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NewsTribune/BCR 2026 girls cross country preview · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: News Tribune Sub-BCR 2026 Girls Cross-Country Preview. Written by Kevin
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  Speaker 1: Schlum and Clark Teuscher. This article is being read by
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  Speaker 1: an automated voice brought to you by Everlit. Here's a
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  Speaker 1: look at the girls cross-country teams in the News Tribune
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  Speaker 1: BCR area for the 2026 season. LaSalle Peru coach John Beattie.
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  Speaker 1: Top returning runners Diana Gonzalez Jr. Haley O'Hare Jr. Leah
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  Speaker 1: Ricci SR. Top newcomers Vizen Bird Alexandra Trinidad-Sarr. Worth noting,
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  Speaker 1: the Cavaliers have a small team with just five athletes,
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  Speaker 1: returners Gonzalez, O'Hare, and Ritchie, and a pair of first-year seniors.
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  Speaker 1: Beatty is hoping LP can get to a full team
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  Speaker 1: of seven runners. We have a good mix of experienced
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  Speaker 1: athletes who are helping the new athletes, especially the first-time
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  Speaker 1: cross-country runners, Beatty said. There are a lot of unknowns
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  Speaker 1: about this team due to so many first-time cross-country athletes.
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  Speaker 1: I like what I see so far, commitment, good effort,
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  Speaker 1: and good team cohesion. We will have a better picture
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  Speaker 1: by the end of September. Princeton coach, Pat Hodge. Top
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  Speaker 1: returning runners, Peyton Frew, S.R. Rubiakar, S.R. Alexandra Waka, S.R.
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  Speaker 1: Susanna Bomes, Jr. Top newcomers, Megan Dupree, S.R. Tessa Thornton, F.R.
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  Speaker 1: Worth noting, the Tigresses return nearly the entire group that
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  Speaker 1: placed third at last year's Class 1, a Seneca Regional,
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  Speaker 1: and eighth at the Sherrod Sectional, including individual state qualifier Frua.
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  Speaker 1: Our top four returning seniors have been all-conference. or close
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  Speaker 1: to it, more than once. Head coach Pat Hodge said,
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  Speaker 1: We finished last season with our best team performance of
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  Speaker 1: the year at the sectional. If we can duplicate that,
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  Speaker 1: we will again be very competitive. Bureau Valley coach, Lisa Wilt.
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  Speaker 1: Top returning runners, Gemma Moore, SR, Summer Hamilton, Junior Ella Wilt,
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  Speaker 1: Junior Leah House, SR. Top newcomers, Isabel Turbush, so Milo Wilt, FR.
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  Speaker 1: Worth noting, Bureau Valley returned 7 of its 8 competitors
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  Speaker 1: from last season. when the Storm placed 5th in the
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  Speaker 1: Class 1, a Sassenica regional, and 16th in the Sherrard sectional.
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  Speaker 1: Moore was the Storm's top postseason finisher by more than
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  Speaker 1: a minute. Summer runs have built a strong foundation, endurance,
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  Speaker 1: and team camaraderie, Lisa Wilt said. They have all put
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  Speaker 1: in the work, tried new workouts, and the potential is there.
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  Speaker 1: This should be the best season the team has seen
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  Speaker 1: in years. St. Veed coach Marty Makransky. Top returning runners,
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  Speaker 1: Gemma Finley, so Yesenia Avila, Eserlin, SR. Top newcomers, Nihinla, SR.
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  Speaker 1: Worth noting, Finley leads the way for the Bruins as
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  Speaker 1: a sectional qualifier last season. I'm looking forward to a
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  Speaker 1: fun year with this group of kids, McCransky said. The
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  Speaker 1: team's goals are to improve each time out and run
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  Speaker 1: with pride, McCransky said. Putnam County coach, Chuck McConnell, top
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  Speaker 1: returning runners, N.A. Top newcomers, Sophie Borey Jr., Aniston Judd, F.R.
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  Speaker 1: Veronica Mack, S.R. Shani Ochoa, S.R. Ella Schroeng Jr., worth noting.
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  Speaker 1: For the first time in three years, Putnam County has
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  Speaker 1: a girls cross-country team. It is exciting that we have
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  Speaker 1: girls again this year, McConnell said. They have already been
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  Speaker 1: putting in the running time and hope to keep dropping
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  Speaker 1: their times throughout the season. Advancing as a team to
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  Speaker 1: the sectional meet is a possibility for them. Judd comes
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  Speaker 1: in with high expectations after a standout junior high career
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  Speaker 1: that included two top 15 IASA class two estate finishes
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  Speaker 1: in cross country and nine state medals in track and field.
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  Speaker 1: Yanni Judd hopes to earn conference honors and excel in
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  Speaker 1: the postseason as a freshman and continue her momentum from
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  Speaker 1: the previous spring's junior high track and field season and
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  Speaker 1: her work from this summer, McConnell said. Mendota, coach, Joseph McKee,
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  Speaker 1: top returning runners, Lumen Setchelso, top newcomers, London Jones, F.R.
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  Speaker 1: Worth noting? Duh. Trojans have a young team with two
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  Speaker 1: sophomores and five freshmen as McKee takes over for longtime
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  Speaker 1: coach Kevin Worley. Setchel was a sectional qualifier last year,
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  Speaker 1: while McKee said Jones also has the potential to advance
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  Speaker 1: in the postseason. For this year, our goal is to
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  Speaker 1: continue the progress students made last year, but I hope
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  Speaker 1: to help build a stronger strength foundation for next year
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  Speaker 1: by taking them team to the gym and using more
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  Speaker 1: weightlifting routines that I am familiar with from my past experiences,
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  Speaker 1: McKee said. Depew coach, Laney Robbins top returning runners, and
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  Speaker 1: a top newcomer, Sophia Salazar, FR. Worth noting, Salazar is
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  Speaker 1: the lone runner for first-year coach Robbins, who is restarting
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  Speaker 1: cross-country at Depew this fall. Amboy Lamole coach, Michael Robinson,
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  Speaker 1: top returning runners, Scarlett Payne, so Corona Gall Jr., top newcomers,
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  Speaker 1: Natalie Skrzepa, so Katty Phelps, FR. Worth noting, last year's
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  Speaker 1: leading competitor, Payne, is one of just two returnees from
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  Speaker 1: last year's team. The Clippers have four new athletes as
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  Speaker 1: they aim to improve on last year's 7th place regional finish.
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  Speaker 1: They have high hopes of making it far into the postseason,
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  Speaker 1: Robinson said. Fieldcrest coach Chad Quentinel, top returning runners Chloe Nussbaum,
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  Speaker 1: so Torgan Hovey Jr. Worth noting, Nussbaum and Hovey are
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  Speaker 1: Fieldcrest's lone girls competitors this season. Nussbaum led the team
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  Speaker 1: with a 53rd place finish at the regional last year.
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  Speaker 1: Both ladies are ready to work together to build each
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  Speaker 1: other up while putting in the extra work and effort
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  Speaker 1: to continue to gain more PRs throughout the year, Quinnell said.
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  Speaker 1: Henry Midland coach, Ian, Briscoe top, returning runners, Danica, Maddez, SR.
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  Speaker 1: Top newcomers, Avery Holocker, FR. Worth noting, the Timber Ducks
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  Speaker 1: only have a pair of runners this season. Goals for
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  Speaker 1: my team would be for everyone to run a PB
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  Speaker 1: personal best at some point throughout the season, Briscoe said.