Ottawa

Coach: Dan Heaver (7th season)

Top returning runners: Grant Smithmeyer, sr.; Kaleb Nimke, sr.; Daniel Fisher, sr.; Luke Passwater, sr.; Atlas Brown, so.; Aries Brown, so.

Key newcomers: Andrew Wilson, jr.; Brody Maynard, fr.; Vinny Zuber, fr.; Connor Medina, fr.; Joey Hamer, fr.

Worth noting: The Pirates return five of their top seven from last season, giving them one of the deepest lineups in recent years. With a balanced mix of experience and youth, this year’s squad looks ready to compete for a long-awaited sectional berth. Veterans Atlas Brown, Aries Brown, Smithmeyer, Nimke and Fisher will anchor the team, while newcomers led by standout freshman Medina — who finished a solid 18th at the Morris Early Bird — are already making an impact. Passwater, Wilson, Maynard and Zuber will fight to be part of that top seven. “With depth and hungry veterans leading the way, the team is looking to make noise this fall,” Heaver said.

Streator

Coach: Devin Doty (1st season)

Top returning runners: Chase Lane, sr.; Gabe Guitterez, sr.; Trenton Studnicki, jr.

Key newcomers: Jack Rees, fr.; Avery Missel, fr.; Cooper Goluba, fr.

Worth noting: Doty said Lane has geared up for his senior year with significant offseason training, which paid off with posting an impressive time of 19:16 at the Morris Early Bird. Gutierrez also excelled at the event, achieving a personal-record clocking of 19:35. “We graduated several seniors last year, resulting in a smaller team this season,” Doty said. “However, the athletes we have are dedicated and show up ready to put in the effort at every practice. I’m thrilled to see the progress our talented runners will make as the season unfolds.”

Marquette

Coach: Mary Schiltz (2nd season)

Top returning runners: Mackinnley Thompson, jr.; Logan Leskanich, so.

Key newcomers: Joe Amicon, sr.; Shea Conner, jr.; Kaden Hauser, fr.; Mason Ferrario, fr.

Worth noting: Marquette has a roster of six, but lots of drive and enthusiasm, including Thompson, who finished 61st in 19:26 at the Morris Early Bird. “Our runners are very driven, and it’s been exciting to watch them develop in just the first couple of weeks of practice,” Schiltz said. “I am proud of each runners’ commitment and the progress they’ve already made, and I look forward to seeing their continued growth throughout the season.”

Seneca

Coach: Kim Foster (8th season)

Top returning runners: Jaxon Finch, sr.; Landon Hebel, jr.; Pierce Gilbertson, jr.; Nathan Aye, so.; Brady Fort, so.; Callum Wright, so.

Key newcomers: Kohl Feiner, so.; Chris Thompson, so.; Liam Baima, fr.; Gavin Coulombe, fr.; Alex Zyrdon, fr.

Worth noting: The Fighting Irish return all of their varsity runners from last season and have two new freshmen who are looking strong, according to Foster. “We may not have a 15- or 16-minute guy yet, but our top 5-6 will be running in a pack, and that should set us up nicely at a lot of meets this season”. Wright finished 53rd in 18:55 at the Morris Early Bird, while Fort and Hebel both ran career PRs. “Baima is going to challenge Callum and other varsity boys for a top-three position on the team. ... Zydron is another freshman who will hopefully be top-five on the varsity team this year. I’m excited to see how this team improves as the season progresses. They are very hard-working and dedicated.”

Sandwich

Coach: Brian Long (2nd season)

Top returners: Alex Walsh, sr.; AJ Parkison, sr.; Logan Trigg, so.; Nolan Minard, sr.; Lincoln Minard, so.

Key newcomer: Parker Eberle, jr.

Worth noting: The Indians have four of their top five back from a team that took second at the Kishwaukee River Conference Meet and fifth at sectionals. Walsh, Trigg and Parkison were 11th, 12th and 14th, respectively, at the KRC Meet last year. “We are looking forward to seeing our front four runners compete as a cohesive unit this season,” Long said. “Our collective goal overall is to manage a low split 1-4 and continue to develop our 5-7 so that they can narrow the time between the front four runners.”

— Josh Welge contributed to this report

Somonauk

Coach: Sam Freitag (4th season)

Top returners: Landin Stillwell, sr.; Gunnar Swenson, sr.; Dylan Jones, jr.; Daniel Shapiama, jr.; Aidan Wesson, jr.; Porter Snider, so.

Key newcomers: Caden Hamer, jr.; Raul Hernandez, so.; Isaac Noble, fr.

Worth noting: Stillwell is the reigning Times Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year after a state medal-winning 21st place in a personal-record time of 15 minutes, 15.7 seconds – 30 seconds better than his previous mark – to become the first Bobcats runner to capture all-state honors. Hamer looked impressive in the first meet of the season at Genoa, finishing ninth in 17:35, and teamed up with Stillwell to win the boys events at the Ottawa Nautical Mile Relays. “We have some new recruits this year ,which is really exciting,” Freitag said. “Our boys team is ever-growing, and they are looking forward to the new season.”

Newark

Coach: Ashley Monroe (1st season)

Top newcomers: Jameson Kelley, jr.; Austin Reibel, jr.; Teagan Britz, fr.

Worth noting: The Newark cross country team is new this year, made up of three boys. Monroe, a Wisconsin-Whitewater graduate who ran for one year at Batavia High School, is in her first year of teaching health and PE at Newark.