Cross Country is an intense sport as the 2A classification of last year's First To The Finish Invitational shows
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We kick off the 2A girls rankings with the unranked and 25 to 21 portion of the program.
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Head Coach: Chris Bailey and Rylan Hlinak
Last Year's Finish: Woodstock Sectional- 12th place
Key Newcomers: Lelaina Mateja (Fr.), Ellie Nampel (Sr.)
Analysis: Although the 'Unranked' portion of these rankings is given alphabetically, Antioch may be the first team on that list to be in the top 25 after some solid early-season performances.
Antioch returns five of its top seven from a 12th-place team at Woodstock, but most importantly, it returns all three of its top three. What a solid top three it is: Rosie Gonzalez and Piper Ipsen both qualified for the state meet in 2023 and then proceeded to post stellar springs, with Gonzalez running 11:18 and 5:14 and staying undefeated throughout both conference seasons. Ipsen runs 5:21.
Angela Ortiz was the Sequoits' third sub-20:00 runner in 2023, and her returns improved in the spring. The returners are a senior-heavy group. Abby Sooley, Ellie Nampel, and Annalise Lowrance begin the year by backing up the first three as Antioch returns to the state after one year off.
Lelaina Mateja also enters as a freshman with the potential to slide into that varsity group. "Our returning group of girls are very excited to start the 2024 season and have worked hard all summer to have a great season," says coach Chris Bailey, in his 16th year as head coach. "One of our team goals is to be more consistent and focus on understanding our roles on the team. Competing as a team and understanding that we want to be at our best during the state series will be key."
Head Coach: Vic Mead
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 15th place
Analysis: Rosary loses just a couple of seniors from a top-15 team in the state as the Royals enter their second year of being multiplied up into 2A due to the third-place trophy they won in 1A in 2022. Chiara Surtz traded top-of-the-order duties with Vivian Wyller and Olivia Kunio in 2023. Still, with both of those two graduated, Surtz is the clear #1 for Rosary, with Ellie Gengler, Caroline Goettsch, and Kayla Garcia adding state meet experience.
Natalie Goettsch and Ali Palmer will likely slide into the varsity lineup instead of any new runners. Rosary will be active early and often in the season, running as many as three meets in the opening two weeks, including the state's first meet of the year, Yorkville's Kailey Fox Invitational. We will know more about Rosary at that point.
Head Coach: Vince Neil
Last Year's Finish: Woodstock Sectional- 14th place
Key Newcomers: Sophia Arnold (Fr.)
Analysis: Burlington Central's program just completed its first year at the 3A level during the track and field season after being in 2A. "In track we had a major transition," says coach Vince Neil, Burlington Central coach for 22 years. "We were competitive in track season but failed to have any qualifiers. This next track season will have a different feel for the team as we move out of the transitional period. In cross country, we have added some new freshman girls and some newcomers that will directly impact our program. This will also have major impacts on our track season as well."
The team will be led by Abigail Burke and Teagan Cathcart, with all the other available varsity spots open for grabs. Burke was the only qualifier to the state meet for the Rockets last year, running a personal best of 18:14 and finishing 37th. "She is set to compete for another spot in the state meet this year, too, but hopes to bring her team down, as it has been a bit of a qualification drought," says coach Neil. Ivy Didomenico, Emalyn Davis, Izzy Gutierrez, and Aayna Vyas are the top returners on a team that returns all their varsity scorers but is looking for some newcomers, including Sophia Arnold, to make an impact for Central in 2024.
Head Coach: Aaron Skopec
Last Year's Finish: Geneseo Sectional- 8th place
Key Newcomers: Evelyn DeBaene (Fr.)
Analysis: The Maple Leafs hosted the mid-Illinois sectional in 2023 and barely missed qualifying for the state meet for the first time since 2009, finishing eighth and missing the last qualifying spot by thirteen points.
Geneseo graduated almost half of their top seven but retained their top two returners in Lucille Wachtel and Brooklyn Smith, the latter of whom finished 56th at the state meet and nearly matched her three-mile PR with an 18:32 showing at Detweiller at Dark in July. "Our team looks to be as strong as we were last year," says coach Aaron Skopec. "We lost a few varsity runners, but we return five of our top seven."
"Brooklyn had a big summer of training and should be out front in many of our meets. I think we can be competitive for a conference title this season and should be competitive in our regional and sectional. Our goal is to keep progressing and get a team qualifier to the state meet. I think Brooklyn will be one of the top runners in our conference and sectional. Our team is relatively young, so we will work on smart racing this season and run through the tough spots in races."
Head Coach: Steve Clegg
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 11th place
Analysis: Lake Forest grabbed the final qualifying spot out of the loaded Woodstock Sectional last year and took advantage of the opportunity by finishing 11th at the state meet, beating two of the teams that were ahead of them at the sectional meet.
However, Lake Forest had a heavy turnover with a great 2024 class graduating, so it will be a new look for the Scouts with a tough road to return to the state meet. Shalini Krishnaswamy is the top returner by three-mile performance, but Pilar Rosales really broke out in her sophomore season of track, running 5:21 and 11:21 throughout the spring, so she is likely set to lead Lake Forest this year.
Head Coach: Kelly Fox
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 5th place
Key Newcomers: Ruby Baker (Fr.), Sandra Munoz (Fr.), Elena Coon (Fr.)
Analysis: Mt. Zion was a trophy contender in 2023, finishing fifth after a very competitive few years. However, a ton of talent graduated in 2024, with Avery Sommer as the only returning top-5 runner from that state team, so it will be a much different-looking Braves group in 2024.
Abigail Grunden and Maddy Spangler are the returners in the best spot to fill in the open spots in the pack, but it may be a few freshmen from the 6th place Mt. Zion Middle School team who make an impact for the high school Braves. Ruby Baker, Sandra Munoz, and Elena Coon are all runners to watch making the jump this year.
Head Coach: Elizabeth Vick
Last Year's Finish: Maple Park (Kaneland) Regional- 7th place
Analysis: Sandwich had a bit of a transition year in 2023 as they moved up to 2A from 1A and joined the Kishwaukee River Conference. Sandwich was 2nd to Woodstock at the KRC championship meet but only qualified Sunny Weber and Emily Urbanski to the sectional and only Weber to the state final, where she placed third in a swift 16:40. However, with everyone on the team returning from last year, a full year in 2A under their belt, and already team progress shown as evidenced by a good showing at Detweiller at Dark (top-15 out of 45 as a team), Elizabeth Vick projects good things for this group in her first year as head coach.
"We are incredibly confident in the group of girls we have this year," says Vick. "The summer training has proven to be successful. We have significant buy-in from the team, with nearly everyone showing up daily, working hard, pushing each other, and having fun. We couldn't possibly ask for anything more from this group at this point in the pre-season. Our top 7-8 girls are a strong group hungry to improve. After placing as an individual at state for the past two years, Sunny Weber will be fighting for a state title. Overall, we're expecting significant improvement across our entire roster."
Head Coach: Megan Grady
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 24th place
Key Newcomers: Lillian Hauck (Fr.), Kaelin Morris (Fr.), Laura Shumard (Fr.), Eleanor Redfield (Fr.)
Analysis: In coach Megan Grady's third year at Sterling, the Golden Warriors made major strides forward as a team on the Girls' side. "We ended our 2023 cross country season at the state meet," she says. "It was the first time since 2003 since Sterling had a girls team qualify, which was very exciting! The team had set a goal of making it to state at the beginning of the year, and I was proud of how determined they were all season to make that goal a reality."
Following up on that performance, culminating in a 24th place performance, will be challenging, with new faces stepping up to play. "We lost a few of our top seven but have a large freshman class coming in that will help us," says Grady. Of the returners, it's Delia Block, Laney Zuithoff, and Jaz'Mya Castaneda who return the experience of making it over the state qualifying hump. Some of the freshmen from that large class include Lilian Hauck, Kaelin Morris, and Laura Shumard.
Geneseo coach Aaron Skopec on Sterling: "Within our conference, Sterling is always a competitive and well-coached team. We matched up well with them last year, and I expect many of our runners to compete at the same level as them again this year."
Head Coach: Jama Grotelueschen
Last Year's Finish: Jacksonville Sectional- 8th place
Key Newcomers: Emily Anand (Jr.), Cecily Smith (Fr.), Finley Smith (Fr.), Kennedy Ashby (Fr.)
Analysis: The Bulldogs finished one spot out of qualifying for the state meet and hope to return, but they have some roster turnover to overcome in 2024. "We came up just short of qualifying for the XC state meet as a team in 2023," says head coach Jama Grotelueschen, in her fifth year of coaching the girls. "We have lost a few key runners; one to graduation, and a couple of others decided to pursue other sports."
The only returning state qualifier is Taylor Mills, 64th place finisher in her freshman year. The #2 runner will be Chloe Bundren, strongest in the 800 meters but an important three-miler for the Bulldogs. After these two, a mix of senior leadership and green freshmen legs will fill the rest of the varsity roster. Mahomet-Seymour gets a trio of state contributors for the Mahomet-Seymour Middle School team that finished 6th in the 4A state meet in Kennedy Ashby and Cecily and Finley Smith.
A strong southern sectional will make returning to Detweiller difficult, but that hasn't deterred the Bulldogs from developing as necessary and shooting for that goal. "The girls showed so much growth during the [2023] season," says Grotelueschen. "Many had a successful track season with our 4x800 qualifying for state. This year, we have a great team vibe and are adding several new runners. It should be an exciting year. If we work together like we can, this team could surprise people by the end of the season."
Head Coach: Jennifer Kirk
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 22nd place
Key Newcomers: Emery Spicer (Fr.)
Analysis: The Flaming Hearts of Effingham was an emergent team in the 2023 season, ending 2022 outside the rankings but crawling into the top 20 throughout 2023 and eventually reaching state for the first time in school history. "Last year was a great season, especially for our girl's team," says head coach Jennifer Kirk, in her 11th year at the helm of Boys' and Girls' programs.
"Many of the same girls also competed at the state track meet. We didn't finish as high as we had hoped for each team at conference but look forward to [shooting for a win this season]." A huge reason for this success was the returning 1-2 punch of Jessica Larsen and Baylee Summers, who led the team throughout the year and both finished in the top 85 and under 19:00 for Effingham. Drew Weis had a strong end to her freshman year and entered as the #3 runner. With some graduations, there will be turnover after these three, but Effingham looks to returners Haddie Hill and Morgan Springer as the main senior leaders to plug those gaps.
A new runner who will make a big impact for Effingham is freshman Emery Spicer. Spicer was eighth at the 3A IESA state meet in 2023 and had a successful spring that included a 5:43 1600m mark in early May and a 2:24 PR in the 800 at the IESA state meet. She is likely to find her way into the top five for Effingham before too long while also playing volleyball for Effingham.
The goal is clear for the Flaming Hearts, says Kirk. "We hope to make it back to the state XC meet for the girl's team this year and, hopefully, a couple of boys to advance as well. We will be working on team leadership and [camaraderie] and working hard to accomplish our team goals."
Head Coach: Joe Blumberg
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 28th place
Key Newcomers: Ava Conley (Jr), Addi Olson (So.), Caitlyn Gile (Jr.)
Analysis: Morris girls continued a streak of qualifying for the state meet each year since COVID-19 but struggled with injuries throughout the year and had to fight to make it work to conclude the 2023 season. "We ended the season with only eight girls on our roster due to injuries and only five healthy bodies for the state finals," says coach Joe Blumberg in his sixteenth year at Morris (Blumberg also coaches Boys' basketball). "Our girls worked really hard to recruit from other athletes in the hallways, and we have doubled our numbers going into the 2024 season. We also learned through adversity the importance of listening to our bodies and being more honest about pain."
Morris returns all of their key runners from last year to extend their state qualifying streak to four and achieve the other 'lofty' goals the girls have set forth. Former all-stater Makensi Martin returns with twin sister and fellow soccer player Danica Martin as two sub-19:00 runners who led Morris throughout this run. They have a formidable pack supporting them from behind, including Leah Ortiz and talented all-around track athlete Aubrey Lines (who did not run for most of the fall season). Ortiz, in particular, is well-positioned to step into a crucial top three or better spot for Morris, as evidenced by her 19:49 Detweiller at Dark run that matched her all-time best three-mile mark. Paityn Valentine, Hope Emmerich, and Zara Lugo added veteran depth for Morris and helped cross country recruit some crucial new members, including tennis player Ava Conley, a member of the state-qualifying 4x200 in the spring.
"As a team, we have set some goals that some people would say are lofty," says senior Makensi Martin. "We believe [these goals] are possible as we have everyone returning from last year's conference title [team] and believe that is in our reach again. "We hope to do whatever it takes to stay healthy and run for each other," says Paityn Valentine. "Along the way, we hope to bring home some hardware, including conference champs, regional champs, top three in sectionals, and top ten at state." A deep team, combined with a close team, says the girls, is the recipe for success for Morris in 2024. "Over these past few years, we've taken the time to build strong bonds," says Leah Ortiz. "We trust each other and have fun together, so running hard with them in mind is like clockwork - it just happens. Us girls spend so much time together during runs, stretches, races, and other team bonding activities, and there is never a dull moment."
Head Coach: Travis Shepherd
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 7th place
Key Newcomers: Kylie Smith (Fr.), Timyra Caces (Fr.)
Analysis: The Eagles are a mainstay at the 2A state meet representing the NLCC and have finished runner-up as a team twice in the last five years. To return to the state meet, however, they must overcome the graduation of two all-state runners for the second consecutive year (Paige Caruth and Madison Twarling). Stepping up was then-junior Brianna Gara, who had a major breakout in finishing 13th at the state meet, leading Lakes to a top-ten finish.
"Overall, the coaching staff was really proud of the 2023 season," says head coach Travis Shepherd, coaching alongside Christine Zucker in his 11th year. "The girls overcame adversity, grew as a group, and gave everything they had each time they raced."
Gara returns shooting for a top-10 placing in a very top-heavy classification. Hannah Salbilla and Kate Catalano should join her in the top seven, who both stepped up during their freshman seasons to fill in some crucial spots for Lakes in 2023. Lauren Rymer and Diksha Guganathan return varsity experience and leadership, and they lead a young team that is boosted by IESA state qualifiers Kylie Smith and Timyra Caces.
"For 2024, this team will be in the mix to qualify for the state finals," says Shepherd. "We feel really good about their ability to gel as a team, grow as athletes, & put it together when it matters most. At our best, we can challenge for NLCC & Regional titles. We're obviously a long way from that, but the potential is there. Bri Gara is a returning All-State athlete and will be someone to watch all year. Behind her, we'll have a really strong pack with 4-5 girls capable of scoring for us. We will be working all season on running together and reducing the split on our 1-5."
Head Coach: Laura Koterba-Buss
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 14th place
Analysis: The Chargers were one of the most improved teams in the classification in 2023, mainly due to the strong freshman class comprising most of their scoring top five. Brenna Hooper and Lauren Kleber ran their best race of the year at state, just behind Farah Scott, who co-led the team with graduated senior Brooklyn Sweikar in the top 50.
Scott's strong freshman year continued with a 1600-heavy spring, highlighted by two 5:17 or better performances and a state qualification in 3A. With Molly Pate running 19:50 for 148th, Centennial got five runners under 20:00 and finished 14th at the 2A state meet. Losing Sweiker is a significant loss for Centennial, but there is no reason not to think the Chargers can improve again with this cohort of runners no more experienced than they were for their top-15 finish. Kaylee Seikar returns as the fifth runner, having competed at state last year, and Avery Benson also joins that pack.
Centennial's freshman class could be a group to watch with many competitive runners in the Champaign public middle school system and several state runners from private schools in Champaign.
Cross Country is an intense sport as the 2A classification of last year's First To The Finish Invitational shows
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We kick off the 2A girls rankings with the unranked and 25 to 21 portion of the program.
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Head Coach: Chris Bailey and Rylan Hlinak
Last Year's Finish: Woodstock Sectional- 12th place
Key Newcomers: Lelaina Mateja (Fr.), Ellie Nampel (Sr.)
Analysis: Although the 'Unranked' portion of these rankings is given alphabetically, Antioch may be the first team on that list to be in the top 25 after some solid early-season performances.
Antioch returns five of its top seven from a 12th-place team at Woodstock, but most importantly, it returns all three of its top three. What a solid top three it is: Rosie Gonzalez and Piper Ipsen both qualified for the state meet in 2023 and then proceeded to post stellar springs, with Gonzalez running 11:18 and 5:14 and staying undefeated throughout both conference seasons. Ipsen runs 5:21.
Angela Ortiz was the Sequoits' third sub-20:00 runner in 2023, and her returns improved in the spring. The returners are a senior-heavy group. Abby Sooley, Ellie Nampel, and Annalise Lowrance begin the year by backing up the first three as Antioch returns to the state after one year off.
Lelaina Mateja also enters as a freshman with the potential to slide into that varsity group. "Our returning group of girls are very excited to start the 2024 season and have worked hard all summer to have a great season," says coach Chris Bailey, in his 16th year as head coach. "One of our team goals is to be more consistent and focus on understanding our roles on the team. Competing as a team and understanding that we want to be at our best during the state series will be key."
Head Coach: Vic Mead
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 15th place
Analysis: Rosary loses just a couple of seniors from a top-15 team in the state as the Royals enter their second year of being multiplied up into 2A due to the third-place trophy they won in 1A in 2022. Chiara Surtz traded top-of-the-order duties with Vivian Wyller and Olivia Kunio in 2023. Still, with both of those two graduated, Surtz is the clear #1 for Rosary, with Ellie Gengler, Caroline Goettsch, and Kayla Garcia adding state meet experience.
Natalie Goettsch and Ali Palmer will likely slide into the varsity lineup instead of any new runners. Rosary will be active early and often in the season, running as many as three meets in the opening two weeks, including the state's first meet of the year, Yorkville's Kailey Fox Invitational. We will know more about Rosary at that point.
Head Coach: Vince Neil
Last Year's Finish: Woodstock Sectional- 14th place
Key Newcomers: Sophia Arnold (Fr.)
Analysis: Burlington Central's program just completed its first year at the 3A level during the track and field season after being in 2A. "In track we had a major transition," says coach Vince Neil, Burlington Central coach for 22 years. "We were competitive in track season but failed to have any qualifiers. This next track season will have a different feel for the team as we move out of the transitional period. In cross country, we have added some new freshman girls and some newcomers that will directly impact our program. This will also have major impacts on our track season as well."
Cross Country is an intense sport as the 2A classification of last year's First To The Finish Invitational shows