Look for veterans and newcomers to compete well throughout the season
1600m-
2018 State Champion: Campbell Petersen (Dunlap) 5:05.97
Key returners: Lydia Roller (So., Staunton), Jenna Schwartz (Sr., Waterloo), Chian Scott (Jr., Urbana), Alyssa McPike (Sr., Monticello), Emma Argo (Sr., Eureka), Payne Turney (Jr., Clinton)
Outlook: Will a bevy of graduation and classification defections hurt this event? The answer should be no since the "Mile" has been a premier event on the docket for several years. Jenna Schwartz returns as the top returner based on time. The defending 3200m champion ran a personal best 5:00.70 in a small meet last April. Although Schwartz placed seventh in the state meet in her secondary event, she made it clear after the state meet that she wants to go well under 5:00 and join her dad Nick Schwartz as the only father-daughter combo to win a state title.
Emma Argo should not be counted out here. She has clocked 5:13 in a limited number of contests and after anchoring her team to the 4x800 state runner up finish, her opponents are well aware of the danger that she presents.
Lydia Roller returns as the second best placer here running 5:10. After producing a great cross country season, it should be a natural process for her to run some amazing times and challenge Schwartz and Argo.