Winnebago was one of the teams chasing a top 10 finish last year at the state meet (Mike Woolery photo)
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We enter the next phase of the rankings, and the teams below have a strong case for challenging for the top 10 or even better.
Take a peek at the bevy of teams below and their forecast.
Head Coach: Bob Rennick
2023 Finish: State Championship- 19th place
Key Returners: Dusti Smith (So.), Cheyenh Smith (Jr.), Alexis Martinez (Sr.), Keagan Hamilton (Sr.), Paytin Terwilliger (Jr.), Sarah Kraklow (Sr.), Haylie Moodie (Jr.).
Key Newcomers: Darilis Knobloch (Fr.)
Analysis: A strong 2023 season for the Lady Rebels included a runner-up at the improving Lincoln Trail Conference and a 19th-place finish in Stark County's first qualification during Coach Rennick's nine-year tenure at the school. All seven state finishers return, led by 22nd placer Dusti Smith and two other sub-20 hopefuls, Cheyenh Smith and Alexis Martinez.
Stark County also returns all four runners from the all-state 4x800 relay quartet that finished 7th in 9:50 in the spring. A lot of improvement for Stark County rapidly in these two years means a little bit of learning on the fly for the Lady Rebels, but they are embracing higher goals than they have ever set before and doing so together. "God has blessed this team with so many talented runners and an amazing coach," says Cheyenh Smith. "Everyone is working hard and showing so much improvement. We always have so much fun throughout our whole season, and I think that really helps our performances." "We're not a team, we are a family," says Sarah Kraklow. "We run for each other, and that's all that matters."
Dusti Smith enters the season after a spring of focusing on the 400 and 800 meter runs but is fit to improve on her 22nd place from last year. "I feel so much stronger and more confident than last year, and our team is really strong as well," she says. "We have had a really great summer of training, and I can't wait to begin racing! The Lord has certainly blessed me with wonderful teammates and an amazing coach who are so dedicated."
"We have a very strong conference for distance runners and teams," says Rennick. "Four of the nine all-state 4x800 teams in 1A were Lincoln Trail Conference teams. In 2024, we hope to be competitive in the LTC Finals and earn a big to the State Finals. A great deal of focus will be handling increased expectations and building on last season's hard work."
19. Monticello
Head Coach: Benton Singleton
2023 Finish: Decatur (St. Teresa) Sectional- 10th place
Key Returners: Sylvia Miller (Sr.), Taylor Mabry (So.), Madison Morrow (So.), Olivia Gerdes (Jr.), Mylin Bruhn (Jr.), Charlotte Conatser (Sr.), Annie Robinson (So.)
Key Newcomers: Macie Owen (Fr.)
Analysis: In a year of transition with longtime coach David Remmert retiring, Monticello had an up-an-down ride before the season ended slightly earlier than planned at the St. Teresa Sectional, with the team finishing outside of the top six in 10th and top finisher Taylor Mabry just missing out on an individual state berth. Each individual had strong runs at different points in the season, but the Sages could not put it together in late October. In some ways, this may position Monticello well in 2024 since every runner from that team returns ready to learn from the 2023 season. Sylvia Miller is one of the most experienced members on this young team and led the pack to start 2023, and looks to finish 2024 strong.
Mabry took the lead runner mantle with conviction in the spring, running 5:36 and 2:29 during the track season. Significant improvement also came from her classmate Madison Morrow, the team's only sub-13 runner in the spring. The other returners include Olivia Gerdes, Mylin Bruhn, Charlotte Conatser, and Annie Robinson, and the Sages add individual IESA state qualifier Macie Owen to the mix.
18. Seneca
Head Coach: Kim Foster
2023 Finish: State Championship- 20th place
Key Returners: Evelyn O'Connor (Sr.), Natalie Misener (Sr.), Lily Mueller (Jr.), Julie Mueller (So.), Ruthie Steffes (Jr.), Aubrie Jackson (Sr.)
Key Newcomers: Lila Coleman (Jr.)
Analysis: The Irish return six of their seven runners from a 20th-place team in 2023, headed by Evelyn O'Connor, who has been the team's best runner for the duration of her career.
O'Connor was all-state her sophomore year (2022), but just missed out in 2023 finishing 27th. In the spring, she led the Irish to an all-state 4x800m relay showing in 9:50 before matching her 5:11 personal best to finish all-state in the 1600. All-state relays included returner Natalie Misener, who is set to be Seneca's #2 runner this fall. Lily Mueller, Julie Mueller, and Ruthie Steffes enter the season as the rest of the top five. With just one scorer from 2023 graduating, Seneca is set to improve upon 20th last year, especially with middle-distance all-stater Lila Coleman joining the team in her junior year. "I think we should have a similar season as last," says Kim Foster, who enters her 14th year as coach. "Our goal is to win the conference, regionally, and advance to state."
Head Coach: Jim Helton
2023 Finish: State Championship- 8th place
Key Returners: Elena Rybak (Sr.), Jane Cummins (Sr.), McKenzie Jones (So.), Ainsley Turkington (So.), Bella Redenius (So.), Isabella Harris (Sr.)
Analysis: Fr. McGivney put on one of the best shows at the Track state meet in May, taking their school's first state championship with a 56.5-point victory, scoring in seven different events and highlighted by four titles from Elena Rybak. Rybak had planted her flag in the 1600 in 1A as the two-time defending state champion. Rybak found a new level in 2024, defeating Isabella Keller of Effingham St. Anthony in several 1600m duels and putting away Ahry Comer and the 1A field in the 800 and two relays. Her 2:06.68 best is the third-best in Illinois history, and her 4:49.09 full Mile at the RunningLane Championships in late May equates to a top-15 four-lap performance in state history. Rybak did all this while competing for top sectional-seeded Fr. McGivney soccer.
More significantly, for the fall, Rybak exorcized major November demons by grabbing her first all-state medal in cross country in 2023, finishing 6th in 17:09. Rybak will face a challenge in sticking to top 1A returnees Isabella Keller and Mia Kotler. Still, her newfound footspeed from this spring makes her a significant x-factor athlete in 1A.
The Griffins only lost all-stater Kaitlyn Hatley to graduation, but that is a significant loss, and they will need some other athletes from the pack to step into new roles to absorb that blow. Fr. McGivney had similar question marks last year about rounding out a small pack, and rising sophomores McKenzie Jones, Ainsley Turkington, and Bella Redenius answered the bell, and all contributed to the Griffin top-10 state finish. They and sub-20 runner Jane Cummins comprise the key pack runners behind Rybak for Fr. McGivney's last year with the state champion. Cummins ran 5:26 in the spring and shows signs of a cross-country breakout. Isabella Harris provides some insurance and state meet experience as well.
16. Herscher
Head Coach: Rob Grosso
2023 Finish: State Championship- 10th place
Key Returners: Gianna High (So.), Kelly O'Connor (Jr.), Sophie Venckauskas (Jr.), Lilly Tucek (So.), Brandi Palmateer (Sr.), Fay Houberg (Jr.)
Key Newcomers: Brooke King (Fr.), Laylah Kent (Fr.), Maddie MacGilvray (Sr.)
Analysis: The Tigers ending their 2023 season with a top-10 finish at state was just what coach Rob Grosso hoped for his girls' squad. "[2023 was a ] very successful season. Took home team first places at Dwight, Herscher Invite, All Area, and Conference. The team had a terrific postseason run, placing 2nd to Chicago Christian at Regionals and Sectionals, culminating with a 10th Place finish at State."
Herscher had not qualified for state since 2019, so reaching the top 10 in 2023 was a major accomplishment. Just one scorer from last year (Gracie Kent) graduates, so Herscher enjoys a formidable top returning in Sophie Venckauskas, Kelly O'Connor, Lily Tucek, and last year's top state finisher, Gianna High. O'Connor had the best distance performance in the spring with a 5:46 1600m.
Through four runners, Herscher projects easily as a top-10 team in the state again but will look to others to step into the next varsity spots. Freshmen Laylah Kent and Brooke King may be the best shots to fill in, although newcomer Maddie MacGilvray joins returners Brandi Palmateer and state runner Fay Houberg as upperclass candidates. The goal this year for Herscher is to improve on that top 10, says Grosso. "Team is looking to have an even bigger year this season! Having a state race now under their legs, I think the girls have a great mix of youth, experience, confidence, and determination to make this season even more memorable. We are fortunate to be bringing in a lot of competition to fill the two Seniors we lost to take those spots in the top seven."
15. Winnebago
Head Coach: Janet & Joe Erb
2023 Finish: State Championship- 13th place
Key Returners: Morgan Capriola (Jr.), Ella Carlson (So.), Svea Glidden (So.), Audra Mecum (So.), Emma Woolery (Sr.), Hannah Roggensack (Jr.)
Key Newcomers: Molly Webb, Ashlynn Robinson, Avery Kaap, Kenzie Zimmerman, Linnea Lyons
Analysis: The 2023-24 year was a transition year for the Indians. "After the 2022 season, we graduated a lot of seniors that not only helped up at a high level, but in the leadership role as well," says coach Janet Erb. "In 2023, we had a very young, experienced team with a great senior leader (Reese Erdahl). Our goal was to make it to state and get some experience."
A 13th-place finish was a crucial experience for a very young group headed by Morgan Capriola, including three freshmen and six returners this season. Although Capriola, the last remaining runner from the 2023 4x8 state title team, is most at home in the middle distances in the spring, she is a strong all-state candidate for Winnebago to anchor their team.
Ella Carlson, Svea Glidden, and Audra Mecum gave depth in the sophomore class and looked to fill out Winnebago's roster of sub-20 minute runners. A trio of incoming freshmen with middle school state experience also quickly makes Winnebago once again a northern IL contender-Molly Webb, Ashlynn Robinson, and Avery Kaap all may be in the top 7 by October. Experienced fans of cross country in Illinois know never to count out Winnebago.
There are many reasons for coaches Joe and Janet Erb to be excited about where their dynastic group sits at the threshold of a new era. "The summer has been solid," says Janet. Erb. "There's been a transition from the previous teams over the past couple of years. This is a young team that's finding its groove. I'm really excited about this team. This is a group of talented, smart, hard-working young ladies. Most of them are freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, so we will have a couple of years together to build this team. We have several young runners, so any goal set now would just be us telling them what their goals should be. We will develop goals together. The one goal I can be sure of is that we will want to be at our best at the end of the season."
Head Coach: Jake Christiansen
2023 Finish: State Championship- 6th place
Key Returners: Kihra Moes (Jr.), Abby Mullin (So.), Mia Caporale (Jr.), Haley Van Til (Jr.), Anais Rivera (Jr.)
Key Newcomers: Katie Sitko, Abbey Kosloskus
Analysis: Chicago Christian has had one of the most notable rises to relevance at the 1A level over the last two years and is now a fixture in the top-10 discussion in cross country. A big reason for the team's success is all-stater and school record holder Grace Mullin, who departs for the Air Force Academy this season.
What remains of the Knights squad is a formidable group, including all four legs of the 4x800 team that made the finals, including Kihra Moes, Abby Mullin, Mia Caporale, and Anais Rivera. Moes was an individual qualifier in her own right and projects to be at the front of the CC pack, with Mullin close behind. Haley Van Til is the fifth runner to begin the season. Top ten would be another good goal for Christian, with the top five in the range, given some improvement from the pack. The Knights run in the small Chicago Christian Schools conference, where they have been the class of the conference for the last couple of years.
"Our core group has been training consistently during the summer and should take a step forward this year despite graduating our top two runners from State last year," says coach Jake Christiansen, entering his 12th season as head coach. "The ladies know they want to earn a State trophy (which would be a first for our cross-country program) and that we can do so. Our three overarching goals are to Glorify God, Support Our Teammates, and Strive for Excellence. If we focus on those three things, the rest of the season will fall into place."
Head Coach: Brendan Hoskins
2023 Finish: Elmwood Sectional- 9th Place
Key Returners: Emma Swartzendruber (Sr.), Amanda Gonzalez (Jr.), Kamryn Rader (So.), Amelia Kistner (Sr.), Kaylie Dare (Sr.), Sidney Beavers (Sr.)
Key Newcomers: Mira Kistner (Fr.)
Analysis: The Spartans were a small but strong group in 2023, rostering just six runners but remaining competitive throughout the season, ending with a ninth-place finish at Elmwood. All six runners return, led by state qualifier Emma Swartzendruber. She will be joined at the front of the pack by 2022's lead runner Amelia Kistner, who returned to form in track after a tough 2023 cross country season. Those two both ran under 5:40 in the middle this season, and Amanda Gonzalez and Kaylie Dare add sub-6:00 performances. Olympia had one of the deepest distance groups of returning 1A teams, giving them momentum entering this fall. They also get a boost from Mira Kistner, an individual state qualifier to the IESA state meet in 2023. Despite their lack of qualification in 2023, they are poised for a lot of improvement and in position to make it to state in 2024.
12. Delavan
Head Coach: Clint & Suzanne LaFary
2023 Finish: Elmwood Sectional- 7th place
Key Returners: Annabelle LaFary (Jr.), Alaina Karker (Jr.), Khloe Stockham (So.), Drew Robison (Jr.), Olivia Nehmelman (So.), Kylin Brockhouse (So.)
Key Newcomers: Elyse Brinkmeyer (Fr.)
Analysis: The Panthers were one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 season. "Overall, we had a good rebuilding season," says Clint LaFary. "After only having one girl on the team in 2021 and not fielding a full team in 2022." Our season previews neglected to mention Delavan, which ended up being an egregious omission as Delavan climbed as high as fifth in the state throughout season rankings. However, that journey had a heart-wrenching end at the Elmwood sectional, traditionally a grinder sectional, where Delavan missed qualifying for state by only a single point.
Delavan did get two athletes to state, including Annabelle LaFary, who returns as the team's strongest runner. She will bid for all-state in 2024 and is followed by Alaina Karker and Khloe Stockham, both 20:10 or better runners. The rest of the returning roster is Drew Robison, Olivia Nehmelman, and Kylin Brockhouse, but they also add Elyse Brinkmeyer from Delavan Junior High.
Delavan still has the same gauntlet to pass through to get to state in 2024, but the team is now equipped with an additional year of experience and will be battle-tested after a strong schedule that includes Springfield, Elmwood, and Patriot Invites late in the season. "Two of our top 7 will be splitting their time with volleyball and cross county, so this will be a very different group than last year," says LaFary. "Our top 7 put in a very solid summer and are all healthy and motivated heading into the season. We dropped two early season invites this season in hopes of being more focussed at the end of the season." Annabelle LaFary describes the motivation last year's near-miss has for the team: "Our girls put in the work this summer and have come together as a team. Missing State as a team by one point last year has been on our minds, and we don't want it to happen again."
11. Shelbyville
Head Coach: Levi Pruemer
2023 Finish: State Championship- 7th place
Key Returners: Tessa Bowers (Jr.), Lily Woolery (Sr.), Aly Douglass (Sr.), Sara Tynan (Jr.), Katie Nohren (Sr.), Greta Duke (Sr.)
Key Newcomers: Kinley Hardy (Fr.)
Analysis: After finishing outside the top 20 at state in 2022, the Rams ran well enough all season to remain firmly in the trophy conversation before finishing seventh at the state meet behind a blazing fifth-place finish from Tessa Bowers.
Bowers focused on shorter distance events in the spring, running 5:04 and some strong 800s along with teammates and middle-distance specialist Lily Woolery, who finished fourth in 2:14.6 in a deep 1A 800. Along with returnee Aly Douglass and graduated senior Anna Tynan, Shelbyville was Fr. McGivney's closest competition in the 4x800, finishing second in 9:39. Those three will be the Rams' front pack and have good reinforcements in Katie Nohren, Greta Duke, and Sara Tynan who all have varsity experience and ran solid springs.
Moulton ES is the primary feeder for Shelbyville, and their strong girls' cross country team finished fourth in the 2A IESA state meet. Kinley Hardy is the lone graduate joining the 2024 Shelbyville attack. With perennial low sticks from the front three, especially Bowers, Shelbyville is just a slight improvement from the second pack away from entering the thick of the trophy conversation.