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2026 Record Newspapers girls cross country preview capsules · Kendall County News - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: 2026 Record Newspapers Girls Cross-Country Preview Capsules Written by Skylar
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  Speaker 1: Casellas This article is being read by an automated voice
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  Speaker 1: brought to you by Everlit. The 2026 Girls Cross-Country season
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  Speaker 1: is underway. Here are previews of teams from around the
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  Speaker 1: Record Newspapers coverage area. Newark coach Ashley Monroe, Runners, Anna Kreps,
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  Speaker 1: Easton Kempiak-Esser. Worth noting... Kreps and Kempiak will run as
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  Speaker 1: individuals at meets this fall. Neither has competed in a
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  Speaker 1: meet yet this season. Oswego coach Alicia Rafferty, top returners.
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  Speaker 1: Morgan Bradley, SR Lindsay Sturm, so Olivia Kath Jr., Josie Beiler,
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  Speaker 1: so Sophia Padilla Jr., Grace Johnson, so Luvia Torres, SR
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  Speaker 1: Araceli Desimone, junior key newcomers, Anna Samorton Jr. Worth noting,
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  Speaker 1: Oswego last year finished 5th in the SPC, 3rd at regional,
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  Speaker 1: and 9th at sectional. Bradley was one place shy of all-conference,
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  Speaker 1: and Sturm was one individual away from qualifying for the
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  Speaker 1: state race. Both are back to guide the 2026 squad,
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  Speaker 1: a team Rafferty said is the strongest she's had as
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  Speaker 1: head coach. This team can do whatever they put their
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  Speaker 1: mind to, Rafferty said. They are strong, they are powerful,
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  Speaker 1: and they will match that with their bravery in races.
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  Speaker 1: Rafferty highlighted Bradley as a breakout candidate this season, along
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  Speaker 1: with Sturm, Kate, and Byler. Simorton could also be in
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  Speaker 1: the mix for the top seven. I don't know what
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  Speaker 1: exactly they are capable of, and I don't think they
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  Speaker 1: know that yet either, Rafferty said. I think that is
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  Speaker 1: a good thing because they have so much to prove
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  Speaker 1: to themselves and to believe in themselves with. This season
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  Speaker 1: will be whatever they want it to be and whatever
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  Speaker 1: they make it. Top returners, Gianna Busby, SR, Audrey Chaney, Jr.,
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  Speaker 1: Caitlin McCarthy, Jr., Mariana Ocon, Jr., Ali Isbell, so, Zia Manolodi, so,
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  Speaker 1: Danielle Schmidt, so, Kaylee Thatcher, so. Key newcomers, Noelle Van Dunen,
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  Speaker 1: FR Peyton Wallen, so. Worth noting, the Wolves last season
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  Speaker 1: repeated a 4th place finish in the Southwest Prairie Conference meet,
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  Speaker 1: took 5th at the regional meet, and 10th at the
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  Speaker 1: sectional meet. Though state qualifier Julia Burney graduated, Asbell, Chaney,
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  Speaker 1: and Thatcher, return to provide a strong foundation for an
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  Speaker 1: improved Oswego East squad. Busby is also back in the
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  Speaker 1: mix after not running her junior year, and freshman Van
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  Speaker 1: Dennend adds youth to the lineup. Cook said Schmidt and
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  Speaker 1: McCarthy have shown huge improvements this summer. We are a faster, stronger,
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  Speaker 1: and tougher than we were a year ago as a team,
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  Speaker 1: and we are excited about what this group will be
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  Speaker 1: able to accomplish together, Cook said. Plano coach, Bolaji Adeyoti.
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  Speaker 1: Top returners, Viviana Cervantes Jr., Fernanda Alamo, so Jacandro Ocampo, so.
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  Speaker 1: Key newcomers, Brianna Contreras, so Lauren Osborne Ibarra, so Angelina Bryant, so.
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  Speaker 1: Worth noting, the Reapers had only three athletes last fall,
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  Speaker 1: hindering their ability to score as a team. This year,
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  Speaker 1: Plano returned Cervantes, Alamo, and Ocampo to lead an expanded group.
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  Speaker 1: Cervantes had a strong track season in the spring, earning
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  Speaker 1: all conference honors in two events, including the 800-meter run. Bryant,
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  Speaker 1: another track standout, is giving cross-country a try, while fellow
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  Speaker 1: newcomer Contreras has already shown she can be a force
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  Speaker 1: on the team. Adeoti said the sophomore will be one
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  Speaker 1: of Plano's top runners this season. The Reapers are committed
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  Speaker 1: to working hard this season to reach their full potential
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  Speaker 1: and achieve great things, Adeoti said. Our focus will be
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  Speaker 1: on setting clear, meaningful goals and dedicating ourselves to the
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  Speaker 1: process that will help us reach them. Step by step,
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  Speaker 1: we'll work together toward making this season one to remember.
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  Speaker 1: We might be young in running years, but the competitive
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  Speaker 1: nature of this team will show at the end of
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  Speaker 1: the season. Sandwich coach, Nicolene Bell. Top returners, Kayla Crescent, SR,
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  Speaker 1: Isla Stevens, SR, Olivia Agajanian. So Noravik, SR. Key newcomers,
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  Speaker 1: Raina Moyer. So Gwen Ryan, FR. Worth noting, the Indians
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  Speaker 1: last season championed the KRC in regional and qualified for
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  Speaker 1: state with the star-powered engine that was Sonny Weber. who
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  Speaker 1: won the Class I Across Country State Championship. Now Weber
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  Speaker 1: is a Duke Blue Devil, and Sandwich has a new coach. Crescent, Stevens,
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  Speaker 1: and Agajanian all return after competing at the state meet.
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  Speaker 1: We may be small, but we are large with talent,
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  Speaker 1: Bell said. Our ladies have proven that they are ready
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  Speaker 1: to compete. They have set competitive goals that will push
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  Speaker 1: them throughout the season. We cannot wait to see what
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  Speaker 1: they are capable of, especially once we hit competition season.
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  Speaker 1: Yorkville coach, Chris Muth, Top returners, Athena Treiner Jr., Mia
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  Speaker 1: Evans SR, Rachel Rotramel Jr., Lyndon Moss Jr., Paige Tim SR,
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  Speaker 1: Elle Myers. Key newcomers, Collins Overturf, Kayla Bassett Jr., Taylor
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  Speaker 1: Berndl FR. Worth noting, Treiner, Moss, and Tim helped Yorkville
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  Speaker 1: reach the Class 3 estate meet last season, and they'll
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  Speaker 1: be leading the way for the 2026 Foxes. But Muth
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  Speaker 1: said team's overall success will depend on those rounding out
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  Speaker 1: the top seven taking the next step. Rachel Rotramel, Mia Evans,
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  Speaker 1: Kayla Bassett, Ellie Myers, Collins Overturf, along with a freshman
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  Speaker 1: or two, have shown progress and will need to make
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  Speaker 1: a jump to help us reach another level, Muth said.
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  Speaker 1: Our goal is always to finish the season at the state,
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  Speaker 1: meet and match, or beat the previous season's team finish.
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  Speaker 1: This team needs to continue to progress and push each
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  Speaker 1: other to improve each and every day. We have potential,
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  Speaker 1: but that potential needs to progress for us to have success.
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  Speaker 1: Yorkville Christian Coach, Javier Garcia Top returners, Natalie Atenco, SR,
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  Speaker 1: Ruby Rasm, Sinclair Graham, so key newcomers, Emily Atenco, FR.
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  Speaker 1: Worth noting, the Mustangs will have just four runners this fall,
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  Speaker 1: Emily Atenco being the lone newcomer to the squad. With
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  Speaker 1: three athletes also playing other fall sports, Garcia is curious
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  Speaker 1: to see how their experiences will go hand-to-hand. It will
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  Speaker 1: be exciting to see how the girls use the skills
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  Speaker 1: from other sports training to assist in their races. and
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  Speaker 1: how running the distance can teach them mental toughness for
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  Speaker 1: their other sports competitions.