With the top four ranked girls cross country teams competing, the Class 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional was going to be a real test Saturday morning at Busse Woods.

And No. 1-ranked Prospect proved that it was ready for the challenge as the Knights ran to the championship over runner-up Barrington by a 52-75 margin. The Fillies were without injured junior standout Mia Sirois again, and she is not expected to run at the state meet either.

Lake Zurich took third place with 101 points while fourth-place Hersey (113 points), sixth-place Jacobs (209) and seventh-place Maine South (214) all earned berths downstate.

Prospect senior Meg Peterson (16:53.98) won the 3-mile race by six seconds over Barrington’s Victoria Tarara while freshman Lennox Szymonik led Jacobs in fourth place.

“We came in here with a lot of good energy, and this is the toughest sectional in the state,” said Prospect coach Pete Wintermute. “Meg Peterson might be one of the best kids I’ve ever coached, and in big meets she knows how to perform.”

The Knights got a sixth from Adelaide Gall, an 11th from Caitlin Resac, a 16th from Brooklyn Stocking and an 18th from Allison Kalkwarf.

“There was some really good competition, and I was trying to pass people,” Peterson said. “I feel like just going out and having fun (next Saturday) and keep doing what we’ve been doing all season will be the key.”

Barrington’s Angelica Hil took fifth while teammate Ashleigh Forbes took 12th.

“I thought we ran very well, we have so many of the top teams in the state here, and we all pushed each other,” said Barrington coach Debbie Revolta. “I don’t think it’s going to happen (Sirois running at state), and we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing.”

Freshman Graceleen Mabry led Hersey in seventh place while Tessie Bradley led Maine South in eighth. Warren’s Kaylee Wilson (ninth) earned an individual berth to state while Chloe Wettstein (13th) was Lake Zurich’s top runner.

“It’s the best sectional in the state, and if we run the way we did today we’ll have a chance to be on the podium,” Lake Zurich coach Jeremy Kauffman said. “We had four all-time PRs, and two season-bests.”

Hersey’s Alexa Izenstark placed 14th followed by Lake Zurich teammates Celia Blaylock (15th), Abigail Kocher (17th) and Elk Grove qualifier Reagan Malone (20th).

“(Szymonik) had a little bit of a stomach ache today, she was not feeling great, but we’ll take fourth place as a freshman,” Jacobs coach Kevin Christian said. “We’ve advanced to state three times in five years, and our No. 2 runner (Mackenzie Cronin, 28th) ran out of her mind with a PR by 30 seconds.”

Hersey’s JoJo Messer (23rd) and Schaumburg qualifier Dilana Kowaczek rounded out the top 25. Hoffman Estates’ Ella MacNider (30th), Schaumburg’s Iya Repple (31st), Fremd’s Isa Hasty (36th) and Stevenson’s Sienna Romero (37th) also advanced to state.

The Lake Zurich boys brought home the team title by an 85-91 margin over runner-up Prospect.

Also advancing downstate next Saturday were Hersey (103 points) in third, Fremd (172) in fifth, Palatine (195) in sixth and Libertyville (216) in seventh.

Lake Zurich senior Cameron Libby continued to shine with a winning time of 14:35.53 followed by Fremd’s Jack Jennings (14:38.47) in second and Palatine’s Alex Krieg in fourth.

“I just kind of stayed with the lead pack, and I was able to beat some good people to win here,” Libby said. “Next week we’re going to have a lot of fun, and we’re going to be out there competing.”

Lake Zurich’s Luke Marshall placed fifth followed by Hersey’s Mateus Salomao (sixth), Prospect’s Luke Robinson (seventh), Lake Zurich’s Karanveer Patil (eighth) and Buffalo Grove individual qualifier Riley Wold (10th).

“It was a great team race, we had guys step up all through the lineup, and the key was our fourth and fifth runners,” Lake Zurich coach J.B. Hanson said. “It always comes back to our fourth and fifth runners because our top three runners are as good as anybody’s.”

Fremd’s David Moore placed 11th to edge Conant qualifier Charlie Calderone in 12th and Grant qualifier Maxx Haas in 13th. Hersey’s Nathan Marotta placed 15th while Prospect’s trio of Landon Samp, Brody Cushing and Quinn Davis took places 17-19. Dundee-Crown junior Logan Grey (20th) also earned a berth to state.

“I’m very happy with our performance, and Luke Robinson ran incredible as our first guy,” Prospect coach Jay Renaud said. “It is our fifth trip to state in a row, which is a Prospect boys record, and we plan to run our best next week and see where we fall.”

Palatine got a 21st from James O’Sullivan while Buffalo Grove’s Nate Lipani (22nd) and McHenry’s Myles Wagner (23rd) earned trips downstate. Hersey’s Elliot Baik placed 24th followed by Maine South qualifier Collin Frye (25th) and Libertyville’s Filip Vojvodic (26th).

“I thought they ran really well, and I’m excited for them,” said Hersey coach Mike Glosson. “(Salomao) has had an unbelievable year for us, and he’s given us a front-runner that we didn’t have last year.”

Mundelein’s Eli Mendoza just missed a berth to state in 29th place.

“(Wold and Lipani) ran their best race when it mattered, and they are peaking at the right time,” Buffalo Grove coach Miguel Parra Garcia said. “We came up a little short on the team side only nine points from qualifying.”