Beatties primed for run at state

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Given the choice, Woodstock’s Elise and Kayla Beattie would rather run in the Class 3A girls race at the IHSA State Cross Country Meet today at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.

The sisters ran in Class 3A the previous two seasons, and each has one top-20 finish in her résumé, but with Woodstock North starting its varsity programs this year, the enrollment drop at Woodstock put the Blue Streaks into 2A.

The Beatties want to run against the best competition, not that they won’t see great runners, such as Mount Vernon’s defending state champion Margo Richardson, in 2A.

“The fastest time can come from any of the three races,” said Kayla, a junior. “But there may be five or six girls shooting for a state title in 3A, and in 2A there may be only two or three.”

Kayla Beattie could be one of them. She has run well all season and appears to be in top shape heading to Peoria.

“She’s capable of doing that,” Woodstock coach Marty Sobczak said, “especially if [the Beatties] run comfortable in that first mile and don’t let the lead group get too far in front of them. In the second mile is where they need to move up and pass a lot of people. They’re ready and relaxed.”

Kayla finished 14th in Class 3A as a freshman, Elise was 17th last season.

“It’ll be the same excitement and everything [in 2A], there just won’t be as many girls up front,” Elise said. “I don’t know the 2A girls that well. We’re still trying to figure that out.”

The Beatties ran the Detweiller course earlier this season with great success: Kayla was first and Elise was second in the 2A race at the Peoria Woodruff Invitational. They ran away from the other top runners at last week’s Belvidere Sectional to finish 1-2 by a wide margin (Kayla first and Elise second).

“I know they’ve been looking forward to this since last year,” Sobczak said. “They’re very focused individuals, and I’m very proud of them.”

Crystal Lake Central’s girls are looking for a third consecutive top-five finish at state.

In the boys Class 3A race, the area’s top two distance runners the past two years will try to bury disappointments of state meets past.

Cary-Grove senior Phil Fairleigh and Dundee-Crown junior Anthony Manfrin are regarded among the state’s top runners, but neither has a state medal in cross country or track.

Manfrin was well on his way to a top-20 finish last year in cross country. However, he fainted about 500 meters from the finish. Fairleigh went out too fast and faded badly and did not finish first on his team.

In track, Manfrin would have had a sixth-place medal in the Class 3A 1,600-meter run, but was disqualified for stepping out of his lane on the first turn.

Fairleigh was in good position halfway through the 3,200, but tripped on the 3-inch rail on the inside lane and fell. Fairleigh could not recover and wound up dropping out.

Fairleigh, who recently committed to run at Duke, leads the Trojans to state as a team for the third consecutive year.

Prairie Ridge’s boys team will compete in Class 2A after taking second at the Belvidere Sectional last week.

Crystal Lake Central’s Ryan Alvarez and Richmond-Burton’s Ian Sanchez and Matt Lytle are three of the area’s best 2A runners, all taking top-five finishes at Belvidere.

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