Beattie sisters lead Woodstock to title

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BELVIDERE – Woodstock’s Kayla and Elise Beattie left the rest of the field in the IHSA Class 2A Belvidere Sectional Cross Country Meet in their tracks Saturday, figuratively and almost literally.

The Beatties took the top two spots, finishing 25 seconds ahead of the next competitor on the muddy 3-mile course at Belvidere High School. For their effort, the Beatties earned a bonus, pulling their team score low enough for the Blue Streaks to win the sectional title as well.

Woodstock’s girls scored 127 points for first, followed closely by Crystal Lake Central with 134. Prairie Ridge’s girls scored 210 points and took the fifth spot, also qualifying for the IHSA State Cross Country Meet this Saturday at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.

In the boys race, Crystal Lake Central’s Ryan Alvarez and Richmond-Burton’s Ian Sanchez and Matt Lytle all finished in the top five to earn individual state berths. Prairie Ridge put its five scoring runners in the top 30 places to take second place as a team with 113 points and qualify.

By the first mile, the Beatties were cruising along with plenty of distance on the next runners. Kayla, a junior, won in 18:34.9, and Elise, a senior, finished in 18:38.4. Antioch’s Erin Poss was third in 19:03.1.

“Elise and I were really trying to work together,” Kayla said. “I told her we had to run together. It was really muddy and wet. On the first turn we were in so much mud I thought I was going to lose my shoe. I knew we just had to keep focus.”

The Beatties ran at the Class 3A State Meet the last two years, but with Woodstock North beginning varsity sports programs this season, the Blue Streaks fell to Class 2A.

“We had good races,” Elise said. “I tried my hardest to stay with [Kayla]. I’m happy with my finish. I didn’t know what to expect. We just wanted to prepare ourselves mentally and physically for next week.”

Johnsburg’s Kelly McNeely (eighth), Hampshire’s Holly Plichta (ninth), Marian Central’s Alli Manning (11th) and Marengo’s Ava Henning (12th) qualified for state as individuals. Marengo freshman Katie Adams, who had been one of the area’s top runners all season and who beat the Beatties in last week’s Freeport Regional, was nagged by flu-like symptoms and finished 14th, less than a second from qualifying.

Central’s girls, led by Molly Flood’s sixth-place finish, qualified for its third consecutive trip to state. The Tigers were fifth two years ago and were state runners-up last season.

Central’s boys team missed its third consecutive state appearance by four points. The Tigers (152) finished just behind fifth-place Marmion (148) for the final spot. Alvarez will be running by himself next week after taking third in 16:13.3. Sycamore’s Tyson Kinsley (16:08.8) and Belvidere North’s Paul Zeman (16:12.7) were first and second.

R-B’s Sanchez and Lytle also will return without their team.

“It was definitely a fast field, and with the water and wind, it made it a real tactical race,” Sanchez said. “I wanted to avoid the puddles, but most of the time we went right through them because it took too long. We usually find each other out of instinct.”

Sanchez ran 16:14.5 and Lytle had a 16:21.0.

“We ran smart and worked together,” Lytle said. “I was nervous all week about this. I’m really excited to be going back.”

Prairie Ridge, another school that dipped from Class 3A to 2A this year, will make its first state trip since 2000. Senior Alex Wagner, who often ran No. 4 for the Wolves, was their first runner in 15th place.

“I’ve wanted to go to state since my freshman year,” Wagner said. “It was good we executed our plan. I was just trying to stay in our pack. It was exciting to be first for our team.”

Wolves coach Judd Shutt knows his team’s strength lies with its pack running. Belvidere North won with 36 points

“We don’t have a big frontrunner, so we’re counteracting with a pack,” Shutt said. “We wanted to get out strong and see how close someone could come to the top 10. Alex has been our No. 4 man and he came out and moved up and had a really good race.”

The other local individual qualfiiers were Woodstock’s J.D. Fuller (eighth) and Phil Meyer (14th).