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The girls cross country season is underway. Here are previews of teams from around the Record Newspapers coverage area.
Oswego
Coach: Alicia Rafferty
Top returners: Audra Soderlind, sr.; Kelly Wong, jr.; Sophia Marasco, sr.; Lucy Cler, so.; Addi Richter, so.; Ryan Jednachowski, sr.; Samantha Ventura-Solis, so.
Worth noting: Rafferty, an assistant since 2013, takes over as Oswego head coach in her ninth year in the program. She ran in high school at Wheaton Warrenville South and was a cross country and track national qualifier at North Central College. Oswego last season was fourth at conference and 10th at the sectional meet, with Soderlind 15th at state while setting the school record last year of 17:00.18. Six of Oswego’s top seven runners return, led by Soderlind, one of the best runners in the state. While Soderlind and Wong are two very good front runners, Rafferty said the strength of Oswego’s pack from 3-7 will ultimately determine the team’s success this season.
“Several girls are still building up and so I don’t expect us to be in top form until about another month from now. We will start slow and then build throughout the season,” Rafferty said. “The girls have a goal of top 10 again in the sectional but if the 3-7 runners can close the gap on Audra and Kelly, we could place even better and have a shot at qualifying for state.”
Oswego East
Coach: Lisa Cook
Top returners: Morgan Dick, jr.; Angeles Mendoza, sr.; Sydney Williams, sr.; Josslyn Gaona, jr.; Monica Lopez, sr.; Meghan Johnson, sr.; Olivia Van Denend, so.; Ava Saalfeld, jr.; Emma Berglund, so.
Worth noting: The Wolves last season took second at conference, fifth at regionals and ninth at sectionals with Dick 30th at state. Dick and Mendoza are both returning state qualifiers, the first time Oswego East has returned two qualifiers, and all-conference runners, Mendoza and Williams members of Oswego East’s All-State 4x800 relay. Lopez, Van Denend and Berglund are the Wolves’ most improved athletes in a top group of 7-10 runners with mostly juniors and seniors. Oswego East did graduate a strong senior class led by did graduate tremendous seniors, including Maddie Zarembski, Ana Barroso and Maddi Amer, but Cook believes this new group of upperclassmen is ready to take over.
“We do have a great group and solid depth this year,” Cook said. “Our 1-9 split might be very similar to our 1-6 or 1-7 split. We know we have to race well to advance out of our regional and sectional every year, but they are up for the challenge and should put up a great fight in October and November.”
Plano
Coach: Andrew DeBolt
Top runners: Allison Goodyear, so.; Dakota Shatters, sr.; Neela Hall, so.; Ashleigh Armstrong, so.; Alex Lemke, so.; Stefanie Janusz, so.
Worth noting: Almost all of Plano’s girls are running cross country for the first time this season, so DeBolt is looking at it as a season of improvement and development. Goodyear, one of those first timers, should be one of Plano’s top runners. Shatters is the Reapers’ senior leader.
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Sandwich
Coach: Bolaji Adeoti
Top returners: Emma White, jr.; Ashlyn Strenz, jr.; Mae Allen, so.; Joanna Rivera, so.; Hannah Treptow, so.; Erin Lissman, so.
Key newcomers: Nigel Zaza Lesko, fr.; Sundara Weber, fr.; Emily Urbanski, fr.; Jazmin Rios, fr.
Worth noting: The Indians have an experienced core – some who were part of an IESA sectional champ in middle school – that hopes to build on a solid spring track season. Beatty, Miller, Wills and Cryer will man the first positions, although the last two slots are up for grabs. ... Gone is leader Molly Roberts, but almost all of last year’s youngsters are back from a team that took second at the St. Bede Regional and 11th at the Oregon Sectional. Rivera, 20th at Oregon and 123rd at state, returns at No. 1 if she can hold off a challenge from Weber. With Treptoe, Lissman and Urbanski following, they could raise eyebrows. Weber won her first high school race at the Morris Invitational last week.
In a few words: “We have [boys] runners back who have experience running together, and they’ve really stepped it up,” Adeoti said. “They really want to reach state and are working very hard, pushing each other toward that. … The girls are very young and may surprise a lot of people this year. We have back nearly all our top five who were freshmen last year, and we’ve gained some very good freshmen this year, and they’re all running strong. The best word for both teams is that they are very hungry. We started earlier and ramped up the mileage and intensity, and they are responding really well.”
-- Charlie Ellerbrock
Seneca/Newark
Coach: Kim Foster
Top returners: Ashley Alsvig, sr.; Lauren Cronkrite, jr.; Gracie Steffes, jr.; Natalie Misener, so.; Evelyn O’Connor, so.
Key newcomers: Lily Mueller, fr.; Ruthie Steffes, fr.
Worth noting: The team lost mainstay Audrey Jenkins to graduation but return five of their runners from the St. Bede Regional winner, Oregon Sectional runner-up and 23rd-place state team. Tops is O’Connor, who as a freshman placed first, second and 44th in those postseason races, and Alvig, who was third, 17th and 129th. Mueller has the inside track on No. 3, followed by Gracie Steffes and Misener.
“The girls team is small but mighty,” Foster said. “Ashley looks the strongest she’s ever been. Evelyn is also looking strong and determined. Lily will be one to watch. The key will be to stay healthy. They are the hardest-working girls team I’ve ever had.”
Yorkville
Coach: Chris Muth
Top runners: Ava Galloway, jr.; Makenna Edwards, sr.; Katie Melzer, sr.; Sophia Keeler, so.; Allegra Triner, jr.; Lucy Anderson, sr.
Worth noting: The Foxes took fifth place at the Class 3A state meet last season. With All-Stater Anna Hunter and twin sister Maggie Hunter graduating, the entire team is working into racing and leadership roles. While Galloway figures to be Yorkville’s No. 1 runner at the start of the season, Muth believes it could be anyone of Galloway, Edwards, Melzer, Keeler, Triner or Anderson by the end of the season. Galloway and Edwards were fifth and six, respectively, and Anderson and Melzer eighth and ninth at the season-opening Yorkville Invitational where the Foxes took second to Minooka. “This team won’t have a true number one this year, but will rely on a small split and interchangeable runners,” Muth said. “This year unlike past seasons, these roles are yet to be determined and will be a developing storyline as the season progresses.”
Edwards missed three weeks of training after an emergency procedure, but Muth expects her to be back fully into shape by First to the Finish. Galloway struggled with injuries at the end of track season, but got past those injuries during the summer and has great potential.
“This team being a trophy team would be a great outcome, but our first goal is to work hard enough to establish ourselves as a potential top 10 team in the state,” Muth said.