Head Coach: Matt Blondell
Assistant Coaches: Aislinn Hicks, Katie Drach, Alex Cushing, Anna Kaspar
Last year’s finish: 10th place- State Finals
Key returners: Maggie McClowry (Sr), Ellie Marcet (Sr), Alana Austin (Jr), Carolyn Carpenter (Jr), Meghan Donovan (So), Erin Kainrath (Jr), Katie Sledz (So), Maggie Stegman (Jr), Erin McHugh (So), Emily Blank (So), Claudia Mallin (So), Carly Auld (So), Abby Hunter (So), Sarah Komon (Sr)
Projected top 7 according to Coach Blondell: The state returners McClowry, Marcet, Austin, Carpenter, Donovan, Kyra Conroy (Sr.) and all of the others listed above will be working hard to make our final 7.
Newcomers: Maddie Engels (Fr.), Ellen Spencer (Fr.)
Coach Blondell's outlook: "Our team looks to build on their outstanding team performances over the past three state-qualifying seasons. After gaining momentum with a 16th place finish in 2012, 11th in 2013, and 10th in 2014, our girls are setting goals of making a permanent presence in the state’s top 10 team standings for years to come. Our juniors and seniors are a determined group of young ladies. They are realizing their potential as they help create a path of success while also guiding the younger athletes on the team to follow in their footsteps. Our seniors have been instrumental in creating a winning culture on the girls cross country team at Naperville Central. With their leadership, I am positive that they can help lead their team to the bigger accomplishments that they aspire to achieve in the future."
Head Coach: Mark McCabe
Last year's final finish: 4th place- State Championship
Key returners: Anne Zaher (Sr.), Grace McCabe (So.), Reilly Revord (So.), Molly Caveney (Jr.), Emma Sullivan (Sr.), Mackie Stevens (Sr.), Sophia Horowicz (So.)
Coach McCabe's outlook: "Our goals as always are to be the best we can be and be at our best when it counts most, at the end of the season... to strive our young women [to reach for high integrity and character]. If we accomplish all of these things, then let the chips fall where they may; we can only control the controllables and don't worry about the rest.
As usual, I don't like to talk about specific product goals publicly. We discuss those internally and keep them to ourselves. But I will say this: with a healthy Alexa Haff (Jr.), we believed we would compete for a state championship. Yet even without her, we believe we are and will be a better team than we were a year ago. I will leave it at that.
Over the past 15 years, our program ranks 3rd in the state (behind Naperville North and Palatine) in terms of state meet performance... our 2015 team aims to add to that Hinsdale Central tradition."
Tony's Take: Not having Alexa Haff is definitely going to hurt the Lady Devilettes no matter how you look at it. She was a guaranteed single digit scorer in the biggest meets. There is no one on the current roster a shoe in although Zaher made some big noise some big noise in July at the Detweiller at Dark Meet. Her 17:35 was as good as it gets in that time span. In addition, she has a personal best of 17:04 which is top 5 status in most seasons. Now the key is to see if the injury she suffered during the track season is gone mentally and physically. And Zaher is a miler by heart ('14 state champ) who may start to fantasize about the Mondo surface late in the season if things on the grass don't go her way.
Head Coach/coaches: Rob Harvey/Chris Kuntz, Sarah Bikulcius
Last year’s finish: 9th at State, 5th at sectional, 1st at regionals, 3rd at DVC
Key returners: Sara Atkins (Jr.), Allison McGrath (Jr.), Mary Erdman (Jr.), Kendall Laveen (Sr.), Kendall Reid (So.), Emily Christensen (Jr.), Emma Schroer (Sr.), Brooke Sievers (Sr.), Steph Gorski (Sr.), Maggie Cavanaugh (Jr.)
Projected top 7: same as the key returners list
Newcomers:The Tigers will have 3 to 4 impact newcomers. Coach Harvey has made it his policy to not mention names until after the team's first two invitationals.
Coach Harvey's outlook: "We return our top 5 from the state meet and 8 of our top 12 from the state roster. Additionally, we return 16 of our top 20. We just want to keep getting better each week. We will focus on individual improvement that will lead to team success in November. They're a great group that has the potential to be a great team."
Head Coach: Paul Hass
Last year’s finish: 3rd place- State Championship.
Key returners: Lindsay Graham (Sr.), Lindsey Payne (So.), senior Grace Rogers (Sr.), senior Kathryn Kenwood (Sr.), junior Janie Nabholz (Jr., Abigail Shaver (Jr.), Kate Dorsey (Sr.), Caitlyn Reick (Sr.), Claire Kenwood (So.), Mary Kate Shaver (So.).
Projected top 7: Rogers, Kenwood, Nabholz, Shaver, Dorsey,Reick, Kenwood (potentially: Lindsay Graham? Lindsey Payne?).
Newcomers: freshman Katie Hohe, sophomore Ella Crowley, freshman Chloe Connolly
Coach Hass' team outlook:
"The team overall has had another good summer of training, with one notable exception. Senior Lindsay Graham’s rehabilitation from the growth plate injury she incurred in the track season has taken longer than anticipated and, through her own admission, is not currently in running condition to compete at a high level. Sophomore Lindsey Payne has had a tremendous summer of training and is in incredible shape, but may also miss some time due to recent health issues. Consequently, the team may have to rely heavily upon our pack comprised largely of experienced seniors to carry the load for the team and, perhaps, some newcomers who could develop and contribute to our team’s performance.
As always the goal over the summer, as well as the season, is to remain healthy and have each girl focused upon improving upon their past season’s training and meet performances. The senior group of Grace Rogers, Katherine Kenwood, Abigail Shaver, and Caitlyn Reick worked well together all summer and may prove to be the core of our team this year. Combined with the improved conditioning of junior Janie Nabholz and senior Kate Dorsey this squad alone has the experience and the drive to prove that they are capable of being competitive at the state level.
Sophomores Claire Kenwood and Mary Kate Shaver have had a much improved summer of running compared to last year and certainly have the potential to break into the top seven before the conclusion of the season. Additionally, incoming freshmen Katie Hohe and Chloe Connolly have each showcased some talent during the summer and might also make an appearance in the top seven IF they remain healthy and continue to improve.
Needless to say, we are looking forward to the 2015 season which we believe holds enormous potential, if not a different look, for the lady Hilltoppers."
Tony's Take: The Hilltoppers could potentially be in big trouble as a team if Graham cannot rebound this year. She has been rehabbing her growth plate in her foot since breaking away from track in April. She indicated that she is not where she needs to be. Payne played soccer last spring and although that is an aerobic sport, this is a brand new year. Glenbard West will be a solid team regardless of what happens to said personnel. But the thirst of a top three finish at state is what they really desire.
Head Coach: Kevin Gummerson
Last year’s finish:
8th Place- State Championship
Key returners:
Ashley Tutt (Jr)
Mackenzie Callahan (Jr)
Emily Shelton (So)
Morgan Crouch (Sr)
Caitlyn Kurtz (Sr)
Emily Ellis (So)
Newcomers: N/A
Coach Gummerson's outlook: As a team, we are looking to improve upon last year’s finish. It is no secret that we need to get our #4-7 runners to close that gap on our top 3. I am confident that we will have a much tighter top 5 split this year. We have a group of returners that are working extremely hard to do that, and we have a couple freshman that have put together a nice summer and are looking to challenge for our top 7 spots.
Tony's Take: Make no mistake about it, the Indians are on the verge of being a great team this year. They have only gotten better in a year's time. Ashley Tutt has morphed into one of the state's top all-around distance runners which includes an all-state finish in the 3200m. Tutt took 6th last fall in Peoria with a torturous time of 17:01. She along with fellow cross country all-state runner Mackenzie Callahan (15th) and Emily Shelton (17:21 for three miles) make up arguably the strongest trio in the state.
Head Coach: John Burnside
Last year’s finish: 7th place- State Championship
Key returners: Oona Jung-Beeman (Sr.), Kelli Schmidt (Sr.), Molly Schmidt (Jr.), Caroline Fix (Jr.), Grace Fagan (Jr.), Cara Keleher (Jr.), Savannah Noethlich (So.), Rachel Weix (So.).
Projected top 7: See above
Newcomers according to Coach Burns: "We look to have a strong, deep freshman class."
Coach Burns' outlook: "Losing Mimi will hurt. This group will have to capitalize on its depth and it's leadership as it continues to develop a pack running strategy."
Tony's Take: This could be the state's most underrated teams because of the power horses listed ahead and behind the Lady Trevians. Mimi Smith is the last of the superstar names for New Trier (Ackerman twins Courtney and Jessica are long gone) for awhile for the faithful. Those in Winnetka had better get used to seeing a pack running formation for continued success. However, this is not a bad thing considering the success of cross country's foundation is centered around team play.
Palatine will look to hoist another trophy this season
Head Coach/coaches: Joe Parks / Katie Sobol, Steve Currins, Dave Cox
Last year’s finish: State Runner-Up; Nike Cross Nationals- 12th place
Key returners: Kelly O’Brien (Sr.), Sam Lechowicz (Sr.), Anna Buckstaff (Jr.), Lauryn Simons (So.), Sabina Yosif (Sr.), Izzeh Stankiwicz (Jr.), Morgan Balog (Sr.), Jaclyn Frank (So.), Bridget Silveira (Sr.), Rebecca Duran (Sr.)
Projected top 7: O’Brien, Lechowicz, Buckstaff, Simons, Yosif, Stankiwicz, Balog
Newcomers: Jamie Henning, Erin Oleksak, Esther Lee
Coach Park's outlook: "After last year’s exciting post season run (MSL, regional, sectional champions, State runner-up, NXN qualifier) there is a lot of optimism with a number of solid returnee’s. However, last year is last year, so we definitely know that for a repeat of similar success a lot of things will have to go our way and we will have to put in the work to make it happen. I’m cautiously optimistic about this season, as my biggest concern is complacency. Our main is as always to keep finding a way to remain near the top of the state and hopefully beyond. Either way, this team will have a chore in replacing a great group of senior leadership. The threesome charge of Kieliszewski, Beach, and Burton made a huge impact last year and will be missed greatly. However, I am confident we can fill their void, as we’ve done before (in ’14 after losing Cox, Lincoln, & McPherson and in ’11 after losing Brown, McIntosh, & Sund). That being said it will not be easy. Summer has gone well, so we are off to a solid start, which is all you can ask.
Much like last season I think it will take most of the season for us to be the complete team we can be. There is a lot of potential from this group, however we know already we will be one piece short early, as last year’s top frosh Lauryn Simons will be slow to return, as she fractured her lower leg in early July (non-running related) and will start back running in mid-August. The good news is we have solid depth and this will give some others a chance to step in and further their experience.
Up front O’Brien will lead the charge and will hopefully put herself in contention for the individual title, but she can’t do it alone. Lechowicz, Buckstaff, and Yosif all have state meet experience and each have had a really good summer. Lechowicz has really improved over the last year and should make a another step this fall. Yosif has had some ups and downs over the last couple years staying healthy and dealing with expectations, but has matured tremendously (she actually just turned 16 in late April, so is very young for a senior) and has been looking strong this summer. Buckstaff as well could make a step toward being and all-state caliber runner. After these four it’s a matter of Simons building throughout the season and others stepping up. Izzeh Stankiewicz (Jr.) who has steadily improved bit by bit each season, but has yet to have a breakout season has shown flashes this summer. Morgan Balog is a tough nosed senior who looked like a superstar early in her career but has had one interference after another is finally healthy and could step up big by the end. Along with those, I see Jaclyn Frank (So.), Rebecca Duran (Sr.), Stephanie Burciaga (Jr.), and Bridget Silveira (Sr.) as others who could make big impacts as well.
In regards to newcomers we had several freshman at summer camp with three that appeared to stand out (Jamie Henning, Erin Oleksak, and Esther Lee). All three are pretty raw and I don’t expect any be in the starting line-up from day one, however each look like there is potential to be very solid from the get-go and maybe beyond. In my eight years at Palatine we’ve had at least one frosh in our state meet top-7 all but one year, so nothing would really surprise me from a freshman."
Defending state champion Naperville North girls are the undisputed pre-season choice (Ilona Koziel photo)
Head Coach/coaches:Dan Iverson/Joanna Berg, Anna Kraftson, Brian Webb
Last year’s finish:
State Champions; 4th place- Nike Cross Nationals
Key returners:
Judy Pendergast (SR)
Claire Hamilton (JR)
Sarah Schmitt (SO)
Natalie Dunnett (SO)
Jenny Gibson (SR)
Projected top 7 according to Coach Iverson:
Those named above are leading candidates, of course. But add to that mix the following…
Emory Griffin (SR)
Kathryn Abe (JR)
Kayla Glowacki (JR)
Ella Guppy (SR)
Gabby Champion (JR)
Kate Shannon (SR)
Newcomers:
Alex Morris (FR)
Sophia Bruce (FR)
Megan Driscoll (FR)
Claire McBride (FR)
Claire Hill (FR)
Coach Iverson's outlook: "I think we’ll be pretty good. Obviously, there are several other very good teams coming in to the year, but I certainly think we should be among them. As of now (knock on wood), we are healthy and have had a very productive summer. Judy looks very good, as do our other returners. We have a good group of freshmen, and we should have at least one who contributes to our top seven at some point."
Tony's Take: Perhaps a little too modesty talk from the Naperville North camp to lull the good competition asleep. Coach Iverson is a mastermind in this sport and there is perhaps no equal man or woman in terms of coaching right in the state of Illinois. Naperville North as already reached the pinnacle several times and really the only thing left is to strike a blow into the New York and California dominance in cross country. The Huskies should be the top ranked team in the Midwest all season leading up to state and then NXN regionals. No Illinois girls team has ever won a medal in Portland. That could change this year.
Naperville North girls national spotlight piece