Last year's 1A final was expressed the deluxe highlight reel in which Tolono (Unity)
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We have reached the apex of the Class A girl's preseason cross-country previews. Enjoy the countdown to the numero uno team!
Head Coach: Tyler Casson
2023 Finish: State Championship- 9th Place
Newcomer: Brooklyn Turley (Fr.)
Analysis: The Bullets joined three-time all-stater Louisa Wilson one year after missing 2022 for one of their best team performances, finishing in the top 10. It was the first year that Wilson did not finish third (she was 18th), but it was the first year that sister Joelle added a jolt to the pack. Both Wilsons were individual qualifiers in track (800 for Joelle, 1600, and 3200 for Louisa) and will lead Williamsville in fall 2024.
The rest of the Bullets' top six from the state all return: sophomores Alaina Woolsey, Kaylea Hollinshead, Ella Knoles, and 19:00 senior Hannah Nation. Nation was Williamsville's third sub-6:00 runner in the spring. The last top-7 spot will likely be filled by incoming freshman Brooklyn Turley, who ran 13 minutes for two miles in the fall for Williamsville Junior High and also provided some impressive 400 (1:08.4) and long jump (15-1) marks. A highlight of the 2023 season was a battle against Pleasant Plains at the Sangamo Conference meet, where Williamsville came out on top by just four points.
9. Elmwood
Head Coach: Kyle Anderson
Last Year's Finish: 8th at 1A Elmwood Sectional
Analysis: Although Elmwood loses last year's top runner Addie Symonds to graduation, the Trojans look like one of the strongest teams in the classification not to have made the state meet last year, finishing 8th and about 60 points out of qualifying in the gauntlet sectional they host annually (Farmington will host this sectional in lieu of Elmwood for the first time in nearly 30 years in 2024). Despite only returning six girls on the roster from 2023, all since have run 22:00 or faster and Elmwood may have four under 20:00 by October. Olivia Stage had the best three mile performance of returners, running 19:19 at the Patriot Invitational. But it was incoming sophomore Taylor Forney who was the distance star for Elmwood in the spring, running 5:38 and also providing Elmwood's only sub-2:30 800 split at the state 4x800. Returners Natalie Babcock and Addy Turner also participated on that relay and have 20:00 in mind for this season. Abby Dawson and Brooke McGinn round out the Elmwood returners. The team should get some new runners, including Jade Conlee who competed for the Elmwood Junior High team that qualified for IESA state.
Head Coach: Tom Hillier
2023 Finish: State Championship- 5th place
Analysis: The 2023 season was a success for a small Blue Bullets team, highlighted by a convincing Lincoln Trail Conference win and a top five finish at the state meet. A young front pack of Emily King, Alyssa Higgins, and Emmalyn Hensley was a big reason for their success, with all three finishing in the top 100 at the state and Higgins finishing in the first spot outside of all-state. That position plagued Higgins again in track as she finished tenth in the 3200 (also first spot out of all-state), but medals were awarded to King and Hensley for the 10:01 ninth-place effort in the 4x800.
These three return for Knoxville, but the team's prospects are murkier. Only Makayla Lewis returns, and in addition to those three, they are not yet making a full roster. Lewis will contribute as a state-qualifying caliber fifth runner, but Knoxville will need some help elsewhere to round out the group and have a shot at replicating the top-five mark from last season.
Head Coach: Rob Havens
2023 Finish: State Championship- 11th place
Key Newcomers: Madalyn Hegele (Fr.)
Analysis: The Cardinals aim for their third straight appearance at state and return almost the entire top seven to supplant the 2022 squad's eighth-place finish, a school best. "The team was somewhat disappointed with their performance at Detweiller last season; health, injury, and other considerations contributed to their placement at that meet," says head coach Rob Havens. "They are poised to bounce back this season, with six of the top seven runners returning." Abigail Wolters and Caroline Willenborg were consistently the top performers, with Wolters being the centerpiece of an impressive all-state 4x800 in the spring. At the same time, Willenborg is similarly crucial for the Plains soccer team. Alaina Hawker, Teagan Galloway, Ali Van Veldhuizen, and Joanna Harvey are all sub-20 three milers and give Plains depth that few others in the classification have. That pack is supplemented by Jazmyn Albers (Jr.) and incoming freshman Madalyn Hegele.
"The team will focus on packing up at meets for as long as they can hold it and run with each other," says Havens as he forecasts the process in 2024 for the Cardinals. "Given we have four to five runners capable of sub 19:00 (with three or more capable of mid-18s), this positions us for some strong finishes, providing we stay healthy. This philosophy and race tactic could put five of our top seven in solid positions at Detweiller. Again, it's a long season, steady progression/improvement, and remaining healthy is crucial. This group is a competitive bunch, and I've no doubt they'll push each other again this season."
Head Coach: Michael Melick
2023 Finish: State Championship- 12th place
Key Newcomers: Verity Nowark (Fr.), Avery Glacinski (Fr.), Adalyn Solomonson (Fr.), Sydney Davis (Fr.), Addison Smith (Fr.)
Analysis: The Titans are a perennial contender, and this year will be no different. They will have a much different-looking roster earlier than expected.
Top runner Nellie Melick will rehab an injury sustained in the spring and is unlikely to compete during the fall season. This leaves Caroline Wettstein and Sophie Hinthorne to lead the share for El Paso-Gridley. Both are formidable front runners, particularly Wettstein, who broke out in a big way at state, finishing in 18:28 for 32nd and then running 5:32 in the spring. Although Myli Erhardt did not compete at state, she returns in the mix along with young runners Mya Griffin and Elly Huette. Those five alone are a strong enough group to make it to Detweiller, but they will enjoy the reinforcements from a robust El Paso-Gridley Middle School Team.
Five state runners graduate eighth grade and join the high school team, with none more substantial than Verity Nowark, who finished 5th at the 2A meet at 12:16. Nowark can be a top three runner for EPG during the season. Any of Avery Glacinski, Adalyn Solomonson, and Sydney Davis can also make a varsity impact for El Paso-Gridley. Such a young team means the Titans have a wide variance of possible outcomes, but a talented roster in a proven program means the sky is the limit for this group.
Head Coach: Olivia Morris
2023 Finish: State Championship- 4th place
Analysis: After running away with the Heart of Illinois Conference and Amboy Invite titles, a deep Eureka Hornets team was only seven points off the podium at the state meet.
It was a circuitous route with some of their top 2022 returners in and out of the lineup due to injury, but the consistency at the top of the roster the Hornets got from Meika Bender was a needed boost throughout the season. Her 20th-place all-state finish capped a season in which she won five races, including the HOI Conference meet, the Amboy Columbus Day invite, and the Elmwood Sectional.
Two years of heavy graduation meant Eureka needed some fresh legs, and the rising sophomore class provided that depth, led by Bre Lehman, who ran 18:35 twice. Lehman's focus in the spring was sprints, relays, and the pole vault, where she was a state qualifier (she also qualified in the 300m hurdles). Will she be in the same cross country form as 2023? The other sophomores bolstering Eureka's trophy chase will be Sierra Herrmann, Ava Otto, and Molly Gerber. Reagan Gerber is a junior and projects to slot in as Eureka's #3 as she did last year. Can Eureka duplicate their in-season success from last year?
Head Coach: Dan Daly
2023 Finish: State Championship- 16th place
Key Newcomers: Francesca Mora (Fr.), Vivian Sidrys (Fr.), Claire Horwitz (Fr.), Cecily Daly (Fr.)
Analysis: The Romans enter the 2024 Fall with a real chance to make major noise in the trophy picture. Last year, it showed there is plenty for Latin to build on, says head coach Dan Daly. "The Girls' 2023 season went very well," he says. "We are a small team, and everyone stayed healthy. The girls advanced to state and finished 16th, and both Kotler and Anderson finished all-state."
Kotler was the closest of any athlete all season to Isabella Keller with a fascinating duel, close for over two and a half miles at the state meet. Anderson's first all-state appearance was equally satisfying, and this means both girls are aligned for major low points for Latin, as the team is often accustomed to.
The jump for Latin comes from a small batch of newcomers, headlined by Francesca Mora (Fr.) from the British School. Although her school did not compete in the IESA postseason, Mora still owned the state's fastest 1600 for eighth graders through the fall with a 5:11 mark. She will likely enter high school with a training partner in Anderson, who will help bring her toward an all-state appearance.
The key for Latin has always been to round out a full top five, though, and they will look to Ruby Larson and Vivian Sidrys as two of the best candidates, with Julia Steffen (Jr.), Claire Horwitz, Cecily Daly, and Lyla Granich also in the varsity mix. "We are very excited for the 2024 season," says Daly. "The team believes it can win Conference, Regionals, Sectionals and be a top team at the state meet." A fall trophy has eluded Latin since 2018, but that streak may end in 2024.
Head Coach: Dan Gray
2023 Finish: State Championship- 3rd place
Key Newcomers: Audrey Shane (Fr.), Mackenzie James (Fr.)
Analysis: For the first time, Peoria Notre Dame ran down in 1A, and the Lady Irish took full advantage by bringing home the third-place trophy. Despite having no runners in the top 40 at state, Notre Dame ushered all seven underclass runners within a minute of the top finishing Meghan Zopel (44th).
With almost the entire lineup returning, the prospects for this year are just as strong as Notre Dame enters in the thick of the trophy conversation. Meghan Zopel, who splits time between running and basketball, delivered an eye-opening spring-breaking 5:20 in 1600 twice and early solid season 3200s. She is their best all-state hope, but Sarah Couri and fellow basketball player Julia Mingus have good podium chances, too.
Notre Dame's best strength is its depth, but since its closest competitors enjoy that strength and top-end star power, a couple of all-staters will be necessary to improve their third-place position. "With six returning runners from our state top-7 in 2023, if we are all healthy, we would like to trophy again," says coach Dan Gray. "We would like to strive for some all-state runners as well. We will have our work cut out for us to achieve this." Notre Dame's enrollment will be multiplied in 2025 and will likely depart the 1A classification after this season.
Head Coach: Kara Leaman
2023 Finish: State Champions
Analysis: The Rockets are officially a dynasty by any measure, winning their third title in a row last season and the fifth state title for Kara Leaman's group since the 2015 state meet. Another victory this season would make Unity the first four-peter since Naperville North won 3A from 2016 to 2019. However, there are two challenges Unity will have to overcome this season. The first is heavy turnover, losing a solid senior class that included perennial varsity runners Olivia Shike, Reagan Stringer, and longtime team leader Erica Woodard. The other is the staunch competition highlighted by Anna-Jonesboro, which includes a bevy of other challengers, including high-ceiling Latin and deep Peoria Notre Dame.
The Rockets answer their challenges with as strong a top four as any have in the state. All-staters Mackenzie Pound and Emily Decker lead the way, both in position to run for top-15 positions in November. Pound overcame an injury during the year before running a big 17:36 personal best at state to finish 10th.
Decker was 30th in the state meet but came on in the track season running 5:20 and 11:27, the best on the team. Ashlyn Denny and Camryn Reedy also return with state meet experience and are already sub-19 minute three milers. However, four good returners mean Unity is left with the age-old cross-country question: who will be the fifth runner? Three returners are tasked with sliding into the role, including Grace Wherly and Molly Baxley. Perhaps Josie Cler is best positioned for that spot after running 5:48 in the spring to mix it up with the front four. Unity has a strong pipeline from their middle school and will see an influx of talent in 2025, but for the coming season, the high school girls will have to rally on their own to defend that coveted state title from the challengers.
