Everything you need to know about Rockford-area cross country teams as postseason starts
The cross country season has nearly reached the finish line, with this week's IHSA regionals and next week's sectionals all leading to one spot: the state championships in Peoria on Nov. 4.
Rockford-area runners will be striving to get there, as will some of the top teams.
"One thing we learned from the conference meet," Guilford head coach Rick Durso said. "
So as the regionals and sectionals close in, here is a look at the area's top teams and runners to watch in Class 1A, 2A and 3A, and when and where to watch them:
Who moves on
At regionals, the top seven teams in Class 1A and top six teams in both 2A and 3A, and then the next five runners who are not on one of those teams, all qualify for sectionals. At sectionals, it's the top six teams in 1A and seven in 2A and 3A, and then the next 10 individuals, that make it to state.
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What to watch for in Class 3A
What: Hampshire Regional
Winners advance to...: Roselle Lake Park Sectional on Oct. 28
When: Saturday (girls at 10 a.m.; boys at 11 a.m.)
Teams: Auburn; DeKalb; East; Elgin; Elgin Larkin; Guilford; Hampshire; Huntley; Harlem; Hononegah; Jefferson; South Elgin
Boys to watch: Guilford graduated NIC-10 champ Juan Del Real, but then Bachta stepped in and got it this year. Now he will take aim at the regional title. Hononegah's Nicolo Altamore came in second at the NIC-10 meet and his teammate Landon Samuelson came in fourth and Camden Juno in fifth. Belvidere North's Jesse Kramer took third, and Bachta's teammate Brandon Lawson is another top runner to watch at regional. Huntley's Tommy Nitz has the top time of the season out of this regional with a 14:52.1.
Girls to watch: Hononegah's Allyson Niedfeldt and Kylie Simpson have the Rockford area's top two times in this regional, but they will have to be out the likes of Hampshire's Hudson Szymonik and Huntley freshman phenom Haley Rahman to win this regional title. Guilford's Madison Harmsen will be one to watch as well. Last weekend at the soggy NIC-10 meet, Simpson had the best time out of the 3A group.
Class 2A
What: Woodstock North Regional
Winners advance to...: Woodstock Sectional on Oct. 28
Where: Emricson Park, 1313 Kishwaukee Valley Rd, Woodstock
When: Saturday (girls at 10 a.m.; boys at 11 a.m.)
Teams: Belvidere; Belvidere North; Boylan; Burlington Central; Crystal Lake Central; Crystal Lake South; East Dubuque; Freeport; Harvard; Marengo; Woodstock; Woodstock North
Others: Rochelle is at the 2A Kaneland Regional
Boys to watch: Boylan's Nolan Coen has the sixth fastest time to come out of this regional this year, just ahead of North's Kramer. North is not as deep as it has been in the past.
Girls to watch: Belvidere's Nina Fiore, who finished sixth at the rainy NIC-10 meet, has the best time headed into this 2A regional, followed by Boylan's Reese Kohnle. It was Kohnle, however, who pulled out the NIC-10 individual title last weekend, and her teammate Johanna Hawley took fourth and Natalie Tekampe fifth.
Class 1A
What: Winnebago Regional
Winners advance to...: Oregon Sectional on Oct. 28
Where: Fuller Forest Preserve, Rockford
When: Saturday (girls at 10 a.m.; boys at 11 a.m.)
Teams: Byron; Dakota; Durand; Forreston; Genoa-Kingston; Johnsburg; Lanark Eastland; Lutheran; Oregon; Richmond-Burton; Rockford (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart); Rockford Christian; Stillman Valley; Stockton; Winnebago
Boys to watch: Rockford Christian's Weston Forward has the seventh fastest time in all of 1A this year with a 15:09.6, and his team is deep, with Andrew Kurien usually the next one across. Winnebago's Nicolai Martino and Byron's Tim Starwalt are other top boys to watch from our area.
Girls to watch: Two sophomores, Winnebago's Morgan Capriola and Lutheran's Abagail Baumann, could be top locals to watch here, but Winnebago senior Reese Erdahl could have something to say about that. Rebecca Krein of Rockford's Our Lady of the Sacred Heart has the sixth fastest time headed into this one.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaft. Sign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years all together.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: IHSA sports: Rockford-area cross country preseason preview for 2023
