2025 Clutch Sports Media All-Area Girls Cross Country Team: 36 Central Illinois runners earn honors

Larger schools and experienced seniors typically get plenty of attention in high school sports. Oftentimes, being the biggest or the oldest is equated to being the best. 

While there were numerous upperclassmen and athletes from larger schools named on Clutch Sports Media’s first All-Area Girls Cross Country teams, there were many underclassmen and runners from Class 1A schools represented among the 36 runners to receive honors. 

The Central Illinois area boasted four Class 1A schools — namely El Paso-Gridley, Elmwood/Brimfield, Eureka and Delavan — who all finished in the top 10 at the state meet with several other Class 1A individuals cobbling together impressive seasons. Washington, Peoria Notre Dame, Bloomington, Normal West and Pekin spearheaded the area’s most successful Class 2A and Class 3A teams. 

Runners from the 39 schools in the Clutch Sports Media coverage area surrounding Peoria and Bloomington/Normal were eligible to be nominated for the All-Area teams, which feature a total of 36 honorees.

Clutch Sports Media will also have a Coach of the Year and a Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, which will both be announced shortly. All of the All-Area nominees below are listed by team, then in alphabetical order.

Clutch Sports Media All-Area First Team 

Caylie Ahten, senior, Washington 

Ahten was a breakout star for Washington, going from a 72nd place state finish as a junior to a 10th place showing as a senior, dropping her personal-best time by over one minute. The Panther won the Mid-Illini Conference Meet with a time of 17:57.6, earning first-team all-conference honors before placing third at the Class 2A Limestone Regional and Geneseo Sectional. Ahten finished her season by running a 17:27.4 at the Class 2A State Finals, shattering her previous best by 30 seconds and leading the Panthers to a 10th-place state finish as a team. 

Lillian Chaddock, freshman, Peoria Notre Dame 

As a freshman Chaddock immediately became one of the area’s biggest stars, winning the Big 12 Conference Meet and Class 2A Limestone Regional with matching 17:35 times. The Irish star had eight top-10 finishes, including at the Gene Jones Runnin’ Red Invitational (17:23.2) and PND’s Irish Earlybird Meet. Chaddock’s other season highlights included a 3-mile PR of 17:26.1 to finish 16th at PND’s Richard Spring Invitational, a fourth-place showing at the Class 2A Geneseo Sectional to help and taking 23rd at the Class 2A state meet in 17:42.0 to earn all-state honors. 

Morgan Coker, junior, Pekin

Coker was one of the Mid-Illini’s premier runners, winning the Mid-Illini Pre-Conference Meet and earning first team all-conference honors after taking third at the conference championship in 18:20.1. The Dragons’ junior racked up six top-10 finishes, including taking second place at the Canton Little Giant Invitational (19:08.1) and Class 3A Belleville West Sectional, where she ran a personal-best 17:32.9. Running in the state’s largest and most competitive class, Coker came in 18th at the Class 3A Normal Community Sectional and advanced to state, where she finished 80th with a time of 17:51.8. 

Audrey Dickinson, freshman, Illini Bluffs 

Along with Chaddock, Dickinson’s dominance as a freshman was one of the most notable storylines in the area during the fall. The Tigers’ freshman finished in first at six races, including the Class 1A Farmington Regional, which she won in a personal-best 17:36.7 and invites at Farmington, IVC and Canton. Dickinson ran sub 19-minute times and finished in the top 10 in nearly every race she entered during fall, finishing fourth at the Class 1A Elmwood Sectional (18:06.7) and ninth at the First to Finish Invitational (17:53.8). The Illini Bluffs ace finished her year by taking 24th at the Class 1A State Finals, clocking in at 17:46.7. 

Sophia Ramirez, senior, Washington 

Ramirez closed out a decorated career with her best 3-mile time at the Class 2A State Finals, running a 17:37.4 to take 21st and help power Washington to placing 10th as a team. The Washington senior placed in the top 10 in eight races throughout the fall, plus adding a 20th-place showing with an 18:39.8 at the First to Finish Invitational. Among those top showings were a pair of dual meet victories and runner-up performances at the Mid-Illini Pre-Conference Meet and Mid-Illini Conference Meet. The first team all-conference honoree helped Washington win the Class 2A Geneseo Sectional and finish second at the Class 2A Limestone Regional as she finished in the top five in both events. 

Renee Warren, senior, Normal West

Warren had her best year yet, leading Normal West to 13th place at the Class 2A State Finals while finishing 16th individually with a personal-best 17:32.0. That was the only race of the fall where Warren didn't nab a top-10 placement. She was the champion at the Normal West Invitational, Intercity meet, Dunlap Invitational and Class 2A Metamora Regional while finishing second at the Peoria High Invitational, Big 12 Conference Meet and Class 2A Geneseo Sectional. She catalogued five sub 17-minute times and ran all 10 of her races in 18:14 or quicker. 

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Second Team 

Julie Bach, senior, Normal West

Bach was a key part of Normal West’s big trio and turned in more than a handful of top-10 finishes during her senior year. The four-time state qualifier helped Normal West return to state as a team and finished 33rd overall in a season-best time of 17:59.6. Bach was the Intercity runner-up (18:49.7), finished third at the Class 2A Metamora Regional and Galesburg Silver Streak Invitational, and posted eight top-10 finishes. 

Sierra Herrmann, junior, Eureka

Herrmann helped lift Eureka to finishing seventh at the Class 1A State Finals, where she ran a personal-best 17:59.0 to place 30th. Her efforts led Eureka to a successful regular season and included winning the Heart of Illinois Conference Meet in 18:00.7. Her fifth-place finish at the Class 1A Farmington Regional (18:05.70) assisted in the Hornets taking home the team title there as well. Herrmann posted six top-10 finishes during the year, including at the Springfield Invitational and Class 1A Elmwood Sectional. 

Mya Hill, sophomore, Elmwood/Brimfield

Hill was one of the top small-school runners in the Peoria area, finishing 28th at the Class 1A State Finals to lead the Trojans, who finished in fifth as a team. The sophomore, one of several key underclassmen on Elmwood/Brimfield’s team, finished in the top 10 in five events, led by a third-place finish at the Prairieland Conference Meet. Her times significantly improved in the postseason, where she dropped approximately a minute from her previous-best 3-mile times this fall. She set a new personal best at state with a clocking of 17:57.8.

Annabelle LaFary, senior, Delavan

LaFary also proved that the best runners can come from smaller schools, putting together a consistently strong season that finished in taking 35th at the Class 1A State Finals with a time of 18:16.6. LaFary led Delavan to winning the Class 1A Petersburg PORTA Regional title by crossing the finish line in a personal-best 17:55.1 to take fifth place. She followed it up with a strong sixth-place showing at the Class 1A Elmwood Sectional (18:11.1) before leading the Panthers to finishing eighth as a team at the Class 1A State Finals. LaFary had six top-10 finishes on the year and was the runner-up at the Delavan Panther Invitational and Western Illinois University Invitational. 

Ava Otto, junior, Eureka

Otto was part of a strong 1-2 punch with Herrmann, which buoyed Eureka into taking seventh place at the Class 1A State Finals. Otto took top-10 spots in six races, including in the Hornets’ win at the Heart of Illinois Conference Meet where she placed second in 18:10.9. From there, she racked up medalist honors at the Class 1A Farmington Regional — which Eureka won — as well as the Elmwood Sectional. Otto saved her bet for last and ran a personal-best 17:59.0 to take 29th at the Class 1A State Finals. 

Bethany Sennett, junior, Princeville 

 Sennett is on track to be one of the best girls cross country runners in Princeville history, making significant leaps for the second straight year. Sennett earned all-state honors after finishing 23rd at the Class 1A State Finals with a personal-best time of 17:46.3. That was her second sub-18 time of the season after taking fourth at the Class 1A Seneca Regional in 17:58.3. Sennett grabbed a top-five spot in six races, including a win at the Kewanee Boiler Invite (19:23.7) and third place at the El Paso-Gridley Invitational. 

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Honorable Mention

Leya Alcorn, sophomore, Normal U-High

Ruby Brady, junior, Bloomington Central Catholic

Elyse Brinkmeyer, sophomore, Delavan

Adelin Bruce, senior, Tri-Valley

Ellison Heineke, senior, Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson

Jessica Henderson, freshman, Tremont

Jiles Hilgenbrinck, freshman, Bloomington Central Catholic

Sophie Hinthorne, senior, El Paso-Gridley

Adeline Hubert, senior, Eureka

Lorelei Hulsing, freshman, Bloomington

Maddie James, senior, Washington

Kiley Knapp, junior, El Paso-Gridley

Lauren Ladendorf, freshman, Pekin

Chloe Layman, freshman, Normal U-High

Haven Miller, junior, El Paso-Gridley

Bristol Schmidgall, sophomore, Elmwood/Brimfield

Josie Skeate, junior, Bloomington

Amanda Warren, senior, Normal West

Sophia Watson, junior, Eureka

Caroline Wettstein, senior, El Paso-Gridley

Mia Whitfeld, senior, Metamora

McKinlee Williams, freshman, Pekin

Maya Zopel, senior, Peoria Notre Dame

Shannon Zopel, junior, Peoria Notre Dame