Batavia

Coach: Chad Hillman

Top runners: Avery Hacker, jr.; Madeline Cassidy, sr.; Gwendolyn Krodel, jr.; Claire Deppe, jr.; Chloe Kammes, sr.; Halle Hillman, so.; Sara Wolfe, so.

Worth noting: The Bulldogs are coming off a fifth-place finish at the Class 3A state meet, their best finish since taking fourth back in 2019, and are hoping that returning six of their top seven from that team can get them further up the leader board. Hacker (eighth at state last season) and Cassidy (21st) both earned All-State honors last season, while Krodel, Deppe and Kammes also back after rounding out the scoring team at state. And with promising sophomores like Hillman and Wolf rounding out the squad, Chad Hillman is excited about the team’s chances of potentially coming home with a state trophy this year. “Our goal is always to improve from one season to the next,” Chad Hillman said. “Each team is different and has to find a way to truly become a team in order to be the best we can be. Most of our girls have worked very hard this summer to be the best they can be and we look forward to seeing where that takes us.”

Burlington Central

Coach: Vince Neil

Top runners: Emie Davis, sr.; Callie Pflug, so.; Julia Haacker, so.; Val Klassy, so.; Lydia Rickard, jr.; Liz Alvarez, sr.; Hailey Romano, fr.; Addison Davis, fr.; Ashlyn Niecko

Worth noting: Davis finished 25th in the FVC meet last fall, and the Rockets will rely on her leadership. “She will be vitally important to keeping the girls racing together as a group and keeping the young ladies accountable with their training,” Neil said. Romano and Davis were middle school state qualifiers last fall, while Davis was the Class 3A 800 middle school state champion. Niecko has been a soccer player at Central. “This year will be a transition year for us, as we will make the jump to (Class) 3A,” Neil said. “This group of ladies on paper should be one of the most competitive teams that we have had in a few years. We have to stay healthy, train and compete as a unit of seven girls, support each other and not be afraid to get after it. We plan to race strong this fall and continue to improve so we are running our best by the end of the year. ”

- Joe Aguilar

Geneva

Coach: Beth Morrison

Top runners: Sofia Borter, sr.; Taylor Peahl, sr.; Gretchen Drexler, sr.; Lucy Chrusciel, sr.

Worth noting: The Vikings enter the season boasting plenty of experience on the roster, with none of their top seven from the sectional meet graduating. Borter will be looking to qualify for her fourth state meet after taking a personal-best 51st place at Detwiler Park last season. “The girls have had a strong summer of training,” Morrison said. “They are committed, motivated, and hardworking. They have been doing a great job of pushing themselves to keep training harder, which in turn has motivated their teammates to work harder themselves.”

Kaneland

Coach: Doug Ecker

Top runners: Danielle Bower, sr.; Graycen Cole, sr.; Macey Jug, fr.

Worth noting: The Knights lost a huge group of athletes having had 12 seniors last year. With three incoming freshmen the Knights still will only have seven athletes overall. “Our focus will be on individual development and concentrating on keeping all seven healthy throughout the year,” Ecker said. Jug had success in seventh and eighth grade and should fit in nicely with seniors Bower and Cole.

- Chris Walker

St. Charles East

Coach: Bradley Kaplan

Top runners: Adley Wilson, so.; Nicole Mayer, jr.; Leah Sutherland, so.; Amalia Im, sr.; Ruby Garcia, jr.

Worth noting: The Saints return a young core led by Wilson, who qualified for the Class 3A state meet as a freshman and took 54th at the race. Mayer also returns to the team after being a part of the 4x400 team to earn All-State honors at the Class 3A state track and field meet in the spring. “We’re a young team who has put in a ton of work over the summer and are looking to run their best when it counts in the post season,” Kaplan said. “We’re excited to see where this team goes.”

St. Charles North

Coach: Shari Hayes

Top runners: Julia Rodney, jr.; Gwen Hobson, jr.; Kara Glenn, so.; Alyssa Oblak, jr.; Brooklyn Thompson, so.; Juliana Gonzalez, jr.

Worth noting: A team that has slowly but surely been on the rise, the North Stars will look to make another jump during the upcoming season. SCN returns five varsity runners to the roster, headlined by the junior duo of Rodney and Hobson up front. They’ll also add a promising newcomer to the roster in Glenn, who took 10th in the Class 3A state track and field 3,200-meter run as a freshman, to further bolster the roster. “This year, our primary goal is to continue building overall team strength and competitiveness,” Hayes said. “The girls have put in consistent, focused work over the summer and are entering the season with great energy and determination. We’re looking forward to seeing how that preparation translates into performance this fall.”

St. Francis

Coach: Jason Accardi

Top runners: Erin Hinsdale, jr.; Elena Mamminga, jr.; Margaret Andrzejewski, sr.

Worth noting: Coming off of a ninth-place finish as a team in the Class 2A state race, the Spartans will be looking to move further into the top 10 this season. St. Francis returns all five of its scorers from last year’s state race, headlined by the duo of Hinsdale and Mamminga, who took fourth and fifth, respectively, at state for All-State honors.