2025 Illinois Youth Club Championships Preview

Time Schedule

8:30 AM: Course is open for walk throughs and warm ups

10:00 AM: 8 and under boys and girls 2K | 

10:20 AM: 9-10 Girls and Boys 3K  | 

10:45 AM: 11-12 Girls 3K  | 

11:05 AM: 11-12 Boys 3K | 

11:30 AM: 13-14 Girls 4K | 

11:55 AM: 13-14 Boys 4K | 

12:30 PM: Family Relay   

LIVE RESULTS

8U Girls 2000m

On the girls side of the 8U race, it could be a 1–2 finish for the Belvidere Tornados. Gemma Benning and Avery Bach both have PRs close to one another, and either could take the win. Natalie Kirk of the Chicago Flyers is another athlete to watch, with a mile PR of 7:49 that makes her a serious contender for the title.

8U Boys 2000m

Starting off the day will be the combined boys and girls 8U 2000m race. On the boys side, Simon Klaus of the Belvidere Tornados enters as the favorite with the fastest PR in the field with an 8:33 for 2K, which he ran at the CCCYNC Nationals last year to place 25th. Dean Sutton of the Chicago Flyers and Giovanni Sowers of the Elgin Sharks should also be in the mix for the win with PRs under 9:00. Jameson Rybarczyk will be another name to watch, with his strong mile PR suggesting he’ll be a factor up front.

9-10 Girls 3000m

This race should be an intriguing one, as many of the top athletes in this field don’t have much recent data. Karina Alvarez of the Elgin Road Warriors enters as the likely favorite after placing 4th in this race last year and following that up with a 43rd-place finish at the AAU National Championships. Alvia Amaya of the Kenosha Shockwave has a 3K PR about 14 seconds slower than Alvarez’s best from last year, but she’s been sharp recently, finishing 2nd at the USATF Wisconsin Association Meet just two weeks ago. Keep an eye on Evelyn Votaw of the Accelerators, who has the potential to grab a top-three finish in this one.

9-10 Boys 3000m

The 9–10 age group races will be combined for the second race of the day, setting up what should be an exciting matchup. Everett Voyles of Palatine Pack enters as the top returner after finishing 2nd in this race last year. He clocked 11:31 at the IESA State Meet this season to place 23rd in the 1A classification and is the only athlete in the field with a sub-12:00 PR. Hunter Kirk of the Chicago Flyers impressed last month with a 5:23 mile on grass at the Crusader Siege of the Acre meet. He has the talent to challenge Voyles late in the race, though he hasn’t recorded a 2-mile time on Athletic.net this season. Conor Young, who took 8th in this race last year, ran 12:18 for 2 miles this fall and should be in contention for a top-three finish. James Ambelang of the Belvidere Tornados, 5th in this race a year ago, also returns and will be in the mix for a podium spot.

11-12 Girls 3000m

This one will be an extremely interesting race here with some great talent in it. Maddie Gatlin of Plainfield Pack enters this one with the best time in the field with her 11:39 that she ran at the Paw Pac Conference Meet to win. She hasn’t faced off against the type of talent that this field contains, it will be interesting to see how she fairs in it. She can very well win it all. Julia Farley of Plainfield Pack will look to be with her teammate in this one as they will try and propel their team to a team win. Farley was 3rd at the IESA 4A State Meet this year and ran 11:50 for 2 miles. She was 6th in this race last year and will contend for the win this time around. Callie Ding of Palatine Pack is another great runner in this field who was 10th at the IESA State Meet. She ran 12:02 this year for 2 miles and finished 3rd in this race last year. She is the top returner in this field, can she play upset for this one? Rayleigh Reach had a terrific school season with her 6th place finish at the IESA State Meet in 3A. She ran a PR of 12:02 this year and will be in the mix for a top 5 finish here. Same goes for Riley Salzer who will be making the trip up for this one. She was 6th at the IESA State Meet in 2A and ran a PR of 12:14 this year. Expect her within the first 5 finishers. Runners like Aanya Patel of Elgin Sharks, Tess McCommons of Dixon Distance, Regina Riegler of Palatine Pack, Raye Pavlis of Plainfield Pack, Stella Schmit of Palatine Pack, and Lydia Leffelman of Palatine Pack will be all trying to achieve a top 10 finish here.

11-12 Boys 3000m

This race looks to have loads of talent. Everett Haberman of Chicago Flyers leads the charge as the defending champion, having won this race last year in 10:50 before following it up with an impressive 6th-place finish at the CCCYNC Youth Nationals. Coming off a great school season, he enters as the clear favorite. Emmett Voyles of Palatine Pack will also be in contention after placing 20th at the IESA 1A State Meet in 11:27 just a few weeks ago. He finished 10th in this race last year but has made major strides since then. Benjamin O’Connor of Chicago Flyers had an excellent school season, finishing 38th at the IESA State Meet and running 11:28 this fall, making him a potential contender for the win. Noah Soto of Plainfield Pack also impressed during his school season, improving to a PR of 11:31 and positioning himself as a strong top-five candidate. Noah Herrera of Elgin Road Warriors, who placed 4th in this race last year, will once again be in the mix for a top-five finish. He could be a wildcard given the lack of available data on his current season. Expect athletes like Matthew Jahnke of Palatine Pack, Noah Wahls of Palatine Pack, and Zayn Sutton of Chicago Flyers to contend for top-10 places here.

13-14 Girls 4000m

This race looks to feature an impressive collection of all-staters from this year’s IESA State Meet. Molly Mocko of Palatine Pack will look to rebound after expierencing her first-ever state cross country loss just a few weeks ago. She had an incredible season, highlighted by her 11:13 two mile, and will make her club debut for Palatine Pack here. Her teammate Maddie Serur, the IESA 4A State Champion, will also be in contention for the win. Serur ran a PR of 11:26 this season and is known for her exceptional finishing speed. If this race comes down to a kick, don’t be surprised if she sprints home for the victory. Chloe Milton of Chicago Trailblazers will look to lead the chase pack. She was 3rd at the IESA 2A State Meet and holds a PR of 11:35, making her a serious threat for a top three finish. Brynn Bartkus of the Chicago Flyers had a tremendous school season, winning the IESA 1A State Championship in 11:46. Her only losses this season came to Mocko, and she’s more than capable of finishing inside the top three again. Amelia Kronforst of Palatine Pack had a breakout year, running 11:41 at the Troy Invite before placing 6th at the IESA 4A State Meet. Expect her to bounce back and challenge for a podium spot. Caitlyn Daniel of Elgin Road Warriors finished 8th at the 4A State Meet, just behind Kronforst, and should be in the mix for a high finish once again. Gianna Suvada of Palatine Pack is another intriguing name as she missed much of the school season with a stress fracture but still managed to place 2nd at the IESA 1A State Meet, running 12:00. With a few more weeks of training under her belt, she has top five potential. Haven Barwegen, also of Palatine Pack, ran a PR of 11:50 at the Troy Invite and placed 8th at state; she’ll be hungry to improve on that performance. Emily Melo of MiniCRR might be an under the radar name now, but that’s about to change. Running the CPS City schedule, she consistently beat Chicago’s best, and her 8:23 for 1.5 miles this year is impressive. She could surprise many with a top five finish. Delaney Gidd of Chicago Flyers is another runner to watch after winning the Crusader Siege of the Acre meet in 12:19; she was also 7th at last year’s CCCYNC Nationals with an 11:12 for 3K. Expect Adelynn Moore of Palatine Pack, Emma Kane of Chicago Flyers, Hayven Rundle of Dixon Distance, Kollins Anaya of Dixon Distance, Noelle Van Denend, Kaida Mescher, and Rylee Russell of Plainfield Pack, along with Bridie Sloan of North Shore Pack, to all be battling for spots within the top 15.

13-14 Boys 4000m

This will be a loaded and deep race featuring some of the best talent Illinois has to offer. Bentlee Lawrenz of Dixon Distance enters as the clear favorite after blazing to a 10:15 win at the state meet, the fastest time of the day. He looks fit and ready to dominate once again, with a strong chance to run away with this one. The battle for second place should be thrilling. Lucas Pfoutz of Palatine Pack enters his club season looking to bounce back after a mixed cross country campaign that included flashes of brilliance and a tough state performance. With a 4:33 1600m PR from Festival of Miles, he has the talent to challenge near the front. Jacob Calvario of Dixon Distance, the IESA 4A State Champion, ran a smart 10:30 at state and will be in strong contention for second as well. His teammate Myles Bautista also impressed at state, finishing 3rd in 3A with a 10:43 and could place anywhere from 2nd to 5th here. Emilio Palmer of Palatine Pack fought through injury at the 4A State Meet but still managed a 4th place finish. Having run 10:45 on this course earlier in the season, he’ll look to return to top form. Henry Brook, another Palatine Pack standout, was 4th at the 3A State Meet with a breakout 10:48, his first time under 11:00 all season, and could push for a top five finish. Julien Duque of MiniCRR had a strong close to his season despite a disappointing 9th place finish at the 1A State Meet in 11:18. Having broken 11:00 three times this year, he’s primed for a bounce back race. Henry Hazzard of Dixon Distance shined at state with an 8th place finish in 10:55, his best effort of the season, and will aim to stay in the top five. His teammate Jackson Rupiper wasn’t far behind, taking 3rd at the 2A State Meet in 10:56, both will be vital pieces in Dixon Distance’s team title hopes. Chris Bennie of North Shore Pack is a wildcard after placing 9th at the 3A State Meet in 10:56, but if he returns to his 2024 form when he ran 10:33 for 2nd at state, he could contend near the front. Daniel Brenner of Palatine Pack will play a key role in his team’s pursuit of victory. The 1A State bronze medalist ran 10:58 and could be crucial in beating out Dixon’s middle pack. Vaughn Rutan of Plainfield Pack, who ran 10:57 for 3200m on the track this summer, also has top five potential and could surprise many. Watch for Alex Lynch of Chicago Trailblazers, Luke McConnell and Cole Posmer of West Suburban Harriers, Wyatt Schmidt of Dixon Distance, Braden Blackowicz of Palatine Pack, and Luke Sarb of West Suburban Harriers, as each of them has the ability to break into the top 15 on the right day.