Starting with two all-state girls cross country performances in Class 2A, Fenwick senior Juliana Gamboa once again saved her best for the state meet Saturday. At the 3A finals, Gamboa finished with another lifetime best in her fourth and final state meet to take 42nd (17:31.7 for 3.0 miles) at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.
“It’s very bittersweet to be done but it was a good last race,” Gamboa said. “It was a fun way to end out the season.”
And an appropriate one. Gamboa edged her previous best of 17:32.0 from the 2025 3A state meet where she also placed 42nd. Gamboa set the school record for 5 kilometers/3.1 miles with 18:12.6 for eighth at the 3A Lyons Township Sectional, Oct. 31.
“Juliana has (run personal records) at state every year. She’s consistently found a way to rise to the occasion,” Fenwick coach Latoya Zubowicz-Hill said. “I affectionately have called her since freshman year the G.O.A.T.”
The Oak Park and River Forest High School girls (536 points) and boys (556) each finished 24th as team qualifiers.
Freshman Abby Denneen (57th, 17:43.9) led the OPRF girls, followed by senior Emily Jones (90th, 18:02.6), sophomore Loie Burwell (98th, 18:06.0), junior Eileen Easton (171st, 18:40.7), sophomore Rose Super (223rd, 19:24.2) and freshmen Nora Gundrum (224th, 19:24.8) and Michaela O’Connor (236th, 19:56.4).
Fenwick junior Bridget Brunick was 92nd (18:03.2) in joining Gamboa as individual qualifiers. Senior Ryan Wangerow (98th, 15:13.5) was the OPRF boys’ top finisher, followed by junior Gus Singer (108th, 15:16.5), senior Nick Houghton (134th, 15:25.9), sophomore Santos Martinez (151st, 15:32.1), senior Connor Harmon (205th, 15:54.9) and juniors Aaron James (218th, 16:08.6) and Finn Derhammer (225th, 16:14.5).
Top 25 runners earn all-state honors. Gamboa’s first two state races were in 2A, taking 14th in 2023 (17:47.4) followed by 21st in 2024 with an even faster 17:41.3.
Gamboa was 19.1 seconds from 25th place in 3A Saturday with what is believed to be the No. 4 fastest 3.0-mile personal record in Fenwick girls history.
The past three years, Gamboa had competed at state with Brunick.
“Really fast (state race) but really fun to have such great competition,” Gamboa said. “It’s been so nice to have a teammate like Bridget to run with. We have one of the best groups of girls to run with on our team so it’s been a really fun four years.”
Brunick was disappointed about missing her PR of 17:57.9 that finished 95th at state last year. She was 30th at 2A state in 2024 (18:03.4).
“I’m a little bummed about it, but it’s OK,” Brunick said. “It’s a blessing (having Gamboa). It’s amazing to have someone to laugh with every day and die with on workouts.”
“There are people who see the world as cross country and track season. Juliana is that type of girl and Bridget is exactly the same. That’s why they’re best friends,” Zubowicz-Hill said. “I talk to them about the love of the sport. Some of them do it because they love it, love it and those are the things that keep you coaching. I’m so proud of them.”
All OPRF girls made their state debuts.
Jones also went out with a PR, comfortably beating her 18:35.6 from last year’s regional.
“I’m really happy that my last race was a PR and I got down (near) 18:00,” Jones said.
“(State) was so fun. It was such an incredible experience, spending time with the team and hanging out.”
Denneen and Burwell also enjoyed PRs and Easton and Super missed theirs by seconds. The Huskies earned their first team state trip since 2021.
“It went well. I’m super-excited,” first-year OPRF coach Sierra Downey said. “Everybody is returning except Emily, which is a big part of the team. We’ll miss her.”
The OPRF boys returned to state after a one-year team absence yet six runners made their state debuts. Singer and Martinez ran PRs.
“This is a unique experience (at state),” said OPRF coach Chris Baldwin. “Just impressed with their commitment and dedication throughout the whole season. I was proud of them leaving it all out there on the course.”
Harmon competed at the 2024 3A state meet along with older brother Andrew, a 2025 OPRF graduate.
“(State) was a lot more emotional this year, being your last ever race for our program that’s given me so much I’ve given so much to,” Harmon said. “We know it wasn’t our best race as a team but we gave it our all and that’s all we could have done. We’re proud of what we left out there on the course.”