They’re Up Next: Nine Central Illinois girls cross country runners with big potential
- Jonathan Michel
- Jul 23
- 4 min read
Clutch Sports Media’s “They’re Up Next” series highlights several Central Illinois athletes to watch in each upcoming fall sport who are juniors or younger for the 2025-26 season.
High school sports in central Illinois has a bright future with heaps of impressive young talent and things are no different in girls cross country.
Each year, more than a handful of area runners prove at Detweiller Park that they are among the state’s best. This coming fall, some familiar faces will be in that mix but there are others who are quickly gaining traction after an impressive underclassmen campaign in 2024. They can be found in schools all over, from the Mid-Illini, to the Big 12, to the Heart of Illinois, Lincoln Trail and Prairieland conferences.
This story marks the fifth in CSM's "They're Up Next" series, see our stories for the top up-and-comers in football, boys golf, girls golf and boys cross country as well.
With the 2025-26 IHSA cross country season kicking off in just over one month, here are nine local girls standouts that have big things on the horizon.
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