The Grayslake Central cross country team had a lot to work towards in 2023, such as the State Championship, which they participated in on Nov. 4. The team represented themselves well at State, with newer faces on the team setting themselves up for a competitive season next year. There were lots of moving parts and exciting thrills for the 2023 GCHS cross country team.
The girl’s cross country team finish 2nd overall in the state in the 5k run, with their top finisher being senior Sara Armstrong, who placed in 12th, with a time of 17:46.
The girls team just missed out on winning back-to-back titles, as they won first in the state last fall. Sophomore Ava Henne made a huge impact on the team, finishing 20th overall in the Women’s 3 Miles 2A Varsity run with a time of 17:51. Prior to the State race, when asked about what some goals the team had, Henne said “[to] get closer with each other, build trust, and at the end of the season, try to get State again.” They in fact did much more than that.
The girls team were aiming to win State, but were very aware that there were other teams that were in the mix to win.
“I think the girls are confident that they can get another trophy. You have 32 or 33 other teams that are out there for the same thing, and anything can happen on any given day,” Christopher Palmer, GCHS assistant cross country coach said prior to the team’s State qualification.
The boys ended up finishing 13th overall, being lead by senior Trey Sato who finished in 2nd with a time of 14:21.
The boys team also had their eyes set on a State Champion title, but were more of a “wild card,” according to Palmer. “If it’s clicking at the right time, they can do some really impressive things,” he said before State.
The team had some new people who continued to improve, like freshman Alex Wolff. Asked about his goals for his freshman year, Wolff said, “I think it’s kind of like a placement point to see if I can improve in the next couple years.” He wants to set himself up to dominate the race in the upcoming years.
The team very much wants to improve, perform well and enjoy themselves while they are running. “For my first year as a freshman, I think it’s to just like, run my race,” Wolff said. According to Palmer, his main goal as a coach is for “everybody being able to get the most out of what their potential allows them to have.”
