Knights' D'Agostino continues state streak

Immaculate Conception sophomore girls cross country runner Natalie D'Agostino had the start she wanted Saturday but not the finish.

Although she wasn't able to replicate her 2007 all-state performance at the Class 1A state meet at Peoria's Detweiller Park, D'Agostino was 57th (19 minutes, 35 seconds for 3.0 miles) with hopes of doing better her final two years.

"I had a good start. I felt like I was in first, and it was just one of those things where I felt like I was carrying too much and I just kept on going back," D'Agostino said. "There was pressure on me (this season), but no one was expecting that I would try to get ninth again. Of course, my goal was to do better, but I knew the competition was going to be a lot harder so I was just going for my best."

D'Agostino continues raising the bar for IC cross country. Before she became the program's first female all-state (top 25) finisher by taking ninth last year (18:23), IC wasn't represented at state in years.

"Before the race, I told her whatever happened, she's still going to be all-state to me," IC coach Jeff Fredrickson said. "Just to get this far and to finish where she finished, it's still a great accomplishment for her."