CROSS COUNTRY: Spartan Girls Send Three to State

At first Katherine Weber believed she hadn’t make it to state and was running parts of Saturday's sectional race back in her head, thinking about what she could have done better.

Then she found out that she made it after all, just barely--and was hugely relieved. The junior was the third of three Glenbrook North girls runners to qualify for next Saturday’s state meet.

As a team the Spartans took sixth at the Class 3A Niles West Sectional, missing out on a return trip to state by one spot and eight points. New Trier dominated the meet with a staggeringly low 33 points. Maine South edged the Spartans 140-148 for the crucial fifth place finish.

Obviously, the Spartans were disappointed to not be able to go back down to Detweiller Park in Peoria as a team, but GBN coach Bob LeBlanc said the girls still ran a good race .

“That’s all you can ask for, is you leave everything on the course, and they know they did that.”

LeBlanc said the sectional included many of the state’s top teams, making it difficult for everyone, but falling just short is tough to take.

“When you get sixth you’re never going to be super happy,” LeBlanc said. “I know they were hoping to get five.”

“(Maine South was) just a few points ahead of us it seemed all season,” he added. “This is as close as we’ve been to them.”

Valerie Bobart was the top GBN runner, finishing 13th to take the second of seven advancing individual spots. Sophomore Ellery Marrinan was 17th and Weber came in at 26th. Sophomore Allie Herriott just missed the cut, coming in at 29th.

Weber said the emotional swing of initially thinking she didn’t make it made getting in that much more exciting.

“At first we thought that only Valerie Bobart and Ellery Marrinan made it, but then a few seconds after we heard that we were walking back to get our clothes from the start and I was called back and told that I made it so it felt amazing,” Weber said.

It’s the second time Marrinan has been to state and the third for juniors Bobart and Weber. The ability to use each other during the race and their experience with the course will help them in Peoria.

“It was easier going in as a team,” Marrinan said. “But after this I think we can use each other, train with each other and then once we get there run with each other, stay packed up.”

The trio of Spartans is hoping to run personal best times to end the season on a high note. Each finished in the top 50 at state a year ago with Marrinan tops in the group at 30th. Weber is hoping to break 18 minutes for a personal record.

“It’s great that I know how it all works,” Weber said. “I know how to go as an individual, I know how to go as a team because I’ve gone as both so I’m just looking forward to hopefully having a great season and finishing strong.”

On the boys side, junior Danny Cheung competed at Niles West, but did not qualify for state. He still gained big race experience in his first time running at a sectional.