Girls cross country: Scouting Cook and Lake County
COOK COUNTY
Barrington The Fillies brought home the Class 3A third-place trophy after winning sectional and regionals crowns and taking second place in the MSL. Elite senior Scout Storms (16:38.46) won the individual state title by four seconds followed by super sophomore Mia Sirois (sixth), senior Sabrina Roach (34th), sophomore Angelica Hil (50th), and junior Abby Lewis (76th). Senior Viktoria Higgins and junior Madison Miles are other key runners as coach Debbie Revolta's team will be looking to be at their best in late October and early November.
Buffalo Grove The Bison lost No. 1 runner Delaney Janus to graduation, and first-year coach Danielle Freeman's young team will try to improve their 11th-place finish in the MSL. Sophomore Taylor Sipiera looks like Buffalo Grove's front-runner in her first season in the sport. Junior Eva Kavalerchik should be at the front of the pack along with sophomores Arianna Podzniak and Grace Saracco. Freshmen Lily Nelson, Soraya Banerjee and Cassidy Smith hope to make an impact at the varsity level.
Conant After taking ninth place at the Palatine Class 3A regional, the Cougars have a very young team returning including sophomores Cordi Bilos, Charlotte Kattner, Kalina Neshkov, and Ali Tierney. Conant senior Jeeya Patel brings a lot of experience along with junior teammate Amanda Albrecht. Conant's main focus will be to build mileage and work on postseason team finishes at the regional meet according to coach Kalli Dalton.
Elk Grove The Grenadiers placed ninth in the MSL and seventh at regionals as Tim Nowicki moves over from the boys team to now coach the girls team. Senior Delaney Malone (87th in Class 3A) will be a great leader for Elk Grove along with junior Reagan Malone (21st in MSL). Seniors Emma Somenek, Addison Kester, and Hannah Varughese are key returners. Sophomores Idabelle Hoerbert and Sonia Aleman round out the top seven as the Grens aim to move into the top half of the MSL and qualify for sectionals.
Fremd The Vikings placed sixth in the MSL, fifth at regionals, and 11th at sectionals before junior Isa Hasty placed 73rd in Class 3A. Sophomore Addie Dietrich and senior Sia Purohit were on Fremd's state qualifying 4x800 relay team during the track season. Contenders for the remaining top seven varsity spots are freshman Helen Hermann, senior Allison Price, freshman Emma Kelly, freshman Riley Gaan, sophomore Alisha Kuehner, and sophomore Linaya Donnelly.
Hersey The Huskies have all five of their top runners back from a team that placed seventh in Class 3A, third at sectionals, first at regionals, and third in the MSL. Senior Margaretha Grabske placed 17th at state followed by sophomore Alexa Izenstark (26th), junior Elizabeth Waltz (91st), senior Madeline Bialko (93rd), and sophomore Martyna Makowski (136th). Sophomore Sofia Donner was Hersey's No. 4 runner at sectionals, and coach Mikayla Olsen has hopes that the team can make a push for top five at state.
Hoffman Estates The Hawks placed seventh in the MSL, sixth at regionals, and 13th at sectionals before junior Maya Zabiegly placed 85th in Class 3A. Senior Sandy Chagoya was Hoffman Estates' No. 2 runner at sectionals followed by sophomore Ella MacNider. Sophomore Molly Bell will be a key runner along with senior Maddy Rakoci, sophomore Amery Glim, and junior Layla Santiago. The Hawks' biggest goal is to qualify for the state meet for the first time since 2014 when they placed 16th.
Leyden The Eagles placed ninth at the Class 3A St. Charles East regional despite their top four runners being all juniors. Senior Elany Jimenez (36th at regionals) qualified for sectionals, but senior teammate Emily Casarez (38th) just missed sectionals. Leyden will be facing a lot of tough competition in the West Suburban Conference, and losing three key seniors to graduation will not make its road any easier in this season.
Maine East The Blue Demons struggled in the CSL North Division due to a lack of numbers last season. But senior Ashley Gaba did place 14th at the Class 3A Loyola regional meet. From there, Gaba went on to place 39th at the powerful Hoffman Estates sectional held on the storied 3-mile Busse Woods course near Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg.
Maine South The Hawks won the CSL crown, took third at regionals, fourth at sectionals, and 19th in Class 3A. Returning runners from state are Sofia Arcuri (62nd), Tessie Bradley (83rd), Sophia Iniguez (173rd), and Ally Seurynck (195th). Maine South will also turn to junior Lucia Fuentes, Luisa Arcuri, and Lilly Handley, who all ran in the 3,200-meter relay at the state track meet. Sophomores Sarah Mendoza, Isla Craig Naples, and Jill Etchason are runners to watch as the Hawks hope to return to the state meet.
Maine West The inexperienced Warriors placed 11th at the Class 3A Loyola regional as No. 1 runner Amelia Mach (39th) was lost to graduation. Senior Jamie Daube was Maine West's No. 2 runner at the regional meet last year followed by junior Lauren Capper and the sophomore duo of Lily Ulbert and Esther Collingsworth.
Palatine The Pirates took third at their own regional and eighth at sectionals as senior Abigail Jordan (157th), and junior Monika Urbaniak (184th) qualified for the state meet as individuals. Palatine lost its No. 3 runner at sectionals in Fatima Siddiqui to graduation as well as No. 4 runner Roxy Soto. But the Pirates do have sophomore Greta Kerr, junior Ava Dugar, and junior Jocelyn Huila Cortes all returning with sectional meet experience heading into the 2024 campaign.
Prospect The Knights won the state track title last spring, won MSL and regionals titles, took second at regionals, and fourth in Class 3A. Prospect has great depth back in Veronica Znajda (MSL champ, sixth in state in 2022), Meg Peterson (8th in state), Ireland Wildhart (22nd in state), and Sophie Fransen (60th in state). Seniors Mary Laba, Ava Collins, Carmen Wooten, and Emma Skelton are competing for varsity spots with juniors Anna Zajac, and Ella Benassi. "Our team will be at its best when our athletes are helping each other improve and celebrating in each other's successes," said coach Pete Wintermute. "We are a team and there will be a number of girls that are given an opportunity to shine."
Rolling Meadows The Mustangs finished eighth in the MSL and eighth at regionals as senior Lucy Bollweg placed 31st in the MSL meet. Junior Izzy Lee is Rolling Meadows' No. 2 runner with support from s ophomore Grace Lisy, f reshman Morgan Ashcraft, and s ophomore Kendall Niemiec. Juniors Lupe Nava-Perez, Stella Butler, and Jamilla Garcia will be bolstered by senior Haasini Vidapalapati. T he Mustangs are working to improve their position in the MSL standings and earn a berth to the sectional meet.
Schaumburg The Saxons placed fourth at the Class 3A Palatine regional and ninth at sectionals as two of their top five runners were lost to graduation. Schaumburg's duo of freshman Claire Swiderski and junior Milana Pisto finished 56th and 57th as its top two runners in the sectional meet at Busse Woods. Graduated senior Grace Schluckbier placed 64th as its third runner at sectionals.
St. Viator The Lions placed seventh at the Lakes Class 2A regional before senior Caroline Schermerhorn and junior Emily Walberg placed 53rd and 54th respectively at sectionals. The junior trio of Allie Long, Jada Bauer, and Grace VanFossen will help push St. Viator to its goal of qualifying for sectionals and state as a team. Other potential varsity runners are sophomore Ava Moreno and the freshmen trio of Maddie Long, Yuliana Manzabares, and Molly Hayes.
Wheeling The Wildcats placed 10th in the MSL and ninth at regionals, and senior Karen Luna-Gutierrez should be their top runner. Juniors Esme Jaimes, Julia Rakoczy, and Haydee Cruz give Wheeling a strong nucleus while sophomore Isabel Delgado is another key runner. "One of our goals is to have a few of us break the 20-minute mark on a much more consistent basis this season," said Wheeling coach Alex Brown. "This group has put in great work this summer to put themselves in the best spot possible later in the season."
LAKE COUNTY
Antioch The Sequoits placed third in the NLCC, sixth at regionals, and 12th at sectionals. Seniors Rosie Gonzalez (80th in Class 2A) and Piper Ipsen (121st) will be Antioch's top returning runners. Senior Angela Ortiz will be the Sequoits' No. 3 runner while teammates Annalise Lowrance, Abby Sooley, and Ellie Nampel will battle for their No. 4-6 runners. Andy Simonis and Hannah Gonzalez are competing for the seventh place, and coach Chris Bailey has high expectations for the upcoming season.
Carmel Catholic The Corsairs took third in the ESCC, fourth at regionals, third in Lake County, and 11th at sectionals. Senior Izzy Bing was all-state (19th in Class 2A) while senior Norah Belmonte took 59th. The Corsairs have good depth behind junior Ashlyn Beattie and sophomore Chloe Bing (all-conference). Coach Jim Halford hopes the team can finish in the top 10 at sectionals with support from Sydney Krcmarik, Addy Albanese, and freshman Maya Markley. He also hopes Izzy Bing can finish in the top 10 at state.
Grayslake Central The Rams were regional and sectional champions before they took home second place in Class 2A by an 84-125 margin to Glenwood. Grayslake Central did lose three of its top four runners to graduation, including all-stater's Sara Armstrong (12th place), and Isabella Domier (23rd). Junior Ava Henne was also all-state in 20th place while junior teammates Jordan Sutter, Violet Rowe, and Bryanna Domier all return with state meet experience under their belts.
Grayslake North The Knights took fourth in the NLCC and seventh at regionals as senior Yaremi Ramos (38th), and junior Madison Petersen (44th) both qualified for the Woodstock sectional meet. Grayslake North has a solid trio of junior runners returning in Lucy Roscoe, Julia Flannery, and Breyanna Villanueva while senior teammate Sydney Wilson brings a lot of experience to the squad. Freshman Chloe Strebel will most likely round out the Knights' top seven as they hope to make a push for sectionals.
Grant The Bulldogs return seven of their top nine runners from a team that placed fifth in the NLCC and 10th at regionals. Seniors Amelia Szopinski and Andrea Szopinski will anchor the front of Grant's pack with support from junior Allison Thomas and sophomore Lexi Fulghum. Ashlyn Bartlett, Hayley Leanes, and Leah Terryberry should round out the top seven as the Bulldogs hope to improve upon their finishes at conference and regionals.
Lakes The Eagles took seventh in Class 2A, third at sectionals, second at regionals, and second in the NLCC. Senior Bri Gara (13th) was all-state while teammates Hannah Salbilla, Kate Catalano, Diksha Guganathan, and Lauren Rymer all have state meet experience. All-stater's Madison Twarling (UW-LaCrosse) and Paige-Elicia Caruth (Tulsa) were lost to graduation. Newcomers Kylie Smith and Timyra Caces will gain valuable varsity experience as the team tries to return to the state meet.
Lake Zurich The Bears won the NSC championship, placed second at regionals, seventh at sectionals, and 25th in Class 3A. Junior Ruby Nissen is back after missing the state series due to injury. She will be joined by sophomore Celia Blaylock, junior Polina Krupsky, junior Hannah Gillhaus, senior Bianca Perez,and sophomore Avery Muhr. Freshmen Trish Johnson, Jackie Bernardo, and Karolina Borg are potential varsity runners as Lake Zurich tries to defend its NSC title and finish in the top five at sectionals.
Libertyville After taking fourth in the NSC, fourth at regionals, and 17th at sectionals, the Wildcats enter the season under new head coach Annemarie Sampson. Top runner Margaret McGormley graduated, but seniors Rosemary Inga and Clare Erdmann are key returning runners. Libertyville has a lot of new faces in its lineup, including Elsie Collins, Natalie Schiltt, Julia Garrison, Sophia Krummick, Emme Fogel, Claire Rehmer, Caitlyn Griffith, and Violet Young as they try to qualify for the state meet on Nov. 9.
Mundelein The Mustangs are coming off a ninth-place finish at the Class 3A Grant regional. But four of their top five runners in that meet were underclassmen, including sectional qualifier Brooklyn D'Ambrosio. Junior Chloe Engelbrecht was Mundelein's No. 2 runner at regionals, and she is supported by junior Precious Oyebanji, senior Viviana Gonzalez, and junior Vanessa Dirzo.
Round Lake After finishing seventh in the NLCC and 11th at regionals, the Panthers have a potential young leader in sophomore Allison Dominguez ready to reach a higher level this fall. Round Lake has a solid nucleus of experienced runners back in seniors Evelyn Cruz, Desiree Mendoza, Ariana Martinez Reyes, and Lizbeth Sanchez returning to the lineup. Juniors Emily Torres and Jimena Gonzalez are ready to step up this season as coach Kevin Brady's squad is looking to be stronger in all aspects in 2024.
Stevenson The Patriots took sixth at the Loyola Class 3A regional and 15th at sectionals, but they did not have any individual runners advance to state. No. 1-runner Adeline Gobble graduated, but juniors Olivia Ruiz and Sophia Pan are preparing to step into larger roles. Senior Nanoko Seki was Stevenson's No. 3 runner at sectionals last year, and she will get strong support from senior Allison Castro and sophomore Anya Hong. The Patriots will be aiming to return to sectionals and advance one or two individuals to state.
Vernon Hills The Cougars lost a great leader in Anna Lester (fourth in Class 3A, Eastern Kentucky University) to graduation after it won the CSL North, placed fifth at regionals, and 10th at sectionals. Senior Jori Ellen is Vernon Hills' No. 1 runner followed by sophomore Ella Ollinger, senior Dani Gomez Anez, sophomore Ami Pan, and sophomore Nania Mather. Junior JIll Leuck and seniors Izzy Wakefield and Heley Clegg will be other keys as the Cougars face their second year in a row against rugged Class 3A competition.
Warren The Blue Devils put together a strong campaign with a second-place finish at regionals, a fourth at sectionals, and a 21st-place finish in Class 3A. Warren had two freshmen explode onto the scene last year as its top two runners at the state meet were Kaylee Wilson (52nd), and Finley Jezuit (92nd). Kate Mondejar was the Blue Devils' No. 3 runner at state as a sophomore while the squad will have to replace their No. 4 and No. 5 runners that were lost to graduation.
Wauconda The Bulldogs took sixth in the NLCC and ninth at regionals as top runner Alyssa Vodicka graduated. Sophomores Lily Schubert and Kylah Blohm are top returning runners for Wauconda along with seniors Emily Carney and Lilah Hill. Emilia Jozwiak is another runner to watch along with newcomers Isabella Renguso, Teagan Kinzle, Riley Blue, and Kim Zavaleta. The Bulldogs hope to improve their standings in conference and regionals while being a spoiler during the upcoming season.