Mid-Illini Championships!

Girls Race: Hold Steady!
The girls team just needs to do what you've been doing all year and should place in the top 3 in the varsity team division. But do you want more? Do you want to try and challenge for the top 2? Do you want to crush the rest of the field? Do you want to run some new PRs? Metamora and East Peoria are the class of the field, but as far as this guy knows, no other team is very close to Morton's abilities, as is evidenced by Morton's 7-2 overall record, and 5-2 Mid-Illini record. If you girls do what you're used to doing, you should lock up that third spot, but you need to beware that many teams will run stronger races tomorrow than they have all year.

A step-up improvement from Morton's 4-5-6 runners, combined with a poor race from one of the two favorites, could sneak Morton into the top two, but the odds are long on that happening this year. But hey, there's no harm in trying, and when you try something this year, you'll have a better idea of how to succeed at it next year! Individually, the girls should look to try and get 1, 2, or 3 members of the Law Firm into the First Team All-Conference Awards, which is top 9. With a good race, the Lady Potters should be able to place several runners in the Second Team All-Conference awards. The weather looks like good temperature (around 55-60 degrees), with a possibility of rain, so depending on the sloppiness of the ground, it could be a great day for fast times all around. Anyone up for founding the 18 Minute Club??

Boys Race: 2nd or 7th??
Now you may be thinking "is this guy nuts?? 7th??" Well, yes I am nuts, but I am also completely serious on this one. I'm not suggesting a 6th or 7th place team finish is likely, but I warn that they are completely possible depending on the race that is run. Several of the teams that the men have beaten earlier in the season have improved significantly, and a great race will beat most of them. However a mediocre race will not beat that many, and a bad race could lose to all but Washington. That may sound mean to Washington, but they are the one team that's really completely out of this. I calls it like I sees it.

• Metamora is clearly the class of the field, followed by East Peoria and Morton. While I never say anything is impossible, they are going to be very difficult to beat this year. Watch them, so you know how to do it next year.
  
• East Peoria is looking much better this half of the season, and beat Morton last week, despite earlier losses to the Potters in September.
  
• But it doesn't stop there. Pekin's front runners give them an edge in larger races, as evidenced by their placement over Morton at the Peoria Central Invitational. Mid-Illini is not a huge race, but it is larger than a dual meet, and that plays to Pekin's advantage.
  
• It doesn't stop there either. Dunlap beat Pekin at Metamora last week, so they're not to be discounted.
  
• And there's more. Canton is a huge wildcard, looking great at some races and weak at others. Morton handily defeated them in a dual, and they didn't look good at Metamora Invite last weekend. However, they supposedly beat Metamora head to head and looked fantastic at Woodruff. You don't know what they'll bring, but I'd count on it being their A game.
  
• Limestone does not appear to have the depth to challenge, but once again, I wouldn't count them out. They've got a solid front 3, and if they've managed to raise up a few more scorers, they could be a threat.
• Washington is....well, they're Washington.

Guys, it's a different Mid-Illini than what you've already faced so far this season. It's a stronger, faster, deeper Mid-Illini. I don't say this to discourage you, but to make you realize the effort that is required. I believe Morton can claim that 2nd spot, but you have to be mentally prepared to do it. You can't go in just expecting to be 2nd, or you might finish significantly farther down field. Be prepared to fight during the race, and to not be discouraged or surprised when you are challenged. Remember, a lot will change in the final mile or mile and a half, so don't become disheartened if the team race doesn't look as you expect coming out of the back loop. Rather, put your head down and give chase!

So what's it going to take? The two threats that are most known to us (besides Metamora) are EP and Pekin. East Peoria is very dangerous, as they possess a front runner, and a large, deep pack. Worse, a couple members of that pack have the potential to have great races and score some low sticks for the Raiders. To beat the Raiders, you have to take their pack on head-to-head. Very simply, you have to get your 3-7th runners running with their 3-5th, and grab points where you can.

Taking on Pekin is the same way. Their two top men are very strong and likely out of reach of Morton's pack. However, from 3-5 they're much weaker, and a solid effort by Morton's pack will take them down. You have to beat Pekin's pack by more than you beat EP's pack however, as their front guys are more likely to bring in low sticks. My prediction is that if you can take down EP's pack, you'll get Pekin's as well, but I make no promises, and you must be ready to read the race as it develops.

Individually? You've got a good chance at putting a man or two on the First Team All-Conference, and you could potentially put some members of the pack on the Second Team. While we don't know what the course conditions are, unless it's a total mudfest or very windy, which isn't likely, I think it'll be fairly fast. Probably the top guys in the race will run in the mid-low 15s, and there will be a lot of opportunities to get the pack under 17. You had your whole scoring 7 close enough to think about sub17 at Peoria. Let's get them all there this time. And let's see how many sub 16:30s can be grabbed. Hey why not, let's add a name or two the 15 Minute Club, alright??