2025 Daily Journal Girls Cross Country All-Area Team

Shaw Local

First team

Rachel Imig, fr., Beecher: Imig had seven top-10 finishes, including four top-five finishes, in her freshman season. She placed fifth at the All-Area meet and was the River Valley Conference Champion. She ran a three-mile PR of 19:43.6 at the 47th Annual Patriot CX Invite.

Kelly O’Connor, sr., Herscher: O’Connor ended her high school career with her third straight trip to state, placing 22nd with a new PR of 17:42.3. She had 10 top-five finishes and placed first at the Trojan Cross Country Invitational and Pontiac Invite. She finished second at the All-Area and Illinois Central Eight Conference meets.

Sophie Venckauskas, sr., Herscher: In her third straight trip to state, Venckauskas finished 59th with a new PR of 18:36.2, shaving nearly a minute off her previous PR. She had six top-10 finishes on the season, including a fourth-place finish at the ICE Meet and sixth-place finishes at both All-Area and the 1A Bishop McNamara Regional.

Klarke Goranson, so., Manteno: Goranson became the first runner in Manteno history to earn multiple All-State selections while also leading the Panthers to the first team state appearance in school history. She placed 12th at the 1A State Championships (7:11.8) and finished first six times, including at the 1A Bishop McNamara Regional and the ICE and All-Area meets.

DeLanie Monroe, fr., Manteno: Monroe finished in the top 10 seven times as a major part of the Panthers’ state-qualifying team. She ran a PR of 19:52.3 at the Jimmy Daniels XC Invitational, placed fifth at the ICE Meet, eighth at All-Area and 10th at the 1A Bishop McNamara Regional.

Lyla Nevel, so., Manteno: Nevel had nine top-10 finishes, eight of which had her in the top five. She placed second at the Julian Urbina Memorial Invitational, was third at All-Area and the ICE Meet and fourth at the 1A Bishop McNamara Regional. She set a PR of 18:24.1 at the 1A State Championships, placing 42nd.

Second team

Maeve McDermott, Beecher

Ana Franceschini, Bishop McNamara

Nora Hyma, Bradley-Bourbonnais

Fay Houberg, Herscher

Olivia Zwirkoski, Manteno

Celeste Richards, Peotone

Honorable mention

Madison Smith, Beecher

Izzy Wilkey, Bishop McNamara

Makenzie Goodman, Bradley-Bourbonnais

Grace Johnson, Bradley-Bourbonnais