Northwest Herald girls cross country preview: Five to watch in 2023

Prairie Ridge's Brenna Benjamin (Photo provided by Prairie Ridge High School)

Brenna Benjamin, Prairie Ridge, so.

Benjamin capped last season with a 41st-place finish in Class 2A at the IHSA Girls Cross Country State Meet. She was 18th in the Fox Valley Conference Meet, 10th in the Belvidere Regional and 11th at the Kaneland Sectional, where she helped the Wolves qualify as a team. She earned Northwest Herald All-Area honorable mention.

Hadley Ferrero, Crystal Lake Central, jr.

Ferrero was 2021 Northwest Herald Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year and repeated as an All-Area first-team selection last season. She had a disappointing finish to the season when she battled a calf injury and helped the Tigers get to state but dropped out of the Class 2A race. She was the runner-up in the FVC Meet, Belvidere Regional and Kaneland Sectional, all to Prairie Ridge’s Rachel Soukup, who was picked as Northwest Herald Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.

McHenry's Danielle Jensen (MC PHOTOGRAPHY)

Danielle Jensen, McHenry, sr.

Jensen had an outstanding junior season for the Warriors as she took 14th in the Class 3A state meet to earn All-State honors. She ran the third-fastest time among local runners on the Detweiller Park course that day and was an All-Area first-team selection. Jensen was fourth in the FVC Meet, second in the Grant Regional and 10th in the Hoffman Estates Sectional.

Crystal Lake South's Abby Machesky (Photo provided by Crystal Lake South High School)

Abby Machesky, CL South, sr.

Machesky has been a standout for the Gators for three seasons and a huge part of why they finished second as a team in Class 2A in 2021 and fourth last season. She battled through some injuries last season but finished 12th in the FVC Meet, eighth in the Belvidere Regional and 19th in the Kaneland Sectional, before taking 46th at state. She earned All-Area honorable mention.

Jacobs' Bailey Schwartz (Photo provided by Jacobs High School)

Bailey Schwartz, Jacobs, jr.

Schwartz finished 46th in the Class 3A state meet race to cap a strong sophomore season. She was an All-Area second-team choice. Schwartz took 10th in the FVC Meet, seventh in the Palatine Regional and helped the Golden Eagles reach the state meet with a 15th-place finish in the Hoffman Estates Sectional.