Scouting DuPage County girls cross country
Top teams: Naperville North, Glenbard West, Hinsdale Central, Wheaton Warrenville South, Downers Grove North, York, Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley, Wheaton Academy, Downers Grove South.
Top athletes: Addison Trail: Josefina Garcia, sr., Vanessa Garcia, sr., Christine Mercado, jr., Yennifer Ortiz, sr., Diana Ramirez, jr.; Benet: Anna Brown, sr., Amanda DeSitter, jr., Mary Kate Healy, jr., Clare McCabe, sr., Rachel Strons, jr.; Downers Grove North: Angela Bodach, sr., Kaitlyn Bonfield, sr., Grace Maletich, sr., Emma Moravec, jr.; Downers Grove South: Jill Boyle, sr., Michaela Hackbarth, sr., Maggie Seitz, sr., Katie Stapleton, jr.; Fenton: Charity Bullis, soph., Marisol Garcia, sr., Rebecca Garcia, sr., Jessica McCauley, soph., Alyssa Silva, fr.; Glenbard East: Cailyn Biegalski, soph., Olivia Romas, sr., Katie Schaefer, soph., Yoselin Toledo, sr., Lexi Walton, soph.; Glenbard North: Alex Bartkowiak, soph., Rachel Cotta, jr., Anna Marino, soph., Elita Stadlowski, jr., Alexia Trasha, fr.; Glenbard South: Ava Childs, soph., Courtney Knight, jr., Reganne Schihl, sr., Abby Schlenker, jr.; Glenbard West: Lindsay Graham, sr., Kathryn Kenwood, sr., Janine Nabholz, jr., Lindsey Payne, soph., Grace Rogers, sr., Abby Shaver, sr.; Hinsdale Central: Molly Caveney, jr., Grace McCabe, soph., Reilly Revort, soph., Emma Sullivan, sr., Annie Zaher, sr.; Hinsdale South: Sydney Locke, sr., Rachel Longoria, sr., Elizabeth Lowery, soph., Madiyn Matsunaga, sr.; IC Catholic Prep: Mikko Eugia, sr., Anna Gerdusa, soph., Tessa Langan, jr.; Lake Park: Jennifer Ayala, soph., Kaela Beugnet, sr., Julie Kupiek, jr.; Hannah Morrison, jr., Lily Nickisch, jr.; Metea Valley: Nicki Cast, jr., Becki Gabriel, soph., Leana Goldman, jr., Katie North, jr., Kyla Ohst, sr., Keely Weber, soph.; Montini: Lauren Denemark, sr., Emma Makowski, sr., Mary O'Brien, jr., G Salzbrunn, sr., Jenna Wiedacher, jr.; Naperville Central: Alana Austin, jr., Carolyn Carpenter, jr., Megan Donovan, soph., Ellie Marcet, sr., Maggie McClowry, sr.; Naperville North: Natalie Dunnett, soph., Jenny Gibson, sr., Emory Griffin, sr., Ella Guppy, sr., Claire Hamilton, jr., Judy Pendergast, sr., Sarah Schmitt, soph.; Neuqua Valley: Caitlyn Horn, jr., Sophia Medina, fr., Corinna Pena, soph., Julia Pena, sr., Meghna Vijayan, jr.; St. Francis: Ellen Kolker, soph., Liela Kral, fr., Colleen McShea, jr., Shannon Moran, soph., Julia Rotondi, jr.; Timothy Christian: Hannah Bosman, sr., Megan Middel, sr., Nicole Terrsta, sr.; Waubonsie Valley: Hannah Born, sr., Jamie Elenbaas, soph., Lauren Deck, jr., Shaelyn Iyer, soph., Cassie Tsagaris, jr., Ellen Wagenknecht, jr.; West Chicago: Maddie Bratnow, soph., Catherine Franch, soph., Leslie Huerta, soph., Shelley Parat, sr.; Wheaton Academy: Maggie Bailey, soph., Gretchen Pearson, jr., Julia Robleski, soph., Rebecca Smith, jr., Anna Joy Setran, jr.; Wheaton North: Jill Humecke, sr., Issy Kuep, soph., Naomi Noyes, sr., Rose Quinn, soph., Kailee Sowers, soph.; Wheaton Warrenville South: Sarah Atkins, jr., Mary Erdman, sr., Kendall Leveen, sr., Allison McGrath, jr., Kendall Reid, soph., Emma Schroer, sr.; Willowbrook: Grace Guthrie, jr., Shannon Jones, sr., Angela Klingelhoffer, soph., Kimberly Leon-Cervantes, sr., Diana Marin, sr., Victoria Palma, fr., Evelyn Yao, soph.; York: Bridget Berger, Erin Davies, soph., Elizabeth Hagstrom, sr., Erin Muckian, sr., Emily Siegenthaler, soph.
Scouting report: The western suburbs and girls cross country are as synonymous as pancakes and syrup. With the season beginning in earnest this weekend, the area is once again blessed with extraordinary talent. Naperville North had a milestone in more ways than one last year. Making their 25th consecutive state finals appearance at Detweiller Park in Peoria, the Huskies had three all-staters to earn the fifth state championship during the 19-year reign of coach Dan Iverson. Naperville North will be prohibitive favorites to retain its title as the program is ranked No. 2 in the nation, according to the authoritative website dyestat.com. Pendergast and Hamilton will be the twin engines this year. The Huskies' leaders were not only all-state in cross country last year but also garnered state championships in track and field in May. But the season also begins with an element of uncertainty.
For the second time in the last three years, Glenbard West crowned the individual Class 3A champion in Graham. Naperville North eked past Palatine and the Hilltoppers last year to deny Glenbard West its second straight state championship. Graham, however, has been plagued by a nagging foot injury that forced her to miss the end of the track season last spring. Graham ran the fastest 3,200-meter time in the nation last year as a junior during indoor track season. Pendergast eased to the title at outdoor state in her absence. "I feel for (Graham) with the injuries," Pendergast said. "I really hope that she heals quickly. Illinois competition is going to take a hit if she's not in there."
"We want to race against the best," Iverson said. "(Graham) is an incredible athlete."
"It's very much up in the air right now," Glenbard West coach Paul Hass said of Graham coming back. "We're hopeful to get her back at some point in the season." It has become all too familiar refrain for Hass, who dealt with similar injury issues to former state champion Madeline Perez her senior year two years ago. But the two local powers will unquestionably be at the forefront of the state-championship discourse. Hamilton augments Pendergast in an ideal manner as the senior enters the fall full of confidence after anchoring the Huskies' 3,200-meter relay to a state championship last spring in track. Five of the Naperville North state veterans return this season in defense of its crown. The Huskies were able to overcome Glenbard West last fall, despite the latter having two girls in the top five.
"You're going to have to have stars to win a state title," Benet coach Scott Brooks said. "If I'm not mistaken Naperville North had three all-staters last year. Anyone with three all-staters has a chance."
Naperville North and Glenbard West are ranked first and third, respectively, to start the season.
"I'm looking forward to the year getting going," Iverson said. "It should be a lot of fun."
"I feel good about this group," Hass said. "We have a really strong senior class. We have no expectations other than we are going to work hard."
Hinsdale Central and Wheaton Warrenville South also figure to be major players this season.
"I'm sure Hinsdale Central is going to be great," Iverson said. "I'm sure Rob's team (WW South, coached by Rob Harvey) will be very good."
Hass has become more than customary to the wars in his conference. "It's like going through the ringer in the West Suburban Silver," Hass said. "It's never easy, that's for sure. I think Hinsdale Central looks exceptionally strong. I think York is going to be quite improved."
Downers North will also pose difficulties as Moravec is the reigning state runner-up at 800 meters in track. Hackbarth, the Downers South senior, turned back her city rival to win the title for the Mustangs last spring. Naperville Central and Neuqua Valley also seek return berths to the Class 3A finals this fall. All five members of the Redhawks who return this fall ran in the state finals last year.
"We have a really deep team this year," said Neuqua Valley junior Horn, the top returnee for the Wildcats. "We have a super strong pack. We push each other to do our best. We are all in the race together to accomplish our best." Neuqua Valley and its two sister schools, Waubonsie Valley and Metea Valley, join the DuPage Valley Conference this fall.
Metea Valley coach Eric Anerino feels he has the strongest team in program history behind returning state qualifier and 800-meter track state finalist Cast. Benet will once again be a favorite in the East Suburban Catholic Conference behind McCabe. "I think with a team with a lot of returnees, you would like to see them take that next step," Brooks said of the Redwings' desire to return to state for the first time in four years. "As a group, I would like to see us run better." Brooks has also been around the sport long enough to realize its peculiar nature is inescapable. "Making predictions with girls (cross country)-good luck," Brooks said."
"You never know what freshmen some teams might have until the season starts." In Class 2A Yorkville will attempt to become the first girls program to win five consecutive state championships this fall. But the limited number of Class 2A schools in the area all have state ambitions in some form or another. Montini senior Salzbrunn enters the season not only full of vigor but imbued with a strong pedigree after earning five state medals in track and field the last two years. Salzbrunn anchored the Broncos' 3,200 relay to a state title last May at Eastern Illinois after forging the top time for Montini at state cross the previous fall. "(The track state championship) gave the girls (Makowski and Wiedacher were also on the relay), myself included, greater confidence," Salzbrunn said. "We have some girls who are ready to step up. I know my girls are capable of so much more. Top 10 (at state) as a team would be fantastic."
Wheaton Academy and Glenbard South also have multiple athletes returning this fall in repeat bids for the Class 2A meet.
Key dates: Sept. 5, Hornet-Red Devil Invitational; Sept. 5, Fenton Early Bird; Sept. 12, Peoria Woodruff Invitational; Sept. 19, Peoria Notre Dame Invitational; Sept. 25, Naperville Invitational; Sept. 26, Palatine Invitational; Oct. 3, Wheaton North Falcon Classic; Oct. 3, Peoria Central Invitational; Oct. 3, Lockport Invitational; Oct. 10, West Aurora Stampede; Oct. 10, Lake Park Braus Invitational; Oct. 11, Nike North Side-South Side Challenge; Oct. 16-17, Conference meets.