With all of the fall sports now practicing, it’s time to start looking around at all of the different stars for the different sports.
Which means, it’s now your turn to check out some cross country runners to watch and let you pick your Preseason Boys and Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year on our poll.
Hononegah won the NIC-10 title for the boys last year, and heads into the season as one of the favorites to win it again. Boylan has been one of the NIC-10 powers for the girls the past few years and appears to be ready again as well.
Winnebago won the girls Class 1A state team championship last year, and it has multiple runners returning to make another run at it. Molly Webb led the way with a 14th-place finish.
The new cross country season will kick off on Sept. 5 for most teams, with the NIC-10 Preview Meet being hosted by Harlem on Sept. 8. The First to the Finish Meet, held at Peoria’s Detweiller Park, the site of the IHSA state cross country meets at the end of the season, is set for Sept. 12.
But first, here are some runners to watch, and runner that you can choose from, both boys and girls, on our poll. Or select “Other,” and email jtaft@rrstar.com and let us know who you think belongs on the list, and on the top of the list, and why.
The poll will stay open for one week, with the winner being unveiled sometime after Aug. 19. We will announce the boy with the highest vote total, as well as the girl with highest vote total.
Here are 13 boys and 13 girls to watch from the Rockford area, and this is who you can choose from on the poll:
BOYS
- Judah Binger – Belvidere North
- Alexander Brockwell – Guilford
- Tyler Buestch – Harlem
- Kyle Enke – Lutheran
- James Gallagher – Harlem
- Martin Hernandez – Belvidere North
- Blake Lindberg – Rockford Christian
- Jack McLarty – Hononegah
- Noah Myers – Rockford Christian
- Chayse Rosenbalm – Oregon
- Jacob Schroeder – Lutheran
- Zaydan Schoonhoven-Hussain – Stockton/Lena-Winslow
- Jacob Schroeder – Lutheran
GIRLS
- Anya Anaya – Oregon
- Reagan Bachta – Guilford
- Lilly Binger – Belvidere North
- Ella Carson – Winnebago
- Lauren Cox – Belvidere North
- Ady Gallas – Belvidere North
- Kallan Hunter – Belvidere
- Gabby Kohnle – Boylan
- Quinn Larson – Stockton/Lena-Winslow
- Mya Olejniczak – Harlem
- Haylie Simpson – Hononegah
- Molly Webb – Winnebago
- Nora Wedwick – Boylan
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and sign up for the Rockford High School Sports Newsletter here at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks to local youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: VOTE for who is the top returning Rockford-area boys, girls XC runner
