2025 XC Weekend Rundown: Week 6

We are nearing the end of the regular season in Illinois, with this being the second-to-last week of competition. This week features the third meet in the Peoria trilogy, the Peoria High Invite, while several teams will also be traveling out of state to Terre Haute. Check out all of this week’s top invites here.

NIKE XC TOWN PREVIEW

Pat Savage Invite

Key Boys Teams: 2A - #11 Vernon Hills; Niles (Northridge Prep) (JV), Glenview (Glenbrook South), Oswego East, Buffalo Grove, Chicago (Payton)

Key Girls Teams: 2A - #3 Arlington Heights (St. Viator), #7 Deerfield; Roselle (Lake Park), Burlington Central

Key Boys Individuals: Santino Conte (Jr., Niles [Notre Dame]), Anthony Garcia (So., Oswego East), Jack Wolstenholm (Jr., Oswego East), Mason Hephner (Sr., Lombard [Glenbard East]), Nick Sheklarevski (Sr., Roselle [Lake Park]), Riley Wold (Sr., Buffalo Grove), Owen Gottfred (Jr., Arlington Heights [St. Viator]), Colin McKinney (Jr., Wilmette [Loyola Academy]), Tra’Monti Williams (Sr., Chicago [Payton]), Declan Slavin (Sr., Chicago [Payton]), 

Key Girls Individuals: 2A - #2 Sydney Gertsen (Sr., Lombard [Montini]), #16 Estella Ollinger (Jr., Vernon Hills); Ruth Dellaria (Jr., Roselle [Lake Park]), Pilar Rosales (Sr., Lake Forest), Macy Ferschinger (So., Chicago [Payton]), Emily Walberg (Sr., Arlington Heights [St. Viator]), Taara Sajdeh (Jr., Chicago University), Josslyn Wade (Sr., Bensenville [Fenton]), Audrey Dickerson (Jr., Deerfield), Azalea Modes (Jr., Deerfield), Ashlynn Lindt (Sr., Lombard [Montini]), Natalia Pesola (Fr., Lombard [Montini])

Outlook: Likely one of the fastest invites of the weekend, Pat Savage always puts up some blistering marks. This year, the girls race has the most going for it with Sydney Gertsen of Montini Catholic up front. Gertsen has been stellar so far this season, with only one loss from FTTF, where she set her season best of 17:01. She has been very close to breaking the 17 minute border for quite some time, she will be gunning for the 16s. Ruth Dellaria of Lake Park should follow Gertsen. She just recently ran a PR of 17:52 at the Richard Spring invite, she should be in prime shape for second here. Estella Ollinger of Vernon Hills has been running on slow courses all year and could surprise you with a good time as well. On the team side, St. Viator will look to take yet another win. They have been dominant, with their only loss coming from FTTF where Chatham Glenwood got the better of them. Their only competition will be from Deerfield who have been getting better and better as the season goes on. On the boys side, there is no clear winner. Santino Conte of Notre Dame has the fastest season best out of the group, with a 15:00 from Richard Spring. Anthony Garcia and Jack Wolstenholm of Oswego East both ran 15:10 and 15:11 at that same meet and should be up with Conte for most of the race. Vernon Hills has two kids who could be in the mix as well, with Will Gagamov and Konstantin Koychev leading the Cougars. They haven’t run on any fast courses this year, this should be a big change in PR for them. And, of course, there are the two 800 specialists from Chicago Payton, Tramonti Williams and Declan Slavin who could shake things up. Both have PRs under 15 minutes, but neither one has touched the 14s yet this season. Both of them ran exceptionally well at the Mather Invite earlier this week, could this be their breakout race? On the team side, Vernon Hills will battle it out with Glenbrook South for the win. Vernon Hills are hindered without their number 1, Bryant Lester, (who is battling a stress fracture) but they should still be competitive for the team win. GBS is a solid 3A team with guys like Junior Lopez and Frankie Hackl making huge jumps this season. They will be looking to topple one of the best 2A teams in the state in their hunt for a team win. 

Wheaton North Girls Flight Invite

Key Girls Teams: 3A - #3 Arlington Heights (Hersey), #6 Elmhurst (York), #11 Winnetka (New Trier), #21 Geneva, Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East), Wheaton North, Lisle (Benet Academy), Neenah, O’Fallon

Key Girls Individuals: 3A - #4 Karlin Janowski (So., Elmhurst [York]), #13 Graceleen Mabry (Fr., Arlington Heights [Hersey]), #19 Sofia Borter (Sr., Geneva), Molly McGreal (Sr., Elmhurst [York]), Adley Wilson (So., St. Charles East), Aubrey Clark (Fr., Frankfort [Lincoln-Way East]), Nicole Mayer (Jr., St. Charles East), Ellie Bush (Sr., O’Fallon), Sophia Galiano-Sanchez (Sr., Elmhurst [York]), Alexandra Kopacz (Jr., Arlington Heights [Hersey]), Taylor Peahl (Sr., Geneva), Alexa Izenstark (Jr., Arlington Heights [Hersey])

Outlook: One of many flight meets this weekend, the Wheaton North Girls Flight Invite looks to bring some big competition from two of the top teams in the state. York and Hersey will get a chance to face off, but this time in a slightly different format, and on a 2.95 mile course. In flight meets, each runner on a team is separated into a different race, providing some interesting opportunities. In the championship flight, 3A #4 Karlin Janowski of York comes in as the favorite, but 3A #13 Graceleen Mabry of Hersey will be up there with her. This season, Janowski  has dropped a 16:36 3 mile from the Richard Spring Invite, and Mabry ran 17:10 at that race.  Last weekend at the Palatine Meet of Champions, Janowski ran a 16:58 to take the win, with Mabry running 17:46. Expect to see Janowski come out with the win but don’t be surprised to see Mabry challenge her. Another runner that could potentially fight with Mabry is 3A #19 Sofia Borter of Geneva. Borter was 16 seconds off of Mabry in Peoria, and the two could battle in this smaller-scale meet. Another notable championship runner is Adley Wilson of St. Charles East, who was 10 seconds off Borter in Peoria and ran a 17:35. If she stays with the pack, she could contend for top three. The #2 Flight will also provide some great competition, again between York and Hersey, where Sophia Galiano-Sanchez of York will run against Alexa Izenstark of Hersey. They’ve been back and forth all season, with Galiano-Sanchez beating Izenstark at Richard Spring, but at Palatine, Izenstark came back to beat Galiano-Sanchez. These races will surely be ones to watch, and the other flights will provide great insight into the depth of some of the top teams in the state.

Delavan Dare Classic

Key Boys Teams: #17 Dunlap, Eureka, Brimfield, Downs (Tri-Valley), El Paso-Gridley

Key Girls Teams: #2 Metamora, #13 Brimfield, #19 Downs (Tri-Valley); Eureka, Mackinaw (Dee-Mack), El Paso-Gridley

Key Boys Individuals: Ethan Day (8th, Dunlap), Kody Kotner (7th, Springfield [Blessed Sacrament]), Braylen Hodel (8th, El Paso-Gridley), Roman Hinthorne (7th, El Paso-Gridley)

Key Girls Individuals: #22 Rayleigh Reach (5th, Metamora), Saige Potter (6th, Metamora), London Venovich (8th, Tremont), Julia Jacobs (8th, Springfield [Blessed Sacrament]), Averi Kennett (8th, South Pekin), Riley Salzer (6th, Mackinaw [Dee-Mack]), Brooke Kennett (6th, South Pekin), Gianna Domenighini (8th, Metamora), Zoey Poignant (6th, Metamora)

Outlook: The Boys team race will be a good one between Dunlap, Eureka, and Brimfield here. Any of those teams can break out here. Individually it will be a great battle between Ethan Day, Kody Kotner, and Braylen Hodel for the win. The girls side will be dominated again by Metamora who has run great all year. Brimfield and Tri-Valley will battle it out for second here. We will see a great battle between Rayleigh Reach of Metamora and London Venovich of Tremont for the individual win here. 

Channahon Invite

Key Boys Teams: #5 Channahon, Bourbonnais, Joliet (Gompers), Frankfort (Hickory Creek), William F. Gurrie, Minooka

Key Girls Teams: #3 Minooka, #6 Lemont (Old Quarry), #9 Shorewood (Troy), #25 New Lenox (Martino); Frankfort (Hickory Creek), William F. Gurrie

Key Boys Individuals: #12 Dylan Weimer (8th, Bourbonnais [St. George]), Damian Ramirez (8th, Bourbonnais), Vaughn Rutan (8th, Lemont [Old Quarry]), Nolan Tomasek (8th, Frankfort [Hickory Creek]), Jesus Bustamonte (8th, Joliet [Gompers]), Micah Lanum (8th, Bourbonnais), Paul Getsoian (8th, Channahon)

Key Girls Individuals: #6 Chloe Crim (7th, Shorewood [Troy]), #10 Julia Farley (7th, Lemont [Old Quarry]), #15 Haven Barwegen (8th, Kankakee [Bishop McNamara]); Elsie Thomas (7th, Minooka), Rowen Slowinski (7th, Minooka), Addy Vahl (7th, Minooka), Lexie Swiech (8th, Frankfort [Hickory Creek])

Outlook: The girls race of the Channahon Invite will look to provide great insight into some of the top middle school teams and individuals in the state. The race is headlined by #3 Minooka, led by the 7th grade trio of Elsie Thomas, Rowen Slowinski, and Addy Vahl. All three of these girls can place high individually, giving Minooka a massive leg up in the team race. However, they will have challengers in #6 Lemont Old Quarry and #9 Shorewood Troy. Both of these schools have spectacular runners in #6 Chloe Crim (Shorewood Troy) and #10 Julia Farley (Lemont Old Quarry). The second place team race may ultimately be up to the packs. Individually, Chloe Crim comes in as race favorite, but Julia Farley and #15 Haven Barwegen of Kankakee Bishop McNamara could challenge her up front. While less action-packed than the girls, the boys race will still have quality competition. #12 Dylan Weimar of Bourbonnais St. George will likely remain unchallenged up front, but the second place race is a toss up between Damian Ramirez of Bourbonnais, Vaughn Rutan of Lemont Old Quarry, Nolan Tomasek of Frankfort Hickory Creek, and plenty of other contenders. Similarly to the individual race, the team race will likely be dominated by #5 Channahanon, with Bourbonnais, Joliet Gompers, Frankfort Hickory Creek, Minooka, and William F. Gurrie battling for other trophy positions.

Dan Moy/Jacksonville Invite

Key Boys Teams: 2A - #6 Taylorville; 1A - #10 Williamsville; Springfield, Lincoln, Chatham (Glenwood)

Key Girls Teams: 2A - #15 Springfield (Sacred Heart-Griffin); 1A - #10 Williamsville

Key Boys Individuals: 1A - #8 Lucas Hollinshead (Jr., Williamsville); Preston Short (Jr., Lincoln)

Key Girls Individuals: 2A - #10 Paityn Brady (So., Springfield [Sacred Heart-Griffin]), Joelle Wilson (Jr., Williamsville), Phoebe DeFrain (Fr., Springfield [Sacred Heart-Griffin])

Outlook: This meet is a flight meet, meaning that every race will have only one runner from each team, similar to the Minooka Flight races. This environment of racing allows for a more competitive experience, No. 1 runners face No. 1 runners, No. 2 runners face No. 2 runners and so on. In flight 1 Lucas Hollinshead will be leading this one. Another runner to watch will be Preston Short of Lincoln, he has had some solid cross country times and will definitely add to the competition in this meet. On the other hand, the girls' meet has some more depth. Paityn Brady of Sacred Heart-Griffin is the favorite for this race. She’s coming off a hot 17:39 at the Richard Spring invitational and if she carries that momentum over to this race, she might come on top. Joelle Wilson of Williamsville will also be in the mix. Another runner to look out for in the other flights is Phoebe DeFrain of Sacred Heart-Griffin.

Elmwood Invite

Key Boys Teams: 1A - #1 Eureka, #3 El Paso-Gridley, #5 Glasford (Illini Bluffs), #9 Elmwood, #14 Sherrard, #24 Bloomington Central Catholic, #25 Downs (Tri-Valley); Chillicothe (Illinois Valley Central), Auburn, Delavan

Key Girls Teams: 1A - #5 Eureka, #6 El Paso-Gridley, #7 Elmwood, #11 Pleasant Plains, #12 Delavan, #16 Knoxville, #19 Toulon (Stark Country), #22 Cambridge; Bloomington Central Catholic, Downs (Tri-Valley), Sherrard

Key Boys Individuals: 1A - #4 Corie Green (Jr., Delavan), #15 Gavin Stalter (Sr., Eureka), #24 Eric Pincock (Sr., Glasford [Illini Bluffs]); James Baisden (Sr., Auburn), Aiden Faulkner (Sr., Elmwood), Evan Knobloch (So., Toulon [Stark County]), Kade Parker (Sr., Petersburg [PORTA]), Wyatt Thurman (Sr., Auburn), Keegan Dewall (Sr., Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley), Peter Stoltz (Sr., Glasford [Illini Bluffs])

Key Girls Individuals: 1A - #9 Emily Downing (Sr., Cambridge), #15 Audrey Dickinson (Fr., Glasford [Illini Bluffs]), #20 Emily King (Sr., Knoxville), #21 Jana Vande Kemp (Jr., Cambridge), #23 Dusti Smith (Jr., Toulon [Stark Country]), #25 Annabelle LaFary (Sr., Delavan); Adelin Bruce (Sr., Downs [Tri-Valley]), Alyssa Higgins (Sr., Knoxville), Cheyenh Smith (Sr., Toulon [Stark Country]), Maggie Zimmerman (Sr., Petersburg [PORTA]), Alaina Hawker (Sr., Pleasant Plains)

Outlook: Some of the top 1A schools will face off at Delavan this weekend, this is not something you’ll want to miss. 1A #1 Eureka looks to be the team favorite on the boys side after their sensational day at the Springfield invite. They took third behind two high rated 2A teams by only 15 points and their depth is unmatched in this field. Gavin Stalter has really gotten into his groove at the 1 spot for the Hornets, and their chase pack has followed suit. 1A #3 El Paso Gridley will be the main contenders to Eureka. They are flying under the radar because they ran most of their lineup in the frosh category at Richard Spring, but they are easily one of the best teams in 1A right now. They have two sophomores and a freshman under 16 minutes, with Weston Hodel, Luke Hinthorne and Alex Lartz all being core members of their scoring 5. With Drew Cooper as their leader, there’s not many teams who can stand up to them. 1A #5 Illini Bluffs will be the final team to keep an eye on. They have been crushing the smaller mid-week meets that they run at, and this will be a good chance for them to show out against their peers. Individually, it’ll be a close matchup between several different athletes. Corie Green of Delavan is the highest ranked athlete coming in, with a 15:08 from FTTF earlier in the year. Aiden Faulkner of Elmwood is coming off of a conference title from earlier in the week and should be able to compete for a win. Evan Knobloch has been running great against 1A competition and this week should be no different. And you obviously can’t count out Gavin Stalter of Eureka, who is on a hot streak and is hungry for more. On the girls side, It’ll be a very close team race between Eureka, El Paso-Gridley, and Elmwood. Eureka had a solid performance at Springfield as well, placing third behind two elite 2A squads. EPG ran great at Richard Spring and had a solid day at their home invite on Tuesday, they will be strong contenders as well. Elmwood has won both of their last two meets and they got a conference title to go with it. All three teams have been excellent within the last few weeks and they will be highly competitive here. Individually, Emily Downing of Cambridge is the clear favorite. She took a huge win at the Rock River Run last week with an 18:08 for full 5k. She was 17:21 at FTTF and is one of the top rated runners in 1A, she should clobber this field. Emily King of Cambridge had a huge race at the WIU Invite last week and could be in a position to drop a huge PR. She ran 17:52 on a slow course, she could surprise you this week. 

Fox Trot Invite

Key Boys Teams: #1 Geneva North, #4 Batavia (Rotolo), #8 Arlington Heights (Thomas); Buffalo Grove (Cooper)

Key Girls Teams: #1 Batavia (Rotolo), #7 Geneva North, #8 River Forest (Roosevelt), #11 Arlington Heights (Thomas), #16 Arlington Heights South, #21 Yorkville, St. Charles (Wredling)

Key Boys Individuals: #5 Jacob Calvario (8th, Geneva North), #14 Ryder Ethridge (8th, Manhattan); Colin Hacker (8th, Batavia [Rotolo]), Reid Lauffer (8th, Batavia [Rotolo]), Gage Enos (8th, Batavia [Rotolo]), Patrick Rieger (8th, Arlington Heights [Thomas]), Julien Caulliez (8th, River Forest [Roosevelt]), Daniel Dempsey (8th, Geneva North), Jonathan Lando (8th, Geneva North), Owen Knecht (6th, Geneva North), Evan Best (8th, Geneva North), Cooper Wiese (8th, Batavia [Rotolo]), Austin Ryter (7th, Arlington Heights [Thomas])

Key Girls Individuals: #4 Madeline Serur (8th, Arlington Heights [Thomas]), #17 Amelia Yoo (7th, Geneva North), #20 Sam Deane (7th, Batavia [Rotolo]); Josie Mueller (8th, Morris), Megan Fritzsche (8th, Arlington Heights [Thomas]), Maya Lehan (8th, Geneva North), Eme Helfer (8th, Batavia [Rotolo]), Aanya Patel (7th, St. Charles [Wredling]), Devyn Korn (8th, Batavia [Rotolo]), Sloane Steinberg (7th, River Forest [Roosevelt]), Kaylee Leone (8th, Arlington Heights South), Lilia Fobes (7th, River Forest [Roosevelt])

Outlook: This will be a great battle between three of the top ten teams in the state. Geneva North and Rotolo both ran terrific at the Fox Valley Conference Meet where they were separated by only a few points. Thomas will be slightly back from these two but could surprise some here. Expect Jacob Calvario of Geneva North to dominate the race here and get a big win over Ryder Ethridge of Manhattan. The girls side will see #1 Rotolo faceoff against Geneva North and Roosevelt who are both ranked within the top 10 in the state. Individually this will be Madeleine Serur of Thomas who will win this one. Amelia Yoo of Geneva North, Sam Deane of Rotolo, and Josie Mueller of Morris will battle it out for 2nd place. 

Locktoberfest Invite

Key Boys Teams: 3A - #16 New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central), #20 Naperville North, #21 Downers Grove South, #22 Chicago (Whitney Young), #24 Wheaton North; 2A - #19 Lemont; Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East), Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West), New Lenox (Lincoln-Way West)

Key Boys Individuals: 3A - #10 Bryce Counihan (Sr., New Lenox [Lincoln-Way Central]), #17 Brendan Hanrahan (So., Frankfort [Lincoln-Way East]), #20 Conrad Saner (Jr., Downers Grove South), #24 Nicholas Dul (Sr., New Lenox [Lincoln-Way West]); Amilo Rajandram (Jr., Chicago [Whitney Young]), John Clinton (Sr., Downers Grove South), Jackson Truty (Sr., Naperville North), Simon Reckamp (Sr., Naperville North), Will Miller (Sr., Downers Grove South), Matt King (Sr., Glen Ellyn [Glenbard West])

Outlook: Locktoberfest, hosted at Dellwood Park outside Chicago, will bring lots of action for some great boys teams and individuals. The favorites coming into Locktoberfest are Bryce Counihan of Lincoln-Way Central, Brendan Hanrahan of Lincoln-Way East and Conrad Saner of Downers Grove South. Currently ranked 3A #10, #17 and #20, any of these guys could push for the win. Counihan is coming off a win from Run Down the Oaks in 15:08, beating Hanrahan, but boasts a 15:00 season best from First to the Finish. On the other hand, Saner and Hanrahan had huge breakout races in Peoria to run 14:20 and 14:25 at the Richard Spring Invite. Head to head, any of these three could push for the win. Another challenger could be 3A #23 Nicholas Dul of Lincoln-Way West. Dul also had a strong race in Peoria running 14:38, and was just 4 seconds behind Hanrahan at the Run Down at the Oaks meet running 15:20. If he stays with these three, he could challenge for the win. Amilo Rajandram of Chicago Whitney Young could pull off a shocker. So far this season, he’s run 14:39 at Richard Spring and a 9:37 over two miles at the Mather Invite #3, so it’ll be interesting to see where he ends up in the mix. For team standings, Downers Grove South and Whitney Young come in as favorites, but Naperville North, Wheaton North, Lincoln-Way East, and Lincoln-Way Central could all make a case for the win. The team race will be excruciatingly tight, and teams will need a low scoring split to take the title.

Peoria HS Invite

Key A/AA Boys Teams: 2A - #1 Dixon, #3 Mahomet-Seymour, #4 Deerfield, #7 Bethalto (Civic Memorial), #10 Mt. Vernon, #17 Herrin, #20 Highland; 1A - #2 Rockford Christian; Springfield, Gillespie

Key A/AA Girls Teams: 2A - #2 Chatham (Glenwood), #8 Mahomet Seymour, #9 Rochester, #12 Crystal Lake South, #13 Waterloo, #14 Normal University, #18 Normal West, #19 Bloomington, #22 Morton, #25 Dunlap; Highland, Mascoutah

Key A/AA Boys Individuals: 2A - #1 Max Weber (Sr., Bethalto [Civic Memorial]),  #14 Dean Geiger (Jr., Dixon), #16 Henry McMurry (Sr., Mahomet-Seymour), #18 Averick Wiseman (Jr., Dixon); 1A - #1 Chaz Oberkfell (Sr., Gillespie), #14 Evan White (Sr., Rockford Christian), #16 Blake McLeese (Sr., Tuscola); Jamie Chandler (Sr., Deerfield), Andrew Calderon (Jr., Deerfield), Augustus Gaudio (Sr., Mahomet-Seymour), Tate Bode (Jr., Mahomet-Seymour), Caleb Knobloch (So., Highland), John Baker (Jr., Peoria Notre Dame), Keegan Shirley (Sr., Dixon), Zach Born (Jr., Metamora)

Key A/AA Girls Individuals: 2A - #3 Ali Londrigan (Jr., Chatham [Glenwood]), #5 Renee Warren (Sr., Normal West), #6 Sophie Rentmeister (Jr., Chatham [Glenwood]), #7 Ashlyn Chopra (Sr., Chatham [Glenwood]), #8 Lydia Huffman (Fr., Waterloo), #22 Ashley Zeibert (Sr., Rochester); Julie Bach (Sr., Normal West)

A/AA Boys Outlook: With the final Detweiller invite of the season on the horizon, the last teams who haven’t gotten a shot at the state course will come out to post some good times. The Dukes of Dixon will be the big team favorites here. The #1 ranked squad proved that they are the gold standard for small schools after taking 5th at the prestigious Palatine Invite. They were 20 points off of 3A #6 Lake Zurich without even having an A+ day, they will be hard to beat here. The best team that will compete against them will be 2A #4 Deerfield who have had several strong meets in a row. Their 3 and 4 have really shown out in their last few races and it’s propelled them into trophy conversation. With a strong duo of Jamie Chandler and Andrew Calderon at 1 and 2 and with heavy depth through 7, they have an outside chance of winning here should Dixon struggle up front. The only top ten team in 1A that is competing here will be 1A #2, Rockford Christian. They have been isolated in northern Illinois for the majority of the season and this will be a good chance for them to get some serious competition. On the individual side, the #1 runner in 2A, Max Weber of Civic Memorial, will finally hit Detweiller Park in hopes of clocking an outstanding time. He is undefeated against Illinois competition, and is looking for fresh opponents to take down. He has been stuck in southern Illinois for the whole season, so the new faces should push him to new heights. Chaz Oberkfell of Gillespie will also be a key part of this race. He will look to take a stab at his 14:30 PR in the chase for the individual win. The Dixon coalition could be up in the front group, with guys like Dean Geiger and Averick Wiseman. Both ran solid races at Palatine last week and should be able to hang with Weber for the better part of this race.

A/AA Girls Outlook: Just like with the boys race, you’ll see some of the most premier teams in 2A face off at Detweiller this weekend. 2A #2 Chatham Glenwood enters as the big favorite on the condition that they run a full lineup. They have been winning almost every meet that they go to without running a full varsity lineup, but they will need all hands on deck for Peoria High this week. Last week, they were 2 points away from defeat by 2A #9 Rochester, because they were missing their #2 Ashlyn Chopra. With Chopra back in their lineup, they should be able to take home the win with a much bigger margin. Rochester will be aiming for second place, squaring off against 2A #8 Mahomet Seymour. Both teams are centered around one star with a solid pack supporting their ace, so it’ll come down to Ashley Zeibert and Emily Anand to decide who comes out on top. 2A #12 Crystal Lake South could be up with Rochester and MS on a good day, but they will need all 5 to get under 20 minutes for it to happen. Individually, it will be all Ali Londrigan of Chatham Glenwood. She is the #3 ranked athlete in 2A and she should be leading by a pretty large margin. 2A #5 Renee Warren of Normal West will aim to sneak ahead of the next two Chatham Glenwood girls, with #6 Sophie Rentmeister and #7 Ashlyn Chopra right on her heels. Warren got the win over both of them at their last meeting, with a 17:53 at the Dunlap Invitational. Should she do it again, she will be in a position to take second with a monstrous time. However, don’t sleep on Lydia Huffman of Waterloo, who has been crushing it in southern Illinois. She ran 17:26 at the Belleville West invite and has been taking wins left and right. Her Detweiller debut is bound to be explosive, keep an eye on her in the top pack. 

Key AAA Boys Teams: 3A - #10 Elmhurst (York), #12 Orland Park (Sandburg), #13 Edwardsville, #15 Libertyville, #19 Berwyn-Cicero (Morton); Glenview (Glenbrook South), Winnetka (New Trier)

Key AAA Girls Teams: 3A - #16 Huntley, #19 Edwardsville; Algonquin (Jacobs), Downers Grove South, Park Ridge (Maine South)

Key AAA Boys Individuals: 3A - #8 Landon Harris (Jr., Granite City), #13 Orlando Sandoval (Sr., Berwyn-Cicero [Morton]); Michael Wilson (Sr., St. Charles East), Andrew Straley (Sr., Chicago [Brother Rice]), Mateo Ramiro-Garcia (Sr., Orland Park [Sandburg]), Patrick Hill (So., Elmhurst [York]), Carter Olsen (Sr., Elmhurst [York]), Caleb Mathias (Sr., Champaign Central), Miguel Flores (Jr., Berwyn-Cicero [Morton]), Brayden Gaffud (Jr., Orland Park [Sandburg]), Alex Rodriguez (Sr., Berwyn-Cicero [Morton]), Santiago Carbajal (Jr., Oak Lawn [Richards])

Key AAA Girls Individuals: 3A - #5 Lennox Szymonik (Fr., Algonquin [Jacobs]), #20 Isabella Ciesla (Sr., Huntley), #21 Madison King (Sr., Joliet Central), #22 Nia Ortega (Jr., Downers Grove South); Kylie Simpson (Sr., Rockton [Hononegah]), Morgan Coker (Jr., Pekin), Reagan Malone (Sr., Elk Grove Village)

AAA Boys Outlook: The 3A race should shape up to be a good one, with several guys in the mix for the win. Landon Harris of Granite City is the likely favorite, he’s been running amazing in the southern circuits this season. He has clocked an impressive 14:42 at the Granite City invite and he was 5th at FTTF, taking down some big names in the process. At FTTF, he was closely tailed by Orlando Sandoval of Berwyn Cicero, who is one third of his biggest competition. The boys of Berwyn Cicero Morton will be on the hunt for a good race and they could shake this race up if they have a good day. Coming into the season, Sandoval wasn’t even considered their best runner, Miguel Flores and Alex Rodriguez are technically their 1 and 2. Flores had an electric track season and is still waiting for his breakout race on the grass. Rodriguez is returning back to his previous stardom as a 14:40 guy, he should compete for the win if he’s back in shape. You could also see Mateo Ramiro Garcia of Orland Park Sandburg come back for a good race. He was out early on in the season due to a foot injury, but he is slowly regaining his fitness as the season drags on. Should he find his way into the top pack for the final stretch of the race, he has a big chance to outkick everyone for the win with his 800 speed. On the team side, it’ll be between York and Orland Park Sandburg in what should be a heated matchup. York has depth that Sandburg cannot match, but with Ramiro Garcia back, Sandburg now has a lowstick to respond with. Sandburg will need a big time performance from their 5 if they want to win, but it’s definitely in the realm of possibility. Edwardsville will be hitting Detweiller for the first time this season and could be in the mix for a win as well. Their pack needs to be locked and loaded for a first place trophy, but it absolutely could happen. 

AAA Girls Outlook: The freshman sensation will descend on Peoria once again, searching for another win. Lennox Szymonik of Jacobs has been demolishing some of the most talented runners in the state and she will look to snag a big win this week. She ran 17:03 the last time she was at Detweiller, and since then she has been under 17 multiple times, with a season best of 16:39. She is in a field of her own here and should take a spacious win. Behind her, you’ll see Madison King of Joliet Central lead a large pack of girls under 18 minutes. King has been racing on mediocre courses all year, this will be her first shot at Detweiller and a fast time. Joining her will be Isabella Ciesla of Huntley, who is also unproven on Detweiller. She ran 17:55 at the Harvey Braus invite and will be a key part of this race. Nia Ortega of Downers Grove South and Kylie Simpson of Hononegah should stick with that pack as well, they are due for a breakout race anytime soon. 

Solorio Sun Warrior Invite

Key Boys Teams: 3A - #25 Chicago (Mather), Villa Park (Willowbrook), Tinley Park (Andrew)

Key Girls Teams: 3A - #8 New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central), #13 Downers Grove North, #25 Wheaton Warrenville South

Key Boys Individuals: Yacoub Fedjer (Sr., Chicago [Mather]), Abdullahi Hussein (Sr., Chicago [Mather]), Caden Wolfe (Sr., Tinley Park [Andrew])

Key Girls Individuals: 3A - #11 Macy Ermitage (So., Downers Grove North), #25 Addy Lindsay (So., Wheaton Warrenville South); 2A - #14 Hannah Farley (So., Lemont), #20 Kathleen Hardy (So., LaGrange Park [Nazareth Academy]); Kiera Faxel (So., New Lenox [Lincoln-Way Central]), Lily Eddington (Sr., Downers Grove North), Mia Forsytek (Jr., New Lenox [Lincoln-Way Central]), Ava Dughetti (Sr., New Lenox [Lincoln-Way Central])

Outlook: The Solorio Sun Warrior invite should be a great meet for some fast times and for some Chicago runners to face off before the city championships. It has a history of being a fast meet and this year should be no different. 3A - #25 Chicago (Mather) has the boys race all but locked up. Their top runner,Yacoub Fejer, leads the field with a 14:48. Behind him is his teammate, Abdullahi Hussein, who ran 9:42 in the two mile earlier this week. Caden Wolfe of Tinley Park runs a 15:15 and is someone to look out for. Shifting over to the girls race,3A - #8 New Lenox, #13 Downers Grove North, and #25 Wheaton Warrenville South should all be competing for the win. Though New Lenox has the edge with their one two punch of Mia Forsytek and Kiera Faxel, both solidly sub 18:00. Downers Grove North  is led by 3A - #11 Macy Ermitage, who broke 17:00 at richard spring. Another  name to look out for is, 2A - #14 Hannah Farley (Lemont), who has been picking up steam after a slow start and was an all-stater last year. 

St. Charles North Invite 

Key Boys Teams: 3A - #9 St. Charles North, #11 Hinsdale Central, #23 Wheaton Warrenville South; 2A - #13 Belvidere North, #23 Aurora (Marmion Academy)

Key Girls Teams: 3A - #7 Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West), #23 St. Charles North, #18 Batavia, #22 South Elgin; 2A - #11 Cary-Grove 

Key Boys Individuals: 3A - #15 Henry Miller (Jr., Hinsdale Central), #18 Samuel Hill (Jr., St. Charles North), 2A - #9 Judah Binger (So., Belvidere North); Matthew Russell (Sr., St. Charles North), Joseph Bagnuolo (Sr., Bartlett), Liam Meyer (So., Wheaton Warrenville South)

Key Girls Individuals: 3A - #2 Kara Glenn (So., St. Charles North), #6 Avery Hacker (Jr., Batavia), #8 Alexa Novak (Sr., Glen Ellyn [Glenbard West]), #24 Irma Jimenez (Fr., South Elgin); Gwen Hobson (Jr., St. Charles North), Luna Pozos (Fr., South Elgin), Kayleia Lindsay (Fr., South Elgin), Shayne Dietzen (So., Glen Ellyn [Glenbard West])

Outlook: There is an electric matchup taking place here in St. Charles this week, you won’t want to miss this. 3A #2 Kara Glenn of St. Charles North is taking the state by storm, dropping time left and right. She demolished the field at the Flyin’ Hawk invite and ran 16:36 for the win. She was 16:19 the week earlier at the Richard Spring invite and she’s easily the most capable runner in this race. 3A #6 and 3A #8 are in the field and she should still win by a decent margin. Avery Hacker of Batavia had a couple of great races early on in the season, she should be back on her usual tear here at SCN. Alexa Novak of Glenbard West has looked great as of late and she will also be a factor in this race. Team wise, Glenbard West should take an easy team win over Batavia and St. Charles North. On the guys side, you’ll see Sam Hill of St. Charles North and Henry Miller of Hinsdale Central face off in a close race for the win. Hill looked incredible during the early season, but had a rough race at one of the biggest meets of the year. He still ran 14:31 at the Richard Spring invite, but he took 14th and Henry Miller was one of those 13 ahead of him. Miller has been exceptional throughout the season, but he hasn’t been able to secure a solid win yet. This will be a good chance for him to get that first notch under his belt, it’ll be exciting to see what he can do. On the team side, it’ll be the two packs behind the individual favorites, with St. Charles North and Hinsdale Central making it a close race. SCN has looked great as a pack behind Hill, but HC has Michael Gamboa and Johnny Krueger as a strong core 2 and 3. If HC’s 4 and 5 get pushed far enough down, SCN should be able to take the win here.