Oak Park and River Forest senior Violet Schnizlein always remembers missing her first Class 3A girls cross country state berth by fewer than six seconds at the 2024 Lake Park Sectional.
“I think I’ve been more focused and driven and excited than ever this cross country season,” Schnizlein said. “I think that (almost qualifying) helped me through this whole season and just chipping time each race.”
In her return to the Lake Park Sectional Saturday, Schnizlein left no doubt. She not only qualified but finished 13th with a lifetime-best 17:38.4 for 3.0 miles to comfortably be among the 10 individual state qualifiers for runners not among the seven advancing teams.
In the boys race, OPRF senior Yonny Rafter (11th, 15:08.0) also ran a personal best in advancing to state individually.
The state meet is Saturday, Nov. 8, at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.
“I was just hoping to state qualify so (17:38) was really exciting. It’s been all I had hoped for and more,” said Schnizlein, who built upon the momentum from breaking 18:00 for the first time at regionals (17:52.1). On the same sectional course in 2024, Schnizlein was 33rd in 18:23.5.
“She’s a senior, she’s been incredibly consistent and [this season has] been a result of everything she’s been able to do,” OPRF coach Laura Turk said. “Violet does a great job of wanting to compete, having that awareness, that capacity to want to be in the hard sectional.”
The OPRF boys finished eighth (228 points) to just miss advancing as a team after a program-best three consecutive state meets. The OPRF girls were 11th (252).
Rafter beat his previous best from 2024 state (127th, 15:22.9) as the Huskies’ No. 4 finisher behind three seniors. Saturday’s 4:51.5 final mile was his fastest ever in a competitive cross country race.
“Obviously a little bittersweet at the end,” Rafter said. “I was thinking how bad I wanted the team [to advance]. Was it enough? I was trying to push myself even more.”
The OPRF boys were 20 points behind seventh-place Huntley. Had the teams tied, both would have advanced.
Junior Nick Houghton (35th, 15:27.7) was the 11th individual state candidate by .1.
At 2.0 miles, the Huskies led Huntley 215-231 for seventh.
“Before the race, I was thinking there were eight teams for the [last] four spots and we were in that mix,” OPRF coach Chris Baldwin said. “We probably ran our two best races at the conference meet and regional meet. This is probably similar to some of our other races. Yonny closed it down really, really well.”
Fenwick cross country
After injury prevented another state trip in track, Fenwick junior Mia Bagato joined cross country this fall with hopes of improving her 800- and 400-meter endurance.
“I just wanted to use this as a base-builder and didn’t realize how far I could go in this. I’ve really enjoyed my season so far,” she said.
Now Bagato is going to state in another sport along with junior Julianna Gamboa and sophomore Bridget Brunick after top-15 finishes at the 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional Saturday in the Friars’ move from 2A last season.
Gamboa (all-sectional 6th, 17:57.92), Bagato (11th, personal-best 18:20.66) and Brunick (14th, 18:32.29) were among the 10 individuals not among the seven advancing teams to qualify. Fenwick was 11th (252).
“It feels amazing. At first my goal was never to make state at first, but then I realized it was a possibility,” Bagato said.
“Amazing. They’ve been running together all season,” Fenwick coach Latoya Zubowicz-Hill said. “We’ve been racing 3A [schools all season] so I told them there’s really no difference.”
Fenwick reached state as a team the past two years in 2A and Gamboa and Brunick accepted the 3A challenge. Gamboa has been top-25 2A all-state the past two seasons (14th and 21st). Brunick was 30th in her 2A state debut.
“There were a lot of really great girls (at sectionals) but that pushed us all,” Gamboa said.
“2A was more guaranteed that we were going to make [state],” Brunick said. “We really had to put in the work this season and I think it paid off.”
The Fenwick boys were 17th (501).