Daily Chronicle 2024 Girls Cross Country All-Area Team

Daily Chronicle 2024 Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year

Layla Janisch, jr., Sycamore

All-area first team

Danielle Bower, jr., Kaneland

She set a personal best at the sectional, finishing in 18:54.2 to take 23rd but missing out on a state berth. That time shaved two seconds off her time at the Interstate 8 meet, in which she took second.

Alex Schwantes, so., DeKalb

She missed qualifying for state by 0.1 seconds, setting a PR at the sectional (18:18) to take 29th. She went under 19 minutes in three races this year, and the mark at sectional is the third fastest time all-time for a DeKalb girl.

DeKalb’s Brenda Aquino (right) finishes the girls varsity race Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, at the Sycamore Cross Country Invite at Kishwaukee College in Malta. — DeKalb’s Brenda Aquino finishes the girls varsity race at the Sycamore Cross Country Invite at Kishwaukee College in Malta. (Mark Busch)

Brenda Aquino, sr., DeKalb

She peaked at the sectional, breaking her personal best by almost half a minute. She finished in 19:45 to take 86th after finishing 26th in the sectional.

Maret Siblik, jr., DeKalb

She was one of DeKalb’s top three runners in 10 races, peaking with a personal best of 19:51.5 at the sectional. She cracked 20 minutes twice on the year and had a second-place finish at Rochelle’s European-style meet.

Genoa-Kingston’s Emma James (left) runs the girls varsity race Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, at the Sycamore Cross Country Invite at Kishwaukee College in Malta. — Genoa-Kingston’s Emma James (left) runs the girls varsity race at the Sycamore Cross Country Invite at Kishwaukee College in Malta. (Mark Busch)

Emma James, so., Genoa-Kingston

Her 19:54.3 at the Matt Walter Invite wasn’t just her personal best - it was the fastest 3-mile time in team history. She took 10th at the regional, helping the Cogs take second as a team.

Alina Arguello, fr., DeKalb

She set a PR at the sectional as well, finishing in 20:25.5 to take 114th. She posted DeKalb’s second-fastest time at the DuPage Valley Conference meet, taking 57th in 20:47.4.

Genoa-Kingston’s Gracie Zapatka leads a pack of runners during the Sycamore Cross Country Invitational Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, at Kishwaukee College in Malta. — Genoa-Kingston’s Gracie Zapatka leads a pack of runners during the 2023 Sycamore Cross Country Invitational at Kishwaukee College in Malta. (Mark Busch)

Gracie Zapatka, so., Genoa-Kingston

Her personal best came at the Cogs’ home meet at Walcamp, finishing the Walter in 20:39.2. She took 12th at the regional as G-K advanced as a team to the sectional round.

Honorable mention

Graycen Cole, sr., Kaneland; Zeta Fay, so., Hinckley-Big Rock