Athlete of the Week: Ali Ince

Jonah Kramer, Sports Editor • Oct 28, 2021

Track Stats: Ince won three events at the 2021 IHSA State Track & Field meet. Ince was State champion in the 800m, 1600m, and the 1600m relay. Ince’s 800m time of 2:03.98 stands as the fastest ever run by an Illinois high school female. Ince’s mile time of 4:40.85 set a new State meet record.

Cross Country Stats: Ince holds a 3-mile personal best of 16:58. She placed 1st at Sectionals in 2020 and was the individual Big 12 Champion in 2020 and 2021.

Favorite Career Moment: Winning 1st place in the 1600m relay at the 2021 State meet with Abigail Ziemer, Jordynn Griffin, and Carina Engst. Ince anchored the race and passed 4 people in her leg. The race was pushed back to 10:30 p.m. due to weather delays.

Pre-Race Routine: Ince always has her hair in two braids and eats a banana before every race.

Biggest Strength as a Runner: Having a positive attitude about running and finishing races with a strong kick.

Favorite Course to Run: Detweiler Park in Peoria (Site of Big 12 Conference and State cross country meets)

Team Aspect of Cross Country: “Especially in cross country it is like a family . . . running is a difficult sport in general because there is a lot of pain and it takes a lot out of you . . . we get each other through that pain and we’re there to support each other.”

Favorite Snack: Chex Mix

Favorite Drink: Orange Gatorade

Favorite Subject: English

Other Activities: Basketball and Student Council

Favorite Athlete: Olympic middle-distance runner Athing Mu

What’s Next: Ince and the Lady Iron cross country team travel to Quincy for Sectionals Oct. 30 with the goal of qualifying for State

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About the Contributor

Jonah Kramer, Sports Editor

Jonah Kramer is a senior at Normal Community High School and participates in Best Buddies, FBLA and cross country. This is his second year working with the Inkspot, where he is a senior staff reporter. A random fact about me is that my front tooth has been broken five different times. My favorite film is Knives Out. What inspires me is Jesus Christ.