Northwest Herald 2021 girls cross country preview capsules

Crystal Lake South’s girls cross country team was left wondering what could have been after last season.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the IHSA’s postseason series consisted of regionals and sectionals, but no state meet.

Thus, the unofficial state meet became the il.milesplit.com’s ShaZam Championships run one week after the sectionals.

South’s Bella Gonzalez took eighth in the Division 2 girls race (Class 2A), but the Gators did not run as a team. Glenwood won that team title with 125 points, with Vernon Hills (127) and Grayslake Central (128) right behind.

South won the Lakes Sectional one week earlier with 71 points, ahead of Vernon Hills (85) and Fox Valley Conference champion Prairie Ridge (90). Lakes had 103 and Grayslake Central 118.

South graduated Emma Murphy, Chelsea Greene and Bianca Garay from that group, but Gonzalez is back to lead another strong team, with sophomore Abby Machesky and senior Addie Frisch, who usually ran second and third.

That South finished fourth in the FVC Meet, just 14 points behind Prairie Ridge, speaks to the conference’s competition level. Huntley (76) was second and Cary-Grove (82) was third.

Prairie Ridge returns most of its top runners, although junior Rylee Lydon, a Class 3A state champion in the 400 meters and runner-up in the high jump, is concentrating on track and field.

Still, the Wolves return Rachel Soukup, Colette Janik, Bridget Jewell, Sophie Robinson and Ali Klauser, who all were on their Class 2A third-place team in 2019. Soukup was FVC runner-up to Gonzalez.

Huntley returns six of its top eight runners and also should be a contender in the FVC.

In the Kishwaukee River Conference, champion Richmond-Burton graduated three of its top runners, but has Amanda Allport and Julia Hicks returning to lead the team.

Allport was the Rockets’ top runner most of the season and finished sixth in the KRC Meet; Hicks was 11th.

Fox Valley Conference

Burlington Central

Coach: Vince Neil (16th season)

Last season’s finish: Sixth in FVC Meet

Top returning runners: Corryn Kester, so.; Eli Kruse, jr.

Top new runners: Morgan Schmidt, jr.; Abby Burke, fr.; Teegan Cathcart, fr.; Olivia Sutton, fr.

Worth noting: Kester is coming off of a strong track season and took 18th at the FVC Cross Country Meet last season. … Neil thinks Schmidt will help the Rockets and a strong freshman class (Burke, Cathcart and Sutton) will add to the top seven runners.

Cary-Grove

Coach: Mark Anderson (21st season)

Last year’s finish: Third in FVC Meet

Top returning runners: Jocelyn Onstot, jr.; Juliana Ferrera, jr.

Top new runners: Georgia Boone, jr.; Kate Aniolkowski, so.

Worth noting: The Trojans will miss graduated Maggie Mason and Morgan Dieschbourg, their top two runners in most races for the past three seasons. … Onstot took 17th at the FVC Meet last year. … C-G drops to Class 2A, which Anderson thinks can give his team, or individuals, a better chance at reaching the state meet. … “We’re still learning a lot about training and racing, but are taking steps forward each week,” Anderson said.

Crystal Lake Central

Coach: Brett Willhoit (seventh season)

Last season’s record: Seventh in FVC Meet

Top returning runners: Annier Ferrero, jr.; Grace Brickey, jr.; Emma Macke, so.; Hope Ferrero, so.; Grace Moore, jr.

Top new runners: Hadley Ferrero, fr.; Brynn Matthaei, fr.

Worth noting: Annie Ferrero took sixth in the FVC Meet and was a Northwest Herald All-Area second-team selection. … “We are hoping to continue building on our postseason success, while still being cognizant that we are only promised today and take nothing for granted,” Willhoit said.

Crystal Lake South

Coach: Ken Greenfield (11th season)

Last season’s finish: Fourth in FVC Meet

Top returning runners: Bella Gonzalez, jr.; Abby Machesky, so.; Addie Frisch, sr.; Gianna Pinta, jr.; Elise Gorman, sr.; Anna McDermott, jr.

Top new runners: Olivia Pinta, fr.; Victoria Pinta, fr.

Worth noting: The Gators return five of their top eight runners, led by their top three (Gonzalez, Machesky and Frisch), from a Class 2A sectional champion. … Gonzalez won every race until the Lakes Sectional, where she finished third. Machesky burst upon the varsity scene and continued thriving throughout the season. … South will miss the competitiveness of graduated Emma Murphy, Chelsea Greene and Bianca Garay, but Greenfield hopes some younger runners can match their abiilty to run in big meets.

Hampshire

Coach: Ryan Hollister (third season)

Last season’s finish: 10th at FVC Meet

Top returning runners: Cortney Kriens, sr.; Grace Murphy, jr.; Emma Johnson, sr.; Gillian Bangert, so.; Masuma Moosvi, so.

Top new runners: Naomi Jones, sr.; Hannah Jones, fr.; Kassidy Papa, fr.

Worth noting: Hollister likes the tone Kriens set with her summer workouts after qualifying for sectional as an individual the last two years. … Hampshire moves up to Class 3A this season, to the postseason will be even more of a challenge. … The Whip-Purs have their top seven runners from last year returning.

Huntley

Coach: Matt Kaplan (fourth season)

Last season’s finish: Second in FVC Meet

Top returning runners: Breanna Burak, jr.; Brittney Burak, jr.; Molly Allen, jr.; Genevieve Collatz, sr.; Ava Allison, so.

Top new runners: Katelyn Engling, fr.; Ava Berardi, fr.; Mackenzie Billard, fr.

Worth noting: Six of the eight top Red Raiders return from the FVC runner-up team (by two points), led by their top four (the Burak twins, Allen and Collatz). All four finished in the top 20 at the FVC Meet. … Breanna Burak was seventh in the FVC Meet and an All-Area second-team selection. … “Our team is looking forward to returning to the regular season of (invitational) meets that were canceled last year (because of the COVID-19 pandemic),” Kaplan said. “With much of the team returning, this group looks to have another successful run when we get to the postseason.”

Jacobs

Coach: Kevin Christian (15th season)

Last season’s finish: Fifth in FVC Meet

Top returning runners: Kelly Carpenter, sr.; Elisabeth Kania, sr.; Avery Mason, sr.; Ella Tamburrino, sr.; Addie Gorman, jr.; Alyssa Madera, jr.; Natali Varela, jr.

Top new runners: Bailey Schwartz, fr.; Natalia Maciorowski, jr.; Christina Beyer, jr.; Madeline Osmanski, so.

Worth noting: Carpenter took third in the FVC Meet and was an All-Area first-team selection. Kania was 11th in the FVC Meet. … “Kelly Carpenter has taken another big leap in times this summer with her workouts and we are expecting big things,” Christian said. “Kania, Mason and Tamburrino put in tremendous summers and are looking to improve.”

McHenry

Coach: Kevin Horst (sixth season)

Last season’s finish: Sixth in FVC Meet

Top returning runners: Danielle Jensen, so.; Lydia Zancho, sr.; Alyssa Moore, jr.; Lynda Rotundo, jr.; Emma Keesey, sr.

Top new runners: Skyler Balzer, so.; Lauren Blake, fr.

Worth noting: Jensen was eighth and Moore was 15th in the FVC Meet. … Zancho battled injuries last season, but had been one of the top FVC runners as a sophomore before she was injured. … “This is a solid group that has potential to compete with the top tier of teams in the area,” Horst said. “They have great leadership from the upperclassmen and a strong team bond. Danielle Jensen, in particular, has been putting in the work and is on a mission.”

Prairie Ridge

Coach: Kelly MacDonald (20th season)

Last year’s finish: FVC champion

Top returning athletes: Rachel Soukup, jr.; Colette Janik, sr.; Bridget Jewell, sr.; Olivia McPherson, so.; Sophie Robinson, sr.; Ali Klauser, sr.; Addison Taege, so.; Leah Walters, sr.

Top new runners: Lydia Jesen, fr.; Katie Jewell, fr.; Nella Robinson, fr.

Worth noting: Prairie Ridge had back-to-back third-place finishes in the Class 2A State Meet in 2018 and 2019. Another trophy is not out of the question for the Wolves, who return most of their top runners. … Soukup was FVC runner-up and an All-Area first-team pick. Janik and Jewell also placed in the top 20 in conference. … Rylee Lydon took 10th in the FVC Meet, but is now concentrating on training for track and field. She won the Class 3A 400 and was runner-up in the high jump at the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet. … “We have a strong group of girls who really want to improve and have worked hard to get there,” MacDonald said. “Hopefully our depth will help us to remain competitive with the top teams in the FVC.”

Kishwaukee River Conference

Harvard

Coach: Jeff Koza (second season)

Last year’s finish: Did not have full team for KRC Meet.

Top returning runners: Christina Koleno, jr.

Worth noting: Koza hopes Koleno can build off of her strong track season into this fall.

Johnsburg

Coach: Chris Setzler (26th season).

Top returning runners: Harley Anderson, sr.; Atty Klein, sr.; Caitlyn Casella, so.; Jill Meyer, so.

Top new runners: Ava Jablonski, fr.; Giada Miraldi, fr.

Worth noting: Setzler is excited that the Skyhawks will have a full girls team this year and its prospects in the KRC.

Marengo

Coach: Kim Hoffmeister (third season)

Last year’s finish: Fourth in KRC Meet

Top returning runners: Ruby Escorza, sr.; Lauren Snelgrove, sr.; Jordan Brogdan, jr.

Top new runners: Nikole Czepczynski, fr.; Anna Kunzer, so.; Lilly Kunzer, so.

Worth noting: Escorza finished 13th in the KRC Meet. … Hoffmeister feels it will be one of the better teams Marengo has had in a while, although she is still looking for more depth. … “The first week was a good start, lots of hard work and positive attitudes,” Hoffmeister said.

Richmond-Burton

Coach: Ryan Carlson (sixth season)

Last season’s finish: KRC champion

Top returning runners: Amanda Allport, sr.; Julia Hicks, so.

Top new runners: Alexis Buntenbach, fr.; Jasmine McCaskel, so.; Alexia Spatz, fr.

Worth noting: R-B put its five scoring runners in the top 11 to win the KRC Meet. Allport (sixth) and Hicks (11th) return to lead this year’s team. … Allport ran well early in the year, but an injury slowed her later in the year. Still, she finished well in the conference race. … “There is a talented, young group of runners who will be racing withher as we challenge for the KRC championship,” Carlson said.

Woodstock

Coach: Jay Fuller (eighth season)

Last season’s finish: Second in KRC Meet

Top returning runners: Maggie Adams, so.; Grace Topf, so.; Ireland Dunnett, sr.; Aby Smith, jr.

Top new runners: Ariel Villavicencio, so.; Keira Bogott, fr.; Maddy Flannery, so.; Emma Meiners, jr.; Kathleen Thomas, jr.; Brooke Kashmier, so.

Worth noting: Adams was fifth, Dunnett was 12th and Smith was 15th in the KRC Meet. Fuller likes what he’s seen from Dunnett leading the team as a senior in the summer workouts.

Woodstock North

Coach: Cas Creighton (ninth season)

Last year’s finish: Third in KRC Meet

Top returning runners: Hannah Pittman, jr.; Hailey Drach, so.; Jasmine Guzman, jr.

Top new runners: Meadow Dodge, fr.; Stella Splendoria, fr.; Skylar Lee, fr.; Maddie Mock, fr.

Worth noting: Pittman took second in the KRC Meet and returns to lead the Thunder. … “I’m excited to have a great freshman group join us this year,” Creighton said. “Our team is still small, but these girls have brought hard work and dedication to this summer. The future is definitely bright for them.”

East Suburban Catholic Conference

Marian Central

Coach: Tony Enright (first season)

Last year’s finish: Did not have full team in ESCC Meet.

Top new runners: Gianna Stahl, fr.; Stephanie Schaefer, fr.

Worth noting: There are no returning girls varsity runners for the Hurricanes. … Enright appreciates the character and spirit of the athletes and hopes to see them progress with every race.