Cross Country: Elisabeth Camic, Benet win sectional showdown of state's top two teams

CHICAGO – Senior Elisabeth Camic and her Benet girls cross country teammates were disappointed learning there would be no IHSA state meet or chance to defend their 2019 Class 2A state championship.

The Redwings competed and deservedly felt like the state’s best Saturday.

Benet defeated Latin 32-40 to win the 2A Latin Sectional in Lincoln Park in the long-anticipated showdown of the state’s top-two ranked teams.

“(Winning this) was definitely special in its own way because of how hard this year has been on everyone. It’s just great to find that little ray of hope,” Camic said.

“I know everyone has been putting in the work this entire season, this offseason. We took this year to really dedicate ourselves for our last year (together).”

Six Redwings from their first-ever state title lineup competed Saturday – Camic, seniors Meaghan Andrews, Joy Jackson and Emily Spellman, junior Amelia Parisi and sophomore Louisa Diamond – and senior Kelly Andrews, a 2017 state competitor injured in 2019.

Diamond (17:52.68), Kelly Andrews (18:07.09), Camic (18:14.73) and Jackson (18:22.75) were fourth through seventh and Parisi 10th (18:37.16) for top-10, all-sectional honors. Meaghan Andrews was 13th.

“We looked at this all week, all season as our (state). They went out there and did exactly what we asked them to do as a team,” said first-year Benet head coach Katie Paski. “We were just so, so excited to have the opportunity to go up against Latin,”

Had there been an IHSA state meet, Saturday’s top-seven teams and top 10 individuals not among those teams would have qualified for state.

Nazareth was fourth, St. Francis sixth and Fenwick seventh on a sixth-runner tiebreaker over Hinsdale South.

Nazareth sophomore Colette Kinsella was an all-sectional ninth (18:30.94). Fenwick senior Katie Cahill and sophomore Bella Daley were 14th and 16th.

Individual state qualifiers would have been Hinsdale South sophomore Abby Petersen (12th) and freshmen Charlotte Old and Yuliya Drabchuk, Riverside-Brookfield sophomore Bryce Pacourek (15th) and Glenbard South senior Ellie Stewart.

The teams’ seven runners were split into four races. Latin finished 1-2-3 overall, including junior champion Ava Parekh (16:44.32), and led after two races. Then Jackson and Meaghan Andrews went 1-2 among No. 4-5 runners and Parisi won the No. 6-7 race.

In 2019, Jackson was Benet’s No. 3 state finisher (26th) but one place shy of all-state.

“I was so happy for the team but at the same time so sad to be that close (to all-state),” Jackson said. “Today, since that’s not the case, I feel like I did my job. This was the matchup everybody was talking about.”

Kinsella became the Roadrunners first all-stater in 2019 (13th).

“In the beginning (this season) I was kind of off just because the training in the summer wasn’t that great by myself. Just being with the team has helped so much,” Kinsella said.

Finishing 1-2 in the boys race, Hinsdale South senior Julian Watson (15:21.25) and Benet senior Niklas Anderson (15:28.94), who were 28th and 55th at 2019 state.

“Of course coming in I want to win but it also feels good to get a (personal record also) for sure,” Watson said.

“I was glad I was able to have the competition, so much fun,” Anderson said. “I just started to hurt after that first mile. I was like, ‘I’m not going to quit,’ ”.

St. Francis senior Luke Orwig (sixth) and Glenbard South senior Gabe Alcala (ninth) were all-sectional. Fenwick freshman Nate McKillop (14th) and junior Zac Daley (20th), St. Francis sophomore Daniel O’Connell (15th) and senior Sam King (17th) and Glenbard South sophomore Caleb Walter (16th) were top-20.

Orwig, who first broke 16:00 this season, was hampered in 2019 by postseason tendinitis.

“Freshman and sophomore year I wasn’t really taking running seriously, more of a basketball guy. (And) this year I’m feeling healthy,” Orwig said.

A former soccer player, Alcala tried cross country after meeting former Glenbard West standouts Luke Cavan and Stephen Moody on the Prairie Path.

“I started running with them every day. I didn’t realize I was getting pretty good at it really quickly,” Alcala said. “I just liked it and it happened.”