Lemont’s Boys, Girls Cross Country Represented At State Finals

LEMONT, IL — For the second straight season, both of Lemont High School’s cross country teams will participate in state finals competition. The school said the girls’ squad placed fourth in sectional competition on Oct. 27 to secure its fifth consecutive state finals berth, while senior Andrew Deuschle moved on to boys’ state finals competition as an individual for the second time in as many years.

Lemont will compete at the 2018 IHSA Class 2A State Finals, which will be contested on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

According to the school, the top five teams from each of the IHSA’s five Class 2A Sectionals advance to state finals competition, along with the top seven individuals at each sectional from schools that did not qualify for state finals team competition.

At the IHSA Kaneland Sectional, which was held at Kaneland High School, freshman Kaylie Politza paced the girls’ team, placing third with a time of 18:31. Junior Marin Schiffman (24th; 19:40), senior Daina Maleiska (27th; 19:53), sophomore Jenny Martinez (38th; 20:21) and freshman Destiny Vargas (40th; 20:30) rounded out the team’s top five.

The school said Lemont will be making its 11th team state finals appearance in girls’ cross country. Its best team state finals finish was a fourth-place showing in 2014.

Deuschle – who, in 2017, became Lemont’s first state finals qualifier in boys’ cross country since 2012 – placed 10th individually at the IHSA Kaneland Sectional, covering the 3-mile course in 16:03. Lemont was sixth in the team standings, the school said.

The girls’ Class 2A race begins at 11 a.m., while the boys’ race starts at noon. The Class 2A awards ceremony is set for 1 p.m.

Photos provided by Lemont High School.