Riverside Brookfield High School seniors Addie Vaia and Rebecca Dosek are pushing themselves to have stronger girls cross country seasons.
For Vaia last season, that meant a solid finish at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional (62nd, 19:02.54 for 2.9 miles) as the Bulldogs’ lone individual sectional qualifier.
“As much as it hurt I felt like I ended on a positive note, I shaved off some time. It was at Katherine Legge (a tough course) so I was proud of that,” Vaia said.
“I had a lot of pressure on me because I didn’t have my teammates with me but I wanted to represent my team in a positive way so I really give it my all.”
Sophomores Elsie Clark, Evelyn Walsh and Julia Daniels and junior Elizabeth Moran also were part of the Lyons Township Regional lineup for head coach Blair Jensen.
Key varsity newcomers include juniors Tia Lombardi and Isabella Limoges, sophomore Anabel Olesiak and freshmen Ella Bursua and Kaylee McClintock.
Riverside-Brookfield’s Adeline Vaia during the Mike Kuharic Cross Country Invitational Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 in Western Springs. (Steve Johnston) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Isabella Limoges races to the finish line during the Mike Kuharic Cross Country Invitational Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 in Western Springs. (Steve Johnston)
“We have a lot of new freshmen and they’re really fast and I’m really excited to see what we can do this season,” Dosek said. “I’m not the most talkative so I’m trying my best to actually get out there and talk to them.”
At their first Upstate Eight Conference Meet last season, Vaia (9th) and Dosek (24th) earned top 25 individual all-conference honors for the third-place Bulldogs (221 point). Both also were individual All-Metro Suburban Conference in 2023.
At regionals, the Bulldogs (183 points) were eighth and missed the last team sectional berth by one place and 11 points.
“I got sick at (regionals). For the first two miles, I almost caught up to (Vaia) and then fell off completely,” Dosek said. “(This season) I’m hoping to come in with a higher note and just generally keep consistent, keep doing what I’ve been doing.”
On Saturday, the Bulldogs (231 points) were seventh at Lyons Township’s Mike Kuharic Invitational. Vaia (23rd, 20:16.02 for 5,000 meters/3.1 miles) was top-25 followed by Dosek (20:45.83), Limoges (45th, 21:14.91), Clark (55th, 21:35.24), Olesiak (72nd, 22:20.98), Elizabeth Moran (74th, 22:25.39) and Walsh (78th, 22:41.11).
At the season-opening Trial on the Trail Aug. 27 at Elmwood Park, Vaia (12:43.5 for 2.0 miles) and Dosek (13:19.9) were fourth and ninth. Natalie Moran was third in the freshman race (14:23.53 for 3,400 meters).
“Because this is my senior season I also want to end on a positive note and kind of give it my all every race, no matter what, even if I’m not feeling my best,” Vaia said. “We’re doing a lot more focusing on team bonding and making sure we have a good, strong team connection. Last year we did but this year we want to do a little bit more.”
RBHS boys cross country
The Bulldogs return seniors Tommy Bogdan, Clayton Dosek, Emmitt Olson and Quinn Hendricks and juniors Aiden O’Brien from their postseason lineups.
Otherwise, the Bulldogs will have many new varsity contributors, such as seniors Samuel Lee and Connor Kolodziejski, juniors Bryson Reum and sophomores Wilson Leister, Levi Huffman, Ian Brosnan, Gavin Duncan and Cameron Glennie.
They also have a new head coach. Travis Trevizo, also the boys track and field head coach, takes over for the retired Jack Brady.
“Our main goal this year is to learn how to run as a team,” Trevizo said. “Cross country is a team sport in which they can help each other place higher in races. For example, our kids are learning how to draft off each other and rotate leading positions in order to cut time. Our main team goal is to win conference. The key to success is consistency.”
Riverside-Brookfield’s Thomas Bogdan during the Mike Kuharic Cross Country Invitational Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 in Western Springs. (Steve Johnston) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Clayton Dosek races to the finish line during the Mike Kuharic Cross Country Invitational Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 in Western Springs. (Steve Johnston) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Emmitt Olson races to the finish line during the Mike Kuharic Cross Country Invitational Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 in Western Springs. (Steve Johnston)
In their UEC debut, the Bulldogs (84 points) took second to West Aurora (76) among 13 teams. The Bulldogs graduated their three All-UEC runners, including individual state qualifier Brady Norman, the last remaining member of the 2022 2A state championship team.
RBHS also qualified as a team for the 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional (15th, 377) by taking fifth at the Lyons Township Regional (105).
At the season-opening Trial on the Trail Aug. 27 at Elmwood Park, Bogdan (10:48.6 for 2.0 miles) and Olson (10:59.7) finished fourth and fifth and O’Brien (11:19.3) and Dosek (11:19.7) were eighth and ninth.
The Bulldogs were 20th (497 points) at the Kuharic Invitational. Bogdan (91st, 17:38.62 for 5,000 meters/3.1 miles), Dosek (98th, 17:52.75), Olson (99th, 17:53.42), O’Brien (104th, 18:01.14), Leister (110th, 18:12.43), Hendricks (123rd, 18:46.52) and Huffman (140th, 19:28.89) were the Bulldogs’ finishers.
