Local High School teams gather at Hoover Park in Sterling for the Rock River Run, held on Saturday, September 27, 2025.

Freshman Brayden Domont led Bradley-Bourbonnais' boys team to an All-City title on Wednesday, while due to confusion with the course, the champion on the girls side will be decided on Oct. 8 at the All-Area meet.

Bishop McNamara, Bradley-Bourbonnais and Kankakee faced off in the All-City cross country meet on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.

Newman, Sterling and Rock Falls meet at Centennial Park in Rock Falls Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, for the Twin Cities Triangular cross country meet.

Teams from Amboy, Dixon, La Salle-Peru, Mendota, Fieldcrest, Morris, Princeton, Hall, and Newman all competed during the Gary Coates Invitational cross country meet on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025 at Zearing Park in Princeton.

Led by seniors Philip Cupial and Will Surratt, Downers Grove North is aiming to become the first Class 3A boys cross country team to win three straight state championships since York’s last title streak with legendary coach Joe Newton from 2002-06.

In 2024, York delivered its best race at the Class 3A state meet – and nearly won its second state title in three years. York returns two All-Staters in Karlin Janowski and Sophia Galiano-Sanchez and adds an All-Stater in Trinity transfer and Elmhurst resident Molly McGreal.

Area cross country teams found some early season competition at the Irish Conditioner on Wednesday, with Bradley-Bourbonnais picking up a win on the boys side and the Herscher girls team having a strong showing.

Bishop McNamara hosted over a dozen area cross country teams for the Irish Conditioner on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, at Small Memorial Park in Kankakee.

Cross Country teams from Hall, L-P, Mendota, Princeton, Seneca, St Bede, Ottawa, Streator, and Somonauk/Leland competed in the Ottawa Nautical Mile Relay on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025 at Catlin Park in Ottawa.

Several area boys and girls teams, including Rochelle, Hinckley-Big Rock, DeKalb, Sycamore, and Kaneland, took part in the Sycamore Cross Country Invite Tuesday at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Area high school runners compete in the McHenry County Cross Country Meet on Saturday, August 30, 2025. at Emricson park in Woodstock.

The 2025 boys cross country season is underway. Here are previews of teams from around the Record Newspapers coverage area.

The 2025 girls cross country season is underway. Here are previews of teams from around the Record Newspapers coverage area.

We take a look at each boys cross country team in the area, their top athletes and aspirations for the year.

Retruning state placers, young runner looking to make the leap and more highlight our five boys cross country runners to watch this year.

We take a look at each girls cross country team, their top runners, expectations for the 2025 season and more.

From a pair of experienced seniors looking for a strong finish to a freshman expected to surge onto the scene, we look at five girls cross country runners that should have big years.

York freshman Karlin Janowski, who took second at the Class 3A state meet in leading the Dukes to second as a team, is the Suburban Life girls cross country Athlete of the Year.

Downers Grove North’s cross country and track athlete Ben Silver, Class of 2011, will be one of four inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Sandwich junior Sunny Weber – who won the school's first girls cross country state championship – is the 2024 Times Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Sandwich junior Sunny Weber, who won the school's first girls cross country state championship this fall, is the Record Newspapers girls cross country Athlete of the Year.

Yorkville junior Owen Horeni, who finished an All-State 17th at the Class 3A state cross country meet and broke the Yorkville school record in the process, is the Record Newspapers boys cross country Athlete of the Year.

Downers Grove North's boys cross country team, ranked No. 1 since preseason, ran away with a dominating repeat Class 3A state championship, while in a tight 3A girls race York took second and Downers Grove North third. And Benet's Finn Richards won the Class 2A boys state title.

Batavia sophomore Avery Hacker enjoyed a happy return to the Class 3A state cross country meet Saturday, finishing an All-State eighth to lead the Bulldogs to fifth place. Meanwhile in Class 2A Kaneland's Evan Nosek took third, becoming the Knights' first four-time All-Stater.

Sandwich junior Sunny Weber wasn’t taking any chances at the halfway point of the Class 2A girls cross country state race Saturday. Weber became Sandwich’s first individual state champion with a big personal-record as well. In 3A, Yorkville's Owen Horeni was an All-State 17th.

The IHSA Class 1A State Cross Country Championships were held on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

The IHSA Class 2A State Cross Country Championships were held on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

The IHSA Class 3A State Cross Country Championships were held on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

Willowbrook senior Amelie Ojeda, who finished the 2.9-mile Legge Memorial Park course in 16:35.58 to win the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional, becoming Willowbrook’s first girls cross country sectional champion, is the Suburban Life Athlete of the Week in an online vote.

The Morris Community High School cross country team left Morris Friday morning with a police escort on its way to the IHSA state championships for the second year in a row.

DeKalb's Jacob Barraza is the lone Class 3A entrant from the Daily Chronicle area at Saturday's state cross country meet. Sycamore and Kaneland qualified their boys teams for the 2A race and Spartan junior Layla Janisch will compete on the 2A girls side.

Oregon junior Daniel Gonzalez ran a personal record of 16 minutes and 32 seconds to qualify for state after placing 17th at the 1A sectional in Rock Island on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. He was the eighth individual out of 10 to advance to state from the sectional. On the girls side, E-P senior Sarah Link (20:12) ran a PR and took 30th. Oregon (290) was 11th as a team, led by senior Ella Dannhorn’s 20:35, good for 35th place.

Fueled by a season-best 1:34 split between all-sectional Macy Dick and their No. 5 finisher and 1:39 to their No. 7 finisher, Oswego East placed fifth at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional and advanced to the state meet for the third straight year with a top-seven finish.

DeKalb's Jacob Barraza ran a personal record time in holding off Wheaton Warrenville South's Josiah Narayanan as boys champion, York swept the boys and girls team titles, York freshman Karlin Janowski won the girls race and Batavia boys and girls were second at Lake Park.

Willowbrook senior Amelie Ojeda, sidelined outdoor track season after being struck in the eye by an errantly thrown baseball, continued her return Saturday, becoming her school's first girls cross country sectional champion. Meanwhile Downers Grove North swept the team titles.

The Class 3A Lake Park cross country sectional was held on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 in Roselle.

Here is a preview of the Rock Island Alleman Sectional including Amboy, Bureau Valley, Princeton and St. Bede runners

Yorkville junior Owen Horeni, who took second at the Class 3A Minooka Regional, leading Yorkville to second place as a team to qualify for sectionals, is the Record Newspapers Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is his Q&A with Joshua Welge.

Teams move on to race at sectionals on Nov. 2

Here is a preview of the Seneca regional including Amboy, Bureau Valley, Hall, Princeton and St. Bede runners

With Downers Grove North's girls cross country team winning the West Suburban Silver title for the first time since 1997, the Trojans swept the girls and boys team titles. Trojans' junior Philip Cupial and York freshman Karlin Janowsk were race winners.

Local runners compete in the Fox Valley Conference Cross Country meet on Saturday, Oct. 19,2024 at Hickory Nut Grove Preserve in Cary.

Maya Ledesma ran a Channahon Community Park course record, her 40-second win leading Minooka's girls to the Southwest Prairie Conference team championship. In the boys race, Plainfield South's Dylan Mahoney repeated as champion and Plainfield North edged South for the team title.

Downers Grove North junior Philip Cupial, who ran a personal record and course record 14 minutes, 24.09 seconds to win Naperville North’s Twilight XC Invite, leading the Trojans to the team championship, is the Suburban Life Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Read more him.

Byron'a Tim Starwalt finished third individually among 161 competitors

Runners competed in the annual Naperville North Twilight Cross Country Invitational on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024 in Naperville.

Runners competed in the St. Charles North Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024 at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles.

Cary Grove junior Jameson Tenopir used a big surge in the final mile to win the St. Charles North Boys Cross Country Invite, Huntley senior Tommy Nitz won the Peoria Invite, plus more scores and results in Saturday's Northwest Herald roundup.

Kaneland hosted the Eddington Invitational cross country meet on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024 in Maple Park.