2025 Detweiller At Dark Preview

This article is written by Interns James O'Sullivan and Mateo Ramiro Garcia.

This meet marks the first major event of the Illinois cross country season and brings some of the brightest stars to the historic Detweiller State Course. With six races filled with statewide talent, this meet always delivers electrifying moments that set the tone for the upcoming season. This year should be no different, as there is a loaded field of competitors you won’t want to miss.

High School Boys – Individuals

The favorite coming into this race has to be Jameson Tenopir of Cary-Grove, who is seeking redemption after suffering a narrow one-second defeat in last year’s rendition. He is coming off a strong track season, where he ran a personal best of 4:13 in the 1600 and placed 4th in the 3A State 1600.

However, he will have company up front. Gillespie’s Chaz Obkerfell will look to make an early season statement after a dominant win in the 1A Cross Country State Meet, where he ran 14:31. Three other top-10 finishers from last year’s Detweiller at Dark will return and should be in contention. Cuyler Swanson of Morris was just 10 seconds behind Tenopir last year. He placed 4th in both the 2A Cross Country State Meet and the 2A State 3200, where he ran 14:36 and 9:26, respectively.

Ellery Shutt of Woodstock, who finished 9th at both this meet and the 2A State Meet with a 14:42, will also be in the hunt. Don’t count out Caleb Mathias of Champaign Central, who placed 7th last year and boasts a 9:19 PR in the 3200 from the track season.

Another major contender is superstar youngster Karanveer Patil, who set the all-time Illinois freshman 3-mile record (14:30) at Detweiller Park and finished 21st in Class 3A. Liam Bettis, an incoming junior from Taylorville, will also look to make his mark after running 4:18 and 9:14 during an impressive sophomore track season.

The superstar duo of Aidan Connors and Thomas Czerwinski from Plainfield North could make waves here, though it’s worth noting they treated this meet more as a workout last year.

There are also some freshmen running 3 miles for the first time, looking to make a splash on the high school cross country scene. The most prominent name is Brayden Domont of Bourbonnais, who ran an astounding 4:21 at the Brooks PR Invitational and dominated at the IESA 4A State Meet with a 22-second win. His teammate, Lucas Nims, who finished just behind him at state, will also be looking to make a solid Detweiller debut.

Other notable first-timers include Abram Garcia, with a 1600 PR of 4:27 and a 5th-place finish in last year’s junior high race, and his Dixon teammate Ethan Carter, who ran a 4:33 and took 2nd in the same event. Rounding out the newcomers is Owen Riesberg of Morton, who placed 4th at the IESA 4A State Meet.

High School Girls – Individuals

To call Sunny Weber of Sandwich a favorite would be an extreme understatement. She didn’t lose a single race on Illinois soil last cross country season and continued her dominance on the track, winning the 2A state finals in both the 1600 and 3200 by an average of 13 seconds. She also won this meet last year—by 47 seconds.

Leading the chase pack is Avery Hacker, who finished 8th in both the 3A Cross Country State Meet and the 3A 3200. She'll look to lead a Batavia squad that returns its entire top 5 from a team that placed 5th last year, just 18 points out of first.

Last year’s Detweiller at Dark featured a thrilling duel between a pair of 2A freshmen. Unfortunately, it was the only race of the season for Emaline Foster of Prairie Ridge, who suffered a stress fracture afterward. She bounced back during track season, earning All-State medals in both the 1600 and 3200. The girl she edged last year was Klarke Goranson of Manteno, who capped an excellent first season with a 6th-place finish at the 2A State Meet. Their rematch will be highly anticipated.

Tessa Russo of Plainfield North, who finished 10th in both this meet and the 3A State Meet, will be a top contender. So will Ali Londrigan of Chatham Glenwood, who was top 5 in both the 1600 and 3200 at the 3A State Meet and finished 17th here last year.

The Wheaton St. Francis trio of Elena Mamminga, Margaret Andrzejewski, and Erin Hinsdale will aim to build on their state success and contend for top-10 spots.

Klaire Eighner of Maroa-Forsyth also enters the spotlight after finishing 4th in the Nike Outdoor Nationals 3000m Steeplechase.

The future is bright, too, with a host of standout incoming freshmen. Graceleen Mabry makes her high school debut after winning back-to-back 3A IESA cross country titles and running a 13:39 for 4K. Ellie Porath brings a 5:18 1600 PR and a top-10 finish at last year’s state meet. Lily Binger enters with strong times of 2:27 and 5:24 in the 800 and 1600. Juliet Bing finished 5th in the IESA 1600 and holds a 5:27 PR.

Don’t overlook Audrey Dickinson, who won last year’s junior high race and clocked a 5:16 at the HOKA Festival of Miles. Rounding out the top freshmen is Lennox Szymonik, who ran a blazing 5:11 1600 at Distance Night in Palatine.

Middle School Boys – Individuals

Detweiller at Dark consistently showcases some of the state’s most promising middle schoolers, and this year is no exception.

The boys' race is headlined by Bentlee Lawrenz of Rock Falls MS, Lucas Pfoutz of Mt. Prospect River Trails, Samuel Garrison of Champaign Edison MS, and Vaughn Rutan of Lemont Old Quarry MS.

Lawrenz holds the fastest 2-mile time (10:34) and posted impressive track marks of 4:40 in the 1600 and 2:08 in the 800. He enters as the favorite.

Pfoutz isn’t far behind, with a 2-mile best of 10:45 and a breakout track season—PRs of 56 seconds (400m), 2:05 (800m), and 4:33 (1600m). He also finished 4th in the HOKA Festival of Miles and is the IESA 4A state champion in both the 800 and 1600.

Samuel Garrison will likely contend for third with a 2-mile PR of 10:54 and strong 800 (2:10) and mile (4:56) times.

The race could play out in two ways: a hard early pace from a front pack or a more tactical race due to weather. Either way, it promises to be an exciting showdown among these rising stars.

Middle School Girls – Individuals

The middle school girls' race appears wide open, with several contenders eyeing the win.

Haylie Simpson of Roscoe MS enters as the favorite. She has a 5:18 1600 PR, placed 5th at last year’s IESA 3A XC Championships, and is the top returner from last year’s Detweiller at Dark meet (7th in 13:54).

Close behind is Adelynn Moore of Palatine Pack and Rolling Meadows MS, who brings a 5:20 1600 PR and placed 16th at this meet last year.

Phoebe DeFrain of Springfield Blessed Sacrament MS is also a major factor, with a 2-mile PR of 11:50 and a 5th-place finish at the IESA 2A State XC Championships.

Other notable names include:

• Lorelei Hulsing – 2:21 (800m) and 5:22 (1600m) PRs

• Audrey Floyd – Edwardsville Lincoln MS

• Corinn Hart – 7th at last year’s IESA 2A XC meet (Athens MS)

• Julia Farley – 6th at the IESA 4A XC Championships (Lemont Old Quarry MS)

With such a deep and talented field, the race could come down to who has the strongest finishing kick. Whether tactical or fast from the gun, it’s sure to be an exciting battle.