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Illinois High School Cross Country Previews - 3A Girls TeamsPublished by
Naperville North, Yorkville lead teams in what could be best year ever for Illinois Girls teams
By Michael Newman
You would think when Illinois had two teams in Naperville North and Yorkville go to the Nike Cross Nationals, usually you would expect a drop-off from the school the following year. On the average 8 to 10 teams do not return the following year. Sometimes even more. 2018 will be different in many ways for Illinois teams. This is the deepest year for Girls teams in Illinois. Naperville North and Yorkville are back and could be stronger than the year before. There are seven more teams that have improved from last season that are in position to finish in the top three on November 3. When grading the teams and setting up the rankings list, there are usually two to three teams on the average on the first level. This year there are seven schools. I have never had that many teams on that first level in the six years that I have been using this system. Its going to be a great year. Here is a look at some of the top 3A Girls teams in Illinois for the start of the 2018 Illinois High School Cross-Country Season. Remember, the only rankings that count are the ones that are posted after the race is over state meet day.
1 Naperville North 2017 Finish – 2nd, Nike Cross Nationals, 3A State Champions Coach – Dan Iverson Top Runners – Alex Morris SR (7, 16:41), Campbell Petersen SO (2, 17:14 in 2A Race; transferred from Dunlap High School), Claire Hill SR (54, 17:52), Megan Driscoll SR (39, 17:42), Audrey Mendrys SO (75, 17:59), Maggie Gamboa SO (80, 18:03), Madeline Cody SO, Wagner Osborne JR, Molly Morton SO, Sophia Bruce SR, Claire Bruce JR, Julia O’Dekirk JR, Kate Donaldson SO, Lucy Westlake FR. Preview – Naperville North had the almost perfect season last fall first winning the 3A State Meet championship for the second year in a row and for the fourth time in six seasons. The Huskies followed that up with their best finish ever at the Nike Cross Nationals placing second only five points behind national powerhouse Fayetteville-Manlius. How do you better what you did the year before? Repeat and move up. The first thing that you do after a state title is think about what was accomplished and move ahead. Naperville North did that with a good summer of training. “I believe that we, to a person, took significant steps forward all summer long,” Coach Dan Iverson said. “Our Michigan trip was fantastic. It is a 278-mile trail relay. We run three equal teams of ten, and they stay together, working together to navigate the sand dunes and trails. Each of the girls average 27 total miles over three days and 5-6 legs each. It’s a tremendous challenge on a number of levels. They had to meet lots of challenges – some they can predict, and others they cannot. In all, we obviously need to get better by running more and faster all summer long. And we did. But the relay in Michigan puts the kids in a situation where they must confront some interesting additional challenges. I think we came back from that a better team.” The Huskies should be a better team than last season. They do lose multi All-American/All-State runner Sarah Schmitt now at Indiana University. Schmitt was the leader of that team. Another All-American, Alex Morris who finished 12th in Portland last December, should step into the leadership role and one of the top runners on the team. A huge plus this fall is the addition of Campbell Petersen who transferred from Dunlap. Petersen as a freshman was the team’s top runner on the way to a state championship. Now, the sophomore steps into a program where she should fit into. “She has really made significant efforts to get to know her new teammates, and her character has been most impressive to me this summer,” added Iverson. “She is also a tremendously-hard worker. The training this summer was new to her and adjusting to a new coach and style is always difficult, but she has done so very well. She is very coachable. I am really impressed with how she has fit in with the team, how hard she has worked and what she can add to our team in a number of levels.” Claire Hill should step in as a solid third runner for the team after finishing 54th a year ago. She progressed during the track season dropping her times. That should continue this cross-country season. “Claire has been a really accomplished mid-distance runner, but she looked great at the more XC-specific prep work we did this summer,” added Iverson. The team is deep going ten runners deep without blinking an eye in losing talent. Megan Driscoll along with sophomores Maggie Gamboa and Audrey Mendrys will be in the hunt for top five finishes. Madeline Cody and Wagner Osborne have showed improvement over the past year and could also find their way into the top five. Lucy Westlake, a freshman who is a nationally-ranked triathlete who is a good runner. She could step into the top seven early in the year according to Iverson. It is tough to repeat as a state champion as this team knows that. It is not going to be an easy jog in the park to get that title and this team has demonstrated that with the work that they have put in this summer. “Our expectations are high,” Iverson concluded. “Clearly, we will be strongly challenged by many throughout the state and region, but certainly, the girls are quite excited for a chance to take another step forward this season.” A state championship repeat is in their sights. A higher finish in Portland is also possible.”
2 Yorkville 2017 Finish – 18th, Nike Cross Nationals; 2nd, 3A State Meet Coach – Chris Muth Top Runners – Helena Kleronomos SO (17, 17:05), Emily Eberhart SR (22, 17:12), Olivia Borowiak SR (48, 17:49), Sara Klemm SO (60, 17:53), Hailey Simmons SO (61, 17:53), Nicole Greyer SR (148, 18:34), Kailey Fox JR (19:39, 188: ran in 1A State; moved from Peotone), Sam Moreno JR, Mady Klebnow JR, Victoria Crawford SR, Nicole Vergara SO, Anabela Penland SO. Preview – Yorkville to the next step up on the big stage last fall with hoping to take many more steps upward in 2018. After finishing second in last year’s 3A State Meet, they took the next step up by finishing second in the Nike Cross Midwest Regionals advancing to Portland for Nike Cross Nationals. They finished 18th in Nationals. “This was the best collective summer of training, team wise, as I have had as a coach at YHS,” said their coach Chris Muth. “I do feel like physically we are moving in a very positive direction as a program but have much to still achieve to reach our end goals. This group is dedicated and driven to be the best versions of themselves they can possibly be on the race course and as teammates. They weren't satisfied with the way they finished their season at NXN last year and made the necessary changes to take control of the controllable.” The Lady Foxes showed their inexperience as that was the first time they had raced in Portland. They got out too slow and were not able to get into the race thus finishing in 18th. It has been a chip on their shoulder all summer according to their top runner Emily Ehrhardt in what she said after Detweiller at Dark at the end of July. Yorkville showed what shape they were in at that race with Ehrhardt running 17:07 winning that race while the team had four runners within 20 seconds of each other. Five runners are back that have national experience and six that ran in last year’s state meet. In the July race in Peoria, Eberhart led the way with Helena Kleronomos and newcomer Kailey Fox 9 to 10 seconds back. Fox will be one of the wildcards for this team this fall. She ran for 1A Peotone last fall running 19:39 at the state meet. She moved to Yorkville in the winter and ran 11:11 for 3200-meters on the track. “She (Fox) is still very much in the learning process of racing fast and someone I could see making giant strides as the season advances and she becomes more confident in what she is capable of,” commented Muth. Olivia Borowiak was the team’s fourth runner last fall and again will contribute to the top five. She ran 17:27 at Det at Dark. Borowiak did not run in the national meets due to an injury she suffered the Monday after the state meet. Nicole Greyer will also contribute to the top seven. She did not have the best of season’s in 2017 and broke her foot after Distance Night in Palatine when she ran 11:17 for 3200-meters. She could be a factor by the time Yorkville gets to the state series. Sophomores Sara Klemm and Hailey Simmons were part of the state and national teams last fall and will make this team that much deeper in 2018. Yorkville will have the power up front like they did last year when they had three all-state runners. We could see the same type of team for the Lady Foxes with the possibility of four runners in the top 25 when we get to Detweiller. The key of the development of a fifth runner for this squad. That is vital. There split on the top five last year was 51 seconds. Through four runners in the state meet, that split was 46 seconds. It will be a tighter first four split for this team as evidenced by the July race. Naperville North won the “one on one” battles at state. That can’t happen this year for this team to claim the championship. “We talk about team goals and individual goals the first day of the season, but our expectations are really the same every season and that is to compete with and at the highest levels possible,” Muth added. “We would love the opportunity to compete again at NXN and last year’s finish wasn't what we hoped for, but the Illinois state meet is always our number one goal and we won't be looking past November 3rd. In my view, Illinois girls 3A, is one of the deepest states team wise in the country and should be an exciting competitive year from beginning to end.”
3 Downers Grove South 2017 Finish – 5th, 3A State Coach – Doug Plunkett Top Runners – Brenna Cohoon JR (19, 17:08), Melissa Weidner SR (52, 17:51), Kennedy Warden JR (55, 17:52), Erin Reidy JR (62, 17:54), Becky Versaskas SR (67, 17:56), Rebecca Diddia SO (95, 18:09), Olivia Duax SR, Olivia Meyer SO, Alison Calek SR, Maya Scheck SO, Julia Lalonde SR, Renee Nicholson SO, Kelsey Casella FR, Alex Spang FR, Sophia McNerney FR. Preview – The third of the many power house Girls teams in Illinois is Downers Grove South. The Lady Mustangs are loaded with talent like last year when they finished fifth in the state meet just 10 points behind third-place Lyons Township and a single point behind fourth-place Wheaton-Warrenville South. The top six runners are back from the state team and go as deep as 11 runners that could step into one of those seven spots. This talent is close on the course but seems to be closer off it. Those things can go a long way by the end of a season. “We finished the summer with our annual camping trip and it was a great experience,” Doug Plunkett said. “One thing that stood out was the leadership of our seniors and team captains. They've worked very hard to teach the traditions and work ethic to our younger runners this summer. We have the largest freshmen class (20+ girls) that we've had in more than 10 years and when we finished the camping trip, they didn't seem like freshmen anymore. By the time we finished camp (which included the Det at Dark race for the first time), it was obvious that they are running for each other as well as themselves.” Brenna Cohoon is the leader of this team. She earned All-State honors in the fall by placing 19th at Detweiller. She came back on the track to finish seventh in the 3200 Meter Run with a 10:49.59 personal best. She is one of the runners to watch in finishing in the top ten in November. Then it comes down to the pack that other teams seem to fear. They are interchangeable. In the final three races of the season, they were on different positions on the team other than Cohoon and her top spot. The combination of Melissa Weidner, Kennedy Warden, Erin Reidy, and Becky Versaskas were separated by only five seconds with Rebecca Diddia, their sixth runner, less than 15 seconds back. You can add in Olivia Duax that will make an impact. The senior was the team’s fifth runner at Detweiller at Dark in July and will push for a top five spot. “I'm really happy with how our training has gone this summer. It's been one of the most steady and consistent summers we've had in my 18 years at DGS,” Plunkett added. “Brenna Cohoon still projects to be our #1 runner, but I feel that any of our next 4 or 5 runners (Erin Reidy, Melissa Weidner, Becky Versaskas, Kennedy Warden, Becca Diddia) could be #2 on any given day. They all had breakout performances this past track season, but maybe none more so than Erin Reidy. She is determined to put her 2:11/4:59 talent to the test for 3 miles. The strength of our team over the last 2 seasons has been our tight 2-5 pack and that group is committed to keeping the pack together, but our improvement will come from closing the gap from that pack to the #1 runner.” Plunkett is right in getting the pack closer to Cohoon especially how good the Illinois Girls teams will be this fall. The gap from Cohoon to the rest of the pack was 31 seconds in their sectional race. It grew to 43 seconds at state. We know that their pack will be tight throughout this season. Staying as close as 20 seconds to their front runner makes this team a contender for a state championship. “This returning group is highly motivated to improve on last year's state finish and contend for the state title,” Plunkett concluded with. “That's a tall order with so many good teams in Illinois, but they are going to fight all the way to November 3rd and see how it all plays out. Naperville North and Yorkville are clearly the early season front runners, but I think that our team, along with WWS, Lyons Township, Barrington, and maybe a few others can give them a challenge before the season is over.”
4 Wheaton-Warrenville South 2017 Finish – 4th, 3A State Coach – Rob Harvey Top Runners – Samantha Poglitsch SO (11, 17:01), Haley Ansiel JR (44, 17:47), Kaitlyn Nenninger JR (51, 17:50), Maria Rucoba JR (63, 17:54), Laurel Moneysmith SR (85, 18:06), Becca Hauenstein SO (92, 18:08), Sarah Kulkarni SR (143, 18:31), Tess Rucoba JR, Mikaela Cooper SO, Erica Emmerick JR, Jennifer Schaeffer SR, Samantha Buol JR. Preview – The Lady Tigers stayed in the shadows most of last season before peaking at the right time during the state series. South looked strong with convincing wins in their regional and sectional meets before finishing fourth in the state meet. 2017 was a year of experience for this team especially with all of their runners from that top seven returning. “We have a very large freshmen class with 18 runners, said Rob Harvey. It is one of the biggest in program’s history. There are a few girls who could have an impact. All our top girls had great summer of training. As a group and individually, the best they and our program has ever had.” Great things happen when a team is working to one goal. That’s what appears is happening in Wheaton. It starts with their top runner Samantha Poglitsch. As a freshman last fall, she was splitting time between running and club soccer. That resulted in an 11th place finish at state and the fastest freshman in the meet. Poglitsch putt all her attention towards running in the spring and that paid off with a 5:00.05 personal best for 1600-meters and then a sixth-place finish in the state meet at the same distance. At the end of her freshman season, she was not running like a freshman. “She's a very focused runner,” Harvey added. “Sam's made a great transition into a full-time runner. She's ready to make the needed steps in her development to a great runner.” A bonus for the team is the improvement of senior Laurel Moneysmith. She was the fifth/sixth runner at the end of last season. Moneysmith had a great track season qualifying for the state meet running a personal best 11:05.30 for 3200-meters. That momentum continued for her over the summer to the point where she could be running with Poglitsch in the fall. Said Harvey: “Her summer was spectacular. Laurel is taking the very positive momentum from her excellent spring and is ready for a great cross-country season.” The two to five split for the Tigers at state was 19 seconds with Haley Ansiel, Kaitlyn Nenninger, and Maria Rucoba leading that pack. You could also expect Sarah Kulkarni to contribute to her top five in her senior season. Poglitsch will be one of the top five runners in the state. Moneysmith among the all-state runners in November is obviously a plus. Keeping a five-runner split under 50 seconds off Poglitsch will be a bigger plus. They will need a tight pack to compete with the other teams in the state. From what this team has done this summer, they are in the right direction to do something special.
5 Barrington 2017 Finish – 8th, 3A State Coach – Debbie Revolta Top Runners – Molly FitzPatrick SO (21, 17:10), Katherine Shein SO (68, 17:56), Anne Berquist SO (81, 18:04), Alyssa Norris JR (132, 18:27), Eve Hoeltgen SR (182, 19:03), Sophie Hoeltgen SR (207, 19:53), Morgan Magro SO, Julia Renetzky SO, Maddy Dervin SR, Delaney Brienen JR, Shelby Petersen SR, Bella Fier JR. Preview – The Fillies thought they had hit the wall leaving Detweiller Park last November after finishing eighth in last year’s 3A state meet. They showed their character the following week by finishing third in the Nike Cross Midwest Regional. They were a team on the rise that deserved the chance to run in Portland. They did not get that chance. Jocelyn Long graduating was a loss for this team. They will not be a surprise this season with their remaining six runners back. “Training went well this summer,” said coach Debbie Revolta. “We had a good core group put in the miles. We may start out a little slow as we nurse some nagging aches and pains in a couple of athletes. This should not affect us up front but will keep our 4-5 runners from being where they should be at this point.” It will be three sophomores that should lead the charge for the Fillies led by Molly Fitzpatrick. She was a surprise for Barrington early last season but developed to a go to second runner for the team earning all-state honors (21st place). Fitzpatrick could be one of the top ten runners in the state taking over the top spot from Long. Katherine Shein and Anne Berquist are fellow sophomores that will be strong two/three runners for this tea. They could also place in the top 50 when we get to November. “All three freshmen (incoming sophomores this year) now know what it takes to be competitive at the state level and this will help quite a bit for this season,” added Revolta. The three to five runner split at state last year was 31 seconds. The following week at the NXR Midwest Regional, that gap was only 16 seconds. Alyssa Norris along with sisters Eve and Sophie Hoeltgen will solidify the end of the top five. Fitzpatrick will get the team low numbers up front, but their pack needs to stay at or under 30 seconds especially by the time the state series begins. “Our goals for this season will be to get better from week to week being our strongest for the sectional and state meets,” Revolta stated. “We also would like to improve upon our finish from last season at the state meet and then have another great race at NXR. Not making it to NXN last year has really motivated the girls. They know that every meet counts. They believe they can run with some of the good teams in Illinois as well teams from other states.”
6 Batavia 2017 Finish – 9th, 3A State Coach – Chad Hillman Top Runners – Mia Gianfrancesco JR (13, 17:04), Erin O’Brien JR (59, 17:53), Jenna Schifferer SO (98, 18:10), Alexa Andrews SR (128, 18:26), Audrey Pellico JR (164, 18:44), Katrina Schlenker FR (IESA 2A State Champ), Anissa Garcia JR, Annie Sellenberg SO, Katie Cole JR, Josephine Adams, Lillian Damico SO, Lydia Sydlowski SO. Preview – 2018 will be a season of new beginnings for the Bulldogs. Batavia left the Upstate Eight Conference at the end of last year to move to the new DuKane Conference along with state power Wheaton-Warrenville South. They also welcome a freshman Katrina Schlenker who has the promise to be one of the top runners in the state. Schlenker won the IESA 3A Championship last fall. In the spring, she broke Anna Sophia Keller’s eighth-grade record by running 4:59.57 for 1600-meters to win the eighth-grade AA championship as well breaking the state record in the 800 Meter Run (2:16.22). “Katrina will be a big impact immediately,” said Chad Hillman. “She has a good chance to be one of the state’s best. She has the work ethic and determination to do so.” Batavia has the talent to get into the top three at state returning five runners from last year’s ninth-place state team. “Our training has gone well,” Hillman said. “All our top returners have done more than previous years and are very motivated to be better than last year. Each girl has trained like they have great individual goals to achieve. That should bode well for our team accomplishments.” That starts with their top returning runner Mia Gianfrancesco who finished 13th last year as a sophomore. There was a 49 second gap between her and Erin O’Brien last year. O’Brien will challenge for the third spot with Audrey Pellico who was the team’s seventh runner at state. “Audrey dealt with injury last season after having a good summer so was never 100% or even 75% really,” Hillman added. “She stepped up her training in a big way this summer and is very determined to have a great season. She’s very confident right now and looks great.” Jenna Schifferer and Alexa Andrews look to be runners that will be challenging for the fifth and final scoring spot. You should see an improvement on the pack from three to five perhaps from 25 to 30 seconds. The Bulldogs could have the benefit of two runners placing in the top ten at state. They will need to have their other scorers in the top 60 to challenge for a state trophy. “My expectations are to be better every day in some way and the girls have done that so far. They want to be better and are working for it,” Hillman added. “We added the Naperville Twilight this season and are very excited and grateful for the opportunity to race in such a tremendous atmosphere with so many of the best programs in Illinois. That meet along with the new DuKane Conference make for a tougher schedule.”
7 LaGrange Lyons Township 2017 Finish – 3rd, 3A State Coach – Alex Lyons Top Runners – Marta Kogucki SR (29, 17:35), Emily Henkel SR (32, 17:38), Kate Dickman SO (38, 17:41), Maddie Cranny JR (139, 18:29), Sarah Barcelona SR, Maggie Abbs JR, Claire Williams SO, Nora Whelton SR, Leah Paliakas JR, Maggie Vear JR, Kate Ferrell SO, Ally Savrussi JR. Preview – If there was one surprise team in 3A last fall it was Lyons Township and what they accomplished at the end of last season. The Lions finished third in the WSC-Silver Conference Meet followed by wins at the Lyons Township Regional and the Hinsdale Central Sectional. They then made the podium at state taking a trophy back to LaGrange finishing third without an all-state runner. “The training has been fine,” Alex Lyons said. “The girls have done a good job getting their work done while remaining patient and respecting the length of the season.” Their top four of their top runners are back led by 29th place finisher Marta Kogucki. Emily Henkel and Kate Dickman were within six seconds of Kogucki giving this team a solid top three. Henkel suffered an injury during the track season and should start to run again in the next couple of weeks. Getting her healthy will be a priority for this team this fall. It could be a solid top four if Sarah Barcelona recovers from an injury that forced her to miss all junior season in 2017. In 2016 as a sophomore, Barcelona ran 17:03 to finish 11th in the 3A meet. “Sarah is back running,” Coach Lyons said. “We are being very patient and just taking care of the day in front of us. It's great to have Sarah working out with the group again, but her most valuable contributions come in other areas. She understands what it's like to deal with setbacks, and she has a lot of valuable insights to offer her teammates. A teammate's words always carry more weight than a coach's.” Maddie Cranny, Maggie Abbs, and Claire Williams all could challenge for a top five spot. Three were within two seconds of each other in their conference race. Cranny ended up the team’s sixth runner at state. This is a strong packing team evidence by their finish of a year ago. The Lions ran 5 in the top 22 in their sectional with a 49 second split on the top five. The state split on the group was only 33 seconds. It would not surprise me if this team sneaks up on others again this year. The top three in the top 25 is a possibility. Getting their top five split under 45 seconds could be something that gets this team in the mix for another trophy. The addition of Barcelona, if she is healthy, could make this team extremely tough. The team will have some bumps early on with Henkel out. “Our expectations are the same as they've been the previous seasons: work hard, take care of one another, and enter the season with an exploratory mindset,” Coach Lyons stated. “We're interested in each athlete getting better and staying open to possibilities. The girls understand that the best way to do well at the end of the year is to concentrate on their learning process.”
8 Lisle Benet Academy 2017 Finish – 11th, 3A State Coach – Scott Brooks Top Runners – Mae Tully SR (43, 17:47), Kelly Andrews SO (69, 17:56), Emily Spellman SO (71, 17:58), Elisabeth Camic SO 106, 18:15), Meaghan Andrews SO (135, 18:28), Joy Jackson SO (153, 18:37), Karly Keating SO (171, 18:49), Beth Croll JR, Nicole Kowalczyk JR, Coleen McCabe SR, Greta Maras SR, Kaeli Ross SR. Preview – No one saw Benet Academy coming at the same time last year. Nobody. The Redwings finished an improbable season first finishing fourth in the Hinsdale Central and then 11th in the state meet. They accomplished that with six freshman and a sophomore in their top seven. Not too many teams have finished in the top half of the large school state meet with that kind of lineup. “I think anyone who has 6 freshmen in their top 7 would have to be surprised to finish in the top 10 at State,” said Benet Coach Scott Brooks. “Their composure throughout the season was remarkable. They were impressively consistent in practice as well as meets. Even though we didn’t run our best possible race at State, it was amazing that none of them blew up and ran terribly given their inexperience and the pressure of a State Meet. That says a lot about their maturity.” Their top seven is interchangeable. Mae Tully and Kelly Andrews traded off the top spot for the final four meets of last season with only nine seconds separating the two at state with Emily Spellman the third runner just two seconds behind Andrews. Sophomores Meaghan Andrews and Elisabeth Camic were the other runners in the top five that formed a 41 second split at state on the top five. Joy Jackson and Karty Keating were the other runners on the state team that at times ran in the top five. Benet Academy was not in eyesight for a top finish last year and see what they did. Entering this season, they could enter the spotlight as a team that could be in the mix for a trophy. Moving their pack closer to the front will be something to watch for from this team. “Normally, sophomores almost take an automatic leap forward just due to experience and improved fitness, so that makes me optimistic,” Brooks added. “I know after last season, I thought challenging for a trophy this season wasn’t out of the question, but I’m not comfortable saying that about us right now because I don’t have any idea how fit we are, and you can’t make up for lost training if that’s a problem. I think even if we are in shape, there is a dynamic of running the whole summer together that we are missing, so I’m a little more hesitant to hype us up than if we’d been together as a team throughout the summer. That said, I am expecting the team to start the season in better shape than last year. Given that expectation, I’ll be disappointed if we don’t improve on our finish from last year and I’m confident saying the girls would agree with me.”
9 Minooka 2017 Finish – 7th, 3A State Coach – Kevin Gummerson Top Runners – Vivian Van Eck SR (26, 17:37), Julia Dames JR (49, 17:49), Katelyn Gall SR (93, 18:08), Amanda Wilson JR (160, 18:42), Maddie Olenick JR, Nina Shanahan JR, Mary Rushing SO, Olivia Krolczyk SO, Alexis Marti SR, Kaylee Ratcliff JR, Bella Encinas SO, Olivia Kics JR, Alyssa Hrusosky FR, Audrey Boles FR. Preview – Emily Shelton was the last of the big three leaders from their 2015 state that graduated last spring. Shelton, Mackenzie Callahan, and Ashley Tutt did so much to build on the Minooka Girls team tradition. Now it is a new group’s turn. The Indians finished ninth at last year’s state meet with four of that top seven back. “I have been impressed with the focus of the group this summer,” Kevin Gummerson said. “With a great group just graduating, this senior class has been waiting to take over this team, and make sure they are doing the work as well as setting the example for the younger kids. I started to see that attitude really emerge this spring, and it has carried over throughout the summer. Vivian Van Eck and Kate Gall are a couple of seniors that have been in some big meets throughout their career, and they want to lead this team to a strong season and make sure the younger kids get to experience what they had an opportunity to do.” Vivian Van Eck missed out on an all-state finish last fall by one spot after finishing 23rd as a sophomore in 2016. She is hungry to get back into the top 25 this November. Julia Dames has showed great improvement after placing 49th as the team’s third runner. Katelyn Gall and Amanda Wilson should give Minooka a solid third and fourth runners. Something to watch early in this season is who steps up as the team’s fifth runner. Mary Rushing, Olivia Krolczyk, Maddie Olenick, and Nina Shanahan all could be that runner. It is hard to tell how this team shapes up at this point. With Van Eck a possible all-state finisher, keeping a split of 50 seconds or under on the top five could get this team into the top five by the end of the season. “I really like the look of this team, and there is no doubt we are going to get better as the season progresses,” Gummerson stated. “There is a certain intensity about this group that is going to be key. As always, we want to be a team that does things the right way and races with enthusiasm. I know this is a team that has the ability to qualify for the state meet, and then go out there and put together a great team race.”
10 Glen Ellyn Glenbard West 2017 Finish – 6th, 3A State Coach – Paul Hass Top Runners – Katelynne Hart JR (1, 16:22), Katie Hohe SR (16, 17:05), Abby Hoffman SR (122, 18:22), Chloe Connelly SR (131, 18:27), Lauren Pappas SR (192, 19:15), Aaliyah Collier JR, Grace Oh SR, Bailey Jackson JR, Julianne Billings JR, Olivia Cline SO, Teagan Palm SO, Belle Adducci SO. Preview – The formula for figuring the team score for Glenbard West is quite simple. Add the places of their second through fifth runners and just add one. Katelynne Hart has emerged as one of the top runners in the nation and again this fall will look for her third straight individual state championship. Glenbard West will miss graduated Lindsey Payne who was the heart and soul of this team the past couple of years. Four other runners are back from last season’s sixth-place state team. “The training this summer was fairly typical of past summers in that the girls worked very hard and got in their mileage at our summer camp when they were not on vacation, or out of town for a variety of other reasons,” Paul Hass said. “Girls who were gone, nevertheless, got their running in so I feel that the team has developed a very good mileage base. However, once the season begins, team success will be truly dependent upon how well the girls develop into a cohesive unit that is willing to work toward one common goal and support each other along the way. If each girl is willing to make the sacrifices necessary to fulfill their potential, while also motivating their teammates to do the same, then we will have a very strong team, and one that may possess more depth than we have had in the recent past.” One addition (if you can call it that) is that Katie Hohe is 100% healthy after mono sidelined her the end of her sophomore season. She still finished 16th last November, but the telling sign that she was back when she earned all-state honors in track placing fifth in the 1600 Meter Run. Hohe finishing in the top five is something that we could see at the end of the year. Hass said his team could be deeper than last year and he is right. Abby Hoffman, Chloe Connelly and Lauren Pappas are the senior group that could fill out the rest of the top five for the Hilltoppers. The three were within an average of 45 seconds of each other in the final four races in 2017. That split will need to shrink by at least 20 seconds which is possible. Olivia Cline had a strong summer of training and could be a surprise in the top seven. Getting their three to five runners within 45 seconds of Hohe could mean big things for this team. “We as a team have no illusions about the challenges that lie ahead for us this season given the significant number of talented teams and coaches that exist in Illinois,” added Hass. “Specifically, our conference always provides a good test for us as Lyons Township, Hinsdale Central, and York all qualified for state last year and return key elements of their teams, not to mention a young and talented Wheaton South squad who we battled in each stage of the state series. That said, the girls have worked hard this summer to prepare themselves for a difficult but, hopefully, rewarding season. We will likely wear the underdog label in most of the big invitationals on our schedule this year, but the girls look forward to the possibility of changing people’s minds about the outlook of our team as the season progresses.”
11 Winnetka New Trier 2017 Finish – 13th, 3A State Coach – John Burnside Top Runners – Caroline Truckenbrod SR (83, 18:04), Leah Ulrich SR (87, 18:06), Bridget Forbes JR (94, 18:09), Maddie Dieffenbacher JR (103, 18:13), Elizabeth Finnigan SR (104, 18:13), Marlee Fradkin JR (117, 18:20), Eileen Wolff SR, Paige Tangney SR, Olivia Bhote SO, Emma Brobend SO, Kiran Awatramani JR. Preview – The Trevians demonstrated what pack running was about last fall in finishing 13th in the 3A state meet. Six of their top seven are back from that team. Their top five split in the race was only ten seconds. With that close of a split, the top spot is interchangeable. Caroline Truckenbrod was the top runner at Detweiller with fellow senior Leah Ulrich only three seconds back. Bridget Forbes, Maddie Dieffenbacher, and Elizabeth Finnigan were the other runners in that state top five. Marlee Fradkin, Eileen Wolf, and Paige Tangney all have the talent to also run in the top seven. Their freshman class could be the strongest and deepest group that they have had in a while according to Coach John Burnside. They could be contributors in what could be the deepest team in the state. Their pack could be one of the toughest in the state but will need to move closer to the front in races for it to be effective. The pack will be great in smaller invitationals. In the huge meets like state, we saw how it worked last year. The first runner and the pack started at 83rd place. Getting the pack started around 40th to 45th place at state make this team dangerous and another squad that could challenge for a finish in the top five. “Summer training went extremely well. Probably the most important aspect was the improving health of several of the runners,” Burnside said. “Our tight pack will continue to be our strength moving forward. Each member of the team has different strengths and they have really learned to work together to capitalize on those positive aspects of their training and racing.”
12 Hinsdale Central 2017 Finish – 10th, 3A State Coach – Mark McCabe Top Runners – McKenna Revord JR (24, 17:23), Lucy Fischer JR (121, 18:21), Kayla Byrne SR (144, 18:29), Bella Pisani SR (167, 18:46), Melanie Chafin SR (204, 19:31), Caitlin Chval SR, Charlie Otto SR, Olivia Giammancio SR, Olivia O’Bryan SR, Liz Youngman JR, Olivia Beargle JR, Diana Denemark SO. Preview – The third team from the WSC-Silver in the 3A rankings. The Red Devilettes will look to improve on last year’s tenth-place state team. They will need to do it without graduated Reilly Revord and Grace McCabe who have been the nucleus of this program for the past four years. “With the graduation of Grace and Reilly, we enter 2018 as a different team, but also a veteran, talented, and highly motivated one,” Mark McCabe said. “Seniors Bella Pisani and Kayla Byrne stepped right in to fill that leadership void and have taken charge of building the team’s momentum for this fall.” The rest of the top seven are back from last year’s state team led by McKenna Revord who finished 24th in that race. She earned all-state honors by placing ninth in the 3200 Meter Run last spring. We could see bigger things from this junior this fall. There are several runners with big meet experience led by Pisani, Byrne, Lucy Fischer, Melanie Chafin, and Caitlin Chval are all capable of filling top five spots. This team is not as deep as they were last season. A key is finding who will step into the two and three spots left open from graduation. The team had a 66 second split off Revord in last year’s state meet. There will be a different feel for this team in 2018. The split is projected to be 82 seconds on their scorers heading into this season. The dynamics are changes with Revord having a 45 to 50 second on the group, then the pack has only 26 second split on the next four. Revord will get the team the low number in the front. Getting that pack closer to Revord will be a key. “We had a great summer of training,” McCabe added. “We have carefully upped volume this summer (we are a low volume program) and are fit and completely healthy. The talent is there with four runners at 5:11 or faster at 1600-meters. If we stay healthy, we will be tough.”
13 Naperville Central 2017 Finish – 14th, 3A State Coach – Matt Blondell Top Runners – Emily R. Scott JR (74, 17:59), Cora Marcet SO (105, 18:15), Kayla Zimmer JR (124, 18:22), Althea Foster JR (136, 18:28), Madeline Engels SR, Kate Serima JR, Michelle Loar JR, Carlyn Sokol JR, Indya Smith-Johnson JR, Noelle Veome JR, Thrisha Bandipallee SO, Haley Engels SO, Ellen Spencer SR. Preview – The RedHawks will look to improve on last year’s 14th place finish at state four runners back from that state team. Emily R Scott was the team’s top runner at state and should lead this team again. Kayla Zimmer, the team’s sixth-runner at the end of last year and could be close to Scott in the team’s pack running philosophy. Cora Marcet, Maddy Engels, and Carlyn Sokol could find their way into the top five. Engels and Sokol were not in last year’s top seven but have worked hard to improve their distance skills to be awesome three-mile racers for the team according to Coach Matt Blondell. The team should have a tight pack on their top five near 40 seconds. It was only 24 seconds in last year’s state meet. Work early in the season to get that split down and get the pack closer to the front is something to check by the time of the Naperville Twilight Invitational in October. “Our girls are very excited for the season,” said Blondell. “They have already set a goal of placing near the top of the conference at all levels and returning to the state meet. They have set high aspirations of finishing in the top 10 at state. We have the pieces of the puzzle to do so. As long as their work ethic and positive attitudes continue to align with these team goals, we have an excellent shot at achieving them. This team has a lot of potential to achieve great things.”
14 Cary-Grove 2017 Finish – 19th, 3A State Coach – Mark Anderson/Tom Smith Top Runners – Allison Drage JR (45, 17:47), Ellie Miller SO (111, 18:18), Morgan Dieschbourg SO (113, 18:19), Delaney Blohm SO (125, 18:24), Teagan Hayes JR (189, 19:11), Jesse Hill JR (208, 19:56), Abby Williams SO, Maddy Borzych JR, Steph Dunphy JR, Claire Wallis JR, Izzy Ramirez SR, Emily Mohr SR. Preview – The Trojans were surprise at the end of last season finishing fourth to qualify for the state meet form the Hoffman Estates Sectional and then 19th the following week at Detweiller Park. Cary-Grove will not sneak up on anyone this fall especially with six runners back from that state team. Allison Drage was the team’s top runner throughout last year ending with a 45th place finish at state. Drage could be among the top 30 this November. Their second through fourth pack was tough as Ellie Miller, Morgan Dieschbourg, and Delaney Blohm were all within six seconds of each other at Detweiller. That will be a plus for this team but will need to close the gap to under 20 seconds on Drage to improve this team’s finish. Teagan Hayes was 47 seconds as the team’s fifth runner. Getting her close to the pack would be a plus for the Trojans.
15 Oswego 2017 Finish – 12th, 3A State Coach – Eric Simon Top Runners – Isabelle Christiansen SR (27, 17:31), Caitlin Guist SR (84, 18:05), Ella Hale SO (123, 18:22), Isabel Aguado SR (174, 18:51), Jaycie Simon SR (180, 19:01), Jazmin Russell JR, Sofia Ballesteros SO, Peyton Brueck SO, Molly Krall JR, Sydney Luchyn SR, Madison Etheridge JR. Preview – A team that could shock some teams in the top ten. The Panthers have 11 of their top 13 back from a team that finished 12th in last year’s state meet. “We had a very good summer with great consistency from our core group,” Eric Simon said. “Our long runs, threshold runs, and hill work has been good, and we added some vo2max work the last few weeks of summer. We extended our preparation phase by two weeks this season hoping it pays dividends later. There is a great mix of veteran leadership and youth. I like what I have seen so far this summer.” Isabelle Christiansen has been healthy for almost a year now and her health showed in the state track meet. Christiansen was part of Oswego’s sixth-place finish in the 3200 Meter Relay and then came back to finish seventh in the 1600 Meter Run. She finished 27th at Detweiller last fall running 17:31. She ran five seconds faster at Detweiller at Dark in July showing she could be among the top ten in November. Sophomores Ella Hale and Peyton Brueck had good summers and could be in one of the top five spots. Seniors Jaycie Simon, Caitlin Guist, and Isabel Aguado will give Oswego a strong nucleus in their top five. Their split on the top five at the end of last season was 80 seconds. The returned talent could cut that split down from 65 to 70 seconds. “Our team has high expectations for this season. They would like to improve on their 12th place finish from a year ago and want to see how far they might be able to push into the top 10,” Coach Simon added.
16 Palatine 2017 Finish – 17th, 3A State Coach – Joe Parks Top Runners – Anne Marie Jordan SO (73, 17:59), Kate Lechowicz SR (82, 18:04), Liz Lechowicz SR (107, 18:16), Christina Buckstaff JR (195, 19:20), Ellie Roy SO, Laura Seeberger SO, Holly van DeCotte JR, Nicole Sobkowiak JR, Jennifer Lopez SO, Daniela Casillas JR, Klaudia Kuzma SO, Ivonne Malagon SR. Preview – The Lady Pirates have the talent up front to challenge most of the top teams in the state. Anne Marie Jordan along with sisters Kate and Liz Lechowicz led their team to a 17th place finish in the state meet. Their sixth runner from last year Christina Buckstaff may return sometime during the season after having hip surgery in May. “This will be a very interesting season,” Coach Joe Parks said. “We have a very solid top 3 in Kate, Liz, and Anne Marie who are 5:10 range for 1600m and sub-11 for 3200m but have a lot of unexperienced youth behind them.” Elle Roy showed promise early last season in the top five before an injury forced out for most of the season. She did get some experience during the NXR Midwest Regional. Sophomores Mia Solano and Laura Seeberger could find spots in the top five along with freshman Elise Condon. Junior Daniela Casillas is over the hamstring issues that she struggled through last year. She could also play a part in Palatine’s top seven. The development of this team could take a little. We could get an idea of good the four through seven runners are by October. “We will have to be very patient with this group and do our very best to keep our pieces healthy to be successful,” Parks said. “We are excited about this groups potential and to see them develop as a team this fall.”
17 Elmhurst York 2017 Finish – 24th, 3A State Coach – Lauren DeAngelis Top Runners – Sarah May SR (64, 17:55), Lydia Hickey JR (159, 18:42), Kelly Leonard SR (179, 18:59), Emma Kern JR (181, 19:01), Anna Morley SR (198, 19:22), Grace Moriarty JR, Gianna Stephan SO, Francesca Mordini SR, Sarah Pinkowski SR, Abby Ross SR, Margaret Clink JR, CeCe Stumpf SR. Preview – It was not the best race for the Lady Dukes at last November’s state meet. York finished 24th on that day. Sarah May leads four others back from last year’s top seven. “Summer training went very well for the team,” said Lauren DeAngelis. “We have increased the teams miles, hill repeats, tempo runs and have stressed the importance of dedication and balance (academics, athletics, nutrition, etc.).” May has been the top runner on the squad for most of her high school career. In her senior year, look for her to step up to the top spot. Injuries slowed her down as she finished 64th. She was all-state as a sophomore (21st place). “Sarah is healthy and looking extremely strong,” said DeAngelis. “She is the foundation of this varsity squad who is returning a strong veteran running class.” Anna Morley had a good summer of training and should be among the front runners on this team along with Lydia Hickey and Maya Curry who missed last season due to injury. Top five runners from last year Emma Kern and Kelly Leonard along with Grace Moriarty give this team a deep and strong top five. The split on their top five off May was 65 seconds with a 32 split between May and the pack. The top five split in their sectional race was only 42 seconds. It figures that May will be closer to the front in the 2018 races. Keeping the top five within 30 to 35 seconds of her could mean big things for York. Positioning and moving during their races will be a key for this team. “The entire team is looking very strong and our team expectation is to place higher on all levels in the WSC Silver Division,” added DeAngelis.
18 Edwardsville 2017 Finish – 16th, 3A State Coach – George Patrylak Top Runners – Abby Korak JR (30, 17:35), Emiley England SO (173, 18:51), Jaycie Hudson SR (175, 18:51), Elise Krone SR (183, 19:04), Hannah Stuart SR, Kiara Delgado SR, Rachel Kubicek SR, Kaitlyn Loyet SO, Lauren Ladd JR, Anna Singh FR, Alissa Lueking FR. Preview – Abby Korak could be the second runner in the Edwardsville Girls program that could earn cross-country all-state honors in 2018. That is possible considering she finished 30th a year ago. Korak is one of three other runners back from the state top seven that will return. It will hurt that their third runner Abby Schrobilgen moved and will not be on the team this fall. There could be a gap from one to two of near 60 seconds with Emiley England, Maddie Miller, and Hannah Stuart the runners that jump out. Miller missed the majority of last season due to injury. She was the team’s sixth runner in the 2016 state meet and has showed improvement over the past year. “I feel like our projected varsity top seven runners had a strong summer,” George Patrylak said. “If our girls can stay healthy and we get a few positive surprises, we should be able to qualify for State and (hopefully) have a better finish this year than last.”
19 Lockport Township 2017 Finish – 23rd, 3A State Coach – Regan Cronholm Top Runners – Alexandra Skibicki JR (130, 18:26), Abbey Kozak JR (134, 18:28), Kate Wojcikiewicz SR (140, 18:29), Anna Kozak JR (147, 18:34), Madison Polinski JR (155, 18:37), Meagan Mitchell SO (170, 18:47), Josephine Bober SO, Melissa Maas SR, Tess Diamond SR, Emma Felber SO, Eleanor Henderson JR, Katerina Klementzos JR. Preview – The name of the game for the Lady Porters is tight pack running resulting in excellent results. Reagan Cronholm steps in as the new coach for the team. She is welcomed the top six runners from last year’s 23rd place team. Expect the pack running continue on this squad. It seems to be the culture in this program. The top five spread at last year’s state meet was only 17 seconds. Alexandra Skibicki was a consistent top runner for the team last season. The other four spots in the top five were interchangeable. Juniors Abbey and Anna Kozak, Madison Polinski along with senior Kate Wojcikiewicz give Lockport again a strong top five. The definite key for this team has to be moving the pack closer to the front. A split under 20 seconds is a good thing, but not when that pack is so far back. That is what happened to Lockport a year ago. This team can be dangerous by the time the state series begins. A 15 to 20 second improvement per running could put this team in a great position.
20 O’Fallon 2017 Finish – 6th, 3A Granite City Sectional Coach – Neil James Top Runners – Kaitlyn Walker JR (57, 17:52), Sophie Wichlac JR (168, 18:47), Emma Jordan JR, Sofia Parker SO, Katie Mank SR, Kimberly Davenport JR, Abby George SR, Taylor Peck SR, Peyton Multers SO, Kiley McElroy SO, Abby Causey SO, Olivia Ori SO, Peyton Schieppe FR, Julia Monson FR. Preview – The Panthers came so close to making it to Peoria last October but finished sixth at the Granite City Sectional missing state by four points. Kaitlyn Walker and Sophie Wichlac, both juniors, made it to Detweiller for state as individuals. They will lead three other runners back from that sectional team. “We made a few changes in our approach this summer that we hope will help us out come the post season,” Neil James said. “It was quite a disappointment for our team to be so close last year, so the girls have been pushing hard to improve this season. Our top returners have been very consistent in their training this summer.” Walker should step as the team’s top runner after being the second runner in the sectional race. Wichlac was only seven seconds behind Walker at sectionals, but 55 seconds at state. Wichlac has the potential to stay within 10 seconds of Walker this fall. Emma Jordan had a good summer of training and could position herself in the top three. Katie Monk and Sofia Parker could also be in the mix. James believes that freshmen Peyton Schieppe and Julia Monson could push for top seven spots right away. The development for a split of their top five of 55 to 60 seconds will be something to watch early in the season. Doing that and expecting that Walker could finish in the top 35 at state makes this a team to watch. They will be running with a chip on their shoulder wanting to make that Peoria trip. “Each season we go in with the goal of winning conference and regional and then qualifying for state,” James said. “We came up just short on each on those goals, so the team is very motivated to get those back. The team is really motivated to make up for last season’s near miss at qualifying and with four of our top five returning we have the potential to make it happen.”
21 Rockton Hononegah 2017 Finish – 6th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Coach – Darryl Rohrer Top Runners – Lauren Johnston SO (25, 17:24), Taylor Frommer SR (99, 18:11), Alicia Repka SR, Keela Stewart SR, Jordan Tresemer SR, Jubilee Rukin SO, Katie Johnston SR, Hannard Pickard JR, Megan Peterson JR, Ava Tarara SO, Josie Foss SR, Thea Melcher SO. Hailey Henry FR Preview – Hononegah came close to a trip to Peoria by finishing sixth in their sectional missing by only eight points. The nucleus is there to get this team to Peoria with all seven of those sectional runners back. Lauren Johnston was the surprise in the 3A race last year with her 25th place finish. “I would have been excited with a top 50 finish and a time around 17:45, so what she pulled off was absolutely amazing,” Darryl Rohrer said. “She moved up steadily throughout the race and was around 30-33rd place by the half way point, with 1000 meters to go she had moved into 25th and obviously held that position to the end. Lauren is an endurance machine; she lacks a top gear but will steadily close on much faster girls over the course of three miles. I am excited to see what she can do this year.” Taylor Frommer was four seconds ahead of Johnston but three seconds ahead of her in their conference meet. Frommer did not have her best race at state placing 89th. Expect her to be closer to Johnston this time around. Alicia Repka is a strong third runner for this team and should be close to their top two. Hailey Henry finished fourth in the IESA 2A Race last fall and will be a good addition to their top five. Keela Stewart and Jordan Tresemer will be among other runners that could find themselves in the top five. Add in Jubilee Rukin could factor in the top five. This team has the power up front in making it to the starting line at Detweiller. Their split on the top five in the sectional race was 93 seconds. Dropping that split under 75 seconds could secure a state meet trip.
22 New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central 2017 Finish – 20th, 3A State Coach – Jack Young Top Runners – Merrigan Allen SO (72, 17:58), Mackenzie Brownrigg SR (86, 18:06), Rachel Baumgartner JR (108, 18:16), Lexy Sams JR (193, 19:16), Colleen Erdman SO (199, 19:23), Samantha Walters SR, Lexie Kamp SR, Hannah Luming SO, Carly Shipman SO, Audrey Bulow JR. Preview – The Knights made it to the state meet last November resulting in a 20th place finish at Detweiller. Five of their top seven are back led by the strong trio of Merrigan Allen, Mackenzie Brownrigg, and Rachel Baumgartner. The three were only separated by 18 seconds in the state race. Getting the split down from the top three to the rest of the pack will be one of the keys. “Training went well. We had great turn out for camps and conditioning sessions. We added Ryan Stapinski to the coaching staff during track season and he is doing a great job. He really dedicated himself this summer and is pushing our top group,” said Jack Young. “We try to focus on daily improvement. Be consistent, be a good teammate, hold each other accountable and have a better finish at state. As a coaching staff we believe that this team has the potential to break into the top 15.”
23 Arlington Heights Hersey 2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional Coach – Danielle Freeman Top Runners – Katie Fredian JR, Teagan Beckley SR, Aubrey Hasley JR, Erin Barton JR, Veronica Makowski SR, Katie O’Brien SO, Erin Moran JR, Hannah Kerscmeier JR, Amelia Kitrys SO, Maddy Kim SO, Michelle Weber JR, Veronica Jackson SR. Preview – The Huskies could be a team that could take the trip to Peoria this November. The entire top seven is back from the eighth-place Hoffman Estates Sectional team. “We got off to a slow start with only about 2/3rds of the team able to run in the first parts of June due to recovering from injuries that occurred during track season,” said Danielle Freeman. “We took it slow and were smart with those ladies and we now have everyone back together and looking strong. We had the most amazing team bonding/training trip to Winter Park, Colorado this summer. It was a fabulous five days for these ladies.” Katie Fredian and Aubrey Hasley should be two of the top runners for this team this fall. Teagan Beckley was the team’s second runner in their conference meet and could wind up as the team’s top runner. Erin Moran had a good summer of training and could be among the front pack. “Our team definitely has goals of getting back to the state meet but we are taking it one week at a time and enjoying the ride,” said Freeman “Keeping it fun will be key as these ladies really felt the pressures of living up to that great senior class we had in the fall of 2016 (when most of our current girls were only freshman). I believe that sting of an eighth-place finish at sectionals has been a key, driving force behind the commendable commitment I have seen from them this summer.”
24 Mt. Prospect – Prospect 2017 Finish – 18th, 3A State Coach – Peter Wintermute Top Runners – Marissa Valenti SR (101, 18:11), Reese Lettow SO (118, 18:20), Julia O’Grady SR (161, 18:43), Emily Hubbard JR (162, 18:43), Annika Erickson SO, Jenna Baltes SR, Gabriella Piagori JR, Cori Drew SR, Elena Barbaric SO, Lia Skoufos JR, Hope Wasowicz SO, Paige Runkle SO, Audrey Ginsberg FR, Emily Hennig FR, Evelyn Allemeier FR, Taylor DeCook FR. Preview – Four runners are back from Prospect’s 18th place state team. Marissa Valenti and Reese Lettow will again be the team’s top runners. Seniors Jenna Baltes and Julia O’Grady had good training this summer and could make their final year of high school cross-country a memorable one. Lia Skoufos would be another runner to keep an eye on in the top five. “One goal is of course to make it to State and achieve well in the MSL,” Pete Wintermute said. “We have a number of specific goals that the team will be aiming to hit this season, but we keep those in our camp. This year’s team has a lot of experience and will be prepared both mentally and physically for the rigors ahead as we prepare to be ready in October/November.”
25 Glenview Glenbrook South 2017 Finish – 6th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional Coach – Meaghan Fastert Top Runners – Kate Jortberg JR (20, 17:09), Lauren Hayes SR, Lila Frick SR, Claire Williams SR, Sam McGuire SO, Catherine Nowak SR, Gigi Walsh JR, Emily Galante JR, Sara Blaidani JR. Preview – The Titans have been down this road before being ranked in the top 25 in the pre-season and then just missing out on a trip to the state meet. It happened to Glenbrook South last fall when they missed by 11 points in finishing sixth at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. Kate Jortberg made it to Peoria finishing 20th in an all-state finish. Three other runners from that sectional top five also return. South will have senior leadership in the top five led by Lauren Hayes, Claire Williams, and Lila Frick. Catherine Nowak has stepped it up and could be among the top group. The top team split on five was near 95 seconds at the end of last year. Moving that split down could be one of the keys to make it as one of the top five sectional teams in October. “My expectations are simple be on time, be at practice, don't complain, and work as a team. The most significant component is to be a team and to have the girls learn from each other and work off of each other's positive energy,” said Meaghan Fastert. “When they learn to complain less, they learn what it means to have a love for the road ahead of them. There is so much more that they are capable of when they just realize that alone. We also work on many other aspects of running throughout the season, but those have always been my main points as a coach.”
The Next 25 3A Girls Teams
Downers Grove North 2017 Finish – 6th, 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional Coach – Tim McDonald Top Runners – Rylan Gaspar SO, Ellie Gross JR, Melissa Jachim SO, Eva Bednard JR, Katie Figliomieni SO, Lauren Egan JR, Victoria Miller JR, Rachel Konarski SR, Brooke Peters SR, Lindsay Plaister SR, Anna Richards SR. Preview – Coach Tim McDonald said at the beginning of last year that his team was a work in progress and it would be hard to tell what his team would be like. Their progress at the end of the season was that they finished sixth at the Hinsdale Central six points out of a state berth. Expectations should be higher this fall. Melissa Jachim has showed great improvement over the past year and will join Rylan Gaspar and Ellie Gross in the front. The team had a top five split around 60 seconds. Moving that pack forward could be a reason why this team gets to state. “Expectations are definitely higher than they were a year ago,” McDonald said. “Obviously, the goal would be to finish with a trip to Peoria. With the development of the two sophomores and the return of juniors Eva Bednard and Ellie Gross, we hope we can develop not just a 5th runner but some varsity depth. We certainly do not have the state experience other teams do, but hopefully we can remain healthy, develop some depth, come on strong like we did last season, and maybe surprise some teams at the end.”
Oswego East 2017 Finish – 21st, 3A State Coach – Lisa Cook Top Runners – Morgan Ede JR (144, 18:31), Kara Webb JR (149, 18:35), Katherine Sim SR (157, 18:40), Emma McKillip JR, Samantha Garcia SO, Elyssa Gall SR, Catheryn Scheerenberger SR, Kathleen Sim SR, Meghan Murphy JR, Liliana Mendoza JR. Maddie Zarembski FR, Ana Barroso FR, Hannah King FR. Naylah Allen SO. Preview – The Wolves made it to November last fall finishing 21st at Detweiller. Only three runners are back from that state team. The sense is there that this team wants another taste of a state meet race. Morgan Ede, Kara Webb, and Katherine Sim were only separated by nine seconds at state forming a strong top three. Naylah Allen has showed great improvement and could be in the top five. “Qualifying for state last year has done two things for our team--it broke the ice and proved that it can be done even in a super competitive sectional, and it has made them want to do it again and perform even better once they are there,” Lisa Cook said. “There is nothing like experiencing Detweiller in November, and the returning athletes/leaders of our team are eager and excited for the chance to do it again.”
Aurora Waubonsie Valley 2017 Finish – 12th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Coach – David Severance Top Runners – Ashley Heidenreich JR, Sarah Vitro SR, Katelyn Mullinax JR, Julia Holstead SR, Jennifer Velazquez SR, Alexa Shamsi SR, Ali Barnard SO, Kayla Paulconin SR, Cassie Albino SR, Alex Vulich SO. Preview – The Warriors could be one of the surprise teams in their sectional complex. The top five runners from the 12th place sectional team return. Ashley Heidenreich emerged as the top runner on the team. She finished 20th in the sectional race. Qualifying individually is a possibility in 2018. Sarah Vitro was within 30 seconds of her teammate and will look to close the gap. A finish in the top ten in the sectional from this group should be a probability if they get their top five split under 80 seconds. “Our lack of depth makes it even more important that we successfully navigate our potential health issues, but we should be a solid team this fall,” said David Severance. “Not sure how many teams we can beat in our 5 team DVC, but we will see. We should be top 10 in the sectional but could be better.”
Aurora Metea Valley 2017 Finish – 9th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Coach – Eric Anerino Top Runners – Terri Scarlett SR, Megan Fichte JR, Carly Cast SR, Jenna Boyle JR, Emily Kohlberg JR, Sophia Sandy JR, Elizabeth Williams SR, Megha Chada JR, Sayaka Araki JR, Olivia Samet SO. Preview – Five of the top runners are back for the Mustangs after finishing ninth in their sectional race. Terri Scarlett should continue to be the top runner on this team as she was in 2017. Metea ran a 49 second on five at state. Moving the pack up during the season could put them in state qualifying position.
Lincolnshire Stevenson 2017 Finish – 15th, 3A State Coach – Maureen Levanti Top Runners – Natalie Sorenson SR (65, 17:55), Kendall Roberts SR (129, 18:24), Caimen Xi JR (172, 18:51), Michelle Yu JR, Alyssa Collins SR, Helena Ebeling SO, Kendall Goldenson SO, Kate Murphy SO, Halle Feldman SR, Emily Fejes SO. Preview – It could be tough for the Patriots to repeat last year’s state meet appearance. Stevenson finished 15th at Detweiller and return three from that state team. Natalie Sorensen, top runner most of last year and second runner at state, will be the leader on this team with Kendall Roberts and Caimen Xi within 40 seconds of her. Fourth and fifth runners will need to be established. Michelle Yu and Helena Ebeling are two of the runners that could step up to that spot. A team that definitely will be in the sectional top ten in 2018.
Chicago Marist 2017 Finish – 7th, Hinsdale Central Sectional Coach – Patrick Quinn Top Runners – Cecilia Light SO (46, 17:48), Jill Borza SR, Amanda Tracy JR, Brigid Eaglehart JR, Lindsey Richter SO, Maddie Langford JR, Annie Stinites SR, Megan Kelly SR, Colleen Murphy SR, Sarah Hughes SO. Preview – The Redhawks came close to making it to the state meet finishing seventh at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. Cecilia Light qualified last year and finished 46th in the state race as a freshman. A top 25 finish is in her future possibly in 2018. The team could make it to the state meet but will need to reduce the split on five from over two minutes to under 80 seconds.
St. Charles East 2017 Finish – 10th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Coach – Brad Kaplan Top Runners – Alice Abbott SO (58, 17:53), Klaudia Kyszynski SR, Stephanie Martens SR, Ashley Stepien SR, Anna Ford SR, Amber Lampkin SR, Melanie Williams JR, Venezia Munoz SO, Amelia Kuhlman JR, Megan Wilbur JR, Gia Klasa FR, Amelia Belizzi FR, Faith Percy FR. Preview – The Saints will look to improve on last year’s 10th place with six of their top seven coming back. Alice Abbott started her high school running career with a great freshman season. She qualified for state individually placing 58th. She also ran 5:08/11:05 on the track in the spring. She could be among the top 25 in November. The pack behind Abbott ran a split under 30 seconds on her towards the end of the season. Amber Lampkin has showed improvement and could move up in the top five. A strong senior group led by Lampkin, Klaudia Kyszynski, and Stephanie Martens makes the future this fall looking good. “The expectations for the season are to compete well against our new conference teams (DuKane Conference) and run our best when it matters at the end of the season,” Brad Kaplan said. “We're going to be young come championship racing time so there will be a lot of learning going on this season. I look for Alice Abbott to lead our team once again. I want our freshmen and returning athletes to take each race at a time and focus on what we can control. It should be an exciting season.”
Huntley 2017 Finish – 14th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Coach – Matt Kaplan Top Runners – Grace Allen SO, Rachel Morrison SR, Madison Overly SR, Anna Mitchell SO, Mary Raclawski SR, Emily Glass JR, Gen Porsche JR, Bailey Wilk JR, Emma Hornickel SO, Elizabeth Rocks JR, Rachael Carlson FR Preview – Matt Kaplan has been the head coach of Huntley’s Boys team for a number of years. He steps in as the new Girls Coach for this school. “When the position became available I thought about how great it would be if our school could bring the boys and girls together into one program and threw my hat into the ring,” Kaplan said. “I'm grateful for the support shown to me by my wife, fellow coaches, families in our program, and the Huntley athletic department as I enter this new chapter in my coaching career. Bringing both Boys and Girls together into one program has been a fun challenge for me. This experience has reminded me of when I got to Huntley 12 years ago and started building the boys program. It's a transitional year and I know that this will be a work in progress in our 1st year.” Moving up the sectional ladder should happen for this team after placing 14th a year ago. Six runners are back led by Grace Allen and Rachel Morrison. The team could have a split on five under 60 seconds ensuring a move into the top half of their sectional. “This season I expect all the girls on this team to set their goals high,” Kaplan added. “Just like our boys program I encourage the girls to use last season as their motivation to push themselves this year. I think this group has potential for great things this season. We have a group of hard working girls who have already shown me they're on board with how they worked this summer. I expect the girls to learn from each meet and work together towards our team goals come the end of the season.”
Plainfield North 2017 Finish – 22nd, 3A State Coach – Tammy Gummerson Preview – Juliana Stogsdill SR (35, 17:40), Emily Bedford JR (185, 19:04), Caitlin Russel SR (202, 19:27), Riley Frankel JR (205, 19:38), Katie Nalley SO (209, 20:16), Sarah Conley JR, Sophie Hilgendorf SO, Emily Mays SO, Olivia Henze JR. Preview – Plainfield North made it to the state meet for the second year in a row by finishing fifth at the Hinsdale Central Sectional and then 22nd at state. The Tigers second and third runners from last year have graduated. They do have their top runner Julianna Stogsdill back who finished 35th in last year’s state race. The pack will need to be up led by Emily Bedford, Katie Nalley, Caitlin Russell, and Riley Frankel. Keeping the split on the next group under 45 seconds would be a good thing. Closing the gap between Stogsdill and the group to under 55 seconds would be even better.
Oak Park Fenwick 2017 Finish – 11th, 3A Lake Park Sectional Coach – Kevin Roche Top Runners – Arlene Amaya SR, Marie O’Brien JR, Mary Bridget Donahue SR, Laura Durkin SR, Kathleen Cahill SO, Maria Quinn SO, Cora Conniff SR, Liz Blum SO, Molly McCann JR, Amaya Gonzalez SR. Preview – With top runner Margaret O’Brien graduated, the other six runners from the 11th place Lake Park Sectional team all return. Arlene Amaya and Marie O’Brien should push each other for the top spot. “As a team we hope to make it downstate together. It’ll be tough in 3A being one of the smallest schools in there, but we expect to be in the mix,” Kevin Roche said. “The last time we did it was in 2014 with front runner Olivia Ryan. We will not have that, but as a pack, I see our 1-5 within 45 seconds of each other-we need all of us pushing each other and on each other’s heels to make it happen. Senior captain Laura Durkin along with the other recent track state medalists in the 4x8 of Maria Quinn and Marie O’Brien should be scorers for us. Senior captain Arlene Amaya, who is making a major push at the end of the summer after being abroad on service for the start, should also be up there. Katie Cahill and Mary Bridget Donahue are also returning varsity runners that are expected to be up there. That’s six runners plus possibly a few other surprises and a handful of freshmen and we have competition for those varsity spots. It’ll be good to have it crowded like this because they’ll push each other to bring out the best in themselves.”
Chicago Whitney Young 2017 Finish – 10th, Lake Park Sectional Coach – Al Edwards Top Runners – Ella Behrens SR, Zyana Cabrena SR, Ellie Odom SR, Alana Berry JR, River Curry SO, Eleanor Sherline SR, Emma Young SO, Flavia Pipilo JR, Anna Evans JR, Alex Burr JR. Daphne Murray FR. Preview – Al Edwards steps in as the new coach for the Dolphins replacing longtime Coach Bob Geiger who retired. Their entire top seven returns from their 10th place sectional team led by seniors Ella Behrens, Zyana Cabrena, and junior Alana Berry. Their split on five at the end of last year was as high as 90 seconds in their sectional race and as low as 43 seconds in their Disney race in Florida. Keeping the split under 50 seconds moving the pack up could advance the team’s season by another week. “Our first priority and goal are to get to the CPS Championships healthy and hungry for a win,” Edwards said. “The Whitney Young girls team hasn't won the city championship since 2009, so that's a big goal. Qualifying for the state meet is a goal as well.”
Lombard Glenbard East 2017 Finish – 9th, 3A Lake Park Sectional Coach – Joe Latala Top Runners – Allyson Griffith JR, Laura Delatorre JR, Emily Anderson JR, Maddie Weltin SO, Sonja Wise SO, Molly Galvin JR, Alyssa Gaski SO, Sophie Moore SR, Madison Ziemer SO, Sarah Makoui JR. Preview – Hard to say whether this will be a rebuilding or reloading year for the Rams. They will contend for the Upstate Eight title returning three runners from their ninth-place sectional team. Allyson Griffith, Laura Delatorre, and Emily Anderson were within two seconds of each other in the sectional race and provide strength in the front. Lauren Huber, who was in the top five last fall, decided to go out for Volleyball and will not be running in 2018. Maddie Weltin or Sonja Wise should step into the top five spots. Glenbard East tends to run with a tight pack. Moving that pack up 30 seconds could mean big things for this team. “Our team goals are to finish in the top-half of every invite we go to, win the Upstate Eight on both the Varsity & F/S levels and qualify out of our Regional to the Sectional championship and then let the cards fall as they may,” Joe Latala said. “We have a young team this year and we will focus on individual improvement knowing that that will lead to strong finishes as a team at weekend invites.
Algonquin Jacobs 2017 Finish – 15th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Coach – Kevin Christian Top Runners – Alyson Doherty JR, Jenna Skuza SR, Meghan Lemke SR, Jodi Schneider SO, Kristina Innis SO, Lindsey Loga SR, Alyssa Demma JR, Patrycja Makal SO, Cameron Croll JR, Jessica Ruiz SR, Elisabeth Kania FR, Kelly Carpenter FR, Ella Tamburrino FR, Allie Skuza FR. Preview – Jacobs will look to improve on last year’s 15th place finish at the Waubonsie Valley Sectional. Chances of that happening are good as they return their top six runners from 2017. Alyson Doherty leads the pack that will look to keep that split under 75 seconds. “We return three all-conference girls with Aly Doherty (11:15 in 3200m), Jenna Skuza (18:29), and Meghan Lemke (19:09), and some key addition with freshmen Elisabeth Kania and Kelly Carpenter, junior Alyssa Demma, and seniors Lindsey Loga and Jessica Ruiz, all capable of running low to mid 19s,” Kevin Christian said. “We also have a new face with senior Hannah Mohan doing cross country after being a great junior high runner but focusing on soccer for her first three years. If this group can have some of this depth break out this season, they could definitely contend towards the top of the FVC.”
Normal Community West 2017 Finish – 8th, 2A Normal University Sectional Coach – Chad Aubin Top Runners – Mara Smith SR, Liberty Harmon SO, Asia Quizon-Colquitt JR, Mackenzie Piazza SR, Olivia Bloyd JR, Tess Birlingmair SR, Madison Piazza SO, Shae Flairty SO, Mackenzie Alsop SR, Elizabeth Betancourt SR. Preview – The enrollment rose at Normal West over the past year as so will this cross-country team as they move from 2A to 3A for this school year. All seven runners are back from the team that finished eighth in the 2A Normal University Sectional. Mara Smith again will be the top runner on this team. She could make it to state as an individual qualifier. The team’s top five split was around 80 seconds during the state series. Moving that split on fiver closer together by 10 seconds could push this team close to a state qualifying position.
Evanston Township 2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Lake Park Sectional Coach – Rosette Ochoa Top Runners – Grace Nequin SR, Abigail Osterlund SR, Gabrielle Horton JR, Eavan Norman JR, Hannah Lipman JR, Elnor Rosenberg SR, Margaret Halverson JR, Ciara Connell JR, Mia Dzwierzynski SO, Hope Leman SO (transfer from Deerfield; ran 20:01 at 2A state meet). Preview – The Lady Wildkits will miss graduated 800 Meter Run state champion Enyaeva Michelin who is now at the University of North Carolina. Evanston has five runners back from their seventh-place finishing team at the Lake Park Sectional led by Grace Nequin and Abigail Osterlund. Watch for their five-runner split to be near 30 seconds. This is a close-knit team. Moving the pack 25 seconds closer to the front could mean a state meet appearance. Hope Leman transferred from Deerfield and will contribute in the team’s top five.
Oak Park-River Forest 2017 Finish – 6th, 3A Lake Park Sectional Coach – Ashley Raymond Top Runners – Violet Harper SR, Hanna Thompson SR, Nora Wollen SO, Eleanor Kallay SR, Baron Maggie Rose SO, Molly Ryan SR, Emily Iseli JR, Audrey Lewis JR, Sydney Donaldson JR. Preview – Ashley Raymond steps in as the new coach replacing the retired Tom Tarrant. Six of the top seven runners from the team’s sixth-place sectional finish led by Violet Harper. The team did a great job of pack running off Harper in the state series with Hanna Thompson only a second behind her and a 32 second split on the scoring pack. If the sectional assignments stay the same, the Huskies will have a good chance to advance to the state meet. “Last year OPRF missed state by 9 points,” Raymond said. “I know that’s something that the team hasn't forgotten. With 6 of the 7 girls returning I know we will be a team to watch out for later in the season. Seniors Violet Harper and Hannah Thompson are key returners that are ready to step up and lead the team.”
Wheaton North 2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Wheaton North Regional Coach – Brian Zeglin Top Runners – Sophie Daigle JR, Quinn Wagner SR, Emma Riley JR, Katie Fitzgibbons SR, Olivia Jeanette JR, Amelia Murray SO, Eleanor Quinn SO, Holly Brown JR, Isabel Schneider SO, Ella Kannegiesser JR. Preview – It was heartbreak for the Falcons last October as they just missed making it out of their own regional finishing seventh. This team could be driven with six of the top seven back. Three of the runners (Quinn Wagner, Emma Riley, Katie Fitzgibbons) ran in the sectional meet with Wagner their top runner. Daigle and Wagner traded off the top spot during the year and look to do the same in 2018. The fifth qualifying spot in this sectional could be wide open. Wheaton North could make it to state but need to keep their five-runner split under 60 seconds to do so. “Overall excited that the weather cooperated for the most part requiring minimal deviations from training plans,” Brian Zeglin said. “We had a number of athletes miss portions of summer camp, but I was impressed with their commitment to training on their own. Our sectional is always strong however we want to be back in the position of fighting for one of the 5 spots to make it downstate.”
Naperville Neuqua Valley 2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Coach – Amanda Ameling Top Runners – Julia Rushing JR (91, 18:08), Sofia Medina SR, Mikenna Robinson SR, Michaela Hassler JR, Jessica Sun SO, Sydney Kearns SO, Katie Kingsbury JR, Isabella Gallo SO, Aerin Hopkins JR, Keira Apeland SO, Arianna Drechsler SR, Emma Nolten JR, Emily Stine SO. Preview – The Wildcats are deep and could make it to the state meet despite having only three of their top seven back from their seventh-place sectional team at Waubonsie Valley. “My expectations for this year begin with adapting to our team motto of commitment,” said Amanda Ameling. “We are striving to create a team culture that promotes accountability, dedication, persistence, honesty, and loyalty. From there, we will strive to experience growth each and every week by working on small goals. We will practice and compete with purpose, with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the state meet.” Their top three runners are solid led by last year state qualifier Julia Rushung. Sofia Medina and Mikenna Robinson are the next two behind Rushing. Michaela Hassler and Jessica Son are some of the runners that could fill out the top five. Rudhing will probably close to a minute ahead of the pack. If the two through five runners can stay within 35 seconds of each other, Neuqua Valley could be in contention for a state qualifying berth.
Fox Lake Grant 2017 Finish – 12th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional Coach – Jeff Durlak Top Runners – Eva Cardy SR, Danielle Osmon SR, Aly Negovetich FR, Eliza Scoggin JR, Jana Nehila SR, Drue Polka JR, Taylor Bushman JR, Rebekah Brown SR, Alexis Bottalico JR, Alexia Bunge JR. Lauren Bishop FR. Preview – This is a team that I could see in the top of 20 by the end of September. Five runners are back from the sectional team that finished 12th at Hoffman Estates. Danielle Osmon missed most of last season with an injury as she came back just in time for the state series. “Danielle had a consistent summer of training with no setbacks and will hopefully see performances more in line with what she did as a sophomore,” said her Coach Jeff Durlak. Osmon finished 14th at state as a sophomore in 2016. Eva Cardy was the top runner last year and could be right by Osmon’s side this fall. Another plus for the Bulldogs is the addition of freshman Aly Negovetich. In eighth-grade, Negovetich finished second in the IESA 3A State Meet in the fall. On the track, she ran 5:02 for 1600-meters. She is definitely someone to keep an eye on in the front. Jana Nehila had a solid summer of training and could shorten the gap between the pack and her. “The potential to have a very special season is there with six returning runners with varsity experience and the addition of Aly as an incoming freshman,” said Durlak. “Three of our seniors (Danielle, Eva, and Jana) all have State Meet experience and would like it make it downstate one more time. The key to reaching our potential will be to continue improving throughout the season and staying healthy. If we can do those two things, then we will have an opportunity for a successful end of the season.”
Chicago Jones College Prep 2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional Coach – Sarah Reynolds Top Runners – Anika Brennan SR (97, 18:10), Katie Murray JR (137, 18:28), Madison Barrera SR, Dorothy Harbaugh SO, Julia Ross SR, Julia Benes SO, Allyson Dombrowski SO, Ava Schroeder JR, Siyu Yang JR, Elizabeth Zavala JR. Preview – Five are back from the Jones Prep team that finished eighth at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. The lead pack will be comprised of Anika Brennan and Katie Murray who both qualified for the state meet last November. The Eagles had over a 90 second split on their top five in their sectional meet. Dropping that split down moves them up in the sectional rankings as well at a shot at the Chicago Public League Championships. They finished second in that meet in 2017.
Frankfort Lincoln-Way East 2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Granite City Sectional Coach – Wendy Hegarty Top Runners – Jenna Couwenhoven SR, Makenna Hamilton SR, Jordan Jacobucci SR, Ashley Mills SO, Olivia Jacobs JR, Olivia Gonzalez SO, Isabel Passarelli SR, Megan Petaczek SR, Tori Entwistle SO, Cecilia Kolbash SO, Emma Bouck JR. Preview – The Griffins missed out on a chance on a trip to state placing seventh at the Granite City Sectional. Jenna Couwenhoven and Makenna Hamilton will lead the team in the front. The team has that big meet experience to keep their five-runner split under 45 seconds. Moving the pack up with that split could get them that Peoria trip.
Park Ridge Maine South 2017 Finish – 25th, 3A State Coach – Jeff Downing Top Runners – Lauren May SR (176, 18:51), Carley Bomrad SR (194, 19:19), Klaudia Wachnik SR (203, 19:28), Laura Downey SR (206, 19:48), Keeley Flynn JR, Niamh Gardner SO, Payton Tauber SO, Gabriela Botca JR, Madison Purtell SR, Maria Marcucci FR. Preview – It could be a little bumpy for the Hawks earlier in this season after losing three runners to graduation including all-state runner Olivia Nizolek. Maine South finished 25th in the state meet last November. “Every year our goals are to compete well in our conference (CSL) and make it to the State meet,” Jeff Downing said. “This year is no different, except we are going to learn as we go, given that we have less experience at the top of our lineup than in previous years. We will be leaning heavily on our 2 captains (Lauren May and Carley Bomrad), who had great summer camps, for their leadership. That and having Keeley Flynn, Klaudia Wachnik, Laura Downey, Peyton Tauber, Madison Purtell back, we are giving it another run toward the state meet and then see what can happen from there.” We could see a lot of growth from this team in their invitational meets in September. That could set them up for a good October.
Hoffman Estates 2017 Finish – 11th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional Coach – Kirk Macnider Top Runners – Nikki Rong SR, Michelle Diaz SR, Anna Miller SR, Bella Alansari SR, Mikkaela Palmer SR, Jenna Cochran JR, Allison Cyr SR, Josephine Simpa SR, Britany Noranjo SO. Preview – The Hawks will look to improve on last year’s 11th place finish in their own sectional returning their top four runners from that meet. “We will work very hard to improve every week,” Kirk Macnider said. “The talent is on the team for an outstanding post-season; we will see if our large senior group has the internal fire and focus to carry on the traditions left to them from the past great teams and athletes.” Nikki Rong could have a breakout season in 2018 and should be the top runner on this team. Michelle Diaz and Anna Miller could be running within ten seconds of Rong. Working on developing a fifth runner that can be within 50 seconds of Rong could take Hoffman Estates to the next level.
Villa Park Willowbrook 2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Wheaton North Regional Coach – Clyde Ware Top Runners – Victoria Palma SR (77, 18:01), Daylee Braden SO, Melissa Martinez SO, Michelle Villalobos JR, Marisol Magana SR, Ellie King JR, Ella-Marie Kelly SO, Melissa Florey SR, Jessica Whiting JR. Preview – The Warriors could be a surprise team this season especially with Victoria Palma leading the way. They did not make it to sectionals finishing eight in their regional. Their top four runners are back from that team. Palma had a breakout junior season finishing 77th at state setting her up for a possible all-state type of season.
Geneva 2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Coach – Bob Thomson Top Runners – Andrine Larsen JR (138, 18:28), Sophia McDonnell SR, Lauren Hasty SO, Emily Belanger SR, Shannon Loukaitis SO, Sarah Pratt JR, Abby McVay JR, Skylar Zimmy SR, Ana Nikolic SR, Paige Belzer SR. Preview – Geneva could have their smallest team in the program’s history but do have the talent up front to get the Vikings to a state berth. They finished eighth last October with four runners back from that team. Andrine Larsen and Sophia McDonnell have the talent to be difference makers for this team. “These two girls will be the strength and backbone of our team this season,” Bob Thomson said. “With their state experience, our other girls will have someone that can model all of our expectations. These girls have their own expectations for success too and I can't wait to see how they progress and finish at the end of the season.”
3A Girls Team to Watch (In Alphabetical Order)
Aurora West 2017 Finish – 7th, 3A West Aurora Regional Coach – Andrea DiDonato Top Runners – Alyssa Mayhew JR, Kaitlyn Hollar JR, Madilyn Walrath SR, Caire Ann Griffin SR, Emily Head SO, Lauren Walrath SO, Kayla Henderson SR, Therese Solgas SR, Savannah Ming SO, Magdaliz Rivera SO. Preview – The Blackhawks qualified four runners to sectionals after the team finished seventh in their regional. Alyssa Mayhew had a breakout sophomore season which could mean some big things this fall. The pack split on Mayhew in the regional race was 62 seconds. Moving the pack up with Mayhew could result in West Aurora finishing in the top half of their sectional.
Bartlett 2017 Finish – 16th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Coach – Amy Ehmen
Top Runners - Camile Buchanan SO, Madelyn Polly JR, Lucy Beck JR, Gauri Yadau SO, Madison Sharko SR, Kimberly Monroy SR, Risa Jones SO, Sareena Shah JR, Kayci Regalado SO, Bridget Benson SO, Aditi Gurudott SO, Anna Zaborowski JR, Jenna Buchannan FR, Jillian Murdoch FR. Thara Victorino FR, Gia Mateo FR, CeCe Dallas SO, Jessica Dudek SO.
Preview – The Hawks will look to finish in the top half of the Upstate Eight Conference. Four runners are back from their team that finished 16th at the Waubonsie Valley Sectional. “This summer, many of our athletes attended summer camp and ran on a regular basis,” said their coach Amy Ehmen. “We have many young athletes and/or athletes new to running. Because of this, our main goal of summer training was to build a base and work on building our endurance. Our Sophomore group is quite large and full of dedicated runners; I am excited to see this group see the benefits of the work they have been putting in.”
Camile Buchanan was the team’s second runner as a freshman last year and should lead this team. Camille’s sister Jenna, and another freshman Jillian Murdoch will look to contribute to the top five. Watch this team grow during the season. Five of the top seven runners are expected to be underclassmen. “We are excited to start competing in the new Upstate 8 Conference,” stated Ehmen. “We are even more excited to host the Upstate 8 meet this year at our home course, Sunrise Park. We are a young team, so this year one of our team's main goals will be to continue to learn about the sport, to gain more racing experience, and to work together to build a solid base for both the rest of this season and for future seasons.”
Carol Stream Glenbard North 2017 Finish – 16th, 3A Lake Park Sectional Coach – Eric Day Top Runners – Elelta Sisay SR, Emily Sulocha JR, Alexia Trosha SR, Riley Hernandez SO, Sam Ferengul, Karina Aguilar JR, Clare Cerny SR, Kimberly Nunez SR, Cindy Ha SO. Preview – Glenbard North took a step up last fall qualifying for the sectional meet placing 16th place overall. Momentum continues to build for this team with four runners back from the sectional squad. Elelta Sisay could have a great senior season. The Panthers will need to keep the rest of their scoring pack within 45 seconds of their top runner. “Last year, our team qualified for the Sectional Championship,” said Eric Day. “That was a huge accomplishment for them and something they were very proud of. We'd like to build on that performance and have a bit stronger showing at the Regional. I think Elelta will also be looking for an individual qualifying spot to the State Championship. We also enter the inaugural year of the DuKane Conference, which will be nearly as strong as the DVC. Our goal is to finish in the top half. We lost a great group of seniors, so I will be looking for this year's seniors to step up into their leadership role.”
Chicago Lane Tech 2017 Finish – 14th, 3A Lake Park Sectional Coach – Kris Roof Top Runners – Sydney Varga SR, Camille Forte SR, Hannah Vandermuelen SR, Daniela Martinez JR, Megann Lawler JR, Ayane Ahmed SR, Avery Moss JR, Sophia Rivera SO, Cassia McPhillamy SO, Allison Glenn SO, Genesis Alameda SO. Preview – The potential for the Indians to finish in the top ten are there especially with six runners back from the 14th place Lake Park Sectional team. Lane Tech could run a five-runner split of 50 seconds or under this season led by seniors Sydney Varga and Camille Forte. They will look for the Chicago Public League Championships after finishing fourth in 2017.
Chicago Mother McAuley 2017 Finish – 12th, 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional Coach – Kelly Malone Top Runners – Maddie Knightly SR, Brenna Keaty SR, Rena Cudecki SR, Ellen Murphy SO, Molly Maloney JR, Colleen Flood SR, Claire Sheehan SR, Moira Staudecher SR. Preview – Kelly Malone steps in as the new coach for the Mighty Macs. Five runners are back for the sectional team that finished 12th at Hinsdale Central. Maddie Knightly and Brenna Keaty ran under 21-minutes at Katherine Legge in the sectional race to lead this team. The team could have a 61 second split on five. Getting the top five closer to the front could get this team into a top ten sectional team.
Chicago Northside Prep 2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Lake Park Sectional Coach – TBA Top Runners – Erin Franke SR, Gwendolen Casey JR, Kendra Lachick SR, Faith Zehfuss SR, Kate Clemenz JR, Maria Avina SO, Medina Kavic SO. Preview – The Mustangs stepped up last fall placing eighth at the Lake Park Sectional. They return five from that team but lose graduated top runner Sara McCoy. Erin Franke, Gwen Casey, and Kendra Lachcik were only separated by four seconds in the sectional race and will build off that this fall. That pack through four will be ultra-tight. Finding a fifth runner that can stay within 50 seconds of the pack could get them within state qualifying striking range.
Chicago Payton Prep 2017 Finish – 20th, 2A State Coach – Chris Lassaline Top Runners – Ella Marden SR (79, 19:00), Maddie Clerkin SR (148, 19:49), Catalina McLaughlin SR (157, 19:57), Julia Brandfenbrenner SO (168, 20:07), Lucia Roth JR (191, 20:36), Stella Dziedzic SO (208, 21:15), Lauren Bartels SR, Aly Miller SO, Lucy Baire SR, Olivia Satos SO. Preview – The Grizzlies move up to 3A from 2A for this 2017 cross-country season after finishing 20th last November in the 2A state meet. Six runners are back from that state team. Ella Marden ran 19:00 at Detweiller and should be ahead of the rest of her teammates by at least 40 seconds. A pack led by Maddie Clerkin needs to keep their group 35 seconds of each other for this team to improve. Even though this team was in 2A in 2017, Payton could make it to the state meet. They have the talent to accomplish that.
Chicago St. Ignatius Prep 2017 Finish – 11th, 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional Coach – Matt Haffner Top Runners – Rhiannon O’Keefe JR (78, 18:01), Lexi Affolder SO, Maeve White SO, Mia Trotter SO, Summer Cardenas SO, Sophia Noonan SO, Kristina Dalton JR, Rosemary Sullivan SO, Sadie Reese SR, Montserrat Curran SO, Isabella Corrall SO. Preview – The Wolfpack will be a team to watch for in 3A this fall. They could go 15 runners or more that could challenge for a top seven spot. Saint Ignatius finished 11th in the Hinsdale Central Sectional with all their top seven back. Rhiannon O’Keefe finished 78th last November as an individual and move into the top 40 leading this team. Lexi Affolder had a good summer of training and should be closer in races to O’Keefe. Kristiana Dalton was the team’s top runner as a freshman before ankle injuries slowed her down last year. She could be among the top five on this team. “There are lots of athletes from other sports on our team so the competitiveness and will to succeed seems higher than ever,” Matt Haffner said. “It is hoped that 18 or more girls will be trying to grab a top-seven spot on the team.”
Chicago Taft 2017 Finish – 13th, 3A Lake Park Sectional Coach – Garrett McLinn Top Runners – Sydney Partyka JR (109, 18:17), Marisa Guidone SR, Ella Chambers SO, Hope Marr JR, Marie Keating JR, Mia Cinquini SR, Shannon Tierney JR, Estefania Pena SO, Zoe Nicklas JR, Emma Murphy JR. Preview – Keep an eye on Taft. There should be improvement on this team after finishing 13th in the Lake Park Sectional. Five runners are back from that team including state qualifier Sydney Partyka. Taft finished third in the Chicago Public League Championships last season. The talent is there to challenge for the title. “We have some lofty goals as a team,” said Garrett McLinn. “The general goal is always to improve off the success of the previous year. We had a relatively successful season in 2017. We hope to continue to build and break through some barriers.”
Deerfield 2017 Finish – 25th, 2A State Coach – Jeff Beaumont Top Runners – Jillian Getter JR (132, 19:42), Gabi Martinez SR (199, 20:51), Sydney Burns SR (200, 20:53), Emily Slutzky JR (207, 21:14), Lucy Okan SR, Lauren Goldsmith SR, Hailey Abramovitch JR, Cate Ariano SO. Preview – Deerfield flip-flops up to Class 3A for the 2018 cross-country season after finishing 25th last fall in the 2A state meet. Jillian Getter is the only runner back that ran under 20-minurtes at state last fall. She will lead this team. Hope Leman, the team’s third runner last year, has transferred to Evanston. “Whether in 2A or 3A we have qualified our team to the Sectional meet 9 consecutive years. We would like to see that streak continue,” Jeff Beaumont said. “We are going to have to survive as a pack. I'll be interested to see if a true #1 emerges, but I envision our team success hinging on a tight 1-5 pack. We continue to ride the classification yo-yo, so we are back in 3A this year. That definitely changes the look of the post-season. Our enrollment actually went down a little bit, but the cutoff went down even further. With the goal stated above, we will have to stay motivated and work hard.”
DeKalb 2017 Finish – 13th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Coach – Mike Wolf Top Runners – Katherine Olsen SR (36, 17:40), Inga Collin JR, Sarahi Porcoyo SR, Megan LeBlanc SR, Cassie Dalask SR, Caitlin Krause SR, Andrea Porcayo JR, Kailee Baldwin SO, Isabella Delacruz SO, Jennifer Hernandez JR. Preview – DeKalb will be a team that improves on last year’s 13th place sectional finish at Waubonsie Valley. The Barbs have five runners back from that team. Katherine Olsen had a great track season after finishing 36th last fall. She was all-state in the 3200 Meter Run (10:42.48) finishing sixth and then just missing in the 1600 Meter Run placing 10th. Still, a 10:42/5:02 double at state is very impressive. We should see Olsen in the top ten in November. The pack behind Olsen could be up to two minutes behind her. “We return five of our top six girls that finished 13th at the Waubonsie Valley Sectional last season. This year we will have a veteran group with as many as six seniors in our top seven, but it will be interesting to see who is in our top seven lineup at the end of the season.,” Mike Wolf said. “We will have a strong #1 runner and then a good group of girls that will be working as a pack. How fast that pack goes will determine where our team ends up.”
Highland Park 2017 Finish – 14th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional Coach – Curt Hanson Top Runners – Stephanie Kriss JR, Jillian Butler JR, Juliana Charlebois-Berg SR, Rachel Hsu SR, Suzanne Schott SO, Isabella Wilson JR, Annie Clausin JR, Abigail Michaels JR, Natalie Laky SR, Michelle Nava JR. Preview – Stephanie Kriss and Jillian Butler are the top returning runners for the Giants that finished 14th in 2017 in the 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional. The gap between them and the rest of their pack should be close to 150 seconds this season. Kriss and/or Butler could qualify for Peoria this season as individuals.
Joliet West 2017 Finish – 10th, 3A Granite City Sectional Coach – Matt Almon Top Runners – Ashley Lang JR, Yosenia Suarez JR, Leticia Castillo JR, Ava Vaccarella SO, Bella Betlejelski SR, Joanna Diaz JR, Faith Turner SO, Liliana Ordonez SO, Kate Blaauw JR. Preview – Pack running will be a key for Tigers this fall. Five runners are back from last year’s 10th place Granite City Sectional team. Ashley Lang should lead that group that could have a 30 second split on their scorers. They will miss last year’s top runner Maddie Blaauw who was up to 30 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. Moving that pack up 30 seconds should move the team up in the sectional rankings.
Lake Zurich 2017 Finish – 10th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional Coach – Randal Dunbar Top Runners – Emily Burns SR, Hailey Burk SO, Jillian Baffa SR, Elizabeth Kalafut JR, Ginger Mirabelli SO, Gretchen Quinn JR, Caroline Sun SO, Ashley Leuder JR, Paige Orals JR, Elisabeth Hume JR. Preview – It could be a rebuilding year for the Bears after finishing 10th in the Hoffman Estates Sectional. Emily Burns leads two other runners back from this team. Burns dropped her time in the 1600 Meter Run from 5:41 to 5:19 in the last year. She could qualify individually for state. Work will need to be done on their five-runner split. It is projected to be close to three minutes this season.
Libertyville 2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional Coach – Alison Reifenberg Top Runners – Margaret Buchert JR, Annalese Chudy SO, Lyanna Tam SO, Sydney Donovan SR, Payton Golwas SR, Alex Hauser SR, Joan Wood SR, Claire Arnold SO, Grace Kraff JR, Emma Hollinger SR, Brielle Rochester FR, Bree Ponchak FR, Katie Meyer FR, Arley Johnson FR. Preview – This will be a rough year for Libertyville losing five of their top seven runners to graduation including all-state Melissa Manetsch. Sixth and seventh runners from last year Margaret Buchert and Annalese Chudy should lead this team. A strong incoming class of freshmen, led by Brielle Rochester, could contribute to the top five immediately. “My number one expectation from my team this year is that we are a team first, individual runners second,” said their coach Alison Reifenberg. “The goal is to have each girl on the team running for each other, building each other up, and being genuinely happy for each other. If we can have a team truly support each other and pushing through the line, the talent and training will carry us far this year. We have no doubts that, if everything goes well this year, qualifying for a state is a very real possibility.”
Moline 2017 Finish – 11th, 3A Granite City Sectional Coach – Tauwon Taylor Top Runners – Kylie Gomez SO, Kileigh Burge SO, Madison Lodico SO, Emily Lopez JR, Grace Vinzant SO, Grace Shelton SO, Lily Knobloch SR, Miranda Carlson SO, Deborah Arul JR. Preview – The Maroons lose only one runner from last year’s team that finished 11th at the Granite City Sectional. Kylie Gomez will lead this team that could run a split on five-runners at or under 60 seconds. They will be one of the teams to watch in the Western Big Six Conference.
Mundelein 2017 Finish – 17th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional Coach – Carsyn Rodriguez Top Runners – Andrea Cardova SR, Jeanelle Jimenez JR, Leslye Rodriguez SR, Raina Kratz SO, Claire Schoenfeld JR, Hope Peterson SO, Abigail Ambrose SR, Sucely Marcos SO, Clarissa Wienckowski SR, Beth Clow SR, Kat Weichering SO. Preview – Mundelein finished near the bottom of the Hoffman Estates Sectional final standings as they finished 17th overall. That experience should help as they return their entire top seven from that race. Finishing in the top ten is a realistic possibility. Andrea Cardova, a senior, should again lead this team. “The girls are very excited for this upcoming season and have already started setting goals for themselves,” said Carsyn Rodriguez. “In terms of my expectations for them, I expect to have an even tighter and faster front pack this year than last year and am hoping to build off the improvement that we saw from our Varsity girls last season. Looking at our team as a whole, I think we have a lot of promise this year with girls that are new to the program as well as girls who are entering their 3rd and 4th seasons that can bring their strength and expertise from previous seasons. This season will be a little bittersweet because a large portion of the heart of our team are seniors this year, but I have confidence that it will be a memorable season with lots of strong performances and continuing the progress they made last season.”
New Lenox Lincoln-Way West 2017 Finish – 9th, 3A Granite City Sectional Coach – Matt Bowden Top Runners – Isabelle Gryga SR, Lauryn Grothe SO, Marie Moore SR, Madison Feehan SR, Emma Fox JR, Elise Champlin JR, Madeline Knight SO, Gretchen Nenn JR. Preview – The Warriors have a good group back (six runners) from last year’s ninth-place team at the Granite City Sectional. Isabelle Gryga should step into the top spot. She had an injury filled track season but is ready and healthy for the upcoming season. Gryga, along with Lauryn Grothe and Marie Moore, could be separated by just 30 seconds. The next pack could be separated by near 90 seconds. “Whether you're running 30:00 or 20:00 for 3 miles, the goal is always steady improvement throughout the season,” said Matt Bowden. “Last season we had our best race at sectionals, and we'd like to improve on our position from last year (ninth).”
Normal Community 2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Minooka Regional Coach – Tom Patten Top Runners – Laura Feldner SR, Justine Parks SO, Samantha Churchey SR, Anna Sewell SO, Courtney Dage JR, Reagan Spaid SO, Shen Stewart JR, Gwenyth Parks SO, Sydney Dehaai SO, Kaitlyn Bryce JR, Annie Rink SR. Preview – Normal missed sectional qualifying finishing seventh in the Minooka Regional. This season will be different as they return five from that team but will miss sectional qualifier Anita Cavalcante who moved over the summer. Lauren Feldner and Justine Parks both missed last year due to injuries and could be the team’s top runners. “Freshman Olivia Hartke is coming off a good track season (5:22 for 1600) and could well lead the team,” said Tom Patten. “Senior Samantha Churchey, juniors Courtney Dage and Sheri Stewart, and sophomores Reagan Spaid and Anna Sewell all return with varsity experience from last year.”
Northbrook Glenbrook North 2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Hoffman Estates Regional Coach – Bob Leblanc Top Runners – Natalie Sandlow SO (28, 17:31), Carly Harris SR, Maya Epstein JR, Chloe MacMillen JR, Sarah Sandlow SR, Megan Philbin SR, Alexandria Chertok JR, Lia Devereux SR, Dani Bosse JR, Megan Fahrney JR. Preview – Glenbrook North should be among the sectionals teams this fall after missing out in 2017 finishing seventh in the Hoffman Estates Regional. Natalie Sandlow finished 28th as a freshman and has a got shot this fall to finish in the top 15 despite that she did not compete in track last spring. Four other runners are back from that team led by Carly Harris. “We always say that we will work hard, have fun, and do our best to stay healthy,” Bob Leblanc said. “If we do that, we hope each athlete can improve which will help us continue to improve as a team.”
Palatine Fremd 2017 Finish – 9th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional Coach – Joe Marcin Top Runners – Rebecca Markham JR, Marisa Ban JR, Julia Finegan JR, Emma Odle JR, Julia LaDuke JR, Jordyn Iannuzzelli SR, Gianna Nuccio SO, Kaitlyn Ma SO, Ronnie Barto SO, Palak Khera SO, Regina Kim JR, Lucy Jiang JR. Preview – The Vikings finished ninth in last year’s Hoffman Estates Sectional with four runners from that team back. Juniors Marisa Ban and Rebecca Markham give this team a strong 1-2 in the front. They traded off that spot at the end of last year. “Honestly, it will be interesting,” Joe Marcin said. “The MSL has changed to a new racing format where dual meets have been eliminated on the girls side. In its place are now a tri-meet, quad-meet, and divisional meet prior to the conference championship. This opens up a few weeks for training. I believe this season’s team has the potential to exceed the 2017’s team accolades once our top seven finds it full health and over comes a few summer set-backs.”
Palos Hill AA Stagg 2017 Finish – 13th, 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional Coach – Tricia Biel Top Runners – Taylor Fiala SR, Lauren Pocica SO, Olivia Bukowski JR, Karoline Rozanski SO, Madison Karr SR, Kylie O’Connor-Fry JR, Julia Mazek JR, Kylie Gaeta JR, Tala Disssi JR. Preview – Three of the top four runners are back for Stagg as they look to improve on last season’s 13th place sectional finish. Taylor Fiala and Lauren Pocica ran side by side most of last season and should push each other for the top spot. The top four split could be as little as 30 seconds. The top five split could be near 150 seconds. Work will need to be done getting that closed up.
Pekin 2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Granite City Sectional Coach – Erika Gilmore Top Runners – Paige Arseneau SR (126, 18:24), Alex Bassen SR (169, 18:47), Brianne Nye JR, Lily Wagemann SO, Jayvian Riley SO, Madison Vicary SR, Jessica Van Dyke JR, Morgan Vermillion SO, Chloe Powell JR, Alex Lane SO, Remi Wagemann JR. Preview – Paige Arseneau and Alex Bassen were Pekin’s two individual qualifiers to last year’s state meet. Pekin returns all seven of their runners from their sectional team that finished eighth. Arseneau finished 124th at Detweiller and should move up into the top 50 this fall. The senior had a good track season establishing a 5:16 personal best for 1600-meters and 11:25.51 for 3200-meters. Pekins top five split was close to 120 seconds last October in their sectional race. That time needs to come down if the Dragons want to improve on last year’s finish.
Plainfield South 2017 Finish – 10th, 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional Coach – Janeen Carlberg Top Runners – Alyssa Grigg SO (53, 17:51), Megan Worm JR, Cassidy Martin SR, Kelsey Rice JR, Anna Sheaffer JR, Julia Subick JR, Kiersten Ricka JR, Yaire Palomares SO, Emily Siemek JR. Preview – The Cougars will look to improve on their 10th place sectional finish returning their top six runners from that meet. Alyssa Grigg qualified for the state meet as a freshman placing 53rd. Good things are ahead for her this fall. Grigg finishing 35th or better is a possibility. The gap on their top five in that final race was over three minutes. It was close to that in their conference race. That split needs to be fixed to get this team to a better sectional finish.
St. Charles North 2017 Finish – 11th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional Coach – Shari Hayes Top Runners – Natalie Galvan SR (79, 18:01), Ella Townsend SO, Grace Dorrance SO, Rylie Kaufmann SR, Maddie Wiltrout SR, Tara Leonard SO, Claire Norman JR, Sydney Chen SR, Jennifer Nickel SO, Riley Boyd SR. Preview – Five of the top seven for the North Stars are back from last year’s 11th place sectional team. Natalie Galvan qualified individually in that race and leads this team. Grace Dorance and Rylie Kaufmann had a good summer of training running side-by side with Galvan. Keeping that up gives North a solid first three. Moving their top five split under 90 seconds could make things interesting for this 2018 season. “We changed our training this summer. We added time in the weight room and lowered our mileage. We had many of our varsity runners out with injuries from the spring,” Shari Hayes said. “We have moved to the DuKane Conference this season which is an extremely hard conference. We will need to improve so we can compete. More news |
