ILXCTF 2024 Team Season Previews: Class 3A Girls

By Michael Newman

 

It came down to four teams in last year’s Class 3A championships to determine a state team champion. That came down to York to capture their second state title in three years. Will the Dukes repeat this November?

 

Downers Grove could have the edge as the season started. They came close to their conference rival last fall but fell short, finishing in second. They accomplished that going through a season of injuries including missing two of their top runners at state. They are improved, determined, and deeper in talent with a freshman runner that will have an impact on their top five.

 

Barrington made their way to the podium last November finishing third. They could be better this fall having the top two returning runners in Class 3A, defending individual champion Scout Storms, and Class 3A 3200 Meter Run champion Mia Sirois up front leading them. Prospect has two all-staters with Meg Peterson and Ireland Wildhart part of the pack leading them. Veronica Znajda will lead this team as she did last year before collapsing with 800-meters left in the race and the lead. Prospect finished fourth last year and is hungry to get back up on the podium.

 

Where last year that there were four teams challenging each other, it could be up to seven schools that have a legitimate chance to win a trophy. Defending Class 3A Champion York reloaded after losing four all-state runners to graduation. They return three runners that finished in the top 49 plus a talent group waiting for their chance to step up. Naperville North could be the surprise team this fall led by senior Emma Berres along with all-state runners Shania and Riana Tandon.

 

Southwest Prairie Conference power Yorkville along with conference rivals Plainfield North and Minooka close to getting into the top five. Hersey was sixth last year and has improved heading into this season.

 

Here is where we see the 3A Girls Top 30 teams landing to start the season. We look at 20 other Class 3A schools listed in no particular order.

 

1 Downers Grove (North)

Coach – Tim McDonald

2023 Finish: 16-NXN; 2-NXRMW; 2-3A; 1-HC; 1-LT; 2-WSCS

Top Runners: Lily Eddington JR, McKenzie Willard SR, Alayna Todnem SR, Ava Gilley SR, Audrey Casten SR, Hannah Renner SR, Macy Ermitage FR, Jadyn Wood SR, Blake Welter SO, Helen Justice JR, Sophia Schlueter SO, Mairead Courtney SO.

Notes: The Trojans went through so many injury situations last fall that if it happened to another team, the squad would not have recovered. That was not the case when they got down to Peoria for the Class 3A State Meet. The Trojans placed four runners in the top 24 to finish second overall in the race. Maybe it was an example of the perseverance that this team had. One of the goals for the team this season is health. “Naturally, they all listed staying healthy as one of their individual and team goals,” Coach Tim McDonald. “I think the group learned a lot about perseverance and the power of running for your teammates.  I am extremely fortunate to work with a group of girls who understand there are ebbs and flows in a running career.  They have been there for each other to celebrate successes, and they have been there for each other to rally around a person when things are not going great.”

 

I was packing up my gear in my car after Magis Miles when a coach approached me. “Did you see what those two Downers Grove North runners did tonight? I thought I had a good team, nut man, they are going to be tough to beat.” I thought the same thing. Look at what the group went through. Lily Eddington had some injuries that forced her out of some meets. McKenzie Willard was the team’s 1-2 runner through the early part of the season until the Naperville Twilight Invitational where she suffered an injury that caused her to miss state but came back at Nike Cross Nationals. Audrey Casten was the team’s fifth runner at Palatine and came down with an injury. She raced at sectionals and state as the team’s seventh runner.

 

North has three all-state runners back and a fourth, Sarah Paul, who had graduated. Lily Eddington finished 10th at state last fall. On the track, she was part of their 4x8 team that finished second. She then came back to run 4:55.59 for the championship mile at Magis Miles. Alayna Todnem finished 14 as the team’s third runner. Ava Gilley was the team’s fourth runner, placing 24th. She had a breakout track season. Gilley ran a 2:11.9 split to help on her team’s 4x8 finish. She was all-state in the 800 Meter Run finishing ninth. She had an open personal best of 2:12.44 in the state meet prelims. Then came the Magis Miles race where she ran 4:56.21 to win the High School mile. Audrey Casten and McKenzie Willard both made it to the state track meet in the 3200 Meter Run. Casten earned all-state honors placing ninth. “Audrey Casten, Lily Eddington, Ava Gilley, Hannah Renner, Alayna Todnem, & Kenzie Willard are all focused on having a great season together,” added McDonald. “The focus is on the team's success.  They know if their focus is running as a team, the individual success will come.”

 

Just in case the injury bug hits, this team may be deeper than they were a year ago. Hannah Renner was the team’s sixth runner at state, fifth runner at NXN. McDonald stated that their sophomore group could fly under some viewers radar this fall. A group led by Blake Weltler , Mairead Courtney, and Sophia Schlueter may be asked to be in the top seven. 25-30 freshmen, McDonald’s largest frosh group ever, make the team’s future a little brighter. The one runner that could contribute immediately is Macy Ermitage who was the IESA 4A State XC Champion last October. “Macy's older sister is friends with most of my senior girls, so they have known her for a long time,” added McDonald. “She is blending in well with the veteran team and they are excited that she is only going to make us better.”

 

You can’t look at this team in the matter of splits on the team. They will be better than that. The Trojans should have five all-state runners. They are in better shape than they were at this time last year and more confident heading into this season. “We have a yearly motto,” said McDonald. “This year's is WE/ME or "We above Me".  Yes, I know, we steal these things as coaches.  I tell them that if we can get to the line at the championship races and we are running for each other, we will be a very good team.”

 

2 Barrington

Coach – Deb Revolta

2023 Finish: 4-NXRMW; 3-3A; 1-Hof Est Sec; 1-Grant Reg; 2-MSL.

Top Runners: Scout Storms SR, Mia Sirois SO, Abby Lewis JR, Sabrina Roach SR, Angelica Hil SO, Samantha Rowley SR, Viktoria Higgins SR, Madison Miles JR, Georgia Storms FR, Paige Kusmerz FR, Victoria Tarara FR.

Notes: It seemed moments later in the season that Barrington would be the odd team out. There were four schools going for three trophies. Fortunately for the Fillies, they ran a good race at state to finish third in Class 3A. They should have gone to Oregon in December as an at-large team after placing fourth at the Nike Midwest Cross Nationals. They will have a chance to make that right this season.  “Summer training has been going well,” said their Coach, Deb Revolta. “We have been working on gradually increasing mileage and sprinkling in some speed work and tempo runs.  Nothing crazy as we have a long season ahead of us and we want to stay healthy.”

 

The Fillies have a strong front pack that will need to stay healthy this season if they look to contend for a state title. Barrington has five runners back from the state team and a great group. Revolta welcomes back Scout Storms and Mia Sirois who are the top two returning runners from the Class 3A state race. Storms was in second place in the final 800 of the race when then race leader Veronica Znajda was forced to drop out of the race. Storms went on to capture the 3A title. Mia Sirois finished sixth last fall. In the spring, she pulled away to claim the Class 3A State Meet title in the 3200 Meter Run. It is a luxury for Barrington to have two star runners up front. Sabrina Roach was the team’s third runner placing 34th. Angelica Hil (50) and Abby Lewis (76) were the team’s fourth and six runners in that state race. Lewis at times was the team’s fourth runner. I would watch for her closer to Roach. Viktoria Huggins was 16 seconds behind Lewis at the MSL Champions. The senior would be the runner that would step into the top five. “Scout, Mia, Sabrina and Abby (Lewis) are all excited and ready to go,” Revolta said. “They have put in the work this summer.  Their confidence is high after a great track season and of course Scout is now healthy and ready to run fast.”

 

Barrington has the power up front to contend for a state title. It is always nice to have the possibility of going 1-2 in a big race. Their split from the third to the fifth runners are projected to be at 75 seconds. It will have to narrow down especially when they get close to state series time. Barrington will be tested early like they did last September racing against all the top 3A Girls schools. “What we will stress most this season is to take care of ourselves and not worry about things we cannot control,” added Revolta. “We have to enjoy the process and not think too much ahead.  We will want to pack it together in the 3 through 7 spots and have a strong finish (last 400) in the big meets. We learned from last season that we belong right up there with the top teams in the state.  That is something we will work hard to maintain.”

 

3 Naperville (North)

Coach – Dan Iverson

2023 Finish: 7-NXRMW; 5-3A; 2-HC; 1-Nap N Reg; 1-DVC.

Top Runners: Emma Berres SR, Shania Tandon JR, Rianna Tandon JR, Annika Lovisa SR, Brynn Pfeiffer SO, Ellaina White SO, Sennah Rashidian SR, Chloe Piot SO, Alessandra Woods SR, Kathryn Rohr FR, Alex Pobozny FR.

Notes: You could say that Naperville North was on the outside looking in as four good teams battling for a trophy. The Huskies ran their best races of the season and ended up placing fifth in the Class 3A State Meet. Their top runner Julie Piot has graduated and has stepped up to the next level at Yale. At the same time, it always seems like this program is always replacing their top runner.

 

“We had a good summer of training,” said Coach Dan Iverson. “Our people are, for the most part, in good shape and ready to go. I don’t have many objective measures to tell you where we are in relation to previous years, but we have several athletes who are ready to go for an awesome season. We brought 40 kids to the UP in Michigan, and several of them ran almost a full marathon of work over VERY hilly, rough terrain. So, they are at minimum tough!”

 

It could be Emma Berres that steps into the #1 spot for the Huskies. Berres had a devastating knee injury two years ago. She showed she is fully healthy as it showed during this past spring. She did a lot of doubling in the 800/1600 outdoors. Her focus was in the 800 where she finished fourth in the 3A finals running a personal best of 2:12.92. Her Mile time dropped down to 4:56.73 when she finished third last June at Magis Miles. Berres was the team’s fourth runner at Detweiller last fall placing 66th.

 

Shania and Rianna Tandon are finding more and more consistency in their training and racing. We saw that last fall when Shania finished 15th while Riana finished 23rd in their state races. Both improved their times on the track readying them this fall. It might take a little time for Shania Tandon to be back with an injury she suffered. “Those three could be a very powerful group this season,” said Iverson. “Emma has really learned how to do distance training with more intention this summer, and Rianna and Shania have taken a step forward between what they showed in the spring and now. Unfortunately, Shania got hit by a car at the beginning of August on a training run, so her progress is on hold now, but we feel like we might have gotten lucky with respect to her overall prognosis. She may not be with us right away, but I’m optimistic that she’ll be with us reasonably early into the year.”

 

The depth behind their top three runners is good with any of 10 runners possibly stepping into the top seven this season. Anika Lovisa and Brynn Pfeiffer gained state meet experience last year and will be among the top five along with Sennah Rashidian. “Chloe Piot and Elliana White are sophomores who worked very hard this summer to level themselves up as best they could.” added Iverson.  “It has been impressive. They showed some definite progress in track, and they continued to level up their commitment this summer.”

 

I would not worry where this team is ranked until after the Naperville Twilight Invitational in the middle of October. We should discover at that point how this team could be. Iwould say in the middle of a wild mix to bring home a state trophy. “We need to be the best at getting better,” Iverson said.  “That’s really all we can control. There are lots of potentially good teams out there, but we can’t play defense against them. So, we won’t try. We’ll just do the best we can to grow and improve all season long.”

 

4 Mt. Prospect (Prospect)

Coach – Pete Wintermute

2023 Finish: 14-NXN; 1-NXRMW; 4-3A; 2-Hof Est Sec; 1-Loy Reg; 1-MSL

Top Runners: Veronica Znajda SR, Meg Peterson JR, Ireland Wildhart SR, Sophie Fransen SR, Mary Laba SR, Rachel Asper JR, Ella Benassi JR, Anna Zajac JR, Ava Collins SR, Amalia Scorza SO, Ella Cook JR, Sami Lobacz FR, Grace Sokol FR, Vaughn Emerson FR, Alli Kalkwarf FR, Kaitlin Miazga FR.

Notes: The defining moment last fall was not at the state race. Veronica Znajda had the race lead with a half mile to go when she collapsed to the ground. She was not able to finish. Her Prospect did not worry about what place they finished. They rushed to their teammate to console her. Their character showed the next week in Terre Haure, Indiana when they won the Nike Midwest Cross Regional Title which moved them to Nike Cross Nationals in December. A moment like that at Detweiller Park could have leveled a team. Not the Lady Knights.

 

Prospect will have four runners back from that state team. “We had a solid summer of training for the Knights,” said Coach Pete Wintermute. “Our team trip was a success with lots of bonding moments and fun running new terrain.  Our long runs are building, and it has been good to see some new faces in the top training group.  This has been a point of emphasis this summer.”

 

Technically, Prospect has three all-state runners coming back the season Znajda had before that state race.  Znajda and Meg Peterson were part of the 4x8 team that won the state title for the fourth year in a row. Veronica was also all-state finishing sixth in the 1600 Meter Run. Peterson finished seventh in the 800 Meter Run earning all-state honors. Ireland Wilhardt ran a great state race finishing 22nd. Sophie Fransen was the team’s fourth runner, finishing 60th. Don’t count her out for all-state this November. Prospect has about 10 runners that could challenge for the final three Varsity spots. “Mary Laba and Ava Collins look to make their mark as seniors on this team,” Wintermute said. “Their goal is to leave a lasting legacy and to reload from last year's graduating seniors.  Their workouts are improving, and they will be important pieces to the depth of our program.  Anna Zajac, Ella Benassi, Carmen Wooten, and Emma Skelton are working their way up the charts and have been training with the top group.  A program goal is to find the depth necessary to make a big run this season.”

 

The top runners on this team have that state meet experience that will help with the younger runners transitioning to high level meets. Remember, this program has been in this position before. “Veronica, Meg and Ireland will help to lead this team,” added Wintermute.  “With three former All-State athletes on this team it provides the leadership and experience for what it takes to be great.  There are areas as a team we need to improve but the experiences from State, NXR, and NXN provide confidence they can run with the best in the State/nation.”

 

5 Elmhurst (York)

Coach – Lauren DeAngelis

2023 Finish: 12-NXN; 3-NXRMW; 1-3A; 1-LP Sec; 1-OPRF Reg; 1-WSCS.

Top Runners: Maggie Quinn JR, Sophia Galiano-Sanchez JR, GiGi Hill JR, Sofia Stoddard SR, Karlin Janowski FR, Scarlett Moriarty SR, Lila Stanley JR, Kate Tanny SO, Julia Weseloh SO, Paige Byrne JR, Kate Geiger JR, Adell Weseloh SR, Ariya Shah JR.

Notes: For some teams, losing four all-state runners to graduation would be the definition of rebuilding a program. For York this season, it is simply rebuilding, The defending state champions in Class 3A return three runners from that state team. The beneficial thing for this team is that the three returning runners all finished in the top 49. “We have had a solid summer of training with many girls stepping up,” said their coach, Lauren DeAngelis. “The team is very connected and supports one another.  This group is very driven and wants to continue to make sure the Lady Dukes continue to be a very strong program.  We have been progressing the mileage, incorporating hill work and working on our racing strategy.”

 

Their racing strategy is simple. Pack your five runners close together so that you can hear your teammate breathing. It was the case when the Dukes won their second state championship in three years. The split on their top five last season was just 25 seconds. The potential for this year could be just as tight. Maggie Quinn was the team’s fifth runner placing 28th. Sophia Galiano-Sanchez (32nd) and GiGi Hill (49th) were the next two runners. The three runners were separated by 18 seconds. DeAngelis thinks she has the two runners that will step in from the summer training the team went through. Sofia Stoddard had a great track season running 11:08 to finish 13th in the 3200 Meter Run in the 3A State Meet. The other runner is freshman Karen Janowski who trained in the team’s summer camp since sixth grade. DeAngelis said that she is running with the top group. “We have a lot of young girls and some veterans who can also step into our top 7 with a strong freshmen class. The 3 returning will be great mentors and are ready to help push our program and pack forward,” said DeAngelis. “Sofia Stoddard has looked very strong during the summer training along with Scarlett Moriarty. They have been consistent, able to increase their pace comfortably, and lead the tempo/threshold workouts! They both have stepped into leadership roles and are doing an amazing job mentoring our new teammates.”

 

York will be tested early. Their schedule has not changed over the past three years. They will race against Barrington at St. Charles East and then at Palatine. York will see Downers Grove North and Prospect at Lake Park, Richard Spring Invitational, and Palatine in consecutive weeks. We will get to see what kind of split York has and if any new runners step up. York can get a trophy. If that split stays under 30 seconds with two all-state runners could put Dukes in position for another state championship. “We want each of our athletes to get stronger, more confident, and better throughout the season for the team and themselves,” stated DeAngelis. “We want all the girls to feel supported and to work on building one another up as a family.  This year we have a lot of girls ready to step in and fill the openings from the 4 graduated seniors who were amazing mentors.  Our goal is to be back on the podium at state with a consistent progression all season.  Our team will work on our pack running while focusing on our specific racing strategy.  The state competition will be extremely tough, and we look forward to racing against these great programs.”

 

6 Yorkville

Coach – Chris Muth

2023 Finish: 9-3A; 1-Gran City Sec; 1-Plain C Reg; 1-SPC.

Top Runners: Sophia Keeler SR, Annabelle Reeder JR, Athena Reeder FR, Ashley Schraeder JR, Liliana Camargo SR, Nicole Kraus SO, Sydney Seliga SR, Mia Evans SO, Isabella Edwards SO, Rachael Rotramel FR, Linden Moss FR, Kayla Bassett FR.

Notes: This is one of those teams that could climb into the Group of Five. The Foxes do have six runners back from the team that finished ninth in the Class 3A State Meet. Coach Chris Muth does have a large group of freshmen runners that could put this team into trophy contention by the time they get to November. “We had very solid consistent numbers and our training has progressed as normal, with relative health,” said Muth. “We don’t have any wow workouts to report, but mileage and work ethic have been there.”

 

Sophia Keeler should start the season as the team’s top runner. The senior finished 26th at state three seconds ahead of Annabelle Reeder who finished 31st. Ashley Schrader was the team’s third runner last year who again will contribute in the top five. “We have a really strong core of girls coming back lead by these three,” added Muth.  “All three of them have consistently trained this summer and should be further ahead of where they were at this point last year.  Sophia Keeler is learning a new role as not just one of our top runners, but a team captain. Ashley is coming back strong from a previous injury and Annabelle Reeder has come a long way with her mental approach to the sport.  The expectations for all three are to make a step forward from last season, and currently are all on that track.  They will be the core and heart of this team.”

 

 Yorkville has four runners that Muth will be part of the top 10 runners at some point during the season. The one runner that will make an immediate impact is Athena Triner. The freshman was the second runner already this year at Detweiller at Dark. “She will be consistently in our varsity top 4 this season and could eventually even be our number one runner by the end of the year as she progresses through our training and solely focuses on cross country after splitting with summer basketball. Rachael Rotramel, Linden Moss and Kayla Bassett have the potential to make the postseason roster and even more with consistent daily effort, experience and health.”

 

The Foxes are deeper than the last three years with Liliana Camargo, Nicole Kraus, and Nia Evans all with state meet experience and able to be in the top seven again this year. The top five teams in Class 3A have raised the bar higher challenging schools behind them to try to stay with them. Yorkville took the challenge. “I don’t believe they train with a chip on their shoulder, but instead train for each other and their team goals,” said Muth.  “As you know we can’t play defense in cross country so we work on controlling our business each day and if we can do that, who knows what can happen in November.  This year in my opinion there are 4 or 5 clear front teams, prior to adding in the freshman.  I don’t believe we have proven we are in that group yet, but I also wouldn’t discount us when rankings really matter in November. We have consistently flown under the radar early in the season and are at our best when races really matter.  I don’t see any indications with these girls that they should be anything different than past teams.  If anything, we have an exciting impactful freshman this year, that we have lacked over the past few years.”

 

7 Arlington Heights (Hersey)

Coach – Mikayla Olsen

2023 Finish: 7-3A; 3-Hof Est Sec; 1-Pal Reg; 3-MSL.

Top Runners: Margaretha Grabske SR, Alexa Izenstark SO, Elizabeth Waltz JR, Madeline Bialko SR, Sofia Donner SO, Martyna Makowski SO, Alexandra Kopacz SO, Ava McQuade SO, Helena Vincent JR, Amelia Makowski SO, Jamie Laskiewicz JR (swim), Josie Petrels FR, Jojo Messer FR.

Notes: It seems that the Huskies remain in the shadows in the MSL behind distance powerhouses Prospect and Barrington. When the time is right, you see this squad pop up into the top 10 in major invitational meets and then at state. Hersey finished sixth in last year’s Class 3A meet. Hersey’s top five runners from last year are all back. This could be the year this team finishes in the top five. Training this summer was productive for our rising upper classmen;” said Coach Mikayla Olsen. We are so excited to see 10 of our top 12 from last year return. The Huskies look confident in finding their rhythms while tempoing, hills, or just having fun at camp.

 

The Huskies could have two all-state runners leading them this fall. Margaretha Grabske earned all-state honors finishing 17th last year. She will challenge this year for a top 10 finish. Alexa Izenstark missed the top 25 last year 17 seconds behind Grabske and finishing 27th overall. The team having low numbers in the front will be good for this team in the next couple of months. “Margaretha is one of the most disciplined runners I will ever coach,” said Olsen.  “She knows what to do when no one is looking. Her presence on the team is notable, yet she remains one of the most genuine and humble kids on the team. I look forward to seeing her rise to the occasion for her team. Alexa is also a running prodigy. She knows what she needs to get done and will do it with grace. Her fuel for performance and her team is something I cannot coach, nor do I have to. She will remain hungry for improvement forever and always.”

 

The split from second runner Izenstark to last year’s fifth runner Martyna Makowski at state was 66 seconds. Izenstark will be going all-state and should be closer to Grabske. The overall split should be worked on. Elizabeth Waltz and Madeline Bialko and again will make the team’s top five even stronger. Sofia Donner and Ava McQuade, both sophomores, will challenge for a spot in the top five. “This summer we have stressed to take care of the little things,” added Olsen. “We sometimes get too caught up in the big goals we set for ourselves, but need to recognize it is the smaller goals that get us there. Running is a unique sport in which you cannot continually keep practicing; everything must be done with intention. Taking care of those small things allows us to create something big. We must hold each other accountable and we will perform better, together, as a team.”

 

8 Wheaton (North)

Coach – Pete Anderson

2023 Finish: 8-3A; 2-LP Sec; 1-SCE Reg; 1-DuKane.

Top Runners: Maddie Romaine SR, June Rectenwald SO, Emily Offutt SO, Emma Eissler JR, Annika Carlson SO, Hannah Tebbe SR, Sienna Keith JR, Ella Klein SR, Rebecca Farrell SR, Brigitte Noyes SR, Mackenzie Skidmore SR.

Notes: The Falcons continue to rise in Class 3A including the team to beat in the DuKane Conference and finishing eighth in the Class 3A State Meet. Six runners return from that state team. A seventh runner, Ceres Moraitis, is moving with her family and transferring out of the school. The depth is there for this team to improve this fall. “The team trained well this summer,” said Coach Peter Anderson. “We had a good core of runners show up for all six weeks and put in good workouts. We finished the summer with a 2-mile race and Emily Offutt broke the school record (the course we use only goes back to 2011). Everyone stayed healthy and positive throughout the summer.”

 

The improvement of Offutt over the summer could make their front three pack even tighter along with fellow sophomore June Rectenwald and Maddie Romaine who is one of three seniors returning in the top seven. Romaine finished 43rd leading the team last November.  “Maddie is a pleasure to coach,” said Anderson. “She has worked so hard throughout her career. I can count on her for steady and mature leadership. She leads by example with not a lot of words, but she leads!  She has grown to have a tougher mindset through her experiences in track this spring. She has remained humble despite her successes. Her freshman year she was #2 to Janna Postma; the next year there was Ema Eissler, a promising young freshman pushing her for #1 runner; her junior year along comes Emily Offutt as a phenom freshman who again pushes Maddie out of the #1 runner spot for most of the season. It does not matter to her. She wants the team to do well and for that to happen, she cheers on and encourages the other girls on the team. She is faster at this point in the season than she was in her previous three seasons.”

 

Finding a fifth runner will be something that this team will need to accomplish. Their top five split last year in Peoria was just 50 seconds. Without Moraitis, the split drops up by a minute. Sienna Keith, Annika Carlson, and Hannah Tebbe will push to help this team in the top five. “Our theme this summer and fall is "What's Next?" (President Bartlet's line numerous times throughout the run of The West Wing),” said Anderson. “It's not just what is next for us as a team this season; it's a mindset of what is next in a workout? What is next on our schedule? Who is the next girl I can pass in this race? What is the next marker on the course in my race plan? What is next if I get injured? What is next if I have a setback?  . . . You get the idea. It's not what was, it is what is next?”

 

9 Minooka

Coach – Kevin Gummerson

2023 Finish: 16-3A; 5-Gran City Sec; 1-Andrew Reg; 2-SPC.

Top Runners: Maya Ledesma SR, Taya Gummerson SR, Natalie Nahs SO, Liana Blount SR, Cassie Brushaber SR, Paige Joachim SO, Melinda Torres JR, Kimora Rodely SO, Clara Getsoian FR, Layla Dobcyk FR, Mady Hawker FR.

Notes: Minooka did not have their best race of the season at Detweiller Park last November. The Indians did finish 16 in the 3A State race. Six of their top seven runners in that state race are back. “The girls had a strong summer of training,” said Coach Kevin Gummerson. “We had the largest group of girls train with us in my tenure here at MCHS, and they were training with a mission to improve. There was an attitude that we need to take it up a level this summer to improve upon last year’s finish. The athletes also realize that this component is just the start, but they have done their homework.”

 

They have a solid top three led by Maya Ledesma followed by Taya Gummerson and Natalie Nahs. The three runners were separated by 15 seconds with Ledesma finishing in 68th. The gap might change especially with the improvement of Ledesma during the track season. “Maya and Taya have a ton of big meet experience and have been around this sport a long time,” Coach Gummerson said. “These two completely understand what it takes to be a contender in the state of Illinois, and they have both dedicated themselves to accomplishing that goal. There is a go-to-work type mentality that I love to see from these two. Maya turned that corner at the Distance Night in Palatine. While there were some workouts and races that indicated she was turning a corner. That race in Palatine opened her eyes to how good she can be. She ran the undercard in the mile, finished second with a huge personal best and after that her confidence was at a whole new level. That carried over to her state meet in the 3200m run and now she is excited to see how good she can be this fall.”

 

Ledesma have her eyes on an all-state performance just as in track. She missed making the finals in the 1600 Meter Run by one spot. She came back the next morning and ran 10:53.48 to win her section of the 3200 Meter Run. She finished fifth overall winning all state honors. The split on the first three may extend to 30 seconds, their fourth and fifth runners who could be Liana Blount, Cassie Brushaber, and Paige Jochum could maintain their top five split under 60 seconds.

 

10 Batavia

Coach – Chad Hillman

2023 Finish: 18-3A; 6-LP Sec; 2=SCE Reg; 3-DuKane.

Top Runners: Madeline Cassidy JR, Avery Hacker SO, Claire Deppe SO, Gwendolyn Krodel SO, Chloe Kammes JR, Madison Wnek SR, Nora Koziol JR, Olivia Gebhardt SR, Sasha Semanision SR, Allison Thomas JR, Eleanor Swanson JR, Sam Wolfe FR, Samantha Wilks FR, Halle Hillman FR, Kylie McDowell FR.

Notes: The dynamics of Batavia’s top seven will change this year not through addition but improvement. The Bulldogs return all seven runners from the team that finished 18th in the Class 3A State Meet. One of the aspects of this team last year was that three runners on the starting line at Detweiller Park were just freshmen. That year of experience for those three will give this team a boost. “We had a very strong summer of training,” said Coach Chad Hillman. “Our returning girls set a great example of consistency for the team. Seniors Madison Wnek and Olivia Gebhardt have been rock solid with consistency since they first arrived as freshman and always set a high standard for what it takes to come into a season ready to go.”

 

Gebhardt and Wnek look to be the only seniors that will be in the top seven. The two runners were the fifth and sixth runners in the state race last November. They are the nucleus of this top seven that just had a 28 second split on their top five. It might be Gebhardt pushes for one of the top spots this season. “Olivia has had her best summer,” added Hillman. “That’s hard to achieve given the consistency she has shown in her training over the years. Our entire returning varsity group has had a solid summer, and they are motivated to put it into action.”

 

Madeline Cassidy’s only time as the #1 runner towards the end of the year ats the state meet showing how flexible this top seven will be. Avery Hacker did not have her best race last November at Detweiller Park as the team’s seventh runner, but she took the next step up during the track season making it to the state meet in the 3200 Meter Run. Hacker ran 10:59.66 in her sectional race to get to Charleston. Hacker finished 12th in the finals. How will she contribute to this team this fall? “Madeline has had a great summer,” said Hillman. “She’s coming off a great track season that produced a lot of confidence. She will be a great leader for us in multiple ways. Avery also had a great summer of training. After the outstanding breakout she had in track she looks to take a nice step forward in cross country.”

 

The motto for the team this season is “Do all the little things well, get better every day.” It appears that Batavia is doing that as they head into the regular season. Who knows who will be in the top seven. Sophomores Claire Deppe and Gwen Knodel, and juniors Chloe Kammes and Nora Koziol all have top seven experience from last year. Hillman also has a strong group of freshmen coming in with Sam Wolfe, Samantha Wilks, Halle Hillman, and Kylie McDowell all possibilities. Remember Batavia did have a good 28 second split on their top five. The problem was that their pack started with Cassidy finishing in 80th place. You will see this team working on moving the pack up in races. Hacker may fill that role or as many as eight other runners on this team. They will be tested in September racing at Hinsdale and First to the finish in consecutive weeks.

 

11 New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)

Coach – Ryan Stapinski

2023 Finish: 22-3A; 4-Gran City Sec; 2-Andrew Reg; 1-SWSCR

Top Runners: Brea Counihan SO, Mia Forystek SO, Ava Dughetti JR, Keira Faxel FR, Jillian Davies SO, Katie Petrosky SO, Ruby Hillegass SR, Molly Muehlnickel SR, Reese Hundley FR, Madison Hundley FR, Macy Gallagher JR (track).

Notes: The Knights got an influx of freshmen entering their Girls’ Cross-Country program in 2023. That helped Lincoln-Way Central finish 22nd in the Class 3A State Meet. Part two of the freshman additions happen this fall. Keira Faxel leads the freshman group after earning all-state honors last spring in the IESA Class 4A 1600 Meter Run. Four runners with state meet experience are back ready to take the next step up.

 

“We have a great group of girls that are working extremely hard,” Coach Ryan Stapinski said.  “We had an average of 20 girls a day showing up to summer conditioning.  Most of our team is freshmen and sophomores.  They have a great attitude and enjoy being with each other and helping make each other better.  It’s a fun group to coach. We had 9 PRs at Detweiller at Dark which speaks to how hard this group has been working this summer.”

 

Brea Counihan stepped in as the team’s top runner last year as she finished 18 in the 3A State Meet earning all-state honors. “Brea is an incredibly hard-working runner, but she still manages to have fun while doing it,” said Stapinski. “I know she’s looking forward to improving upon her All-State performance as a freshman and she’s put in the work and effort this summer to do it.  She’s in a great spot with her training and I’m excited to see her build upon the great things she did as a freshman.”

 

Mia Forystek stepped into the state spotlight in track finishing second in the 800 Meter Run. She was slowed down by an injury that had her summer training starting later than the rest of the team. “Mia had a strong freshmen cross country season and a phenomenal track season,” added Stapinski. “Unfortunately, Mia discovered she had a stress reaction during the end of track season and hasn’t been able to run most of the summer.  She has been cross training and I’m confident she will come back hungry and an even stronger, faster runner.  She has a great attitude and works incredibly hard.  I think this season she’ll discover she’s a phenomenal cross-country runner as well as track runner.”

 

The addition of Faxel, along with junior Ava Dughetti give this team a solid group in the front.  The injury with Forystek will challenge some of their top seven to step up including Jillian Davies, Ruby Hillegass, and Molly Muehlnickel. “Katie Petrosky will be making a huge jump this season.  She ran a PR of over 2 minutes at Detweiller at Dark running 20:34. We did a 5k fartlek where there was only 6 minutes of hard running, and she ran faster than 5 of her races from her freshman year.” Central will have the good front runner with Counihan giving them low numbers. That could go to two all-state runners with Forystek healthy and improved. The top five split off last year’s second runner was 60 seconds. That will need to drop for this team to finish among the top 10 teams in Class 3A.

 

“We talked to the team this summer to have consistency in training and having fun while doing it,” said Stapinski. “We have a very young group that’s bought into this, and they’ve worked very hard this summer.  We’ve stressed putting in a consistent effort daily and enjoying the process and each other.”

 

12 Huntley

Coach – Matt Kaplan

2023 Finish: 14-3A; 3-LP Sec; 1-Hamp Reg; 1-FVC.

Top Runners: Haley Rahman SO, Cori Kilvinger JR, Morgan Sauber SO, Aspen Maldonado JR, Mackenzie Billard SR, Ava Berardi SR, Isabella Ciesla JR, Emily Fitte SR, Sage Aschenbrenner SO, McKenna Corso SR

Notes: 2023 was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Huntley as they lost the sisters Breanna and Brittney Burak to graduation. Instead, the Red Raiders with six underclassmen including two freshman to get them to a third-place finish at the Lake Park Sectional and then 14 in the Class 3A State Meet. Six runners are back hungry to climb up higher on the state mountain. “Summer went well for our girls’ team,” said Huntley Boys and Girls Coach, Matt Kaplan. “Our returning runners were able to spend the majority of their summer together at our camp.  This team returns 9 of our top 10 runners from last season so having this group together as much as possible was able to give us an idea of what the group would look like when we start competing in a few weeks.  During the summer we saw our front girls group hit sessions of 8-to-10-minute pushes above their previous summer which is encouraging heading to the start of the season.”

 

The familiarity of running together with so many runners back will help this team heading into the racing season. Haley Rahman was the team’s top runner for most of last year which should continue this season. Rahman finished 45th last year with her eyes set on a top 25 finish. “Haley had an amazing freshman year,” said Kaplan. “This season I expect Haley to continue to show why she's one of the top runners in the state.  She has the potential to be all-state this fall, and she has put in the work this summer as needed.  She is coming off a track season with new bests of 11:18/5:13. When we get to the post season she'll be giving our girls a great start in the team scoring.”

 

Cori Kilvinger, Morgan Sauber, and Aspen Maldonado were the top five runners last year. Their team kept the top five split under 50 seconds at state. Izzy Ciesla ran 11:46 on the track and took her running during the summer to another level according to Kaplan. We could see her as the runner that steps into the top five. This team may fly under the radar for some onlookers during the season. Keep an eye on them especially during the state series. “Message to our girls’ team was to have the summer needed of a team as good as we've got,” said Kaplan. “With so many returners from our 2023 team, this group has the potential to be a top 10 team this fall.  Our message was to put in the work to be just that.  This will be a fun team to watch compete.”

 

13 Plainfield (North)

Coach – Andrew Derks

2023 Finish: 17-3A; 2-Gran City Sec; 3-Plain C Reg; 3-SPC.

Top Runners: Marlie Czarniewski SO, Tessa Russo JR, Elise Czarniewski SR, Emaan Hussain JR, Ayla Czarniewski SO, Zeta Zbroszczyk JR, Ashika Anand SR, Madeline Singh SO, Ireland Hockman SO, Paige Pyatt FR, Aven Thomas FR, Mallory Weitzmann FR.

Notes: It was not the way that Plainfield North wanted the season to end. The Tigers came into the state meet on high momentum finishing third at the Plainfield Central Regional and then second at the sectional in Granite City. Plainfield North finished 17th the following week at the 3A State Meet. “It’s no secret that we didn’t have the state meet we had hoped for last year after the race we had at sectionals,” said their coach, Andy Derks. “Our girls learned how to handle the emotions of the state meet, the growing expectations, and how that can be overwhelming if you let it. I think our team needed that experience and needed to go through “failing”, as painful as it was. We are not defined by one race, and I couldn’t have been prouder with how they bounced back at NXR the following week to win the open race and become an All-Region team. We have come back this year as a much more experienced team and with much better tools to be able to navigate high pressure races. We want to make sure that we continue to have fun and be a true support system for each other all the way to the end. We will be dangerous.”

 

What is dangerous is that Plainfield North has a dangerous top four runners to lead them. All four could be close to earning all-state honors this spring. Marlie Czarniewski was their top runner in the state meet finishing 40th. Tessa Russo won both her regional and sectional race. She ended up placing 107th. “Both are great runners and great people,” added Derks. “Marlie is an incredibly detail-oriented person and trains that way. She is dedicated to getting in her mileage, workouts, and long runs no matter what else is going on. She expects a lot of herself and her teammates, and brings a fun competitiveness to the group. Tessa is a person that really cares about the team and wants to see everyone succeed. She is a total “gamer” when it comes to racing and is a ferocious competitor. Both girls, along with Elsie and Emaan, have created a really supportive and fun atmosphere for all of our ladies to be successful and have fun. I’m proud of them and excited to see what happens this season, no matter what.”

 

Elise Czarniewski should be close to her sister and Russo during racing this fall. There were moments last season when Elyse finished ahead of Marlie. Elise concentrated on the 800m distance last spring and was part of Plainfield North’s all-state team that finished eighth in the 3A 4x8 last May in Charleston.

 

The biggest improver in the past year has been Emaan Hussain who finished 199 in the state race last November. She is in position heading into this fall, placing in the top 50. “Emaan has been a total beast,” Derks added. “She quietly had a really strong track season, getting down to 11:37 in the 3200, and has been super consistent this summer and will make a jump.”

 

There are several runners that could step into the top five this fall according to Derks. “I’ve also been really pleased with how some of our other runners have elevated from last year, including Ayla Czarniewski, Zeta Zbroszczyk, and Madeline Singh, among others,” the coach said.” We know there will need to be some new faces up in our top 7 this year, and so far, they’ve passed the test by elevating their training and consistency.”

 

We have mentioned in some of the previews teams stepping into the top five Class 3A teams. Plainfield North will need to navigate through a tough Southwest Prairie Conference with Yorkville and Minooka. Things could change during the season where this team is close to or in that top five when we get to the state series. “We stressed that no matter what happens this season, we ultimately must surrender the outcome and know that what truly matters is our love for our teammates- no matter what. We talked a lot about controlling the things we can, emphasizing health and joy, and making sure we position ourselves to build momentum throughout the season,” Derks concluded. “Additionally, we really emphasized bringing up that next group and our incoming freshman runners, and I think the girls have done a really nice job of both.”

 

15 Park Ridge (Maine South)

Coach – Jeffrey Dowling

2023 Finish: 19-3A; 4-LP Sec; 3-OPRF Reg; 1-CSL.

Top Runners: Sofi Arcuri SR, Tessie Bradley SO, Sophia Iniguez SO, Ally Seurynck SR, Luisa Arcuri SR, Isla Craig-Naples SO, Apollo Ciancio JR, Lilly Handley SO, Lucia Fuentes JR, Emma Fuentes FR, Abby Seurynck FR.

Notes: The Hawks survived injuries early last season to make it to the state meet. Maine South finished 19 in the Class 3A State Meet. They did lose three seniors to graduation but have four runners back from that state team. “We had 50 girls from grades 7-12 running for 6 weeks,” said Coach Jeffrey Dowling. “We hope that the consistent miles will put us in a position to succeed at the end of the season.”

 

Sofi Arcuri looks to be the top runner for this team. Health has been an issue for her, but she seems to be ready to go. Arcuri ran 17:52 at Lake Park to begin last year. She finished 54 at state and was the team’s second runner. “We will be looking to have Sofia Arcuri as a healthy and up front runner.  Sofia competed in USATF this summer and had a great race in the finals of the 1500, finishing in 3rd place with a 4:40. She looks poised and fit for a fine senior XC season.”

 

Tessie Bradley and Sophia Iniguez were top five runners for Maine South last year but will need to close the split on Arcuri. Bradley finished ahead of Arcuri by six seconds in their sectional race with Arcuri 10 seconds ahead of her teammate. Ally Seurynck, Luisa Arcuri, Luisa Fuentes are some of the runners to watch for in the top five. Freshmen Emma Fuentes and Abby Seurynck could immediately contribute to the top seven. This team needs tight pack running just to get back to the state meet which they should.

 

“We are always looking to see how we compete against the top teams in the state on all levels and then once the State Series assignments are released, we take a look at those teams that we will fight against for a spot at the state meet,” said Downing. “In our conference, our biggest rival is New Trier, and that will continue.  It will be interesting to see who the best will be this year.  We have won the past 3 CSL titles and we will try hard to repeat.  As well we have qualified 3 times in a row to State and 11 times in the past 18 years as a team and we hope to earn a spot which is always quite an accomplishment for a team to do.   We always want to be at Detweiller in November.”

 

16 Hinsdale (Central)

Coach – Mark McCabe

2023 Finish: 13-3A; 5-HC Sec; 3-LT Reg; 4-WSCS.

Top Runners: Lily Hodneland JR, Ella Satre SO, Evelyn Skay SO, Ally Furey SO, Addie Krogstie JR, Sam Guereca JR, Marin Barkus FR.

Notes: There will be no seniors on this team’s top sevens this season. This young team does have state meet experience with three runners back for the Hinsdale Central that finished 13 in the 2023 Class 3A State Meet. This program has been among the top11 teams 14 times in 23 years. They will look to get there a 15th time.

 

Lily Hodneland and Ella Satre ran at the state meet last fall for the first time. Hodneland, a junior, finished 75 at state. Hodneland just missed the finals for the 800 in Charleston last May. She is running with confidence after running a 2:14.75 personal best for the distance. Ella Satre should be the team’s other top runner having run 11:37 as a freshman last spring. Sophomores Evelyn Skay and Ally Furey along with Addie Krogstie and freshman Marin Barkus possibilities to finish in the top seven.

 

The Red Devilettes should be the seven teams making out of the seven. They could finish anywhere from third to sixth in the WSC-Silver Conference. “We’ve had a good and consistent summer of training,” said their coach, Mark McCabe. “The Girls have developed a good bind and continuing to build on a culture and a tradition passed down to them by graduated teammates.”

 

17 Oswego (East)

Coach – Lisa Cook

2023 Finish: 15-3A; 3-Gran City Sec; 2 Plain C Reg; 4-SPC.

Top Runners: Macy Dick SO, Olivia Van Denend SR, Emma Berglund SR, Julia Burney JR, Mia Blankenburg SR, Ava Ramirez SR, Annie Schiltz SR, Isabella Daguinsin SR, Ashley Gumm JR, Jiana Busby SO, Maya Langel SO, Audrey Cheney FR.

Notes: The Wolves will miss their top runner Morgan Dick who was all-state and graduated. This team again will be good returning five runners back from the state team that finished 15th at Detweiller Park. “Our summer training was solid,” said Coach Lisa Cook. “We build and try to get some quality workouts and long runs, but we don’t emphasize any one workout or run over the others. We really focus on consistent efforts and building each athlete, so they are ready for the season.  Towards the end of the summer, we did a tempo workout that showed some really great potential in terms of working as a group and finishing strong in races.”

 

Morgan’s younger sister Macy Dick was the team’s second runner placing 72 at state. She will be the one that will be counted on to be the team’s #1 runner. You usually see a vast improvement from the first to second year for a high school runner. Dick being close to all-state is a big possibility. “Macy is a super talented runner and athlete,” added Cook. “She is hardworking and really loves to compete.  We saw her come more into her own as the season progressed last year.  She does play soccer, so coming back from the spring season takes a bit of adjusting.  I give Macy a lot of credit for jumping in right where she left off.  She has built mileage and confidence throughout the summer, and I’m expecting a step up this season.  Macy thrives on competition and racing, so I can’t wait to get her into some races and see what she can do now as a sophomore.”

 

Olivia Van Denend was the team’s third runner last fall while Mia Blankenburg was one of the top JV runners for Oswego East. Both will have an impact on this team this fall. “Olivia has been on a mission this summer and comes to the season focused and ready to go,” said Cook. “Mia has had the best summer of training she’s ever had.  She’s made a huge jump up in groups in workouts and is ready to surprise people this fall.”

 

This team tends to be overshadowed especially with the good Girls’ teams there are in the Southwest Prairie Conference. The team may have a 100 second projected split on their top five. That split will go down even though Dick will be moving closer to the front. “We have stressed working hard as a group and being the best teammates they can be,” added Cook. “We’ve also stressed the idea of knowing what success means on the inside.  I stole this from Coach Iverson, but we’ve talked a lot about really understanding what it means to be successful, without seeing a time or a place or a team finish.  We are challenging the girls to be able to identify success on an internal level this season, so we’ll see how that translates to the course.”  

 

18 Wheaton-Warrenville South

Coach – Rob Harvey

2023 Finish: 20-3A; 5-LP Sec; 3-SCE Reg; 2-Dukane.

Top Runners: Nicole Poglitsch SR, Frida Martinez SR, Abby Barrett JR, Kate Rodakowski SO, Mackenzie Armstrong SR, Arielle Friebel SO, Savannah Bastiaans SR, Ellie Flores JR, Namie Bachelle JR, Emily Fahrman JR. Freshmen entering team: Emily Enright, Riley Faulstich, Clara Franken, Madeleine Goldsborough, Kate Jeffers, Addy Lindsay, Kylie Mazurek, Lily Morris, Shyla Paramsothy.

Notes: The Tigers will look to improve on their 20th place finish at last year’s state meet. Five runners are back from the top seven from last year’s team. “We had a very successful 2023 cross country season and we used that positive momentum as a springboard into a good track & field season and great summer,” said Coach Rob Harvey.  “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 over 75 middle school and high school girls participating.”

 

Their top runner as it has been for the past four years will be Nicole Poglitsch. The senior had a breakout cross-country season in 2023 winning her conference, regional, and sectional titles. Poglitsch followed that up by finishing seventh in the 3A race. She will enter this year as the #3 returning runner in Class 3A. She did not have her best track season last spring and did not make it to the state meet in Charleston. You can watch for a big bounce back from her as she enters her final cross-country season.

 

Frida Martinez has been in the top five all four years in high school. She gives the Tigers a solid #2 runner behind Poglitsch.  Abby Barrett had a great track season and looks to surprise some this fall. Kate Rodakowski and MacKenzie Armstrong were top seven runners last season and will strengthen the team’s top five this upcoming season, South has a good freshman class coming in that might make an impact. We will discover who they are this early in the season.

 

19 Winnetka (New Trier)

Coach – John Burnside

2023 Finish: 23-3A; 5-Hof Est Sec; 2-Loyola Reg; 2-CSL.

Top Runners: Josie Cahill SR, Sadie Abbott SR, Kayla Ritchie SO, Sawyer Vyas JR, Margaret Canmann SO, Addison Melsher SR, Caidyn Lowry SR, Matilda Freeborn SO, Ashley Foote SR.

Notes: The improvement of Josie Cahill during the track season will give this team a boost heading into the 2024 season. Four runners are back for the Trevians for the state team that finished 23rd.

 

Cahill finished 56th last November at Detweiller Park. She ran personal bests of 10:52.83 and 5:01.47 last spring. Cahill just missed making it to the finals of the 1600 Meter Run. The next day in the 3200 Meter Run she finished seventh earning all-state honors. “Josie Cahill’s experience competing at the highest level at the end of the track season has brought a new level of focus and intensity within her,” said her coach, John Burnside. “Josie is far more comfortable in these high-level competitions.”

 

New Trier live off solid pack running. They will get that this year making it back to the state meet. Kayla Ritchie and Sadie Abbott should lead that pack in races to start the year. “Kayla and Sadie have improved dramatically,” added Burnside. The main change was an improvement in fitness allowing for more effective training and improved confidence.” 

 

Sawyer Vyas along with Margaret Canmann and Addison Melsher look to be some of the runners that will contribute to the Trevians top seven. There will be a gap between Cahill and the rest of the pack. Their second through fifth runner pack looks good projected to start the season at 45 seconds. It will come down by the time they get to mid-October.

 

20 Wilmette (Loyola Academy)

Coach – ChrisJon Simon

2023 Finish: 27-3A; 6-Hof Est Sec; 3-Loyola Reg; 3-GCACR.

Top Runners: Jayne Lynch SR, Ana Kimball SR, Katie Mueller JR, Presley Zimmerman SO, Erin Gibbons JR, Elle Anderson SR, Mamie Kasten SR, Rosalee Robertson SO, Nora Briody SO, Grace Gordon SR.

Notes: This is one of the teams that could improve dramatically during this season after finishing 27 in the Class 3A meet last November. Six of their seven runners come back with the runners and formula to improve on their 2023 finish. Jane Lynch came close to an all-state finish last fall finishing 29th. She broke through in track finishing eighth in the 3A 3200 Meter Run earning all-state honors. That will give her a big confidence boost entering this fall.

 

Kate Mueller and Ava Kimball are interchangeable for the second spot for the Ramblers. Pressley Zimmerman, Erin Gibbons, Elle Anderson, and Mamie Kasten could finish any where for Loyola Academy. Lynch will have a large margin on the rest of her teammates. Their second through fifth pack split is projected to be close to 70 seconds to start this season.

 

21 Normal (Community West)

Coach – Chad Aubin

2023 Finish: 8-Gran City Sec; 2-Alton Reg; 1-Big 12.

Top Runners: Julie Bach JR, Renee Warren JR, Amanda Warren JR, Kylie Zimmerman SO, Stella Pabst SR, Gwen Rodts SO, Laina Fulkerson SO, Cloe Van Heuklon SO, Lauren Jones SR, Ruby Bokus SO, Emma Hintz SR.

Notes: It could be the year that the Wildcats make it to the state meet even though the sectional that they are in has gotten even stronger. Normal West finished eighth last year at the Granite City Sectional, missing the trip to state by nine points. The Wildcats return all seven runners from that sectional lineup including three individuals that qualified for the state meet.

 

Julie Bach along with Renee Warren and Amanda Warren all qualified for the state meet led by the 48th place finish from Bach. Renee Warren placed 81st just ahead of her sister Amanda who finished 114th. The three runners were separated by 39 seconds. What again could hurt the team’s chances again is the spread between the top three runners and the rest of the pack. Kylie Zimmerman and Stella Pabst traded off the fourth spot towards the end of the year. Zimmerman was 91 seconds behind the top three in the sectional race. Pabst ws 96 seconds back in their conference meet. The Wildcats will have a tight 4-7 pack this season. The spread has to dip to at least 75 seconds for this team to make it to the state meet.

 

22 Naperville (Neuqua Valley)

Coach – Matt Johnson

2023 Finish: 7-Nap N Reg; 4-DVC.

Top Runners: Elizabeth Hall SR, Addison Guskey SO, Sienna McEneaney SR, Olivia Dalson JR, Katelyn Shen SR, Ariana Namvar SO, Iris Li SO, Charleigh Bratko SO, Evalinh Schilling SO, Maggie Kalish SR.

Notes: I think we will see how well this team would have run last year before their top runner Elizabeth Hall was lost for the season due to an injury. The Wildcats would have been a team to make it to the sectional meet. They finished seventh at the Naperville North Regional failing to advance. Hall is healthy and will be back with five other regional lineup runners.

 

Hall took her running to the next level this past spring dropping her personal best down to 10:58.80 in the 3200 Meter Run at her conference meet. She made it to Charleston finishing tenth in the state finals in the 3200. She will be a driven runner chasing after a top 25 finish this season.

 

Addison Guskey and Sienna McEneaney will give the Wildcats a solid second and third runners behind Hall. Olivia Dalson, Katelyn Shen, and Valentina Namvar should solidify this team’s top seven. The team could have an overall 60 second split in their top five and 40 seconds from the second through fifth runners. Those kind of splits will get you a spot on the line at Detweiller Park in November. That is what Neuqua Valley is hoping to happen.

 

23 St. Charles (North)

Coach – Shari Hayes

2023 Finish: 11-LP Sec; 4-SCE Reg; 4-DuKane.

Top Runners: Gwen Hobson SO, Norah Dorrance SR, Julia Rodney SO (from track), Tia Kilroy SR, Alyssa Oblak SO, Alejandra O’Dell SR, Rachel Watts JR, Meshva Patel JR, Isabella McGill SO

Notes: It is a fact that St. Charles North finished 11 last October at the Lake Park Sectional. Five runners are back from the North Stars. Gwen Hobson and Norah Torrance give this team solid runners in the front. The biggest addition to this team might be Julia Rodney. Rodney, along with Hobson, helped St. Charles North to all-state honors finishing ninth in the 4x8 last May. Rodney has never run cross-country but will run this fall. “This is her first season running cross country,” said coach Shari Hayes. “She did an excellent job running this summer between summer running camp and triathlon training.  She has been running at the front of our group with Gwen Hobson and Norah Dorrance.”

 

Hobson had an outstanding freshman season finishing 33rd at Detweiller Park. A top 25 finish in November is within her reach. “She is looking very strong this summer,” said Hayes. “She has been training all summer working on improving her speed.  I am really excited to see how she runs at the front of most races this season.  She is smart and determined to be towards the top of the conference this season.”

 

Dorrance gives this team a solid top three if she can stay close to Hobson more regularly. That will happen. Tia Kilroy, Alex O’Dell, and Alyssa Oblak will strengthen the team’s top five pack. “This summer training went well. Girls worked hard in increasing summer mileage from 20 -30 miles to 30 - 45 miles per week,” said Hayes. “We’ve told the team to keep putting in the mileage and keeping healthy.  We need to start the season healthy with a good base so we can improve throughout the season.” 

 

24 Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West)

Coach – Paul Hass

2023 Finish: 24-3A; 7-LP Sec; 2-OPRF Reg; 6-WSCS.

Top Runners: Alexa Novak JR, Mackenzie Gilbert JR, Ella Demchinski JR, Maia Kaslewicz SR, Shayne Dietzen FR, Alyssa Novak FR, Addie Nordman SO, Lauren Bennett SO, Sophie Yob SO, Ava Chase SO.

Notes: The Lady Hilltoppers return just two runners from the team that finished 24 in last year’s Class 3A State Meet. The group that are waiting for their chance is a good group that could lead Glenbard West back to a state meet. “This year will likely be the smallest team in my career and the summer running camp numbers reflected that,” said Glenbard West Coach Paul Hass.  “However, the girls who were in our top seven last year, as well as girls most likely to join our top seven this year, were in attendance on a regular basis, which bodes well for the fall campaign.”

 

Mackenzie Gilbert was the team’s second runner last fall, finishing 141st. Gibert again had a solid track season. She ran a personal best of 2:14.79 in the 800 Meter Run. She qualified for state in the 800 Meter Run and the 4x8.  Alexa Novak ran track for the first time last spring. She helped Glenbard West (along with Gilbert) finish fourth in the Class 3A 4x800 Meter Relay. Novak dropped her 1600 time down to 5:07.08 but missed the finals at state. Her spring experiences will benefit her this spring. “Although they may view themselves as 800m runners who also run cross country, Mackenzie and Alexa are talented runners in both sports,” said Hass. “Though Alexa experienced some health-related issues that hampered her performance at the end of her freshman and sophomore seasons, she enjoyed a prosperous summer of running and is prepared to be one of the leaders on the team.  Once the gun goes off Mackenzie is one of the fiercest competitors we have had in our program, and she continues to demonstrate leadership at practice. Alexa and Mackenzie play significant roles in shaping the character of this team, and we are lucky to have them in our program.”

 

Ella Demchinski was the team’s sixth runner last year at state and should contribute in the top five. Lauren Bennett had a great summer of training and could have a breakout season according to Hass. Senior graduation hit this program hard. Sophomores Addie Nordman and Sophie Yob could be making an impact in the team’s top five along with freshmen Shayne Dietzen and Alyssa Novak. “Even though we will not be a large team, we must get the most out of the talent that we have,” Hass said. “To that end, the message I stressed this summer is “consistency.” We need to be “consistent” in our training, recovery, and all the little things that go into each girl being the best versions of  themselves, regardless of individual ability.”

 

25 Chicago (Mother McAuley)

Coach – Kelly Andrasco

2023 Finish: 8-HC Sec; 2-Marist Reg; 5-GCACR.

Top Runners: Emily Mangin JR, Hallie Duleba JR, Abigail Covarrubias SO, Lily Schwarz SO, Lucy Littleton JR, Meg O’Malley SO, Bridie O’Connor SO, Elizabeth Farritor SO (Transfer, St. Michael the Archangel MO).

Notes: The Mighty Macs just missed making it out of state last season finishing eighth at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. They return four runners from that sectional team. “Training went well this summer,” said Coach Kelly Andrasco.  “The girls who came out worked very hard and put in the miles. Even on the days we did not meet, I would see girls running around the neighborhood to get their mileage in as preparation for the upcoming season.”

 

Emily Mangin made it to the state meet running 18:43 placing 124th. “It is very clear that Emily is not only focused and determined to have a good season, but she is also making it a priority that her team is alongside her,” said Andrasco.  “She has stressed from the beginning of the season that making sure there is comradery within the team to prepare for a successful season.” A surprising addition could be Elizabeth Farritor who is a transfer from Missouri. The sophomore ran in the state meet last year as her team’s sixth runner in the MO Class 3 State Meet. “Elizabeth has really showed growth throughout the summer,” added Andrasco. “Being new to the program, she had an open mindset to what was being asked of her. By the end of the summer, she was running up with Emily Mangin.”

 

Pack running behind Mangin will get this team to the state meet for the first time since 2007. Hallie Duleba, Abigail Covarrubias, and Lily Schwarz are among the runners that form a tough second through fifth runner pack. “Teamwork makes the dreamwork,” said Andrasco. “We are all here to support and uplift each other to do our absolute best on any given day, knowing that may not always look the same each day.

 

26 Naperville (Central)

Coach – Matt Blondell

2023 Finish: 6-3A; 3-HC Sec; 3-Nap N Reg; 2-DVC.

Top Runners: Lola Satre-Morales SR, Brynn Miller SR, Allie Opalka SR, Lydia Park SR, Katelyn Burke SO, Macy Bjork JR, Natalie Enright JR, Lauren Quigg SO, Sophia Dussias SR.

Notes: It is going to be a matter of new runners stepping up for the Redhawks heading into this season. Naperville Central lost senior leadership from all-state runner Liv Phillips, Ava Hendren, and Abby Mogg to graduation. Three runners are back from the team that finished sixth in the Class 3A State Meet.

 

“Our training went well this summer,” said their coach, Matt Blondell. “We are very pleased with the commitment level from our team. Obviously, athletes are usually in and out for various reasons throughout the summer, but this summer felt different. Our core group of returners was in attendance most of the time. I believe that this was very important for this team. We have obviously lost a lot of talent, so we will need a big commitment from our team to work hard if we are going to achieve our goals.”

 

One runner that took huge strides forward is their top runner Lola Satre-Morales. The senior ran a personal best of 2:13.2 to win her sectional race. She just missed qualifying for the finals. She was part of her team’s 4x8 that finished sixth in the 3A finals. Satre-Morales was the team’s fourth runner finishing 47 last year. Her rate of improvement over the past year could get her well inside the top 25. “Lola is an incredible athlete who can literally do everything,” exclaimed Blondell.  “Her range of talent is something that I’ve never seen before at Central. This summer, she jumped over 16 feet in the long jump with no training. Not only is she talented, but she is also one of the hardest working athletes on our team and has an impressive growth mindset. She is an intelligent runner who knows what this team needs to do to make it back to State. We are very lucky to have her leadership.”

 

Brynn Miller and Allie Opalka have state experience which will help in the team’s top seven this season. Two sophomores are worth noting,” added Blondell.  “Katelyn Burke is coming off of an injury from track. She has had a perfect recovery throughout the summer and is just starting to hit her stride with full training. Lauren Quigg has shown significant improvement from late track season until now. I hope that both athletes may be able to help strengthen our top seven.”

 

I would not count out this team even though they are “rebuilding”. Central has a good lead runner with Satre-Morales who will surprise some this season. She is surrounded by a good pack that will go through some rocky roads early in the year but could be tough by state series time. “We are a different team this year,” said Blondell. “The journey this season will be a fun one. We cannot wait to grow and get better together.”

 

27 Gurnee (Warren)

Coach – Louis Klein

2023 Finish: 21-3A State; 4-Hof Est Sec; 2-Grant Reg; 2-NSC.

Top Runners: Kaylee Wilson SO, Finley Jezuit SO, Kate Mondejar JR, Addison Filipowicz JR, Joselyn Schenk SR, Grace Wiser SR, Karina Tondeva JR, Savana Swietlik SR.

Notes: It helped Warren Township that they have two freshmen they hope will be around for the next three years. That type of leadership will get you back to multiple state meets. The Blue Devils finished 21st last year in the 3A State Meet. Warren returns four runners including their top three. Sophomores Kaylee Wilson and Finley Jezuit shined last year for the team as the top two runners for most of the season. Wilson culminated her season by placing 52nd. Jezuit was 21 seconds behind placing 92nd.

 

The key to making it back to the state meet is having good front runners and then a solid pack behind them. Rebuilding that pack will be one thing to keep an eye on. Kate Mondejar will be the key to the pack as she was the team’s third runner last year, averaging 28 seconds behind Jezuit. Who will step into the next two spots will be the question.  Addison Filipowicz and Joselyn Schrenk are two of the runners that could be there. Filipowicz in the team’s sectional race was 87 seconds behind Mondejar. The split will need to come down 30 seconds at least for this team to have hopes to make it back to the state meet.

 

28 Evanston (Township)

Coach – Beth Arey

2023 Finish: 13-LP Sec; 6-OPRF Reg; 3-CSL.

Top Runners: Stella Davis SR, Rory Malia JR, Sammy Schuneman SR, Sam Caldwell JR, Sophia Hinton SR, Zadie Ivaska SR, Laney Harris-Stapleton SO, Irys Liang SR.

Notes: The Wildkits will look to improve on their finish of last year when they placed 13th at the Lake Park Sectional. Their entire top five from that race return. Stella Davis made it state individually where she finished 30th. Davis had a successful track season earning all-state honors by placing eighth in the Class 3A 1600 Meter Run. The confidence from last spring may lead her to bigger things in her senior season.

 

Their split from their second to fifth runners in the sectional race was 143 seconds. That split in their league championship race on the same pack was 130 seconds. That will need to come down as the season progresses. Rory Malia and Sammy Schuneman will be the top runners leading that pack behind Davis.

 

29 O’Fallon

Coach – Neil James

2023 Finish: 9-Gran City Sec; 3-Alton Reg; 2-SWC.

Top Runners: Ellie Bush JR, Mae Naveira SO, Madelyn Lane SO, Ella Andrews JR, Autumn Gavin JR, Kayla Kalmer SO, Ava Thunig JR, Rhyah Hogsett JR, Sophia Shattls SR (transfer from Camas WA), Gwen Wolf FR, Alexia Donohue FR.

Notes: O’Fallon missed making it to the state meet last year finishing ninth at the Granite City Sectional. Six runners return from that sectional team along with freshmen Gwen Wolf and Alexis Donohue along with transfer Sophia Shattls from Washington. “Our summer running went extremely well as we had double the number of runners as last year,” said their coach Neil James. “The consistency was the best we have had over the past few years.  We really focused on building our strength this summer as we made some adjustments to our post run work.  The team really embraced these changes and have shown most are considerably ahead of where they were last coming into the season”

 

Two runners advanced to the state meet who again this fall will be the core of this team. Ellie Bush did not have her best race of the season finishing fourth in her regional, ninth in her sectional race, before finishing 65th in the state meet. Mae Naveira ran 18:44 in the state meet, 33 seconds behind Bush, to finish 125th in her state race. “Ellie has really been working on the mental side this summer as had made great strides in the workouts that we have done,” said James. “Ellie has really taken up the leadership role on our team which has pushed our other runners to be more consistent and focused.”

 

The Panthers had a nice pack split last year behind Bush and Naveira but will need to close the spread on those front two runners. Madelyn Lane, Kayla Kalmer, and Ava Thunig were only separated by 16 seconds in that sectional race, but 83 seconds behind Naveira. The split in their conference race between Kalmer, Lane, and Autumn Gavin was just 17 seconds, but 78 seconds behind the top two runners on their team.

 

30 Hampshire

Coach – Ryan Hollister

2023 Finish: 8-LP Sec; 2-Hamp Reg; 4-FVC.

Top Runners: Hannah Jones SR, Annabelle Haskins JR, Kassidy Papa SR, Cameron Shaw SO, Kaley Byhre JR, Ava Garcia JR, Alyssa Garcia JR, Maddie Butcher JR, Kate Donnelly SO, Madison Minson SO. Tassa Papadakis JR (transfer from Neuqua Valley), Cassie Gatza FR, Miya Moraga FR, Reese Long FR, Reanna Lascano FR, Brianna Pasillas

Notes: Hampshire will still be in position to qualify for the state meet for the first time in the program’s history. They will have to do that without last year’s top runner Hudson Szymonik, who transferred to Algonquin Jacobs. The other six runners are back from the team that finished eighth at the Lake Park Sectional. “We had great turnout this summer with a lot of enthusiasm,” said Coach Ryan Hollister.  “Annabelle Haskins ran well at Detweiller at Dark and Tassa Papadakis won our glow run time trial at the end of the summer.  We had a big emphasis on team building with weekly breakfasts and a pickleball tournament.”

 

Hannah Jones had closed the gap towards the front towards the end of last season. We could see her as the team’s top runner as the season begins. Annabelle Haskins was within 20 seconds of Jones at the end of last year and will push to help in the front. Kassidy Papa, Cameron Shaw, Kaley Byhre, and Ava Garcia look to be some of the top five runners on this team. The addition of Tassa Papadakis, who transferred in from Neuqua Valley, will give the Whips a big push.

 

“Trust in the process was a big message this summer,” said Hollister. “Everything we do in practice has a purpose and if the athletes buy in, we'll continue to improve and find success.” This team will rely on a tight pack on their top five runners that could be close to 40 seconds. How far up this pack came move to the front of races will determine if this team makes it to the state meet.”

 

Other 3A Girls Teams to Watch

 

Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)

Coach – Wendy Hegarty

2023 Finish: 26-3A; 7-Gran City Sec; 3-Andrew Reg; 2-SWSCB

Top Runners: Kara Waishwell SR, Kate Roberts SO, Olivia Launius SO, Nora DeFrank JR, Emily Creech SO, Olivia Mancini JR, Mira Bhargava SR, Maddie Valerius SO.

Notes: It will be a rebuilding year in 2024 for the Griffins after making it to state last fall. East returns three runners from the team that finished 26 in the 3A State Meet race. They have good building blocks in runners to work from. Kara Waishwell, Kate Roberts, and Olivia Launius in their state race were separated by just 22 seconds. The keys for the Griffins to find the rest of their top seven that can stay close to these three runners and move the pack closer to the front in races. Nora DeFrank continues to improve in her running and might be the leader of that pack. Also watch for some runners like Emily Creech, Olivia Mancini, and Mira Bhargava were all among the team’s top 12 runners a year ago and look to be among this varsity top seven.

 

Schaumburg

Coach – Caitlin Roberts

2023 Finish: 9-Hof Est Sec; 4-Pal Reg; 5-MSL.

Top Runners: Claire Swiderski SO, Milana Pisto SR, Jpia Sodimu SR, Dilana Kowaczek SO, Abigail Kilian SR, Krisha Patel SO, Emma Walz SO, Alyssa Scheele JR, Chloe Pisto SO, Victoria Zbierajewski JR.

Notes: Schaumburg would like to move up two more places in their sectional finish to make it to the state meet. The Saxons finished ninth at the Hoffman Estates Sectional returning five runners from that race. The top spot on this team heads into this fall interchangeable. Claire Swiderski was the team’s #1 runner in their sectional race, Jpia Sodimu was #1 runner in their regional race, and Dilana Kowaczek was their #1 runner in the Mid Suburban League Championships. Whomever is the front runner or if it is a pack, they will need to move the group closer to the front. Milana Pisto and Abigail Killian figure to be also in the top five. This will be a senior oriented team with three of the top five in their final year of high school running. Their top five split is projected to be under 30 seconds. If it stays that way in the middle of October with times in the mid-18:30’s, we could see Schaumburg making a trip to Peoria in November.

 

LaGrange (Lyons Township)

Coach – Eric Simon

2023 Finish: 12-3A; 6-HC Sec; 2-LT Reg; 3-WSCS.

Top Runners: Jenna Lally JR, Addison Powers JR, Mya Coglianese JR, Annika McDonnell JR, Ainsley Grove JR, Sadie O’Hare SO, Lucy Laux SO, Clarisa Gonzalez SR.

Notes: Lyons Township finished 12 last year in the Class 3A Meet. This is the definition of rebuild with six seniors graduated and one runner, Leigh Ferrell, who was projected to be one of their top runners, will not come out for the team focusing her training for track and the Pole Vault. Their lone returning runner is Jenna Tally. “Jenna finished the season with some hip issues and those have continued this summer,” said their coach, Eric Simon. “We will continue to mix cross training on the bike even once she is fully recovered.  If we do this well, she will have a good season and help the team on Saturday's.”

 

As expected, this will be a young team with their top seven runners, either juniors or sophomores. Mya Coglianese, Annika McDowell, and Addison Powers seem to be the runners that this top seven will be build around along with Lally. McDowell had a good summer of training with her confidence growing after a good track season according to Simon.

 

“I would say our training was good, but a bit hard to gauge given girls in and out with vacations and other activities,” said Simon. “With a younger and inexperienced group and I going a bit slower with our training progression.  I will need to be patient with this group.” This team will need to be pack oriented. They have the ingredients to accomplish that with their top five split projected to be around 40 seconds. The Lions should make it to their sectional. I would not doubt this team to make it to state as their growth curve and confidence grows during this season. Anything could happen. I can’t doubt a team that is taught and coached by someone like Coach Simon.

 

Lake Zurich

Coach – Jeremy Kauffman

2023 Finish: 25-3A; 7-Hof Est Sec; 2-Pal Reg; 1-NSC

Top Runners: Celia Blaylock SO, Polina Krupsky JR, Ruby Nissen JR, Hannah Gillhaus JR, Bianca Perez SR, Avery Muhr SO, Raina Kane SR, Katharina Politzki JR, Patricia Johnson FR, Jackie Bernardo FR, Karolina Borg FR.

Notes: The Bears will look to repeat their trip to the Class 3A State Meet. Lake Zurich is the defending North Suburban Conference Champions as well as finishing 25th in the Class 3A State Meet. Five runners from that state race are back. “Our summer training was amazing,” said Lake Zurich Coach, Jeremy Kauffman. “As you know this is only my 5th year as the Head XC Coach here at Lake Zurich and we finally have the Summer Camps from 5-12 rolling, Middle School Programs really doing great things at the State Level, record numbers attending my Great Lakes Camp in Michigan, and record numbers training with the HLT (High Level Training) Group. We have completed the highest-level Tempo Runs we have ever recorded and have 3 of our Top runner on the ALL TIME Top 10 lists for our Tempo Runs and that list includes some amazing runners.”

 

The Bears had a top five split of 70 seconds in their state meet race. Their third and fourth runners from that race have graduated. Celia Blaylock was the team’s top runner in most of the season and at state where she placed 86th. Polina Krupsky was the team’s second runner down the stretch and will contribute largely again this fall. She suffered an injury that ended her track season after running a 2:19 800 in February. “Ruby Nissen had the third fastest Lake Zurich time at Detweiller Park last season. An injury after their conference meet forced her to end her season early. The junior should challenge for one of the top three spots on this team. “Celia is so tough, driven, humble and a fierce competitor,” said Kauffman. “She also plays Basketball, so we must be careful in how we balance her training. She had her best summer of training and will continue to build a base properly throughout the season.”

 

Hannah Gillhaus, Bianca Perez, and Avery Muhr had good track season which will help with their training this fall. If Lake Zurich comes back healthy to start the season, we could see the Bears make a return trip to Peoria this November. “We stressed this year our motto of Strong Women are Faster than Girls,” added Kauffman. “We really stressed embracing their athletic maturation and growing into Strong Women in every aspect of our Sport.”

 

Villa Park (Willowbrook)

Coach – Clyde Ware

2023 Finish: 13-HC Sec; 4-LT Reg; 2-WSCG.

Top Runners: Amelia Ojeda SR, Mariangela Popoca JR, Malin Meeker SR, Grace Mamolella SO, Allyson Stefani JR, Molly Brown SR, Holly Harris SR, Rosemary Kling SR, Sophia Stasch SR.

Notes: Do we see Willowbrook knock off conference heavyweight Downers Grove South off the top of the mountain in the West Suburban-Gold? That is something we will have to watch for in the middle of October. The Warriors finished last year strongly advancing out of their regional and finished 13th at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. All seven runners from that sectional return. A big surprise last year for Willowbrook was the improvement of Amelie Ojeda. The senior finished 37th at last year’s Class 3A State Meet. She did not make it to Peoria as a sophomore, finishing 73 in her sectional race. She will be in reach this year of a top 25 finish. Willowbrook had over a two-minute split on their second through their fifth runners as well as a 57 second split between Ojeda and second runner Mariangela Popoca.

 

Chicago (Lane Tech)

Coach – Kris Roof

2023 Finish: 12-LP Sec; 5-OPRF Reg; 1-CPL.

Top Runners:   Lucy McNally SR, Ainsley Carter SO, Caitlin Thomas JR, Izzy Ide JR, Riley Coomer JR, Sydney Van Aken JR, Hannah Sperling JR, Claire Davis SR, Grace Siurek FR

Notes: The Champions finished 12 last October at the Lake Park Sectional. The defending Chicago City Champions return four runners from their sectional run. Lane is traditionally a deep in talent team. This year will be no exception. Lucy McNally and Ainsley Carter were the top two runners from the sectional and should lead to start the season. In their opening time trial to start the season, Carter ran 8.44 for 1.5 miles to lead the team with juniors Sydney Van Aken (9:17), Caitlin Thomas, Riley Coomer, and Izzy Ide all within 30 seconds of each other.

 

Palatine (Fremd)

Coach – Joe Marcin

2023 Finish: 11-Hof Est Sec; 5-Pal Reg; 6-MSL.

Top Runners: Isa Hasty JR, Adeline Dieterich SO, Sia Purohit SR, Linaya Donnelly SO, Paige Ariagno JR, Sophia Lin SO, Allison Price SR, Michelle Coombes JR, Alisha Kuehner SO, Emma Hawley JR, Emma Kelly FR, Helen Hermann FR, Riley Gaan FR.

Notes: Fremd has a good chance of improving on their 11th place finish at the Fremd Sectional. The good thing for the Vikings is that their top 10 runners from last year’s team are all back. “For our core group, summer was great,” said coach Joe Marcin. “Mileage was increased compared to previous summers with an emphasis on strength workouts.”

 

Isa Hasty advanced to the state meet last year and left Detweiller Park finishing 73rd. We could see big things from this junior this season. “Isa had a great track season working on developing her speed,” Marcin said. “She was part of a state qualifying 4x8 and lowered her 1600 time down to 5:13. She has carried this momentum into the summer.  Her workouts/fitness are much stronger than a year ago.” Addie Dietrich and Sia Purohit were the team’s second and fourth runners in last year’s sectional race. “Both were on the 4x8 state qualifying relay during track,” added Marcin. “Both ran more mileage this summer than prior.” Linaya Donnelly and Sophia Lin should also return in the team’s top five. What prevented Fremd to make it to state last year is that their top five split was too big. There will be a large gap between Hasty and the rest of the pack. That is a given. The pack split at MSL was 98 seconds. The pack split in their sectional race was 99 seconds. Very consistent. The key is dropping that split down 30 seconds is possible. The gap between Hasty and the pack averaged 29 seconds. This team is in better shape heading into the season. If that 2-5 spread comes down with Hasty getting low numbers, you could see the Vikings at state.

 

Oswego

Coach – Alicia Rafferty

2023 Finish: 11-HC Sec; 6 Nap N Reg; 5-SPC.

Top Runners: Addison Richter SR, Lucy Cler SR, Morgan Bradley SO, Kristin Soderlind SO, Josie Reiseck SR, Lexi Richter SO, Samantha Ventura SR, Rowan Barker JR, Alivia Kath FR, Sophia Padilla FR.

Notes: One question that every coach asks at the beginning of the season is whether their team will make it to state. There are some teams that have to wait until the state series assignments come out. Oswego is one of those teams. Last year, Oswego got shifted into the west suburban 3A sectional instead of the 3A downstate. The Tigers did quite well in a tough Hinsdale Central Sectional finishing 11th overall. Five runners return back  for Oswego. Their top five runner last year, Anna Remington, did not come out for the team this fall.

 

“Our training went well this summer,” said their Coach, Alicia Raferty. “Our focus was mileage and team culture. We focused on togetherness as a team and being strong, powerful, and brave when training and racing.”

 

Their top runner again this season should be Addison Richter who did qualify for the state meet. She was consistently the top runner on and off the course for this team during the past two seasons. “Addison has been a little banged up this summer and is slowly coming back to her full mileage,” Rafferty said. “She has done a lot of cross training this summer so we will see where she is when she starts truly racing and full training.  I'm hopeful that she can be back at full strength soon.” Kristin Soderlind and Morgan Bradley, both sophomores, stepped up their level of fitness and intensity of training during the summer according to their coach. The team had a healthy 56 second split in their top five at Hinsdale Central. The loss of their fifth runner could get the split to jump up by 45 to 50 seconds. The addition of freshmen Alvia Kath and Sophia Padilla could help with the team’s top five.

 

Edwardsville

Coach – George Patrylak

2023 Finish: 11-3A; 6-Gran City Sec; 1-Alton Reg; 1-SWC.

Top Runners: Madison Popelar JR, Antonella DeAvila JR, Ella Thompson SO, Sarah Haislar JR, Ava Horsfall SO, Alex Wolfe FR, Morgan Popelar FR, Willow Jackson FR.

Notes: Four runners are back from Edwardsville’s team that finished 11 in last fall’s Class 3A State Meet. The Tigers do not have the depth like they did during last season. Their top seven this fall could be all underclassmen. “With so many young runners, our focus has been team bonding and building a family atmosphere,” said Edwardsville Coach George Patrylak. “We have had the right athletes coming out all summer and we have been building a base.  We focused on building strength and have not done anything too intense yet.  We are very talented up front, but we need to be careful to avoid injuries.  We do not have the depth of a year ago now, but I hope we get there by the end of the season.”

 

Madison Popelar should again be the top runner for this team and possibly finishing in the top 25 after 46th a year ago. Antonella DeAvilla will be a solid second runner for this team. She finished 12 seconds behind Popelar at state. Both runners will give this team low numbers in the front. “Madison Popelar should be our number one runner all year,” said Patrylak. “She is stronger than a year ago, we just have to continue helping her to build her confidence in her racing.  If she learns to be confident and develop some killer instincts, she can be in the all-state conversation.”

 

Ella Thompson looks to be the team’s third runner. “Madison Popelar has looked strong all summer and I expect her to have a better year, start to finish, from a year ago,” said Patrylak. “Ella Thompson was hurt midway through last season and focused on soccer during the spring, but she looks strong.  Where Madison is the leader on this team based on work ethic and example, Ellla is the glue that keeps everyone together socially.  Antonella DeAvilia was not happy with her overall track performance, but she has the ability to be one of our biggest pieces by the end of the season.”

 

Edwardsville has a good freshmen group of Morgan Popelar, Willow Jackson, and Alex Wolfe will contribute to the top seven sooner rather than later. The Tigers were hit with graduation. This younger squad might have a rocky start but should be ready to go by October. Ava Horsfall had a good summer of training and is set for a strong season among the top five runners for this team.

 

Oak Park-River Forest

Coach – Ashley Raymond

2023 Finish: 9-LP Sec; 4-OPRF Reg; 5-WSCS

Top Runners: Violet Schnizlein JR, Alana Gerona SR, Malie Casel SR, Eileen Easton FR, Nora Butterly. Julia Chang SR, Emily Jones SO, Julia Max JR, Grace Layton SR, Tea Dassinger SR.

Notes: The Huskies lost their top two runners from last year to graduation. Oak Park still could advance to state in November after finishing ninth at the Lake Park Sectional. Four runners are back from that race for the Huskies. “This summer's training has been outstanding,” Coach Ashley Raymond said. “We had a group of athletes that were consistent and paid attention to the details, which I think helped us stay injury free and able to keep pushing the distance. A real highlight has been the leadership from our seniors. Their enthusiasm and mentorship have energized the team and fostered a great atmosphere. Overall, it’s been a productive and exciting time, and I’m eager to see how it translates into the season ahead.”

 

Malie Cassel, Violet Schnizlein, and Alana Gerona were separated by just 11 seconds in their sectional race. It will be nice to have runners that can share the lead and be interchangeable in the spots. Nora Butterly showed great improvement this summer and will challenge for a top five spot.  “Jana Gerona is an athlete that has improved this summer but also so much over her four years,” said Raymond. “I'm always impressed with Alana's work ethic, her ability to push herself and keep cool about any pressure she puts on herself. This allowed Alana to put a ton of miles in this summer. Nora Butterly is another athlete that improved this summer. Nora was on our 4x800 team this spring and that success has fueled her summer. Nora's top goal this fall is to stay healthy so that all her hard work this summer translates into fast times later in the season.”

 

It might be Schnizlein that we look for in the front.  “I love Violet's story,” added Raymond. “She saw herself as a sprinter during her freshman year, consistently running the 100m and even competing at sectionals. Over the past year, she has proven to be an excellent distance runner as well. Violet had a strong cross country season last year in her first varsity appearance, consistently performing well from meet to meet. Last spring, she ran the 4x800 relay at state, and I believe that experience will benefit her this season. It should give her the confidence to take some risks in cross country. Violet will be among the front pack.”

 

Aurora (Waubonsie Valley)

Coach – Michelle Wicyk

2023 Finish: 9-HC Sec; 5-Nap N Reg; 5-DVC.

Top Runners: Lily Baibak SR, Mia Bertolini SO. Katherine Heap JR, Emely Galvez SR, Marissa Martin SR, Katie Byers SR, Nahvia Jent JR, Brynn Vine SO, Karishma Kamal JR.

Notes: Do we see Waubonsie Valley advance to the Class 3A State Meet this season? The Girls program in this school has never made a trip to the state meet. This could be the year. The Warriors finished ninth at the Hinsdale Central and return their top four runners from that race. Waubonsie Valley could have two all-state runners this fall. Mia Bertolini had a fantastic cross-country season making it to the state meet running 18:03 to place 53rd. Bertolini ran indoor track but transitioned to soccer at the beginning of March. We will see her fitness level in her first meets including at Detweiller Park on September 21. Lily Babiak did not have her best race last fall at Detweiller finishing 215th. She stepped up her racing this spring making the finals in the 1600 Meter Run where she finished 12th. Baibak achieved a personal best of 4:59.45 in her sectional race and dropping her personal best from 11:56.04 at the start of the season dropping down to 11:12.51 in the 3200 Meter Run. Big things are ahead for senior cross-country season.

 

Watch for Baibak to close the gap on Bertolini. The two were separated by 36 seconds at Hinsdale Central. Katherine Heap was close to Baibak last year 34 seconds behind in the sectional race and ahead of Baibak by 30 seconds on their home course. With Baibak’s improvement, how close will Heap be to the top two? Katie Byers and Sarah Johnson are projected to be the fourth and fifth runners to start the season. Those runners need to stay under 60 seconds of Heap for the Warriors to extend their meets by one week.

 

Palatine

Coach – Anthony DeStephano

2023 Finish: 8-Hof Est Sec; 3-Pal Reg; 4-MSL.

Top Runners: Abigail Jordan SR, Monika Urbaniak JR, Jocelyn Huila-Cortes JR, Greta Kerr SO, Ava Dugar JR, Maya Iyer SO, Jasmine Ayala JR.

Notes: Palatine finished eighth last fall at the Hoffman Estates, missing qualifying for state by one place and 17 points. The Pirates did advance two runners to state individually and return their 5-6-7 runners from that team. Abigail Jordan and Monika Urbaniak traded off the #1 spot towards the end of last season for Palatine and look to do the same again this fall. Urbaniak suffered an injury during outdoor track and missed the final month of the season. She did run 5:20 for 1600-meters at the end of the indoor season. Jordan ran seasonal bests of 5:10.76 and 11:12.71 last spring. Greta Kerr, Ava Dugar, and Jocelyn Huila-Cortes should move up into the team’s top five. The gap will need to be cut compared to last year. The split averaged 118 seconds between the first two and the next three runners. The good thing was that the split between the three runners in the sectional was just 24 seconds.

 

Downers Grove (South)

Coach – Doug Plunkett

2023 Finish: 10-HC Sec; 4-Nap N Reg; 1-WSCG.

Top Runners: Gianna Lamb SO, Nia Ortega SO, Lena Baker SR, Great Paschall SR, Jacie Selig JR, Gabija Dauderis JR, Rose Jones SO, Emily Gantz JR, Elle Watson JR, Audrey Dunn JR, Cora Murphy FR, Nora Maier FR, Lily Ring FR, Maddie Adworth FR.

Notes: This will be a different year for the Lady Mustangs after finishing tenth last October at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. Holly Johnson was expected to return to lead this team after finishing 25 in the Class 3A State Meet. “At the end of indoor track season, Holly had some foot pain that eventually resulted in surgery,” said Coach Doug Plunkett.  “The recovery process has been slow, but steady. As of the end of July, Holly was not yet back to running. We intend to be very cautious as she continues to recover and not rush her back. I do not know if she will race at all this fall, but we have the goal of her returning fully healthy for track season.”

 

Four other runners are back from the sectional race led by Gianna Lamb and Greta Paschall. Plunkett expects Nia Ortez and Rose Jones to join Lamb in the front to start the season after having a good summer of training. “We had a good summer this year and the team seems to have taken some good steps forward,” said Plunkett. “We had some nice improvements from the beginning of June to the end of July. We were pleased with the results from the Detweiller at Dark race as a measurement of improvement. If we can continue to do that throughout the actual season, we will be in a good place come October. We have some talented, young runners, but they still have a ways to go.”

 

What is good for the Mustangs’ future is that they have a great freshman group joining the team this season. Cora Murphy appears to be the top freshman that can make an impact at some time this season. “We need to keep getting better and the best way is to keep stacking one good day after another,” Plunkett has told his team this summer. “So that was our goal this summer...to keep stacking days. This will be a young team that still needs to learn how to train, learn how to race, and expect to do well.”

 

Lockport (Township)

Coach – Juliana Rutz

2023 Finish: 10-Gran City Sec; 4-Alton Reg; 3-SWSCB

Top Runners: Sydney Fontaine SR, Katie Peetz SO, Lexi Shea SR, Grace Seibt JR, Eva Minshall SO, Veronica Skibicki SO, Sarah Mack SO, Morgan Mack SO, Morgan Turner JR, Isabella Ryan SO.

Notes: Juliana Rutz steps into the head coach role for the Lockport Township Girls Cross-Country team. Rutz welcomes back five runners from the Lockport team that finished tenth at the Granite City Sectional. “Our training went well this summer,” said Rutz. “We had a lot of familiar faces return to camp, but also some newcomers, and future athletes from our feeder schools. It’s always fun to see what talent we get to work with this season, but also what we must look forward to, as well. Our goal was for our athletes to continue developing their mileage, while incorporating speed and endurance workouts a few times a week. We saw a ton of progress with our athletes, including an increase in their mileage and cutting time off their paces. We’re looking forward to seeing how the work our athletes put in during summer training correlates to our success this season.”

 

The top three runners back in the sectional were separated by 27 seconds. Sydney Fontaine was followed by Katie Peetz and Lexi Shea. Peetz is the lone underclassmen of the three as a sophomore. Fontaine and Shea are experienced seniors. “Sydney is always a force on the course, and on the track,” Rutz said. “She trains hard with the team, and on her own, which demonstrates her strong work ethic. Her consistency in training is evident in each race, because she races both hard and smart– oftentimes talking through her plan of attack to ensure she’s working towards meeting her goals. I’d love to see her make a state run this year to finish out her high school XC career. As always, she’s one to watch.”

 

Peetz qualified for state in the 3200 Meter Run last spring as a freshman. “This summer she did a great job maintaining high mileage, while challenging her own pace each week– even while staying busy with summer league basketball,” added Rutz. Shea, Ann Jesse, and Grace Seibt will be part pf this team’s top five. Keep an eye on sophomores Sarah Monk and Eva Minshall who could also make an impact in the team’s top five.

 

“My most consistent message this summer was “Run for YOU.” Of course we want to perform well as a team, and see team success, but I often remind my runners that the only way to do that is if they show up for themselves,” Rutz stated. “Before practice I often say, “Train hard today to reach your goal.” If everyone on our team is setting high standards for themselves, and they’re working hard to achieve them, then our team, as a whole, is going to be successful.”

 

Geneva

Coach – Elizabeth Morrison

2023 Finish: 15-LP Sec; 6-SCE Reg; 6-Dukane.

Top Runners: Sofia Borter JR, Taylor Peahl JR, Lucina Lechtenberg JR, Mira Meyers SO, Juliet Whiston SO, Raina Ulijasz SO, Gretchen Drexler JR, Rachel Rudigier SR, Emelia Bellino SO.

Notes: Prospects are good that Geneva will improve on their finish last year at the Lake Park Sectional when they finished 15th. All seven runners from that lineup are back for the Vikings. Sofia Borter did not have her best race of the season in the state meet after finishing second in her conference, regional, and sectional races behind all-state runner Nicole Poglitsch. Borter finished 95 at Detweiller Park. Borter during the spring qualified for state with her teammates in the 4x800 Meter Relay. Watch for a big step up from Borter in her junior season. The split off second runner Taylor Peahl last year was close to 90 seconds and two minutes behind Borter. The Vikings could finish among the top 10 teams in their sectional but both of those splits need to come down with tighter pack running.

 

Pekin

Coach – Brandon Shaver

2023 Finish: 12-Gran City Sec; 4-Plain C Reg; 5-MIC.

Top Runners: Morgan Coker SO, Kiley Coker SR, Raegan Caldwell SR, Ava Wagemann JR, Elisabeth Nightingale JR, Brooke Rotherham SO, Hannah Rotherham SO, Ryan Mayberry SO, Alyssa Beck JR, Amanda Burns SO.

Notes: Pekin again will be a young team where five of last year’s top ten runners were freshmen. The Dragons finished 12 in last year’s Granite City Sectional returning all of their top seven from that team. Morgan Coker qualified for the state meet last November as a freshman where she finished 119th. Pekin has two groups of two runners behind Coker. Kiley Coker and Raegan Caldwell were separated by three seconds as second and third runners. Ava Wagemann and Elisabeth Nightingale were 66 seconds behind the front duo but separated by just a second. Getting those two packs molded into one could mean good things for this team in the upcoming season.

 

Deerfield

Coach – Jeff Beaumont

2023 Finish: 12-Hof Est Sec; 3-Grant Reg; 7-CSL.

Top Runners: Azalea Modes SO, Madeline Geres SO, Olivia Brown JR, Maya Garcia SR, Audrey Dickerson SO, Natalia Arevalo JR, Stella Martin SO, Jessica Slutzky SR, Siona Rajshekar JR, Randi Tye SR.

Notes:  The 12th place finish from Deerfield at last year’s Hoffman Estates Sectional might be an illusion of how good this team was / could be heading into this season. “Prior to leaving for the summer, the team met and set some ambitious goals for the fall season,” said Coach Jeff Beaumont. “Afterwards, I outlined the work required to meet those goals.  So the main message this summer was pretty simple - do the work.  We didn't focus on times, rather take each day for what it is and do what's supposed to be done.  The turnout and effort at summer camp was great throughout the summer.  I wish I could say all the girls did all the work, but those that did look primed to have their best seasons ever.”

 

This is one the top packing teams in the state. The problem with the pack in races it was too far back in larger races. Their top five split was just 27 seconds in that sectional race. The top five runners have a senior, a junior, and three sophomores led by sophomores Azalea Modes and Madeline Geres. “Azalea had a great summer,” said Beaumont. “She started tapping into her potential towards the end of freshman year cross country and started track as our best runner.  An injury cut her track season short, but she is fully healthy now and running well.  She's sneaky good, meaning she tends to disappear in the crowd early in a race, but you go to different spots on a course, and she's moved up 10 places each time.  Her time from Det at Dark wasn't far off her freshman PR so I'm excited to see what she does this fall.

 

One of the team’s goal was making it to state this year. Deerfield has never qualified for the Class 3A State Meet. Deerfield last qualified in Class 2A in 2022. This team lives off great pack running. Moving that pack closer to the front is possible especially with the improvement of great training over the summer.

 

Rockton (Hononegah)

Coach – Jorge Pichardo

2023 Finish: 10-LP Sec; 3-Hamp Reg; 2-NIC 10.

Top Runners: Kylie Simpson JR, Isabella Trout SR, Keila Borges-Aragon SR, Sophia Frommier SO, Averi Bronnimann JR, Layla Buckley JR, Jordan Lake JR, Lucinda Hodges FR.

Notes: Four runners are back for Hononegah after they finished tenth at the Lake Park Sectional. “Our training this summer went well,” said Coach Jorge Pichardo. “We kept our training the same, as we train by minutes and not miles. We did something new this summer, we introduced Strava. Girls were able to track their runs and make it fun by putting pictures/videos on there for the rest of the team to see. We had coaches run workouts with athletes which made it fun too.”

 

Kylie Simpson was the team’s #1 runner throughout her sophomore season. She has made it to the state meet twice finishing 35th as a freshman and 38th place last fall. “She has stepped up big time this summer with her training and looking at what she ran at Detweiller at Dark, I am very excited to see what she will do this season,” said Pichardo. “She is going for the school record and for an all-state spot, and I really think she can make it happen.” There will be a big split between Simpson and the rest of the pack. It could be close to two minutes from her. Isabella Trout missed the final month of the season with an injury and could step back into #2 position. Kelia Borges-Aragon, Sophia Frommier, Averi Bronniman, and freshman Lucinda Hodges expect to be in the mix for one of the top five spots. The pack split will need to be near 60 seconds for this team to make the state meet trip.

 

Rolling Meadows

Coach – Chris Marks

2023 Finish: 8-Pal Reg; 8-MSL.

Top Runners: Lucy Bollweg SR, Izzy Lee JR, Grace Trunnell JR, Grace Lisy SO, Renata Santinello SR, Lupe Nava Perez JR, Morgan Ashcraft FR, Jamilla Garcia JR

Notes: We could see this team at the top half of the MSL and making it to sectionals this season. Rolling Meadows missed making it to the Hoffman Estates Sectional finishing eighth at the Palatine Regional. Lucy Bollweg and Izzy Lee advanced to the Palatine Regional last fall. “Lucy Bollweg led the team in mileage and should have a bounce-back season after a knee injury kept her sidelined during the track season,” said Coach Chris Marks. Bollweg was the team’s top runner all last season.

 

Izzy Lee was the team’s second runner last year averaging 20-25 seconds behind Bollweg towards the end of the season. “Izzy has been consistently running 40-45 miles per week all summer.  Her work ethic is unmatched, and we believe she will make measurable improvements this year.” Jamilla Garcia was running JV races last fall. She had a great summer of training this summer according to Marks and should give their top seven a boost. Grace Lisy has also showed improvement and will be part of the team’s top five. “Our team's driving message is "intend to improve".  The goal for every runner and the team is always improvement,” added Marks.

 

Aurora (West Aurora)

Coach – Anthony Rizzo

2023 Finish: 8-Nap N Reg; 8-SPC.

Top Runners: Itzel Figueroa JR, Avery Littlejohn SR, Baylee Geni SR, Abbey Hauser JR, Isabella Smith SR, Sofia Lara SR, Yoselyn Ahuati JR, Lina Kitner SR, Kimberly Mata SR.

Notes: West Aurora shifts from the Southwest Prairie Conference to the Upstate Eight Conference for the 2024 season. They could also be one of the top teams in their new conference. The Blackhawks also should advance out of their regional meet. Last year, they finished eighth at the Naperville North Regional returning six from that team. They have a strong front two with Itzel Figueroa and Avery Littlejohn who both advanced to the sectional meet. “Itzel had a fantastic summer and is super positive going into the season,” said West Aurora Coach, Tony Rizzo. “We all hope that she keeps that positivity and momentum moving forward into the new conference.” The team will look to close their top five split to under 90 seconds.