Illinois Running News Brings In 8 New Interns

[Editor Note: Carson Vittorio] Thank you to everyone who applied to be an Illinois Running News Intern! Ultimately, we had over 30 applicants apply and selected nine. You will see these enthusiastic journalists throughout the year helping provide the best content imaginable. This program has a special place in my heart as I started my journalism journey as an intern for Milesplit Illinois and that made me into the journalist that i am today thanks to Tony Jones taking a flyer on a high school kid. Don't be afraid to say hello to these interns at a meet if you see them in an Illinois Running News shirt! These 8 will be also joined by returning interns Vivian Lee-Yee and Kennedy Ruff.

------------------------------

James O’Sullivan

My name is James O’Sullivan, and I am an incoming senior at Palatine High School. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to write as an intern for Illinois Running News this year, and I would like to personally thank Carson Vittorio for giving me this incredible chance to help spread awareness of Illinois running across the state.

I’ve been running cross country and track since seventh grade, when I became one of the original members of the Palatine Pack. Ever since then, I’ve fallen in love with the sport and have wanted to share the joy running brings me with everyone around me. From the pure adrenaline on the start line, to the burning pain mid-race, to the incredible relief at the finish—there’s so much to love about running. Regardless of results, the journey toward becoming a better runner reflects all the qualities needed to succeed in life. That’s why it brings me so much joy, and why I truly hope to be a lifelong runner.

Although I’ve never published any writing before, my passion for the sport makes this the perfect place to start. Ever since I began running, I’ve been fascinated by the entire Illinois running scene. I’ve spent countless hours digging through meet results, trying to piece together what really happened. But often, the numbers alone don’t tell the full story. In my six-year running career, I’ve witnessed dozens of cross country and track meets—each filled with powerful moments and untold stories.

My goal as a writer is to bring those stories to light—to highlight the incredible journeys of runners across Illinois and showcase what high school running is really all about.

If you have any article ideas or stories you'd like to share, feel free to DM me on Instagram at @james_osullivan_official or email me at james.osullivan0811@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you, and I can’t wait for an amazing season ahead!

Kabir Joshi

Hi everyone! My name is Kabir Joshi, and I’m a senior at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. I’m beyond excited to announce that I’ll be taking photos for Illinois Running News! First, thank you for taking the time to check this out—I can’t wait for the upcoming track season, and I hope you’re just as hyped as I am.

A little about me: I’m a four-year varsity cross country and track & field runner. Running wasn’t always part of my story, but once I found it, I never looked back. Like many others, I started off just wanting to try something new in middle school, and I instantly fell in love with the sport. There’s something about racing—whether it’s chasing a PR, fighting for placement, or just battling it out with teammates—that has always made me feel alive. I’ve put in a lot of work over the years, especially these past couple seasons, and seeing that effort pay off has only deepened my passion for the sport. I’m planning to continue running in college, and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.

While taking photos wasn’t something I always pictured myself doing, I’ve grown to love sharing stories from the running world. Whether it’s recapping races through instagram showcases, previewing meets, or highlighting athletes who deserve more recognition, I want to help showcase the incredible talent we have here in Illinois. I’ve always been a tech nerd when it comes to running, and now I get to put that energy into something bigger—something that hopefully helps connect and inspire other runners across the state.

Big thanks to Carson Vittorio for giving me this opportunity, and to everyone reading—I’m so excited to be part of this community. If you ever want to reach out about anything running or writing related, feel free to shoot me an email at kabir.r.joshi@icloud.com or a DM on Instagram at @kabirjphoto. Let’s make it a great track season!

Mateo Ramiro-Garcia

My name is Mateo Ramiro-Garcia. I'm a senior at Carl Sandburg High School. First of all I got to say that I am super excited and fortunate for this opportunity, I am pumped to be able to share my passion for this sport through this platform. If you don’t know me, here’s a little bit about who I am.

I am originally from Mexico, I moved here when I was 10 years old. I’ve been a varsity cross country runner for four years, starting my freshman year. At first, I planned to try out for the soccer team, but I was drawn to the unique team culture and rich history that Sandburg XC has, ever since then I have been dedicated to the sport and the team. Between cross country and track, I consider myself more of a track guy. My favorite event is the 800m, my favorite race last season was a 3200m at Lockport High School, it was a race where I wasn’t running any of my usual events, I like races like these because they make me get out of my comfort zone, it allows me to learn more about the stuff I am capable of when I am racing in uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations. My favorite cross country course is the Leroy Oaks course in St. Charles, I’ve only raced this course once my freshman year, but even after 3 years of cross country racing no other course has been able to change my mind. 

Over the years I’ve learned a fair amount about the running world, especially when it comes to shoes. Ever since I was introduced to my first pair of trainers and super shoes I’ve been hooked on the world of running shoes. In my opinion, Nike has the best line up of shoes all around. 

As for my plans after high school, I plan to go to college to earn a degree in biomedical engineering and I also plan to compete at the next level. I'm still undecided on where I want to study. 

To be honest, I don’t write as often as some others on the team, but I have learned to appreciate the art of sports writing and storytelling. As a kid growing up in Mexico, sports storytelling is the best part about watching or reading anything that is related to sports, everyone in Mexico has an idol regarding narrators, mine being Christian Martinolli, a soccer commentator for the Azteca 7 channel. With that being said I am excited to try sports storytelling. This season, I’ll be covering meet previews and recaps for meets all over the state.

 Lastly, I’m looking forward to working with a talented group of people. I hope our writing makes the beginning of the cross country season even more exciting. If you have any questions or want to connect, feel free to reach out! My email is saulo.mateoramiro@gmail.com or reach me through instagram (@mateoramiro_garcia).

Connor Lane

Hello, my name is Connor Lane, and I am thrilled to join the Illinois Running News team! A little about me: I am a rising junior at the University of Chicago Laboratory School, and this will be my third year running distance with the Maroons. I ran track in 6th and 8th grade, and though I had a good time, I didn't really plan on continuing into high school. After some convincing from my brother, who had already been on the team for two years, I showed up to the first cross-country practice. I enjoyed cross country my freshman year and found great community on the team, which made an unexpected but thrilling state run. I wasn't immersed in the broader running community, though. Last summer, I took my first step into running media when I read the book, “Running with the Buffaloes.” Since then, I've consumed everything I could find. 

This year, I will be taking on both a writing and a meet coverage role. Looking at race results and coming up with predictions is already one of my favorite pastimes. Being able to do this on a more professional level is a dream come true. Running brings out so much emotion and passion. I hope to bring people's stories to light in an honest and entertaining way.

Thank you to Carson Vittorio for this incredible opportunity. If you ever want to get in contact with me, you can reach me at laneconnorjohn@gmail.com. I can't wait to get started!

Landon Harris

Hello everyone! My name is Landon Harris, and I’m a junior at Granite City High School in Granite City where I compete as an athlete for track and field and cross country. This upcoming school year I will be aiding Illinois Running News in media coverage around southern Illinois as-well as helping with writing rankings and reports from the weeks throughout the season. A big thanks to Carson Vittorio for providing me with this opportunity. I’m super pumped for the season and to see what everyone has in store. 

Pilar Rosales

Hi! My name is Pilar Rosales and I am going to be a senior at Lake Forest high school. I have been doing track and cross country since 5th grade. I am super excited to be doing meet coverage for Illinois running news! I want to get more involved in the sport and help the running community! 

I got into running because of my older sister. She did track and cross country in high school and she is a big inspiration to me. I did cross country in 5th grade and 6th grade and track in 6th! Then during 7th and 8th grade I played volleyball but ended up coming back to cross country and track! I have been on varsity track and cross country all 4 years of high school. I started taking running seriously the summer going into my sophomore year. I had a great freshman track season and realized my potential. It wasn’t until my sophomore year track season where I started to see results. I knew I still wanted to be even better so I pushed my even harder the summer going into junior year. I had a great cross country season and was seeing lots of improvement. I have fallen in love with the process of improving and training. love being able to push myself and be competitive. I’ve found success through my consistency in running!

The past 2 summers I have gone to the bowerman running camp in Oregon and that camp has taught me so many things and I have made so many connections. I help with my school track social media pages and I have taken new media classes in school that have fostered my love for media and taking pictures! Like I said I am beyond excited to be working for Illinois running news and I am thankful for this opportunity! 

If you have any questions or want to get in touch please let me know and you can contact me at ppaerosales73@gmail.com or at @pilar_rosales_ on instagram! 

Sydney Van Aken

Hi everyone! My name is Sydney Van Aken and I am a senior at Lane Tech in Chicago. I’m super excited to join the team at Illinois Running News!! I’m looking forward to writing articles during the cross country season and connecting with other amazing athletes. Here’s a little bit more about me.

I started running in third grade with my parents doing a local 5k called the Ravenswood Run. I joined my middle school cross country team in fifth grade, mostly as an activity I could do during the softball off season. As a softball player, I became very interested in sports stats and analysis of the MLB, which sparked my interest in sports statistics. I used to know the best players of every team and all the stat leaders in the MLB, and would rattle off random facts all the time. While still playing softball, I joined the Lane Tech girls cross country team my freshman year and ended up on varsity at the end of the season! In my sophomore year, I fell in love with running and made the decision to pursue it year round. This paid off as I was able to qualify for state as part of the 4x800, which was an unforgettable experience. The 2025-2026 season will be my fourth year doing cross country and indoor track, and my third year doing outdoor track!

Even though I no longer play softball, I still love staying updated on sports stats, but with cross country and track rather than baseball. I’m really looking forward to combining two things I’m passionate about, and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to share this with the community as an intern. If you want to reach out, you can contact me at svanaken12@gmail.com or on my instagram, @sydney.vanaken. I’m really looking forward to this season, and thank you for reading my introduction!!

Olive Royce

Hi! My name is Olive Royce! Yes like the food :) I am so excited to be an intern this year! I go to Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort! I run cross country in the fall and track in the spring! My best events are the 400, 800, and 1600 I cannot wait what this season holds for me and my team! I have been running cross country since I was 10 years old! I started track in the 7th grade and was a sprinter! My favorite thing about running is the people you meet, the teammates, coach’s, and other runners from places you would never think of, truly make the sport what it is.

Growing up I played basketball from age 5, I loved basketball with my whole heart. But when I wasn’t shooting hoops I was running. When I was little, I realized that I was always the fastest kid on the team and said “Hey mom how do I do this all the time?” Enter 4th grade at my small catholic school and I was signed up for the cross country team. Cross country? I thought what in the world is that. I ended up being the only 5th grader to run with the older kids in the races! (real cool kid I know) Soon after that, covid hit. Then my parents told me I was moving to a public school. I was so beyond excited to be at a big school with new kids and go to highschool with them! Since it was covid I didn’t run on the school team, so I signed up for the Chicago Flyers Cross Country Club. I started running more competive races then! By the end of 7th grade I was on the track team! Since then I haven’t stopped running. But I did retire from playing basketball my JV season, sophomore year to focus on track and cross country and I couldn’t be happier.

Since I have been in high school, LWE has finished top 20 in girls track state for 3 years and we just keep getting better! I am so lucky to practice with some of Illinois top athletes and coach’s every day. Lincoln-Way East was ranked 3rd in 2025 Maxpreps/Niches Top public schools for athletes in the whole US. From football, to cross country we all make a part of that ranking and I couldn’t be more proud!  At school I am Assistant Editor for the yearbook and participate in grand griffins, super-fans and I am a student ambassador. At East our legacy and image is taken very serious, I love doing yearbook and being a part of my schools history by doing something I love and people will cherish for years! I hope to express that same love at Illinois Running News!

Outside of school and running, I run our cross country teams Instagram and make the graphics and posts for the team! I am practicing working on more things like that soon! I love to do crafts and paint, painting is where my love for writing and design all started  in the summer I paint a lot of whatever there is, I am currently working on a series of canvases college/universities designs for my friends!  I also work at the Lincoln-Way special recreation center! Working with people that have disabilities is a passion of mine and I love doing it! In the future I hope I can work with the Special Olympics track team at LWRSA! For collage I am planning to run both track and cross country where ever I go! I hope to pursue graphic design or law!

I am so excited to get in all the pratice for the real world while still doing something I love at IRN! Thank you to the IRN staff who made it possible for me to express my ideas and story’s to you all! If you have any questions or inquires about graphics/paintings or IRN contact me at: oliveroyce5@icloud.com or my instagram @olive.royce