Aly Negovetich wanted to showcase her new and improved power running style on Saturday.
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The Grant junior had been on a predetermined course toward a state championship bid before the Illinois High School Association canceled the state meets due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But Negovetich, rarely challenged this season, hoped to tap a second gear during the shortened postseason.
Negovetich 2.0 was on full display at the Class 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional. She cruised to a first-place finish with a time of 17 minutes, 35.06 seconds, completing the 3-mile course with a strong push in the final lap.
“I’ve been battling a couple things mentally, so I felt like this was my test,” Negovetich said. “I weightlifted for this, ran a lot for this and didn’t go out with my friends socially. But this was the cap. This was the end that tied everything together. I was powerlifting to increase foot speed, which definitely came in handy today.”
Negovetich broke her game plan by jumping out to a lead early in the race. She managed to hold off a late push by Loyola freshman Morgan Mackie to claim her third straight sectional title. Mackie finished second in 17:42.96.
“I haven’t been feeling the greatest all week, but I wanted to be a three-time sectional champ,” Negovetich said. “That just rang in my head. I wanted to run with power.”
Negovetich said she’s motivated to win a state title next season. But first she is excited to test herself at the ShaZam Racing championships, which are serving as unofficial state meets this weekend.
“I’m ready to be a state champ,” she said. “I have a lot of work to do, but next year I’m excited to get back to something normal. Next Saturday, I really want to have fun with it. I haven’t seen any of those girls all season, which is not normal. I want to compete with them.”
Stromsland prevails: Throughout her career, Lakes’ Brooke Stromsland planned to win her final IHSA race.
Stromsland achieved her goal, but not the way she had hoped.
After winning the Class 2A state title as a sophomore and placing second as a junior, Stromsland won the Lakes Sectional in a time of 17:22.63 on Saturday. It was her third sectional title. Grayslake Central freshman Bella Domier was second in 17:52.66.
The Eagles, who placed second at state last season, finished fifth in the sectional. Crystal Lake South won with 71 points, followed by Vernon Hills with 85, Prairie Ridge with 90, Dixon with 91, Lakes with 103 and Grayslake Central with 118.
“It’s little disappointing to not have an official state meet because I really wanted the chance to compete for a second state title,” Stromsland said. “I felt like my teammates and I have worked hard all season, and we have a strong team this year. So I would’ve liked the opportunity to compete at the state meet.”
Stromsland, a Belmont commit, said her main individual goal in the sectional was to beat her personal best of 17:12.
“I wasn’t able to beat my record, but I’m excited to see how next weekend goes,” she said.
Vernon Hills was led by sophomores Reina Hill, Rose Sheridan and Anna Todd, who finished fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. Wauconda junior Jessie Pakaski followed in eighth.
Johnston finishes fast: Lake Zurich sophomore Brooke Johnston relished the opportunity to see all the races at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. She stayed to watch the final two heats after taking third place in the main heat with a time of 17:46.
Johnston closed out the season with a flourish. She won the North Suburban Conference Meet and was second at the Loyola Regional.
Led by Johnston, the Bears finished fourth in the sectional with 147 points. Lake Forest, paced by Skyler Kreunen’s fifth-place finish, was sixth with 155.
Johnston said she achieved one of her personal goals of beating Hersey sophomore Anna Harden, who was fourth.
“My goal was to get second or third, and I wanted to beat Anna because she’s really good competition, and at regionals last week, I thought I had more in me in the last 800,” Johnston said. “Today my goal was to really kick that last 800.”
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Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.