Girls cross country: Are Illinois teams the best around?

The arrival of Katelynne Hart has ushered in a period of brilliance in Class 3A girls cross country.

Naperville North was a year removed from what many observers considered to be a stunning defeat at the hands of Minooka.

Yorkville, in the aftermath of a record-tying five consecutive Class 2A championships, was making its debut in the largest division.

Downers Grove South was in the midst of extending its West Suburban Gold league winning streak to exalted heights.

Wheaton Warrenville South was as dangerous as ever.

"All this competition in Illinois is what makes you better," said Downers South coach Doug Plunkett, whose squad captured its first trophy in program history by finishing third last fall at Detweiller Park in Peoria. "I don't think I would want to be in any other state."

Naperville North, the back-to-back national runner-up, will seek a fourth consecutive Class 3A championship this fall.

The Huskies have denied Yorkville all three times in increasing their total of state titles to nine.

Yorkville is ranked higher nationally in one poll, but both Naperville North and Downers South have an edge on the Foxes in other state rankings due to injury concerns.

"I don't know if anyone is going to be able to get inside of those three at the state meet," Downers North coach Tim McDonald said.

Mark Tacchi is an observant spectator as a Class 2A coach for Glenbard South when the state large-class behemoths collide.

"It's amazing how good these kids are," Tacchi said. "They are in a meat-grinder in Class 3A. They're going to be knocking each other off all (season)."

Hart, meanwhile, still has one season left to build on one of most remarkable cross country and track records in state history.

The Glenbard West senior has 10 combined state championships after sweeping the 800- through 3,200-meter runs at the track finals last May.

Hart will seek to join Wheeling great Dana Mirobelli (1985-88) and Effingham St. Anthony immortal Anna Sophi Keller (2013-16) this fall in becoming a four-time cross country state champion.

"It would be fairly shocking if someone were to beat (Hart)," Naperville North coach Dan Iverson said.

"I think (Hart) is in incredible shape," Glenbard West coach Paul Hass said of Hart, who trains at altitude in the Rockies during the summer months. "I would say (the state finals last year) wasn't her best race. I think she would say the same thing. She is not going to go out hard every race."

Naperville North, Downers South and WW South all return high-caliber athletes as well.

Maggie Gamboa was indispensable to Naperville North turning back Yorkville by 7 points with her top-20 finish.

The Huskies' Campbell Petersen made the most of her first foray in Class 3A by snaring the last individual all-state spot.

"For (Gamboa) to end up as an all-state kid was pretty impressive," Iverson said.

Downers South has multiple all-state-honored senior Brenna Cohoon to spearhead its fortunes this fall.

"(Cohoon) has been awesome for us the last three years," Plunkett said. "I am sure she would give up those individual medals for a bit bigger state trophy."

The two reigning local trophy winners, Naperville North and Downers South, have exhaustive depth. Lucy Westlake and Audrey Mendrys were within shouting range of all-state runs for the former last fall.

Erin Reidy and Rebecca Diddia are all-state contenders this October for the Mustangs.

WW South junior Sam Poglitsch bettered Cohoon by one position in authoring her second straight all-state performance last October with her seventh-place finish.

But the Tigers, sixth and fourth at the last two state meets, will be tested by highly regarded Batavia in the DuKane Conference.

Hinsdale Central has a penchant for boasting runners of the highest quality, and McKenna Revord is the latest to don a Red Devils uniform. But the returning all-stater may not even be the best athlete on her team.

Emma Watke was a distant runner-up to Hart in the 1,600 run last spring at state track. The senior won an Ohio cross country state championship last fall before moving to Illinois prior to the track season.

Top teams: Naperville North, Downers Grove South, Wheaton Warrenville South, Benet, Hinsdale Central, Downers Grove North, York, Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley, Waubonsie Valley.

Top athletes: Audrey Allman, Glenbard West, so.; Madeline Andelbradt, St. Francis, so.; Emily Anderson, Glenbard East, sr.; Kelly Anderson, Glenbard South, jr.; Meghan Andrews, Benet, jr.; Haley Ansiel, WW South, sr.; Eva Bednard, Downers North, sr.; Keely Behr, Metea Valley, so.; Lily Buzani, West Chicago, jr.; Elisabeth Camic, Benet, jr.; Kennedy Calcagno, IC Catholic Prep, so.; Frankie Chaidez, IC Catholic Prep, jr.; Victoria Cius, Hinsdale South, so.; Brenna Cohoon, Downers South, sr.; Anneliese Cornejo-Garcia, Glenbard North, sr; Sophia Daigle, Wheaton North, sr.; Laura Delatorre, Glenbard East, sr.; Kylie DeNardo, Glenbard South, so.; Rebecca Diddia, Downers South, jr.; Delaney Engel, Glenbard West, so.; Haley Engels, Naperville Central, jr.; Maggie Gamboa, Naperville North, jr.; Lydia Garrett, Wheaton Academy, sr.; Katie Gertsen, Montini, fr.; Rylan Gaspar, Downers North, jr.; Leah Gaul, St. Francis, so; Payton Green, Waubonsie Valley, so; Ellie Gross, Downers North, sr.; Katelynne Hart, Glenbard West, sr.; Ashley Heidenrich, Waubonsie Valley, sr.; Gabby Hernandez, St. Francis, jr.; Riley Hernandez, Glenbard North, jr.; Lydia Hickey, York, sr.; Melissa Jachim, Downers North, jr.; Joy Jackson, Benet, jr.; Anna Jerdee, Wheaton Academy, sr.; Emma Kern, York, sr.; Emily Koldberg, Metea Valley, sr. Lilly Lebo, Wheaton Academy, so.; Lauren Mack, Lake Park, sr.; Carly Manchester, IC Catholic Prep, so.; Melissa Martinez, Willowbrook, jr.; Audrey Mendrys, Naperville North, jr.; Grace Moriarty York, sr.; Katelyn Mullinex, Waubonsie Valley, sr.; Kaitlyn Nenninger, WW South, sr.; Anna Nicoley, Glenbard West, so.; Caroline Pacer, West Chicago, sr.; Nicole Pacusova, Hinsdale South, so.; Campbell Petersen, Naperville North, jr.; Sam Poglitsch, WW South jr.; Julianne Pillotte, Montini, sr.; Erin Reidy, Downers South, Downers South, sr.; McKenna Revord, Hinsdale Central, sr.; Minnie Rolston, St. Francis, jr.; Tess Rucoba, WW South, sr.; Julian Rushing, Neuqua Valley, sr.; Sophia Sandy, Metea Valley, sr.; Viviana Sanfilippo, Addison Trail, jr.; Emily Scott, Naperville Central, sr.; Heather Sledinski, Montini, jr.; Emily Spellman, Benet, jr.; Sophia Spencer, Wheaton North, so.; Ellie Stewart, Glenbard South, jr.; Emily Stine, Neuqua Valley, sr.; Emily Sulocha, Glenbard North, sr.; Tavinya Taylor, Wheaton North, so.; Patrice Trzupek, Hinsdale South, sr.;Taylor Wagner, Hinsdale Central, sr.; Kennedy Warden, Downers South, sr.; Emma Watcke, Hinsdale Central, sr.; Maddie Welten, Glenbard East, jr.; Lucy Westlake, Naperville North, so.; Katelyn Winton, York, so.; Kayla Zimmer, Naperville Central, sr.