Harrier Fall XC Coaches
John Darrow
Coach Darrow has coached the boys and girls cross-country and track teams at Notre Dame School in Clarendon Hills since 2009. Ten of his Notre Dame cross-country teams have qualified for the IESA State Championship meet, winning multiple State trophies. Notre Dame has placed in the top ten teams in State on six occasions, including two IESA State Championships. He has also coached 17 individual qualifiers for the State meet. His teams have won four IESA Sectional Championships. Notre Dame competes in the Suburban Parochial League (SPL). During Coach Darrow’s tenure, his teams have won 16 SPL XC Championships and 15 SPL Track Division championships. On the individual level, he has coached one individual IESA State Champion, 14 All-State runners, 12 SPL XC individual champions, and 8 SPL Track Athletes of the Year. In 2020, Coach Darrow received the ITCCCA Distinguished Middle School Coach Award, a lifetime achievement recognition awarded by the Illinois Track & Cross Country Coaches Association.
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Jeannie Sullivan
Jeannie has been a competitive runner on the track, roads, and cross country for over 30 years. Her love of running began in middle school in southeastern Michigan by default when she got cut from the basketball team but then broke the gym class 8th grade mile school record. In high school, she quickly became one of the top cross country runners in the State and competed in all track distance events. She continued her career at the University of Michigan earning a 2nd team All-Big Ten Conference award in XC and academic All-American awards in indoor/outdoor track and XC, ultimately finishing her collegiate career in 2002 as XC team captain with a team Big Ten Conference Championship, regional team runner-up, and top 15 team placement in the NCAA. She continued sub-elite post-collegiate road racing for the Impala Racing Team in San Francisco and now DW Running in Chicago where a recent highlight was placing 4th in the State of Illinois in the 2018 Chicago Marathon.
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Steve Driscoll
Coach Driscoll teaches 7th grade ELA and has coached the girls and boys' cross country teams at Gurrie Middle School in La Grange since 2006. Gurrie joined the IESA in 2011 and has since coached eleven state qualifying teams, ten All-State finishers, and won four State trophies in the past five years. His approach is to “teach the sport and coach the person”. Culture, teamwork, and progress are the foundation of his philosophy with a focus on fun. He believes that cross country training is the groundwork for all sports and encourages young athletes to embrace stamina, speed, recovery, strength and nutrition training for life-long health.​​​​
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Josh Vance
Coach Vance teaches Art and coaches the boys cross country / track & field teams at Westview Hills. The boys cross country team has qualified for state 12 years in a row. They won their first state championship in 2024 and finished as state runner-up in 2025. Coach Vance ran competitively in middle school, high school, and college and feels fortunate that many of his college running teammates are also coaches in the suburbs. His coaching focus is teaching our young runners to set goals and help them work towards achieving them. Mental toughness and sportsmanship are prioritized during our season. We have created a team atmosphere where every runner feels welcome and prepared to succeed while having fun and learning a new sport.​​​​
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Ryan Jaskiewicz
Ryan Jaskiewicz brings a wealth of experience and passion for running to the West Suburban Harriers. His running journey began earnestly in 2007 with the Chicago Marathon, and he has since participated in well over 15 marathons, including a personal best of 2:26 in Berlin in 2022. Ryan’s dedication to the sport is evident in his personal records, with a 5K best of 15:07 and a half marathon time of 69:17. In 2024, he won the USATF Masters Indoor National Championship in the 3000m with a time of 8:56, achieved at age 40. He continues to compete and improve with the DWRunning Elite Team.Ryan focuses on fostering a supportive team environment, emphasizing consistent training, proper technique, and mental strength. His goal is to help each athlete achieve their personal best while developing a lifelong love for running. Outside of his running achievements, Ryan is a devoted father of three and the founder of a finance company. He is eager to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with the West Suburban Harriers, inspiring and guiding young runners on their athletic journeys.
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Kate DeProsperis
Kate has been an active figure in the Illinois running community for more than 30 years as both an athlete and coach. Kate competed for Lyons Township in both cross country and track and field, earning All-State and Junior Olympic All-American honors through the 4 x 800 meter relays. She ran cross country and track and field at the University of Notre Dame focusing on middle distance. She sought further running challenges, and after college signed up for a marathon. Over the span of 20 years of post-collegiate road racing, Kate gradually dropped over an hour from her debut marathon and qualified for her first U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials in 2012 in Houston, TX. Kate was the only Illinois woman to compete at the 2012 Olympic Marathon Team Trials. After taking a hiatus to have children she came back to run two more Olympic Trials Qualifiers and competed in the 2020 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials in Atlanta, GA, as a mom and masters runner (over 40 years old). Kate has retired from competitive running and takes joy in coaching athletes using her experiences to help others achieve their running goals. Kate has more than 10 years of coaching experiences and carries USATF Level 1 Run Coach and SafeSport Certifications.​​
Peter Soung
Peter began running in 2009, embracing the journey as an adult-onset runner. Over the years, he has developed a passion for endurance events, completing 14 marathons along with numerous half marathons, 10Ks, and 5Ks. In the past five years, Peter has taken a more focused approach to training, working with coaches from Microcosm Running to enhance performance and achieve personal goals. This dedication has not only improved his own running but also deepened his understanding of effective training methodologies. Peter has discovered both personal and professional benefits through running and is eager to help others tap into these same rewards. He is an active member of the Chicago running community, regularly volunteering at local Parkrun events and major Chicago races. He's currently exploring a leadership role within the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA). Outside of running, Peter is a co-founder of Sprout Social, a public software company based in Chicago, and a proud dad of two daughters.
Grace Mayer
Grace began running at Lagrange Highlands and continued at Lyons Township High School in both cross country and track. Fun fact: She was one of the first female competitors in the Distance Night Special Olympics in Palatine. She is now coaching cross country at Gurrie, and her work at Peak Running has also given her a wealth of knowledge about the sport. Grace hopes to run a half-marathon in the near future.
Caroline Darrow
Caroline has helped coach the Harriers since 2021. Growing up, she ran for Notre Dame School where she led the first girls team in school history to the IESA State meet, earning SPL All-Conference and IESA All-Sectional honors. Caroline competed on the cross-country and track teams at Fenwick High School, before transitioning to team manager following injuries. She is a recent graduate of the University of Notre Dame and is currently pursuing a Masters of Arts in Public Policy and Administration at Northwestern University. For the past four years, Caroline has been active working for Kesem, an organization dedicated to supporting children whose parents have been impacted by cancer. She is excited to continue coaching the Harriers!
Sophie Abitz
Sophie is a junior at Hinsdale Central where she competes on the cross country and track teams. Sophie joined the West Suburban Harriers in 6th grade and has participated every year since. She is a graduate of Clarendon Hills Middle School, where she ran both track and cross country. Sophie is super excited to be back coaching this year!
Alex Bane
Alex ran his first 5k run in the second grade while on vacation. This experience sparked his love of the sport. He is currently a freshman at Benet Academy and competes on the cross country team. Alex is a graduate of St. Isaac Jogues where he participated in cross country and track for four years. In 2023 his team qualified for the IESA State Cross Country Championship. Alex has run with the Harriers since 5th grade where he has enjoyed the extended running season, the coaching and the friendships he has made. Last summer, he was one of our Junior Harriers coaches.
Kate Borho
Kate began running track and cross country at St. Pius X in 5th grade and is currently a freshman at Willowbrook High School. She competed at the IESA State Championship three years in a row. Kate earned 5th place in state for Class A in both 7th and 8th grade. Kate was a member of the St. Pius X cross country team, earning the title of Class A State Champions in 2023 and Class A State Runner-Up in 2024. Kate also plays basketball and volleyball and was awarded All-Conference for volleyball in 8th grade. Kate represented the West Suburban Harriers at CCCNYC two years in a row, earning top 25 her 8th grade year. She also represented West Suburban Harriers at Detweiller at Dark in Peoria, earning top 25 in her division. Kate has always enjoyed her Harriers seasons and she is looking forward to coaching in the fall season
Kevin DeBoni
Kevin isa freshman at Benet Academy and competes for both their cross country and track teams. Kevin’s passion for running began in 5th grade at St. Isaac Jogues running both cross country and track. He was on their 2023 state qualifying team for the IESA State Championship. Kevin has been a member of the West Suburban Harriers since 2023 and began coaching for the Junior Harriers this summer.
Kathy Gu
Kathy is a junior at Hinsdale Central High School. She has been participating in both cross country and track since middle school, and she will be on the Varsity track team and Junior Varsity cross country team this year. Kathy loves cheering on her teammates during meets, and can’t wait to do the same for the Harriers runners!
Will Heintskill
Will resides in Hinsdale, where he attended Monroe Elementary and Clarendon Hills Middle School. He is currently a senior at Hinsdale Central, where he competes on the cross-country and track teams. As a freshman, he placed 8th at the West Suburban Silver fresh-soph conference championship. Will began running cross-country in sixth grade at CHMS and continued there through eighth grade. Will joined the West Suburban Harriers in 2021.
Lucy Jucovics
Lucy is a senior at Nazareth Academy where she competes on the Cross Country team. She also plays travel soccer where she is an acting team captain. Lucy ran cross country and track for Notre Dame School for the past 4 years and was on the 2019 and 2021 IESA State qualifying teams, placing 7th in the State in 2021. Lucy is excited to help coach because she knows first-hand how much running can help improve not only performance in other sports but also overall health and well-being.
Kate Lowe
Kate began running in 6th grade at CHMS where she participated on both the XC and Track & Field teams. She has participated in Harriers yearly since 6th grade and returned this summer as a Junior Harriers coach. She is excited to continue coaching the Harriers this fall. Kate is currently a freshman at Hinsdale Central High School where she runs both XC and Track & Field.
Cait Maguire
Cait is a currently a freshman at Chesterton Academy. She is a graduate of Notre Dame School, where she participated in cross country and track. Cait competed for the Harriers, and enjoyed every minute. Last summer, she was one of our Junior Harrier coaches.
Maggie Morrissey
Maggie is currently a freshman at Nazareth Academy where she competes on the cross country and track teams. She is a graduate of St. John of the Cross where started cross country running in 5th grade. Maggie loves running distance and enjoys being faster than her father. Maggie competed for two years for the West Suburban Harriers . She placed as the 2nd female runner at the 2024 Love Like Sean 5K race. Maggie was a Junior Harriers coach this past summer.
Ella Satre
Ella is a junior at Hinsdale Central High School. Ella has qualified for the IHSA cross country state meet for the past two years. She participates in both varsity track and cross country, specializing in distance races. Ella loves being a part of the Harriers program and is excited to help coaching this fall!
Jane Shannon
Jane is a junior at Benet Academy this fall. She has run cross country and track and played basketball for Benet. She went to Notre Dame School, where she ran both cross country and track from 5th to 8th grade. She is excited to coach Harriers again this fall!
Claire Sigmund
Claire is a junior at Nazareth Academy where she is a member of both the XC and track teams. She started her running career in middle school and currently holds the 400m school record at Clarendon Hills Middle School. Claire was a member of Nazareth’s 4x800m state qualifying relay in 2024 and was a qualifier at both the Illinois Indoor Championships and the IHSA state meet in the 400m in 2025. Claire is excited to coach with the Harriers!
Natalie Sullivan
Natalie is a sophomore at Hinsdale Central where she competes on the cross country and track teams. She is a graduate of CHMS where she competed in cross country for 3 seasons as one of the top runners in her grade. She also enjoys running the 100M hurdles and 400M during track season. In addition to running, Natalie is in her 5th year of competitive dance with Impact Dance Studio, enjoys being part of the CHMS musicals, and volunteers with the Junior Board of the Clarendon Hills chapter of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago.
Elsa Voight
Elsa Voight is a sophomore at Hinsdale Central. She has been a coach for the Harriers for two summers and one fall. Before becoming a coach, she participated in the Harriers program herself and had a great time. She loves running and competes in distance track and cross country at Hinsdale Central. She is excited to help coach this fall!