2022 Northwest Herald girls cross country team preview capsules

Crystal Lake Central's Hadley Ferrero heads for the finish line to place second during the girls Class 2A Woodstock North XC Sectional at Emricson Park on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021 in Woodstock.

The 2022 McHenry County area girls cross country season may look a lot like the 2021 season.

Of the 20 runners named to the Northwest Herald All-Area team (five first team, five second and 10 honorable mention), 16 return this fall, including all five of the first-team selections.

Six Fox Valley Conference girls earned Class 2A All-State honors, finishing in the top 25, meaning Crystal Lake South’s Addie Frisch (who graduated) was All-State and unable to crack the five-runner All-Area first team.

Crystal Lake Central sophomore Hadley Ferrero, the Runner of the Year, took fourth in state and leads the deep, talented bunch of athletes back this fall. Prairie Ridge’s Rachel Soukup, Crystal Lake South’s Bella Gonzalez and Abby Machesky and Cary-Grove’s Jocelyn Onstot comprised the All-Area first team and were Class 2A All-Staters.

South won the Woodstock North Sectional the week before state, holding off Grayslake Central and Vernon Hills. At Peoria’s Detweiller Park, Grayslake Central won with 148 points, followed by South (162) and Vernon Hills (165).

Although Frisch is gone, the Gators have Colette Bacidore, an All-Area honorable mention, along with several other strong runners returning.

Central also was young and returns its top seven runners. Prairie Ridge always has a formidable team and Huntley, led by twins Breanna and Brittney Burak, along with Molly Allen, advanced to the Class 3A State Meet. The Buraks and Allen have been team leaders for three years.

Woodstock, the Kishwaukee River Conference champion, returns several of its top runners, but two of them, Maggie Adams (ACL) and Keira Bogott (broken leg) spent the offseason recovering from injuries.

Blue Streaks coach Jay Fuller expects them back at some point and hopes the Streaks can make another run for a conference title.

FOX VALLEY CONFERENCE

Burlington Central

Coach: Vince Neil (18th season).

Last year’s finish: Eighth in FVC Meet.

Top returning runners: Abby Burke, so.; Teagan Cathcart, so.; Corryn Kester, jr.

Top new runners: Emie Davis, fr.; Aanya Vyas, fr.; Carmie Winkelhake, fr.; Ivy Didomenico, fr.

Worth noting: The Rockets are really young and Neil thinks they will continue improving every week. … “Abby Burke and Teagan Cathcart had a great summer of training and will be essential to the outcome of this team,” Neil said. “Look for this team to come together during the heart of the championship portion of the season.”

Cary-Grove

Coach: Mark Anderson (22nd season).

Last year’s finish: Sixth in FVC Meet.

Top returning runners: Jocelyn Onstot, sr.; Julianna Ferrara sr.; Ada Saletni, sr.; Georgia Boone, sr.; Kate Aniolkowski, jr.

Top new runners: Alissa Penrod, fr.; Addie Penrod, fr.; Molly Starr, fr.

Worth noting: Onstot was outstanding from start to finish last season, earning Class 2A All-State honors. She returns to lead a Trojans team which Anderson appreciates. … “It is a senior-heavy group that has a positive attitude, good work ethic and has the goal to end the season at the 2A state meet,” Anderson said.

Crystal Lake Central

Coach: Brett Willhoit (eighth season).

Last year’s finish: Third in FVC Meet.

Top returning runners: Hadley Ferrero, so.; Brynn Matthaei, so.; Annie Ferrero, sr.; Emma Macke, jr.; Addison Bechler, so.; Gwyneth Brickey, sr.; Hope Ferrero, jr.

Top new runners: Jacqueline Orvis, fr.; Molly Sterzik, fr.

Worth noting: Hadley Ferrero dominated a strong running conference and returns along with the Tigers’ other six top runners, two of whom (senior Annie and junior Hope) are her sisters. … Hadley Ferrero was the 2021 Northwest Herald Runner of the Year, while Annie Ferrero and Matthei received honorable-mention status. Macke and Bechler also were All-FVC runners (top 21). … “We hope to be competitive and challenge for a conference title,” Willhoit said. “However, the girls side of the FVC remains super-competitive with a lot of top teams and individuals. It will be another exciting season in the FVC with some great racing.”

Crystal Lake South

Coach: Ken Greenfield (12th season).

Last year’s finish: FVC champion (second in Class 2A State Meet).

Top returning runners: Bella Gonzalez, sr.; Abby Machesky, jr.; Colette Bacidore, jr.; Gianna Pinta, sr.; Anna McDermott, sr.; Brie James, jr.; Olivia Pinta, so.; Victoria Pina, so.

Top new runners: Kelsey Kos, fr.; Natalie Olague, fr.; Katie Lorenz, sr.

Worth noting: Greenfield calls Gonzalez a “model of consistency” as she has been an All-Area first-team selection three years. She finished ninth in the Class 2A State Meet to lead the Gators to second place. … Machesky joined Gonzalez on the first team the last two years and was 15th in the state meet. … Bacidore and Gianna Pinta were in the top seven last year. James and the sophomore Pinta twins will look to fill out the top seven. … Greenfield also sees Lorenz, who moved back from Indiana, as a possible runner to crack the lineup. … “I don’t even know what the future holds for our team, much less trying to predict what others will look like,” Greenfield said. “Having said that, I’d be surprised if the FVC isn’t balanced and full of competitive teams. I’d also be shocked if our sectional isn’t the toughest in the state. Nothing is going to be easy.”

Dundee-Crown

Coach: Ron Delarmente (fifth season).

Last year’s finish: 10th in FVC Meet.

Top returning runner: Kaylee Brodie, sr.

Worth noting: Brodie had a strong and healthy summer of running and Delarmente hopes she can break out this season and realize the potential she showed early in her career.

Hampshire

Coach: Ryan Hollister (fourth season).

Last year’s finish: Ninth in FVC Meet.

Top returning runners: Kassidy Papa, so.; Hannah Jones, so.; Gillian Bangert, jr.; Rylie Wilson, so.; Liv Carroll, sr.; Genevieve Bangert, sr.

Top new runners: Annabelle Haskins, fr.; Alyssa Garcia, fr.; Hudson Szymonik, so.; Grace Harris, sr.; Ella Perone, jr.

Worth noting: Hollister is impressed with the new runners joining the team. Haskins, Garcia and Szymonik took the top three spots in the Whip-Purs’ summer time trials, so Hampshire hopes it can move up in the FVC Meet.

Huntley

Coach: Matt Kaplan (fifth season).

Last year’s finish: Fourth in FVC Meet.

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

Top new runners: Madelyn Stien, so.; Gabby Sweeney, fr.; Izzy Ciesla, fr.

Worth noting: Huntley should again be among the top FVC teams as the Burak twins and Molly Allen enter their fourth varsity season. Those three finished in the top 12 at the FVC Meet. Breanna Burak and Allen were All-Area second-team runners, while Brittney Burak was an honorable mention. … Huntley qualified for the Class 3A State Meet as a team. … Allison was a strong runner and Kaplan expects her to be in the top five. … Stien, Berardi and Williams could be three others who are in the Red Raiders’ top seven. … “Overall this group has a strong returning core and our top three runners look to guide the team to another successful post season run,” Kaplan said.

Jacobs

Coach: Kevin Christian (16th season).

Last year’s finish: Second in FVC Meet.

Top returning runners: Bailey Schwartz, so.; Natalia Maciorowski, sr.; Natali Varela, sr.

Top new runners: Kathleen Kania, so.; Madeline Osmanski, jr.; Christina Beyer, sr.; Addie Gorman, sr.; Alyssa Madera, sr.

Worth noting: Kelly Carpenter, an All-Area second-team pick, and Elisabeth Kania, an honorable mention, were the biggest graduation losses. Schwartz was also an honorable-mention selection and took ninth in the FVC Meet. … The Golden Eagles qualified for the Class 3A State Meet as a team. … Christian sees Schwartz as their bona fide No. 1 runner, but said Maciorowski has shown tremendous improvement and should be the No. 2. … Kathleen Kania and Osmanski have looked good in workouts and Christian expects Gorman to figure into the scoring as well. … “This group has turned what could have been a down season into what will be a solid team in the FVC,” he said.

McHenry

Coach: Kevin Horst (seventh season).

Last year’s finish: Fifth in FVC Meet.

Top returning runners: Danielle Jensen, jr.; Alyssa Moore, sr.; Lynda Rotundo, sr.; Skylar Balzer, jr.; Haley Oeffling, sr.

Top new runners: Nina Dubois, jr.; Lauren Blake, so.

Worth noting: McHenry enters the season with high hopes, led by Jensen and Moore, who finished fifth and 10th in the FVC Meet. Jensen was an All-Area second-team pick; Moore was an honorable-mention selection. … “We have ambitious goals for 2022: Compete for the FVC title and qualify for the (Class 3A) state championships as a team for the first time in school history,” Horst said. “Our top four of Jensen, Moore, Rotundo, and Balzer have been very dedicated over the summer and are ready to roll. Our team success will depend on finding those (Nos.) 5-7 runners.”

Prairie Ridge's Rachel Soukup heads for the finish line to place seventh during the girls Class 2A Woodstock North XC Sectional at Emricson Park on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021 in Woodstock.

Prairie Ridge

Coach: Kelly MacDonald (28th season).

Last year’s finish: Seventh in FVC Meet.

Top returning runners: Rachel Soukup, sr.; Olivia McPherson, jr.; Alexis Soukup, sr.; Nella Robinson, so.; Lydia Jensen, so.; McKenna Moore, so.; Faith Wilder, jr.; Ali Storz, jr.

Top new runners: Ava Baker, fr.; Marta McCarty, fr.; Brenna Benjamin, fr.; Ellie Schmidt, so.

Worth noting: Rachel Soukup has been a mainstay for the Wolves for three years and finished seventh in the Class 2A State Meet. Soukup missed the FVC Meet with an injury, which attributed to the Wolves not finishing higher. … Soukup has twice been an All-Area first-team runner and McPherson was an honorable-mention selection. … “Olivia had a great track season and I am excited to see where that takes her in cross country,” MacDonald said. “Rachel is always strong. There are a lot of question marks on this team. It will be exciting to see how this group bonds and how they will respond to the large turnover on the team.”

KISHWAUKEE RIVER CONFERENCE

Harvard

Coach: Jeff Koza (fourth season).

Last year’s finish: No team score in KRC Meet.

Top returning runners: Christina Koleno, sr.

Top new runners: Emily Ocampo Figueroa, so.

Worth noting: Koleno ran a leg on the Hornets’ 4x400 KRC champion team in the track season. Koza said she has high expectations and should be an All-KRC runner again this season.

Johnsburg

Coach: Chris Setzler (27th season).

Last year’s finish: Third in KRC Meet.

Top returning runners: Ava Jablonski, so.; Giada Miraldi, so.; Ellie Bauer, sr.; Caitlyn Casella, jr.

Top new runners: Jolene Cashmore, sr.; Elizabeth Smith, fr.

Worth noting: Jablonski was fifth and Miraldi was 11th in the KRC Meet last season. … Cashmore won the KRC 1,600 and 3,200 titles in track and qualified for the Class 2A State Meet in the 3,200. Smith was an IESA state qualifier last year in eighth grade, so those two along with Jablonski and Miraldi give the Skyhawks a solid top group. … Casella was KRC 100 and 200 champion. … “The girls look to be strong with Cashmore and Smith and our returning All-Conference girls,” Setzler said. “We want to qualify for the Class 1A State Meet. The first few meets will be fun as we test ourselves with 2A and 3A competition.”

Marengo

Coach: Kim Hoffmeister (fourth season).

Last year’s finish: Fifth in KRC Meet.

Top returning runners: Nikole Czepczynski, so.; Jordan Brogdon, sr.; Anna Kunzer, jr.

Worth noting: While the numbers are low for the team, Hoffmeister is encouraged by what she saw from Czepczynski and Brogdon during the track and field season.

Richmond-Burton

Coach: Ryan Carlson (seventh season).

Last year’s finish: Fourth in KRC Meet.

Top returning runners: Alexia Spatz, so.; Camila Mendez, sr.; Lahey O’Connor, jr.

Top new runners: Emerson Wold, fr.; Savannah Wells, fr.; Olivia Popp, fr.

Worth noting: Carlson said the girls had a strong summer of workouts and expects some stark improvements this season. … The freshmen additions also should provide a boost for the Rockets. … Spatz qualified for the Class 1A State Meet as a freshman.

Woodstock

Coach: Jay Fuller (ninth season).

Last year’s finish: KRC champion.

Top returning runners: Maggie Adams, jr.; Keira Bogott, so.; Ariel Villavicencio, jr.; Aby Smith, sr.; Emma Meiners, sr.; Anna Wickersheim, so.; Brooke Kashmier, jr.; Grace Topf, jr.

Top new runners: Lilly Novelle, so.; Sophie Sarabia, fr.; Mia Huicochea, fr.; Anna Crenshaw, jr.

Worth noting: Adams and Bogott finished 1-2 in the KRC Meet, but Adams suffered a torn ACL in basketball and Bogott had her offseason work limited by a broken leg. Bogott was recently cleared to return to running. Adams hopes to return later in the season. … Villavicencio was an All-KRC runner last season. … “Our goal is to compete for the KRC championship and qualify for sectionals,” Fuller said.

Woodstock North

Coach: Cas Creighton (10th season).

Last year’s finish: Second in KRC Meet.

Top returning runners: Stella Splendoria, so.; Hannah Pittman, sr.; Meadow Dodge, so.; Maddie Mock, so.; Hailey Drach, jr.; Skylar Lee, so.

Worth noting: Pittman has been one of the KRC’s top runners for three seasons. … Creighton likes what she saw from the team in summer workouts. “Their dedication was amazing,” she said. “It’s great to have a young group of girls that are self-motivating. If they weren’t at practice, they were logging their runs and holding themselves accountable.”

INDEPENDENT

Marian Central

Coach: Tony Enright (second season).

Last year’s finish: Did not have team in East Suburban Catholic Conference Meet.

Top returning runners: Gianna Stahl, jr.

Top new runners: Carla Rubio, fr.

Worth noting: With a mostly new team, Enright hopes the Hurricanes can reach weekly goals.