Scouting DuPage County girls cross country

Top teams: Glenbard West, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, Hinsdale Central, Metea Valley, Wheaton Warrenville South, Benet, Glenbard East, Downers Grove South, York.

Top athletes: Addison Trail: Marie Baumgartner, sr., Cirina Martinez, sr., Maria Ramos, sr.; Benet: Isabel Anderson, so., Amanda DeSitter, sr., Mary Kate Healy, sr., Rachel Strons, sr., Mae Tully, so.; Downers Grove North: Zoey Covey, sr., Claire Kovarik, jr., Gina Kowalewicz, sr., Emma Moravec, sr.; Downers Grove South: Natalie Olson, jr., Katie Stapleton, sr., Becky Versakas, so., Melissa Weidner, so.; Fenton: Charity Bullis, jr., Angela Durate, so., Ruth Kirkwood, so., Jessica McCauley, jr.; Glenbard East: Cailyn Biegalski, jr., Maeve Brasile, so., Ali Liljestrand, jr., Lexi Weltin, jr.; Glenbard North: Alex Bartkowiak, jr., Sam Ferengol, so., Kimmy Nunez, so., Elelta Sisay, so., Elita Spadlowski, sr.; Glenbard South: Ava Childs, jr., Alyssa Flores, sr., Gisela Hagedorn, so., Courtney Knight, sr., Abby Schlenker, sr.; Glenbard West: Katelynn Hart, fr., Katie Hohe, so., Claire Kenwood, jr., Janie Nabholz, sr., Lindsay Payne, jr.; Hinsdale Central: Molly Caveney, sr., Grace McCabe, jr., Bella Pisani, so., Reilly Revold, jr.; Hinsdale South: Neha Chinwalla, jr., Elizabeth Lowry, jr., Emma Pirie, jr., Kiki Twardosz, jr.; IC Catholic Prep: Anna Gendusa, jr., Jessa Langan, sr., Jaida Smith, so., Julissa Unzuela, jr.; Lake Park: Jennifer Ayala, jr., Julie Kupiec, sr., Abigail Rodriguez, so., Alyssa Sturino, so.; Lisle: Tiffany Compton, sr., Liz LaScala, jr., Ellie Moore, sr., Emily Woltmann, so.; Metea Valley: Nikki Cast, sr., Leana Goldman, sr., Terri Scarlett, so., Keely Weber, jr.; Montini: Kiana Calkins, so., Mary O'Brien, sr., Lea Ritchie, jr., Jenna Weidecher, sr.; Naperville Central: Alana Austin, sr., Carolyn Carpenter, sr., Meghan Donovan, jr., Erin McHugh, so., Ellen Spencer, so.; Naperville North: Kathryn Abe, sr., Soia Bruce, so., Kayla Glowacki, sr., Claire Hamilton, sr., Claire Hill, so., Sarah Schmitt, jr.; Neuqua Valley: Keara Ginell, jr., Caitlin Horn, sr., Caroline Johnson, sr., Sofia Medina, so., Corinna Pena, jr.; St. Francis: Clare Kolker, jr., Leila Krul, so., Colleen McShea, sr., Shannon Moran, jr.; Timothy Christian: Jill Forgac, so., Morgan Hoving, so., Elsa Johnson, sr., Olivia Reamer, so.; Waubonsie Valley: Megan Harrison, so., Anna Li Radcliffe, sr., Cassie Tsagaris, sr., Sarah Vitro, so.; West Chicago: Maddie Brotnow, jr., Arianna Coss, sr., Jackie Huerta, jr.; Westmont: Lily Arndt, jr., Hale Nash, jr., Peyton Nash, jr., Lisa Niemiec, jr.; Wheaton Academy: Maggie Bailey, sr., Kayla Lotz, jr., Gretchen Pearson, sr., AJ Setran, sr., Rebecca Smith, sr.; Wheaton North: Issy Keup, jr., Morgan Moxley, sr., Kiersten Oslund, sr., Rose Quinn, jr.; Wheaton Warrenville South: Sara Atkins, sr., Emily Christensen, sr., Allison McGrath, sr., Laurel Moneysmith, so.; Willowbrook: Grace Guthrie, sr., Angela Klingelhoffer, jr., Catherine Pegler, jr., Gabriela Rios, sr.; Evelyn Yao, jr.; York: Bridget Berger, sr., Julie Biggins, sr., Erin Davies, jr., Sarah May, so.

Scouting report: Lindsey Payne has continued the trend at Glenbard West initiated by Madeline Perez and Lindsay Graham in recent years. Then again, Judy Pendergast can attest to the feeling. Last year at the Class 3A girls cross country state finals, Pendergast, now a freshman at Harvard, was the reigning track and field 3,200-meter state champion. The Naperville North senior became the first athlete in state history to eclipse the magical 16-minute barrier in dominating the individual race at Detweiller Park in Peoria. Payne was timed in 16:16 to secure runner-up status. But Pendergast was unable to defend her track state championship after being injured late last spring. Payne filled the vacuum by winning the longest track event, the third time in four years by a Glenbard West athlete. Perez won her state cross country title as a precursor to the distance Triple Crown with a sweep of 1,600 and 3,200 runs the following spring; Graham made it back-to-back Hilltoppers cross country state champions in 2014 after finishing runner-up to Graham in the 3,200 run the previous spring. The Flanagan sisters, Lindsey and Kaylee, from Lake Park had similar elite finishes the preceding years. "I saw all of those kids run," Benet cross country and track coach Scott Brooks said. "There is no track event more highly correlated than the 2-mile and cross country. I think the thing that is underrated about cross country and the 2-mile (in track) is the mental toughness required. (Pendergast) had the great speed but also had the stamina." Paul Hass is the Glenbard West cross country and track distance coach. "All of them (Perez, Graham and Payne) had very good leg speed," Hass said. "They could all run under 2:20 in the half-mile (in track). I have been very blessed to have three athletes come into our program like that. I tell people that they are once-in-a-lifetime athletes." "I think there's a tremendous correlation between them," Naperville North cross country and track distance coach Dan Iverson said. "I love cross country so much," Payne said. "I want to go into (the season) not thinking about last year. I don't want to make any assumptions. Anything can happen from a day to a month. We have an amazing group of girls this fall. I would rather have my team win than me personally." The Hilltoppers enter the season as the highest-ranked - according to dyestatil.com-Class 3A program in the area. Hass is more than eager to unleash Payne. "She is going to keep on getting better," Hass said. "She is a leader on the team as a runner and vocally. I can't wait to see her run." The key for the third-ranked Hilltoppers - who have proven commodities in their other returning state veterans - may lie with Hart. "Let's put it this way: (Hart) has a great deal of potential," Hass said. "I am optimistic about her ability to help the team." Despite the extraordinary individual effort of Pendergast last fall, Minooka denied Naperville North a third state championship in four years. The reigning state runner-up Huskies are rated in the fourth spot to open the season. Schmitt and Hamilton - a former track relay state champion - are the Huskies' returning mainstays. "The expectation remains the same," Iverson said. "We want them to train as hard as they can. We want them to race as fast as they can." On the Class 3A statewide cross country landscape, a minor tsunami was unveiled when five-time defending Class 2A state champion Yorkville was elevated to the highest division this fall. Yorkville enters the season ranked behind only defending state champion Minooka. "I have them ranked ahead of us," Iverson said of Yorkville. "They're a fantastic team. They will certainly be in the (state-title) conversation."

Hinsdale Central, Metea Valley, Neuqua Valley, WW South, Benet and Downers South have a collective bushel basket of returning veterans after the Class 3A programs made the state cut last fall. Metea Valley opened its season in impressive fashion at Waubonsie Valley last weekend as Goldman, Cast, Scarlett and Weber monopolized the second through fifth positions to dominate the Aurora City Meet. "We have won (city) before but not in that fashion," Metea Valley coach Eric Anerino said of the Mustangs' 25-90 win over West Aurora. "We return 14 out of 15 starters. It's early in the season, who knows where the chips will fall in November." Brooks has concerns about team-wide health issues entering the year. "There are some kids who have to work themselves back into shape," the Benet coach said. "We're not going to know what we have until they do."

Pendergast was the sole athlete among the top-six individual medal-winners to graduate. Revold of Hinsdale Central, also a track relay state champion, WW South senior Atkins and Schmitt join Payne as returning all-state performers from the area.

Among Class 2A area hopefuls, Montini has made the state cut six consecutive times. Pete Connolly wishes Yorkville had grown quicker. "Instead of Yorkville getting complacent, they just kept getting better," Connolly said. "I thought we had our chance (for a state championship) in 2012, and they bring in these freshmen like you wouldn't believe. In the past I would have been selfishly happy with them going to 3A. There's nothing we can do about it this year." The Broncos lost their three best runners to graduation. "We have some challenges ahead of us this year," Connolly said.

Wheaton Academy, Glenbard South and St. Francis are all angling for some type of postseason bid this fall in Class 2A. "We're hoping to squeak out another (Metro Suburban) Conference championship," Glenbard South coach Mark Tacchi said. "Our girls are going to be much improved," St. Francis' Scott Nelson said. Lisle and IC Catholic Prep will compete as individuals only this fall as each program has but four team members. "We don't have a middle school team," Lisle top-rated runner LaScala said. "It's really hard to get people to come out."

Key dates: Sept. 3, Fenton Early Bird Classic; Sept. 3, Red Devil-Hornet Invitational; Sept. 3, St. Charles East Leavey Invite; Sept. 10: DePaul Prep Invitational; Sept. 10: Peoria Central First to the Finish; Sept. 16, Riverside-Brookfield Invitational; Sept. 17, Kaneland Eddington Invitational; Sept. 17, Peoria Notre Dame Invitational; Sept. 23, Naperville Invite; Oct. 1, Wheaton North Falcon Classic; Oct. 1, St. Charles North Invite; Oct. 5, Naperville Twilight Invite; Oct. 8, West Aurora Blackhawk Stampede; Oct. 14-15, Conference championships.

- Kevin McGavin