2026 Pre-Season XC Previews: 2A Girls Teams Unranked

While the teams ranked in our preseason Top 25 enter the season with the highest expectations, they are far from the only programs capable of making an impact this fall. Illinois Class 2A is filled with talented squads that narrowly missed the rankings and have the potential to emerge as contenders as the season progresses. The teams featured below were not included in our preseason rankings but had their coaches complete the preseason questionnaire that was sent via email, allowing us to provide a preview of their returning athletes, key additions, and outlook for the 2026 season. These programs will certainly be worth following as they look to exceed expectations and make their presence felt throughout the fall.

Woodstock

Head Coach/Coaches: Jay Fuller / Lisa Kunzie

Key Returners: Susy Marti (JR), Hazel Rosemann (SO), Vicky Sarabia (SO), Martha Baker (SR), Salome Freites-Alvarado (SR), Kenzie Liebetrau (JR), Ella Smart (JR), Liana Baldares  (SR), Mia Cruz (SO)

New Additions: Kimberly Thomas (Fr.), Caroline Farber (Fr.), McKenna McAdow (Fr.)

Coach's Outlook: Training is going well. The attendance of the girls team has been been better this year then in past years.  The goal is always to get through the summer healthy and injury free. Then our focus is to improve and put us in the spot to compete for the KRC conference championship and make it as a team to sectionals. 

Vernon Hills

Head Coach/Coaches: Christopher Wolf / Sara Zaher

Key Returners: Estella Ollinger (Sr.), Hannah Greenfield (So.), Naina Mathur (Sr.), Fenton Campbell (Jr.), Gianna Cerauli (Jr.), Amelia Pan (Sr.), Emma Wright (Sr.), Sarah Kathirvel (So.), Natalia Lach (So.), Abigail Portwood (Sr.), Joy Kim (Sr.)

Coach's Outlook: This should be another competitive year for VHXC. Our returning varsity runners put in a solid summer of training to hopefully keep them healthy through the long XC season. Only one of our previous top 7 runners graduated and we have a strong returning group with 3 to 4 years of Varsity race experience. Ella Ollinger had a breakout season last year, placing first in regionals, 8th in sectionals and 20th at the IHSA State meet. Ella has set some big goals for herself this season and is leading our team again alongside fellow returning seniors Naina Mathur and Ami Pan. We’re also in a great spot with our junior class—Campbell Fenton and Gianna Cerauli are returning with lots of Varsity experience under their belts. We also have a really exciting group of sophomores. Hannah Greenfield (Sectional Qualifier), Sarah Kathirvel, and Natalia Lach came on incredibly strong at the end of their freshman year, and we're eager to see how that extra year of experience translates on the course this season. Ultimately, we’re proud of every single athlete in this program. Our program's core philosophy is Work Hard, Be Strong, Think Big. By doing this, every runner on our roster has the capacity to improve, and that's exactly what we intend to build on this year.

Wauconda

Head Coach/Coaches: Jacob O'Hara / Coach Hlinak, Coach Armata

Key Returners: Lily Schubert, Izzy Drozd, Riley Blue, Erin Espitia, Kylah Blohm, Cedella Pollin, Elena Kiekow, Allegra Toole, Violet Toole, Carmen Caban, Sofia Soroka, Kim Zavaleta, Aria Vo, Ginger Drozd

New Additions: Zoey Lyons, Lily Veugeler

Coach's Outlook: Something is happening in the quiet rolling streets around Bangs Lake. The Wauconda Girls Cross Country Team is putting together a summer training block that has them aiming high. With the return of 800m standout Lily Schubert, strong additions in Erin Espitia and Zoey Lyons, and huge summer steps forward for returners Riley Blue, Izzy Drozd, Elena Kiekow, Cedella Pollin, and Kylah Blohm, this team looks poised to demolish their 2025 end of season rankings and outlook. After a team camp in Boulder, Colorado that saw them taking on some of the toughest routes in American Distance Running, the team is one of the strongest and most bonded squads Coach Jake O'Hara has seen in his career; these girls know how to set goals and hold each other accountable to reach them. The team looks to draw on a strong pack mentality and a deep rotation from 2-9 in order to stay resilient and fresh throughout the competition season. The bulldogs have been patiently growing these past few seasons, and with the additions of Coach Armata and Coach Hlinak, each of whom draw on strong track backgrounds, the girls are ready to prove themselves. Tread lightly if you're betting against Wauconda this season. 

Bethalto (Civic Memorial)

Head Coach/Coaches: Jake Peal / Malynn Hannaford

Key Returners: Lillie Wood, Mya Walker, Olivia Wiley, Josephine Werts, Calista Webb

New Additions: Olivia Wallace, Abby Harshbarger, Alexis Plummer, Portia Friener

Coach's Outlook: Coach Hannaford and I are pleased with the girls. We have a mixture of upperclassman leadership from Lillie Wood and Mya Walker with freshman who are eager to compete and make an impact on the Top 7. Will it be enough to advance us to Sectionals in October? Only time will tell. All of our returners made giant steps forward this spring, and if we continue to improve week by week this fall I hope we can be in the mix.

Urbana

Head Coach/Coaches: Zach Boehmke / Maggie Byrne, Briar Nevills

Key Returners: Marley Yau, Genisis Walker, Cadence Williams, Savannah Finley, Claire Daniels, Amal Hamayel

New Additions: Willa Sola, Amita Patel, Clara Nardie, Lillian McDonough, Mira Tanta

Coach's Outlook: Urbana Tigers are entering the final chapter for a large senior class while also writing the first chapter of a burgeoning ninth grade class. We started out this summer with more girls than we anticipated coming out for our summer running practices. All of our new girls look like they will be varsity runners - it comes down to when will they be ready to step up. We look forward to what appears to be a pack that can hopefully bridge the gap from Marley to our 5th runner better than in the previous few years and are excited to compete and improve upon our results from last year.

Washington

Head Coach/Coaches: Troy Walcott / Katie Petravick

Key Returners: Sofia Carrillo, Ellie Peterson, Anna Rumler, Quinn Juergens, Sophia Bohannan, Abigail Hughes

New Additions: Terren Jones, Teresa Engstrom, Stella Zielinski, Elvira Polishchuk

Unexpected Losses: Rielle Beasley

Coach's Outlook: We would like to finish in the top 4 of the Mid Illini and hopefully get some individuals to the state meet!

Springfield

Head Coach/Coaches: Trae Cotner / Joy Guardia

Key Returners: Sophia Llosa, Melody Guardia, Anamarie Kren, Nora Andring, Zoe Wall

New Additions: Anushka Moonat, Nora Price, Ruby Stalter

Coach's Outlook: Probably the best girls teams we have had since the last team to qualify for state. Summer has been great for the girls and they are a vert close knit group that can really bring SHS girls back to prominence.  

Belvidere North

Head Coach/Coaches: Ken Husser / Alexandria Reza, Addie Crocker

Key Returners: Lily Binger, Amelia Deery, Ady Gallas, Ona Steines, Noelle Wiebe

New Additions: Mily Dobbs, Teghan Reiter, Lauren Cox

Coach's Outlook: Last season gave some of the athletes a glimpse of how good they can be.  Lily ran faster at Sectionals with a  17:40, than at state.  Ady Gallas went sub 19 and Ona Steines went sub 20 for the first time at sectionals.  We need to keep everyone healthy, improving and focused on running stronger as the season progresses.  Certainly there are some questions that won’t be answered until we race a few times.  However, if Deery comes back strong and Cox,  Dobbs or Reiter can contribute it could be a very solid season.

Champaign (Centennial)

Head Coach/Coaches: Laura Koterba-Buss

Key Returners: Farah Scott, Brenna Hooper, Kinley Alexander. Lauren Kleber, Tess Karagiannakis

New Additions: Jules Favot, Harper Scott, Lydia Durdan and Jocelyn Russell

Outlook: Centennial Gals Cross Country had a consistent summer of training. Team members vying for spots in the varsity lineup demonstrated the most commitment and consistency. Their long runs progressed well and gains in mental resilience were evident. We have a group of four seniors that will be supportive and confident leaders for our youth. We have five incoming freshmen who will benefit from the seniors' experience and support. I expect our team to be focused and competitive individually on race day. If I am successful in facilitating the freshman becoming consistent at racing well at the 3 mile distance we could be competitive as a team.

Darien (Hinsdale South)

Head Coach/Coaches: Michele Koehler / Emma Ririe

Key Returners: Seniors - Emma Koehler, Alyssa Pendon, Yelena Haidamaka, Junior - Lucy Wang

New Additions: Samantha Gruberman

Coach's Outlook: Since this is new taking over as head coach this season, I would like to sum up these questions all in one short paragraph. This summer our goal was simple try to increase our numbers and keep the girls out and interested in running cross country. With such a small school and many fall sports for females to choose from many of our middle school athletes do not always stay with cross country from middle school to high school. This summer I really tried to build that team camaraderie in hopes that the athletes will choose to stay with cross country when it is time. Our Cross Country camp is open for 5th-12th graders so we saw many rising 8th graders as well as incoming freshman. Even if our team does not grow in large numbers this year, it does look hopeful for future years to come.  The last couple of years at Hinsdale South the cross country team has been quite small and especially with the addition of flag football it has gotten even smaller. I am hoping that we can encourage a few more incoming freshman who ran with our feeder schools to continue to run cross country with us this year. As for this season from the outlook of our returning athletes. Senior Emma Koehler ended her Junior year strong and had a great summer of running we look forward to see what a little bit of speed training and some competition will do to carry her further. Incoming freshman Sam Gruberman will be a nice addition to our team and will make her way into our top 7 for sure. Lucy, Alyssa, and Yelena will also continue to round out our varsity squad 

Quincy (Notre Dame)

Head Coach/Coaches: Leah Waters

Key Returners: Elcee Waters and Emmalyn Smith, Leah Holbrook, Blakeleigh Haubrich, Piper Eddy, Olivia Bailey, Kenley Lansing, Morgan Pritts, 

Coach's Outlook: This will be our 2nd year being bumped up to 2A even though we are a 1A school.  We will rise to the challenge and continue to broaden our list of schools to enhance our race schedule.   

Breese Central

Head Coach/Coaches: Nathan Rueter

Key Returners: Tori Garcia, Elise Kohnen, Morgan Elliott, and/or Madison Zurliene

New Additions: Ashlyn Tebbe, Sara Book, Emma Lappe, Ella Henrichs

Coach's Outlook: I expect the team to grow and improve over the course of the season.  As our Freshmen get more experience, I think our team has a chance to be very competitive.