The Lincoln-Way West girls cross country team concluded its season with a commendable performance, securing 12th place overall with 365 points at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Sectional meet held at Maxwell Park in Normal on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
According to the team’s analysis, competing against some of the state’s top programs, the Warriors exceeded expectations by executing a tight pack race strategy that was pivotal to their success. The split between the team’s top five runners was just 13 seconds, allowing West to surpass higher-ranked teams such as Lockport and Plainfield South. Neve McSherry led the team with a 77th-place finish, closely followed by Ally Dean in 80th and Penny Pinciak in 84th. Adriana Litro (85th), Celest Reiling (88th), Kate Lemke (90th), and Ava Ferrucci (98th) all achieved personal bests, with Reiling’s performance marking a career highlight in her final race.
The team will now take time to recover before beginning offseason training in preparation for the 2026 campaign. They will return six of seven varsity runners.
In their previous sectional meeting with Lincoln-Way Central, the Warriors placed behind the Knights, who finished first with 59 points. However, West’s steady improvement this fall indicates a promising future for the young roster.
