Macy Dick, season-best split send Oswego East girls team to state for third straight year

HINSDALE – Sophomore Macy Dick was excited about the closeness with her Oswego East girls cross country teammates throughout the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional Saturday.

Fueled by a season-best 1:34 split between the all-sectional Dick and their No. 5 finisher and 1:39 to their No. 7 finisher, the Wolves placed fifth (177 points) and advanced to the state meet for the third straight year with a top-seven finish.

”I’m really proud of us because that (split) was really good. We all just ran really well as a team,” Dick said.

Dick was eighth (17:32.91 for 2.9 miles) to earn top-10, all-sectional honors. Oswego sophomore Kristin Soderlind (21st, 18:10.80) also earned an individual state berth by being among the top 10 finishers not from the qualifying teams.

Seniors Emma Berglund (18th, 18:05.19), Olivia Van Denend (50th, 18:46.24), Miarose Blankenburg (59th, 18:36.32), Isabella Daguinsin (63rd, 19:06.18) were Oswego East’s No. 2-5 finishers, followed closely by sophomore Jiana Busby (65th, 19:07.42) and senior Annie Schiltz (69th, 19:11.45).

State is Nov. 9 at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.

”They ran really well. We were pretty confident (about qualifying) but you always have to show up on race day,” Oswego East coach Lisa Cook said.

This is just the program’s fourth IHSA state berth and fifth counting the 2020 ShaZam state meet in place of an IHSA-sanctioned meet because of COVID-19 restrictions. Oswego East was 15th at state last year with four runners who competed Saturday -- Dick, who finished 72nd, Van Denend, Berglund and Schiltz. Van Denend also ran with the 18th-place state team in 2022.

”I’m really excited, nervous, but good nerves because I know our team’s going to run really well,” Dick said. “And it’s a great opportunity. We’re just going to enjoy it.”

While there’s leadership from five seniors, Blankenburg and Daguinsin are making their postseason debuts.

”It’s really just kind of a marker for our program that by the time they leave, they’re running well. We’re super proud of them,” Cook said.

This is Soderlind’s first cross country state berth. Oswego sophomore Morgan Bradley was 58th (18:55.55).The Oswego East boys were 12th (324) with seniors Nicholas Goduto (53rd, 15:22.79), Eddie Bozett (71st, 15:36.51), junior Phoenix Scott (72nd, 15:37.27), sophomore Jack Wolsterholm (73rd, 15:38.23), freshman Anthony Garcia (75th, 15:38.93), sophomore Mason Van Denend (104th, 16:14.62) and senior Hani Elkhatib (112th, 16:24.27).