La Salle County Sports

5 to Watch: Catch these five area cross country runners this season ... if you can

Here are five of the area’s top cross country runners to keep an eye on this fall on area courses:

Austin Aldridge, Seneca, jr.

The La Salle County Invitational and Tri-County Conference Meet runner-up also scored a Class 1A State Finals berth last season for the Fighting Irish.

Austin Aldridge

Grace Carroll, Ottawa, sr.

The ace for the Pirates, Carroll as a junior was third at the La Salle County Invitational and qualified for the Class 2A IHSA State Finals.

Grace Carroll

Kody Danko, Streator, sr.

The Bulldogs ace was a Class 2A State Finals qualifier last season, also running to 11th at sectionals, fifth at regionals and third-place finishes in both the La Salle County Invitational and the Independents Meet.

Wyatt Miller, Sandwich, sr.

The top Indians runner from a year ago returns after placing 37th at the Class 1A State Finals. Miller also ran to third in regionals.

Evelyn O’Connor, Seneca-Newark, so.

The reigning Times Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2021 placed 44th at the Class 1A State Finals after being a sectional runner-up and champion at the regional, the La Salle County Invitational and the Tri-County Conference Meet.

J.T. Pedelty

J.T. Pedelty

J.T. is a graduate of Streator High School, Illinois Valley Community College and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale who is some 26 years into an award-winning sports journalism career and serves as a regional sports editor for Shaw Local Media and Friday Night Drive.