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Shortly after finishing 14th in last weekend's Nike Cross Nationals Championship in Portland, Oregon, New Trier senior standout Ben Crane was looking forward to the Footlocker National Championship. "My family and I will stay on the West Coast this upcoming week and drive to San Diego." San Diego is in the west of California and is home to the last national championship held at the famous Balboa Park.
Crane has had a banner cross country season, including an undefeated slate vs. Illinois opponents and one All-American honor. Crane is ready to show and prove in his second return after finishing 24th. "I didn't like the way I finished last year. I think I can finish in the top 10," he said, referring to a muse of redemption.
Another native Illinois prep to watch is Philip Cupial. The junior from Downers Grove North has been on a runner's high since winning the 3A 1600m crown as a sophomore.
Cupial was a catalyst this past season in leading the Trojans to a banner season, which included defending their 3A state crown, NXN MW Regional title, and another outstanding performance at the Nike Cross Nationals.
It is now Cupial's time to shine on his own. Amid his team's success, he qualified for the finals to San Diego by virtue of a fourth-place finish in 15:04- one second behind Crane.
Cupial will look to bounce back after last weekend's 59th-place effort in Portland, Oregon. Despite a long season and tired legs, one would assume he has enough juice to place inside the top 20. Stay tuned!
Kate Foltz finishes out a strong race at the National Cross Country course in Wisconsin (Griffin Forberg photo)
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What a difference a year made for Tuscola junior Kate Foltz, who returned in 2024 on a revenge tour. Now, don't get it twisted--2023 was not bad. She started fast and finished solidly, running 16:45 to finish third in the 1A race. However, something didn't sit well with her, and she shut down the season. There are no post-seasons or races against the best athletes outside of state borders.
This year, Foltz dialed it back on the early season intensity and slowly turned into an unstoppable monster on the cross country country course. Perhaps her signature race of the season was a one-second deficit to the defending champion Isabella Keller (So., Effingham St. Anthony) at the Cumberland Sectional. There, her confidence was at an all-time high, which a week later resulted in a state title, becoming just the fourth girl to break 16:00 for three miles.
Foltz competed well in Terre Haute, Indiana, at the Midwest Nike Cross Regionals, placing 10th and earning second-team honors. In Kenosha, Wisconsin, she took ninth in the MW Footlocker Regional in 17:42. Earning her first national team, Foltz will be someone to watch in San Diego, California. If all goes well, she could finish inside the top 20 and sniff All-American honors.
