Bella Domier changed uniforms Saturday morning, but not her season-long habit of finishing among the top runners.
The Grayslake Central freshman capped off a strong debut season with a time of 18 minutes, 41.88 seconds in Division II of the ShaZam Racing High School XC Championships at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe.
Domier took third in the fourth flight and finished fifth overall.
With the Illinois High School Association canceling the state cross country meet due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ShaZam events served as the unofficial state meet.
Domier was among numerous Lake County runners competing for club teams rather than high school teams in the three-day meet.
Domier, who finished in second place on Oct. 31 at the Class 2A Lakes Sectional, said she had difficulty handling the course.
“My strategy was to stay with someone around my pace, then pick it up during the second half of the race,” Domier said. “But one thing that wasn’t in my favor was the course.
“It was sandy, rocky and hilly. I knew I had to be mentally tough and keep going. Overall, it was a great race, and it was fun racing against great competition.”
Grayslake Central freshman Sara Armstrong took 10th in the third flight with a time of 20:05.
“I believed I tried my best,” Armstrong said. “But this meet was new to me.”
Grayslake Central coach James Centella said he expects his runners to build off their performances.
“It was really special to see Bella do so well,” he said. “We knew she could have a special year. It was awesome to see Sara bounce back after a rough patch earlier this season.
“We have six of our top seven coming back next year. We have a bright future. We’re hoping to get the team on the podium.”
Close call: Lakes senior Brooke Stromsland faced off against a familiar foe Saturday. Stromsland said she enjoys competing against Chicago Latin’s Ava Parekh.
In 2017, Stromsland placed fourth at the 2A state meet, but she bounced back to win the state title as a sophomore, with Parekh finishing fourth.
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Stromsland, a Belmont recruit, added a second-place medal last season, while Parekh took third.
Parekh received a measure of redemption at the ShaZam meet, beating Stromsland with a time of 17:39 in the fourth flight. Stromsland came in second with an 18:01.
“I knew Ava would be my main competition because we go back and forth a lot,” Stromsland said. “I wanted to stick with her to see how I would do. I’m really happy with how I ran.
“It was a tough course. I was not expecting that. I had never run that course before. There were sandy and rocky parts. But it was like a real cross country course.”
Growth spurt: Grant junior Aly Negovetich noticed the difference in competition Sunday.
After dominating a strong group of mostly underclassmen runners last week to win the Class 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional, Negovetich finished fourth in Division III of the ShaZam meet with a time of 18:11.
Negovetich, a three-time sectional champion, said she struggled adapting to the stiffer competition. She also was fourth in her flight.
“I wanted to stick with the pack that first mile and get a feel for just being in a pack again,” she said. “I love running with girls who push me mentally and physically. I learn so much more about racing and myself when I get to compete against them.
“But the racing was a little different because I could sense the bittersweet emotion from all the seniors and how motivated they were to make this a good race.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.