Last year's Schaumburg Sectional produced the deepest team competition advancing to state (Itai Epstein photo)
25. Oswego
Head Coach/coaches:
Eric Simon / Collen Predl, Alicia Zimmerman, Craig Weyrich, Tom Kammerer
Last year's finish: State Final- 19th
Key returners:
Isabelle Christiansen (so), Grace Pagone (jr), Ava Weyrich (so), Megan Berg (jr), Megan Choi (sr), Caitlin Guist (so)
Projected top 7:
The above six have post season experience with the first four having run state and Choi and Guist ran the regional. There is a feeling that some of the following that could make a run at the top seven- Sydney Luchyn (so), Jaycie Simon (so), Katie Iverson (sr), Abbie Lemley(sr) and Kacie Moran (sr)
Newcomers:
So far no newcomers to add to this group. Hoping this will change.
Coach Simon's outlook:
We had a great season last year in xc and track with Oswego's first team to state in 28 years and a 4 x 8 that placed third at state. We have been heading in the right direction the past 3 or 4 years and would like to continue with that success. We graduated a strong senior class and are looking to fill that leadership void. We are a team that I believe will evolve and improve through the course of the season. We will be led on the course by Isabelle Christiansen and then what could be a strong pack backing her up. We are excited for the possibilities this season.
24. Downers Grove North
Head Coach: Tim McDonald / Matt Maletich
Last year's finish: 6th - Hinsdale Central Sectional
Key returners: Emma Moravec (Sr.), Zoe Covey (Sr.), Gina Kowalewicz (Sr.), Claire Kovarik (Jr.), Grace Puc (Jr.)
Projected top 7: Moravec, Covey, Kowalewicz, Puc, Kovarik, and some combination of the newcomers
Newcomers: Emma Featherstone (Sr.) and a handful freshmen who could make the jump once the races begin.
Coach McDonald's outlook: I am very excited about the upcoming season. We spent a lot of time this summer working hard and focusing on team chemistry. I was very happy with our summer. I think we are a team that will steadily improve over the course of the season and put ourselves in a position to have a strong end to our season. Just like any team, we need to stay healthy and get our team's best seven runners to the line healthy at the end of the season.
23. Palatine
Head Coach/coaches: Joe Parks / Ruth Allen
Last year's finish: 23rd - State Championship
Key returners: Anna Buckstaff Sr), Lauryn Simons (Jr), Jaclyn Frank (Jr)
Projected top 7: Buckstaff, Kate Lechowicz, Liz Lechowicz, Nadya Lloyd, Danya Lloyd, Frank, Stankiewicz, Simons
Newcomers: Kate Lechowicz, Liz Lechowicz, Nadya Lloyd, Danya Lloyd
Coach Park's outlook:
We enter this season with the most questions marks attached to a Palatine girls team in many years. We could be great or we could be sitting home watching the state meet for the first time in a decade and a half. This is the first time in my time at Palatine we've entered a season without a bonafide experienced All-State caliber girl. Our top group this summer has been largely dominated by girls with little-to-no state meet experience. Some of our best talent also comes with the least amount of experience, namely in two sets of twins that thankfully jumped board this spring track season, had some successes, and look to have caught the "running bug."
Seniors Nadya and Danya Lloyd were solid middle school runners (6:00+ milers), but decided against running through early high school (VB, BB, soccer), but decided to give it another go this spring and surprised us all with how quickly they progressed. Sophomores Kate and Liz Lechowicz (Sam's sisters), who swam last fall, joined track this spring and swiftly went from just wanting to break 6:00 in the mile to each running 5:21 at the Mag Miles come June. Their addition completely changes the dynamic of our team this fall and hopefully the next few, as they have tremendous attitudes and work ethic.
To add to our list of question marks are the two girls that do have state meet experience in senior Anna Buckstaff and junior Lauryn Simons, who were our 6-7 in 17:50 for our 2014 IHSA runner-up/NXN squad. Lauryn missed most of last fall with a non-running related ankle fracture and subsequently got a stress fracture on the opposite foot in Jan/Feb and missed most of the track season. As with anyone who misses that much time she's still got a long road ahead, mainly building back her confidence. Anna just came off a track season that saw her split 2:20 and run 5:10 at Mag Miles just before being diagnosed with Mono. Fortunately, it happened right during her post-track break, but still put her behind where she'd like to be. Outside of those girls we will be hoping some others make a big jump this fall to make an impact.
22. Downers Grove South
Head Coach/coaches: Doug Plunkett / Mike Farthing, Kathleen Meeks
Last year's finish: 20th - 3A State
Key returners: Katie Stapleton (Sr), Becky Versaskas (So)
Projected top 7: Stapleton, Versaskas (So), Olivia Duax (Fr), Melissa Weidner (So), Brenna Cohoon (Fr), Kara Petersen (Sr), Gillian Thomas (Jr)
Newcomers: Brenna Cohoon, Kennedy Warden (Fr), Erin Reidy (Fr), Allison Calek (So)
Coach Plunkett's outlook: This group returns four runners from last year's state meet team and will be helped out by a strong group of freshmen and sophomores. We just want to keep getting better each week. We will focus on individual improvement that will lead to team success in October and November. They're a motivated group that has the potential to be a very good team.
21. Hoffman Estates
Head Coach/coaches: Kirk Macnider / Matt Ihms, Jon Macnider
Last year's finish: 12th - Schaumburg Sectionals
Key returners: Allison Schrader (Jr), Megha Ramanathan (Jr), Bella Alansari (So), Jill Prigge (Sr), Katie Bonney, Misbah Baig, Giselle Benitez, Argelia Morales,Vanessa Peinado
Projected top 7: Any combination of these 10 plus several other who are developing quickly: Schrader, Ramanathan, Anna Miller, Baig, Benitez, Alansari, Bonney, Peinado, Morales, Prigge
Newcomers: Anna Miller (State Finalist in the 4x800, 5:28, 2:18 split, 60 FAT 400 as a freshman and didn't run XC last year)
Coach Macnider's outlook:
It bothers of us deeply that we missed the IHSA XC State Meet last year after qualifying in 2013 and 2014. We had the talent in 2015, but anemia, mono, and several other factors were simply too much to overcome at Sectionals. Three of the four girls that ran a School Record 9:18 4x800 at prelims return and have not forgotten the bitterness that comes with finishing 11th in finals.
This is a hungry, young, and deceptively experienced group that has been developing quietly for a year or two with the track times to show for it. Five of the current top girls have IHSA XC post-season experience. Junior Allison Schrader is our captain now; she ran on the 4x800 in track all the way to finals, ran 5:16 in the 1600 on limited races in that event, and is a gritty, selfless, talented runner. She is surrounded by a squad of girls with the combination of depth and ability to have a very solid Top 5, 7, and 10 split that will exciting to watch.
Our team goal is to protect our health early and mid-season for a strong, focused, and competitive post-season run. The girls have put in the work this summer. As their coach, I am 100% healthy and able to train them personally; in the past several years that was not the case due to several hospital stays. We have made several adjustments to our racing and training calendar and are very excited to get racing.
2015 3A Girls race highlights- State Championship
20. Park Ridge (Maine South)
Head Coach/Coaches: Jeff Downing / Jennifer Roddick-Small, Harvey Braus
Last year's finish: 12th place - State Championship
Key returners: Madeline Dingle (Sr.), Olivia Niziolek (Jr.), Kathleen Glockner (Jr.), Olivia Holmes (Sr.), Maura Lally (Sr.), Sydney Richter (Sr.)
Projected top 7: Dingle, Niziolek, Glockner, Holmes, Lally, Lexi Kachiroubas (Jr.), and Laura Downey (So.)
Newcomers: Kachiroubas, Downey, Lauren May (So.)
Coach Downing's outlook: Last year, we ran the whole season with a strong pack, but no front-runner. This year, I believe this year, we will have a few closer to the front of the pack, and then the rest will run in a pack. Madeline Dingle comes off a great track season, where she ran 10:50 for 3200 m, and Olivia Niziolek also was a great performer running 5:05 for 1600 m. Those two will be running up front, and Kathleen Glockner (11:22 for 3200 m), has made some great strides this year. We assume that Kathleen will lead our pack which should include many of the following (Holmes, Downey, Kachiroubas, May, Lally, and Richter). We are hoping for an even better season than last year. As always we will set our goals to make the state meet, but this year we want to see if we can make run well into the top 10 at Detweiller.
19. Lockport
Head Coach: Erin Truesdale
Last year's finish: 5th
Key returners: Morgan Bollinger (Sr), Alicia Ary, Emily Stoklosa,
Aubrey Friedrich, Karlee Stortz, Jorie Beaumont, and Emily Zaplatosch
Projected top 7 according to Coach Truesdale: I am still working on a top 7. We have a lot of returners and some newcomers
with potential to break into that line up.
Newcomers: Ashley Canny, Adriana Watson, Kate Wojciniewicz
Coach Truesdale's outlook: I am very excited to see a lot of potential
between the returning athletes and the newcomers. I have many freshmen coming in with prior
running experience so I will be looking for them to mix up that top 12. Our goal now is to stay healthy and keep
improving!
18. Lisle (Benet Academy)
Head Coach: Scott Brooks
Last year's finish: 18th- State Championship
Key returners: Mae Tully, Amanda DeSitter, Isabel Anderson, Rachel Strons, Jessica Jugovich, Mary Kate Healy
Projected top 7: Tully, DeSitter, Anderson, Strons, Jugovich, Healy
Tony's Take: The Redwings were not even on the map as far as one of the top teams last season. They in fact did not come to form until the sectional round. Coach Brooks has been on the state championship stage before so it should not have been a surprise to see his squad make it to with a talented roster. The only key loss was Claire McCabe. She has graduated and there are six state starters are back. Mae Tully and Amanda DeSitter.
17. Barrington
Head Coach/coaches: Debbie Revolta/ Mitch Beck, Danielle
McEvoy, Lyndsay Palach, Jim Bartlett
Last year's finish: 16th in State Championship
Key returners: Jocelyn Long, Sophie Hoeltgen, Eve Hoeltgen, Sammie Samaryczew, Caitlin
Feely
Projected top 7: end of season
the names listed above and below
Newcomers: Alyssa Norris,
Bella Fier (both freshman)
Coach Revolta's outlook: To
improve from week to week and run our best team race at the State Meet.
16. Naperville (Neuqua Valley) Head Coach: Tim McCoskey
Last year's finish: 15th- State Championship
Key returners: Caitlin Horn (Sr), Corinna Pena (Jr), Keara Ginell (Jr), Carolina Johnson (Sr), Sofia Medina (So)
Projected top 7: The top five above and others
Tony's Take: The Wildcats were strong out of the gate last year on the strength of a top five unit that ran under 1:00 in most races. Caitlin Horn is back as the top runner. She ran a smooth 17:37 last year and 11:12 on the track this past spring. She is of good stock as well being the younger sister of now former boys standout Connor Horn. Her teammate Corinna Pena will be ready to attack as will Keara Ginell. There is a newcomer to the scene named Brynne Winiarski who may be ready to claim a top five spot. Speaking of top five, the Wildcats return all five state scorers. We should see another top 15 finish in Peoria in November.
