Downers Grove North's Philip Cupial and Sandwich's Sunny Weber both defended their individual titles at the Twilight Invite cross country meet, Cupial leading the Trojans to the team title while Batavia used a late surge to win the girls team title in Geneva.

Junior Sam Hill won the St. Charles North Invite on Saturday to lead the North Stars boys cross country team to first place. Sophomore Kara Glenn won the girls race for St. Charles North, and Glenbard West won the team title.

Saturday morning in the Pat Savage Invitational at Niles West, Montini senior Sydney Gertsen rolled to first place in the individual competition with a time of 17:29.39.

In 2024, York delivered its best race at the Class 3A state meet – and nearly won its second state title in three years. York returns two All-Staters in Karlin Janowski and Sophia Galiano-Sanchez and adds an All-Stater in Trinity transfer and Elmhurst resident Molly McGreal.

York freshman Karlin Janowski, who took second at the Class 3A state meet in leading the Dukes to second as a team, is the Suburban Life girls cross country Athlete of the Year.

Downers Grove North's boys cross country team, ranked No. 1 since preseason, ran away with a dominating repeat Class 3A state championship, while in a tight 3A girls race York took second and Downers Grove North third. And Benet's Finn Richards won the Class 2A boys state title.

Willowbrook senior Amelie Ojeda, who finished the 2.9-mile Legge Memorial Park course in 16:35.58 to win the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional, becoming Willowbrook’s first girls cross country sectional champion, is the Suburban Life Athlete of the Week in an online vote.

DeKalb's Jacob Barraza ran a personal record time in holding off Wheaton Warrenville South's Josiah Narayanan as boys champion, York swept the boys and girls team titles, York freshman Karlin Janowski won the girls race and Batavia boys and girls were second at Lake Park.

Willowbrook senior Amelie Ojeda, sidelined outdoor track season after being struck in the eye by an errantly thrown baseball, continued her return Saturday, becoming her school's first girls cross country sectional champion. Meanwhile Downers Grove North swept the team titles.