By Michael Newman

DyeStat IL Editor

[email protected]

It seems like every year that the Naperville Twilight Meet continues to get better and better. In the second year that this meet is being contested on the campus of Naperville North High School, this could be the best of this meet’s series yet. The state’s top 3A teams will lead loaded fields.

The Girls Varsity race is loaded with five of the top six 3A teams in the field. The Boys Varsity race is nothing to sneeze about as three of the top seven schools in 3A are ready to race. Both Varsity races will have great individual fields with some of the top runners in the state eager to toe the line.

Here is a look at each of the Varsity races that will take place Wednesday evening. The meet starts at 5:30 PM with the Frosh / Soph Girls race. You can find more information about the meet here.

2015 Results

Girls Varsity Race – 7:30 PM

Teams Entered - #1 Glenbard West, #2 Yorkville, #3 Naperville North, #4 Minooka, #6 Wheaton-Warrenville South, #11 Metea Valley, #13 Hinsdale Central, #14 Neuqua Valley, #22 Naperville Central, Waubonsie Valley.

Course Record – Judy Pendergast, Naperville North – 16:15.2 – 2015

Preview – How loaded is this ten team field? None of the teams are ranked in the DyeStat Illinois 3A Girls Top 25. Out of those nine teams, the top four teams in the state will toe the line. If you want to call it a state meet preview, you would not be wrong with that statement when it comes to the teams. There is no team favorite in this race. That is how close this could be. In early looks. Only six points could separate the top four teams. That is how close this race could be.

#1 Glenbard West has been the top ranked team ever since they opened their season with a win at the Hornet-Red-Devil Invitational on September 3. They have the power up front with Lindsey Payne and Katelynne Hart possibly going 1-2 in this race. Katie Hohe has been close to her teammates this year and should be in the top ten in this race. She was 42 seconds behind Hart and Payne at the Richard Spring Invitational more than two weeks ago. The team’s top five split has been between 90 to 95 seconds all year. An 85 second split on that five could get them the team championship.

#2 Yorkville ran an impressive race crushing a deep field at the Palatine Invitational on September 24. Nicole Greyer has stepped up as the team’s #1 runner. She was twenty seconds ahead of her teammates at the Palatine race. It will be the pack behind Greyer that could be the difference maker in this meet. Their split on the #2 to #5 at Palatine was only nineteen seconds. This course and a small field of only 100 possible runners could make it easier to keep the pack together. Greyer needs to be in the top ten with a pack led by Alexis Grandys and Alyssa Edwards within fifteen seconds of their teammate. If the pack is within 15 seconds of each other, Yorkville could be tough to beat.

#3 Naperville North is coming off of a third place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational more than a week ago. The two teams faced off at the First to the Finish Invitational on September 10 with the Lady Huskies winning by only one point. Sarah Schmitt finished fifth at Griak and could be in the top five in this race. The top five split in Minnesota was 76 seconds. That will need to come down to at least 60 seconds in this race with either Alex Morris, Hannah Ricci, or Clare Hamilton within 22 seconds of Schmidt.

#4 Minooka is scary and could end up winning this race. They have the powerful threesome up front with Ashley Tutt, Mackenzie Callahan, or Emily Shelton capable of winning the individual race. The three runners should be in the top six in this race. Their ace in the hole is fourth runner Vivian Van Eck who is getting closer and closer to her teammates up front. In her last meet at Harper College, she was only 37 seconds back. The team’s split on five in that race was 109 seconds. A split of 93 to 95 seconds on their top five and Van Eck within 31 seconds of the top three could mean a win for the Indians.

#6 Wheaton-Warrenville South should have Allison McGrath and Sara Atkins within the first ten runners in this race. If Laurel Moneysmith can finish in the top twenty and their split on five is near 68 seconds, the Tigers could be close to the first four teams. #11 Metea Valley could have either Leana Goldman or Nicki Cast in the top ten in this race. A split of 34 to 36 seconds on their top five could put the Mustangs into the top five.

#13 Hinsdale Central could be a factor in the top five of this meet. The Red Devilettes ran good (not great) on the rough and rugged Leroy Oakes Course and the St. Charles North Invitational. Reilly Revord and Grace McCabe did not have their best races of the season. Watch for the two along with freshman McKenna Revord to be among the top fifteen in this race. #14 Neuqua Valley should be at full strength after holding out #1 runner Caitlin Horn last Saturday at Wheaton North. Horn could be among the top ten in this race. Their pack behind Horn should be near 20 seconds of each other. A top five split of under 42 seconds could put the Wildcats in top five position.

It is hard to not think that Lindsey Payne and Katelynne Hart should be the top runners in this race. They could be the top two runners in the state right now. Minooka’s trio of Emily Shelton, Ashley Tutt, and Mackenzie Callahan could challenge for the top spot as well. Sarah Schmidt will be in front of her home crowd and should be in the top five. It is hard to say if Judy Pendergast’s course record could be threatened. Conditions should be favorable Wednesday night with temperatures near 70 degrees with a slim chance of rain. Pendergast’s record run last year had her going through the first mile in a quick 5:22. Payne and Hart like to build through the first mile and then go at it for the final two. It would not surprise me if the winning time is between 16:20 and 16:24.

Boys Varsity Race – 8:00 PM

Teams Entered - #1 Neuqua Valley, #3 Downers Grove North, #7 Hinsdale Central, #16 Minooka, #23 Naperville Central, Glenbard West, Metea Valley, Naperville North, Plainfield North, Yorkville.

Course Record – Eric Neumann, Glenbard West – 14:57.3 – 2015

Preview – This race may not be as high powered as the Girls race before it. The one thing that I am anxiously waiting to watch for is how the packs of the top two ranked teams in this race (Neuqua Valley and Downers Grove North) interact against each other. Both have showed great low splits in their races so far this year. It looks like eleven points could separate the two teams.

#1 Neuqua Valley started off the year with the bullseye on their back as one of the top teams in the nation despite the injury to projected #1 runner Scott Anderson has kept him out of the top seven. It has not bothered the Wildcats as they have one again showed their depth in big races. The front spot is interchangeable with either Jake McEneaney, Josh Mollway, or Jackson Jett able to be the top runner in any meet. You could throw in Zach Kinne also that could be their top runner in this race. Last Saturday at Peoria, the sophomore ran 14:50 to finish in the top ten in that race. I like how they race running under control for the first half of the race then charging towards the front towards the end. The small field will benefit this pack running. A split of under 20 seconds could seal the deal for the title for Neuqua Valley.

#3 Downers Grove North has not raced in a big invitational since at Minooka on September 17. That race a flight style meet meaning the top seven was running in separate races. Their last “team” race was at First to the Finish almost a month ago where they won the team championship ahead of Lyons Township. I am guessing that they are itching to get on the starting line on Wednesday night. Alec Danner has been the team’s top runner this season but Jacob Ridderhoff and Andrew Marek were within five seconds of him in the Peoria race. Their split on the top five in that race was only nineteen seconds. Their split on their top seven was 33 seconds. It could come down to an old fashioned dual meet between the two squads. The Trojans need to have their top two ahead of Neuqua’s #1 runner whomever that may be. Like I said at the beginning of this preview, eleven points or closer could be the difference between these two teams.

#7 Hinsdale Central went out hard at the Palatine Invitational and it hampered their finish losing at least 100 places among their top seven in the final two miles. I can expect a different tactic from the Red Devils in this meet. Blake Evertsen will be among the front runners in this race. The key for Central is their top five split. It has been between 60 to 65 seconds for most of their meets. In the last race at Palatine, the split on Evertsen and their #2 runner Ethan Planson was 45 seconds. The split from #2 to #5 was 20 seconds. This team is deep. The potential is there to have that pack within ten seconds of each other. If Planson can be within 37 seconds of Evertsen with an overall split of 48 seconds, Central could be closer to Neuqua Valley and Downers North than people think.

#16 Minooka will head the pack for the fourth spot led by Soren Knudsen. Their pack led by sophomore Jordan Freese needs to be within 35 to 40 seconds within Knudsen with an overall split of 55 to 60 seconds on their top five to solidify that spot. #22 Naperville Central had a good race last Saturday at Peoria finishing ninth. Thomas Shilgalis ran 15:02 at Detweiller and should lead the Redhawks. A split of under 47 seconds on five could push them ahead of Minooka.

The individual race could be a re-match of what happened at the Hornet Red Devil and First to the Finish Invitational the first two weekends of the season between Soren Knudsen and Blake Evertsen. The two did not compete in this race a year ago. Knudsen was still recovering from an injury. Evertsen became sick before the meet and did not compete. Both split the two decisions each time they have raced this year with Evertsen winning on his home course and then Knudsen finishing second ahead of Evertsen at Peoria. It will be interesting to see the tactics in this race. Evertsen likes to make those moves at the end of the race. Knudsen is willing to push the pace when needed.

Jake McEneaney finished five seconds behind Irwin Loud last Saturday at Lockport. He finished second in this race a year ago and could be among the front runners in this race. Alec Danner and Jacob Ridderhoff will lead Downers Grove North could be in the top five. Thomas Shilgalis, Josh Mollway, Jackson Jett, and Metea Valley’s Ralph Papa could also be challenging for a top five finish. The meet and course record should be broken in this race. It would not surprise me if we see a winning time under 14:30.