Hilliard Davidson Girls Shine in Illinois
Photo by @davidson_girls_distance via. Ashley Alsko (Hil. Davidson 2025)
What're the odds of one of the Ohio teams making Nike Cross Nationals this November?
Despite the iconic saying by Han Solo from Star Wars, "Never tell me the odds," but we are liking the odds of that happening in two months.
Currently the #2 team in the state (based off of virtual rankings), the ladies from Hilliard Davidson traveled west to the Peoria Notre Dame Richard Spring Invite 2024 at Detweiller Park in Illinois to face-off against several high-caliber teams, notably two of which were on the COROS MileSplit50 Preseason Girls Team XC Rankings:
#13 - Barrington
#16 - Downers Grove North
Additionally, comparing last year's NXR Midwest Regional and this past weekend, the 1-2-3-4 teams made an appearance (including the two teams previously mentioned above).
| Place | Team | Points | Scorers | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Mt. Prospect (Prospect) | 125 | 7+8+16+44+50 (99+148) | 0:58 1-5 Split | 18:11 Avg |
| 2 |  Downers Grove (North) | 138 | 15+22+24+32+45 (68+88) | 0:36 1-5 Split | 18:18 Avg |
| 3 |  Elmhurst (York) | 148 | 20+23+25+38+42 (47+76) | 0:23 1-5 Split | 18:22 Avg |
| 4 |  Barrington | 169 | 4+13+39+49+64 (111+132) | 1:20 1-5 Split | 18:20 Avg |
| 5 |  Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran High School | 232 | 5+9+48+52+118 (141) | 2:10 1-5 Split | 18:32 Avg |
| 6 |  Hil. Davidson | 240 | 18+19+30+86+87 (110+124) | 1:11 1-5 Split | 18:40 Avg |
As shown above, Davidson placed sixth in that race, although the Wildcats have returned this year with 7/8 of their lineup, as Laney Tarr (Hil. Davidson 2025) fills in the spikes left by the sole graduate (Sophia Lane (Hil. Davidson 2024), who is now representing Ohio University.
Leading the charge for the wildcats on Saturday, Erica Kaulen (Hil. Davidson 2026), Celia Schulte (Hil. Davidson 2026), and Ashley Alsko (Hil. Davidson 2025), took three of the Top-10 spots in the Varsity Girls Three Mile, which was more than any other team. Laney Tarr (Hil. Davidson 2025), Anna Gagliano (Hil. Davidson 2025), Gemma Pusateri (Hil. Davidson 2026), and Sophia Tartaglia (Hil. Davidson 2027) rounded the team out with every single performance being under 19-minutes.
Overall, they finished just within striking distance of Elmhurst (York) while also putting up a faster 1-5 avg. by two seconds.
| Place | Team | Points | Scorers | Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Elmhurst (York) | 102 | 1+13+19+25+44 (62+64) | 1:46 1-5 Split | 17:53 Avg |
| 2 |  Hil. Davidson | 104 | 3+4+7+32+58 (60+67) | 1:32 1-5 Split | 17:51 Avg |
| 3 |  Downers Grove (North) | 137 | 14+21+22+37+43 (65+123) | 0:37 1-5 Split | 18:12 Avg |
| 4 |  Pleasant Valley | 141 | 12+18+28+35+48 (56+82) | 0:43 1-5 Split | 18:13 Avg |
| 5 |  Mt. Prospect (Prospect) | 180 | 2+5+15+61+97 (114+129) | 2:22 1-5 Split | 18:03 Avg |
Not to leave anyone out, Emi Schroyer (Hil. Davidson 2025), held her own as the only athlete from Hilliard Davidson in the Open Girls Three Mile and took eighth with a time of 19:20.59, which is also her first race this season!