lead this team that returns four of their top seven from ’03.

Illinois – York has been the dominant team in Illinois for decades, and this year they will continue the trend with one of their best teams ever (if not the best). Even though York should dominate every single race they are in (before NTN), there are other teams in Illinois that will put up a challenge and will make a bid for a NTN spot.

• York – They will dominate in Illinois even if they lose their top three guys. This may sound like a brash statement, but it is entirely true. That is how deep and talented this team is. Leading the York charge will be senior Sean McNamara, who ran nine-flat last year in the 3200m run and is considered the favorite to win the individual title this fall in Peoria. After McNamara the numbers show the teams worth. Juniors Brian Marchese, Matt Dettman and Eric Dettman will an awesome 2-4 unit. All three of these guys ran similar times to the likes of Don Sage as sophomores last season and will be looking to prove that their team is the real deal. They are hoping to be better than the York team of ’99 (led by Sage), which was the greatest team ever in Illinois. If they can get close to that then watch out.

- Sean McNamara (Sr.) – He is their leader hands down. He ran some outstanding times during track for a junior and many in Illinois predict he will do Sage/Withrow like things this fall.

- Brian Marchese (Jr.) – This super star ran 9:20 as a sophomore and continues to improve. He is hoping to lead a 1 thru 3 sweep for York in the top three spots at state.

- Matt Dettman (Jr.) – His track season was cut short, but before it ended Dettman ran under 9:30. If he had been able to finish out the season he probably would have put up similar times as Marchese in the 3200 and would have been under 4:20 in the 1600.

- Eric Dettman (Jr.) – He ran fast last spring, but not as fast as he would have liked. He performed well out at AOC’s, running in the 4:20’s.

- The best of the rest – There are numerous others that could crack York’s top five and top seven. At last count there were twelve harriers with the potential to snatch up a space on the varsity traveling squad. Seniors like Roger Billhardt, Jon Schroeder and Mike Arnold will all provide valuable leadership to the team, while junior David Montgomery may not even crack the top eight and he ran in the mid-9:30’s during track last spring.

• Palatine – A transfer from Pennsylvania will help this team be one of the best team in the Midwest assuming they can stay healthy. Palatine finished second last year in state behind York and has been hard at work all summer long preparing to see if they can take out the Dukes when it counts in November.

- Glenn Morris (Jr.) – The quiet leader of the pack. Morris ran some great times during the indoor season, but then came down with some leg problems. He has fully recovered and is getting back into his top form. He is a top three favorite for the state meet and assuming he stays healthy, will be one of the better juniors in the state and Midwest.

- James Mactanagay (Sr.) and John Lancaster (Sr.) – Both of these guys ran in the mid-to-low 4:20’s during the track season and will be counted on by their team for senior leadership. They are perhaps the best 2-3 punch in the state behind York’s guys. They are work horses.

- Steve Finley (Jr.) – The 9:24/4:20 transfer from Pennsylvania is the key to how far this team goes. He has the potential to run with Morris if you look solely at track results, but Palatine likes to get their guys strong and Finley was vastly under trained, so he has been hard at work upping his mileage and prepping for what is hopefully a great fall.

• Prospect – Is it honestly possible to go from not making the state cross country meet the year before to becoming one of the best teams in the Midwest by November? The Knights will prove whether this can be achieved or not over the course of this season. They have three or four guys who could be all-state in cross country this fall, including fall newcomer Jay Renaud (Sr.), who ran in the low 4:20’s this past season. Juniors Ryan Craven and Mike Murray will be team leaders as well.
• Waubonsie Valley – An 800 meter state champion will be leading this team to their success this season. Senior Durrell Williams won state in the open 800m this past spring and will be under looked all season long, but you can count that he will compete for a top five spot come state time. Juniors Brent Carius and Kevin Burns will help lead the pack that is incredibly deep and talented.

Michigan – Four teams that will duke it out for a top billing in this state, will also find themselves fighting for a NTN bid. The depth this year in Michigan is only going to raise the level of competition, and by the end of the year one or two of the top teams will be a force to reckon with.

• Dexter – They have a minute and a half split between their first and fifth returnee, but their young 4-5 guys really improved during track and after another strong summer could close the gap between themselves and the leaders.

- Tony Nalli (Jr.) – He is their leader and will be counted to contend with the top runners from any school this season. He had a good spring ( 9:30’s), but will have to step it up a notch if he wants to contend with the best guys around.

- Lex Williams (Sr.) – Had a very good spring, as he broke out with a 4:23 in the 1600m run. He might be their top guy this fall, which means he and Nalli will be a great 1-2 punch.

- T.J. LaRosa (Sr.) – He will be counted on his senior leadership on this young team.

- Ryan Neely (So.) and Dan Jackson (So.) – Last year these two youngsters were called upon to produce at the state meet as freshmen and they did not disappoint in the sixth and seventh spots. This year however, more expectations will be placed on them to be solid contributors to the top five.

• Milford – With Mike Anderson back and hopefully fully healthy, Milford will once again be the favorite to win Division I in Michigan. Anderson and Dana Pitcock will form perhaps the best 1-2 combo in the state, and perhaps one of the best in the Midwest. After those two though, they will need their younger guys and a few others to really step it up if they hope to maintain the success that they earned last season. They won the Midwest Meet of Champions last season over Columbus North by 41 points…if they do that again this year (win it all) they will have proved themselves to be a top three team in the Midwest.

- Mike Anderson (Sr.) – He ran 4:24 as a sophomore and was having a great fall in ’03 until he came down with a bout of mono that shut him down for the season. He bounced back well during track and with a healthy summer he should win the comeback of the year award in Michigan. He was ninth at Midwest Meet of Champions in ’03, which proves he can be just as successful on the grass as he can on the track.

- Dana Pitcock (Sr.) – He was the best number three man in the state last year, but this year he will be counted on to provide some much needed leadership after their top two guys graduated this past spring. He could surprise this fall and be one of the top three guys in the state, if his spring success carries over to the hilly terrain.

- John Kuzmich and Tim Wilkins – In order for Milford to be as successful as they were last year, the number 3-7 guys will have to really step up, and all of this starts with Kuzmich and Wilkins.

• Huron – Huron’s one-two punch is as good as anyone else’s in the state, but after that they have a few question marks that need to be addressed.

- Adam Daoud (Sr.) – He is the top returnee on the team from last season’s state meet. He finished up running 15:48 on the 5k course, and finishing in 33 rd place. He will have to push the top twelve if he hopes to lead his team to a victory.

- Evan Lisull (Jr.) – Lisull ran right by Daoud all season long, and finished up three seconds behind him at state and one spot back in 34 th. The young gun needs to make sure to stay up with Daoud and take out other teams top two guys as best they can.

- James Hamilton (Sr.) and Austin Riker (Sr.) – These two guys have been running close to each other for what seems like forever. They both will be expected to lead this team, and while they didn’t have the strongest track seasons out there, they will both be solid 3-4 guys for this team that could very well be top five in the Midwest when the season is over.

- Ryan Rudy (Sr.) and Hank Kennedy (Sr.) – These two guys and the rest of their JV and returning youngsters are going to have to step it up huge if they want to beat the likes of Milford at state in Div. I. They have their work cut out for them, but with a great summer they might just be able to pull off the upset.

Ohio – A down year in Ohio does not mean there will be no teams in the top ten rankings of the Midwest region. In fact, there should be three to five teams pushing for the top spot in the state assuming everyone can stay healthy and really turn it on when it counts.

• St. Xavier – They beat Middletown last year and proved they were one of the best team around, but this is a new year and new things will have to shown in order to maintain a top billing in the tough Midwest region. Between their top four this year there should only be about a minute gap, which is a good thing considering how well the King Bros. ran last fall and during outdoor track.

- Ricky King (Sr.) – Both Ricky and his twin brother ran excellent in track. They both ran in the mid-to-low 1:50’s in the 800m run, while guiding their great 4x8 to a 7:47 time at state. Ricky also ran 31 st at Midwest Meet of Champions.

- Randy King (Sr.) – He was 58 th at the Midwest Meet of Champions last season and finished up twentieth at state as well. He improved as the season wore on last fall and had a quality spring running the 3200m relay. With another summer of training hard and hopefully staying up with his brother this fall, they form a formidable top tandem.

- Brendan Ruberg (Sr.) – He is the strongest number three guy returning in the state. He finished 68 th at state in ’03, but in order for his team to be considered top five in the Midwest he will need to finish in the 30’s.

- Josh Pendl (Sr.) – Senior leadership dominates this team from top to bottom. Pendl will be the leader of their 4-7 guys when the most important meets roll around later in the season.

• Middletown – They had some depth last year and a legit front runner, but after a few of their top seven graduated, Middletown will have to wait to see how their younger guys produce this fall to determine how well they will do in Ohio and the Midwest. Jeff See is their team leader and should dominate nearly any race he is in. Having an All-American caliber runner is always a positive for sure, and while they may not seem that strong early on, they have the potential to be like a Columbus North (IN) of last year. They were third last year at the Midwest Meet of Champions. If they pull off that high of finish again it will be a surprise for sure.

- Jeff See (Sr.) – He could very well be the top distance runner in the Midwest this fall. People always like to hear about See and I have a feeling that the sophomore mile record holder will be showcasing his skills this fall as one of the premier CC guys in the nation. He ran 4:14 at state and has the strength to do some damage…how exactly do you beat this kid? The gap after See though could very well hurt the team, as the next closest teammate is on average over a minute behind.

- Alex Kerns (Jr.) – Ran 17:01 to earn 79 th place last season at the state cross country meet. He will need to cut that place in half and run thirty seconds faster if Middletown hopes to stay in the title chase.

- Paul Sautor (Jr.) – What goes for Kerns goes as well for Sautor. They need these two juniors to really come up big this year if they hope to win.

- Underclassmen – Middletown has a tradition of being a great school and always having young talent. This year will have to be no exception as they really need their youngest guys to step up to the plate to fill a few big roles that are left open, as four of their top seven graduated.

• Kings Mill – Senior Matt Winebar will lead this young squad to what they hope to be a top two finish this year at state. Behind Winebar, they return three juniors with some big meet experience, as well as a freshman. They will need to have all of those young-ins to run under 16:50 for the 5k if they hope to win state.
• Wooster – Eric Brenner (Jr.) leads the way for a team that returns three from last years third place squad. They will have to rely on some underclassmen to get them to the medal stand once again.
• Reynoldsburg – They have maybe the best chance to gain a top podium spot at the end of the fall. Juniors Joe Parker and Jeremy Trein lead their charge. Parker ran 9:25 at the state track meet, while Trein ran 4:21 at state. Both of these guys will be going after a top five spot at the state meet for sure. After those two, they have a few underclassmen that could have a big impact if they stay healthy.

Wisconsin – This state has its work cut out for it in order to get an invite to the national championships in December. Wisconsin is missing a powerhouse type of team, but there are plenty of teams willing to step into the limelight and go after the top spot. Madison West was a challenger last season, even being ranked, and will once again be a team to observe. Kenosha Tremper seems to be West’s biggest challenger, as they return six of their top seven off of last years fourth place team.

• Madison West - They did not win their state championship last season, but they had a top five that could have run with most around the Midwest. The ever important 1-5 split for this team should be around a minute.

- Eric Lewandowski (Sr.) – Will be the leader of this experienced team this season. He has been a top runner for a couple years now and will be counted on to be able to run with most other teams’ top runners. He had a quality track season, mostly running on West’s 3200m relay team. He was 23 rd at state last season, but should be much improved and a potential top ten kid this year.

- Andy Han (Sr.) – Had a great track season, where he made state and ran in the 9:40’s. He was 31 st in ’03 at state CC, but this year a top fifteen finish is not out of the question.

- Robert Joynt (Sr.) – He had a quiet spring campaign, but is basically in the same league as Han. Han and Joynt should form a dominant 2-3, one that very few teams in Wisconsin can break up.

- David Yu (Sr.) and Ben Swimm (Sr.) – Odds are it will come down to these guys at the state meet. Both of them have some much needed state experience, but in order for West to be the top team and a top ten team in the Midwest these two will have to really improve this fall and prove that they are one of the best 4-5 combos out there.

• Kenosha Tremper – Returning six of your top seven off of a ’03 fourth place team almost guarantees success in ’04! They did not have the most successful track season of all the top teams in Wisconsin, but nonetheless they are going to be strong and have depth, which is always a winning combination. With all of the guys they return this year they should have about a half minutes split between 1-6.

- Matt Dreifke (Jr.) – He will be their leader. He was 57 th at state last year, but will need to finish much higher if they hope to be a true contender this season.

- A.J. Allemand (Jr.) – Allemand finished a spot behind Dreifke at state last fall in 58 th, and while his spring track season was nothing to write home about, he should improve quite a bit after a strong summer of training.

- Eric LaMothe (Sr.) – The lone senior in their top three. He will be counted on to get closer to the top two guys as well as using his experience to tutor the young distance runners on the team.

- Casey Carney (Sr.) – There are questions to if this talent will even run this year, but regardless this team will have a great top five.

- Sam Simozich (Jr.) and Mathias Werve (So.) – Youth is served as these two guys and a few other youngsters duke it out for the last few varsity spots.

Summary of the Midwest Region boys:

• As with every year, there will be teams that come out of the woodwork and really surprise everyone, even the experts. There are teams left off this list like New London (WI) and Glenbard South (IL) who have the fire power up front, but lack the depth to really be considered a top ten team in the Midwest. Cross country is not about the top few guys up front, but rather the team as a whole. Most of the teams mentioned above have a great top two or three, but need their 4-7 guys to really come up big. The best teams always seem to have this happen, as they win their state meets because their depth paid off.

• York looks like the hands down winner this fall. Teams like Dexter, Milford, Columbus North, Carmel, Palatine and St. Xavier all look like they could be true contenders if they stay healthy and race hard. The Midwest is tough every year, and this year is no exception.

Girls

Every year the Midwestern girls are strong and tough. Blame it on the weather, or just the heartland mentality, I don’t know what it is.

Indiana – Valparaiso dominated in ’03. They were led by a Footlocker finalist, had great depth and showed that they were one of the top five teams in the nation (finished fourth in the Harrier rankings). This year however, Valpo lost their top number one and three girls to graduation, and they don’t have the fire-power up front that they have had in years past. This opens up a gap to where four teams will be going after the state championship and with all this competition could vault one of them into a spot in Oregon come December.

• Northridge – They return their top six girls off of last year’s fourth place squad. With the success that they had on the track, they should be making a run at the state championship this fall. They have some great leaders up front, and even though they have no senior leadership in their top six, they are an experienced bunch that should be hungry for gold.

- Megan Jackson (Jr.) – Jackson really came into her own during her sophomore year. She was eight at state in cross, and then ran 5:01 and 2:18 during the state track meet. She could very well be the top girl in the state this fall. She will have to be the leader of this team if they hope to win it all.

- Aimee Gingerich (So.) – She did not run track, but based on her talent and the success some of the other girls had, Gingerich should have been around an eleven minutes 3200m runner last spring. She was seventeenth in ’03, and should push top ten this season.

- Jessie LaFree (So.) and Stephanie Swendsen (Jr.) – Both of these girls had great track seasons. Swendsen ran 11:24 at state in the 3200m run, while LaFree ran 11:38 and 5:19 at state. They are going to be very, very solid 3-4 girls.

- Jamie Kruis (Jr.) and Vanessa Lantzer (Jr.) – They both will be leading the charge for making the travel squad. They both have state experience from last season, and should be hungry to go after a top spot this year after just missing the trophy stand last season.

• Valparaiso – All this squad knows is how to win. Last year was an amazing year for Valpo. They easily won state and had their top five girls in the top 45 spots at state. This year is a bit different, as they will have to replace a few very important runners. That being said, they will still contend for a state title and a top five ranking in the Midwest.

- Lauren Hardesty (So.) – She was the top freshman in the state last fall, finishing twelfth. She has a great spring as well this past school year as she ran 5:18 after leading their 3200m relay squad to an all-state finish. She will be the leader of their team this fall.

- Amanda Hardesty (So.) – Lauren’s twin will be looking to close the gap between her and her sister this time around. Amanda was 30 th at the state meet in ’03.

- Erica Johnson (Sr.) – She will be counted on to lead her younger teammates.

- Lisa Floran (Sr.) and Andrea Kent (Jr.) – They both will need to step it up big if they hope to compete with Chesterton and Northridge for the state title.

• Chesterton – They lose their top girl to graduation from last year’s runner-up team, but return numbers 2-6. Their top two girls may be the best top two in the state this fall, which will help them out tremendously. They will need their number five girl though to step up big if they hope to win the state championship.

- Mary Ballinger (Jr.) – She was eleventh at the state meet last fall, but should be a top five candidate this season. She had a quality spring campaign, running 10:55 at the state meet.

- Sarah Kehe (Jr.) – She was their mid-distance leader during the track season. She ran 5:10 and led their 4x8 squad to the state championship running 9:09. She was 20 th at state in ’03, and should be fighting for a top ten spot this season.

- Kelly Peller (Jr.) – She was also a member of the victorious 3200m relay squad this past spring. She should be looking for a top twenty finish at state this fall and hopefully beating out every other teams number three girl.

- Tess Mullin (Jr.), Katie Talbert (So.) and Ali Bishel (Jr.) – These three girls will need to pack it up big this season and really step it up in their big meets. In order for Chesterton to win state they all need to finish in the top 75.

• Indianapolis Cathedral – This team does not have the power up front like most teams do, but they do have an incredible pack that runs closer than nearly any team out there. They return their entire top seven from ’03, where they finished sixth, and had some success on the track this past spring. They will be led by senior Taylor Stauffer, junior Ashley Casavant (ran 11:30 in the 3200) and sophomore Kelly O’Hara ( 11:22 in the 3200). If they all can improve ten spots on their ’03 finish, then IC has a great shot to win the state championship.

Illinois – For some reason Illinois girls have never been able to match the team success that the Illinois boys have had over the past decade or so. Well, this year the Illinois girls teams will be just as solid, if not better, than on the boys side. This being said, Naperville North and Palatine are the cream of the crop in Illinois this fall, and if all goes well, should be in the running to get an invitation to NTN. Both squads return a handful of great athletes and each have three or four potential top 15 girls. Both teams don’t meet until the state meet, which should make their race in November even more of an event.

• Naperville North – Last year they lost state, taking third, a mere eight points behind state champ Barrington. Barrington finished up the fall being ranked 15 th nationally in the harrier. North lost their top girl, Lisa Bonistalli, to graduation, but got a transfer from Iowa in return. A solid track season, followed by a great summer of training, should push this team into the Midwest elite this year and assuming they stay injury free, they should make a strong push to make NTN.

- Shannon Phelan (Jr.) – She is going to be the leader this season. She had a great spring, running 2:17/ 5:12. She keeps on improving each season and should once again make a bid for top ten in the state.

- Maggie DeBerge (So.) – She blasted onto the scene last fall finishing in the top ten at the state meet. She ran 11:21 during outdoor and should be pressing to make top ten once again.

- Bekah Regenfuss (Jr.) – The transfer from Iowa this past spring, really came out of her shell and ran 5:18 during outdoors and was part of North’s fourth place relay squad at state (9:24).

- Cindy Wu (So.) – She will be counted on to get all-state this year and hopefully drag a few other youngsters with her to run some great times. She is just another young gun on this team, that won’t have the senior leadership they had last season, but will still be the pre-state favorites all season assuming they stay healthy.

• Palatine – Losing state last fall by four points should be on this teams mind all season long. Palatine is the most successful program in the state of Illinois over the past decade, and should be a powerhouse in the state once again as they return many of their top seven harriers from last fall, including the state 3200m champion.

- Amy Laskowske (Jr.) – The defending state champion in the 3200m run will have to prove that she can carry her success over to the fields of Illinois cross country. She will be a favorite this fall to win the Illinois state individual crown, and will have to lead her team to a state championship if they hope to earn a birth to NTN. She ran 10:42/5:04 during the season.

- Carly Bates (Jr.) – If she can stay injury free during the fall she should push top ten. She ran 2:16/ 5:22 during track.

- Katie O’Brien (Sr.) – She will be their number two or three girl this fall. She had a good spring track season, as she ran 11:24. She will be counted on to hopefully earn a top ten spot at state.

- The best of the rest – Palatine always has a deep team, which is a great thing. This year will be no different as they have at least six or seven other girls who will be competing for a top seven spot. Girls like Magy Hoyer (Sr.) and a few others will also have some state experience to thrive off of. Palatine will give Naperville North a run for their money.

Michigan – Clarkston can not be beat, unless maybe their top six runners all get hurt. They are the cream of the crop in the Midwest and should contend for the national title in December. After them there are four teams that will be going after the number two spot in the state, which should mean that they are also a top ten team in the Midwest.

• Clarkston – This team is hands-down the best team in the Midwest. They may be the best team depth wise in the nation. Looking solely at track statistics, Clarkston has eight girls returning that all went 5:20 and under. Not only that but they add Ohio state champion Jenny Morgan, who blazed 4:53 in the 1600m and then came back with a 10:49 in the 3200m at her state meet. Nine girls, most of whom could be number one at almost any school in the nation, will be fighting it out for a top seven spot.

- Jenny Morgan (Jr.) – The transfer from Ohio will automatically step in and be their number one girl this fall. Morgan proved she is one of the best in the nation as she ran 4:53/10:49 on the same day at her state meet. She will be looking not only to lead her team to NTN, but also earning a spot on the Midwest Footlocker squad. The future already looked bright for Clarkston, but now it just looks ridiculous.

- Elle Kuhte (So.) and Jenna Leach (So.) – These two are a lethal combination. Kuhte didn’t crack the top seven during the fall season, but came up huge in track running 11:17/ 5:11 and being their best performer in both events. Leach was the fifth finisher at state cross in ’03, then came back during track and ran 5:20/ 11:40 and performed well in the big meets. Both will be looking for a top five spot this season.

- Lyndsay Smith (Jr.), Beth Hoekstra (Jr.) and Liz Sickman (Jr.) – The juniors all stepped it up during track and showed that they are one of the best trios in their grade in the Midwest. Smith led the team at last year’s state championships, finishing in ninth place. She ran 2:21/ 5:13 on the track during the spring. Hoekstra was the seventh girl on the team last season, but after a solid spring (running 5:14), she should be looking for a higher place on the squad. Sickman didn’t even make the varsity seven last fall. She did however run 5:18 on the track this spring, marking a significant improvement.

- Gillian Nordquist (Sr.), Liz Mengyan (Sr.) and Anne Oltman (Sr.) – The seniors will all be fighting it out for a spot on the traveling squad. Oltman ran 5:17/ 11:37, Nordquist ran 11:32 and Mengyan ran 2:15/ 5:17. All three of them were in the top seven last season, and with another summer of building their base they should all finish well under the nineteen minute 5k mark, that will most likely place them in the top thirty at state.

• East Grand Rapids – They won their division last year by forty points, and would have placed at least second, if not first, in Division I, beating Rockford and being competitive with Clarkston. Even though they did not graduate many key players, they still have their work cut out for them to earn a top five ranking in the Midwest. Their track season was nothing to write home about, as standout Laura Malnor was the only one who qualified for state, but they will still be strong and have numbers on their side.

- Laura Malnor (Sr.) – She ran the fastest time in the state meet last fall, running 17:54 to take home the Division II individual championship and help her team to the gold. She had a good spring, capped off with an 11:01 at state, and with another summer of training should be the top girl in the state once again.

- Nikki Brown (So.) – Brown had a lot of success last fall, as she finished in the top ten at state as a freshman. This year expectations will be higher for her, as she will need to take home a top five spot. EGR is a great team, especially with Malnor and Brown leading the charge.

- The best of the rest – They return the majority of their top seven. Even though they lose their number three girl, they still have one of the best top fives in the state regardless of division. They do however need their 3-7 to come up big for them this year if they hope to be in the top five in the Midwest rankings.

• Goodrich – They are the best team in Division III. They return a powerful top three, led by the sophomore O’Mara twins, Kayla and Kaitlin. Kayla finished second in the DIII state meet last year, and will be looking to win the state race after having a successful spring running 11:26 and 5:09 at state. Kaitlin was no slouch on the track either, as she ran 11:29. Janee Jones (Sr.) will help back up the twins up front. They should once again have three girls push for top ten at state, while running under nineteen minutes in the 5k as well.
• Rockford – They always seem to be great. Year in and year out the Rockford squads are nationally elite. However, this year is more of a question mark than in years past. This is due to the graduation of Nicole Bohnsack, who has been a staple up front during her four years in high school. Even without Bohnsack, they return last year’s state champ in sophomore Rachel Wittum. After Wittum it is wide open for who exactly will make the top seven. Brittnie Dixon (So.) is a good bet after she ran 5:27, while a handful of other girls will be pushing for top five. Rockford won’t be the powerhouse that they have been in the past, but they will still be strong.
• Milford – The majority of their top girls are coming back. Even though they lose their first and third girl from last year’s state meet, they still return athletes like Megan Jambeck (Sr.), who was their second runners last year and Mallory Farnum (Sr.), who was their fourth runner last year and ran 5:14 in track. They won’t have the same depth as last year, and won’t have a frontrunner at state like Lisa Canty, but they will still be a top three team in Division One and should contend for a top ten ranking in the Midwest.

Ohio – Ohio has been known to produce some talent over the years, but not a ton of it. This year all of that could change as Bowling Green has become a powerhouse in cross country and a handful of other teams have become very good as well. Bowling Green will be the team to beat all season long, and unless some team got a trio of super freshmen, BG will not be beat. Cincinnati holds the next four best teams in their borders, as Colerain, Turpin, Ursuline Academy and Ursula Academy all are Ohio greats this season. With the four teams all within one city, this should create some great match-ups to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

• Bowling Green – Bowling Green dominated the state last year, winning the state meet by over sixty points. This year looks even brighter as they return their top seven and their top girl has turned into perhaps the top runner in the state. They will win the Ohio state meet again, even if they lose their top two girls. As of right now, they are the number two team in the Midwest hands down. What makes them even more tough is that their 2-6 split at last year’s state meet was a mere thirteen seconds, which is maybe the best split between all the top teams in the land.

- Christy Titus (So.) – As only a frosh she ran 10:54 and finished ninth at the state meet in CC. She is a year stronger and year more knowledgeable, which should lead to an improved finish this fall.

- Barbara Powers (So.) and Alyssa Glenn (So.) – They ran together all fall, and finished with the same time at the state meet. They were running thirty seconds behind Titus in most meets. If they can close that gap to even twenty seconds they will be a team to reckon with.

- Paige Lane (Jr.) – She ran 19:19 at state last fall, finishing only four seconds behind Powers and Glenn. She should be able to stay with them for most races, which will be essential if they get an invite to Portland.

- Kelly May (Sr.) and Andrea Pereira De Almei (Jr.) – They are the two most important girls on the team. They will push each other to make the number five spot a great positive.

• Cincinnati Colerain – With a great tandem up front, Colerain should be the second best team in the state. They return all of their girls off of last year’s second place team and had some success during the track season that should propel them to second place once again.

- Brittany Detzel (Sr.) and Erin Ragouzis (So.) – Detzel finished third last year at the state cross country meet, and should be a top three favorite once again. During track she ran 2:20 at the state meet and led her team to a decent 4x8 time of 9:33. Ragouzis improved greatly during track, and this fall should be running right up with Detzel if all goes as planned. She ran 5:15 during track and was on the 4x8 team as well.

- Mandi McCullah (So.) and Meggie Schmidt (Sr.) – McCullah was the third frosh in their talented trio last fall. She did not have a stellar spring, but training with Schmidt should propel her to some better times this fall.

- The best of the rest – After these top four girls, they have a lot of youth, including two juniors and a sophomore that made the top seven last fall. Their split from 2-6 last year was less than a minute and should be that way again.

- Cincinnati Turpin - They return five runners off of their fourth place squad of ’03. They lost their top girl Carolyn Rauen to graduation, but their 2-6 returnees are all very solid. They will need their number five runner this year to step up big, as she is around a half minutes back from their fourth runner.

- Cincinnati Ursuline Academy – They return their top four from their fifth place squad and should have a great pack up front, with a 1-4 split of less than fifty seconds. However, they are in desperate need of a solid fifth girl to step up and produce. Jessica Davlin (Sr.) and Theresa Ross (Sr.) will lead the charge. Davlin ran 2:13 during the track season in the open 800.

- Cincinnati St. Ursula Academy – They return their top seven and are the favorites to take the third spot at state this year after BG and Colerain. They will be led by juniors Ainsley Schroeder and Emily Shaw.

Wisconsin – Just like the boys, the women of Wisconsin are not nearly as strong as they have been some years. However, this does not mean they won’t have teams competing for a top ten ranking in the Midwest. The top two teams are Stevens Point and Eau Claire Memorial. Stevens Point won their state meet last year by thirty-seven points and returns everyone from that squad. They are the clear cut favorites to win the state title. If they falter though, you can count on Memorial to pick up the pieces and run with it. They are a much improved team from the team that took third last fall. With the majority of their top runners back, they will make a run at being tops in the state as well.

• Stevens Point – They may not have the superstar up front like some teams, but they have an insane 1-5 that will win state as long as they all stay healthy. Last season at their state meet SP’s 1-5 split was twenty-seven seconds, while their 2-5 split was a mere six seconds. SP needs to be careful though because after their top five they really drop off in time, which could hurt them in the long run.

- Emma Tauchman (Sr.) – She was eleventh at cross country state in ’03 and will have to equal that if she hopes to lead her team to another victory. She ran only 11:46 on the track, but this team is built off of strength.

- Kara Tauchman (Sr.) – She is the leader of the pack.

- Kelly Shaw (Jr.), Zoe Browne (Sr.), and Jenny Groshek (Jr.) – These three were only 1.3 seconds apart last fall at state. If they all improve and can do that again then they will create a dominant pack that few, if any, teams can match in Wisconsin.

- The Youngsters – Stevens Point always has a few kids in the wings. They have tradition on their side, which helps with getting kids to come out for the team. You can be certain that they will have at least a handful of harriers ready to fill the 6-7 spots when they are needed most.

• Eau Claire Memorial – They return a slew of girls off of last year’s third place team. The problem with Memorial is that their split is way too big. Last year their 1-5 split was 1:11. If they hope to contend with Stevens Point this year they need to get that split to within forty-five seconds. They will be tough though regardless, especially since their 1-2 combo up front is the best in the state.

- Carie Steil (Sr.) – Had a very solid track season, as she ran 11:16 and 5:14 at the state track meet. She should lead the team this season and provide some excellent leadership.

- Katie Bethke (So.) – Her name does not show up in any track results, but even if she did not run track, she still is the top returnee for this team and a definite top five threat at state.

- Ariella Gottfried (Sr.) – She was their number three girl last season. She finished four seconds behind Stevens Point’s pack. In order for Memorial to win, Gottfried will have to break up SP’s 3-5.

- Beth Lutz (Sr.) and Ellie Lutz (12) – They improved quite a bit on the track, and while their marks weren’t outstanding, they both turned in sub-12:30 times in the 3200m run, which should give them confidence to run with SP’s 4-5 girls this season.

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