2026 Weekend Roundup: XC Season Week 2

Granite City Robinson/Lang Invite

Boys Teams: 2A - #13 Marion, #23 Waterloo; 1A - #15 Metro East Lutheran, #20 Roxana; MO - #2 SLUH; Alton, Belleville Althoff, Belleville East, Belleville West, Breese Central, Chatham Glenwood, Chesterton Academy, Civic Memorial, Collinsville, Columbia, Confluence Academy, Dupo, East St. Louis, East Alton Wood River, Edwardsville, Father McGivney, First Baptist Academy(O’Fallon), Freeburg, Gibault, Granite City, Greenville, Highland, Jacksonville, Jerseyville(Jersey), Lebanon, Marissa, Marshall, Maryville Christian, Mascoutah, Mater Dei, Metro Academy & Classical, Mt. Vernon, O’Fallon, Quincy, Salem, Springfield High, Staunton, Trenton(Wesclin), Triad

Girls Teams: 3A - #8 Edwardsville; 2A - #2 Chatham Glenwood, #22 Highland; 1A - #12 Mater Dei, #13 Belleville Althoff, #23 Roxana; Alton, Belleville East, Belleville West, Breese Central, Chesterton Academy, Civic Memorial, Collinsville, Columbia, Confluence Academy, Dupo, East St. Louis, East Alton Wood River, Father McGivney, First Baptist Academy(O’Fallon), Freeburg, Gibault, Granite City, Greenville, Jacksonville, Jerseyville(Jersey), Lebanon, Marion, Marissa, Marshall, Maryville Christian, Mascoutah, Metro Academy & Classical, Metro East Lutheran, Mt. Vernon, O’Fallon, Quincy, Salem, SLUH, Springfield High, Staunton, Trenton(Wesclin), Triad, Waterloo

Boys Individuals: 2A - #3 Gabriel Greer (Sr., Marion), #4 Raphael Greer (Sr., Marion), #18 Luke Smith (Jr., Waterloo); MO - #3 Jackson Miller (Sr., St. Louis University High); Landon Harris (Sr., Granite City), Warnicke Beatty (Jr., St. Louis University High), Nathan Khouri (Sr., St. Louis University High), Tyler DeVilder (Sr., Waterloo)

Girls Individuals: 2A - #2 Ali Londrigan (Sr., Chatham [Glenwood]), #5 Sophie Rentmeister (Sr., Chatham [Glenwood]), #20 Lydia Huffman (So., Waterloo); Peyton Kuhl (Jr., Quincy), Morgan Popelar (Jr., Edwardsville), Ella Thompson (Sr., Edwardsville), MacKenna Kerpan (So., Edwardsville), Myla McAllister (Fr., Breese [Mater Dei])

Outlook: The Granite City Invite is one of the premier meets in Southern Illinois. Every year, it brings teams from all over Illinois and Missouri to Wilson Park, creating one of the deepest fields of the season. With some of the best teams and individuals from across multiple classes competing, Granite City has consistently produced some of the fastest times and biggest performances of the year. The individual race is loaded with talent, starting with returning champion Jackson Miller of St. Louis University and one of his biggest rivals, Landon Harris of Granite City. These two have been going at it for the past three years, with Miller coming out on top most of the time. However, Harris will be looking to change that this year and challenge Miller for the top spot. With their history and familiarity with one another, this could be one of the most exciting individual battles of the meet. Another pair of names that cannot be overlooked is the Greer twins, Gabriel Greer and Raphael Greer of Marion. The two have been electric since their freshman year and have rarely needed outside competition because they have each other pushing them throughout the race. However, when they are placed in a field filled with other top-level runners, they have shown exactly why they are considered among the best in the state. Both have been state placers since their freshman year and will look to make another statement at Wilson Park. Another runner to watch is Luke Smith of Waterloo, who came on incredibly strong at the end of last season. Smith surprised a lot of people when he flipped the switch during the postseason and became one of the most electric runners in the field. While he is best known as an elite 800-meter runner, his performances last fall and throughout the postseason showed that he has the ability to be much more than just an 800 specialist. If Smith can carry that momentum into this cross country season, he could be one of the biggest names to watch. On the team side, St. Louis University enters as the team to beat. They scored just 37 points last year, putting on a clinic against the rest of the field. With the strength and depth they bring to Granite City, they will be looking to repeat that performance and once again establish themselves as the class of the field.The girls race is nothing to overlook. Every year, the Granite City Invite proves that the boys aren't the only side bringing serious talent to Wilson Park, and this year's field should be no different. Leading the way are the Chatham Glenwood duo of Ali Londrigan and Sophie Rentmeister. The two are among the most disciplined and experienced runners in the state, and they will be leading a Glenwood team that has continued to improve and establish itself as a powerhouse. Their experience and ability to race together could make them a major factor throughout the season. Another runner to watch is sophomore phenom Lydia Huffman of Waterloo. Huffman had a difficult cross country season last year that unfortunately ended early because of injury. However, she had a very strong freshman track season, where she began figuring things out and showing the potential that made her one of the state's most exciting young runners. Now healthy and entering another cross country season, Huffman will be looking to show just how fast she can run. Morgan Popelar of Edwardsville is another Southern Illinois talent who should not be overlooked. She was part of a very strong team last fall that surprised plenty of people and put together one of its best performances at the state meet. Popelar showed her biggest individual potential on the track, where she was nearly unstoppable and qualified for the state meet in the 3,200 meters. Her combination of cross country experience and track strength makes her another runner who could be right in the mix at Granite City. The team race could be one of the closest battles of the entire meet, with Chatham Glenwood and Edwardsville expected to go head-to-head. The two teams had a very competitive race against each other last year, and with both programs returning plenty of talent, it is shaping up to be another battle at Wilson Park. With elite individuals, deep team fields, and several returning state-level talents, the Granite City Invite should be one of the meets to watch in Southern Illinois. Both the boys and girls races have plenty of storylines, and by the end of the day, we could see some of the fastest times of the season.

Hinsdale Central Red Devil Invite

Boys Teams: 3A - #5 Winnetka (New Trier), #6 Hinsdale Central, #7 Mt. Prospect (Prospect), #12 Naperville Central, #17 Naperville (Neuqua Valley), #18 Batavia, #19 Wheaton Warrenville South, #22 Oswego East, #24 Chicago (Whitney Young); 2A - #5 Deerfield, #21 Chicago (Latin), #24 Darien (Hinsdale South); Lisle (Benet Academy), Bolingbrook, Evanston, Oak Park (Fenwick), Highland Park, Aurora (Metea Valley), Minooka, Oswego, Palatine

Girls Teams: 3A - #2 Mt. Prospect (Prospect), #3 Arlington Heights (Hersey), #5 Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West), #9 Minooka, #10 Winnetka (New Trier), #13 Hinsdale Central, #16 Downers Grove South, #19 Wheaton Warrenville South, #23 Batavia; Lisle (Benet Academy), Bolingbrook, Evanston, Oak Park (Fenwick), Glenbrook South, Highland Park, Chicago (Latin), Aurora (Metea Valley, Naperville Central, Oswego, Oswego East, Palatine, Chicago (Whitney Young)

Boys Individuals: 3A - #7 Amilo Rajandram (Sr., Chicago [Whitney Young]), #15 Jesse Gudauskas (Sr., Naperville [Neuqua Valley]), #20 Henry Miller (Sr., Hinsdale Central); Grayson Meek (Jr., Naperville [Neuqua Valley]), Manny Najera (Sr., Naperville Central), Andrew Calderon (Sr., Deerfield), Johnny Krueger (Sr., Hinsdale Central), Derek Williamson (Sr., Naperville Central), Landon Samp (Sr., Mt. Prospect [Prospect]), Martin Issa (Sr., Winnetka [New Trier]), Nico Hampton (Jr., Winnetka [New Trier])

Girls Individuals: 3A - #5 Avery Hacker (Sr., Batavia), #6 Molly Mocko (Fr., Glen Ellyn [Glenbard West]), #14 Ella Satre (Sr., Hinsdale Central), #16 Graceleen Mabry (So., Arlington Heights [Hersey]), #18 Samantha Lobacz (Jr., Mt. Prospect [Prospect]), #19 Brynn Bartkus (Fr., Downers Grove South), #20 Miriam Eynon (So., Winnetka [New Trier]), #22 Natalie Nahs (Sr., Minooka); 2A - Francesca Mora (Jr., Chicago [Latin]), Alexa Izenstark (Sr., Arlington Heights [Hersey]), Nia Ortega (Sr., Downers Grove South), Juliana Gamboa (Sr., Oak Park [Fenwick]), Shayne Dietzen (Jr., Glen Ellyn [Glenbard West]), Kayla Ritchie (Sr., Winnetka [New Trier]), Adelaide Galla (So., Mt. Prospect [Prospect]), Kaitlin Miazga (Jr., Mt. Prospect [Prospect]), Charlotte Danahy (Jr., Naperville Central), Madeline Serur (Fr., Arlington Heights [Hersey]), Gianna Suvada (Fr., Arlington Heights [Hersey]), Addy Lindsay (Jr., Wheaton Warrenville South), Allison Kalkwarf (Jr., Mt. Prospect [Prospect]), Clara Vincent (So., Arlington Heights [Hersey]), Caitlin Resac (So., Mt. Prospect [Prospect])

Outlook: There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to the Red Devil Invite. Some of the best 3A schools in the state are in attendance, there are sure to be fireworks at Katherine Legge Park this weekend. In the boys individual race, you should see a great race up front. 3A #7 Amilo Rajandram of Whitney Young is the top ranked athlete, he’ll be making his season debut here. Rajandram had a great track season posting a 3200 time of 9:05, and he’s one of the top aerobic runners in the state. Jesse Gudauskas of Neuqua Valley has a win under his belt so far this season after crushing the EIU Showdown last weekend. He will be looking for a great race against Rajandram, he should be right there with him. Hinsdale Central’s 3A #20 Henry Miller looks to open his season with a bang, he should be right with Rajandram and Gudauskas. Grayson Meek of Neuqua Valley will be one to keep your eyes on after his eyebrow raising performance during week 1. At the EIU Showdown, Meek ran with his teammates for miles 1 and 2, and then hammered the last mile to finish within the top 15. It will be interesting to see how he fares against the field when he’s actually racing for a serious spot. On the girls side, it’s even more stacked, with 3A #5, Avery Hacker of Batavia and 3A #6 Molly Mocko of Glenbard West up front. Hacker was the runner up at last year’s state meet and posted some fantastic track times of 10:28 and 4:53, so she’s going to be a top competitor in the field. Mocko is one of the fastest incoming freshmen in the entire nation, with a ridiculous 3200 time of 10:24 from the indoor season. Both runners should have a great battle for the win here. Behind them, you’ll see a huge swathe of ranked athletes including 3A #14 Ella Satre of Hinsdale Central, 3A #16 Gracyleen Mabry of Hersey, and 3A #18 Samantha Lobacz of Prospect. Incoming freshman, 3A #19 Brynn Bartkus of Downers Grove South will be making her season debut here as well, she should be mixing it up with the top pack as well. 

On the teams side, the boys race is going to be hotly contested between a number of top ten caliber teams. The highly anticipated Trevians of New Trier are the top ranked team at 3A #5, they will be looking to impress in their season opener. 3A #6 Hinsdale Central has assembled a great squad this year and should be right with New Trier. 3A #7 Prospect has one of the stronger packs in 3A this year and should be able to fit right in with NT and HC. 3A #12 Naperville Central and 2A #4 Deerfield should both be teams to keep an eye on as well. Naperville Central went to work over the spring and emerged much better than they were in 2025, they are a serious team this year. Deerfield has reloaded with incredible speed from last year’s 2A third place trophy, they should be able to get out against the big schools and compete for a spot in the top 3. On the girls side, it’s not quite as wide-open, as there are a few juggernaut squads that will lead the rest. 3A #2 Prospect and 3A #3 Hersey are going to be the two big teams to keep your eyes on, as both teams are just a tier above the rest. Prospect has developed two sophomores into absolute units during the track season, Samantha Lobacz and Kaitlin Miazga are both going to be strong leaders for this squad. Hersey has a similarly strong pack behind Graceleen Mabry, but Prospect’s depth is definitely a step ahead. Both teams are fantastic, but it’s going to take quite an effort from Hersey to unseat Prospect in their opener. 3A #5 Glenbard West should be right behind Prospect and Hersey. They bring back almost everyone from last year’s top ten finish besides Alexa Novak, who they’ve effectively replaced with Molly Mocko. With a superstar like Mocko upfront, the Hilltoppers look to show up and compete with the best in the state. After these five teams, it is an avalanche of top tier 3A squads, with 3A #9 Minooka and 3A #10 New Trier representing the final 2 top ten ranked teams. 3A #13 Hinsdale Central, 3A #16 Downers Grove South and 3A #19 Wheaton Warrenville South will be great teams to watch for as well, any one of them could throw down an upset performance.

Mike Kuharic Invite

Boys Teams: 3A - #3 Downers Grove North, #10 Arlington Heights (Hersey), #11 Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East), #15 New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central), #21 Orland Park (Sandburg), #23 Lockport; Aurora East, West Aurora, Berwyn-Cicero (Morton), Burbank (Reavis), Burbank (St. Laurence), Chicago (Brother Rice), Chicago (Jones), Chicago (Marist), Homewood-Flossmoor, Harvey (Thornton), Joliet West, LaGrange (Lyons), LaGrange Park (Nazareth Academy), Lombard (Glenbard East), Lowell, New Lenox (Lincoln-Way West), Oak Lawn (Richards), Park Ridge (Maine South), Riverside-Brookfield, Villa Park (Willowbrook)

Girls Teams: 3A - #18 Park Ridge (Maine South), #21 Downers Grove North, #25 Orland Park (Sandburg); 2A - #8 LaGrange Park (Nazareth Academy); Aurora East, West Aurora, Berwyn-Cicero (Morton), Burbank (Reavis), Burbank (St. Laurence), Chicago (Jones), Chicago (Marist), Chicago (Mother McAuley), Darien (Hinsdale South), Homewood-Flossmoor, Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East), Harvey (Thornton), LaGrange (Lyons), Lockport, Lombard (Glenbard East), New Lenox (Lincoln-Way West), Oak Lawn (Richards), Riverside-Brookfield, Villa Park (Willowbrook)

Boys Individuals: 3A - #2 Santiago Chavez (Sr., Burbank [Reavis]), #4 Conrad Saner (Sr., Downers Grove South), #10 Brendan Hanrahan (Jr., Frankfort [Lincoln-Way East]), #11 Miguel Flores (Sr., Berwyn-Cicero [Morton]), #14 Gabriel Gronski (Sr., Arlington Heights [Hersey]), #19 Stephen Cox (Sr., Downers Grove North), #22 Eddie Matteson (So., Frankfort [Lincoln-Way East]), #24 Legend Alka (Jr., Villa Park [Willowbrook]), #25 Brayden Gaffud (Sr., Orland Park [Sandburg]); Brennan Monohan (Jr., LaGrange [Lyons]), Cian Scanlon (Sr., New Lenox [Lincoln-Way Central])

Girls Individuals: 3A - #8 Macy Ermitage (Jr., Downers Grove North), #13 Tessie Bradley (Sr., Park Ridge [Maine South]), #25 Ella Giblin (Jr., Orland Park [Sadnburg]); Annika Trehan (Sr., Orland Park [Sandburg]), Kathleen Hardy (Jr., LaGrange Park [Nazareth Academy])

Outlook: The Mike Kuharic 5k is one of the premier early season meets, we should see a ton of great 3A names compete in LaGrange this week. On the boys side, we’re going to see a great individual match up including two top 5 individuals. 3A #2 Santiago Chavez of Burbank Reavis is the top ranked athlete coming into this meet. Chavez already secured a win this season at the SSC Pre-Conference meet, he’ll be looking to continue that streak into this week. 3A #4 Conrad Saner of Downers Grove South will be looking to make his season debut here. Saner was 10th at this meet last year, but then finished 7th at the state cross country meet. Him and Chavez are both title contenders in 3A this year and Mike Kuharic should be a great way to pit them against each other. 3A #10 Brendan Hanrahan of Lincoln Way East should be another name to watch. He took the win at his season opener at the SWSC Pre-Conference meet and he’s going to be competitive against this stacked field. 3A #11 Miguel Flores of Berwyn Cicero Morton was the second fastest returner from this meet last year, he should also be up with the top group. 3A #14 Gabriel Gronski of Hersey will be looking to show that the jump he made during the track season was for real, he’ll play an integral part in this race as well. On the girls side, 3A #8 Macy Ermitage of Downers Grove North will face off against 3A #13 Tessie Bradley of Maine South. Ermitage took second in her season opener to Marlie Czarnewski at the EIU Showdown, but she’s still one of the top returners in the state from last year’s cross country meet. Bradley saw huge improvement during the spring, her 3200 time dropped down to a devious 10:37. Both runners will likely lead this field by a solid margin, it should lead to a great 1v1 up the home straight.

On the team side, the boys race features a ton of top ranked teams that should be exciting to watch here. 3A #3 Downers Grove North is the top ranked team in the field, but their season opener at the EIU Showdown definitely left some to be desired. In previous years, we’ve seen the Trojans run a tactical race at EIU and then rebound fantastically at the Mike Kuharic meet, so it’ll be interesting to see what they really have in store for us if that’s the case this year. If they don’t turn it around, then that leaves the door open for 3A #10 Hersey and 3A #11 Lincoln Way East. Hersey has a developing young squad that will be making their season debut here, so there’s a bit of mystery surrounding how well they will perform. With Lincoln Way East, however, there is absolutely no mystery that they should shred this weekend. LWE looked absolutely fantastic at the SWSC Pre-Conference meet and they will likely carry that momentum into this week. 3A #15 Lincoln Way Central should also be there with the leaders, the addition of Cian Scanlon to their roster should help them join LWE and Hersey. On the girls side, it’s a similar story to the individual race, with 3A #18 Maine South and 3A #21 Downers Grove North leading the way. Both teams have an individual favorite up front with a strong supporting pack behind, it should lead to an extremely close matchup. 2A #8 Nazareth Academy could surprise for the win here as well, as their 1-5 split is much stronger than MS or DGN. Both MS and Naz Academy have yet to make their season debuts, which will also add to the excitement of the race. 

St. Charles East Leavey Invite

Boys Teams: 3A - #8 St. Charles North, 2A - #1 Dixon, Naperville North, Huntley, St. Charles East, Bartlett, Geneva, Sterling, Port Byron (Riverdale), West Chicago, Carol Stream (Glenbard North), Elgin (St. Edward), Streamwood, Rockton (Hononegah)

Girls Teams: 3A - #1 Barrington, #11 St. Charles North, #22 Elmhurst (York), #24 Schaumburg; Geneva, Huntley, St. Charles East, Wheaton North, Bartlett, Plainfield South, Streamwood, Rockton (Hononegah)

Boys Individuals: 3A - #5 Samuel Hill (Sr., St. Charles North); 2A - #13 Dean Geiger (Sr., Dixon), #14 Averick Wiseman (Sr., Dixon); Logan Hitchings (Sr., St. Charles North), Miles Dill (Jr., St. Charles North), Christian Enger (Sr., St. Charles North), Shreyas Meyer (So., Naperville North), Ethan Carter (So., Dixon), Joseph Sittler (So., Huntley)

Girls Individuals: 3A - #2 Kara Glenn (Jr., St. Charles North), #3 Karlin Janowski (Jr., Elmhurst [York]), #4 Victoria Tarara (Jr., Barrington), #10 Angelica Hil (Sr., Barrington), #15 Julia Rodney (Sr., St. Charles North), #17 Gwen Hobson (Sr., St. Charles North), #21 Adley Wilson (Jr., St. Charles East), #24 Haley Rahman (Sr., Huntley); Nicole Mayer (Sr., St. Charles East), Morgan Sauber (Sr., Huntley), Ashleigh Forbes (So., Barrington)

Outlook: The Leavey Invite continues an exciting start to the cross-country season by combining cross-town suburban talent with state-wide competition. St. Charles East hosts their prestigious invite at Setteller’s Hill, making for an exciting day in the heat. The girls lineup contains some of the top talent in the state and will make for an interesting and competitive race. After coming off a great start to the season with a win at the Elgin City Classic, (3A #1) Kara Glenn of St. Charles North will be looking to defend her Leavey Invite title and take the win against many returning stars from last year's invite. 2025 3A state champion (#2) Karlin Janowski of York will be putting up a fierce competition, along with (3A #4) Victoria Tarara and (3A #10) Angelica Hil of Barrington. Barrington (3A #1) will be looking to take the team title for the invite, with (3A #11) St. Charles North’s Julia Rodney (3A #15) and Gwen Hobson (3A #17) working together to move the North Stars up in the rankings. Lastly, joining the star-studded field of competition is (3A #21) Adley Wilson and Nicole Meyer of St. Charles East, as well as (3A #24) Haley Rahman of Huntley, all of whom will provide rival performances to watch. On the boy’s side, 2025 3A cross-country state 9th place finisher Sam Hill (3A #5) of St. Charles North is also coming off a win at last week's Elgin City Classic and will be racing to take the boys’ title. Joined by Logan Hitchings, Miles Dill, and Christian Enger, St. Charles North will be hoping to take the team title for the boys, but will meet strong competition from (2A #1) Dixon. Led by 14th place 2A cross-country state finisher (2A #13) Dean Geiger and 20th place finisher (2A #14) Averick Wiseman, the two teams will be going head to head to provide thrilling performances at the hill. The competitive lineups across both groups will hopefully bring out breakout runners and hidden talent, with close match ups from teams and individuals looking to make statements early in the season.

Fenton Early Bird Invite

Boys Teams: 3A - #20 Payton; 2A - #14 Montini, #15 Northridge Prep; Addison Trail, Amundsen, DePaul Prep, Elmwood Park, Fenton, Glenbard West, IC Catholic Prep, Lake View, Leyden, Mather, Mt. Carmel, Notre Dame, Oak Park-River Forest, Proviso West, Ridgewood, St. Francis, Taft, Timothy Christian, Vernon Hills, Wheaton Academy, Wheeling 

Girls Teams: 3A - #15 DePaul Prep; 2A - #9 St. Francis, #25 Timothy Christian; Addison Trail, Amundsen, Elmwood Park, Fenton, IC Catholic Prep, Lake View, Leyden, Mather, Montini, Oak Park-River Forest, Payton, Proviso West, Regina Dominican, Ridgewood, Taft, Trinity, Vernon Hills, Wheeling

Boys Individuals: 3A - #23 Santino Conte (Sr., Niles [Notre Dame]); 2A - #16 Bryant Lester (Sr., Vernon Hills); Nathan Gundersen (Sr., Addison Trail), Will Gagamov (Sr., Vernon Hills), Naod Abreha (Jr., Chicago [Mather])

Girls Individuals: 2A - #3 Erin Hinsdale (Sr., Wheaton [St. Francis]), #7 Elena Mamminga (Sr., Wheaton [St. Francis]), #11 Lyla Plaisier (So., Elmhurst [Timothy Christian]), #15 Estella Ollinger (Sr., Vernon Hills), #18 Abby Yarusso (So., Wheaton [St. Francis]); Emily Stecky (Sr., Chicago [DePaul]), Chloe Milton (Fr., Chicago [DePaul]), Abigail Radich (Jr., Chicago [DePaul]), Ella Buciak (Sr., Chicago [DePaul])

Outlook: Situated right outside of Chicago’s very own O’Hare Airport, the Fenton Early Bird Invite is sure to have some high-flying competition at the start of the season. Starting with the girls race, the 2A individuals battle is definitely worth noting. This is led by the St. Francis trio of Erin Hinsdale (2A #3), Elena Mamminga (2A #7), and Abby Yarusso (2A #18). If they can effectively work together, then all of them can help the 9th best team in 2A St. Francis pull off the win. They will be racing tough against the Rams of DePaul Prep, who are the only ranked 3A team in the field (15). This will be their first race this season, and they have a strong returning core that consists of seniors Emily Stecky and Ella Buciak, junior Abigail Radich, and freshman Chloe Milton. Stecky got second at this meet last year, and will be the top returning going into this year's field. Other individuals worth noting include 2A #11 sophomore Lyla Plaisier, the core leader for 25th ranked Timothy Christian, and 2A #15 senior Estella Ollinger (Vernon Hills). 

Moving over towards the boys race, it is headlined by the first official 3 mile race of the year for the 20th ranked team in 3A Walter Payton. They were the 2024 2A State Champions, and had a successful first year in 3A last fall. Their squad is headlined by upperclassmen Luis Urquiza, Knox Winn, and James Barrios, all hoping to continue the past triumphs of the Grizzlies. They will be up against highly competitive 2A teams, notably #14 Montini and #15 Northridge Prep. The individual battle in the race is also a clash between classes, with 3A #23 Santino Conte of Notre Dame leading the charge for Illinois largest class, and #16 Bryant Lester (Vernon Hills) being the 2A challenger. Don’t count out Nathan Gundersen of Addison Trail, this will be his first race of the season coming off of a state qualifying performance of 9:23 in the 2 mile. He will surely be in contention to be a ranked athlete in the next few weeks. 

Plainfield Pack Labor Day Classic

Boys Teams: #1 Mt. Prospect (St. Raymond), #4 Mt. Prospect (Lincoln), #14 Orland Park (St. Michael); Arlington Heights (South), Barrington (Prairie), Braidwood (Reed-Custer), Brimfield, Chicago (Old St. Mary’s), Chicago (Daystar), Joliet (Dirksen), Downers Grove (O’Neill), Plainfield (Drauden Point), Shorewood (Holy Trinity), Plainfield (Ira Jones), Johnsburg, River Forest (Roosevelt), Batavia (Rotolo)

Girls Teams: #2 Batavia (Rotolo), #5 Mt. Prospect (Lincoln), #9 River Forest (Roosevelt), #11 Barrington (Prairie), #12 Johnsburg, #13 Brimfield; Arlington Heights (South), Braidwood (Reed-Custer), Chicago (Old St. Mary’s), Chicago (Daystar), Joliet (Dirksen), Downers Grove (O’Neill), Plainfield (Drauden Point), Shorewood (Holy Trinity), Plainfield (Ira Jones), Mt. Prospect (St. Raymond), Orland Park (St. Michael)

Boys Individuals: #7 Emmett Voyles (7th, Mt. Prospect [St. Raymond]), #9 Benjamin O’Connor (8th, Downers Grove [O’Neill]), #11 Christopher Marinov (8th, Mt. Prospect [Lincoln]), #12 Owen Khamo (7th, Mt. Prospect [St. Raymond]), #17 Samuel Pagnotto (8th, Arlington Heights South), Noah Wahls (7th, Barrington [Prairie])

Girls Individuals: #2 Stella Ciccarelli (8th, Mokena), #7 Sienna Prendergast (8th, Plainfield [Heritage Grove]), #12 Sawyer Smith (8th, Johnsburg), #19 Alexandra Koulentes (8th, Mt. Prospect [Lincoln]), #21 Lydia Leffelman (8th, Arlington Heights South), #25 Maud Nelson (7th, Brimfield)

Outlook: On the boys’ side, Emmett Voyles of Mt. Prospect (St. Raymond) enters the meet ranked No. 7 and will be one of the primary runners to watch at the front of the field. Voyles opened his season with an impressive 11:40 over two miles at the 5th Annual St. Pius X Knights Meet on August 15, establishing himself as one of the leading contenders heading into the race. He will also have the opportunity to compete alongside teammate Owen Khamo, ranked No. 12, giving the No. 1-ranked St. Raymond program two strong individual contenders near the front of the field. Khamo enters the meet coming off an impressive performance at the Saint Viator Artman Classic on August 29, where he recorded an 11:20 over two miles. Benjamin O’Connor of Downers Grove (O’Neill), ranked No. 9, is another runner capable of challenging for the lead and could make a significant move against the higher-ranked athletes throughout the race. O’Connor will be looking to make his mark after finishing 38th at the IESA 3A State Cross Country Championship in a time of 11:31.09. Christopher Marinov of Mt. Prospect (Lincoln), ranked No. 11, gives the No. 4-ranked Lincoln program another highly regarded athlete capable of making an impact in the individual race while also providing valuable points in the team competition. Marinov competed at the IESA 4A State Cross Country Championship last season, traveling downstate and finishing 92nd with a time of 11:49.1. Samuel Pagnotto of Arlington Heights (South), ranked No. 17, will look to climb the rankings against a talented group of competitors. Pagnotto is an athlete who can quickly become a factor near the front, coming off a fourth-place finish at the Saint Viator Artman Classic on August 29, where he ran 11:26 over two miles. Meanwhile, Noah Wahls of Barrington (Prairie) could be one of the meet’s potential surprise performers as he looks to challenge the ranked runners. Wahls enters with plenty of momentum after finishing third in the two-mile race at the Hawthorn XC Invite in 11:11.6. With Voyles, O’Connor, Marinov and Khamo all separated by only a handful of ranking positions, the battle for the front of the boys’ race could remain tight from the opening stages through the final stretch The girls’ individual race features an equally impressive collection of talent, headlined by Stella Ciccarelli of Mokena, who enters the meet ranked No. 2 and is the highest-ranked individual runner in the field. Ciccarelli is one of the athletes who will be difficult to overlook from the moment the race begins. She enters the season with significant championship experience, including a standout performance at the USATF Region 7 Junior Olympics, where she placed first in 11:04.01 and earned a spot at the 2025 Cross Country Nationals. At Nationals, despite challenging snowy and extremely cold conditions, Ciccarelli ran 11:29 and finished sixth in the nation. She also enjoyed an outstanding cross country season last year, placing second at the IESA State Meet with a time of 11:46.01. With that experience behind her, Ciccarelli will be one of the runners to watch from the opening mile and will have a legitimate opportunity to contend for the individual championship. Sienna Prendergast of Plainfield (Heritage Grove), ranked No. 7, provides one of the strongest potential challenges near the front of the field. Prendergast also competed at the USATF Region 7 Junior Olympics, placing 13th in 12:19.06 to qualify for the USATF Nationals, where she recorded a 13:39.08 and finished 193rd. Sawyer Smith of Johnsburg, ranked No. 12, will look to remain within striking distance of the leaders while simultaneously contributing important points toward her team’s overall standing. Alexandra Koulentes of Mt. Prospect (Lincoln), ranked No. 19, Lydia Leffelman of Arlington Heights (South), ranked No. 21, and Maud Nelson of Brimfield, ranked No. 25, round out a talented group of ranked runners who could all factor into both the individual and team competitions. The team races add another layer of intrigue to an already talented field. On the boys’ side, No. 1 Mt. Prospect (St. Raymond) enters as the top-ranked program, followed by No. 4 Mt. Prospect (Lincoln) and No. 14 Orland Park (St. Michael). With several highly ranked individuals representing those programs, the team championship could come down to the final few scoring positions. The girls’ team competition is even deeper, featuring No. 2 Batavia (Rotolo), No. 5 Mt. Prospect (Lincoln), No. 9 River Forest (Roosevelt), No. 11 Barrington (Prairie), No. 12 Johnsburg and No. 13 Brimfield. With so many ranked teams sharing the starting line, every position could prove critical, particularly in a tightly packed team race where a single place can make a major difference in the final standings. Ultimately, this meet provides an important opportunity for some of the area’s top athletes and programs to measure themselves against one another. The field features proven championship performers, emerging contenders and athletes looking to make a statement, creating the potential for close finishes, breakthrough performances and new names to emerge. From the opening mile to the final straightaway, the individual battles at the front will be worth watching, while the depth behind the leaders could ultimately determine the team championships. With highly ranked runners and programs competing on both sides, this is a field filled with storylines and one that promises plenty of competition for Illinois Running News to follow.