Mackenzie Brownrigg was born in Florida and lived in Mexico, Delaware and Missouri as her father’s job changed.
The family moved again last year to the Southland, and this time Brownrigg found a home on Lincoln-Way Central’s girls cross country team.
“Moving here was definitely different,” Brownrigg said. “It’s a bigger high school, didn’t know anybody. But it was an opportune time since (Lincoln-Way) North was closing down. All the schools were separating, so it definitely helped.”
In her second year at Central, Brownrigg has separated herself from most of her cross country rivals.
The junior won the SouthWest Suburban Conference Preseason Meet last month in a field of 179 runners at hilly Dellwood Park in Lockport. Then she took second at T.F. South’s Rich Dust Invitational on Sept. 2 and at Saturday’s Joliet Central Steelmen Invitational.
Oswego’s Grace Pagone was first Saturday in 18 minutes, 23 seconds while Brownrigg clocked 18:32 at Channahon Community Park.
“I’m happy with my time,” Brownrigg said. “My overall goal right now is to break 18:00.”
Lincoln-Way Central coach Jack Young said “the sky is the limit” for Brownrigg.
“The passion she has for running, this is something she wants to pursue for a career,” Young said. “She sleeps, eats, drinks — everything is running. It’s contagious on the team.”
Central won the Rich Dust Invitational and took second to Oswego in the 14-team Joliet Central meet. The Knights’ other four scorers Saturday were Rachel Baumgartner (sixth), Abby Gamble (13th), Gretchen Zirgaitis (14th) and Lexy Sams (15th).
Dana Boucher and Lexie Kamp, Central’s sixth and seventh runners Saturday, and the rest of the varsity have plenty of competition in their own program. Freshman Merrigan Allen won the frosh-soph race in 19:13, which would have been Central’s third-best varsity time.
“I’m really excited about the freshmen,” Brownrigg said.
So is Young.
“The girls come back from their warmup and they want to see the frosh-soph times,” Young said. “Are they a little nervous? They might be, but that’s good. If they know their spot is safe on the top seven, they’re not going to work as hard.”
Motivation shouldn’t be a factor. Central missed qualifying for the Class 3A state meet last year by two points, losing out to Lincoln-Way East.
“I think we have a really good chance of making it to state this year because of last year and how it turned out,” Baumgartner said. “We have a lot more motivation. We’re hungry to get there.”
And Brownrigg is there to set the example.
“Her goal is to be All-State in the next two years,” Young said. “And I think she’s making strides to do that.”
Class act: Illiana Christian senior Austin Ohm has run in the past three state meets, the previous two in Class 3A against larger schools. He’s off to another impressive start this season.
Ohm finished first at the Rich Dust Invitational and took second among 492 runners Saturday in the 2A race at the First to the Finish Invitational in Peoria.
Ohm (14:58) was only a few seconds behind Kaneland’s Matthew Richtman (14:52), who was fourth in the 2A state meet last year and is the top 2A returnee.
Reavis champs: Marist sophomore Thomas Leonard won the individual title Saturday in the Running Rams Invitational at Reavis. Leonard clocked 16:02.3 and Stagg’s Jared Tarantino (16:23.9) was second in the field of 108 runners.
Sandburg didn’t race its top varsity lineup and still won the team championship. The Eagles’ first five placed fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth.
Tim Tierney is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.
