Kevin McGavin

Rosary's Lianna Surtz (12) heads to a first-place finish in the Class 1A race at the girls cross country state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019.

Cross country notes: Kaneland boys take first state title since 1987, while Rosary’s Lianna Surtz wins 1A

November 11, 2019 at 8:08 p.m.

Kaneland's Austin Adams jettisoned the heartache of a year ago in decisive fashion. Daniel Occhipinti made good on his pledge to return to the all-state stage in the aftermath of...

Sandburg's Will Giblin (2352) and Ben Giblin (2351), who are identical twins, run shoulder to shoulder in the boys cross country state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019.

Cross country notes: Sandburg twins Will and Ben Giblin lead area to highlight ‘interesting’ state meet

November 11, 2019 at 6:51 p.m.

Sandburg's Will and Ben Giblin had the misfortune of being in the same field as the fastest cross country runner in state history Saturday afternoon. Hersey senior Josh Methner not...

Naperville North's Jake Allen (136) and St. Charles East's Aidan King (227) and Bob Liking (228) run in the Class 3A St. Charles East Sectional at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles on Saturday.

Cross country notes: Maggie Gamboa turns ‘an idea’ into reality by winning the Class 3A St. Charles Sectional

November 5, 2019 at 9:28 p.m.

Naperville North junior Maggie Gamboa wasn't determined to win the Class 3A St. Charles East Sectional on Saturday. "(Winning) wasn't my mindset going into it," Gamboa said after leaving behind...

Metea Valley's Sophia Sandy works down the home stretch during the St. Charles East Sectional at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019.

Cross country notes: Waubonsie Valley’s Ashley Heidenrich and Metea Valley’s Sophia Sandy stand out in sectional

November 5, 2019 at 8:35 p.m.

A year ago, Batavia's Katrina Schlenker achieved success at the highest levels of competition. Waubonsie Valley's Ashley Heidenrich and Metea Valley's Sophia Sandy, conversely, were not even blips last fall...

St. Charles East's Bob Liking glances behind him as he finishes the Class 3A St. Charles East Sectional at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019.

Cross country notes: Wisconsin recruit Bob Liking boosts St. Charles East to repeat as sectional champs

November 5, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

Only days after committing to Wisconsin, St. Charles East senior Bob Liking capped off one of the biggest weeks of his young life. Liking tamed the tough conditions Saturday at...

Metea Valley's Sophia Sandy, left, and Naperville North's Audrey Mendrys finished second and third, respectively in the Class 3A Oswego East Regional on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019.

Cross country notes: Metea Valley’s Sophia Sandy ‘running where I want to be’ heading into sectional

October 29, 2019 at 4:47 a.m.

Over the weekend, Metea Valley senior Sophia Sandy returned to the site of her biggest disappointment from last year's girls cross country season. Sandy, a Naperville resident, left the Class...

Kaneland's Austin Adams runs in a semifinal heat of the 1,600-meter relay during the state meet on Friday, May 24, 2019.

Cross country notes: Austin Adams and Kaneland using last year’s state finish as ‘motivation’

October 29, 2019 at 3:38 a.m.

Austin Adams experienced the ultimate double whammy last November at the Class 2A boys cross country state meet. Kaneland not only had to stomach missing out on the third-place trophy...

St. Charles East's Alice Abbott finishes second in the Class 3A St. Charles North Regional at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019.

Cross country notes: Burlington Central’s Anthony Farmer battles loaded field in Kaneland Regional

October 29, 2019 at 2:23 a.m.

Anthony Farmer is wise enough to know there are no guarantees during the postseason in boys cross country. Burlington Central had the unenviable task of traveling to the Class 2A...

Cross country notes: Naperville North’s Jake Allen rides ‘sheer talent’ to DuPage Valley Conference title

October 22, 2019 at 7:59 p.m.

The season-long duel between Naperville North senior Jake Allen and Neuqua Valley junior Nicolas Dovalovsky reached new heights Saturday on the Waubonsie Valley campus course. Among local runners, those two...

West Aurora senior Jackson Morrill had a breakout weekend in winning the Southwest Prairie Conference Meet.

Cross country notes: More than a moral victory as West Aurora’s Jackson Morrill wins conference title

October 22, 2019 at 6:52 p.m.

West Aurora senior Jackson Morrill was a virtual unknown on the Class 3A boys cross country landscape a year ago. "I just feel way stronger this year," Morrill said. "I...

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