2025 Daily Journal Boys Cross Country All-Area Team

First team

Justice Provost, sr., Bishop McNamara: Despite battling injuries throughout the season, Provost returned to run a 5,000-meter PR at the Class 1A Lisle Sectional (18:53.1) to help the Fightin’ Irish advance to state for the first time since 2015. He won the Julian Urbina Memorial Invitational with a three-mile PR of 16:16.1 and placed fourth at All-City.

Kyler Savini, so., Bradley-Bourbonnais: The 2025 All-Area champ and a Class 3A state qualifier, Savini ran a PR of 15:29.26 at the Normal Community Sectional to punch his ticket to state. He had eight top-10 finishes on the year, including seventh place at the Southwest Suburban Conference Championship and eighth place at the Lincoln-Way Central Regional.

Isaiah Sharda, sr., Bradley-Bourbonnais: Sharda had a pair of top-10 finishes on the season, placing sixth All-City (2.5-mile time of 14:10.96) and ninth at the Tinley Park Tollfree Farley Invite (three-mile time of 16:53.00). He ran a PR time of 16:15.40 at the Lincoln-Way Central Regional, placing 27th overall.

Evan Benoit, fr., Herscher: Benoit had nine top-10 finishes in his first high school season and qualified for the Class 1A State Championships, where he set a PR of 15:45.3. He placed second at both the Trojan Cross Country meet and the Illinois Central Eight Conference Meet and third at the Seneca Twilight in the Woods and All-Area meets.

Jackson Kruse, jr., Herscher: Kruse placed in the top 10 six times this season, including third at the Illinois Central Eight Conference Meet, fourth at the 1A Bishop McNamara Regional and sixth at both the Lisle Sectional and All-Area meet. At the Class 1A State Championships, he posted a new PR of 15:52.5.

Jeremy Szepelak, sr., Herscher: A 20th-place finish at the Class 1A State Championships earned Szepelak All-State honors. He ran a PR of 15:10.7 to close out his high school career. He won the Illinois Central Eight Conference title, placed second at the Herscher Invite, All-Area meet and Bishop McNamara Regional, and third at the Lisle Sectional. He had 10 top-10 finishes overall.