Just in case you missed it, Yorkville is in the midst of a dynasty and it isn't likely to end in the foreseeable future. The Lady Foxes have won the last four team titles and six gold or silver plaques if you want to include the two state-runner ups in succession. Head Coach Chris Muth is a level headed coach in the fact that he has two of his top runners in the past two years in Maddie Dearborn and now the long standing Skyler Bollinger... but the Lady Foxes as a community is like a family when it comes to cross country. As far as the rest of the contenders, it is going to be very interesting how everyone will compete against one another in what seems to be good quality despite parity.
Head Coach/coaches: Chris Muth/Ben Draper, Lauren Verizen
Last year's final finish: State Champions
Key returners: Alexis Grandys (Jr.), Summer Pierson (Sr.), Maddie Dearborn (Jr.), Alyssa Edwards (So.), Becca Jasutis (Sr.), Julia Megganzini (Jr.), Julia Schultz (Sr.), Erin Reynolds (Sr.), Maggie Klemm (So.), Lauren Daffenburg (So.), Kimberly Batdorff (So.), Piper Buyanski (Jr.)
Projected top 7 according to Coach Muth: "At this point I have no idea who my top seven runners will be. With a very solid freshman class coming in and my entire top 10 girls from last year, besides Skyler Bollinger, still on the team; I literally have 15 girls who have a shot to be top 7."
Newcomers: Olivia Borowaik (Fr.), Nicole Geyer (Fr.), Emily Eberhart (Fr.), Colleen O'Connor (Fr.).
Coach Muth's outlook: "I think we have the depth to be a top five team in 2A and maybe even progress into more during the season. This year will be a very competitive season to make our top seven. I think that competitive environment will only help push the girls to new heights and faster times. I'm not sure what our limits are, but I'm excited where we are at so far. At Detweiller at Dark, with three of last year's top seven at other obligations, we had ten girls finish within 1:05 of our top finisher. We have to get faster, but packing up with that many girls shows great depth and all the hard work they have put in together this summer has paid off. This is by far the deepest and most talented team I have had in my 11 years of coaching. We might not have that 1% type of runner anymore, but what we do have are some very talented, very excited girls who look forward to competing with the best all year long."
Tony's Take: It is hard to believe that a program like Yorkville can reload while reloading. Could it be that the Foxes have a great feeder system who get their kids high school ready in the 7th and 8th grade? How about the freshman and sophomores keeping heat on the varsity runners? Or what about a great coaching staff preaching team first without any favorites? Yorkville is going to real good this season even without the long standing leader Skyler Bollinger who moved out to California. One only wishes the Lady Foxes were in 3A to see how they stack up among the other elite teams in the state.
Head Coach/coaches: Tim Plotke/Stefanie Miller
Last year's final finish: 4th place- State Championship
Key returners: Taylor Campos (Sr.), Claire Gagen (Sr.), Gabby Voltarel (Sr.), Beata Drozda (So.), Bridget Kunkel (Jr.), Celine Ratulowski (So.)
Projected top 7: Campos, Gagen, Voltarel, Drozda, Kunkel, Ratulowski, Jaycee Schickel (So.)
Newcomers: N/A
Coach Plotke's outlook: "Our top six gained valuable experience at last year's state meet and with all returning, will be looking to improve on our 4th place finish. Our summer training has progressed nicely and we are eagerly anticipating the start of the 2015 cross country season."
Head Coach/coaches: Chris Friedman/Michael Helgeson, Steve Carter, Amanda Duvendack
Last year’s finish: 3rd place- State Championship
Key returners: Frannie Verville (So.), Miranda Kruiswyk (So.)
Projected top 7: Verville, Kruiswyk, Emilie Olmsted (Sr.), Kristen Wu (Sr.), Andrea Copeland (So.), Abby Olcott (Sr.), Cathryn Palmer (Sr.); there about a dozen girls fighting for the last two spots
Newcomers: Abby Johnson (IESA all-stater in XC 2014), MeMe Shanahan (Fr.), Riley Baker (So., ran for Elmwood in middle school before moving to Canada and then returning)
Coach Friedman's outlook: "Expectations are high for this group after the state trophy last year. Abby Jockisch graduating leaves a big hole both on and off the course. On the course, that hole should be filled by a now healthy Frannie Verville and Miranda Kruiswyk, coming off a great track season. Off the course, a big group of seniors lead by Kristen Wu has taken over the captain duties. Depth will be the strength of this team. I can envision about a dozen different top 7 combinations, all capable of repeating or exceeding last year’s accomplishments. The summer has shown the strength and dedication of the team, and they look forward to racing this fall."
Tony's Take: The highly touted Verville is back as Coach Friedman indicated. Throw in Kruiswyk who placed 2nd in the state championship 3200m and you have a solid 1-2 punch. As you know, great duos are a big meet's best friend in the scoring department.
Head Coach: Dan Daly
Last year's final finish: 6th- State Championship
Key returners: Maddie Hoffman, Laura Katunas, Kathryn Stender, Madeline Cohen, Jessica Kubert
Projected top 7: Hoffman, Katunas, Stender, Cohen, Kubert, Liza Kaniewski, Olivia Baker, Isabella Supera
Newcomers: Kaniewski, Baker, Supera
Coach Daly's outlook: "The girls should be very competitive again this fall. We have a number of young ladies who have done the work this summer and are motivated. We hope to defend the conference, regional, and sectional titles. We then look to enjoy any trip to Detweiller in November. As you can tell, I'm optimistic that the Lady Romans will continue to represent their school and the city well this fall."
Head Coach/coaches: Ken Husser/Drew Pivoras, Erin Foster, Molly Scheidegger
Last year's final finish: 5th place- State Championship
Key returners: Jenna Lutzow (Jr.), Sabrina Elder (So.), Mia Rodriguez (So.), Stephanie Robles (Sr.), Natalie Monaghan (So.)
Projected top 7: Lutzow, Elder, Rodriguez, Robles, Monaghan, Chelsey Recendez, Remy Bice
Newcomers: Bice, Recendez, Brinley Hefty
Coach Husser's outlook: "We lost two very strong runners in Carley Lutzow and Carol Garcia who will be hard to replace. However, we have a strong top two with Lutzow, and Elder and we have five or six runners battling for the next three spots. If returning runners Rodriguez and Robles along with a couple of other newcomers can close the gap 2-5, we can be very competitive in 2A."
6. West Chicago (Wheaton Academy)
Head Coaches/coaches: Chris Felinski & Jim Spivey/Kim Rivers
Last year's final finish: 13th- State Championship
Key returners: Gretchen Pearson (Jr.), AJ Setran (Jr.), Maggie Bailey (So.), Julia Robleski (So.), Rebecca Smith (Jr.), Claire Casto (Jr.)
Projected top 7: Pearson, Setran, Bailey, Robleski, Smith, Casto, Kimmy Banks (Jr.)/Kayla Lotz (So.)/Abby Trott (Fr.)
Newcomers: Trott, Stephanie Gregersen
Coach Felinski's outlook: "The girls are looking to continue the strong pack work they had last year with six of the seven varsity runners returning. We are looking for someone to fill in for Annika Pearson (#2 runner at state last year who graduated to Naval Academy). Great potential for newcomers in Abby Trott and Stephanie Gregersen. Looking for continued growth from Kayla Lotz and Kimmy Banks after coming off successful track seasons. Gretchen Pearson is looking to cut 30 seconds off her time to set the school three-mile record as well as earn all-state honors."
Head Coach: Brett Willhoit
Last year's final finish: 7th place- State Championship
Key returners: Janine Orvis (Jr.), Debra Tomlinson (Jr.), Avani Flanagan (Jr.), Katelyn Smith (So.), Maddie Hollander (So.), Kelly Doerr (Jr.), Stephanie Doerr (So.)
Projected top 7: Orvis, Tomlinson, Flanagan, Smith, Hollander, Kelly Doerr, Stephanie Doerr
Newcomers: Mikayla Bertalon, Becca Orvis, Katie Gleason, Amy Widhalm
Coach Willhoit's comments: We have some big shoes to fill with the seniors who graduated. But we also have a great group of returning runners who I believe are up to the task. We also have some nice new additions that should complement the team. We are hoping to be competitive in the conference and compete well down state.
Head Coach/coaches: Pete Connelly/Frank Kekstadt
Last year's final finish: 15th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Gianna Salzbrunn (Sr.), Lauren Denemark (Sr.), Emma Makowski (Sr.), Mary O'Brien (Jr.)
Projected top 7: Salzbrunn, Denemark, Makowski, O'Brien, Lea Ritchie (So.), Jenna Weidachacher (Jr.), Akayna Calkins (Sr.) or Beth Laviste (Jr.)
Coach Connelly's comments: "It is highly unlikely any newcomer will break into the top 7, unless a surprise shows up on the 12th."
Tony's Take: Coach Connelly was rather lean in detailing his team's prognosis for the season. But the truth of the matter is the Lady Broncos are going to be real solid. They will have the satisfaction of having a state championship feeling as Makowski, Salzbrunn, and Weidachacher teamed up to win the 4x800m state title. Yes, 800m is vastly different than running 3-miles, but having a championship mindset is the same. Plus, Montini has been real solid in the long stuff in recent years.
Head Coach: Troy Kerber
Last year's final finish: 14th- State Championship
Key returners: Karina Liz (Sr.), Abby Fioresi (Jr.), Toriana Turk (So.), Amy Brouch (Jr.), Shannon Lopresti (So.), Therese Hein (So.)
Projected top 7: Liz, Fioresi, Turk, Brouch, Olivia Sauceda (Jr.), Alex Johnston (Jr.), Lopresti, Hein, Alexis Camp (So.), Elisie Meier (So.) are considerations
Newcomers: Sauceda, Johnson, Samantha Medina (Fr.), Sari anna Ballard (Fr.), Hannah Doherty (Fr.), Sydney Scepkowski (Fr.)
Coach Kerber's outlook: "The Lady Chargers feel this could be one of the strongest teams ever in school history. ACC with an enrollment of 640 students, is a 1A sized school, that has proven to compete extremely well against larger schools on the 2A and 3A level. It all starts with our top two front runners Liz and Fioresi. Both are strong contenders to be all-state this fall. An awesome chase pack led by Sauceda, Turk, Johnston, Brouch, and Lopresti. Some promising newcomers will only add to the Charger Nation depth. We are excited about the potential of the team heading into the season. Barring anything unforeseen, we could do something special this season. We need to stay healthy any and injury free, that could be the only challenge stopping us."
Head Coach/coaches: Suzanne Curry/Chris Wolf
Last year's final finish: 8th place- State Championship
Key returners: Vivian Overbeck (Sr.), Shannon Skeoch (Sr.), Lauren Katz (So.)
Projected top 7: Overbeck, Skeoch, Katz; others
Newcomers: Coach Curry is expecting 7-10 new freshmen that ran all summer with the team.
Coach Curry's outlook: "I've never entered a season more uncertain about how things will play out. We have some nice senior leadership at the top and Overbeck is poised for a terrific senior year. The question is who can run with her. Katz had an outstanding freshman track season after being in our top five all cross country season. She should be there with Overbeck this season. We have a number of newcomers mixed with some veteran members that could make a push for the other five spots. Skeoch along with fellow seniors Ally Spence, Molly Wasserberg, Lexi Reich; freshmen Payton Makowskyj and Vivian Tsai definitely have the potential to round out our top seven. We're looking forward to a great year with some young, fresh talent.