It will be interesting to see which teams can emerge from the pack and into the elite force (Ilona Koziel photo)
The opening day of Cross Country is similar to baseball in that it is so refreshing to see everyone after a nice layoff. It is also a time where all solid teams who have prepared themselves well in the offseason feel they a chance to be successful. The traditionally strong teams (powerhouses if you will) will be in it all season long to duel against the big dogs as well as the emerging pups. The question is which one of these teams can step up from the second tier and become a major force in late October and into November? The answer to the question will have to be answered in a series of tests. Milesplit Illinois will be when happens.
20. Washington
Head Coach/coach: Troy Walcott
Last year’s finish: 1st at Normal Sectional, 12th at State
Key returners: Kassidy Dexheimer (So.)- 72nd team placement, Hailey Widder (Sr.)- 82nd, Hailey Tranchitella (So.)- 102nd
Projected top 7: Dexheimer, Widder, Tranchitella , Josie Hermann (Fr.), Taylor Widder (Fr.), Kara Jacobs, (Fr.), Claire Myers (Fr.)
Newcomers: Hermann, Widder, Jacobs, Myers, Mckenna Blackorby (Fr.)
Coach Walcott’s Take: The team has trained well together this summer. There is a large front pack in training runs. It should be a tighter 1-5 pack than last year.
Tony's Take: The program that overcame tremendous adversity to its community when it was destroyed by a tornado last November bounced back to enjoy a tremendous track season that saw the Panthers take the 4x800m state title. Dexheimer and Tranchitella return as the team leaders- both girls will undoubtedly look to improve on 98th and 132nd state meet placings.
19. Chicago (Latin)
Head Coach: Dan Daly
Last year’s finish: State- 3rd (1A)
Key returners: Abigail Nadler (Sr.), Maddie Hoffman (So.), Sophia Lancaster (So.), Madeline Cohen (So.)
Projected top 7: Nadler, Hoffman, Lancaster, Cohen, Lauren Katunas (Fr.), Anabel Mendoza (Jr.), Jessica Kubert (Jr.)
Newcomers: Katunas.
Coach Daly’s Take: When we moved up to 2A it made us the smallest school in the classification. We hope to repeat as conference, regional, and sectional championships and finish in the top 10 at state. I assume if we can accomplish these goals, Latin would be the first team in IHSA history to win regionals and sectionals at one level and do so again at the next high level while also being competitive at the state meet too.
Tony's Take: The fact is Class A is fortunate that Latin moved up the latter because this team is stout with four returners back on the scene. Victoria Bianco, last season's lead runner, has moved on to Northwestern University. Abigail Nadler will take over the lead role after producing an outstanding track season that saw her earn all-state honors in the 1600m with a time of 5:08.
18. Normal West
Head Coach/coach: Steve Destri
Last year’s finish: 3rd Sectional; 18th State
Key returners: We return our top 12 from last season.
Projected top 7: Andrea Gordon (Sr.)- 48th, Sara Piller (Sr.)- 34th, Amanda Gerwick (Sr.)- 96th, Kirsten Peterson (Jr.)- DNR, Emily Koranek (Jr.)- 104th, Gracie Ecker (So.)- 116th, Bailey Fillipponi (Sr.)- 119th.
PR’s for these girls at Detweiller are Piller 18:02, Gordon 18:27, Gerwick (19:04), Fillipponi 19:23, Koranek 19:39 and Ecker 19:40. Another potential varsity runner Shayla Kozak (Sr.) has run 19:40 there.
Newcomers: Peterson is a transfer from Terre Haute South in Indiana. She joined us after moving last week and looks very strong. Indiana [runners typically] compete on hilly 5K courses. Her PR is 20:20 on the Brown County course.
Coach Destri’s take: We are a deep team with as many as 14 girls in position to earn varsity spots. Gordon and Piller were co-MVP’s last year and will via for our #1 spot. Both of these girls along with Gerwick and Fillipponi have competed in two state meets in their careers. Our goals will be to compete with Normal U-High locally and NCHS & Peoria Notre Dame in the Big 12 Conference. We would like to move up to the top 10 at state.
17. Belvidere North
Head Coach/coach: John Paddock / Ken Husser
Last year’s finish: Nic 10 Conference Champs, Regionals 2nd place
Key returners: Jenna Lutzow (So), Carley Lutzow (Sr.), Carol Garcia (Sr.), Stephanie Robles (Jr.)
Projected top 7: Jenna Lutzow, Carley Lutzow, Garcia, Robles, Jennifer Lemke (Jr.}, Sabrina Elder (Fr.), Amanda Lawson (Fr.), Mia Rodriguez (Fr.}
Newcomers: Elder, Lawson, Rodriguez
Coach Paddock’s Take: For the first time in North’s history we should have two front runners with the Lutzow sisters. Jenna is coming off an impressive freshman season in both cross and track and her older sister Carley is fully recovered from an old injury and has looked sharp this summer after an excellent track season. Our goal is to win the Nic-10 Conference and make a run at a Regional Title. After that we would like to get out of our Sectional this season and qualify as a team for the State Meet. This will be our best team we have put on the starting line for North girls and if everyone can stay healthy we should be very competitive on the 2A level.
16. Lakes (Lake Villa)
Head Coach/coach: Keith West
Last year’s finish: Belivedere Sectional- 8th
Key returners: Kortney Schardt (Jr.), Ashley Espinosa (Sr.), Nicole Towne (Sr.), Danielle Griesbaum (Sr.), Elizabeth Thompson (Sr.), Fiona Floden (Sr.), Sarah Sprague (Sr.)
Projected top 7: Same
Newcomers: None
Coach West’s Take: We had the most miles / training ever for our program. We also want to make it downstate as a team; get four runners under 19:00 and three under 20:00. The ultimate goal is to have fun and be competitive.
15. Mahomet-Seymour
Head Coach/coach: Bonnie Moxley
Last year’s finish: State- 20th
Key returners: Lauren Whitehouse (Jr.)- 18th, Olivia Meyer (So.)- 109th, Jocelyn Thrasher (Jr.)- 131st, Mariah McAnally (So.)- 134th, Madison Buzicky (Jr.)- 146th
Projected top 7: same as above, others
Newcomers: N/A
Tony's Take: The Bulldogs experienced a bit of a down year in 2013, but that should change with five of the top seven returning. Whitehouse is one of the classification's best distance runners. She narrowly missed all-state honors placing 26th last year coupled with another near miss on the track in the 3200m despite running a solid 11:17. Needless to say, Whitehouse will be very motivated this fall. As well her teammates will look to move into the upper echelon come November. The always important 1-5 split will factor into that decision.
14. Springfield
Head Coach/coach: Dan Devlin/Trae Cotner
Last year’s finish: State- 15th
Key returners: Jillian Cole (Sr.)- 44th, Sophia Gullo (Jr.)- 81st Aly Goff (Jr.)- 101st, Natalie Motor (Jr.) DNR
Projected top 7: same as above plus others
Newcomers: no notables
Tony’s Take: Natalie Motor and Aly Goff have had an awesome summer according to the coaching staff. They are both very fit and ready for breakout seasons. The major blow to this team was the transfer of senior Mads Nelson to South Carolina. She leaves a big hole in the team and they like the boys will be searching for a 5th runner. Sophia Gullo and Jillian Cole are healthy as well. The Senators could be a top 10 team by season's end if Goff, who was all-state in the 800m, can maintain her status down the stretch. Motor was the team's leader in the 3200m.
13. Lombard (Montini)
Head coach: Pete Connelly; assistants Nick Kuczwara and Kristine McInerney
Last year’s finish: State- 11th
Key returners: Gianna Salzbrunn (Jr.)- 27th, Emma Makowski (Jr.)- 108th, Lauren Denemark (Jr.)- 143rd, Madeline Jamrozek (Sr.)- 148th
Projected top 7: Salzbrunn, Makowski, Denemark, Jamrozek, or Bianca Montesinos (Sr.), Lea Ritchie (Fr.), Mary O'Brien (So.), Cynthia Almazan (Sr.), Jenna Wiedacher (So.)
Newcomer: Ritchie
Coach Connelly’s Take: Summer training went very well and the top two are ready to move into the lead pack. After Denemark, there is a drop off. Our goals are the same as they are every year - to contend for a trophy. We lost our number #1 and #2 girls from last year, so we will need to have some girls make strides in the fall to fill the critical last two scoring spots.
12. Dunlap
Head Coach: Chris Friedman
Assistant coaches: Katie Petravick, Steve Carter, Michael Helgeson (volunteer).
Last year's finish: 9th at the state meet, won conference (Mid-Illini) and regional, 2nd at sectional
Key returners: Abby Jockisch (Sr.,10th 2013 state), Chloe Gunn (Sr.)- 61st, Kristen Wu (Jr.)- 83rd, Emilie Olmsted (Jr.)- 84th, Gabby Reed (Jr.)- 137th
Key additions: Frannie Verville (2nd 2013 IESA state), Miranda Kruiswyk (4th 2013 IESA state), Andrea Copeland (Fr.; 27th 2013 IESA state with only one shoe), Delaney Peterson (Fr.; 29th 2013 IESA state)
Projected top seven: Jockisch, Gunn,Verville, Olmsted, Wu; seventh runner is hard to say but contenders include Reed, Copeland, Peterson, Taylor Muno (So)., Jena Brooks (So.), and maybe a half dozen others.
Coach Friedman’s Take: Given the success of our middle school programs, everyone has been anticipating this year at the high school for about three years. Our success last year only fueled the speculation. The summer has been going well. We have done the mileage again this summer and added some intense hill workouts (more than normal). The freshmen are coming along well and gelling with the returners. We will have plenty of depth and Abby Jockisch and Chloe Gunn offer us the leadership we will need. We've won conference the past two years, and we are gunning for a third. A sectional championship would be a first for us and is our second goal. A top five finish at the state meet is goal number three. This team has the right mix of experience and youth, guts and dedication and brains to accomplish all three.
11. Marengo
Head Coach/coach: RJ Meyer, Marengo Community High School
Last year’s finish: 1st in BNC, 1st in 2A Sterling Regional, 2nd in 2A Belvidere Sectional, 4th in 2A State
Key returners: Kitty Allen (Sr.)- 8th, Kaylin Punotai (Sr.)-55th, Ashlynd Broling (So.)- 66th, Sarah Shefcik (So.)- 124th
Projected top 7: Allen, Punotai, Broling, Taylor Conroy (So.), Hannah Secor (Fr.), Shefcik, Gretel Hoffmeyer (So.)
Newcomers: Conroy, Hoffmeyer, Secor, Briana St. Clair (Fr.).
Coach Meyer’s Take: Each year our team sets out to best our previous finish(es) at State. Last season Kaylin Punotai wasn’t healthy down the stretch and as a small school that really hurt our chances at State. We toned down our mileage this summer to focus on adding quality miles and light workout sessions. Our newcomers are untested but will be ready for the post season in October. Our girls team is very close and has spent time this summer bringing the freshman and sophomore groups into the mix. It seems each year that 2A girls cross country becomes more competitive and with teams like Yorkville, Glenbard South, Montini, Crystal Lake Central, Vernon Hills, etc… it makes it even more important to prepare over the summer. We are confident in our chances to compete for a top 3 finish this year.