By Michael Newman

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Maryjeanne Gilbert – SR – Peoria Notre Dame

Maryjeanne Gilbert had another great cross country regular season culminating with her second straight 2A Girls State Championship at Detweiller Park. It will be her post season races at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional and Foot Locker Nationals that could be remembered the most.

The senior put herself back in a position to run in San Diego for the second year in a row finishing third in the Regional race in Kenosha. Her national race was a memorable one as she placed second finishing less than a second behind race winner Weini Kelati. She will be competing for the national junior team competing in the Edinburgh International Cross Country Challenge on January 9.

Gilbert ran under 17 minutes five times this season with her best being the 16:14 that she ran to win the Big 12 Conference Championship at Detweiller Park. Her time of 16:24 was short of her goal of breaking 16 on her final time on the Detweiller Park course but it was still good enough to win the 2A state championship. She was undefeated against 2A runners this season. Her only setback during the regular IHSA Season was when she finished second at the Richard Spring Invitational behind Glenbard West’s Lindsey Payne.

She was disappointed that she did not achieve her goal at the state meet but her exploits in San Diego make up for that.

Maryjeanne signed a national letter of intent to attend the University of Notre Dame next fall.

Congratulations to Maryjeanne Gilbert of Notre Dame High School in Peoria as the 2015 DyeStat Illinois 2A Girls Runner of the Year.