Week of 10/12
Cross Country Athletes and Families,
It’s hard to believe the season is coming to an end tomorrow at the Conference Meet. As coaches, we are super proud of all the hard work the athletes have put in over these past few months. They are prepared to run their best race of the year on Tuesday. The weather at this point is a high of 76, but a chance of some rain.
The Conference wants to start the meet as close to 4:00 as possible (as long as all 12 schools are present). The kids staying with use coaches and riding buses will also stay for awards as a team shortly after the 8th grade boys race. If you are taking your son or daughter home early, just please sign out with us at camp as usual. We anticipate arriving back to Kennedy around 7:00 if all goes according to plan. Thanks for all your support this season. Go Eagles!
Week ahead:
Monday 10/12: No School (run 1 easy mile and stretch on your own)
Tuesday 10/13: Conference Meet at Frontier Park (Race order 7G, 7B, 8G, 8B) 3380 Cedar Glade Drive Naperville, IL 60564
Uniforms:
We will send out information later in the week. We would love to collect all uniforms either Monday 10/19 or Tuesday 10/20.
Information about the meet on Tuesday from the race director:
PARKING
Additional parking will be in the west parking lot at Frontier Sports Complex for parents/spectators. Overflow parking will be in Neuqua Valley High School’s main parking lot off 95th Street.
ATHLETES/RUNNERS
Uniforms should abide by the conference by-laws.
Athletes/runners must place their bibs on the front side of the tanks/uniforms.
Bibs should NOT be placed on their shorts.
Bibs will be delivered to schools on Tuesday. Please have athletes put these on prior to arriving at Frontier
Medals or Ribbons will be awarded to the runners that finish 1-30.
Only coaches and workers are allowed in the tent area. NO PARENTS!!!
REMIND the runners the starter will blow the whistle 1st and then shoot the starter's gun.
RACE ORDER
7th Grade Girls (1.5 Miles)
7th Grade Boys (1.5 Miles)
8th Grade Girls (2 Miles)
8th Grade Boys (2 Miles)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Encourage your teams to stay for the final team awards at the end of the meet.
Final results will be online at http://www.racetime.info/results. Runners will have a QR Code on their bib that will take them to results immediately after.
NO PARENTS OR ATHLETES should interfere with the finish line.
Any questions or concerns… The coach should bring the issue to the tent area and find Kelle Lalko, Chris Norkus, or Brad Bywater.
ONLY COACHES!!!! NO PARENTS OR ATHLETES!
Have a great week!
Coach Weigel, Coach Horan, Coach Aspan
Week of 10/5
Cross Country Athletes and Families,
We are winding down the season and have a short week ahead. We rescheduled our Dairy Queen Run this Tuesday and have our final meet before the Conference meet this Wednesday. (See below for details). The Conference Meet will be the day kids come back from having some time off on Tuesday, October 13th.
Week ahead:
Monday 10/5: Practice 3:00 - 4:30
Tuesday 10/6: Practice 3:00-4:45 Dairy Queen Run (Bring $5 - $10 if you want to participate) (see below for more details)
Wednesday 10/7: Away meet at Still (vs Granger and Still) 787 Meadowridge Dr, Aurora, IL 60504 (Race order 7G, 7B, 8G, 8B)
Thursday 10/8: No School….Run on your own…
Friday 10.9: No School…Run on your own…
DQ Run:
We will run to Dairy Queen (about 1 mile run) and kids will wait in line to buy something to eat for the walk home. We recommend $5 - $10 depending on what they want. Since we have such a large team, we anticipate practice for some kids to run a little long. The kids in the first third of the line, we anticipate, could get back to Kennedy as early as 4:00, but the kids in the last third may not get back until 4:45. We have had kids get back as late as 5:00, depending on how efficient the workers are at DQ.
Have a great week!
Coach Weigel, Coach Horan, Coach Aspan
Week of 9/28
Cross Country Athletes and Families,
What a great week we had last week! We won 4 out of the 6 races at the Franklin Invitational and we have two meets this upcoming week. We also have our Dairy Queen Run this Wednesday. (See below for details) As we wind down to our last 3 weeks of the season, the coaches are super excited about how the kids are running. Kids are fine tuning race strategies and many ran their best races of the season this past Thursday at the Franklin Invite. We had a large number of athletes earn ribbons for their efforts and had really strong team performances. We will hand out ribbons for those that did not receive them at Monday’s practice. The hard work is paying off for sure. We have two meets this next week and our last morning practice on Friday.
Week ahead:
Monday 9/28: Practice 3:00 - 4:30
Tuesday 9/29: Home Meet vs Granger and Madison (Race order 7G, 7B, 8G, 8B)
Wednesday 9/30: Practice 3:00-4:45 Dairy Queen Run (Bring $5 - $10 if you want to participate) (see below for more details)
Thursday 10/1: Meet at Lincoln (1320 Olympus Drive, Naperville, IL 60565) vs Lincoln and Fischer (Race order 7G, 7B, 8G, 8B)
Friday 10.2: Practice 6:30 - 7:30 A.M.
DQ Run:
We will run to Dairy Queen (about 1 mile run) and kids will wait in line to buy something to eat for the walk home. We recommend $5 - $10 depending on what they want. Since we have such a large team, we anticipate practice for some kids to run a little long. The kids in the first third of the line, we anticipate, could get back to Kennedy as early as 4:00, but the kids in the last third may not get back until 4:45. We have had kids get back as late as 5:00, depending on how efficient the workers are at DQ.
Have a great week!
Coach Weigel, Coach Horan, Coach Aspan
Week of 9/21
Cross Country Athletes and Families,
The weather appears to be breaking and we are looking forward to our two meets this week. We have a meet at home on Tuesday and the Franklin Invitational on Thursday (more information below). We are also giving the kids Friday off of practice as Thursday is a little later due to the bigger meet and 6 races.
Week ahead:
Monday 9/21: Practice 3:00 - 4:30
Tuesday 9/22: Home Meet vs Washington and Scullen (Race order 8G, 8B, 7G, 7B)
Wednesday 9/23: Practice 3:00 - 4:30
Thursday 9/24: Franklin Invite (Race order Top 7 7G, Top 7 7B, Top 7 8G, Top 7 8B, Open Girls, Open Boys) at Northside Park: 1300 N West Street Wheaton, IL 60187
Friday 9/25: No Practice
Franklin Invite: Link To Franklin's Cross Country Site
This is a great meet and one of our athletes’ favorites each year. There will be a total of 6 races and everyone will have the opportunity to compete. We can only enter our top 7 runners into each of the first 4 races. (7G, 7B, 8G, 8B). We will let those kids know on Tuesday who will be competing in those first 4 races. The rest of the team will run in either the Open Girls Race or the Open Boys Race. Here is a very pencilled in version of the approximate timetable for our races:
7G Top 7: 4:30 (1.6 miles)
7B Top 7: 4:50 (1.6 miles)
8G Top 7: 5:10 (2 miles)
8B Top 7: 5:30 (2 miles)
Open Girls: 5:50 (1.6 miles)
Open Boys: 6:10 (1.6 miles)
These are approximate times and Franklin would prefer to get races in earlier if they can. We anticipate being back to Kennedy with the buses around 7:00 - 7:15. Top 35 kids in each of the 6 races receive ribbons for their efforts.
Coach Weigel, Coach Horan, Coach Aspan
Week of 9/14
Cross Country Athletes and Families,
We have a fun and busy week ahead. We have two away meets, including one on Thursday that allows kids to run as their future high school (Naperville North vs Naperville Central). See below for more details about this meet.
Week ahead:
Monday 9/14: Practice 3:00 - 4:30
Tuesday 9/15: Away Meet at Madison (vs Madison and Lincoln) 1000 River Oak DriveNaperville, IL 60565 (Race order 8G, 8B, 7G, 7B)
Wednesday 9/16: Practice 3:00 - 4:30
Thursday 9/17: Away meet at Settlers Hill Cross Country Course. 1996 S. Kirk Road in Geneva (Race order 8G, 8B, 7G, 7B) See Link
Friday 9/18: Practice 6:30am-7:30am
Cross Town Race on Thursday:
This is the second year for this event. Kids will wear a red shirt provided representing Naperville Central or blue shirt provided representing Naperville North t-shirt for their race. All races are 1.5 miles and will compete for their future high school. We are trying to start the meet as close to 4:00 as we can, but it all depends on when we can get buses and we have to wait for all 5 District 203 schools to arrive. I have copied all the information I have received from the race director below. We are super excited about this meet and I think it will be fun for the kids.
From the Meet Director:
The best address for the Course is 1996 S. Kirk Road in Geneva. This is the address for the Fox Valley Ice Arena, and the Course is directly behind the Ice Arena. You can also tell people to go to our website www.chicagotrack.org for full information on the Course. The Spectator Info page has an interactive map for people to get driving directions. Please note that this page says there is a $4 spectator admission fee. We will NOT be charging your spectators. This fee is normally only for our weekend meets.
Races will all be 1.5 miles for this meet.
Running Order: 8G, 8B, 7G, 7B
Map of course attached (Course Map)
Website of company that hosts meet in case there’s additional information you need (click here)
On their site it says, “Admission 4.00”, disregard that for family communication.
Parking: All parking should be near the ice rink, NOT up top near the finish line.
Food Cart: Kona Ice
Water is provided to runners once they finish the mee.
Week of 9/6
Cross Country Athletes and Families,
A lot of the information shared here will be repeat information from last week. The weather looks much better this year so we are hopeful this will be a more normal week coming up. We have our first meet due to the cancellation this upcoming Wednesday and are looking forward to seeing the kids race and compete. Our Spirit Wear Store tomorrow. The link is provided below:
Spirit Wear Store (closes on 9/7)
Week ahead:
Monday 9/7: No Practice (Labor Day)
Tuesday 9/8: Practice 3:00 - 4:30
Wednesday 9/9: Away meet at Crone (vs Gregory and Crone) 2020 111th St, Naperville, IL 60564. (Race order 8G, 8B, 7G, 7B)
Thursday 9/10: Practice 3:00-4:30
Friday 9/11: Practice 6:30am-7:30am
Wednesday’s away meet:
Transportation:
We provide bussing to and from all meets. If you need to take your student-athlete with you from the meet, we ask that you communicate with one of the coaches AND sign your student out in the sign out binder we will have with us at all meets.
Communication through Apptegy:
We will use the Apptegy app for quick, one-way communication this season. Apptegy has replaced the Remind app. We will send the following information through Apptegy:
Race start times.
Estimated time of arrival back at Kennedy following away meets.
Practice / meet cancellations due to bad weather.
Please consider downloading the free Apptegy app. Athletes and parents / guardians have been automatically added to our KHJS XC 2026 Apptegy room. Athletes and parents / guardians who do not download the app will still receive messages through Apptegy mobile web experience.
Please note that we do not monitor incoming messages through Apptegy. You are always welcome to email Coach Weigel, Coach Horan, or Coach Aspan with questions or to report a planned absence.
Start Time for Meet:
The most asked questions about the meets is about when it will start. The short answer is that we start as close to 4:00 as possible, but we cannot start until after all schools arrive and have had a chance to warm-up. Races go off approximately every 20 minutes after we are able to start the race.
Have a great week!
Coach Weigel, Coach Horan, Coach Aspan
Week of 8/31
Week ahead:
Monday 8/31: Practice 3:00 - 4:30
Tuesday 9/1: Practice 3:00 - 4:30
Wednesday 9/2: Away meet at Still (vs Granger and Still) 787 Meadowridge Dr, Aurora, IL 60504 (Race order 8G, 8B, 7G, 7B)
Thursday 9/3: Practice 3:00-4:30
Friday 9/4: Practice 6:30am-7:30am
Transportation for Meet:
We provide bussing to and from all meets. When at all possible, we ask that students ride the bus to and from the meet with us. We want students to root on other runners before and after their own race. The time on the bus is also a nice opportunity for building team unity. With that being said, we understand that there are sometimes circumstances that prevent your student from returning with the team. In instances where you need to take your student-athlete with you from the meet, we ask that you communicate with one of the coaches AND sign your student out in the sign out binder we will have with us at all meets.
Communication through Apptegy:
We will use the Apptegy app for quick, one-way communication this season. Apptegy has replaced the Remind app. We will send the following information through Apptegy:
Race start times.
Estimated time of arrival back at Kennedy following away meets.
Practice / meet cancellations due to bad weather.
Please consider downloading the free Apptegy app. Athletes and parents / guardians have been automatically added to our KHJS XC 2026 Apptegy room. Athletes and parents / guardians who do not download the app will still receive messages through Apptegy mobile web experience.
Please note that we do not monitor incoming messages through Apptegy. You are always welcome to email Coach Weigel, Coach Horan, or Coach Aspan with questions or to report a planned absence.
Meet on Wednesday:
The most asked questions about the meets is about when it will start. The short answer is that we start as close to 4:00 as possible, but we cannot start until after all schools arrive and have had a chance to warm-up. Races go off approximately every 20 minutes after we are able to start the race.
Ideally the time line would look like the following:
4:00: 8th grade Girls
4:25: 8th Grade Boys
4:45: 7th Grade Girls
5:05: 7th Grade Boys
We are traveling to Still, so realistically the first race usually goes off around 4:30.
Have a great week!
Coach Weigel, Coach Horan, Coach Aspan
Week of 8/24
Cross Country Athletes and Families,
Welcome to KJHS Cross Country 2026! As of now, we have 138 student-athletes signed up to participate this year! We are excited to begin another season at Kennedy. Each week we will send out information about the week ahead to keep you up to date. We will start with the important information for the week ahead. Below that, we will outline some of our philosophy, as well, and a little bit about the season.
Here is the link for our spirit wear store. https://waistupstores.com/kennedy_cross_country/shop/home (Orders must be in by the Monday of Labor Day.)
Week ahead:
Monday 8/24: Practice 3:00 - 4:30
Tuesday 8/25: Practice 3:00-4:30
Wednesday 8/26: Practice 3:00-4:30
Thursday 8/27: Practice 3:00-4:30
Friday 8/28: Practice 6:30 am-7:15 am (We will hand out uniforms at this practice)
We have had a great first week of practice (4 days last week) and have a great group of kids that seem eager and ready for the season ahead. Below outlines some of what to expect during the season.
Time Commitment:
Our season runs from August 18th to October 13th. We practice or have a meet every day school is in session. If an unexpected cancellation occurs, that will be communicated via school-wide announcements as well as through this communication platform. With the exception of Friday morning practices (6:30am-7:30am), Cross Country occurs after school. We want the kids at practice as often as they are able to. With that being said, we understand that many kids have other commitments on certain days (club soccer, music lessons, religious classes, etc.). If your student is able to stay until at least 4PM, we encourage them to attend practice. If you need to pick them up prior to 4pm, we’d prefer they not attend and get a run in at home instead. (We travel off-campus for most practices. We can’t ensure we’d be back on time).
On practice days, please make arrangements for your student-athlete to be picked up at 4:30PM. Coaches must stay until all students are picked up, so your promptness and cooperation is greatly appreciated. Each coach has kids and familial responsibilities outside of school. Repeated late pickups may result in a student-athlete being unable to continue participating in the sport.
**Information regarding length of meets is detailed more specifically in the “Meet” subheading down below.**
Order of Events at Meets:
For the first half of the season races will occur in the following order: 8th grade girls, 8th grade boys, 7th grade girls, 7th grade boys. We will communicate to you when the order flip-flops to allow 7th grade to run first.
Transportation:
We provide bussing to and from all meets. When at all possible, we ask that students ride the bus to and from the meet with us. We want students to root on other runners before and after their own race. The time on the bus is also a nice opportunity for building team unity. With that being said, we understand that there are sometimes circumstances that prevent your student from returning with the team. In instances where you need to take your student-athlete with you from the meet, we ask that you communicate with one of the coaches AND sign your student out in the sign out binder we will have with us at all meets.
Timing of Meets:
We will inevitably be asked to predict when races will be completed. It is difficult for us to provide specific start times for meets as we are at the mercy of the transportation department. Once a meet begins, please plan on approximately 20 minutes between the end of one race and the start of the next. In an effort to help facilitate communication about when meets are completed and we are on our way back to Kennedy, the coaching staff will be using the Remind app. See below if you’d like more information on how the coaching staff can communicate directly with you during meets.
Our Team Philosophy:
Cross Country season is something all three of us coaches really look forward to! Our motto is one we have been sharing with North Central College in Naperville for several years. It is “Run for Fun and Personal Best!” We honor personal improvement above all else. Nothing satisfies the coaches (and hopefully the runners) more than an athlete running faster than they ever have before. Personal improvement for all kids is what we focus on. Through goal setting, teamwork, commitment, dedication, and fun, we hope to achieve this for everyone. All we ask is that the kids come to us with a positive attitude, the desire to encourage teammates, and a willingness to work hard to get better.
Communication:
In order to report a scheduled absence or share a question/concern, email is a great option.
John Weigel (Boy’s Coach) jweigel@naperville203.org
Matt Horan (Girl’s Coach) mhoran@naperville203.org
Stephanie Aspan (Assistant Coach) saspan@naperville203.org
We are fortunate to once again have staff a member, Mr. Kyle Hall, volunteering to help support our team and act as a volunteer coach this season. We are appreciative of his time and commitment. Please continue to direct any questions, concerns, or absences to the three of us listed above.
All the best and looking forward to a great season!
Coach Weigel, Coach Horan, Coach Aspan