Youth dominated the Daily Chronicle 2024 Girls Cross Country All-Area Team, with only one senior on the first team.

Sycamore junior Layla Janisch ran back-to-back personal records to close the cross country season, peaking with an 18:34.9 at the state championship to take 61st in her first trip to the finale in Peoria.

DeKalb's Jacob Barraza and Kaneland's Evan Nosek and Carson Kaiser medaled at the state cross country on Saturday, while Sycamore's Layla Janisch posted one of the best state times in school history.

DeKalb's Jacob Barraza is the lone Class 3A entrant from the Daily Chronicle area at Saturday's state cross country meet. Sycamore and Kaneland qualified their boys teams for the 2A race and Spartan junior Layla Janisch will compete on the 2A girls side.

DeKalb's Jacob Barraza ran a personal record time in holding off Wheaton Warrenville South's Josiah Narayanan as boys champion, York swept the boys and girls team titles, York freshman Karlin Janowski won the girls race and Batavia boys and girls were second at Lake Park.

A look at the runners who qualified for the IHSA state cross country meet, including sectional champions Jacob Barraza (DeKalb) and Evan Nosek (Kaneland).

Carson Kaiser is wise beyond his years. The Kaneland freshman has fit in wonderfully at the Maple Park school and was a key reason why the Knights were able to hold off runner-up Dixon and the rest of the field during Saturday’s Class 2A Kaneland boys cross country sectional.

Lucas stayed in stride with senior teammate Olivia Pinta during Saturday’s Class 2A Kaneland sectional as the duo finished in the top 15 to lead the Gators to second place.

Benet Academy's Finn Richards outpaced Kaneland's Evan Nosek to win the boys race, and Delilah Helenhouse cruised to an easy win in the girls race at the Larry Eddington Invitational.