2023 NewsTribune Boys Cross Country All-Area Team

Anthony Kelson, jr., Mendota: The 2023 NewsTribune Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year was at the front of the pack all season. He won the Princeton, Kewanee and La Salle County invitationals and placed third at the Three Rivers Conference Meet. In the postseason, he placed fourth in the Class 1A Seneca Regional (18:01.3) and 10th in the Oregon Sectional (16:57.94) to earn a return trip to state. Kelson placed 57th at state in 15:53.9.

Adam Kasperski, jr., La Salle-Peru: Kasperki led the Cavaliers this season, placing top 10 at the Princeton, Plano and La Salle County invitationals. In the postseason, he placed 25th in the Class 2A Metamora Regional (16:58.2) to advance to the Geneseo Sectional. He capped his season with an 83rd-place finish in the sectional (17:48.2).

Caleb Krischel, jr., Fieldcrest: Krischel had another strong season for the Knights. He won the Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson Invite and placed top 10 in Seneca’s Twilight in the Woods and Princeton’s Gary Coates invitationals along with seventh in the Heart of Illinois Conference Meet. He was 18th in the Peoria Notre Dame Regional (17:52.9) and 33rd at the Elmwood Sectional (16:19.65).

Dagen Setchell, sr., Mendota: Setchell was never far behind teammate Anthony Kelson, the NT Runner of the Year. Setchell placed second at the La Salle County Invite, eighth in the Three Rivers Conference Meet and ninth at Princeton’s Gary Coates Invitational. Setchell finished ninth in the Class 1A Seneca Regional (18:52.6) and 43rd in the Oregon Sectional (18:08.36).

Augustus Swanson, jr., Princeton: Swanson turned in another solid season as he once again advanced to a sectional. He placed eighth in the Class 1A Seneca Regional (18:38.8) to move on to the Oregon Sectional where he placed 32nd in 17:48.58. Swanson was sixth at Princeton’s Gary Coates Invitational and 15th at the Three Rivers Conference Meet.