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The girls cross country season is underway. Here are previews of teams in the Kane County Chronicle coverage area.
Batavia
Coach: Chad Hillman
Top athletes: Lili Bednarek, sr.; Madeline Cassidy, fr.; Olivia Gebhardt, so.; Sasha Semanision, so.; Brooks Silbernagel, sr.; Ava Thomas, sr.; Madison Wnek, sr.
Worth noting: Batavia will seek a ninth consecutive Class 3A team state appearance come the first weekend in November in Peoria. Bednarek is poised to take over the role that Katrina Schlenker, the three-time All-State Batavia anchor, performed during her decorated career. “She has improved all three years,” Hillman said of Bednarek, who finished in the No. 54 slot at the state finals last fall. “She is definitely driven and has worked hard enough to get to that (All-State) level.” Batavia, the defending DuKane Conference and Oswego Regional champion, opened its season with a Kane County triumph last weekend in Geneva.
Burlington Central
Coach: Vince Neil
Top athletes: Abby Burke, so.; Teagan Cathcart, so.; Ivy DiDomenico, fr.; Corryn Kester, jr.; Eli Kruse, sr.; Olivia Sutton, so.; Aanya Vyas, fr.
Worth noting: Neil, who directs both Central cross country programs, expects a changing dynamic for the Rockets. “We are going to have a different look on the girls side,” Neil said of the Rockets’ youth movement. “Week by week, we are trying to improve.” Kruse is the one upperclassman in the Rockets’ top seven. Neil will seek to lay the foundation of the program behind its untested yet promising sophomore class. Burke was the top performer for the Rockets at the Kane County Invitational last weekend. “She had a great summer,” Neil said.
Geneva
Coach: Beth Morrison
Top athletes: Agnes Bolander, jr.; Mckenna Mertes, sr.; Becca Spezzano, sr.; Corinne Stanuch, jr.; Lila Storaasli, jr.; Laureen Verdecchia, jr.; Elise Waldchen, sr.
Worth noting: In addition to improving their seventh-place finish in the ever-competitive DuKane Conference, first-year coach Morrison has a central goal for the Vikings this fall. “We are hoping to qualify for the sectional as a team,” Morrison said. Mertes was the lone Geneva athlete to advance out of the Class 3A St. Charles East Regional last fall. “We are relying heavily on her leadership,” Morrison said. Spezzano and Waldchen are the Vikings’ other top returnees. Verdecchia is the Vikings’ most accomplished junior. “Mckenna and Lauren are a little bit ahead of the other girls,” Morrison said.
Kaneland
Coach: Doug Ecker
Top athletes: Lindsey Andrae, sr.; Danielle Bower, fr.; Graycen Cole, fr.; Rose Dallal, sr.; Alli Gonnella, sr.; Abigail Lechocki, so.; Olivia Pastovich, jr.; Jade Unzueta, so.; Audrey Walker, so.
Worth noting: The Knights earned one of the final four berths to the Class 2A state finals last November. “I think they will be better than last year’s team,” Ecker said of the Knights’ current roster. “I want to give them the best opportunity they can have in the sectional.” Kaneland will have the advantage of hosting the final state preliminary, but Ecker is under no illusions as the upper-northern reaches of the state represent the epicenter of elite 2A programs. Ecker will seek to implement a formula of depth and balance to carry the Knights this year. “There is no superstar [on the team],” Ecker said.
Rosary
Coach: Vic Mead
Top athletes: Natalie Goettsch, so.; Ana Hathaway, sr.; Olivia Kuno, jr.; Megan Molenhouse, jr.; Jade Ochoa, sr.; Chiara Surtz, so.; Amelia Whitacre, fr.; Vivian Wyller, jr.
Worth noting: Rosary will seek its first team state hardware in program history as the Royals look to capitalize on the Class 1A individual accomplishments of two-time state champion Lianna Surtz. The Surtz family had bookend All-State efforts in the smallest division last year in Peoria as Chiara finished No. 25 for the fifth-place Royals. Rosary, which began its season with a runner-up finish to Metea Valley at the Aurora City Meet at Marmion last Saturday, is ranked second by ilxctf.com in Class 1A. Goettsch (No. 78), Wyller (93) and Kunio (125) are the Royals’ other returning state veterans.
St. Charles East
Coach: Brad Kaplan
Top athletes: Marley Andelman, jr.; Elanor Clark, sr.; Lauren Lewison, sr.; Laney Poole, fr.; Morgan Sandlund, sr.; Colleen Thumm, jr.; Brooklyn Walker, sr.
Worth noting: Sandlund is committed to inching her way ever closer to the Class 3A All-State individual podium this fall. The top returnee in the Saints’ eighth-place finish at the state finals last fall, Sandlund finished in the No. 36 slot last November in Peoria. “She is working hard and that would be her goal – to run her best at the state finals,” Kaplan said of Sandlund breaking the top-25 barrier. “That’s definitely a goal she has.” Andelman is banking on a breakout season as well after anchoring the Saints’ 3,200-meter relay track team to fifth place last May.
St. Charles North
Coach: Shari Hayes
Top athletes: Norah Dorrance, so.; Elizabeth Kadyschuk, jr.; Kathryn Kadyschuk, jr.; Paiten Kruse, fr.; Camille Sabau, jr.; Zoe Ulaszek, jr.
Worth noting: Dorrance is expected to be one of the top underclassmen in the area this fall as the sophomore, who finished 71st last year for the No. 24 North Stars, opened her campaign with a fifth-place result at the Kane County Invitational last weekend. Sabau and Ulaszek also are returning to the fold this fall after acquiring state experience last year. Kruse is the North Stars’ top newcomer. The Kadyschuk twins figure to anchor the North Stars’ trailing pack.
St. Francis
Coach: Scott Nelson
Top athletes: Margaret Andrzejewski., fr.; Cate Earl, so.; Alyssa Falco, sr.; Bridget Kenney, sr.; Diya Khatau, so.; Leann Ringsrud, sr.
Worth noting: The Spartans ended their fifth consecutive appearance at the Class 2A state finals last fall with a 20th-place finish. Ringsrud (No. 92) is the Spartans’ top returnee. The senior headlines a cast of three fellow state veterans. “We think we will fight for the (Metro Suburban) Conference title,” Nelson said. “Rosary is the team to beat. We have to run well and avoid injury [to advance in the postseason].” Earl, Falco and Khatau are St. Francis’ other returning athletes with state experience. Nelson has high hopes for top newcomer Andrejeski.