2023 ILXCTF.com IHSA/Illinois XC Team Previews - Class 3A Girls

 

Round 3 between Prospect and York could be the best of the three years

 

By Michael Newman

 

York won their first state championship since 2020 in 2021. Prospect finished second to the Dukes. Last year it was Prospect setting a new point record to win the state title ahead of York in one of the best Girls races in State Meet history.

 

What does 2023 have in store for these teams and the rest of the schools in Class 3A? It could be special.

 

It will be the top three teams from last year with Naperville North separating themselves away from the rest of the teams and closer to Prospect and York.

 

Here is a look at some of the Class 3A Girls teams including the top 30 rated teams to start the 2023 season.

 

1 Mt. Prospect (Prospect)

Coach – Pete Wintermute; 2022 Finish – Class 3A State Champions

Runners – Veronica Znajda JR; Meg Peterson SO; Lily Ginsberg SR; Ireland Wildhart JR; Kaitlin Skelton SR; Sophie Fransen JR; Rachel Asper SO; Bridget Derengowski SR; Emma Skelton JR; Anna Zajac SO.

 

Notes – What is done is done according to Prospect’s Girls team as they look ahead to the 2023 Cross Country season in Illinois. What the Lady Knights achieved was one for the record books. They placed 5 runners in the top 17 at state. No other Girls team in Illinois history accomplished that. Prospect scored only 39 points to win the 3A Girls State Championship. No other Girls team has scored that low. Their track performance was close to that in winning the 4x800m Relay at the state meet for the third year in a row. It is nice to look back at what you have accomplish. You move on to the next big goal. That is Prospect’s team is doing heading into this fall.

 

“The Knights' training this summer was consistent,” said their coach, Pete Wintermute. “The goal is always to string together days and weeks of consistent training which helps lay the foundation for the season ahead.  We enjoyed a team trip to Lorado Taft with the boys program.  We also enjoyed a beautiful summer of running on the Des Plaines River Trails and hitting the local pavement in Mt. Prospect.”

 

Maybe three runners in the top five this season? We could see three of their top four runners coming back achieve that. Veronica Znajda was the team’s second runner last year placing sixth. Meg Peterson followed finishing in eighth. Lily Ginsberg was the fourth runner placing 13. They were only separated by 15 seconds in that race. The individual race in 2023 looks to be open. 1-2-3 in a state meet has only happened once: by York’s Sean McNamara, Matt Dettman, and Eric Dettman at the 2003 Boys State Meet. It has never happened in the Girls State Meet. “Lily, Meg, and Veronica all ran sub 5:00 this past Track & Field season and ran 2:11, 2:11, and 2:16 in the 800m,” stated Wintermute. “This past spring, we focused on putting athletes where we thought we could score the most points as the Team trophy in Track was a program goal.  After a spring season of focusing on more speed based training, we are excited about what this Fall holds.  All three are top runners in the State and they will be a strong trio to lead our program.  They are great runners, but even better people and I am excited about them passing along their kindness, wisdom, and fortitude to their teammates.”

 

Where Prospect had a set top seven for most of the season, the Lady Knights will look to step into the top seven this fall. They definitely do have the runners to step in their hunt for a state championship. Ireland Wildhart looks to be one of the four runners to step into the top seven. The junior was hidden from what the top five did in Peoria. She was still the team’s seventh runner finishing 41st overall. It won’t be a surprise if she runs to an individual all-state spot in November. There were three more runners that are hungry to get in the top seven this season and worked hard to get into that position. Kaitlin Skelton ran just two seconds behind Wildhart at the Mid-Suburban League Championships and should put herself in position to be in the top five. Bridget Derengowski and Sophie Fransen did their homework over the summer and could be in that top seven position. “Each athlete has had a great summer and is vying for a Top 7 spot of the team,” said Wintermute. “Bridget as a senior has had a resurgence and has been training along the top group all summer.  Kaitlin has a huge aerobic engine and continues to shine.  In her senior year, she is poised to put it all together and show the rest of the State what she is capable of.  Sophie is coming off a sophomore Track season where she gained experience running the 4x800 and splitting 2:19.  She has impressed me with her speed, and she is going to be a handful this fall.”

 

What could the Lady Knights do to better what they did in 2022? Their focus is on conference and state and let all the numbers take care of themselves. Fans after the race could not believed that they had that low of a point total. They could better that this season.  “After winning a State Championship in 2023 ,we have had a lot of fun celebrating and bonding, but this year is a new year and a new beginning,” concluded Wintermute. “We have agreed that we will not rest on our laurels and that we continue to focus on getting faster and stronger.  The focus this season is on becoming a better athlete (and coach) and doing the little things to the best of our ability.  If we learn and grow from last year and focus on each of our own needs we have a chance to be a great team in 2023.”

 

2 Elmhurst (York)

Coach – Lauren DeAngelis; 2022 Finish – 2nd Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Michaela Quinn SR; Katherine Klimek SR; Maggie Quinn SO; Lilly Bianchi SO; Maggie Owens SR; Sophia Galiano-Sanchez SO; Anna McGrail SR; Scarlett Moriarity JR; Lila Stanley SO; Kate Geiger SO; Gigi Hill SO; Paige Byrne SO; Kate Tanney FR.

 

Notes – It is tough to defend a state championship. York found that out last season when trying to defend their 2021 title. Both Prospect and York were focused for the race last season. It was Prospect just had a little more on that day. It is still quite amazing to score 58 points with three all-state runners. The Dukes lost three runners to graduation including third-place finisher Bria Bennis. However, York is in position again to claim a state title, their second in three years.

 

“Our summer training was great,” exclaimed York Coach Lauren DeAngelis. “We had many girls’ regularly attending and putting in a lot of hard work with an emphasis on consistency, and dedication all based upon building an aerobic foundation.”

 

York is led by two seniors that have been there before and are ready to go there once again. Michaela Quinn does not track during the spring focusing her passion on running. The two sports work for her. She finished 27th as a sophomore in 2021 just missing all-state by two places. Last season ended when she finished seventh. How much will she improve after another spring of soccer? Katherine Klimek took the traditional route running track in the spring. She has finished seventh as a sophomore and ninth last year as a junior at Detweiller Park. Klimek had a best of 10:58 entering last spring. She improved on that personal best running 10:41.16 during 2023. “Katherine and Michaela look amazing,” said DeAngelis. “They are both very determined to have amazing senior seasons.  Both of these girls are true leaders who are stepping up for the York team.  They both have been very consistent this summer and help push one another in practice along with pushing our strong, talented sophomore group and veteran runners.”

 

There are two more sophomores that follow what Michaela Quinn does in the spring in playing soccer. Maggie Quinn finished 28 as the team’s sixth runner while Lilly Bianchi placed 58th.It will be interesting to see what the improvement curve is on both by the end of the year. The lady that could have the most drive on the team is Maggie Owens. The senior was injured to start the season and did not come back until the conference meet and then ran at sectionals and the post season. Owens had a good track season setting her up for this fall. “One athlete that will be extremely strong and make a huge impact for our team will be the return of Maggie Owens – she is healthy, she is strong, and she is determined,” added DeAngelis. There is talent behind these first five runners that includes Anna McGrail, Lily Stanley, and Sophia Galiano-Sanchez. The sophomore could be the one to watch as Galiano-Sanchez dropped her personal best down to 2:16.13 and made the finals in the 800 Meter Run.

 

The team is focused just as Prospect is. The two teams will run in to each other in a number of meets in September. Most likely after that, they will not see each other until November at Detweiller Park. “The 2023 team is determined and focused on our team's training and progression,” DeAngelis concluded. “They are extremely close and are supportive of one another.  Their focus this year is to use each invite to fine tune their “pack running” and go after another successful season.  There are many amazing and talented teams in Illinois, and they look forward to racing together against their competition.”

 

3 Naperville (North)

Coach – Dan Iverson; 2022 Finish – 3rd Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Julie Piot SR; Shania Tandon SO; Rianna Tandon SO; Annika Lovisa JR; Sennah Rashidian JR; Lexi Pera SR; Emma Berres JR; Kayla Marx SR; Sydney Day SR; Chloe Piot FR; Elianna White FR.

 

Notes – Naperville North is a picture of consistency on the three-mile Detweiller Park State Meet course. The Huskies have taken home state trophies in 13 of 20 state meets since 2002. It was no surprise they came home with a third-place trophy. It could be the same story this season. North finished 181 points behind York in the standings. The runners have improved in the past year and will be closer to the front. Six runners are back from the state meet team.

 

“Everyone who should have run this summer, did. And (knock on wood), we are all healthy at the moment,” said their coach, Dan Iverson. “Additionally, we have some kids willing to push themselves. We ran a weekend of trail races in the UP in Michigan, and there was a 6K, a 10K, and a 25K, all over hilly, rocky, rugged trails along Lake Superior. A number of our kids chose to do all three races over two days. And they looked really good doing it. So, it’s impossible to transfer a 25K trail race to a HS XC experience, but I think the kids are kind of tough.”

 

Iverson has three runners that are three of the tough runners on this team. All three could earn all-state honors in November. Julie Piot led the team most of the season including finishing 20 last year at state. Shania Tandon and her twin sister Riana were the second and fourth runners last season. Shania finished 33rd at state while her sister Riana finished 56th. Both have improved over the past year and could take a big step getting closer to Piot. “Julie had a good summer – set a PR at NB Nationals and then proceeded to really up her overall intensity in training,” said Iverson. “She stepped up as a leader as well. Shania and Rianna spent most of the summer in Crested Butte, CO with Team Prep USA, and they both took strides forward in the objective results of their training over last year. And in watching them this week, it is clear that both of them are much improved. I’m excited for all three. They get along well and work together extremely well.”

 

This team is deep in talent with 12 more runners that could be in the top seven. Iverson believes that Kayla Marx and Anika Lovisa showed great improvement. “I think Kayla Marx and Anika Lovisa both really took strong steps forward this summer. Both of them, in the aforementioned trail races, really stepped up, challenged themselves, and ran with athletes who have been ahead of them,” added Iverson. Sennah Rashidian and Lexi Perra are also runners that will be in the mix to be in the top seven. The biggest surprise for the Huskies has been the return of Emma Berres. The junior had a knee injury and was thought that she would not be able to run over the next year. “Emma has had a really hard last ten months, as you know. But the fact that she was able to contribute in track at all was a good sign,” said Iverson. “And her summer was a definite step forward. She is not yet where she wants to be, but we are starting to see flashes of her as she puts things back together. She regularly exhibits tremendous perseverance and grit, and she is unafraid to fail. So, I do expect a bumpy road still as she works to get to where she wants to be, but I do expect continued progress. And she has had a really great first week of practice, running closer to Julie, Rianna, and Shania than I might have expected.”

 

A summer of good running shows that Naperville North will close the gap on Prospect and York. They could have three all-state runners. We might not see how good this team is until they are under the lights at Naperville Twilight. Berres could be the runner that could give them the biggest boost. We will see when she gets 100% healthy. This is going to be another good team for Iverson. It could be another trophy winning team.

 

4 Downers Grove (North)

Coach – Tim McDonald; 2022 Finish – 5th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Lily Eddington SO; Audrey Casten JR; Karly Harkness SR; Sydney Hnatiuk SR; Ava Gilley JR; Alayna Todnem JR; McKenzie Willard JR; Sarah Paul SR, Hannah Renner JR; Helen Justice SO (from Volleyball); Jadyn Wood SR.

 

Notes – The Trojans are in position to take their running to the next level after a successful 2022 season. Their fifth-place finish at last year’s state meet was the program’s best finish since they finished eighth in 2009. This is a talented, deep team that returns six of their top seven runners from the state team. They could have four runners also that are ready to take the next step up.

 

“We had a great summer of training,” said their coach, Tim McDonald. “We are not a program that has specific workouts or markers in the summer, so I cannot give you one specific example of training.  I can say that we had a lot of days where everyone was in town and running together.  It seems to get harder and harder to have that in the summer between everyone's vacation schedules.  I think the one thing that stands out to me about summer running this summer is that we have a very cohesive team.  The girls enjoy being around each other.”

 

Lily Eddington was the final ingredient to move this team forward last fall. The sophomore was the #1 runner in the final three meets for her team. That culminated when she finished 40 in the state meet. Eddington showed improvement during the track season. That should translate to all-state this November. Audrey Casten will be one of three runners we could see in the #2 spot with the graduation of Claire Pyne. “Both girls have had a great summer,” McDonald said. “They are healthy and excited to compete this season.  Our group is very deep.  We graduated Claire Pyne and Ava Geiger from last year's top 14.  Both Audrey (11:14 @ sectional) and Lily took big steps forward during track season.  I really think the next phase of their development will come from within.  They need to see themselves as top-level runners, their coaches already do.   I have not seen anything this summer that leads me to believe they will not take that step this year.”

 

Casten started to take steps forward towards the end of the season. Ava Gilley could be among the pack with Casten along with Sydney Hnatiuk, Alayna Todnem, Karly Harkness, McKenzie Willard, and Sarah Paul. All these runners are interchangeable being able to be anywhere from second through seventh runner. The 3-5 split at state was only two seconds. It was five seconds on the 3-5 in the sectional race, and seven seconds on their 3-5 in their conference meet. I don't know that we really do anything to promote pack running,” McDonald said. “We have a group of girls that are pretty interchangeable right now, so they tend to be in about the same place at the end of the race.  Our race strategy comes from the mindset that you cannot win a three mile race in the first 400-800m, but you can lose one.  We tend to be very conservative at the start of our races early in the season and as a result they learn to start moving together.  They learn how to be patient with a race and not panic.  As the season goes along and they get in better and better race shape, they start stronger and continue the habit of moving throughout the race.  The fact that our pack is pretty similar in ability is probably most responsible for what looks like a true pack running strategy.

 

5 Minooka

Coach – Kevin Gummerson; 2022 Finish – 4th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Maya Ledesma JR; Caprice Rodely SO; Taya Gummerson JR; Kylie Myers SR; Cassie Brushaber JR; Liana Blount JR, Lucy Conroy JR; Cassie Fuhrman SR; Samantha Hulick JR; Natalie Nahs FR; Paige Joachim FR; Kimora Rodely FR; Leah Kleckauskas FR.

 

Notes – Minooka lost their top two runners Gabriella McCollom and Gabrielle Kics from last season to graduation. They helped the Indians to a fourth-place finish at state last year. The team was seven points behind third-place Naperville North. This looks to be a young team this season with six of their projected top seven being underclassmen.

 

“On paper, this team does look like they are young, but we have a lot of athletes on this roster that have some big cross country meet experience, learned from great leaders, and are also motivated to improve upon our finish over the last two years, said their coach Kevin Gummerson.

 

Maya Ledesma was the team’s top runner in their regional and sectional race. She should be the top runner for this team all season. “Maya Ledesma is excited to lead this team and had a really good summer of training,” Gummerson said. “She was fortunate enough to learn from Gabby Kics and Ella McCollom, and now it is her turn. he is excited and ready to roll.” Taya Gummerson , Kylie Myers, Cassie Brushaber, and Liana Blount after a good summer of training look the runners we should see in the second through five runner positions. What could hurt is the slow recovery of last year’s #4 runner Caprice Rodely. “Caprice was looking great this spring and then she had an unfortunate hip injury in mid-April,” her coach said. “She is slowly working her way back, and I am going to be very patient and bring her along slowly.”

 

This team can either start the season slowly or could go all speed ahead to the start the season. Their opening meets at Normal West, Hinsdale Central, and First to the Finish will show what kind of team has.  They also have a great group of freshmen that could give Minooka an immediate boost. “I do not like to compare teams to previous years as each team is different, but this group has learned that Illinois and our conference are incredibly tough, and they have done the work to make sure they are prepared to battle this fall,” added Gummerson. “As I went through their training logs this past week, one thing kept popping up and that was these athletes are ready for the fall season to begin because they want to see how good this team can be.  They are thinking about team finish and really focused on doing things the right way so that we are the best we can be on November 4th.”

 

6 Naperville (Central)

Coach – Matt Blondell; 2022 Finish – 6th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Liv Phillips SR; Ava Hendren SR; Lola Satre-Morales JR; Abby Mogg SR; Becca Liaw SR; Eloise Graft SO; Lydia Park JR; Brynn Miller JR; Allie Opalka JR; Macy Bjork SO.

 

Notes – The Redhawks will be one of the top teams in Class 3A again this fall after finishing sixth last year at the state meet. Six runners were scheduled to return for Coach Matt Blondell. The team will take an injury hit losing Kate Tueting most likely for this season. “As of now, Kate will not be ready to return to cross country. She had a very bad foot injury that was diagnosed after the State Finals last year. She has had a long road of recovery. She was not fully recovered during track season and is still not ready to return right now.” Tueting was the #2 runner at state for Central last year. At times she was the team’s top runner.

 

Liv Phillips made a step up in her running through track and the summer and will step up as the team’s top runner. The senior ran great during the spring running 10:34.84 for the 3200 Meter Run during the season and then at the state meet finished sixth. She also qualified for the finals in the 1600 Meter Run. Her summer season ended when she ran 17:21 on scorching hot and humid night at Detwiller at Dark for the Girls High School race win. Phillips did not have her best race of the season in the mud last year at state as the team’s third runner placing 59^th overall. The state individual race is up for grabs. Phillips could be one of those runners in the hunt for the state title.

 

Ava Hendren was consistently the second/third runner for her team last season. She was #1 runner at state placing 48th. The senior has the talent to finish in the top 25. The loss of Tueting could hurt the team’s chances for a trophy. Two runners that will give their team a boost in the top five is Lola Satre-Morales and Abby Mogg. Satre-Morales ended as the team’s state forth runner, Mogg was seventh. “The two had very strong track seasons with incredible signs of improvement with their big time drops,” said Blondell. “Their aerobic workouts and increased volume this summer has made them stronger cross country runners. They will be very valuable to us with the potential absence of Kate Tueting.”

 

Becca Liaw ran #6 at state for the Redhawks and will push for a top five spot. There could be close to a 45 second gap after the first five runners before the next five runners. Work will need to be done to get that group closer to the first five. The top five are talented and will challenge for a top spot at state. One bad race from one of those runners especially at Detweiller could not be good for this team. Watch the development of the 6-10 runners to see where this team is at in the middle of October.

 

7 LaGrange (Lyons Township)

Coach – Eric Simon; 2022 Finish – 7th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Shannon Cranny SR; Julianne Melby SR; Anna Bylsma SR; Kristina Findley SR; Madison Findley SR; Anna McDonnell SO; Sadie O’Hare FR; Lauren Bohringer SR; Leigh Ferrell JR; Alessandra Feig SR; Kelly Makovic SR.

 

Notes – The Lions could be a work in progress this fall after finishing seventh in the state. Three runners have graduated including their top runner Catherine Sommerfeld. It could be different to start the season on who will be the team’s top runner. Shannon Cranny, who was 70th at state as the team’s third runner, was projected to change according to their coach, Eric Simon. “Shannon had a great summer, but will be slowed now due to an injury,” said Simon “We hope to have her racing again sometime in October.”

 

The question will be who steps up into the spot for the Lions. There might not be just a runner but #1 by committee. Julianne Melby could have the edge with Anna Bylsma along with Kristina and Madison Finley all within 20 seconds of each other. September will be a month of discovery for the coach as he figures out this year’s to seven. It is so close you could consider it a top ten. “We have a pretty good coming back, but most lack varsity race and postseason experience,” Simon said. “There will be opportunities for those without this previous experience to have a big impact for our team.  Cranny and Melby have much experience at a high level and will be expected to lead this team.  I have seen improvements continue from the track season through the summer with Kelly Makovic, Lauren Bohringer, Anna Bylsma, Kristina and Madison Findley, Leigh Ferrell and Jenna Lally.”

 

Lyons Township has the tradition of that togetherness of running close together in practice and in races. This team will be ready to go when they have Cranny in that pack. It will also depend what sectional they are placed in. It is always crazy in the wild west suburbs. “The team knows we are perennially state qualifiers, but also know that qualifying is not a given,”  Simon said. “We had an excellent team in 2021 and didn't have our best day in a tough sectional and didn't qualify.  The goal to get the state meet is constant and will be our first conversation. We will look to evolve through the season and adjust our goals as necessary.”

 

8 Park Ridge (Maine South)

Coach – Jeff Dowling; 2022 Finish – 19th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Sofia Arcuri JR; Olivia DeLuca SR; Luisa Arcuri JR; Ryan Mullarkey SR; Sophie Jaroch SR; Emma Jodlos JR; Ally Seurynck JR; Mickey Giola JR; Lauren Marogil SR.

 

Notes – The 19 place finish from Maine South was not indicative how good this team was a year ago. They did two of their top five runners to graduation. They do return Sofia Arcuri. The junior had a good season through the beginning of October when she ran 17:13 in Peoria. A foot injury ended her season. “Sofia is more determined than ever after the late season injury last year,” her coach Jeff Dowling said. “At the time of the injury she looked ready to go after an all-state position at Detweiller, let's hope she gets that chance this time around.”

 

Olivia Delucca stepped to the front when Arcuri got injured. She led the team placing 97th. Luisa Arcuri, Ryan Mullarkey, and Sophie Jaroch form a tight 3-5 pack for the Hawks which could place the team near or beyond the top 10 at the end of October. Ally Seurynck and  Lauren Marogil were vital parts of Maine South’s 4x800 finals quartet. They had a good summer of training and cush push to get into their top five runners.

 

“Training was normal for our summer camp,” Dowling said.  “We had a nice number of girls that worked hard and hopefully will show that toward the end of the season.”

 

9 Barrington

Coach – Deb Revolta; 2022 Finish – 17th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Scout Storms JR; Abby Lewis SO; Samantha Rowley JR; Kaleigh Burns SR; Claire Thome JR; Sydney Sukel SR; Sabrina Roach JR; Isabelle O’Hearn SO; Ella Katzbeck SR; Sophia Jedlewska JR; Madison Miles SO.

 

Notes – The Fillies looked like they would be ready to go in last year’s state meet after finishing second in the Mid Suburban League and the Palatine Regional before finishing third in the Hoffman Estates Sectional. Barrington ended up finishing 17th in the state meet without their top runner Scout Storms who could not run due to illness.

 

Barrington has all of their top seven runners back from last fall and momentum for this group from a good track season. Storms was all-state finishing third in the 1600 Meter Run. She was part of Barrington 4x800m Relay quartet that included Abby Lewis, Kaleigh Burns, and Sydney Sukel. Stoms was one of the top runners in the state last fall until she got sick. She may be a little more driven heading into this fall. Lewis emerged at the end of last fall finishing 63rd as the top runner at state and then winning one of the open races at Nike Cross Midwest Regionals. Samantha Rowley, Kaleigh Burns, and Claire Thome were only separated by 19 seconds in the state race forming a good nucleus in the back half of the top five. “Summer training has gone very well,” said their coach, Debbie Revolta. “The girls have been committed to putting in the miles and doing the little things to stay healthy.  Some of them even went to a cross country camp in Alabama.”

 

The teams continues to get better with every race. Lewis was within 80 seconds of Stoms in the sectionals. Rowley was within 10 seconds of Lewis compared to 42 seconds at state. The pack off Lewis (1-4) at 41 seconds at states compares to (2-5) at 55 seconds at sectional. The Fillies will have the low number up front with Storms. An effort to get the split down on the 2-5 will be something to look for. If successful, Barrington could be a top five team.

 

“We are not a young team anymore,” Revolta said.  “Our juniors and seniors have had plenty of big meet experience and that should help them come October and November.  The seniors have shown great leadership over the summer, and I expect that to continue throughout the season.  This team is deep. They have grown really close.  They all  want to be successful, and they know that will take hard work and a concentrated effort to run together in races.  I think we will be a work in progress and hope to be ready by the time the big meets roll around.”

 

10 Edwardsville

Coach – George Patrylak; 2022 Finish – 12th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Madison Popelar SO; Maya Lueking JR; Ella Thompson FR; Emma Patrick SR; Olivia Coll SR; Dylan Peel SR; Antonella DeAvila SO; Sarah Haislar SO; Libby Straham JR.

 

Notes – The Tigers finished strong at the end of last season placing 12 at the state meet. Five runners are back for the team that looks to climb even higher in 2023. Madison Popelar jumped into the top two spots as a freshman last season. She was Edwardsville’s #1 runner in the sectional race. She should be the team’s top runner to start the season. It could be Deja-vu for the team with the addition of another freshman Ella Thompson. “I anticipate Ella to be in our top three consistently this year, with the potential to be close to Madison Popelar by the middle/end of the year,” Edwardsville Coach George Patrylak said. “We do have a few more freshman that will be battling for post season positions, but they are probably a year away from cracking our top five.”

 

A key to success was the tight packing that their runners had behind the front pack. The top five split of graduated Emily Nuttall was 50 seconds. The 2-5 split was just 35 seconds. Maya Lueking, Olivia Coll, Emma Patrick, and Dylan Peel have a projected top five split of 77 seconds. The addition of the freshman Thompson could narrow that considerably.

 

“Going into this season, we look to battle an improved O'Fallon team at the Conference and Regional level,” Patrylak said.  “I think our girls are pretty close to where they were last year, when we finished 12th in State.  I would probably start us off a little back from that number, but our goal is to try to surpass that finish at State and attempt for our highest team finish ever.”

 

11 Wheaton-Warrenville South

Coach – Rob Harvey; 2022 Finish – 8th Class 3A Lake Park Sectional

Runners – Nicole Poglitsch JR; Frida Martinez JR; Jenna Bachara SR; Claire Siebert SR; Abby Barrett SO; Olivia Martinez SO; Eva Martin SO; Katherine Kratz JR.

 

Notes – Wheaton-Warrenville South missed the state meet last year for the first time since 2007 when they finished eight at the Lake Park Sectional. Although three runners from the top seven are gone due to graduation, the Lady Tigers are ready to start a new state appearance streak. “We had a very successful 2023 track & field season,” said their coach, Rob Harvey. “We used that positive momentum as a springboard into a very good summer. Much of our summer was spent focusing on getting stronger and building our aerobic strength. We had an overwhelming turnout for our summer camps with almost 70 middle school and high school girls participating. Our sophomore group made some great strides this summer. They became more consistent in their attendance and training. We’re looking forward to them continuing this throughout the season.”

 

The top runner again for this team will be Nicole Poglitsch who is on the verge of having a great junior season. Her personal bests improved close to 10 seconds in both the 1600 Meter Run and the 3200 Meter Run. Her 3200 time dropped to 11:08.34. She finished 31 in the mud last season and should surpass that finish in 2023. “Nicole continued to show great improvement. She continues to understand her training more deeply,” Harvey said. “Her role as a leader on the team took on a more official role with her being one of our four captains.”

 

Frida Martinez is figuring out how good she could be according to Harvey and like Poglitsch is ready to have a breakout season. Jenna Bachara, and Abby Barrett gained experience in the sectional race and will be part of the top seven along with Olivia Martinez and Claire Siebert. Harvey noted he has a good freshman class starting this fall with a few of them we could see in the top seven at some point this season.

 

“We will have a long-term season approach using every workout and race to build momentum. We will need every competitive opportunity and workout to reach our full potential. We have a great senior class...positive leadership should not be an issue for us. They have all stepped up to welcome our underclass athletes into the program,” added Harvey. “Last year was filled with many highs and ended with too many questions. We performed outstandingly in several meets last season especially at the Naperville North Twilight. Our potential was quite realized last year. We’re excited to return to the state series this season.”

 

12 Batavia

Coach – Chad Hillman; 2022 Finish – 8th Class 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Runners – Madeline Cassidy SO; Olivia Gebhardt SO; Chloe Kammes SO; Madison Wnek JR; Allison Thomas SO; Sasha Silbernagel JR; Alli Olson SR; Taylor Schaffer SR; Avery Hacker FR; Gwen Krodel FR; Claire Deppe FR; Macee Olson FR.

 

Notes – The end of the 2022 season was not the way that Batavia wanted it to end. The Bulldogs had qualified for seven straight state meets since 2014 until last fall when they finished eighth in the ultracompetitive Waubonsie Valley Sectional. There is a chip on the shoulder from what happened to push them to get back to Detweiller Park. “We had a strong summer from our returning girls,” Coach Chad Hillman said. “The mileage was consistent, and most girls had the strongest summer of their careers. They are anxious to get back at it and return to being one of the best teams in Illinois.”

 

Madeline Cassidy was one of two Batavia runners to qualify for the state meet. The sophomore finished 80th last year and will look to lead this team back to Peoria. Olivia Gebhart and Chloe Kammes ran in the sectional and will be the core of the pack behind Cassidy. Sasha Semansion was the team’s fourth runner at sectionals. Semansion has suffered injuries since track and is still rec=covering from them. It is hard to determine when she will return. Batavia rely on a group of freshman that might get into the top seven at some point this season. Madison Wnek, Nora Koziol, and Taylor Schaefer had good summers of training and could push for top five spots according to Hillman.

 

“We have not gone into our season goals; however, the returning girls know how 2022 ended. No words are needed,” said Hillman. “ They're working to be the best they can be at the end of the season.”

 

13 Wilmette (Loyola Academy)

Coach – ChrisJon Simon; 2022 Finish – 10th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Jane Lynch JR; Ana Kimball JR; Morgan Mackie SR; Katie Mueller SO; Erin Gibbons SO; Elle Anderson JR; Molly Robson JR; Julia Drake JR.

 

Notes – Loyola had an up and down season that ended up on a high note as they finished 10th in the 3A State Meet. Five runners are back from that team but will miss their 2-3 runners who graduated. Jane Lynch was the team’s #1 runner as a sophomore finishing 44th at Detweiller Park in November. Lynch dropped her personal best down to 10:59 during last outdoor season. She could have her eyes on a top 25 finish this fall.

 

Morgan Mackie only ran three races ( 3 of the final 4) at the end of last year when she was the team’ fourth runner. She did not run many races during the track season. As of now, she could be a mystery where she lands in the Ramblers’ top seven. They do have a strong pack with Ana Kimball, Kate Mueller, Elle Anderson, and Erin Gibbons that will need to show some strong pack running in order for this team to get back to the state meet.

 

14 Oswego (East)

Coach – Lisa Cook; 2022 Finish – 18th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Morgan Dick SR; Josslyn Gaona SR; Olivia Van Denend JR; Emma Berglund JR; Ava Saalfeld SR; Isabella Daguinsin JR; Annie Schlitz JR; Mia Rose Blankenenburg JR; Macy Dick FR; Maya Langel FR.

 

Notes – Oswego East had some heavy graduation losses after the 2022 season especially losing five of their top ten runners. The Wolves finished 18th in the state meet last year but could be better than the 2022 edition of the Girls team. “A lot of our runners have sights on pretty big goals and filling important roles on our team this season,” said Coach Lisa Cook. “Being the best team in school history drives our team, so a team qualification for State and bettering our 18th place from last season will be on our minds as top goals for sure.”

 

Morgan Dick again will be the top runner for the team after finishing 38th at the state meet. Josslyn Gaona stepped up with a great summer of training and be close to her teammate in the front. “Morgan is ready to accomplish her goals and will be driven to earn a top 25 spot at State this year,” said Cook. “I’m excited to see what Morgan is capable of this fall, coming off her first track season last spring.  Training for a full year is going to give her a lot more experience and confidence in races, and I know she has all the pieces to put together for an incredible senior season. Josslyn has stepped into a leadership role already, and her work ethic this summer was amazing.  A lot of our large junior class had their best summers of training yet.” 

 

Dick will be among the top runners in the Southwest Prairie Conference and ahead of her teammates by close to 40 seconds. The team had a 38 second 2-5 split at state that will need to come down. Olivia Van Denend will lead along with Gaona along with Emma Berglund, Ava Saalfeld, and perhaps freshman Macy Dick. “Summer training for our team went well.  We graduated a big senior class with a lot of depth in 2023, so we are looking for some of our young athletes to step up,” said Cook. “It seemed like regardless of which group of athletes was together on any given day, the group running was very strong, and our packs were tight together.  We hope this will translate to great things once we get into team races this season.  A lot of our team put in longer and better long runs than ever, and they were able to put in a steady build of miles throughout the summer.”

 

15 Yorkville

Coach – Chris Muth; 2022 Finish – 9th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Sophia Keeler JR; Allegra Triner SR; Ashley Schrader SO; Christy Green JR; Anita Werderich JR; Annabelle Reeder SO; Mia Evans FR; Nikki Kraus FR; Bella Edwards FR.

 

Notes – Yorkville comes into this season reloading after finishing ninth in last year’s state meet. Three runners with state meet experience are back. They will miss Ava Galloway who was in the team’s top five during the season  last year and had team’s second fastest 3 mile time. She had hip surgery in June and will miss the entire season. “Training was normal mileage and workouts were consistent to past seasons, just at a less experienced level,” Coach Chris Muth said.  “We are a work in progress, and it will depend on this group's willingness to step up their workout habits, being uncomfortable consistently, and team first daily approach if they want to make a big jump. Besides workouts and time trials to compare other years and teams too, I don’t have concrete examples for you, other than to say we aren’t as deep a team as in the past or have the top end talent to give us those low points, but we have potential and a group that wants to be good.”

 

Sophia Keeler is the team’s top runner after finishing 63rd last year. “Sophia really worked on her speed during the track season, improving her 800/1600 times and gaining some big meet experience at the state meet finals,” said Muth. “We look for her to be a top two runner this season and think she can lead this team as she gains confidence and better race strategies.”

 

Ashley Schrader has improved and should be closer to top five runner Allegra Triner. Christy Green and Anita Werderich are veterans on the team and will anchor that group. The 2-5 pack is positioned to be within 30 seconds of each other. Closing the gap between Keeler and everyone else to start the year is 60 seconds. “This summer and early season we are stressing the fact that we have to outwork, work harder than and do the little details better than other teams to keep pace,” added Muth. “We have potential, but some have to realize potential isn’t enough in AAA and coming together as a team is one of the most important aspects of success.  Runners potentially filling some holes from graduation will be Annebell Reeder, Lily Camargo, Christy Green, Anita Werderich, and a few of our freshmen class.  It would be unrealistic to expect them to achieve standards set by past years teams, but they can pave their own path and accomplish great things.”

 

16 Glen Ellyn (Glenbard (West)

Coach – Paul Hass; 2022 Finish – 9th Class 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Runners – Maggie Hibbard SR; Mackenzie Gilbert SO; Ella Demchinski SO; Maddie Morgan SR; Moira Ahern SR; Maia Kaslewicz JR; Alexa Novak SO; Sophie Mitra SR; Addy Nordman SR; Lauren Bennett FR.

 

Notes – If Glenbard West was placed in any other sectional in Class 3A, The team would have qualified for the state meet. That is how good the team was in the powerful WSC-Silver Conference. The Hilltoppers will be better than last season after they finished ninth in the tough Waubonsie Valley Sectional. “Overall, we had a very good summer of training, and we took advantage of the cooler morning temperatures that occurred more often than not,” said Glenbard West Coach Paul Hass. “We had very good attendance at our summer running camp and girls who missed training for vacations continued to get in their mileage.  We have about 10-12 girls who have the mileage and may, realistically, be ready to help the team on the varsity level at some point in the season.

 

Maggie Hibbard was the team’s top runner most of last season that culminated with a 52 place finish. Maggie had a few nagging injuries and illness last spring that sidetracked her track season,” added Hass.  However, she seems to have recovered well with the warmer temperatures and has put in a very solid summer of training.  I fully anticipate that Maggie will continue to lead our team in meets this fall; as a state qualifier with a 52nd place finish last year (while fighting a cold), Maggie has a realistic chance of significantly improving upon that finish.  With Maggie’s work ethic and commitment, I would not bet against her doing just that. Ella Demchinski could be the surprise of the team this fall. She moved into Glen Ellyn with no training before the start of the season. She ended up the team’s sixth runner in the sectional race. Her training with the team this summer could make her a better runner according to Hass.

 

Moira Ahern, along with Maddie Morgan, and Maia Kaslewicz will give the team an improvement in the top five. The big addition could be Mckenzie Gilbert who ran on the team last fall but came up big on the track earning all-state honors in the 800m Run finishing eighth. She also anchored West to ninth in the 4x800m Relay. “At the beginning of summer last year

she saw herself as a track runner and considered not even running cross country,” Hass said.  “With last year’s cross country season under her belt (running a 19:06 PR at Twilight) and her success as an all-state runner in track, Mackenzie finally sees herself as a varsity cross country runner.  How she will perform during the season remains unclear, but Mackenzie becomes a fierce competitor once the gun goes off, and that’s something I look forward to watching this season.”

 

The Hilltoppers could finish fourth or higher in the WSC-Silver this fall which could catapult them to bigger things in the state series. “In the 3A 4x8 final last spring, 4 of the 12 teams were from the West Suburban Silver, so we know that our conference is, arguably, the best in the state, and competing within it prepares us for the quality competition we face all season long,” said Hass. “Our first meet is a triangular against York and Downers North so we will be quickly introduced to tough state competition from the outset.  However, as you know, steel on steel only makes teams better, and we fully anticipate that competing against our conference will undoubtedly help prepare us for the state series.” 

 

17 Hinsdale (Central)

Coach – Mark McCabe; 2022 Finish - 8th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Pola Dygon SR; Camden Griffin SR; Gabby Thanos JR; Kennedy Boyd SR; Lily Hodeland SO; Lucy Kusak SO; Addie Krogstie SO; Katie Gilmartin SR; Sam Guereca SO; Evelyn Skay FR; Elia Satre FR.

 

Notes – It will be a change of pace heading this season for Hinsdale Central and Coach Mark McCabe. The last time that the Red-Devillettes did not make the state meet in 2011 and finishing third in 2019 and 2021 and eighth last season. Their top three runners – Catie McCabe, Sarah Fischer, and Sarah Skora – all graduated. The tradition that this program has is that there always has an all-state runner in position to finish in the top 25 at the beginning of the season. It does not look like they will now. We may have a different answer by the time they get to the state series.

 

They might not have that front runner to lead the way. McCabe does have six runners that could finish within 30 seconds of each other. Pola Dygon was the team’s fourth runner at state and could be one of the top runners on this team. Addie Krogstie, Lucy Kusak, and Camden Griffin are likely to run within 25 seconds of each other. Gabby Thanos has gone through injuries but appears to be 100% healthy according to McCabe. Another addition for the team is that Lily Hodneland won ran track as a freshman running on Central’s second-place 4x400m Relay team. She is talented and had no distance training until the summer. She could be the surprise for the team.

 

“We had a great and consistant summer of training, “McCabe said. “We have seniors like Dygon, Boyd, and Griffin that will be at higher levels. Hodneland is progressing nicely. We will be a team that gets better as the year progresses. We will surprise a lot of people by season’s end.”

 

18 Plainfield (North)

Coach – Andy Derks; 2022 Finish – 28th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Elsie Czarniewski JR; Tessa Russo SO; Kaitlyn Ward SR; Nora Rudakas SR; Emaan Hussain SO; Sara Kramer SR; Victoria Garcia; Zeta Zbroszczyk SO; Keely Williams SR; Marlie Czarniewski FR; Ayla Czarniewski FR; Koretta King FR; Madeline Singh FR; Ireland Hockman FR.

 

Notes – North’s Boys Coach Andrew Derks becomes the new coach of the Girls team after former Coach Tammy Gummerson retired from coaching. Derks inherits a talented team that finished 28th in last year’s state meet.  Five of their top seven runners return plus a strong freshman class. #3 runner from their state team Claire Wilson did not return to the team this fall. 

 

“We have an amazing staff that has really helped with this transition. Sam Barranco, Roxy Hall, and Emilie Hatzl have completely bought into everything we are trying to do and added so much positive energy to our staff and our entire team. I've never had more fun as a coach than I'm having this summer and it's largely because our staff is so cohesive,” Derks said.” The biggest thing I've observed with this girls’ team is their eagerness and desire to improve not only as runners but as teammates. They've been receptive to all of the traditional things we do over the summer and seem to really be enjoying being a part of a big, combined program. They ask questions and communicate extremely well. They are also starting to feel improvements and I think they are excited to see what they can do this season.  We had an amazing team trip to the Chicago Lakefront this past week with just the girl's team and coaches. I think we came away from that as better coaches and they came away from it a closer, more united team. Several coaching friends gave me advice about what I'd be getting myself into coaching girls or coaching a combined program, and so far it's definitely exceeded my expectations. We are figuring out a lot of logistical and group-management things as we go, but the foundation is being laid for this to be a thriving and growing program for years to come.”

 

Illness hit the team right before state last year so North could surprise many this fall. Elsie Czarniewski should start the season as the top runner. In the team’s sectional meet, she was close to 42 seconds ahead of Tessa Russo who had a great summer of running. “Elise has gone from being solo for most runs and workouts to now having many training partners who can push her. Her mindset is to be one of the top runners in the state and I know she can be a lead-pack runner in any race she's in. Derks believes that two freshmen, Marlie and Ayla Czarniewski, could contribute immediately into the top five. One of the most improved runners on the team is Emaan Hussain who enters her sophomore year. She was sick at state last year but has a drive to improve. “Emaan has really made a huge jump over the summer. She  has consistently been training with Elsie Czarniewski and has been incredibly consistent with her training this summer. She has a very positive attitude and a desire to work hard and has a total belief in everything we are doing which is all we could ask.”

 

We will see how improved this team is when they run at Neuqua Valley on August 26 and then in Peoria on September 9. “The girls really did a great job of buying into our training this summer,” said Derks. “Many of the girls came out of track with very low mileage and it took some time to get back to running at the levels they wanted to be at, but we saw a lot of progress throughout the summer. With the combining of our guys and girls programs into one, the girls had to adjust to different types of workouts, new locations, and did not have the familiarity with our training that the guys team had. We have really emphasized consistency, smart mileage/ long run building, learning how to execute cruise interval/ threshold-effort workouts, and increasing their general strength. We've also spent a lot of time just focusing on overall health/wellness for young runners in regard to nutrition and sleep. They're laying a foundation for not just a healthy season (hopefully) but a healthy running career, however long they choose to pursue it.”

 

19 New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)

Coach – Ryan Stapinski; 2022 Finish – 9th Class 3A Normal Sectional

Runners – Brea Counihan FR; Ava Dughetti SO; Mia Forystek FR; Claire Carter SR; Nadia Bowden SR; Ruby Hillegass JR; Nancy Flais SR; Enersynn Smith SR.

 

Notes – Lincoln-Way Central missed qualifying for last year’s state meet by finishing ninth at the Normal Community Sectional. Three of the top ten runners from that team graduated. The Knights have new talent coming into the school that make this team stronger and get them to Peoria in November.

 

IESA State Cross Country Champion Brea Counihan will be one of the top runners this fall along with another freshman, Mia Forystek, who won the 800 and second in the 1600 last spring. “Brea and Mia have been extremely consistent all summer and worked extremely hard,” said Coach Ryan Stapinski. “They both bring a great mindset and work ethic to the team and fit in really well with our girls.” Ava Dughetti was the team’s top runner at sectionals and just missed making it to state. Nadia Bowden was part of the sectional team also and qualified for state in the 800 Meter Run. Claire Carter has made it state individually and ran as the team’s second runner most of last season.

 

This is a young, but talented team. This group is driven to do something big for each other this fall. They could just do it and make it to the state meet. “We were close to making State last year and have gotten much deeper as a team since then between track, summer running, and the additions of Brea and Mia to our varsity team,” said Stapinski. “We have high expectations for this team and believe it’s a State caliber team.  We can’t wait to see what this group can do this coming fall and we think we can really surprise some schools come November.”

 

20 Orland Park (Sandburg)

Coach – Tony Pena; 2022 Finish – 10th Class 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Runners – Lindsey Gerhardstein SO; Ava Giblin SR; Katie Roche SR; Lily Molloy SR; Faith Miller SR; Makayla Ras JR; Maria Latawiec SO; Klaudia Sieczka SR.

 

Notes – The Eagles would have qualified to the state meet out of any other sectional in the state but were placed in the Waubonsie Valley Sectional where they finished tenth. This is a team that will make some noise this year. They have the state series experience with six runners back from that sectional team. Four of their top five runners are seniors. “This has been the best summer of my tenure,” said Sandburg Coach Tony Pena. “We have a highly motivated group of Seniors that expressed their desire to do whatever I ask of them in order to close the gap on the teams in our Sectional. We have done more volume of work with much of the extra work done as cross-training. The Varsity group was also given more double runs during the week as well.”

 

The one runner that made it to the state meet is Lindsey Gerhardstein. She finished 32 in last year at state. A higher finish is in the cards for her this fall. “Lindsey is a terrific kid and hard worker.” said Pena. “We sometimes need to be sure she is not doing too much work on her free time. She did not have the T&F season that she had hoped for and much of it can be attributed to me not handling her training particularly well. So, she has been very focused this summer on returning to the front of our pack. We will rely on her to give us a low number regardless of the competition. I think she is back and ready to take on that responsibility.”

 

Their 2-5 pack is good with a possible split during the year around 45 seconds. Ava Giblin, Katie Roche, Lily Molloy, and Faith Miller are all seniors realizing that they will race one more season maybe with a little more determination. Makayla Ras and Klaudia Sieczka had good training summers and close the gap on the four seniors. Pena will welcome in a good freshman class that will get some high school experience but could be a year away from contributing how good that Sandburg’s top five runner pack.

 

“We've stressed the idea of taking our best shot this year with an experienced group. We have a talented Senior class that has had very good careers, but there are still a number of programs we have failed to overtake, and the majority of those programs have been in our Sectional the past few years,” Pena said”  “We actually talked at the beginning of the T&F season about changing our processes a bit and trying to do some things differently in order to get different results. It led to a tremendous T&F season for our girls with a lot of breakthroughs. We are hoping for similar results this fall. We can only control what we do, but the girls have been working really hard for each other. I love this group. I can't wait to see what they do this fall.”

 

21 Palatine

Coach – Anthony DeStephano; 2022 Finish – 16th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Abigail Jordan JR;  Monika Urbaniak SO; Fatima Siddiqui SR; Roxy Soto SR; Jocelyn Huila-Cortes SO; Jazmyn George SR; Jasmine Ayala SO.

 

Notes – It will be a rebuilding season for the Lady Pirates as they graduated five runners from their top seven that finished 16th at the 2022 State Meet. They still have the talent up front that could push Palatine back to Peoria. They have only missed making it to the state meet two times since 2000.

 

Abigail Jordan will be the runner to watch for this team again this fall. The junior was all-state last year placing 15th. She could be in the top 10 this November. Monika Urbaniak is the other returning runner being in the third position at both the sectional and the state race. She may start the season between 60 to 70 seconds behind Jordan and will be the anchor of the pack behind their #1 runner. Fatima Siddiqui, Roxy Soto, and Jocelyn Huila-Cortes look to be the next three but a freshman class coming in could give Palatine some depth. They will have work to do to get the pack closer to Jordan. It is not going to be a surprise if Palatine just advances from their sectional. It is possible also that they do not.

 

22 Aurora (Metea Valley)

Coach – Eric Anerino; 2022 Finish – 11th Class 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Runners – Maya Hall SR; Zoe Kirkman SR; Brooke Horning SR; Kamea Baker SR; Isabella Sieben JR; Atma Patel SR; Shunya Patel JR.

 

Notes – The talent is here with this team to perhaps make it to the state meet at the beginning of November. The Mustangs had a tough road last season but finished 11 at the Waubonsie Valley Sectional. “This summer was one of the best yet for our program,” said their coach, Eric Anerino. “With consistency, captain-led runs on the weekends, and weekly visits to the cult-classic - Blackwell Forest Preserve - our girls have a strong aerobic base and an enthusiasm to start racing.”

 

The Mustangs return five runners from that sectional including two athletes that advanced to Peoria individually. Seniors Maya Hall and Zoe Kirkman are interchangeable up front in leading this team. Both made it to state with Hall finishing 145 just three seconds ahead of Kirkman. Hall ran 18:29 at the Hinsdale Central Regional and could be among the top runners in the DuPage Valley Conference leading the two runners to big things in the next couple of months. Brooks Horning, Kamea Baker, and Isabella Sieben look to be the runners to return and help the rest of the pack. Their split on the second through fifth pack is projected to be near 75 seconds. It needs to go lower for good things to happen with this team in the next couple of months. “Last year was exceptionally strong for Maya and Zoe,” said Anerino.  “However, with last year’s goal of qualifying for state accomplished, they now set their sights on even higher aspirations and have the tools to accomplish it.”

 

23 Rockton (Hononegah)

Coach – Jorge Pichardo; 2022 Finish – 15th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Kylie Simpson SO; Allyson Niedfeldt SR; Isabelle Molitor SR; Isabella Trout JR; Kayla Tubbs SR; Lauren Frake SR; Keila Borges-Aragon JR; Gia Fraley SO; Sophia Frommier FR.

 

Notes – The Indians ran strong in October last year winning the NIC-10 Conference Meet, finishing second at the Machesney Park Harlem Regional, and advancing to the state meet by finishing third at the Lake Park Sectional. Coach Jorge Pichardo has four of their top five coming back from the team that finished 15th at state. “Our training this summer went great,” Pichardo said. “It was a busy summer for everyone, but I trust that everyone took care of business. We stuck to the same training as last year, where we trained by minutes and not miles. It worked for us last year.”

 

Kylie Simpson and Allyson Niedfeldt are two strong front runners that will lead Hononegah. They will miss #2 runner Indigo Sterud who graduated. Simpson has some high potential this fall after finishing 35th last November in Peoria. “I am super excited for this duo’ added Pichardo. “It has been weird not seeing Indigo Sterud training with them, but I’m glad they have each other. Simpson had a great freshmen season, and I know she’s hungry for an all-state spot. She had a great summer and having that experience of being our top runner last year will benefit her a lot. Allyson Niedfeldt stepped up big time this summer, and her performance at Detweiller at Dark proved that. It will be nice to her challenge Simpson upfront.”

 

Their third through fifth runner pack will need to be strengthened and the split cut down to help with the loss of Sterud. Isabelle Molitor was the team’s fourth runner and should be that third runner. Isabella Trout and Kayla Tubbs have state meet experience and will challenge for a top five spot along with freshman Sophia Frommier.

 

“Our team wants to be faster,” said Pichardo “They are looking to defend their conference title and win it for the fourth time in a row. We’ve been close in the past, but they want that regional title and with this group, it’s possible. We are obviously looking to make another state run, and as long as we stay healthy, it’s possible. I have a very experienced group this year, so we are looking to take advantage of that, and keep making history for our program.”

 

24 Oak Park-River Forest

Coach – Ashley Raymond; 2022 Finish – 12th Class 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Runners – Katie Stabb SR; Lenny Sterritt SR; Annie Lynch SR; Malie Cassel JR; Nora Butterly JR; Julia Chang JR; Alana Gerona JR; Rachel Prestes SR.

 

Notes – What sectional that the Huskies are placed in this season could determine if they are running as a team at Peoria in November. OPRF finished 12th last year at Waubonsie Valley returning four runners from that team. Lenny Sterritt did make it to state where she finished 111th. Katie Stabb was the #1 runner for the team in the first half of the season running 17:25 at PND in September. Her state series races were not her best but still was the team’s #2 runner. Stabb did have a good track season making it to the state meet in running 10:57 for the 3200 Meter Run. A good summer by both runners means good things for the Huskies this fall.

 

Annie Lynch, Mallie Cassel, and Alana Gerona were separated by less than 30 seconds in state series races. It is a good split to have but they will need to get withing 40 seconds of Stabb/Stinnett. This could be a good team that could make it to the state meet. It will depend which sectional they end up at.

 

25 Chicago (Lane Tech)

Coach – Kris Roof; 2022 Finish – 9th Class 3A Lake Park Sectional

Runners – Sophie Mullins SR; Izzy Ide SO; Charlotte Muller SR; Audrey Burmeister SR; Claire Davis JR; Sydney Van Aken SO; Lucy McNally SO.

 

Notes – Lane Tech will contend for the Chicago Public League title after finishing third at the city championships last October. The Indians made it to the Lake Park Sectional where they finished ninth. Sophie Mullins was the team’s second runner at points during the season. She did run 19:04 at Naperville Twilight and was the team’ second runner at the Jones Regional. Mullins did not run in the sectional race. Claire Davis, Izzy Ide, and Sydney Van Aken were 4-5-6 and will be the foundation of the team’s pack this season. Charlotte Mueller was the team’s fourth runner in the city championships and should be among the team’s top five again this fall. Lane Tech will need to find a #1 runner earlier than later. It could be Mullins, Ide, or Davis. Moving the pack closer to the front by 10-15 seconds a runner could get this team close to a top seven finish at sectionals.

 

26 Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)

Coach – Wendy Hegarty; 2022 Finish – 8th Class 3A Normal Sectional

Runners – Kaira Waishwell JR; Nora DeFrank SO; Ava Conway SR; Kylie LaMonto SR; Katie O’Brien SR; Maura Hanrahan SR; Makayla Kelly SR; Elyse DeFrank SR; Molly Fagan JR; Olivia Mancini SO.

 

Notes – The Griffins will look to qualify for the state meet for the first time since 2016 heading into this fall. East missed making it to Peoria last year finishing eighth at the Normal Community Sectional. Kaira Waishwell did make it to state individually last fall where she finished 79th. Five other runners are back from their sectional team.

 

Nora DeFrank and Ava Conway were interchangeable in the #2 position in East’s final three races and will look to get closer to Waishwell this season. The average gap in those three races was 55 seconds. There are five runners with Kylie LaMonto, Katie O’Brien, MaKayla Kelly, Maura Hanrahan, and Molly Fagan that ran within 30 seconds of each other and could challenge for top five positions. Their 2-5 split went down from 65 seconds at their conference meet to 35 seconds at sectionals. Running how they did at Normal but closing the gap between their #1 and #2 runners could get this team to Peoria.

 

27 Arlington Heights (Hersey)

Coach – Mikayla Olsen; 2022 Finish – 14th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Margaretha Grabske JR; Madeline Bialko JR; Elizabeth Waltz SO; Helena Vincent SO; Catherine Hany SR; Lauren Rocks SR; Madeleine Murphy SO; Daria Iuhas JR; Sofia Donner FR; Catherine Smithson FR; Martyna Makowski FR; Amelia Makowski FR.

 

Notes – Hersey will reload and try to better the 14th place finish they had at state. Four runners are back for second year coach Mikayla Olsen. They will miss their state champion in the 1600 Meter Run Anna Harden who graduated. “The team’s training went a lot better this summer as a team” Olsen said. “Most girls are now used to my training, and I believe have gained more confidence in themselves and each other. There was more accountability this summer than the previous.”

 

The loss of Harden will mean that someone will need to step into her spot. That could be Margaretha Grabske who was the team’s second runner finishing 77th at state. Madeline Bialko, who averaged 27 seconds behind Grabske in their final four races will be a solid #2 runner for this team. “Grabske is one of the most hardworking runners we have on our team,” Olsen said. “She has shown an incredible amount of improvement from her freshman to sophomore year, but I know that she will continue to grow. I know that she holds herself to a high standard because she cares about her team. Her work ethic and her disciplinary actions will pay off and I am excited to see her flourish this season.”

 

The Huskies will grow as the season progresses. Helena Vincent and Elizabeth Waltz are sophomores ready to take the next step up and should contribute to the top seven. Catherine Hany has improved over the past year and should be part of this group. We will see how well this team improves by the end of September. The lessons they learned from running with Harden will help with that.

 

“Anna Harden showed our team that success does not come easy,” added Olsen. “She taught our team what the beauty of running is. She showed us that it is not a constant upward motion, but rather an up and down journey. She was constantly reflective and never took a great race or workout for granted. She showed girls that if you want to have such great success for yourself and your team, you are the only person that can control it. Being disciplined, but also allowing yourself to have fun, is something all runners must balance.”

 

28 Evanston (Township)

Coach – Beth Arey; 2022 Finish – 12th Class 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Runners – Stella Davis JR; Sammy Schuneman JR; Rory Malia SO; Talia Wisely JR; Fiona Vosper JR; Sam Caldwell SO; Isabel Rosenberg SR.

 

Notes – The Wildkits are a surprise in this top 30 after a so-so performance at the Hoffman Estates Sectional placing 12th. Six runners are back from that team. They will receive a boost with improvement of Stella Davis who ran track for the first time last spring after being the top runner for the team last fall. Davis’s 1600 Meter Run time dropped to 5:00 indoors. She qualified for state in the spring in the 1600 Meter Run. The next two runners, Sammy Schuneman and Rory Malina, ran close to Davis within six seconds in the sectional race. The top five split could be a problem close to two minutes.

 

29 Normal (Community West)

Coach – Chad Aubin; 2022 Finish – 10th Class 2A State Meet

Runners – Julie Bach SO; Renee Warren SO; Amanda Warren SO; Stella Pabst JR; Megan Smith SR; Emma Hintz JR; Lydia Plattner SR; Lauren Jones FR.

 

Notes – Normal West makes the transition from Class 2A to Class 3A this fall and could finish it the same way by running in the state meet. The Wildcats ran great towards the end of last season that culminated with a tenth-place finish in the Class 2A meet. It could be a rebuild for the first part of the season as they return just three of their top seven runners. Those runners are pretty good. Julie Bach is the best of them finishing 10th in Class 2A last fall. She could also finish in the top 10 this fall this time in Class 3A. Renee Warren had a good freshman season as she finished 28 at state. Amanda Warren was close to her sister by a minute down to the final meets. Normal West will need to rebuild from there with freshman Lauren Jones, Stella Pabst, and Morgan Smith will challenge for the next two scoring places. Their roster could be small this fall. The team will need to avoid injuries along the way.

 

30 St. Charles (East)

Coach – Brad Kaplan; 2022 Finish – 22nd Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Marley Andelman SR; Amalia Im SO; Nicole Mayer FR; Abbie Harrington JR; Lainey Poole SO; Kendall Crossen JR; Colleen Thumm SR; Allyson Walker JR; Ruby Garcia FR.

 

Notes – St. Charles East built through last season getting better and better with every race. The Saints rebounded after finishing fourth at the DuKane Conference Meet placing second both in their own regional and the Lake Park Sectional. St Charles East may need again build through the season after finishing 22nd at state and returning just two runners from that team. “Training went well,” said their coach, Brad Kaplan.  “We had a consistent group of girls show up daily and put in the work. We're a young group that is working hard to replace the majority of our varsity team from 2022. Our summer workouts saw Amalia Im improving from her great freshmen track season along with Nicole Mayer.”

 

Im is a sophomore that ended up as the team’s fifth runner in the state meet. Mayer is just a freshman that ran 12:18 in middle school for the 3200 Meter Run. Both will be the nucleus in the pack behind Marley Andelman who will be the team’s #1 runner. She finished 96 in last fall’s state meet. “Marley is coming off an amazing track season with 800 splits of 2:15 and 1600 of 5:05 and medaling in the 4x800 for the 2nd straight season,” Kaplan said. “She was also doing her triathlon training along with that since her freshmen year. Her triathlon training is a great way for her to cross train in a given week to help keep her strong and healthy. She just completed her national competition and will be slowly getting back into our xc season but I know she's ready to have another outstanding season leading us later in the season when it counts.”

 

Their roster is deep traditionally, and this year will be no exception. A key will build the team’s confidence that his little to no varsity race experience. Lainey Poole, Kendall Crossen, Coleen Thumm, Abbie Harrington, and freshman Ruby Garcia will challenge for spots in the top five. “We will have many new faces up on varsity that will take some time getting used to racing at that level but that's exciting to me,” added Kaplan. “Many of the girls will be working on being asked to do more and that will be an adjustment for them. I truly don't know who will fill those roles but as I tell the girls, they decide the lineup by their good or bad choices. Last season Maahi Patel stepped up as a senior and worked her way into our top 7 with almost a 2 minute improvement from her junior year. That was unexpected but I was so proud of her because she wanted to be great and earned a spot when we needed it. We're definitely taking this season day by day, week to week and be ready to race when it matters.”

 

Teams to Watch (Listed in Alphabetical Order)

 

Algonquin (Jacobs)

Coach – Kevin Christian; 2022 Finish – 24th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Bailey Schwartz JR; Madeline Osmanski SR; Kathleen Kania JR; Mackenzie Cronin SO; Fernanda Banuelos SR; Olivia Kusper SR; Amisha Schlicht FR; Kailyn Schlicht FR; Jasmine Lenth FR.

 

Notes – It will be a rebuilding year for the Golden Eagles after finishing 24th in the 3A State Meet with just two of their top seven coming back. Coach Kevin Christian will rebuild around junior Bailey Schwartz and senior Madeline Osmanski. Schwartz finished 46 last year at state but missed track season due to an injury. She is in great shape after a good summer of training according to her coach. “Training went well,” said Christian. “It's a smaller group, not the 40-50 we are used to, but the girls had a terrific summer.  We are working with a bunch of 22-25 minute girls fighting to round out the varsity team, so a bunch of girls who have been on JV have pushed each other for varsity spots.”

 

Kathleen Kania ran under 21-minutes last year and looks to be the key runner to be close to Osmanski. It will be wide open for the next four spots with freshman Amisha Schlicht having a chance to make it into that top seven. “Two years ago, we made state and graduated 4 of our top 5, so last year was supposed to be a rebuilding year”, Christian said. “Instead, we had a group of seniors that all progressed beyond what we could have imagined and made state again.  Now we are graduating everyone again, so the goal is to again have a large group improve and see how we can do.  So even though our girls do not come in as studs, we have had a ton of success with them having a steady, four-year improvement that can lead two great things, like the last two years.  This year’s group is coming in with a bunch of 22-25 minute girls beyond our top 3, so every success they will have will be earned.”

 

Chicago (Mother McAuley)

Coach – Kelly Malone; 2022 Finish – 15th Class 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Runners – Nora Enright SR; Emily Mangin SO; Ellie Barron SR; Maeve Emmons SO; Madeline Heidy SO; Lucy Littleton SO; Halle Duleba SO; Mary Cait Doherty SR.

 

Notes – Mother McAuley look to improve on last year’s 15th place finish at the Waubonsie Valley Sectional. All of runners are back from the team’s second place finish at the Sandburg Regional. Nora Enright was the team’s top runner at Sandburg but did not race at sectionals. Emily Mangin stepped up as the top runner at Waubonsie Valley. The two runners should be within 10 seconds of each other this coming season. This team is young with six of their top eight runners being sophomores . The pack behind the first two runners could be close to 90 seconds from two to three. The next five runners split could be big near 100 seconds. The Mighty Macs should be in the top five in the GCAC and make it out of regionals but could have a tough time making ot to state.

 

Deerfield

Coach – Jeff Beaumont; 2022 Finish – 25th Class 2A State Meet

Runners – Olivia Brown SO; Randi Tye JR; Maya Garcia JR; Natalia Arevalo SO; Mira McManamna SR; Hannah Bennie SO; Siona Rajshekar SO.

 

Notes – Deerfield moves back to Class 3A for the next year. They had success last fall making it to the state meet finishing the Class 2A Meet in 25th. They were to have five runners back from their team. Fifth runner Maria Retelewski is no longer with Deerfield transferring to Lake Forest Academy. “We had a very good summer of training,” said Coach Jeff Beaumont. “We target 250 running miles with an additional 2500 minutes of what we call other cardio.  The girls get those through swimming/biking/elliptical/playing soccer/etc.  Most of our varsity runners were able to accomplish that this summer.  We had our "Midnight Mile" early this morning and their fitness levels are a little ahead of where we were at this point last year.”

 

The top four runners ran personal bests within 10 seconds of each other last fall for 3-miles. Olivia Brown appears to be the runner that could be their #1 runner. “Olivia has emerged as our top runner.  She grew in confidence throughout the track season and broke 5:30 in the 1600 in a season-end time trial.  She parlayed that into a good summer and has a slight lead on the next three as of now.  However, if those four (Olivia, Randi Tye, Maya Garcia, and Natalia Arevalo) stay healthy, we could have a nice situation where there's not much separation between them.  They all get along very well but have an intensity to them that works to drive the whole group to keep getting better.” The gap between the top four and the next runners will be over 70 seconds to start the year. It should close down as the year goes on led by Mira McManamna and Siona Rajshekar.

 

“We've been on the perpetual classification yo-yo for at least a dozen years, and as you know we fell on the high side of the classification cutoff for the next two years,” Beaumont said. “With a declining enrollment (we're under 1450 for the coming school year), we may have our smallest team in the last 20 years, but the move to 3A has the girls motivated to do better than we've ever done.  I'm really excited about the season based on our returning runners and the addition of a promising freshman class.  Without much depth, we don't have room for error, but the group set a goal of making it to the State Championship and I'm not going to rule that out.”

 

DeKalb

Coach – Mike Wolf; 2022 Finish – 16th Class 3A Lake Park Sectional

Runners – Korima Gonzalez SR; Brenda Aquino JR; Maret Siblik SO; Emily Gonzalez-Fernandez JR; Iran Manriquez SO; Reese Zimmer JR; Sam Vander Bleek FR; Lucy Wheaton FR; Alex Schwantes FR.

 

Notes – Coach Mike Wolf returns six runners from the team that finished 16 at the Lake Park Sectional. Korima Gonzalez again should be the team’s top runner. “Korima has responded well to an increase in volume this summer,” said Wolf. “ I know that she gained confidence from her track season, and she is very motivated after just missing out on qualifying for state cross-country last fall.  She is ready to prove that she can run some fast cross-country races.”

 

Brenda Aquino has recovered from some minor injuries and should push Gonzalez getting closer to the front. Maret Siblik had a great summer of training and will improve on her freshman season. Their top five split was over two minutes at the end of last season. That will need to come down for this team to move up in the sectional.

 

Geneva

Coach – Beth Morrison; 2022 Finish – 11th Class 3A Lake Park Sectional

Runners – Sofia Borter SO; Ella Hoffman SO; Taylor Peahl SO; Lucina Lechtenberg SO; Lila Storaasli SR; Agnes Bolender SR; Lauren Verdecchia SR; Gretchen Drexler SO.

 

Notes – This is a young team that not many people thought would make it out of regionals. The Vikings improved down the stretch finishing sixth in their regional before placing 11 at the Lake Park Sectional. This team is young and talented with four of their top five runners sophomores. Sofia Borter emerged as the team’s #1 runner last season. Borter finished 78th at state and will look to place higher this fall. The pack behind Borter should be strong led by Ella Hoffman, Taylor Peahl, and Lucina Lechtenberg. The projected split is 100 seconds from Borter to the pack. It should be smaller on the next four runners. Geneva could contend for a state meet appearance.

 

Gurnee (Warren)

Coach – Louis Klien; 2022 Finish – 9th Class 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Runners – Kate Mondejar SO; Emily Towson SR; Emma Leung SR; Grace Wiser JR; Joselyn Schenk JR; Elinor Hanner SR; Justyce Sieber JR.

 

Notes – A team that may have some work to do after finishing ninth in the Hoffman Estates Sectional and losing their top runner Mia Pasha to graduation. Four runners are back from that team with Kate Mondejar leading the way. Mondejar finished 31 in the sectional race just missing a trip to Peoria. She’s improved and ready to take the next step up. Seniors Emily Towson and Emma Leung will lead the group behind the sophomore.

 

Hampshire

Coach – Ryan Hollister; 2022 Finish – 13th Class 3A Lake Park Sectional

Runners – Ella Perrone SR; Annabelle Haskins SO; Hudson Szymoniak JR; Hannah Jones JR; Kassidy Papa JR; Kaley Byhre SO; Alyssa Garcia SO; Rylie Wilson JR; Gillian Bangert SR.

 

Notes – The Whips are a young team but talented to better their 13th place finish from last year’s Lake Park Sectional. All seven runners are back from that team. Their top five split in the Lake Park Sectional was close to 100 seconds. That split needs to be lower to achieve improving their finish. Ella Perrone and Hannah Jones were the top two runners separated by 20 seconds at sectionals. Kassidy Papa looks to be someone that will lead the pack behind Perrone and Jones.

 

“Our varsity runners from last season all know we have a strong shot at qualifying for state as a team,” said Coach Ryan Hollister. “We had an incredibly close pack last year, so our runners just need to keep improving together.  We'll also have some added depth with new runners who might have a chance at challenging for a top seven spot.  We finished 8th in the Fox Valley Conference last season, but the seven teams who beat us were all state qualifiers, so we can't worry about the competition.  We just need to trust in the process and see where the chips fall.”

 

Huntley

Coach – Matt Kaplan; 2022 Finish – 13th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Ava Allison SR; Gabrielle Sweeney SO;  Aspen Maldonado SO; Abbie Williams JR; Ava Berardi JR; Corinne Kilvinger SO; Haley Rahman FR; Morgan Sauber FR.

 

Notes – It will be a different season for Coach Matt Kaplan as they lose three four-year varsity runners Breanna Burak, Brittney Burak, and Molly Allen to graduation. They also lost top seven runner Guillermina Gimenez-Canet, an exchange student, who returned back to Argentina. The Red Raiders return three runners from Huntley’s 13th place state team. Big additions could be two freshman challenging for the top spot with IESA third place finisher Haley Rahman and Morgan Sauber. “The girls summer was very consistent.  Our core group of varsity girls were able to spend the majority of the summer weeks together which I was pleased with because we got to see our top 5-7 girls working together every week,” said Kaplan.   “Freshmen Haley Rahman and Morgan Sauber put themselves right up in our front group the entire summer showing our team will look for them to impact our top 5.  Similar to the boys team, my team goal to have the core group together as much as possible and we had 25 girls showing up each week putting in consistent efforts.”

 

Ava Allison, Gabrielle Sweeney, and Aspen Maldonado are returning top seven runners that will give the two freshman boost. There could be some growing pains early this season. Huntley could be good enough by sectional time to get to state. “Even though we've lost 3 girls to graduation we return a lot of girls from the 2022 season., Kaplan said. “4 of our top 8 return along with the additions of freshmen Haley Rahman and Morgan Sauber make this year's team a solid group.  My message to the girls this summer was to consistently keep our front group together as much of the summer as we could.  Allison, Kilvinger, Maldonado, Rahman and Sauber were a strong 5 pack together all summer.  I pushed the girls to take on a new role that they didn't have last season.  When you lose your top 3 runners we need returners to step up and continue the standard that has been on this team for many seasons.  I think this season is going to be a lot of fun because we'll get to see some new names impact our top 7 and if we stay healthy this girls team has the potential to make a return trip to state this post season.”

 

Lake Zurich

Coach – Jeremy Kaufmann; 2022 Finish – 11th Class 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Runners – Lindsey Bitzer SR; McKenzie Bergfeld SR; Ruby Nissen SO; Polina Krupsky SO; Bianca Perez JR; Raina Kane JR; Alyssa Sparkowski SR, Celia Blaylock FR.

 

Notes – The Bears will miss their top runner Brooke Johnston who graduated and is now at UCLA. Lake Zurich returns six runners from their 11th place finish in the Hoffman Estates Sectional. The runner that should step into the top spot is Lindsey Bitzer who finished as the team’s #2 runner at sectionals. “She was the one that challenged the Team to lead us to what I am witnessing daily,” said their coach, Jeremy Kaufmann. “She has been a great Training leader as well a phenomenal social emotional teammate to lean on. She is training at a level to be an individual State Qualifier and wants to bring the Team long with her and they sure are doing that every day and practice with that single purpose.”

 

The top five split off Bitzer was projected to be close to two minutes. McKenzie Bergfeld and Ruby Nissen should help bring that split down. The addition of freshman Celina Blaylock will be a plus for the team. She could be in the top three according to Kaufmann.

 

Libertyville

Coach – Megan Sharp; 2022 Finish – 14th Class 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Runners – Margaret McGormley SR; Liz George SR; Veronica Leonard SR; Ava Torres SR; Katherine Gajewicz SR; Mila Coyle JR; Rosemary Inga JR; Lauren Hilts SR.

 

Notes – A team that could move into the top 10 in their sectional this season. The Wildcats return six from their 14th place sectional team. Margaret McGormley was the team’s #1 runner in two of their final three meets and should be the clear #1 runner to start the season. Liz George and Ava Torres were within a minute of McGormley and will be pushed to be closer to their teammate. Their split on five could be nearly two minutes beginning this fall. Runners like Veronica Leonard and Mila Coyle could get that pack closer.

 

Lincolnshire (Stevenson)

Coach – Lindsay DePaul; 2022 Finish – 15th Class 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Runners – Nanoko Seki JR; Adeline Gobble SR; Stella Plendl SR; Isabel Edgcomb SR; Minnie Shao SO; Sophia Pan SO; Casie Bjork JR; Allison Castro JR.

 

Notes – The Patriots will look to improve from last season when they finished 15th at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. All seven runners are back from that team. Naoko Seki and Adeline Gobble were the top two runners in the sectional meet ahead of their group by close to 60 seconds. The split between Seki and Gobble was just 20 seconds. The top five split could be huge just a little over two minutes. They will be one of the top four teams in the North Suburban Conference. It could be tough to make it out of sectionals, but they are a better team than last year.

 

Naperville (Neuqua Valley)

Coach – Matt Johnson;  2022 Finish – 7th Class 3A Hinsdale Central Regional

Runners – Elizabeth Hall JR; Sienna McEneaney JR; Katelyn Shen JR; Olivia Dalson SO; Ava Stipp SR; Natassa Papadakis SO; Ava Belle SO; Maggie Kalish JR ; Charleigh Bratko FR; Addison Guskey FR; Iris Li FR; Evalinh Schilling FR.

 

Notes – Matt Johnson steps in as Neuqua Valley’s coach coming from Plainfield East. Johnson inherits three runners back from the Wildcat team that finished seventh at the Hinsdale Central Regional. “We had a great summer camp, we had around 20 - 30 girls in attendance on a consistent basis,” said Johnson. “We started doing more consistent pace running on training runs, and more team running.  I've preached that I want training runs done as a team.”

 

Elizabeth Hall, Katelyn Shen, and Sienna McEneaney are the three runners back forming a good nucleus up front. Hall and Shen qualified for sectionals. Ava Belle and Ava Stipp give the team  strong fourth and fifth runners. “We have added more mileage to our training program.  We slowly increased each week over summer and maxed out with the top 14 running 40 miles a week,” added Johnson. “Our team motto this year will be Stronger Together as the girls are learning that training runs, and long runs are easier to do in groups.”

 

New Lenox (Lincoln-Way West)

Coach – Matt Bowden; 2022 Finish – 13th Class 3A Normal Sectional

Runners – McKenna Zitkus JR; Ellie Trench SO; Jayden Gurgone SO; Morgan Sallese SR; Mia Koslowski JR; Portia Stiglic SR.

 

Notes – The Warriors will look to improve on last year’s 13 place finish at the Normal Sectional. Matt Bowden returns five runners from that team. “The summer was a challenging one for the team,” Bowden said.  “It was tough to replace the class of 2023's leadership.  The combination of vacations, jobs, and club sports made establishing consistent running difficult.  Now that the season has started, I believe those issues can be resolved and the team will be ready for new adventures.”

 

It will be tough to find the #1 runner. Annie Pinciak will not run this fall not coming out for the team.  A big loss is that Chloe Miller will not run this fall. “Chloe Miller is a fantastic young person who is the closest thing we have to a McFarland, USA athlete (school, practice, farm combo),” said Bowden. “The toughness and tenacity she developed working on her family's farm allowed her to run most of her freshmen track season and ALL of last xc season with a torn labrum in her hip (this injury forced her to miss track last spring).  Unfortunately, she will miss cross country this year as she recovers from hip surgery.  She will be ready for track.” Mia Klosowski and McKenna Zitkus had good summers of training and should step into the team’s top five. They do have a class of seven freshman runners to could contribute by state series time.”

 

Normal (Community)

Coach – Tom Patten; 2022 Finish – 27th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Allison Ince SR; Lily Cavanaugh SO; Paige Pollitt JR; Beatrix Alvarez SO; Audra Wolf SO; Marissa Phelps SR; Kate Oyler SR; Anna Fukumoto JR.

 

Notes – It could be a tough road for Normal Community to make it back to the state meet after finishing 27th last November. They will have Ali Ince back for her senior season. They do have Lily Cavanaugh who ran the same time at state as Ince. She also had a good track season contributing to the spring success of the team. Their third runner Abigail Ziemer decided not to come out for the team in her senior season.

 

“Ali Ince, of course, had a very successful but lengthy summer track campaign,” said her coach, Tom Patten. “Our plan is to back her down to get some rest and recovery during the first half of cross country and then see what she can do with the last month of the season (basically just using CC as base work for next track season).” Cavanaugh has a good chance to qualify for state individually. The gap between the first two runners and the rest of the pack could be close to three minutes.

 

O’Fallon

Coach – Neil James; 2022 Finish – 10th Class 3A Normal Sectional

Runners – Ellie Bush SO; Ella Peterson SR; Ella Andrews SO (transfer from Montgomery Catholic AL); Autumn Gavin SO; Ava Thunig SO; Mae Navera FR; Amanda Fisher SO; Madelyn Cane FR; Campbell Plassman FR.

 

Notes – Potentially a team that could make it to state this fall. The Panthers did not have their best race in sectionals finishing tenth at Normal. They do have the talent to accomplish that with six runners back from that sectional race. “We really focused on being more consistent in our training this summer.  The team had an outstanding summer with our younger runners really setting the tone for the intensity and focus that we were looking for.  We had a core group of about 20 athletes who were there every day and consistently put in the work.  Our sophomore class has really stepped up their intensity and focus and has brought in the new freshmen.  Our two top returning seniors, Ella Hettenhausen and Ella Peterson have really worked to show the expectations of our program.”

 

Ellie Bush will be the top runner on this team finishing 60 at state last year as a freshman. “Ellie has a great feel for pace and that was evident in her 3200 at the state track meet where she gradually moved up over the last 800,” said Coach Neil James. “Ellie also does a great job of responding to an off race or workout.  She is so focused and confident that she comes right back and does not dwell on the past.  She has really taken on a leadership role this summer.  She is always the first person at practice and ready to go.  We expect a big things from her this fall.  The team’s pack led by Autumn Gavin could have a 30 second split from their second through fifth runners. The additions with a good freshman class led by Mae Navera and Ella Andrews, who transferred in from Montgomery Catholic AL where she ran 12:28 in her 3200 at state, will give this team a boost. A top 25 team by mid-September and a state qualifying team by the end of October is in this team’s future. 

 

Oswego

Coach – Alicia Rafferty; 2022 Finish – 21st Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Addison Richter JR; Lucy Cler JR; Josephine Reiseck JR; Samantha Ventura JR; Kate Soderlind SR; Rowan Barker SO; Kristin Soderlind FR; Morgan Bradley FR; Lexi Richter FR; Anna Rimington FR

 

Notes – The Panthers made it to state last year finishing 21 overall. They will miss their #1 runner Audra Soderlind who graduation. A hard loss was to #2 runner Kelly Wong who will mis her senior season. “She is not medically cleared to run right now,” said her coach, Alicia Raferty.  “We are hoping she can be back for track, but it is not certain. She knows how good she can be. She was in the top 35 at state last year until she slipped in the mud and took a tumble which hurt her hamstring. Unfortunately, she will not have a senior year for xc.”

 

Addison Richter and Lucy Cler will be the 1-2 runners for this young team. Rafferty has a strong freshman group coming in. Morgan Bradley has been running close to Richter and challenging for the #1 spot according to Rafferty. Kristin Soderlind and Lexi Richter continue to get stronger through summer training and could challenge for top spots. It is a young team. It does not mean they cannot make it back to sectionals.

 

St. Charles (North)

Coach – Shari Hayes; 2022 Finish – 10th Class 3A Lake Park Sectional

Runners – Norah Dorrance JR; Camille Sabau SR; Paiten Kruse SO; Zoe Ulaszek SR; Elizabeth Kadyschuk SR; Kathryn Kadyschuk SR; Tia Kilroy JR; Skye Santiago SO.

 

Notes – The North Stars would be a team I would keep a close eye on this season. They can go 10-12 deep for runners that could be in their top seven. All runners that ran on the team in the Lake Park Sectional where they finished tenth are all back. Norah Dorrance and Camille Sabau give North a solid team in the front. Dorrance and Sabau both ran at state. Dorrance was the front runner placing 67th. Both could be in the top 50 in November. Paiten Kruse was within 26 seconds of Sabau at sectionals and could close the gap. Their problem that needs work on is their top five split could be close to three minutes. The pack behind their top three runners needs to close that gap for this squad to enjoy success.

 

Tinley Park (Andrew)

Coach – Mark Luttrell; 2022 Finish – 12th Class 3A Normal Sectional

Runners – Paige Swaw JR; Natalie Orbon SO; Nicole Prassas JR; Grace Wood SR; Alyssa Bartlett SR; Sarah Escalona SO; Mary Joe Fischer JR; Ashley Marth JR.

 

Notes – The Thunderbolts came on strong at the end of last season finishing 12th at the Normal Sectional after finishing fifth at the Lockport Regional. Paige Swaw has been the team’s top runner for the first two years of her high school running career. She qualified for state last year and could make the trip to Peoria again this November. The team’s top five split is projected to be close to three minutes. Three more of their top five runners are back with Natalie Orbon, Nicole Prassas, and Grace Wood and should be again part of the top five for Andrew.

 

Wheaton (North)

Coach – Peter Anderson; 2022 Finish – 26th Class 3A State Meet

Runners – Maddie Romaine JR; Ema Eissler SO; Rebecca Farrell JR; Hannah Tebbe JR; Sienna Keith SO; Brigitte Noyes JR; Jackie Guglielmi SR; Annika Carlson FR;  Emily Offurt FR.

 

Notes – The Falcons made it to the state meet for the first time since 2006 finishing seventh at the Lake Park Sectional and then placing 26th in the 3A State Meet. Wheaton North just missed making it into the pre-season top 30. They will be there soon. “It was a good summer of training,” said Coach Pete Anderson. “Our returning top 7 from last year who were able to train this summer ran really well. Comparing interval or tempo workouts to the summer before, they trained at a higher level this summer.”

 

Four runners are back from the state meet. Their split for their third and fifth runner is projected to be near 50 seconds. Ema Eissler, Sienna Keith, and Hannah Tebbe could be part of the pack along with freshmen Annika Carlson and Emily Offutt. The top two runners, Maddie Romaine and Rebecca Ferrell were separated by 60 seconds at the end of the year. That gap should close. “Maddie Romaine put in some quality work this summer. Her time trial time is 30 seconds faster than last summer,” said Anderson.  “Three of our top seven graduated this June. We need to replace some good runners. We have a very solid junior class, along with Maddie, as well as a good freshman duo of Ema Eissler and Sienna Keith. Emily and Annika could be in the mix for varsity by mid to late September. Getting to the State Meet as a team last year for the first time since 2006 is something we are very proud of. The goal is to start a streak of falls when the team qualifies for the State Meet.”

 

Winnetka (New Trier)

Coach – John Burnside; 2022 Finish – 8th Class 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Runners – Josie Cahill JR; Hannah Falk SR; Lauren Moutvic SR; Eva Scarborough SR; Addison Melsher JR; Ally Therivel JR; Riley Botjer SR; Kayla Ritchie FR; Nina Holroyd SR.

 

Notes – New Trier missed the state meet for the first time since 2008 last year. They have the potential to start a new streak to the state meet. The Trevians finished eighth at the Hoffman Estates Sectional and have four runners from that sectional race. Josie Cahill was the top runner for the Trevians last year making it to the state meet. She improved during track and could take the next step up this fall. “Josie is far stronger than she was last year,” said Coach John Burnside. “The experience of competing in the 4 x 800 in the state meet also gave her some needed experience in how to perform under pressure when expectations are extremely high.”

 

Hannah Falk gives the team senior leadership in the front and should lead the team’s pack behind Cahill. Addison Melsher was the third runner in the regional race but did not run in the sectionals. Sadie Abbott had a good summer of training and should be among the teams top seven. Newcomers Kayla Ritchie and Nina Holroyd could contribute immediately into the top five. “Summer training went very well,” said Burnside. “The is the healthiest this team has been in quite a while.  We were able to have a consistent front pack through Tempo and CV workouts that was able to push and support one another.  The team looked much stronger as we moved toward the end of July.”