Boys Cross Country

Somonauk junior Landin Stillwell – who won the school's first boys cross country state medal – is the 2024 Times Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Batavia senior Francesco Benelli finished his high school career with a 13th-place finish at the 3A state meet, while also breaking a 51-year old school record. Benelli has been named the Kane County Chronicle boys cross country Athlete of the Year.

Here's the 2024 Kane County Chronicle girls cross country All-Area team

Kaneland and Sycamore both reached the Class 2A state meet, and both clubs are well-represented on the Daily Chronicle 2024 Boys Cross Country All-Area Team.

Huntley senior Tommy Nitz ran a personal-best time in his final high school race, earning Class 3A All-State honors, and is the Northwest Herald Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year for the third year in a row.

Meet the 2024 Northwest Herald All-Area boys cross country team.

The list of DeKalb runners that reached the IHSA State Cross Country Meet all four years of their high school career added its new member this season when Barraza qualified and medaled for the second straight year.

A look at the top boys cross country runners in the NewsTribune area during the 2024 season.

Fieldcrest senior Caleb Krischel was willing to push himself to develop as a runner, which helped him become a state qualifier and the 2024 NewsTribune Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Huntley's Tommy Nitz, Jacobs' Max Sudrzynski, Woodstock's Ellery Shutt and Johnsburg's Grady Smith all placed in the top-25 to medal Saturday at the IHSA Cross Country State Meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

Here is a look at the Sauk Valley runners to watch at state cross country this weekend. Dixon, Rock Falls and Oregon have runners competing this Saturday at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

After having two of their top 5 miss a month throughout the regular season, Kaneland is ready to comeback in full force at the Class 2A state meet. Plus, looks at the other teams and individuals running at Detweiller Park on Saturday.

The Morris Community High School cross country team left Morris Friday morning with a police escort on its way to the IHSA state championships for the second year in a row.

DeKalb's Jacob Barraza is the lone Class 3A entrant from the Daily Chronicle area at Saturday's state cross country meet. Sycamore and Kaneland qualified their boys teams for the 2A race and Spartan junior Layla Janisch will compete on the 2A girls side.

State cross country qualifiers include the Dixon boys team, Rock Falls' Gabe Moyer and Oregon's Daniel Gonzalez. Ariel Hernandez also advanced for the Rockets along with Dixon's Kamryn Rogers on Saturday.

Hampshire, Crystal Lake Central and Huntley each won their respective boys soccer regional championships Saturday. Plus more playoff soccer and regional boys and girls cross country scores.

Dixon boys cross country won Saturday's Big Northern Conference cross country meet behind four Top 10 finishes. Rock Falls' Ariel Hernandez was runner-up in the girls race.

Led by wins from Avery Hacker and Francesco Benelli in the girls and boys races, Batavia came away with both team titles at the DuKane Conference meet on Saturday at Lake Park.

Marian Central boys soccer won its playoff opener, Huntley volleyball beat Crystal Lake South in three sets to stay atop the Fox Valley Conference standings, plus more scores in Tuesday's Northwest Herald roundup.

Leading the way among area runners was junior Daniel Gonzales of Oregon, who took 20th place with a time of 16:30.

At the Peoria High School Invite, Ellensohn dipped under the 15-minute barrier in a 3-mile race for the first time this season, running a 14:57.9 for a third-place finish in the Boys 3A race. Ellensohn was picked as the Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week in an online vote.

Downers Grove North's boys and girls teams took home the team title, with Philip Cupial and Gavin Schroeder leading the boys with a 1-2 finish, while Sandwich's Sunny Weber controlled the girls race to take the individual title.

Runners competed in the annual Naperville North Twilight Cross Country Invitational on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024 in Naperville.

Huntley, Crystal Lake South, Prairie Ridge and Dundee-Crown all picked up shutout wins in their Fox Valley Conference boys soccer games, plus more scores and results in Tuesday's Northwest Herald roundup.

Seneca's Natalie Misener, La Salle-Peru's Adam Kasperski ran to individual La Salle County XC Invitational titles on Saturday at The Eastwood Golf Course in Streator. The Ottawa girls claimed a fourth-straight team title and the Cavaliers boys won for the first time since 2021.

Cary Grove junior Jameson Tenopir used a big surge in the final mile to win the boys race, St. Charles North boys win first home meet, and Shayne Dietzen's win in girls race paces Glenbard West to team win.

McHenry volleyball swept Huntley 25-20, 25-20, Dundee-Crown beat Burlington Central in three sets, plus more volleyball, boys soccer, girls tennis and cross country results in Tuesday's Northwest Herald roundup.

Richmond-Burton's Alex Hopp surpassed 2,000 career assists as the Rockets went 4-1 to win their own tournament Saturday. Marengo volleyball won the Yorkville Christian Tournament, Huntley girls tennis placed first at the Larkin Invite, plus more in the Northwest Herald roundup.

Henry-Senachwine boys golf finished second in the team race and was led by medalist Carson Rowe at the Tri-County Conference Meet, plus more in Wednesday's NewsTribune Roundup.

Mason Leslie scored twice to lead Huntley boys soccer to an FVC shutout against Jacobs, Georgia Watson had 20 kills in a three-set win against Burlington Central, plus more scores and results in Tuesday's Northwest Herald roundup.

Oregon junior cross country runner Daniel Gonzalez, who ran a personal record 16:44.9 at the First to the Finish Invitational at Detweiller Park, is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week for Sept. 9-14 in an online vote. Here is his Q&A with Drake Lansman.

Benet Academy's Finn Richards outpaced Kaneland's Evan Nosek to win the boys race, and Delilah Helenhouse cruised to an easy win in the girls race at the Larry Eddington Invitational.

At the First to the Finish 3A Boys race, Benelli finished 11th out of 386 runners after crossing the line in a personal-best time of 15:02.70. Benelli was selected the Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here's his interview with Joel Boenitz.

Sophomore Ruby Acker led the Princeton girls country team to a second-place finish in its own Gary Coates Invitational on Saturday, while Princeton's Tyler VandeVenter and Augustus Swanson placed fifth and sixth in the boys race.

Mendota senior Anthony Kelson won the Gary Coates Invitational for the second year in a row, while the La Salle-Peru boys took the team title. Host Princeton placed second in the girls team standings.

Crystal Lake Central co-op's Rylee Rud earned medalist honors at the Stillman Valley Invite in girls golf, Crystal Lake South's Morgan Johnson reached 500 career kills in volleyball, plus more scores and results in Saturday's Northwest Herald roundup.

La Salle-Peru cross country took both the girls and the boys team titles at the Ross Greiter Invite, plus more from around the NewsTribune area Tuesday.

Crystal Lake South volleyball handed Crystal Lake Central its first Fox Valley Conference loss. Plus more volleyball, golf, cross country and boys soccer results in Tuesday's Northwest Herald roundup.

The cross country season is underway. Here are the team-by-team girls and boys previews with top returners, key newcomers and info on every The Times area squad for the 2024 season.

Nathan Gabriel of Joliet Central took second place in the boys race, while Lemont's Hannah Farley finished second in the girls race at the 52nd annual Plainfield Central Wildcat Invitational on Saturday.

Here is a capsule look at the girls cross country teams in the Sauk Valley area.

Here is a capsule look at the 2024 boys cross country teams in the Sauk Valley area.

In his season opener at the Northwestern Medicine Kane County Cross Country Invite, Nosek won the three-mile race in 15:20.70. Nosek was selected the KCC Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is his Q&A with sports reporter Joel Boenitz

Fulton and Sterling score boys golf victories, plus more in Wednesday's Sauk Valley Roundup.

The cross country season has gotten off to a flying start. Here's a look at some of the boys teams across the area and where they stand heading into the 2024 season.

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

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

A look at the La Salle-Peru, St. Bede, Hall, Putnam County, Mendota, Princeton, Bureau Valley, Fieldcrest, Henry-Midland and Amboy co-op boys cross country teams for the 2024 season.

While there are three seniors and a junior on our list of five boys cross country athletes to watch this year, a freshman also managed to crack the list. Check out the full list.

With the boys cross country season kicking into full gear, we take a look at what to expect from each team.