Lemont Cross Country Heads To State Finals

LEMONT, IL — Both of Lemont High School’s cross country teams will be represented in state finals competition for the third straight year. The school said the girls team posted a runner-up finish in sectional competition Nov. 2 to lock down its sixth straight team state finals berth, while junior Nick Kania and freshman TJ Polen secured individual boys state finals bids.

Lemont will compete at the 2019 IHSA Class 2A State Finals, which will be contested on Saturday, Nov. 9, at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

The school said the top five teams from each of the IHSA’s five Class 2A Sectionals advance to state finals competition, along with the top seven individuals at each sectional from schools that did not qualify for state finals team competition.

At the IHSA Thornridge Sectional, sophomore Kaylie Politza paced the girls’ team, placing third with a time of 18:53. Junior Kailey Wasyliw (17th; 20:20), senior Cassie Hamilton (19th; 20:27), sophomore Destiny Vargas (20th; 20:31) and senior Hannah Troy (24th; 20:56) rounded out the team’s top five.

Lemont will be making its 12th team state finals appearance in girls’ cross country.

At the IHSA Thornridge Sectional, Polen placed 11th with a time of 16:52, while Kania was 25th with a time of 17:30. Lemont finished seventh in the team standings, the school said.

This marks the first time in program history two boys’ cross country runners advanced to the state finals as individuals in the same year.

According to LHS, Andrew Adelmann ‘02 is Lemont’s top state finals finisher in boys’ cross country, having placed 37th at the 2001 IHSA Class AA State Finals; his time of 15:24 is the best state finals effort by a Lemont boys’ competitor.

The girls’ Class 2A race begins at 11 a.m., while the boys’ race starts at noon. The Class 2A awards ceremony is set for 1 p.m.