LHS Junior Earns All-State Honors At IHSA Cross Country State Finals

LEMONT, IL — Lemont High School junior Niki Tselios established her place among the top runners in school history with her performance at the 2023 IHSA Class 2A Girls’ Cross Country State Finals, according to a release from LHS.

The cross country state finals were contested on Nov. 4 at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

Tselios finished ninth individually at the meet, earning her all-state accolades and giving her the second-best state finals finish in program history as Lemont placed 23rd in the team standings, the school said.

Senior Jack Davey also made his state finals debut at the 2023 IHSA Class 2A Boys’ Cross Country State Finals.

Tselios finished ninth in a time of 17:42.39, which shaved more than 30 seconds off of her previous best 3-mile time and is the fourth-fastest time in school history. Prior to the state finals, Tselios became the first runner in program history to win individual conference, regional and sectional titles in one season, according to LHS.

Sophomores Maggie Davey (110th; 19:19.29) and Cassie Cunningham (132nd; 19:36.49), freshman Julizabeth Martinez (228th; 21:35.02) and sophomore Maya Fedko (229th; 21:38.59) finished among the team’s top five at the state finals.

Sophomore Margaret Sinnett (235th; 22:16.37) and freshman Nell Fedko (236th; 22:32.05) rounded out Lemont’s state finals contingent.

Lemont secured its state finals berth by finishing seventh at the IHSA Geneseo Sectional on October 28. Tselios became the first runner in school history to win an individual sectional title, crossing the line in 18:47.00, the school said.

Davey (25th; 20:31.80), Cunningham (36th; 20:57.80), Martinez (77th; 22:24.70) and Maya Fedko (84th; 22:51.00) rounded out the team’s top five.

Lemont was making its 13th team state finals appearance in girls’ cross country, according to LHS. After making its initial appearance in 1991, it advanced to state finals competition five straight years from 2007-2011, and again each season from 2014-2019.

Its best team state finals finish was a fourth-place showing in 2014. Lemont has won eight regional crowns (1991, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023) and three sectional titles (2008, 2014, 2016).

In the boys’ race, Jack Davey was 52nd individually in a time of 15:27.96, the school said. His time is the second-best 3-mile time in school history, and his placement was the third-best state finals finish in program history.

Davey advanced to the state finals thanks to his finish at the IHSA Geneseo Sectional. He crossed the line in 15th place in a time of 16:13.20, as Lemont finished ninth in the team standings.

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

Head coach Tim Plotke’s girls’ program secured its 16th South Suburban Conference-Blue Division title in 18 seasons this fall, while head coach Jon DeGuzman’s boys’ team finished as the SSC Blue runner-up. Tselios and Jack Davey each earned individual titles at the SSC Meet, the school said.