LHS Finishes 18th At Class 2A Girls’ Cross Country State Finals

LEMONT, IL —Led by head coach Tim Plotke, Lemont High School’s boys’ and girls’ cross country teams were represented in state finals competition in the same season for the first time in five years. At the 2017 IHSA Class 2A State Finals, which were contested on Nov. 4 at Detweiller Park in Peoria, Lemont’s girls’ team placed 18th in the team standings, while junior Andrew Deuschle competed as an individual in the boys’ event. Senior Beata Drozda became just the second runner in program history to compete in four girls’ cross country state finals events.

According to the school, Lemont posted a team score of 471 on its way to an 18th-place finish. Senior Jacey Schickel was Lemont’s top finisher, placing 86th individually while covering the 3-mile course in 19:05. She edged Drozda, who posted the same time of 19:05 and placed 87th. Other Lemont competitors included junior Julianne McClatchy (106th; 19:18), sophomores Marin Schiffman (160th; 20:01) and Cassie Hamilton (171st; 20:10); freshman Kailey Wasyliw (175th; 20:14), and junior Daina Maleiska (195th; 20:42).

The school said Lemont was making its tenth team state finals appearance in girls’ cross country. After making its initial appearance in 1991, it advanced to state finals competition five straight years from 2007-2011, and again each year from 2014-16. Its best team state finals finish was a fourth-place showing in 2014.

According to LHS, Lemont advanced to the state finals for the fourth straight season after placing third in the team standings at the IHSA Wheaton Academy Sectional, which was held at Kress Creek Farms in West Chicago on Oct. 28. Drozda was the team’s top finisher, crossing the line for the 3-mile race 13th overall in a time of 20:01. McClatchy (17th; 20:08), Schickel (23rd; 20:16), Hamilton (30th; 20:31) and Wasyliw (37th; 20:44) rounded out the team’s top five.

Lemont then won the IHSA Marist Regional, which was held at Midlothian Meadows in Midlothian on October 21, by virtue of a tiebreaker. Schickel (5th; 20:04), Schiffman (8th; 20:20) and Drozda (10th; 20:28) all earned all-regional accolades. LHS said the Indians won their fourth straight regional crown, and the program’s seventh regional overall. Its previous regional crowns came in 1991, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2016. It won sectional titles in 2008, 2014 and 2016.

LHS said in the boys’ state finals race, Deuschle covered the 3-mile course in 16:46 to finish 160th individually. He was the school’s first boys’ state finals competitor since 2012. Deuschle placed 15th individually at the IHSA Wheaton Academy Sectional, covering the 3-mile course in 16:41.7. He was one of the sectional’s top ten individuals who were not part of a team that was advancing to the state finals.

According to LHS, Lemont’s boys’ cross country team finished as the runner-up at the IHSA Marist Regional. Deuschle was the Indians’ top finisher, placing third with a time of 16:43.9. Senior Ryan Freitag (6th; 17:04.3) and junior Lucas Zaczek (9th; 17:20.0) also earned all-regional honors by finishing among the top ten individually.

Lemont again won the South Suburban Conference-Blue Division girls’ cross country title this fall, while the boys’ squad placed third in the SSC Blue.

Photos provided by Lemont High School.