By Randy Whalen

Maddie King is back.

The Joliet Central senior has been having an outstanding cross country season. Now she's back where she wants to be, at the Illinois High School Association State Finals. 

King had a tremendous race this past Saturday, November 1, as she placed second at the Class 3A Normal Community Sectional at Maxwell Park in Normal. 

"I did pretty well at the sectional, I did better than I thought I would," King said. "I knew I was able to qualify, I just didn't expect to get second place. I went out with a good plan and stuck to it."

Yes, she did, and beat out some runners who had raced past her in the regional the previous week. 

At the sectional, Plainfield North junior Marlie Czarniewski was the runaway winner with a time of 17 minutes: 25.19 seconds. King (17:46.22) placed second, Minooka junior Natalie Nahs (17:48.61), Lincoln-Way Central junior Mia Forystek (17:51.84), Plainfield North senior Tessa Russo (17:52.32), and Lincoln-Way Central junior Brea Counihan (17:52.58) were the Top 6 runners.

With 5 of the top 24 runners, Lincoln-Way Central (59 points) was the sectional champion for the first time since 1995. Plainfield North (71), Minooka (81), Edwardsville (90), Yorkville (154), O'Fallon (175), and Lincoln-Way East (203) were the seven teams that advanced to the Class 3A State Finals. In addition to the advancing teams, the top 10 runners not on those teams in each sectional also qualify for the state meet. King was the first of those. 

Pekin (247), Oswego (302), Oswego East (306), Andrew (318), Lincoln-Way West (365), Quincy (368), Normal Community (374), Lockport Township (395), Plainfield South (435), Homewood-Flossmoor (439), and Champaign Central (556) rounded out the 18-team field.

"We are very proud of Maddie for her outstanding race on Saturday," Joliet Central girls' cross country coach Kelly Halusek said. "She had a plan and stuck to it. We are looking forward to a strong race this Saturday in Peoria."

The IHSA State Finals are this Saturday, November 8, at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

Last fall, she competed at the state cross country meet and placed 29th with a PR time of 17:34.1, just missing a Top 25 medal. So she's aiming to get that this coming Saturday.

"At state, I expect to place well, PR, and have a good time," King said. "It will be my last high school cross country race."

The week before, King placed third overall on Saturday, October 25, in the Class 3A Lincoln-Way Central Regional, which was held at Mokena Main Park.

While she moved on, King was not happy with how she ran. 

"I started really well and I led after a mile," she said. "But the second time around, I tired out. I was hoping for a PR (in the regional), but I didn't get it. I didn't run the course until (Friday, October 24). It was a nice course. I liked the course, but I didn't like running it."

King was the only senior who was in the Top 10 at the regional. The Top 5 runners were Forystek, winning with a time of 17 minutes: 53.80 seconds. Her Lincoln-Way Central teammate, Counihan (17:58.90) was second, followed by King (18:01.00), Nahs (18:07.10), and Lincoln-Way East freshman Aubrey Clark Frankfort (18:18.70).

"She just missed second," Halusek said. "She went out too fast, but that's OK, we have our eyes on the goal of (this week) in the sectional and then state.

"Maddie has had an awesome year. She works very hard and is a kind human being. We have a great group of girls, and we are very lucky."

With the Top 2 runners, Lincoln-Way Central (38) won the regional. Minooka (42), Lincoln-Way East (64), Plainfield South (140), Lincoln-Way West (163), and Homewood-Flossmoor (178) were the six advancing teams to the sectional. Joliet West (209), Joliet Central (215) was eighth, followed by Bradley-Bourbonnais (269), Peoria Richwoods (292), Rich Township (323), Bloom Township (340), and Thornton Fractional South (381) rounded out the 13-team field. 

Of course, King (18:01.00) led the Steelmen, but they turned in four PRs in their final race as a team. Sophomore Yoselin Aguilera (45th, 21:17.40), senior Jessenia Chavez (48th, 21:23.10), junior Nancy Arias (PR, 56th, 22:03.00), sophomore Kaory Montanez Cardona (PR, 63rd, 23:07.20), junior Paola Duran Joliet (PR, 64th, 23:27.90), freshman Monserrat Diaz Cisneros (PR, 66th, 23:54.40), and freshman Evelynn Lannan was registered but did not start for Joliet Central.

I still have sectional and state," King said following the regional. "My goal is to make it to state and get a medal and a PR there."

Unfortunately, the Joliet Central boys fell short in advancing someone as an individual to the sectional. 

The Steelmen were set back when junior Nathaniel Gabriel missed this season with a stress fracture in his leg. 

He will look to rebound this coming spring. Gabriel placed 10th in the 800-meter run at the Class 3A Track and Field State Finals this past spring. That was coming off a 3A cross country season where he placed in the top 26 percent, finishing 61st overall in a PR time of 14:56.80 last fall.

"Nathaniel had a tough summer and fall with a lot of setbacks," Joliet Central boys cross country coach Doug Cherry said. "There is a lot of work to be done between now and then, and we are hoping he can get healthy for the spring."

It didn't help in the regional that junior Emmanuel Ramos was scratched from the lineup with a hamstring injury following a run out just before the start of the race. 

So the Steelmen only had six runners in the race, but five of them registered PR times.

Freshman Valentin Conejo led Joliet Central with a PR time of 16:47.80 to place 42nd overall. Sophomore  Kevin Quintero (PR, 50th, 17:05.50), senior Erick Ortiz (51st, 17:07.80), freshman Jose Perez (PR, 52nd, 17:11.60), junior Ronaldo Sarabia (PR, 54th, 17:14.30), and junior Isaiah Scott (PR, 68th, 18:06.80)  rounded out the Steelmen lineup.

Led by senior Bryce Counihan, who was the individual winner with a time of 14:54.60, Lincoln-Way Central was the team champion with 40 points. Plainfield South (60), Minooka (110), Lincoln-Way East (112), Lincoln-Way West (121), and Joliet West (137) were the six teams that advanced to the Normal Community Sectional.

Bradley-Bourbonnais (141), Joliet Central (249), Peoria Richwoods (260), Bloom Township (303), Thornton Fractional South (324), Homewood-Flossmoor (330), and Rich Township (409) completed the 13-team field.

"We actually ran really well," said Cherry, who plans to return as coach next season. "We just had one senior (Erick Oritiz) in our regional lineup. We asked the guys to improve, and that's what we did. We had two freshmen and a sophomore move up to the varsity, and those guys did well. We had a lot of growth."