Girls Cross Country: Lemont Headed to Fifth Straight IHSA Finals

For the fifth consecutive year, the girls cross country team will compete in the IHSA Class 2A state finals.

The Indians took fifth place as a team Saturday at the Nazareth Academy Sectional. The team's performance earned the girls a spot at the state finals, which will be contested Saturday, Nov. 5, at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

Lemont posted a team score of 143 during the sectional meet, which was held at Niles West High School in Skokie. Lemont finished behind sectional champion Montini Catholic (30), runner-up Wheaton St. Francis (51), Illiana Christian (99) and Glenbard South (125).

Freshman runner Victoria Salazar led Lemont's efforts in the sectional competition, completing the 3-mile course in 19:28.98 to finish 13th in the individual standings. Senior Amber Trick came in 16th with a time of 19:36.22, while freshman Holly Lemming finished 20th with a time of 19:42.96.

Sophomore Nicole Balinski (43rd; 20:28.96) and senior Mary McKevitt (55th; 21:00.52) rounded out the squad’s top five.

The top five teams from each of four Class 2A sectionals from around the state, as well as the top seven finishers from schools that did not qualify for team competition, qualify for the boys and girls cross country state finals.

The Class 2A race begins at 11 a.m. Saturday in Peoria. The awards ceremony is slated for 1 p.m.

Trick's appearance in the state meet makes her the first girls cross country runner in school history to compete at the state finals four times. She will be looking to help the Indians improve on the program's previous best finish in the state finals (16th in 2008 and 2010).

Girls cross country is the third Lemont High School sport to be represented in the IHSA state finals this year. The and senior Shane Purtle finished third at the Class 2A state finals, while senior competed at the Class AA girls golf state finals.

The will play in the second round of the IHSA playoffs Friday against Oak Forest, while the is scheduled to compete in the Peoria Notre Dame Supersectional on Tuesday against Peoria Notre Dame.