By Michael Newman

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There were many different approaches that coaches take heading into the final four weeks of the season. In some of the meets this weekend, the competitions were used to give a chance for runners to experience a varsity race while their top runners rested. There were some teams and individuals used the races as tune-ups for the state series.

There were some “tune-ups” that were more than that. Here are some of the highlights from the meets that took place on Saturday:

Metamora Runnin’ Red Invitational

When any Girls runner breaks 17 on a cross country course, it demands to be looked at. The run that Maryjeanne Gilbert (Notre Dame HS, Peoria HS) had in the Girls Varsity race at Black Partridge Park was just simply amazing. Maybe not with the way that Gilbert has been running this year.

The junior pulled away from Kelly O’Brien (Palatine HS) near the mile mark. She went on to run 16:09 to set a new course and meet record on the 2.94 mile layout. How much did she smash the record? The old record was 16:45 set in 2006 by Carthage’s Katelyn Bastert who was a Class A state champion. She was running near a 5:30 pace on this course similar to what she has been running during the year. To do it on a challenging course like Black Partridge made some head turns. The question that is out there right now is whether the state record that Madeline Perez set in 2012 will be broken at Detweiller?

“If the weather is right she can do it,” said Palatine Girls Coach Joe Parks. “One if the most impressive runs I've ever seen.”

“If she runs like she did today at state, probably breaks 16,” Dunlap Coach Chris Friedman said. “She wasn't pushed after the first mile.”

3A #4 Palatine rested their seniors as they will run in the North Side / South Side Challenge Sunday Morning. The all underclassmen lineup put runners in the first seven to easily win the team championship with 34 points. Kelly O’Brien led the way with a second place finish. 2A #5 Dunlap finished second with 92 points. 1A #2 St. Teresa placed three runners in the first twenty to get third with 115 points.

2A #2 Mahomet-Seymour won the Boys team championship paced by the 1-3 finish by Alex Keeble and William Wolf. Keeble won the race in 14:51 nine seconds ahead of Jake Gillum. It was a close team battle as the Bulldogs held off host Metamora 50-68. 2A #8 Springfield finished third with 101 points.

Sterling Invitational

Zach Dale (Conant HS, Hoffman Estates) pulled away from Peter Johnsrud (Oswego HS) just after the first mile and cruised to an easy win in the Boys Varsity Race. Dale’s time of 14:55 was 23 seconds ahead of that by Johnsrud. His second place finish led 3A #24 Oswego to a 54 second five runner split and a narrow win 67-70 ahead of Pleasant Valley IA. Conant finished third with 77 points.

For the second race in a row, Minooka swept the top three places in a meet. Ashley Tutt pulled away from teammates Mackenzie Callahan and Emily Shelton after the first mile and went on to win the race by 21 seconds (17:38) ahead of Callahan. It was the pack of 3A #14 Schaumburg that was the talk of the Girls team race. Ellie O’Connell, Caroline Kurdej, Lauren Kubinski, and Valerie Schackelton placed 8 to 11 to lead the Saxons to a 25 second split and 55 points to win the team championship. #8 Minooka finished second with 67 points. Schaumburg’s MSL conference rival #7 Hoffman Estates placed third with 74 points.

Wheeling Invitational

Lake Zurich was ranked 25^th two weeks ago even though they had not put their entire team on the same course. The Bears showed what they had Saturday morning at the Allstate Conference Course in Northbrook winning the team title 81-82 over #5 New Trier. Matt Periera (Lake Zurich HS) pulled away from Keagan Smith (Huntley HS) in the final mile to win the individual championship running a fast 15:01. Smith was eight seconds back with Henry Mierzwa (Maine South HS, Park Ridge) placing third. Lake Zurich had a strong 41 second split on their first five.

It was close in the Girls team race also as #13 Barrington held of #22 Libertyville 69-70. The key to the race was when the Barrington duo of Lauren Conroy and Jocelyn Long passed Libertyville’s Melissa Manetsch in the final stages of the race to secure the win for the Fillies. Conroy won the race (17:56) three seconds of her teammate Long. Manetsch finished fourth. She was passed in the final stretch by Kortney Schacht who finished one second ahead.

West Aurora Stampede

This was one of the meets that many of the top runners were rested for the upcoming meets. Yorkville rested their top three boys including Jake and Luke Hoffert and their Girls top five led by Skyler Bollinger. The story here was the new course that West Aurora debuted at the Stuart Sports Complex in Montgomery. It proved to be a fast track for those who stepped to the line.

Gabby Juarez (Streamwood HS) pulled away from Kate Escobar (Fremd HS, Palatine) just before the two mile point. Juarez went on to run 17:32 to win seventeen seconds ahead of Emily Martin (Rosary HS, Aurora). Finishing in third close to Martin was Anastasia Bernat (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville). She led the #24 Wildcats to the team championship with 79 points. Glenbard East was second with 104 points. Yorkville showed their depth finishing third with basically their JV squad running. Freshman Maggie Klemm led the way for the Foxes with a sixth place finish.

Kyle Cepeda (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS) demonstrated how fast this Stuart Complex layout was. The senior broke away from the pack just after the mile to cruise to the win with a swift 14:45. Connor McCue (West Aurora HS) was twenty-seven seconds back in second (15:11). Oswego East won the team championship led by the 4-5 finish by Turner Kelly and Ryan Fluke. The Wolves scored 82 points only five ahead of Wheaton-Warrenville South.

Jimmy Daniels Olympian Run @ Rich Central

2A #7 Lemont placed six runners in the first nine to easily win the Girls team championship with 23 points. Marist, led by the individual win by Mary Claire Leonard, placed second with 48 points. Leonard’s time of 17:54 was nearly 47 seconds ahead of freshman Beata Drozda (Lemont HS).

Luis Garcia (Oak Lawn HS) won the Boys Varsity race outkicking Diamonte Ugebesia (Rich East HS, Park Forest) to win by three seconds (15:45 – 15:48). Lincoln-Way West edged Oak Lawn for the team championship 68-71.

Joe Fedinec Invitational @ Benet Academy

Host Benet Academy won the Girls team championship with 36 points placing five runners in the first twelve. Claire McCabe (Benet Academy HS, Lisle) edged Kyleigh Spearing (St. Ignatius Prep, Chicago) for the individual win by one second (18:13 – 18:14). Wheaton North placed four runners in the first seven to win the Boys Varsity championship 37-57 ahead of host Benet Academy. Ben Walczak (Lincoln-Way East HS) won the individual race (15:47) by eight seconds ahead of Matt Beckman (North HS, Wheaton).

Prairie Central Invitational @ Fairbury

1A #1 Urbana University tuned up for the upcoming state series placing five runners in the first eleven to win the Girls team championship with 32 points. #7 Eureka finished second with 49 points followed by #16 Shelbyville (75 points). Arielle Summitt (University HS, Urbana) won the individual race (17:51) fourteen seconds ahead of teammate Annemarie Michael.

It was a two man race in the Boys Varsity race. Marcus Skinner (Shelbyville HS) won the individual race (15:33) five seconds ahead of Tyler Johnson (Pleasant Plains HS). #13 Pleasant Plains surprised #7 Shelbyville 49-55 placing four runners in the first thirteen.

Toledo Cumberland Invitational

Anna Sophia Keller (St. Anthony HS, Effingham) remained undefeated this season winning the Girls Varsity race (17:27) close to 100 seconds ahead of Nicole Bagwell (Unity HS, Tolono). #3 St. Joseph-Ogden, led by the fourth place finish by Abby Fisher, placed five runners in the first nine to win the team championship with 30 points. #9 Tolono Unity placed second with 57 points.

Eric Ponder (Tuscola HS) won the Boys individual race (15:44) by fifteen seconds ahead of Andrew Warnes (Unity HS, Tolono). Unity dominated the Boys team race placing five in the first eight, running a 37 second five runner split, and scoring only 20 points. #9 St. Joseph-Ogden finished second with 45 points.

Liberty Invitational

Quincy swept both team titles. The Girls Varsity 75 points and were 10 ahead of second place St. Dominic MO. Carly Garnett (Illini West HS, Carthage) won the individual race (19:00) by one minute ahead of teammate Mariah Brodie. Quincy’s Boys team placed three runners in the first seven to win the title 50-68 ahead of 1A #20 Monmouth-Roseville 50-68. Nathan Ault (Monmouth-Roseville HS) ran 16:15 for the win by 26 seconds ahead of Quincy’s Brendan Kroeger.