All-Stater Avery Hacker has happy return to state, leads Batavia girls runners to fifth place in Class 3A

PEORIA – Batavia sophomore Avery Hacker returned to the Class 3A girls cross country state meet Nov. 9 determined to have a much better performance than 2023.

Finishing an All-State eighth, Hacker perhaps was more enthused about the Bulldogs achieving their lowest score in 11 IHSA state team appearances at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.

”It was really great having our team being able to execute what we wanted to do from the start of the season. We’re all really excited with how this race went,” said Hacker, who ran 16:52.4 for three miles. ”Being able to get top 10 like I wanted to, it’s just been really exciting for me.”

Junior Maddie Cassidy (21st, 17:16.5) also was a top-25 All-Stater for the first time for Batavia. She was followed by sophomores Gwendolyn Krodel (39th, 17:38.2) and Claire Deppe (48th, 17:45.4), junior Chloe Kammes (58th, 17:52.7), senior Madison Wnek (179th, 18:54.4) and freshman Sara Wolfe (205th, 19:21.7).

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, their 148 points managed to earn them only fifth place in the tightest state race for the three girls team trophies. Barrington (130) won by one point over defending champion York (131) and two points ahead of third-place Downers Grove North (132). Prospect was fourth (142). A 148 score would have achieved a 3A girls third-place trophy five of the previous eight state meets. That includes 2015, when Batavia earned its third-place state trophy with 175 points. The fourth-place 2019 team scored 205 points.

”Scoring under 150, we just crushed it,” Batavia coach Chad Hillman said. “When you score 148 down here, all five of them have to do well.”

Hacker and Cassidy are just the fourth and fifth All-Staters in program history. Hacker joined 2022 graduate Katrina Schlenker as top-10 state finishers for Batavia. Hacker’s success includes a significant jump from 192nd at her state debut.

”I didn’t have the best race (in 2023). I just feel like mentally I was giving up a little bit,” Hacker said. ”This year, I was just a lot better at persevering when I felt that way. I feel like I grew a lot.”

Cassidy finished 82nd in 2023 and 80th in 2022 as an individual qualifier.

”I’ve really been looking forward to the team goals and then getting All-State was just a great add-on,” Cassidy said. ”We were all really excited coming into this race. We’ve just put in so much work and really grown as a team.”

No. 5 finisher Kammes was 82nd at sectionals as the Bulldogs’ No. 7 finisher.

”She was amazing,” Hillman said. “That was what really drove our score down. Our front four did what they do.”

Competing in the 3A girls race as individuals were St. Charles North sophomores Julia Rodney (33rd, 17:36.3) and Gwen Hobson (90th, 18:09.1), Geneva junior Sofia Borter (51st, 17:47.9) and St. Charles East freshman Adley Wilson (54th, 17:49.0).

Batavia senior Francesco Benelli (13th, 14:26.6) climaxed his progress from 72nd in 2023 by becoming the Bulldogs’ sixth All-Stater in the 3A boys race.

“(All-State) was just a goal from the beginning of the season,” Benelli said. “Getting out hard was the focus of the race and staying on it. Usually I don’t close that fast but I just went for it today.”

The Batavia boys were 14th (363). Sophomore Edward Polaski (33rd, 14:41.6) was top 40, followed by sophomore Will Polaski (85th, 15:07.5), senior David Bednarek (135th, 13:35.4), junior Gavin Warpinski (187th, 15:48.7), sophomore Matt Guiry (216th, 16:06.3) and junior Luke Gianfrancesco (222nd, 16:11.1).

St. Charles East was represented in the 3A boys race by seniors Greyson Ellensohn (81st, 15:06.6) and Ryan Tobin (94th, 15:12.3).

In Class 2A, Kaneland senior Evan Nosek became the Knights’ first four-time All-Stater after taking third (14:36.7), his highest state finish.

Freshman Carson Kaiser also was All-State, finishing sixth (14:41.3).

Kaneland finished fifth (222) as a team, 27 points from third.

”It’s definitely bittersweet right now. I’m just glad the team and I made it this far,” Nosek said. “It’s like déjà vu with Carson (an all-conference freshman). He’s got a bright future ahead of him.”

Junior Evan Whildin (36th, 15:10.7), seniors Liam Lentz (98th, 15:46.0) and Zachary Murdock (142nd, 16:04.4) and sophomores Joey Schuch (182nd, 16:28.6) and Nathan Kowalczyk (205th, 16:47.5) also contributed.

”Taking top five with a lot of these (2A) giants is a tough thing to do. We’re very proud of them,” Kaneland coach Chad Cleary said. “Evan being able to pass the torch down to Carson is a good thing.”

Nosek progressed from 21st at state as a freshman to seventh in 2022 and sixth in 2023. He held onto third by hundredths of a second Saturday after returning to compete at the conference meet. He had been out for three weeks with a foot injury.

”I just trusted in coach’s plan. At conference, I had to take it a step back. But slowly, step by step, week by week, I took it and eventually I was able to go out today,” Nosek said.

Kaiser is eager to follow Nosek’s All-State footsteps.

”I’m planning on it, yeah. No stopping now,” Kaiser said. “It’s just such a blessing we’re all able to run at state and be healthy for it.”

Marmion was seventh (291) with seniors John Daffenberg (42nd, 15:15.9) and Matthew Sullivan (59th, 15:27.1) and juniors Michael Whitacre (68th, 15:32.0), Joseph Dorando (86th, 15:42.2), Jonah Sartain (121st, 15:55.9), Samuel Rowe (166th, 16:17.6) and Lucas Galindo (175th, 16:24.7).

St. Francis junior Michael Coco (99th, 15:46.5) and senior Gavin Grover (152nd, 16:08.90) raced as individual qualifiers.

In 2A girls, St. Francis sophomores Erin Hinsdale (17:01.13) and Elena Mamminga (17:02.92), a Geneva resident, were an All-State fourth and fifth, respectively, after just missing with 27th- and 26th-place finishes, respectively, in 2023.

”(Last year) was sort of an upset because we were so close to getting All-State. It’s so good this year that we got redemption,” said Mamminga, who in track and field helped the Spartans win the 2A 4x800-meter relay state title in May with Hinsdale and junior Margaret Andrzejewski of St. Charles.

”(Track) was great preparation because I always get anxious for races. There was more teamwork. It really helped a lot to get to where we are,” Mamminga said.

The Spartans (288) were ninth. Andrzewjewski (46th, 18:14.67) and juniors Ashley Spahn (148th, 19:39.70), Siena Schwan (171st, 19:57.92), Jessica Lankisch (178th, 20:01.26) and Amelia Whitacre of Elburn (223rd, 20:56.05) rounded out the St. Francis lineup.

Burlington Central senior Abigail Burke was 27th (17:59.38), 8.8 seconds from 25th.

Rosary sophomore Caroline Goettsch (78th, 18:51.28) and senior Chiara Surtz (135th, 19:27.71) also competed as individuals.

In Class 1A, Aurora Central Catholic sophomore All-Stater Cecilia Hilby (20th, 17:44.8), who was 16th in 2023, became only the Chargers’ second girls runner to earn All-State honors for a second time.

Aurora Central Catholic sophomore Ben Bohr was an All-State 23rd (15:18.56) in the boys race after finishing 41st in 2023.

The boys were sixth (215), three points from fifth. Other finishers were junior Jack Swiatek (30th, 15:23.86), freshman John Reinbold (63rd, 15:48.93), sophomore A.J. Viveros (75th, 15:56.11), senior David Valencia (121st, 16:18.54), sophomore Reece Voller (142nd, 16:34.31) and freshman Cal Reinbold (147th, 16:36.58).

The Aurora Central Catholic girls were 17th (465). Its other finishers were senior Nicole Smith (160th, 19:28.4), sophomore Allidzie Perez (123rd, 19:44.0), senior Cayla Oldenburger (190th, 21:06.0), junior Isabella Matty (198th, 21:14.0) and senior Carolina Dervis (237th, 23:33.1).