Oak Forest Bengals Girls Cross Country 2021 Season Review

By: BDTV228 Sports Multimedia Intern, Ayanna Lawton

After a competitive season, the Girls Cross Country Team at Oak Forest High School has a lot to be proud of.

The team took second place at both the Varsity and JV Levels at their conference meet this year. They also came in second place to Lemont High School at Regionals which earned them a spot at Sectionals which took place October 30th.

While the team did not qualify for the IHSA State Tournament, their season was nothing short of successful.

"The girls did a great job working out and getting better throughout the whole season," said Head Coach, Donn Hamrin. "You could see it in each of their races. They didn't improve in every race, but definitely, throughout the season you could see all of the numbers going down."

Team and individual times improved throughout the season. For example, Junior Mia Nutile came in second place at Regionals granting her an All-Regional Medal. She ran 3 miles in 20:42.91 minutes which was just seconds behind Lemon High School's Casey Kittridge at 20:27.14.

"We improved a lot this season, at both levels," said Sophomore Abigail Frias. "I feel like we're a lot more connected now. We pump each other up and cheer each other on."

The 2021-2022 Oak Forest High School Girls Cross Country Team Included:

• Olivia Baxa, Class of 2023
• Suzanne Brouch, Class of 2023
• Abigail Frias, Class of 2024
• Isabella Garlinski, Class of 2023
• Hailey Gibbs, Class of 2022
• Jennalie Hemphill, Class of 2023
• Ayanna Lawton, Class of 2022
• Emily Malloy, Class of 2022
• Ilani Molina, Class of 2023
• Mia Nutile, Class of 2023
• Hailey Ostrom, Class of 2023

While seniors Hailey Gibbs, Ayanna Lawton, and Emily Malloy are graduating, most of the Bengal team will be back next year with high hopes as they look to shatter some more personal and team records.

Until then, Coach Hamrin said it best, "It was great to see them compete and be successful all season."