Check out the girls state championship teaser highlight from historic Detweiller Park in Peoria
----------------------
We chronicle emerging and next-up programs that envision making serious noise this fall.
Head Coach: Joe Wejman
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 13th place
Analysis: The 2023 season was a golden year of overlap between really strong classes of 2024 and 2027 for the Roadrunners. This kind of mix required some growth for the team throughout the season. "Last year was a solid season. We always felt that our talent was stronger than our output, but it never seemed to click until the postseason," says coach Joe Wejman in his 17th season. "Sectionals was a strong showing, and we took 4th in a competitive field and then followed that up with a 13th place finish at state, surpassing my expected finish for our team." Last season represented Nazareth's fifth consecutive state qualification.
Much of Nazareth's strength hinged on the frontrunning provided by freshmen Sophia Towne and Allie O'Halloran (IHSA basketball fans may recognize Towne's name from Nazareth's state championship game basketball run-Towne provided pinpoint perimeter shooting). Towne and O'Halloran jumped into the most crucial positions on the team for Nazareth right at the start of the season to fill Collette Kinsella's shoes (class of 2023, runs for Vanderbilt). Most of the varsity positions behind them were filled by then-seniors and fellow freshmen such as Julia Parkes and Ashley Kenna. Those four all ran at state, in addition to Sarah Owen, so there are all of Nazareth's projected top-5 to begin the year returns state experience.
Captain Sarah Owen credits the team's coherence to their prospects this year as a ranked team trying to return to Detweiller: "The thing I enjoy best about the team is our ability to feed off of each other's energy and emotion. On runs together, or during workouts, the determination and positivity of one person unites us so much, getting us through any hard time. We always know we're not alone."
"We lost some good runners/leaders to graduation, but I think that our team depth will be on par with last season," says Wejman. "I think we are capable of making it back to Peoria, but will withhold specific aims until the assignments get shared. The biggest obstacle we are going to have is consistency, our depth will hopefully carry us through the slog of the season, but I expect that finding the best seven to rely on in October is going to be a moving target early on."
Head Coach: Jim Halford
Last Year's Finish: Woodstock Sectional- 11th place
Key Newcomers: Maya Markley (Fr.)
Analysis: Carmel finished high in the competitive Woodstock Sectional, missing state as a team but getting two juniors down to the state meet. Izzy Bing has been Carmel's best runner throughout her career and added her second all-state medal to her cabinet with a 19th-place finish in 17:50 last year following an aggressive start to that race. She brought Norah Belmonte with her, who finished 18:31 in 59th, a good accomplishment for these two runners in Coach Jim Halford's 40th year coaching at Carmel Catholic. "Through the top 4 [at sectionals], we were in the hunt, but our fifth was too far back," he reflects. "We had a great track season, placing high in every meet. We qualified all four relays and four individuals [to the state track meet], with the girls choosing to give up team points and qualify as many as possible."
Belmonte and Bing, who showed her current form with an 18:09 run at Detweiller at Dark, will be ready to lead the Corsairs in 2024. All but one of the top seven performers return for Carmel (Isabella Renguso transferred to Wauconda), and Carmel adds Maya Markley from St. Joseph in Libertyville to bolster their group that can certainly improve on the 11th place sectional finish and find their way to competing for a coveted spot to the state meet. Markley, says Halford, has been training with the top girls.
"Our team goals are always to be in the top 10 in our sectional with a shot at the top 7," forecasts Halford. "Our 4-5 have to get closer for us to have a chance, so the goal is to tighten the pack between 2-5."
Head Coach: Kelly MacDonald
Last Year's Finish: Woodstock Sectional- 10th place
Key Newcomers: Emaline Foster (Fr.), Maeve Clough (Fr.), Anneke Dam (Fr.), Sophia Gibson (Fr.)
Analysis: For years, Prairie Ridge has been a program that has found a way to put strong performances together at the right time and come up big in the postseason. However, 2023 was different, finishing three positions out of state qualification and getting only one runner to state (graduated senior Olivia McPherson). "Last year we did not qualify for the XC state meet," says Kelly McDonald, entering her thirtieth year at Prairie Ridge and first of post-teaching retirement. "Our summer running was not as good as it needed to be. We had an off year, and we were disappointed in the results." There are reasons for optimism with the current team's running profile, however, says MacDonald. "The XC kids who ran track were more suited to shorter distances and were primarily our 800m runners, so we had a very competitive 4x8 team that made the State Finals (7th) for the first time in that event. As a Track team, we really rose to the competition and won a Sectional title for only the 2nd time in school history. We feel like we are on an upswing."
Along with losing McPherson, Prairie Ridge had a surprise loss with Brenna Benjamin moving out of state. However, a classic example of the cyclical nature of this sport comes in the form of freshman Emaline Foster. Foster was a standout at Beardsley Middle School, one of the state's top cross-country runners, and already ran 17:46 for three miles this summer at Detweiller. Foster is immediately the best runner for Prairie Ridge and the latest in a line of impactful front runners for the Wolves. Even though there are question marks for Prairie Ridge, Foster provides a good start for a team hoping to return to the state meet. Lila Stewart and Nella Robinson have been the most dependable returners for Prairie Ridge, and Genevieve Torgerson and Leah Berning are a couple of younger runners to watch who have grown in the past year. Finally, Foster won't be the only freshman of consequence, with Maeve Clough, Anneke Dam, and Sophia Gibson all as potential contributors.
"Lots of unknowns for PRXC this year," concludes MacDonald. "I am not sure how much depth this team will have. There are some strong Sophomore and Junior runners who have shown some promise but their success depends on their health and how much they want it. If the freshman crew believes in themselves and are competitive, we will have a chance to be pretty successful!"
Head Coach: Simon Thorpe
Last Year's Finish: Woodstock Sectional- 9th place
Analysis: Dixon was the first team out of qualification, finishing ninth at the Woodstock Sectional (a tie for seventh brought eight teams out of the sectional), and arguably the best team in the state not to have a full team representing the Duchesses in Peoria. The entire varsity lineup consisted only of seniors and sophomores at the sectional meet, so half of that group departs and half return, giving Dixon a nice base of depth to work with to begin the year. A group of four juniors, including Kamryn Rogers, Daniela Lovett, Olivia Arduini, and Kate Boss, are sub-19 minute three milers and should be a dependable varsity pack for Simon Thorpe's group. Sophomores Kara Chavez, Isabella Cecchetti, and Ireland O'Neal each will comprise the remainder of the varsity pack on the small Dixon roster that will need some pack improvement to make their way back to Detweiller through the fray of the northern sectional. They enter the season as the sixth-ranked team in the sectional.
Head Coach: Larry Huffman
Last Year's Finish: State Championship-9th Place
Analysis: Waterloo's varsity core has come on as one of the elite 2A programs in the southern part of the state, and their ninth-place finish at state was enabled by a fantastic top three that included Cameron Crump, and graduated seniors Angelynn Kanyuck and Danielle Mudd. Crump has taken a handful of big steps forward over her last year of running: tenth place at state in 17:42 was her first ever all-state performance. But in the track, she really broke out as she joined the breakaway lead group in the 2A 3200 championship race. For her efforts, she was rewarded with a 10:38.1 fourth-place finish, and inserted herself with authority into the individual title picture. Crump is a staple for Waterloo in this first year without Kanyuck and Mudd. Ava Rau and Kamryn Rader, both also seniors, are returning scorers for the Bulldogs, and Emily Lepp ,Calla Espenschied and Emily Vogt are the returners filling in the remaining varsity spots. Waterloo added the Lakes Sunset Invitational in 2024 to test their early-October fitness against the best teams in the northern part of the state (as well as Glenwood). They enter as the fourth ranked team in the southern IL sectional.
Head Coach: Nathan Kohnlee
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 21st place
Key Newcomers: Gabrielle Kohnlee (So.), Lily Shields (Sr.)
Analysis: If you want to follow a dark horse team that can make noise in November, look no further than the Titans, who return every state runner from a team that shattered a two-decade state qualification drought and finished 21st.
Although Reese Kohnlee wasn't close to top runner Natalie Tekampe at the cross-country state meet, a strong track season from both suggests that the two will be at the front together throughout the season. The rest of the state roster returns, namely Johanna Hawley, Ava Galluzzo, Jocelyn Ayala, Vanessa Tekampe, and Delilah Hawley, with valuable state meet experience.
Boylan Catholic's momentum continued to an excellent track season, during which the team compiled depth throughout each distance event, including state qualifiers in the 4x400 and 4x800 led by Natalie Tekampe and Lily Shields. Shields and Gabrille Kohnle, despite not competing in cross country, produced impactful results over the distances, which could translate into making a big difference in cross country if they do race.
Head Coach: Bill Owens
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 20th place
Key Newcomers: Calista Gardner (Fr.), Charlotte Long (Fr.), Addie Dukes (Fr.)
Analysis: The Rockets finished 20th at the state meet, which was a strong showing, with all seven state qualifiers producing their best 3-mile mark of the year. The top three, Natalie Nichols, Ashley, and Brooke Zeibert, are now all upperclassmen with ample experience at the state level, including 75% of the 2023 state championship 4x800 relay. The trio had a good track season, but Brooke, in particular, turned in the best season, posting a 5:06 mile in late April and finishing all-state in the 800 in 2:15 after anchoring the 4x800 in the final.
Track improvement also came from Maria Olson, who matched Nichols in the 3200. That makes four solid returnees for Rochester, and the fifth spot is likely to be filled by incoming freshman Calista Gardner, third-place finisher in the 1600 (5:32) at the 3A IESA state track meet. A few other freshmen, including Charlotte Long and Addie Dukes, join returners Madelyn Killion and Amara Kaeding to pursue those final varsity spots. Rochester is a high-ceiling team this year with the potential to insert themselves into the top-5 picture before the end of the year.
Head Coach: Brett Willhoit
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 12th place
Analysis: In Coach Brett Willhoit's tenth season at the helm of the Tiger's cross-country program, finishing 12th in state after fighting some setbacks and buoying in and out of the rankings throughout the year. "It was an up-and-down postseason in 2023," says Willhoit. "Some injuries flared up at regional and state levels that impacted our overall places."
Injuries have limited what Hadley Ferrero and Brynn Matthaei have been capable of doing over the last two seasons. Still, they enter their senior seasons hopeful of leading the team to a top-10 placing, along with Skyler Ferrero, who ran under 19:00 in her first high school cross-country season. Willhoit cites improvement from Jacqueline Orvis as the foundation for her solidified fourth-runner spot. Sophia Parks and Molly Sterzik are in line to clean up the scoring at the back of the varsity pack. There are a handful of freshman runners with experience in cross country out of Bernotas Middle School, but Willhoit says to focus on the returnees when it comes to projecting the varsity lineup. "It is too hard to say right now about our incoming freshman since we keep their mileage and intensity low as we transition them to high school running."
Head Coach: Joe Zeller
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 18th place
Key Newcomers: Madison Greiner (Fr.)
Analysis: The Potters had a strong cross country season, finishing 18th at state, but the lasting memory of the 2023-2024 year for Morton will be the role they played in perhaps the best race of the entire 2024 track state meet when Morton and St. Francis went blow-for-blow in the 4x800, and both teams shattered the 2A state meet record.
St. Francis came out with the win, but Morton still produced a 9:13.17 school record and a ton of momentum for the cross country season, even with only Avery Braker (2:18.54 split) returning from that group of four. Braker and Isabella Grieder are Morton's two sub-19 returnees, although Brielle Hopkins is not far behind, making a solid top-3 for Morton. Ava Burgess, Nissa Groth, Sariah Hoffman, Haley Kaluza, and Sydni Hoffman are all returners who can fill in for the graduated group. Madison Greiner is a freshman to watch for the Potters.
In his fourth year as head coach and tenth year in the program, Coach Zeller said, "I was proud of what the girls were able to accomplish last cross season and believe that overall the girls were too. I think that some of them were disappointed in the state meet result, but that one race did not define them.
The girls have set lofty performance goals for themselves this season, both individually and as a team. However, I think we are keeping those goals to ourselves right now. More importantly, this year, one of our goals is to renew our focus on developing the whole athlete beyond just their running."
Head Coach: Dan Billish
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 19th place
Key Returners: Delilah Helenhouse (Sr.),
Faye Ferrell (So.),
Keira Jenke (Jr.),
Meghan Leegan (Sr.),
Jordan Marshall (Sr.),
Isabella Pervan (Sr.),
Bridget Hasenauer (Jr.),
Aniela Gaudio (Sr.),
Emma Greco (Jr.),
Liliana Pervan (So.),
Sophia Olivares (Jr.)
Key Newcomers: Clare Bremner (Fr.)
Analysis: Long-time assistant at Naperville North Dan Billish joined the Red Wings program recently and starts in his first year as head coach, an excellent program that was the 2019 team champion in 2A. Although Benet Academy has an unexpected loss of Payton Mathelier to transfer, they enjoy the leadership of one of the most potent individual contenders in the state in Delilah Helenhouse, 3A 3200m, the third-place finisher in the spring. She will be a crucial piece to lead the team, along with Faye Farrell and Keira Jenke and their varsity experience, as coach Bilish's lineup takes form.
"Delilah has had a tremendous summer, and I expect her to take another step forward as a top contender in 2A," says Billish. "We have many pieces, and only time will tell where they will all fall, but I have a healthy group that could fill out the remaining slots.
"Many youth on the roster recorded lifetime bests that will contribute greatly to the team this season. We had a handful of girls injured from cross country and could not compete in the spring. They are on the mend, and I look forward to plugging them in."
Meghan Leegan, Jordan Marshall, Isabella Pervan, and Bridget Hasenauer will play important varsity roles early in the season. As the season progresses, look for Aniela Gaudio, Emma Greco, Lili Pervan, Sophia Olivares, and freshman Clare Bremner's roles to increase.
"The primary goal is always the same: self-development," says Billish. "Through the spring, we worked on the mindset, setting the bar a tad higher and acclimating to the new system. I believe we are a sleeper as the team will not be in the full lineup until October, but that is where the surprises reside. I believe we can achieve a state top 5 finish--a trophy if health comes around."
