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- 0:00Speaker 1: 2026 Record Newspapers Boys Cross-Country Preview Capsules. Written by Skylar Casellas.
- 0:13Speaker 1: This article is being read by an automated voice brought
- 0:16Speaker 1: to you by Everlit. The 2026 Boys Cross-Country season is underway.
- 0:22Speaker 1: Here are previews of teams from around the Record Newspapers
- 0:25Speaker 1: coverage area. Newark Coach, Ashley Monroe, Runners, Tegan Britz, so
- 0:29Speaker 1: Austin Ribble, SR, Jameson Kelly, SR. Worth noting, Brits, Rabel,
- 0:34Speaker 1: and Kelly will run as individuals at meets this fall,
- 0:37Speaker 1: as Newark does not have a cross-country team. Brits and
- 0:40Speaker 1: Rabel have already competed in two races. Oswego East coach,
- 0:44Speaker 1: James Milner. Top returners, Jack Wolstenholm, SR Mason Van Denen,
- 0:48Speaker 1: SR Aiden Pantojas, SR Camden Franquino, SR Logan Stiles, SR
- 0:51Speaker 1: Anthony Garcia Jr. Key newcomers, Drew Stiles, so Ryan Metzdorf,
- 0:55Speaker 1: so Colton Naramorso. Worth noting, Oswego East qualified for the
- 1:00Speaker 1: Class 3 estate meet last season. The Wolves lost key
- 1:05Speaker 1: pieces from the group that got them there, but returned
- 1:07Speaker 1: a battery of experienced standouts. Garcia, Woldenholm, Van Denend, and
- 1:12Speaker 1: Pantojas all ran under 15.50 for three miles during the
- 1:15Speaker 1: season and were among the seven Wolves who competed at
- 1:18Speaker 1: the state meet. Sophomore styles Metzdorf and Naramore have also
- 1:22Speaker 1: put themselves in the varsity conversation. Milner said Stiles, who
- 1:26Speaker 1: ran track but not cross-country last year, has emerged as
- 1:29Speaker 1: an athlete to watch. I actually think the ability is
- 1:33Speaker 1: closer to what we had with our 2022 team, which
- 1:34Speaker 1: was one of our top 15 teams in the state.
- 1:36Speaker 1: We aren't there yet, but that's the level we believe
- 1:38Speaker 1: this group can potentially reach. Top returners, Alejandro Delgado Jr.,
- 1:56Speaker 1: Johnny Espino, SR, Sam Palacios, so, Damian Leatherman, so, Gavin Silverman, so,
- 2:01Speaker 1: Ethan Phipps, so, Anthony Ortega Jr., Christian Birdsall, so. Key newcomers,
- 2:06Speaker 1: Marlon Arellano Jr., Jose Diaz, FR Jacob Osborne Jr. Worth noting,
- 2:10Speaker 1: the Reapers were just a few points shy of advancing
- 2:12Speaker 1: to the sectional meet last year. Palacios and Delgado pace
- 2:16Speaker 1: Plano with top 15 finishes in the Kishwaukee River Conference Race.
- 2:21Speaker 1: all conference honors, and individual qualifications to sectionals. Both runners
- 2:26Speaker 1: are back to lead a team looking to better its
- 2:28Speaker 1: fifth-place finish in the KRC Championship. Other key returners include Espino, Leatherman,
- 2:33Speaker 1: and Silverman, to name a few. Newcomer Arellano is another
- 2:37Speaker 1: name to watch this season. Adiotti said the junior is
- 2:41Speaker 1: already making a huge impact with his hard work and
- 2:43Speaker 1: positive attitude in training. The Plano Reapers remain a hungry team,
- 2:48Speaker 1: Adiotti said. We have experienced a lot of ups and
- 2:51Speaker 1: downs the last few years, but feel like this is
- 2:53Speaker 1: our year. The team's goal is clear. Work hard, push
- 2:56Speaker 1: each other, and fight for a spot at sectionals. With dedication, unity,
- 3:00Speaker 1: and determination, anything is possible for this group. Sandwich coach.
- 3:04Speaker 1: Mickalene Bell. Top returners. Logan Trigg Jr., Lincoln Minard Jr.,
- 3:09Speaker 1: Damian Walsh Jr., key newcomers Matthew Bays Jr., Grayson Sinclair,
- 3:13Speaker 1: Jackson Miller FR, Aidan Quellum FR. Worth noting. The Sandwich
- 3:18Speaker 1: Boys were Kishwaukee River Conference runners-up and regional champions last season. Trigg, Minard,
- 3:24Speaker 1: and Walsh returned to comprise most of the Indians' top
- 3:27Speaker 1: four this fall. We have a strong top four and
- 3:31Speaker 1: are hoping to bump up our freshmen to round out
- 3:33Speaker 1: our team, Bell said. Our returning upperclassmen are working hard
- 3:37Speaker 1: and have amazing individual goals for the year. Our freshmen
- 3:40Speaker 1: have proven they are capable and ready to compete at
- 3:43Speaker 1: the varsity level. We are looking forward to a promising season.
- 3:46Speaker 1: Yorkville Coach Chris Muth, top returners. Iden Neidegger, SR. Carter Reichert, Jr.
- 3:52Speaker 1: Nick Sanchez, Jr. Declan Shue, SR. Key newcomers. Eric Emmert,
- 3:57Speaker 1: so Noah Show, Jr. Michael Reed, so worth noting. Yorkville
- 4:02Speaker 1: last season took third at the Southwest Prairie Conference meet,
- 4:05Speaker 1: second at regionals, fourth at sectionals, and 21st at state.
- 4:09Speaker 1: Owen Horeni, a three-time record newspaper's cross-country athlete of the year,
- 4:14Speaker 1: earned podium finishes in each of the last three meets.
- 4:17Speaker 1: including first place at regionals with a 14-45.51. Horeny now
- 4:23Speaker 1: runs for Notre Dame, but Muth is confident his current
- 4:26Speaker 1: team has the potential to outperform last year's. We lost
- 4:30Speaker 1: a very top-end runner in Owen Horeny, but if our
- 4:33Speaker 1: second unit develops, we could be a better team this
- 4:36Speaker 1: season than last, Muth said. I have a lot of
- 4:39Speaker 1: faith in the work that has been put in this
- 4:41Speaker 1: summer and but we need to stay healthy, break through
- 4:44Speaker 1: the perceived limits, and consistently challenge ourselves to be uncomfortable daily.
- 4:49Speaker 1: The potential is there for this team to make big
- 4:51Speaker 1: improvements over the next couple of months before the state series,
- 4:55Speaker 1: but for that to happen, we need to keep checking
- 4:57Speaker 1: the boxes each day in every aspect in our training.
- 5:00Speaker 1: Yorkville Christian coach, Javier Garcia, top, returner, Graham Razum, SR.
- 5:07Speaker 1: Worth noting, Razum, back for his fourth cross-country season, will
- 5:11Speaker 1: be the only runner for the Mustang Boys this fall.
- 5:14Speaker 1: Last year, he placed third in the regional meet and
- 5:17Speaker 1: ninth in the sectional meet to qualify for the Class
- 5:19Speaker 1: I estate meet, where he ran a new personal record
- 5:22Speaker 1: of 1539. Editor's note, Oswego did not provide preview information.