AT A GLANCE

CONFERENCE WSC Gold
HOME COURSE O’Brien Park, Dunham Road and 71st Street
LAST YEAR’S RESULTS Third at East Aurora regional, eighth at Schaumburg sectional
COACH Doug Plunkett

Top returners
Casey Harms    jr.
Nicole Thate    sr.
Grace Magliola    jr.
Jordan Narret    jr.
Molly Kelly    sr.
Alison Tusek    so.
Cara Drennan    jr.
Jessica Pacholski    jr.
Abby Lechner    jr.

Promising newcomers
Jacquelyn Thate    fr.
Rebecca Stearns    fr.

KEY MEETS
Sept. 20 at Peoria Notre Dame Invite Many of the state’s best teams square off  in a true preview of the state meet, as the race is run on the state finals course
Oct. 4 at Wheaton North Invite Another of a season full of strong Saturday invitationals for the Mustangs
 

OUTLOOK

The nine-time defending WSC Gold champion Mustangs have their sights on going downstate. All seven runners are back from their 2007 sectional lineup, and there are two more returnees and two strong freshmen right on their heels.

An exceptional group of juniors is led by Harms, who won the WSC Gold meet en route to an eventual 87th-place finish at state. Magliola (a state track qualifier in the two mile in May) is literally off to the fastest start of any Mustang this fall, placing first at the Yorkville Invite for team champion Downers South and placing a team-best sixth at Fenton in Downers South’s most recent invitational (where the Mustangs were third).

One of two seniors back from last year’s sectional lineup is Nicole Thate, a cross country and track standout since freshman year who reached state in the 800-meter run last spring. Her freshman sister Jacquelyn has also hit the ground running in cross country as the Mustangs’ No. 4 finisher (22nd overall) at Fenton.

“Any of our top three (Harms, Magliola or Nicole Thate) could be our No. 1 runner this season,” Plunkett said. “Those three girls have the top three 3-mile cross country times in school history (led by Thate’s 17:57).

“The key to our season will be how close we can get the next four girls to our first three. There is a large group of girls who could fill in those spots, and there are a few newcomers and freshmen who could challenge for those as well.”