Here are five runners to watch in the 2024 season for Northwest Herald girls cross country teams.

Check out our team-by-team girls cross country preview with top returners, key newcomers and information on every Northwest Herald area team for the 2024 season.

Batavia's girls won the team title at the Kane County Cross Country Meet, led by a first-place finish from Avery Hacker, and Kaneland's Evan Nosek won the boys race.

Local teams competed in the McHenry County Cross Country Invite on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at McHenry Township Park in Johnsburg.

McHenry Community High School will host the first McHenry Runathon, a one-hour event on Saturday, Aug. 10 at McCracken Athletic Field that will help raise money for the school's boys and girls cross country teams. Runners of all ages and skill levels are welcomed.

Meet the 2023 Northwest Herald Girls Cross Country All-Area Team.

McHenry's Danielle Jensen was the second-highest placer in school history at the IHSA Cross Country State Meet. Jensen also is the Northwest Herald Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Here is a list of Northwest Herald area athletes who can sign their National Letters of Intent this week with NCAA scholarship schools, and those who are headed to other colleges.

Check out photos from the Class 2A girls State Cross Country meet on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023 at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

McHenry's Danielle Jensen took fifth in the Class 3A girls race at the IHSA Cross Country State Meet to repeat as an All-State runner. Huntley's Tommy Nitz earned his first All-State status taking 21st in 3A boys.

Runners competed Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023 at Emricson Park in Woodstock in the Class 2A Woodstock Sectional cross country meet.

Runners compete in the Fox Valley Conference Cross Country Meet at Plato Park in Elgin on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023.

Led by the grandson of the cross country meet’s honoree, Downers Grove North repeated as the winner of the Larry Eddington Invitational boys race Saturday at Kaneland High School.

Crystal Lake South graduate Mackenzie Aldridge is healthy and producing the fastest times of her career for Eastern Illinois University cross country. And more in Barry Bottino's "On Campus" column this week.

Abby Machesky took runner-up as the Gators won their own Rich Eschman Invite at Veteran Acres Park in Crystal Lake. The Gators senior was selected as the Northwest Herald Athlete of the Week in an online vote.