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Illinois High School Cross Country Previews - 3A Boys Teams

Published by
ILXCTF - Mike Newman   Aug 14th 2018, 2:11am
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Wheaton-Warrenville South the clear leader heading into a wide-open 3A team competition

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

The 2018 Cross Country Season started for Wheaton-Warrenville South the moment they received their IHSA 3A third-place trophy last November. Coaches looked at the results and saw what the Tigers had coming back this season. Loaded was the most common word that I heard describing this team.

They won’t take anything for granted. Even though they deny that they will be the 3A team favorite this fall, Wheaton-Warrenville South knows that all eyes will be on them by the time the 3A starts at 2:00 PM on November 3.

Who is the top team that will challenge them this fall? That is a good question. Just like on the national level, it seems that are more teams that have questions about their lineups.

The same applies in Illinois. Too many questions about teams. Too many ifs, ands, and buts.

That is what could make this season so interesting in this classification. Expect the unexpected could be the theme in 2018.

Here is a look at some of the top 3A Girls teams in Illinois for the start of the 2018 Illinois High School Cross-Country Season. Remember, the only rankings that count are the ones that are posted after the race is over state meet day.

 

1 Wheaton-Warrenville South

2017 Finish – 3rd, 3A State

Coach – Chris Kuntz

Top Runners – William Hauenstein JR (13, 14:39), Sean Maison SR (32, 14:55), Scott Maison SR (45, 15:02), Jacob Kluckhohn JR (47, 15:04), David Zeller JR (88, 15:24), Jared Peaslee JR (182, 16:05), Joseph Franke JR, Matthew Lifka SO, Ethan Seng JR, Rowan Fahey SO, Jack James SO, Gabriel Ham SO, Carson Rewiski SO.

Preview – It is a given that Wheaton-Warrenville South will be the team to watch in 3A especially after the Tigers finished third in the 2017 state race. “The kids have had a great summer of running.  We get great leadership from our captains Sean and Scott Maison, Junior Jacob Kluckhohn, and Matt Rice,” said their Coach Chris Kuntz. “We try to keep things low key in our summer running camp, but the kids are motivated.  They realize how important the summer is.  As the kids get older, stronger and more mature we try to raise mileage accordingly.  The most important thing is that we try to stay healthy and the kids have done a good job of that.”

The fact of the matter is that Kuntz would prefer his team not in the spotlight. There is no escaping that considering this program returns six of their top seven runners from that third-place state team. The only loss comes from graduated John Keys who was the team’s fifth runner the majority of the season. With so much talent back and more than some of the other teams in the state. With the runners they have back, Wheaton-Warrenville South will be one of the teams to watch nationally as they are ranked in the top ten in most of the pre-season rankings. It is hard to escape that they are the favorites.

“I wouldn't say that we are the favorites,” Kuntz added. “There are so many great programs out there that are exceptional every year.  We know who they are, and we know that they are going to have a great season just like they do every year.  Our approach to preparing for the season won't change.  We'll continue to work hard and do what we do.  Our strength has been working together as a team and we'll continue to do that. We'll try to control the things that we can control.”

One of the things that they can control is the pack running they exhibited throughout last season. Their top four of Sean & Scott Maison, William Hauenstein, and Jacob Kluckhohn are the team’s four horsemen. In the DuPage Valley Conference Meet, those runners were separated by 31 seconds. The four were separated by only 18 points in the sectional race where they finished second to Glenbard West. In the state race, the Tigers had a four-runner split at 25 seconds. This group does know how to pack run. It was the same on the track in the spring when the four ran between 9:24 to 9:34 for 3200-meters. The Maison brothers and Hauenstein were only separated by three seconds at 9:24 to 9:27.

Their first four placed in the top 50 last fall led by Hauenstein’s 13th place finish. Sean Maison (32nd), Scott Maison (45th), and Kluckhohn (47th) followed. All could be in the top 25 in November. David Zeller should be the fifth runner on this team this fall. He was the team’s sixth runner at state but just two seconds behind the graduated Keys. The week before in the Lake Park Sectional when the Tigers finished nine points behind Glenbard West, Zeller was the team’s fifth runner two seconds ahead of Keys. The team should have a tough tight pack of 40 seconds or under in most meets.

After the first five, there is a 30 second separation between Zeller and fellow junior Jared Peaslee. Joseph Lifka and Matthew Lifka could step into a top seven position. A key for this team is staying healthy. One runner going down in the first four opens the door to so many possibilities. That is why Kuntz will not consider himself the favorite until after the 3A state race is run.

“All of our kids are motivated to improve from year to year,” concluded Kuntz. “They have high expectations and great goals.  They had a great year last year and they hope to build on it.  They also know that nothing comes easily and that nothing can be taken for granted.  Billy Hauenstein is a returning All Stater from last year, but Sean and Scott Maison and Jacob Kluckhohn know that they will be right with him.  Sean Maison ran 4:16 last year and Jacob Kluckhohn, and Scott Maison both ran in the low 4:20s.  They work hard together, and they challenge each other to be better.”

Their work ethic will drive this team to great things in 2018. That is how you win state championships. Staying healthy is always worry for a coach, but this team has the strength to accomplish the ultimate goal in Illinois High School Cross Country. Like it or not, the Tigers will be the team that all others will be watching when they step to the starting line starting in September.

 

2 Glen Ellyn Glenbard West

2017 Finish – 7th, 3A State

Coach – Kyle Nugent

Top Runners – Rory Cavan SR (14, 14:42), Stephen Moody SR (18, 14:43), Will O’Brien SR (96, 15:27), Ian Repking SR (115, 15:33), Bennett Fote SR, William Hohe SO, Pierce Cousins SO, Aaron Pisczak SO, Tyler Yeager SO, Jake Kaslewicz SR, Ben McGrath SO, Colin Hess SO.

Preview – Three runners have graduated from last year’s state team. The Hilltoppers did not run their best race of the season at state finishing seventh especially after defeated Wheaton-Warrenville South by nine points the week before. Glenbard West is in good shape entering this season with four of the top five runners from that state team coming back.

“For the most part, I think we accomplished our goals this summer,” said Kyle Nugent. “Our top group started their training a tad later than past summers, because of a longer track season through the state meet and Magis Mile.  The main focus this summer was consistency with training and maintaining good health. We just want to focus on ourselves and our own improvement as a team. We got through the summer relatively healthy, despite a couple illnesses and minor injuries.  Our team is led by a group of senior leaders who set the tone at practice each day, and that has trickled all the way down to the freshmen.”

All four of the state returning runners are seniors. The two runners up front, Rory Cavan and Stephen Moody, are the runners that fans will keep an eye on. Cavan was up front most of the season starting when he ran 1:41 to lead the team at the Naperville Twilight Invitational in October. He was the team’s top runner in the state meet placing 14th. Mooney was close behind Cavan in all races last fall with only one second separating the two. Both runners could finish in the top ten come November.

One of the keys to watch for this team is the development of their third and fourth runners Will O’Brien and Ian Repking. Moving the two runners close to Cavan and Moody will need to happen. O’Brien was 44 seconds behind Moody in the state race. That split was only 14 seconds in the sectional race. O’Brien and Repking were separated by on an average eight seconds in the final two races of the season. There will need to be more consistency on that two to three split. 20 seconds could make this team tough to beat.

Sophomores William Hohe, Colin Hoss and Pierce Cousins along with senior Bennett Fote look to be the three runners challenging for a spot in the top five. Hohe ran a personal best of 10:05 for 3200-meters last spring as a freshman. Cousins ran 10:11. Both runners had good summers of training. Getting one of those four runners within 30 seconds of the fourth spot is a must.

“We just want to keep improving throughout the season and see where that takes us,” said Nugent. “Obviously, we’d like to improve on last year’s 7th place finish.  I think the guys are extremely motivated and focused on team success this year. If we stay healthy and focused on ourselves, we hope to compete with the top teams in the conference & state this season.” The Hilltoppers will be able to compete with any team in the state this season. They have the four runners that could get them into the top three. Finding that fifth runner could get them even higher.

 

3 Mundelein

2017 Finish – 12th, 3A State

Coach – Kurt Rutz

Top Runners – Robert St. Clair SR (34, 14:57), Dillon Blake JR (41, 15:01), Aidan Afonso SR (53, 15:10), Michael Parduhn SR (184, 16:06), Matt Olorvida SR (200, 16:24), Dario Carillo SR, Aaron DeLara JR, Trevor Werner JR, Elian Salgado SO, Cale Sethna SO, Robert McKee SO, Carter Schrorr JR, Sean Finerty SR.

Preview – It seemed that the wheels loosened a little on the Mundelein train after the Peoria Central Invitational at the end of September when they finished second behind Huntley. First, it was a dual meet loss to Lake Zurich and then second place to the Bears in their conference meet. The Mustangs finished fourth in their sectional and then 12th in the state meet. Injuries and illnesses played a huge part to the end of their season. The team will use that as a learning experience as they head into the season as one of the top 3A teams in the state. Five runners are back from that state team. Mundelein could be up to 10 runners deep this fall making them even tougher.

“We did make some changes to our Summer Running Program this year,” said Kurt Rutz. “We have our 1000 Mile Club which, in the past, started in early June.  We moved the start back two weeks, and it now coincides with the start of our Summer Camp, which we started a week earlier.  We believe this will allow us to be fresher later in the season.  So far, the training has gone well.  We went to Detweiler at Dark last week, and our seventh man ran faster this summer than our fifth man did there last year.”

Robert St. Clair ended the season as the team’s top runner at state running under 15-minutes (14:57). Dillon Blake was only four seconds back of St. Clair and will look keep that margin or closer in the next few months. The big key in the front group will be Michael Parduhn. At the end of September at the Peoria Central Invitational, Parduhn ran 14:52 and was six seconds ahead of St. Clair. Injuries and illness slowed him down into the state series where he finished 69 seconds behind St. Clair at state. Parduhn can be one of the front runners on this team in 2018. Having good luck and staying away from the injury bug is one of those things that he will need. Aidan Afonso was a solid third runner at the end of last year within nine seconds of Blake. There are six runners that could step into the fifth spot including Sean Finerty, Elian Salgado, Trevor Werner, Dario Carillo, Matt Olorvida and Conor Schoor. That depth was not there a year ago like the way it is now. All of those runners clicking at the right could mean good things for Coach Rutz and the Mustangs.

“We didn't quite finish the season the way we hoped last year, due in part to an injury to one of our top runners,” Rutz said. “We look to challenge ourselves to finish among the top teams in the State, and challenge for a trophy.  Our depth should be considerably better this year, with as many as 11 runners challenging for spots in the top seven.” The potential is there to have an under 20 second split on their first four runners with possibly a 40 second spread on five by the time they are at the state meet. Mundelein was in a good spot heading into October when injuries hit. That is something they have learned from this summer heading into the first meet of the season. The process of taking one meet at a time could benefit Mundelein by the time they get to the state series and challenging for a state trophy at Detweiller Park.

 

4 Arlington Heights Hersey

2017 Finish – 8th, 3A State

Coach – Kevin Young

Top Runners – Josh Methner JR (7, 14:36), Ryan Buch SR (75, 15:18), Max Svienty JR (81, 15:21), Thomas McCarthy SR (161, 15:53), Josh Harden SR, Colin Safford JR, Ethan Marunde SO, Nick Caraba JR, Jason Palafox JR, Spencer Burkhalter JR, Luis Vasquez JR, Remy Jankusky SO, Sean Safford FR, Connor Oiler FR.

Preview – The prospect looked bright for the Huskies after winning the Hoffman Estates Sectional. It changed as they did not have their best race of the season finishing eighth overall. They fought back the following week at the Nike Cross Midwest Regionals and finished sixth. In reality, their 2018 cross-country season started in that meet. Four runners are back from the state team along with at least six more runners hungry to get on the course in the top seven.

Losing three runners from your top seven can be tough being leaders and the foundation of your team. Their foundation started this summer on a team trip to Oregon. “We knew going in to this summer that the pack was going to look a lot different compared to last year after losing an amazing group of seniors to graduation,” said Kevin Young. “The Oregon trip really brought the group together and helped to identify our new team's focus. We have three seniors who are filling the shoes of twelve graduates, but they've done an amazing job of really owning their roles. Many guys are going to have amazing opportunities to step into positions they've never experienced on our team. We have a great combination of youthful vigor and enthusiasm along with the big stage experience from our top guys.”

Josh Methner is the top guy on this team. After finishing seventh in the state race, he duplicated that finish the following week at the Nike Cross Midwest Regional. That race pushed him up to the next level. The junior ran 9:06 twice for 3200-meters during track season that included a fourth-place finish at state. He will be one of the top runners this fall in Illinois. Max Svienty is ready to have a breakout fall after a “so-so” sophomore season. He ran 9:38 for 3200-meters last spring which is great for most sophomores, but not after he ran 9:26 as a freshman. “He's worked really hard this summer to put himself back to where he knows he belongs,” Young said. “Max's consistency in training will pay off. He just needs to believe that he belongs among the best in the state and it will happen.” Ryan Buch was the team’s third runner at the state meet and should be pushing Svienty for the second spot. Both runners could be within 20 seconds of Methner by the time they get to the state series.

Filling the other two scorer’s spots will be something to watch during September. Thomas McCarthy, Josh Harden, and Colin Safford had great summers and will make this team just that better in the next couple of months.

Pack running in the first three and then the next four will be important during this season. Hersey could have three all-state runners in the fall with Methner challenging for the state title and Buch and Svienty among the top 20. The key is having the next four runner pack within 20 to 25 seconds of Buch and then within 25 seconds of each other. It will be hard to measure a pack especially with Methner up front. Once they find those pieces on the fourth and fifth scorers, the Huskies will be in the chase for a state trophy.

“Our guys are working to place themselves among the top teams in the state,” added Young. “We can only worry about ourselves but seeing the successes of other teams and individuals in the state really motivates our guys to achieve more. From Neuqua Valley's pack in 2016 to DGN's last year, our state has shown a lot of success even at the National level and I know there's plenty of guys out there looking to repeat these successes.”

 

5 Hinsdale Central

2017 Finish – 4th, 3A State

Coach – Jim Westphal

Top Runners – Alec Hill SR (37, 14:58), Matt Kusak SR (57, 15:11), Keegan Caveney SR (121, 15:34), Piyush Mekla SO, Fletcher Spillers SR, Bradley Davis SR, Anshul Sankaron SR, Will Ricker SR, Charlie Carter SR, Carter McCarroll JR, Liam Walsh SR, Chinmay Amin JR, Colby Revord FR.

Preview – No one expected Hinsdale Central to finish fourth in the state in 2017. No one except themselves and the runners that they ran against in the WSC-Silver Conference. The Red Devils have showed consistency with the way that they perform at the end of the season that has included two state titles in this decade. Here again, eyes will not be on this team again this fall especially with four runners graduated from the top seven. Don’t close that door just yet Illinois.

“Our training went well. I would say it was consistent and uninterrupted,” said Jim Westphal. “A few aches & pains but nothing where our kids missed a good amount of time. The key for our group will be what type of training took place during the IHSA dead period. If we are really committed to doing well, then our guys must stick with the plan and continue any momentum that was had during June & July.”

Alec Hill should be one of the top runners on this team after finishing 37th as the team’s second runner in 2017. Hill made strides forward during track season running 4:21.05 for 1600-meters and being a part of the Red Devils’ sixth-place 3200 Meter Relay team at the state meet. Matt Kusak should be right on Hill’s shoulder. Kusak finished 57th in state but improved in track dropping his time down to 9:27 at 3200-meters and qualifying for state. Keegan Caveney was 23 seconds behind Kusak at state as the team’s sixth runner. He should be within 15 seconds of Hill and Kusak this fall.

Hinsdale Central’s Junior Varsity and Frosh/Soph teams are traditionally strong so filling in the other four varsity spots should be not that tough. Ten runners could be challenging for those positions. Piyush Mekla ran on the team’s top seven in the regional and sectional meets and should be one of the runners you see in their top five. A senior group which include Fletcher Splliers, Bradley Davis, Anshul Sankaron, and Will Ricker are ready to take the next step up.

The Red Devil way is to be ready for the challenge at the end of this season. This program has showed that so many times. There are no “name” runners in this top seven as we start the season. By the end of the season, you will know a few of them. Hinsdale Central will work on a tight pack on this group this season. It was 31 seconds at state in 2017. It will not surprise me to see that kind of split this fall. It will not surprise me to see this team near or on the podium at the end of November 3. “We always maintain that if we can compete in our own conference then shooting for a trophy is within reason,” said Westphal. “We still stress the basics of solid, consistent training over the course of the season. There are going to be some really strong teams this year and earning a trophy is an ambitious goal. We really need some of our juniors & seniors to contribute in order to compete at a high level. Some of those who we are hoping to step up don’t quite have the varsity experience at this point. We are hoping they are quick studies.”

 

6 Huntley

2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Coach – Matt Kaplan

Top Runners – Ian Geisler JR (84, 15:22), Jeremy Roe SR, Jadon Conroy SR, Chris Simek SR, Shaaf Iqbal SR, Brice Klepfer JR, Matt Saldivar JR, Dylan Nicosia SR, Dillon Cherwin SR, Jimmy Ozzauto JR, Marcus Harrington SR, Thomas Patel SO.

Preview – Huntley was among the top ten teams throughout the season until they got to the Waubonsie Valley Sectional. Their dreams of making it to state came to a crashing thud as the Red Raiders did not run their best race of the year placing seventh in that race. The nucleus of that team, four out of the top five sectional runners, are back.

“Last season didn't end as we had hoped but we are going back to work,” Matt Kaplan said. “It was awesome to have Ian Geisler represent Huntley at the state meet last season. We return many boys from last year who saw great team success as they worked together week in and week out.  We will continue to win and lose as a team. That's what we always talk about.  This group understands it takes everyone being on board to repeat the success we had last year.”

Ian Geisler was Huntley’s lone state qualifier last year as he placed 84th. He had a good bump up during track season running 9:23 for 3200-meters. He could be among the top 25 at state. The same can be said about Jadon Conroy. He dropped his personal best down to 4:20 for 1600-meters. He should be ready for this fall. Jeremy Roe was the team’s runner for most of the season and ran 14:56 with Conroy at Peoria at the end of September. Three runners around the top 25 at state is a good start for Huntley.

Chris Simek is the team’s fourth returning runner that was at points 30 seconds behind the top three. That gap should shrink during the season A key will be finding a fifth runner. Shaaf Iqbal was the team’s seventh runner at the end of the year and could step into the spot. Matt Salvidar had a good track season and summer and could be runners to watch in that top five hunt according to Kaplan.

A 60 second split on their top five is reasonable considering the fire power they have in the front. It’s just finding that comfort level in the state series. This team has accepted what happened last year and has moved on. That sectional experience could pay off at the same time this November.

“We have expectations of progressing through the season and performing well when it counts in the post season,” Kaplan added. “It motivated our guys this past track season to reach their new personal bests.  I feel like they showed that they could bounce back, and we had a great track season on the distance side.  Watching our 4x8 relay qualify for state was great knowing that group achieved their goal we knew was possible.  That sectional experience will be brought up many times this season I'm sure.  However, this group understands what happened last season and knows what they need to do moving forward. This season I expect our team to continue to lean on each other throughout the season but come post season time be ready to perform. I'm very proud of how they've responded each day since that meet.” 

 

7 Downers Grove South

2017 Finish – 10th, 3A State

Coach – Brad Caldwell

Top Runners – Eddie Siuda SR (80, 15:20), John Heneghan JR (99, 15:28), Nick Dziedzic SR (127, 15:35), James Weigel SR (140, 15:42), George Willer SR, John Norris JR, Tyler Bleau JR, Brock Royle SR, Max Wascher SR, Matthew Peloso SR, Canyon Stage JR, Nathan Luczak JR.

Preview – The Mustangs Boys’ program has been on the rise over the past years which included their best finish ever placing 10th at the state meet. They did suffer losses with their top two runners All-State Stephen Pipilas and Akhil Ghosh (both finished in the top 50) graduated. This team is deep and could improve on the finish from a year ago with four state runners coming back.

“We had a very solid summer of training that consisted of gradually building up to and sustaining some solid mileage,” said Brad Caldwell “We overcame some nagging injuries from the end of the track season and early summer along with some guys out for vacations and what not early on. I think the team really started to come together in the beginning of July as we finally seemed to have the whole group together and training for the first time. On top of that, it took some time to start to figure out who we are as a team with the loss of some tremendous senior leadership. We haven't done a lot that has been quantifiable and comparable to previous years/workouts, but the ones we've done (tempo run and alumni race) have us looking better than we ever have at this point in the summer.”

Eddie Siuda could be one of the most improved runners in the state last fall after placing 80th. He had a great track season running 4:18 for 1600-meters and 9:26 for 3200-meters. The switch flipped on for this senior now that he can see the light. A top 25 finish is not going to surprise me. The pack is solid behind Siuda with three seniors and two juniors part of that group. John Heneghan and Nick Dziedzic were within seven seconds of each other at state and could lead that group. James Weigel did not have his best track season but found his groove during the summer and could be right in the front of the pack. John Norris had a good track season dropping under 10-minutes for 3200-meters and will push for a top five spot. George Willer was within seven seconds of Weigel in their conference meet will find his way into the top five. There are four other runners that are within six seconds led by Tyler Bleau and Brock Royle that will figure on who is in the top seven.

Siuda’s confidence should roll over from the track season making him ready to go for leading this team. The split on two through seven could be as small as 25 seconds. The key will be moving that up closer to Siuda. “The expectations are that we stay focused on what we can control and what we are doing on a daily basis to improve,” added Caldwell. “The potential of this team is something we are cognizant of and the guys truly believe we have a special team here that can do some big things. This will certainly be the deepest team we've ever had with as many as a dozen guys with the capability of running 15:30 or faster. Understanding how tough this state is and how tough our sectional will inevitably be, we are committed to progressing and getting better day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month.”

 

8 Naperville Neuqua Valley

2017 Finish – 2nd, 3A State

Coach – Paul Vandersteen

Top Runners – Michael Madiol SR (56, 15:10), Chris Keeley SR (196, 16:18), Michael O’Connor SR, Matt Jett SR, Nicholas Drechsler SR, Spencer Tenske SR, Nicholas Dovalovsky SO, Visant Fong SO, Kevin Daneliak SR, Jack Orrengo SR, Ramsey Johnson JR, Collin Searls SO, Ryan Horn SO.

Preview – The news hit the Neuqua Valley team hard at the end of June that their top runner Zach Kinne would be moving to Pennsylvania and running at North Alleghany High School. “I am not going to hide that this has had an emotional toll on me as a coach and the family,” Paul Vandersteen said at the time. “However, we need to move forward as a program and do our best. I am excited for the guys who are putting in the hard work.”

The Wildcats picked up a trophy last November finishing second overall. Kinne moved away makes finishing in the top three a challenge. This program is always up to a challenge. Only two runners from that state team are back. It has the talent but will need to have that pack mentality that they have showed in the past. “We have been talking about how awesome this senior class has been since they were sophomores,” added Vandersteen. “I see a determination to succeed in all of them.”

Michael Madiol and Chris Keeley are the only runners back that have that state meet experience. The two finished within a second of each other at the Nike Cross Midwest Regional. They will need to show that closeness with consistency this fall. At the state meet, Madiol finished 68 seconds ahead of an off race by Keeley. Keeley ran 14:59 at the Naperville Twilight Invitational and was 24 seconds ahead of Madiol.

The Wildcats will have a solid pack that could be running with them. Seniors Michael O’Connor, Spencer Teske, and Matt Jett had solid summers of training and should be in that group. “Their hard work is starting to pay off,” said Vandersteen. “They remind me of Alex Johnson (graduated senior) in their work ethic and determination.” Sophomores Nicolas Dovalovsky (who played soccer last year), Ryan Horn, and Vasant Fong could be in the top seven mix. Dovalovsky will be one to watch. He ran 9:55 on the track for 3200-meters last spring.

This team will develop in September with their first four meets at the Hornet-Red Devil Invitational, Forest Park (MO), Richard Spring Invitational (at Detweiller Park), and Culver Academy Invitational (IN). This will be a team with no star runners in the front but with a hungry pack. They may take some lumps early on but will be tough by the time they get to the state series. “We want to continue to meet the standards of hard work and having fun established by prior teams,” Vandersteen stated. “We have not established goals of times or places, for we cannot directly control the outcomes.  I am excited to see them work together in practices and races to do their best.  We are a bunch of no names and we are taking pride in that.  This team has the potential to race together like our 2009 and 2015 teams.  Hopefully, by the end of the season, others will know us well.”

 

9 Naperville Central

2017 Finish – 15th, 3A State

Coach – David Ashton

Top Runners – Thomas Shilgalis SR (92, 15:26), Seth Klein-Collins SR (107, 15:30), John McCowin SR (120, 15:33), Aaron Benson SR (151, 15:47), Tyler Evans SR, Nathan Ramachardran JR, Patrick Spisak JR, Arthur Graham SO, Wally Schmidt SR, Benjamin Smith SO, Jackson Mize JR, Ethan Gray SR, Vincent Adamo JR, Nicholas Keeling FR.

Preview – The Redhawks are a good bet to return to the state meet after last year’s 15th place finish. Four runners are back from that team. This is another deep team that have a number of possibilities of making their top seven. “We had many excellent team workouts and tried to touch each training gear every 2-3 weeks,” David Ashton said. “Introductory XC "race pace" was introduced early and we worked that gear regularly with gradual adjustments.  In addition, we did a better job of ensuring that we trained on grass at least 2-3 times per week.  Detweiller at Dark showed us that we are about where we thought we'd be at this point.  There is a lot of room for improvement, but we expect to be there when it matters most.”

The most improved runner on this team could be their top runner Thomas Shilgalis. There were some inconsistencies in his racing in the fall. He won the Naperville Twilight Invitational ahead of Zach Kinne. At the DVC Championships, Kinne won the race with Shilgalis placing seventh. The senior was the team’s second runner placing 92nd. His track success should turn that trend around this fall. “The big change seemed to occur right around Spring Break and entering the outdoor track season,” Ashton said. “He was coming off a poor indoor DVC showing and seemed to still struggle with consistency.  Shortly after, a meeting with Thomas yielded a few important and eye-opening takeaways, which were subsequently considered.  His first outdoor race was a very smooth and comfortable 800 win in 1:55, and we knew a lot more was there.  The next night at Palatine, Thomas was really excited and really confident to race in the1600 against some of the top guys in the state.  He knew he had the fastest 800 time in the field, and this gave him even more confidence.  He went out to "just race" and have fun and finished 3rd in 4:10.” Shilgalis went on to finish third in state in the 1600 and then fifth to earn All-American honors in the 1 Mile Run at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals.  He “won” at Detweiller at Dark a few weeks ago. He should be one of the top runners this fall in the state.

Seth Klein-Collins leads the pack with John McCowin, Aaron Benson, and Tyler Evans close at hand. Less than 20 seconds could separate those four runners. This pack will need to show 15 to 20 seconds per runner with at least one of that group under 14:55 at the end of the year. That would keep up what Shilgalis would be capable of and in the mix to get a trophy at state. This team does have the pieces to accomplish that.

“We expect to be very deep at all levels and we are capable of seeing 35-40 guys to be sub-17 on a fair course,” Ashton added. “We are also establishing goals for every level. Our top 4, led by Thomas Shilgalis, looks to be very solid, with a bunch of guys challenging for the remaining top spots, and possibly breaking into our top 4. We expect to break new barriers for our team and we humbly, but confidently, expect to be among the top teams in the state, although we certainly realize how deep our state is.  We also expect true buy-in with all ability levels and the guys have set a goal of everyone under 20 minutes this season.”   

 

10 Downers Grove North

2017 Finish – 4th, Nike Cross Nationals, 3A State Champions

Coach – John Sipple

Top Runners – Jack Roberts SR (22, 14:47), Matt Moravec SR, Trevor Murphy SR, Michael Conkright SR, Clark Kelly JR, Phillip Tipton SO, Thomas Diamond JR, Evangelos Stavrov JR, Niall Brennan SO, Andrew Thompson JR, Matt Shimenetto JR, Myles Laffey JR, Jonathan Jasso JR.

Preview – Six seniors that changed the Downers Grove North program forever have graduated. Before they left, that group won the first state title in the program history as well as finishing fourth at the Nike Cross Nationals. That group created a lot of results as well as a load of memories. “The value of the relationships that I have the opportunity to develop with the kids each season/year is the part I enjoy the most,” John Sipple said. “The amount of time that I get to spend with these kids is significant and the impact that I can/am having on them has never been lost on me. I think are truly the most important thing that happens each season and they are the things I value most.”

Jack Roberts is the lone returning runner from state team finishing as an all-state runner placing 22nd. Roberts improved during the track season running 9:08 for 3200-meters. He showed he was in shape in July when he was on 14:47 3-mile pace at Detweiller at Dark. Roberts should be one of the top five runners in 3A when we get to November. Matt Moravec missed most of last season with a broken bone in his foot. He came on at the end of the track season and is back in shape at the end of this summer. Evidence of that came from the 15:15 that he ran at Detweilller at Dark. He should be in Al-State range. The senior was all-state as sophomore in the 3200 Meter Run.

September should be a month of building for this team for the Trojans finding five more runners in the top seven. “The training this summer went fairly well,” Sipple said. “I think the focus of the group and the desire is really starting to bubble to the surface with a number of guys.  They see the opportunities that are available on the team in so many different areas in which they can have a significant impact on the teams positive momentum moving forward.  So, in terms of the training this group continues to progress and take on the challenges necessary to get better in so many different areas, not just running but also sleeping, eating, etc.” 

Trevor Murphy has showed improvement over the past year and could be the one runner leading the pack. Michael Conkright and Clark Kelly will also challenge for a top five spot. Thomas Diamond and sophomores Phillip Tipton and Niall Brennan will also be in that mix. For any other team, this would be a rebuilding year. For the Trojans, they will be reloading fighting for a top five finish.

“I think it really fun to see that the expectations and desires of the guys on the team really has not changed much from previous years,” said Sipple. “These guys want to do as well as they possibly can, and they recognize what is necessary to reach some of those goals.  The best part is that they all respect and share the struggle in the challenges that their expectations bring as a team.  The guys see what others have done before them and understand the evolution that is involved athletically, academically, and personally in progressing through their high school years.  The journey that these guys embark on each season is truly special, and we are excited to see what is going to happen this season.”

 

11 Orland Park Sandburg

2017 Finish – 9th, 3A State

Coach – John O’Malley

Top Runners – Nico Calderon SR (62, 15:14), Ben Giblin JR (132, 15:37), Will Giblin JR (135, 15:39), Eddie Slack SR (136, 15:39), Sam Rodriguez JR, Griffin Lehnhardt SO, Alex Miller JR, Tommy Sieczkowski SO, Ben Walter SR, Ismail Tineh SO, Ahmad Alhayek SO, Peter Bukri SR.

Preview – The Eagles have the talent to be among the top five teams at the end of the season. Their coach John O’Malley will make sure of that. There are four runners back from the state team that finished ninth at state but will miss graduated Foot Locker National Champion Dylan Jacobs. “Summer running has been solid,” said O’Malley. “We've been healthy and have built a variety of physical and psychological skills. We've focused a lot on being bold. With the graduation of Dylan, we are going to need guys to step out and accept the challenge of leading the team competitively and emotionally. That requires them to be bold.”

The one runner that could step into the top spot is Nico Calderon. The senior was the team’s second runner last season finishing 62nd but could have more in store this season. “He has climbed his way into the upper echelon of the state,” added O’Malley. I think he probably was a surprise for some people to run 4:20 and be a state qualifier in the 1600. In addition, he was a critical part of our state championship 4 x 800 and ran fantastic in the state finals to put us at the front. He has put in a lot of time and energy to get to the top. I think that moment of qualifying for the 1600 was big for him. He was standing on his own two feet at that moment. He took a leap of faith and come through. I hope to see that version of him continue to thrive and take another step forward in XC this fall. I have a lot of confidence in Nico. He's attempting to step into a special role with a big tradition. I'm betting on Nico to come through.”

Ben and Will Giblin have showed improvement over the past season and give the team a solid boost in their pack. Eddie Slack came on at the end of last season and should be among the top five runners with Sam Rodriguez and Griffin Lehnhardt.

Sandburg has delivered with some solid pack running from some of their past teams. I am sure we will see it from this one. The four runners behind Calderon have the talent to stay within 15 seconds of each other. Calderon improved should run under 15-minutes but how far? The lessons that this group learned from Jacobs will pay off this fall.
“The team definitely is fired up to take our team to the next level from the last two seasons,” concluded O’Malley. “We had strong state finishes by being in the top ten after winning state two years ago, but this group is determined to get back to the top. Dylan passed on so many lessons to this team. He put relationships first. Winning didn't matter if it didn't matter to his teammates and family and friends.  He instilled a champion's mentality in them. He taught them to never quit. Dylan's career was defined by how he always believed he could come back and win, no matter what was going on. And finally, he taught them to bring pure joy and fun to what we do on a daily basis.”

 

12 St. Charles East

2017 Finish – 13th, 3A State

Coach – Chris Bosworth

Top Runners – Aidan King JR (79, 15:20), Bob Liking JR (93, 15:26), Bennett Melone SR (163, 15:54), Charles Murphy SR (180, 16:04), Luke Schildmeyer SO, Zack Loomis SO, Jonathan Olenek JR, Matthew Connell SO, Jeremiah Wilson SR, Abu Syed JR, Michael Del Signore SO, Michael Larry SR, Micah Wilson FR.

Preview – Pack running has been what we have seen from the Saints over the past few years. It was 34 seconds on their second through fifth runners last year at state. The overall split was 60 seconds on their top five that finished 13th in that state race. Four runners are back from the team looking to go after a top ten finish.

“The guys have had a great summer of training so far,” said Chris Bosworth. “The team is on par for roughly the same number of miles ran as last year’s team for the majority of the guys.  The top group is putting in slightly more.  Should be around 750-800 when all is said and done.  We had 73 guys running during the summer which is our largest group since I took over.”

Juniors Bob Liking and Aidan King are the top returnees and could contend for a finish in the top 25 according to Bosworth. Liking showed improvement dropping his 3200-meters time down to 9:30.74, King dropped his personal best for 1600-meters down to 4:23.19. Bennett Melone was over 30 seconds behind the two runners and will be a strong force in the top five. Charles Murphy is concentrating on only running after playing AAU basketball the past two summers. Watch for Murphy to be close to Melone. Sophomores Luke Schildmeyer and Zack Loomis will be some of the runners that could challenge for the fifth spot. The Saints will be better than people can think in 2018. The possibility of two all-state runners along with the possibility of a 45 seconds on the top five will make this team interesting to watch.

“As with every year, our team goal is to be racing our best when it counts,” said Bosworth. “I do see the team having their first All-Stater(s) in Bob Liking and possibly Aidan King joining Bob.  Hopefully if that happens and our pack closes behind, this could be the best team that I have coached.  Our top group will have a few new guys needing varsity racing experience. With our school joining a new conference, I am really looking forward to racing some teams that we don't see too much.  From top to bottom, the DuKane conference will be much stronger than our old conference.  There are great coaches in this new conference who are very passionate about the sport.  With WWS winning a team trophy last year, they will be the team to beat.  Competing against a team like that will only better prepare my guys for the racing season.” 

 

13 Winnetka New Trier

2017 Finish – 19th, 3A State

Coach – David Wisner

Top Runners – Graeme Lane SR (90, 15:25), Ford Baker SR (97, 15:28), Charlie Forbes SR (146, 15:45), Aiden Raymond SR, Joey Galindo SR, Jackson Flick JR, JD Shelly JR, Ben Akason JR, Luke Wisner SR, Thomas Rudrud SR, Ben Weler SR, Andrew Flynn SO.

Preview – The Trevians had remarkable finish to the year in 2017. They just made it to the state meet by finishing fifth at the Lake Park Sectional by one point. The following week without their top runner Patrick Norrick who ran injured in that sectional race, this team finished 19th at Detweiller Park. This team is deep in talent even though they only return three from that state team. The Trevians could make a run in the top ten like they usually do.

“Our senior class has had their best summer ever,” said their coach David Wisner. “They are a special group of guys that started their New Trier distance career with no running background and only two athletes barely breaking six minutes on their second day of practice. They have come a long way since then and they will be the backbone and heart of our team.   Athletes that should be in our Top 7 include:  Ford Baker, Charlie Forbes, Joey Galindo, and Graeme Lane.  Other seniors in contention for a spot are:  Cameron Chang, Tom Rudrud, and Luke Wisner. We have 4 very talented juniors all of which could make our Top 7 by year end.  They include:  Tyler Ackerman, Ben Akason, Jackson Flick, and JD Shelly.  Our sophomore class has depth and talent with Charlie Siebert and Conor O'Neil leading the way, and it is possible that one or both of these two sophomores could be in our varsity lineup by the conference meet.  Finally, for the first time in our program's history we have two freshmen that could crack our Top 7.  Both Nick Falk and Patrick Jamieson come in with great running credentials and both have the maturity, patience, and work ethic to be great Trevian distance runners for many years to come.”

The split will be tight on their top five with group being separated possibly by a split of 30 seconds or less. The question is who will the runners be? 15 runners could chase after the seven varsity positions. “I expect us to be a deep team with hopefully some leaders emerging as the season develops,” Wisner added. “We also have some great young talent so that should be fun to watch as these guys develop.”

 

14 Chicago Whitney Young

2017 Finish – 14th, 3A State

Coach – Billy Poole-Harris

Top Runners – Charlie Nevins SR (25, 14:52), Samuel Rivera SR (69, 15:16), Luke Lasley SR (174, 16:00), Justin Villasenor JR (191, 16:12), Keaton Schwartz SR (197, 16:19, Spencer Nelson SR (202, 16:26), Seth Carlson SO, Mateus Jobes JR, Aidan Lorenz SO, Daniel Murphy SO, Ariel Avina SR, Malachi Robinson SR.

Preview – At the beginning of last season, the Dolphins had a chip on their shoulder that the team was ranked lower than expected. On their Twitter page, they kept a post on all year that stated “It's not how you start, it's how you finish. Let the embers in Chicago reignite.”. Whitney Young took that to heart last year that drove them to a Chicago Public League City Championship, a fourth-place finish in the Lake Park Sectional, and a 14th-place finish in the state meet. They did graduate multi-All-American Clayton Mendez but return the rest of the 2017 state team.

“Training went well for the individuals that were there,” Billy Poole-Harris said. “We tried some new things this summer and we will see if they work. One thing we work on was our physical weaknesses and played a LOT OF Fortnite.” Poole-Harris will have two runners back that could chase after finishes in the top 15 at the state meet. Charlie Nevins peaked at the right time at the end of last year and finished 25th at the state meet. Sam Rivera did not have his best state meet placing 69th. He did come back during the track season to drop his personal best at 1600-meters down to 4:13. He had a good summer of training and should be right next to Nevins. There could be close to a 60 second split from the front two runners to the rest of the pack. Closing that gap is something that this team will need to work on early in the season. Up to five runners could contend for top five positions including Luke Lasley, Spencer Nelson, Justin Villasenor, and Keaton Schwartz.

It is projected that the split on that group could be between 20 to 25 seconds. The key then is getting that group closer to the front. The Dolphins should again be the favorites for the Chicago Public League Championships. They will also be in contention for another trip to the state meet. “Our expectation again is to win conference and get a berth down-state through our extremely LOADED Sectional,” Poole-Harris said. “Our second goal is to have a very successful Fr/So campaign. Our young guys looked up to DGN last year and make a commitment to the 24 second 1-5 differential they achieved at the NXN race in 2017. They are at 38 seconds.”

 

15 Batavia

2017 Finish – 23rd, 3A State

Coach – Bronco Meeks

Top Runners – Damian Rodriguez JR (109, 15:31), Christopher Levario SR (119, 15:33), Adam Kennedy JR (152, 15:47), Eamon Samsami JR (170, 15:56), Joseph Knanishu JR, Christopher Lynch JR, Ryan Hamilton JR, Joshua Newburn JR, Brody Kmoch SO, Matthew Ashe JR, Noah Laurich SR, Ian Rousseau SO, Evan Rudek FR, Jonah Fallon FR.

Preview – The Bulldogs are ready to get off the rollercoaster they were riding during the 2017 cross-country season. Through all the ups and downs, Batavia still made it to the state meet finishing 23rd and returning four runners from that state team. The road that they travel on in 2018 should be just a little smoother.

“Last season we had some consistency issues, but overall was pretty successful,” Bronco Meeks said. “The athletes had a goal of winning the first conference title in school history (team est.1967), which they achieved, and qualifying for state, which they also achieved. We had some ups and downs in between, but overall it was a solid season.”

The top five runners from last year only had a split of 25 seconds in the state meet. The problem was that their top runner Damian Rodriguez finished in 109th. He returns as the top runner. Adam Kennedy, Christopher Levario, and Eamon Samsani will be challenging for the top positions. Joseph Knanishu and Christopher Lynch should challenge for the top five spot.

I believe it is possible for this team again to have a small split. The pack will just need to move up. There state race was not their best. They ran earlier in the season at Detweiller Park at the First to the Finish Invitational. The state meet times of the four returning runners were on an average 12 seconds slower than their times in September. I suspect that the Bulldogs learned their lessons well from that 2017 season.

Bronco Meeks stated:

“During track, they were able to take a step forward. They were able to have a successful state meet running a season best in prelims of the 4x800 and survived the finals to earn All-State honors. This was the first time we placed in a distance event since 2002. They have been running with a new-found confidence this summer. They feel that they can bring that confidence into the season. The goals they have set include improving consistency. We really struggled last year at the Regional meet and had a sub-par state meet. The athletes have now seen that they can be successful at the state level. They believe they have what it takes to be competitive at Detweiller. Along with the improved confidence that we bring to the season, we also have a new conference that will help to elevate our team. We will now compete with Wheaton Warrenville South, who many see as not only the top team in the state, but one of the best nationally, We will also see a very strong Wheaton North team and continue to compete with strong teams like St. Charles East and Geneva. This conference should very quickly become one of the top conferences in the state.”

 

16 LaGrange Lyons Township

2017 Finish – 5th, 3A State

Coach – Michael Danner

Top Runners – Colin Costello SR (66, 15:15), Jack Ehlert JR (89, 15:25), Owen Hays SO (131, 15:36), Sawyer Madell SO, Jacquel Thorpe SO, Ryan Bonfiglio SR, Drew Dilcher SR, Jackson Siegel SR, Quinn Tischler JR, Cade Nelson SO, Luke Armstrong JR, Mike Dahl JR, Finn Gallagher FR.

Preview – Coach Mike Danner said during a track meet last spring that he thought his team would surprise people with their tight pack. He could be right. Despite the fact that the Lions lose their top two runners multi All-American Danny Kilrea and Charles Harders, this team does have the talent to compete with the teams in the WSC-Silver as well as the state. Only two runners are back from the state team that finished fifth at the state meet and third at the Nike Cross Midwest Regional.

A loss that could hurt this team is that their fourth state runner at state last season Colin Costello moved to South Carolina with his family. This team is deep with at least 14 runners for one of seven varsity spots. Jack Ehlert had a standout track season running 9:36 for 3200-meters and 4:25 for 1600-meters as a sophomore. Ehlert could be the leader on the course for this team. The surprise on the team could be Jaquel Thorpe. He did not run last summer but still was one of the top 12 runners on the state roster. He ran 2:02 and 4:35 his freshman season. Ryan Bonfiglio and sophomores Sawyer Madell and Owen Hays should be part of the top five. Senior Drew Dilcher and Freshman Finn Gallagher could find their way into the top seven at some point this fall.

“Our training has gone well, as many of our top groups have made breakthroughs in racing over the last 6 months and are at a much higher-level training than they were last summer,” Danner said. “We graduated some outstanding seniors, but I think everyone connected to the program is aware of the ability level of some of the younger guys.” This team will be young but very talented. Pack running with that closeness will scare away some of the growing pains. The Lions usually run great at the end of the season. This year will be no exception.

 

17 Barrington

2017 Finish – 18th, 3A State

Coach – Thomas Root

Top Runners – Patrick Furlong JR (106, 15:30), Gregory Van Hollen SR (137, 15:40), Aaron Sarkar JR (133, 15:47), Jack DeWeerdt SR (169, 15:56), Ben DeWeerdt SO (173, 15:59), Emmett Lodl SR, Michael Hendrickson SR, Matt Hargrave SO, Nathan Zachar SR, Sean Cleary SR, Stephan Brodjian SR, Trevor Giampa JR.

Preview – The Broncos do have the talent to better their 18th-place finish at last fall’s state meet. They do lose Nick Laning, who finished ninth last year, to graduation. They do return five runners from that state team. “Once we hit July, we got a bit more on the same track after some team meetings/goal-setting sessions,” said Thomas Root. “We’ll see how the guys carry that energy through August and into the school year.”

The team should have a tight pack from the returning runners led by Patrick Furlong and his 106th place finish. It could be close to 30 seconds. The one thing to figure out is replacing the points that Laning gave to them. Gregory Van Hollen is fully dedicated with running after splitting time with that and club baseball. That focus on one could make him the top runner on this team. He has been a fixture in the top seven since sectionals of his freshman year. Aaron Sarkar along with brothers Jack and Ben DeWeerdt could be part again of the top seven. Barrington is deep and could count on seniors like Michael Hendrickson and Sean Cleary to step into one of those scorers spots.

One thing to watch by the end of September is if their pack is moved up in relation to a year ago. Without Laning, that move is necessary. If they stay close to the times they are at know, they might not make it out of the sectionals. “Our main goal is to not settle for what we know we’re capable of,” said Root. “We’ll answer this through our training over the next couple of months whether making it to state is enough?  Is top 10 enough?  We know we’re capable of more, but the team will have to decide on a whole whether or not they’re willing to go after more.  All of our depth and talent will achieve “average” results unless the consistently push one another to exceptional heights.  They’re starting to show glimpses of this that will hopefully provide the inspiration to reach for more.”

 

18 Edwardsville

2017 Finish – 20th, 3A State

Coach – George Patrylak

Top Runners – Roland Prenzler SR (52, 15:07), Jack Pifer JR (91, 15:25), Max Hartmann SR (126, 15:35), Jack Perulfi SO (205, 16:37), Todd Baxter SR (207, 16:41), Henry Gruben JR, Colten O’Brien SR, Tyler Duty SR, Austin Krone SO, Ian McRae SR, Avery Thompson SO.

Preview – Edwardsville did not have the season they were expecting placing 20th in last November’s state meet. The nucleus of the team is back with five of the top seven and good things should happen for this group. Roland Prenzler again will be the top runner on this squad. He finished fifth in his sectional meet before finishing 52nd at state. His track season was good as he dropped his personal best in the 3200-meters to 9:24. A top 25 finish this November is not out of the question. Zach Walters ran at the Granite City Invitational at the beginning of the year before an injury cut his season short. Walters dropped his time down 15 seconds at 1600-meters and should again jump into the top five. Jack Pifer has showed improvement over the past season and should be close to Walters Max Hartmann, the team’s fourth runner last year also had a good track season and will be in the mix in the top five. The key for this team is to find a fifth runner. Jack Perulti and Todd Baxter were a minute behind Hartmann at state last November. This team has a good first four, but a fifth runner away from the pack by 45 to 50 seconds could hurt the chances for the Tigers to finish 15th or better. Closing that gap could perhaps find this team in the top ten.

“Last year looked to be a great year for the Tigers, but injuries to two of our top six runners was too much for us to recover from.  The boys know that 1-4, this may be the best Edwardsville Team we have put together, but the key to season is how we progress at 5,6, and 7,” George Patrylak said. “Todd Baxter is coming off an injury in track that wiped out his entire track season, but he looks strong and may be the one to make the difference.  At Mud Mountain, many of our boys ran course PRs:  Prenzler (18 seconds), Pifer (50 seconds), Hartmann (15 seconds), and Zach Walters (who was injured last year) went 16:59 (which would have placed him 6th at last year’s Edwardsville Invitational).  If we can stay away from the injury bug and close our 4-5 gap by the end of the year, this team has the ability and potential to improve upon our 20th place finish last year.”

 

19 Elmhurst York

2017 Finish – 6th, 3A State Meet

Coach – Charlie Kern

Top Runners – Ethan Kern JR (87, 15:24), Daniel Klysh JR, Michael Moriarty JR, Colin Hill SO, Sam Ayers SO, Brian Pratt JR, Johnny Sciabica SR, Thomas Braun SO, Jack Manning SR, Eddie Ryan SR, Will Yasdick JR, John Brennan JR, Cooper Nordahl SO, Jackson Geiger SO, Garrett Schwan FR.

Preview – York took a hit going into this season when they lost six of their top seven runners from last year’s state team that finished sixth. There was a group of York runners that were in the same situation that had one runner from the year before that made that team with two other runners not able to. That team won a state title 40 years ago. That team has seniors and juniors with hardy any state experience. This 2018 team has juniors and sophomores with hardly state experience.

“We are a junior and sophomore dominant team,” Charlie Kern said. “It will take them a while to be ready for varsity competition.  The kids who ran this summer have accepted the increased workload and have been steadily improving. I have really enjoyed their esprit de corps. They know that they will have to work together to achieve any level of team success. That is the key, they are becoming a team. The thing that has impressed me most - they do not complain.  They have responded positively to every new stressor I have given them.  We added mileage - no complaints, we increased the pace expectation - no complaints, we started earlier - no complaints. They know we are building for the future and they are doing all they can to be prepared for the future. It is a fun time to be a Duke.”

The top two runners should be Daniel Klysh and Ethan Kern, both juniors. Klysh was the team’s fourth runner early last season before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. He came back and was a part of the team’s all-state 3200 Meter Relay. Kern had the opposite happen to him. He’s the team’s only returning runner as he finished 87th overall. He was hit in the injury bug his sophomore year similar to what happened in his first year. Both were close together at Detweiller at Dark in July. It will benefit this team this season.

After that, who knows. This team is so young. Senior Johnny Sciabica, Juniors Michael Moriarty and Brian Pratt along with sophomores Colin Hill, Sam Ayers, and Thomas Braun all could be among the top seven runners. The Dukes will take their lumps and they will experience growing pains. Staying healthy will be a key. Their work ethic is fierce. All the struggles of now will pay off at the end of this year and especially in 2019. It will be interesting to watch this process. “We are learning to take care of the things we can and not worry about things we can't impact,” added Coach Kern. “We expect our athletes to sacrifice something good for something better, dedicate themselves to the program and to remain focused on their effort.  If we stay true to these things, everything else will take care of itself.  We may not be mentioned in the same sentence as WWS, Glenbard West, Mundelein, or the other top teams, but this group is hungry and wants to take its place with great York teams of the past.”

 

20 Lockport Township

2017 Finish – 25th, 3A State Meet

Coach – Thomas Razo

Top Runners – Marc Schelli SR (133, 15:38), Donovan Paske SR (162, 15:54), Ross Cronholm JR (188, 16:10), Brendan Diamond JR (195, 16:17), Jacob Hinchley JR (208, 16:42), Aidan Pajeau JR (209, 16:42), Wil Kiley SO, Alexander Kistinger SR, Frank Biamonte SO, Tim Nelson SO, Michael Walkosz JR, Austin Molitor SO, Michael Barber JR.

Preview – The Porters came together at the right time last fall first finishing second at the Minooka Regional and then second in the Granite City Sectional. Lockport did not run their best race of the season finishing 25th at state. Six runners are back from this team. They will not sneak up on anyone in 2018. “The Porters had a good summer of training. This is the most summer mileage that the guys have ran as a group,” said Tom Razo. “We did not run our best race at the State meet last year.  This has provided a great motivator all summer long.”

It seemed that the top spot for the Porters was interchangeable between seniors Marc Schelli and Donovan Paske at the end of the season. Both will challenge and push each other this fall in the front. The future for this team comes from four juniors: Ross Cronholm, Aidan Pajeau Brendan Diamond and Jacob Hinchley. All four will be in the top seven and will move in and out of the top seven. One runner I would keep an eye on is Will Kiley. He ran only one race on the varsity level last year as a freshman was in their regional meet as the seventh runner. His times on the frosh/soph level during the year would have positioned him in the top five. He could be put in frosh/soph races this fall. When it is time to make the move up to varsity, he will strengthen their top five.

This team had great pack running especially at the end of last season. Lockport’s top five split in their sectional race was 25 seconds. It boosted up to 37 seconds at state. The split plus the fact that their pack was too far back caused the 25th place state finish. Part of that had to do with youth and inexperience in a huge meet. That experience will help in 2018. The Porters will have that pack again. Moving the group up in races could push this team near a top ten finish.

 

21 Oswego East

2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Coach – James Milner

Top Runners – Luke Wentz JR, Heriberto Alvarez JR, Nick Bozarth JR, Brad Wiggins JR, Maverick Lange JR, Nick Henz SO, Aidan Rodriguez JR, Lukas Wolf SR, Nathaniel Fukutake JR, Kyle Small JR, Ryan Schlitz JR, Peyton Hartman JR, Nathan Brischetto JR, Louie Burgos FR.

Preview – Oswego East is a young team with a ton of big meet experience that could make them difference makers in this season. The Wolves finished eighth at the Waubonsie Valley Sectional. This team could be a year away from greatness with 11 of their top 13 runners juniors.

“It was a solid Summer and the boys responded well to everything that we’ve done,” James Milner said. “I’ve been very impressed with the attitude and a willingness to learn.  We were able to go a direction with this group that we haven’t been able to do in the past with respect to their commitment and focus.  They have high expectations for themselves, so the preparation must match. They’ve been very receptive to that.   We were even able to take a trip out to Colorado for some training and team bonding. The boys did a great job out there.”

The top four returning could be flipping these top spots during the season. Brad Wiggins was the team’s third/fourth runner at West Aurora and their conference meet, then he dropped down to six/seven in the state series. Luke Wentz emerged as the team’s second runner in their regional and sectional meet. Nick Bozarth and Heriberto Alvarez traded off the sixth spot at the end of the season. Wentz looks to be the leader heading into this season, but it will help that all four are equal talent-wise. The lone sophomore in the group, Nick Henz, could find his way not the top five along with Maverick Lange and Aidan Rodriguez.

There is balance on this team. The split on this squad is projected to be at 50 seconds or under. The Wolves may go through some bumpy races early on. By the time they get to the state series, Oswego East could be ready to make the move to the state series. “This group is young still,” added Milner. “The core are juniors, however, as sophomores they placed eighth in a sectional where they did not miss fifth by very much. As a group they had quite a bit of success at the frosh/Soph level and they showed us last year that they can have success at the varsity level.   We changed our schedule a bit last year to toughen it up and prepared this group for better competition and higher expectations. That all adds to the experience factor for them. As a group, they are very realistic and do a great job of setting their goals. They’re always looking to place well and win everything that they are in, but I can tell you now that they have their sights set on a top-five finish at sectionals for sure.   Their goals go beyond that but will take it one step at a time for now.”

 

22 Plainfield South

2017 Finish – 6th, 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional

Coach – Jason Crowe

Top Runners – Christian Knowlton SR (55, 15:10), Timmy Wade SR, James Sottosanto SR, Kennedy Branch SR, William Lathrop SR, Jake Sohoo JR, Cody Gleim JR, Carson Vittorio SR, Riley Jepsen SO, Austin Ivec SR, Matt Jelcovik SO, Justin Kuhn JR.

Preview – The Cougars came close to making it to Peoria last fall finishing sixth at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. Christian Knowlton, who qualified individually for state, leads two other runners back from that sectional top seven. “Summer Running went well for us,” Jason Crowe said. “The team has bonded together by running the miles together. We are building a nice 2018 identity. Our team trail running/camping trip to Chain O’ Lakes in Indiana was fun, challenging and a learning experience. The team also grew together and learned a lot about each other. I also learned that these guys love playing four square.”

Knowlton showed improvement at the end of last season and into track. His times this spring dropped down to 9:29.2 for 3200-meters and 4:22 for 1600-meters qualifying for state in this event. His two races on April 21 impressed me running 4:30 in the afternoon at Lake Forest then coming back to run 4:22 at Palatine that night. It shows how much he wants to succeed. He finished 55th at state last fall. A top 25 finish could be in his future this November.

Will Lathrop did not make the top seven last fall but showed improvement over the summer showing that he could be one of the top runners on this team. Seniors Timmy Wade and James Sottosanto were top five runners last year. Both will solidify that group this fall. Kennedy Branch and Jake Sohoo are some of the runners we could see in the top five.

The Cougars exhibited a 40 second split on their top five in their sectional race last fall. This is a new year with different runners. Knowlton will be out front looking for single numbers for the team. Lathrop should lead a pack that could be within 15 seconds of Knowlton and another 20 seconds within each other in that group. Positioning in races could be the difference by the time they get to the state series. “Our goals and expectations remain the same for us, but I really want this year’s 2018 team to establish their own identity and focus on the present, not our successes and failures from the past,” added Crowe. “2018 is a new season and team. Embrace it and enjoy it.”

 

23 Minooka

2017 Finish – 6th, 3A Granite City Sectional

Coach – Kevin Gummerson

Top Runners – Jason Hoffman JR (113, 15:32), Mark Dames SR, Hunter Phillips JR, Seth Joder SR, Vincent Van Eck SO, Mason Engler SO, Cole Sanders SR, Jordan Freese SR, Cameron Cimino JR, Christian Carbajal SR, Nicholas Beck SR, Jared Zacek JR.

Preview – This was another team that was close to the state meet without getting in. The young squad from a year ago missed state by eight points finishing sixth at the Granite City Sectional. This team will be hungry this fall. All of their top seven in that sectional race are back.

“Summer training has gone very well,” Kevin Gummerson said. “They have been consistent in their training, and I have been impressed with the quality of their runs. You can tell that they are starting to have success on the longer runs/workouts, which shows me that their strength is improving.” 

Jason Hoffman will be the top runner of this team. He made it to state as a sophomore. He wants to be one of the best as you can see that the way he races. The rest of their top five pack should be within 20 seconds of each other. It could be up to seven runners that could make those four spots and could give other teams headaches in races. A big plus in that group will be the return of Jordan Freese. He had a back injury that kept him out of the lineup until October. Mark Dames, Hunter Phillips, Seth Joder, Vincent Van Eck, and Mason Engler should all be fighting for spots in that group. The squad struggled through some races last fall. Those learning experiences should be helpful in 2018. The success that Minooka had in track where they were all-state in the 3200 Meter Relay with Hoffman and Freese will also pay off in November for the Indians.

Hoffman could should a dramatic change in his placing this fall putting himself into position for an all-state spot. The rest of the team needs to stay within 15 seconds of their leader. They have the talent to accomplish that to get them back to the state meet. “After a 6th place sectional finish, there is no doubt that these boys are hungry to qualify for state,” stated Gummerson. “We ran very well at Sectionals in 2017; however, there was no hiding the disappointment of coming up short. They learned that you can't just come together on that particular date or the week of sectionals, that team mentality has to be present from the start. We have seen dramatic improvements on that front this summer. They also learned how intense the state series in Illinois can be, and that they are capable of performing at a high level in that type of environment. In the spring, Jason Hoffman and Jordan Freese were able to earn All-State track medals.  That has been a tremendous boost to their confidence.  We need that to carry over to the XC course.” 

 

24 Normal University

2017 Finish – 2nd, 2A State Meet

Coach – Lester Hampton

Top Runners – Jackson McClure SR (27, 15:22), Dane Alexander SR (51, 15:44), Sean Supan SR (90, 16:09), Cooper Wilken SR, Josh Nepomucino SR, Alex Hess JR, Cameron Jain JR, Andy Kehias SO, David Kim JR, Derek Nanni JR, Aidan Schuring SO.

Preview – U-High has showed success in 2A including last season when they finished second in the state meet. The “IHSA Success Factor” will place the Pioneers in Class 3A for at least the next two seasons. This team only has three runners back from that state team. U-High are used to running against the bigger schools making this transition a little easier to take. “Summer training was good, we only met 3 days a week and the runners themselves were responsible for the other days.  We tried to put together a plan that would allow them to progress as the summer went on,” said Lester Hampton. “We won’t change much in terms of training from what we’ve been doing for years now. Our actual post season race strategy may change somewhat as we will no longer be positioned at the front of races in 3A, therefore we’ll need to pay more attention to pacing better.”

This team will miss front runners Josh Shuckman and Matt Zacharias who graduated last May. Jackson McClure was the team’s second runner at state and should step into the top spot. Dane Alexander has showed improvement over the past year could be closer to McClure than people think. Sean Supan also has that big meet experienced and should lead the pack behind McClure and Alexander. Cooper Wilken and Josh Nepomucino should run close to Supan. Any of these runners could be leading this team at some point during the season.

Thinking that this team will not find success moving from 2A to 3A is a crazy thought. The Pioneers have learned how to find success. They should find success in the big show. When we get to the starting line in November, we should see U-High’s top seven on that line. “We obviously were hit pretty hard by graduation with 4 of our top 7 including our top 2 moving on, however our depth from last year’s team will be counted on heavily to keep us afloat as we transition to “3A”,” Hampton said.  I’m very excited to get started with this group!  I feel our strengths will include no clear-cut number one runner and a healthy competition for what may be one spot in the top seven.  A successful season for us would include staying healthy and giving ourselves a solid opportunity to advance to State in Class 3A.”

 

25 Palatine

2017 Finish – 6th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Coach – Chris Quick

Top Runners – Richie Jacobo JR (134, 15:38), Cole Kiefer SR, Joe Ahlgrim SR, Luke Sauerland SR, Andrew Dixon JR, Ian Cameron JR, Malcom Filichia SR, Thomas Lambke SR, Jinchuan Wu SR, Andrew Frank SR, Muhammed Allahi JR, Will Escudero JR, Parker McClanahan FR.

Preview – Another team that came so close to Peoria but fell short by four points finishing sixth at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. The incentive is there to extend their IHSA season one extra week in 2018. Three of top four runners on the sectional team return. There is an opportunity to get into the top seven on this team.

“Training has gone well, and the guys are making huge gains,” Chris Quick said. “Time will tell whether those gains in fitness transfer over to the race efforts. We have 10-12 guys doing significant volumes of work and our varsity should emerge from that group.”

Richie Jacobo is the one runner to keep an eye on. He did not run his best race at state finishing 134th individually. He had finished 11th the week before in his sectional race running close to athletes that finished in the top 50 at state. Joe Ahlgrim has showed improvement during the summer giving the Pirates a solid second runner. He could be joined by Cole Kiefer giving Palatine a solid 2-3 behind Jacobo. Andrew Dixon and Malcom Fillichia are two of many runners on this team that could jump into the top five. This team could have a split of 40 seconds on the top five with Jacobo up front. That could get Palatine beyond the sectional meet.

“The team is definitely focused on rectifying last year’s near miss,” Quick added. “Four points stings quite a bit. We have better depth on this squad than last year but need to gain some experience. Our top 10 should be in significant flux throughout the season as younger athletes gain confidence and start to challenge our seniors for varsity spots. It will take us a bit to put together the right mix, but I am excited about our potential. We hope this intra-team competition will yield one heck of a group by season’s end.”

 

The Next 25 3A Boys Teams

 

Park Ridge Maine South

2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Lake Park Sectional

Coach – Greg Nordahl

Top Runners – Tommy Brady SR (3, 14:29), Ian Spears SR, Austin Tauber SR, Ian Dempsey SR, Joey Kasch JR, Walter Glockner JR, Danilo Debrilavic SR, Matt Schilling SR, Sean Bauer JR, Edward Ramo SR, Adam Christopher JR.

Preview – The Hawks could be good in many ways this fall. They will be itching to get back to the state meet after finishing seventh last year at the Lake Park Sectional. They will miss their second runner Brandon Christopher who was all-state last fall. This team does have five runners back from the sectional team including the top returning 3A runner at state Tommy Brady. “The early summer rain forced us to run in the streets and this seems to have caused a rash of injuries early on,” Greg Nordahl said. “Despite these setbacks most of the team has progressed very nicely and have been committed to getting the team to the state meet. Summer camp attendance was great, and we have four to five athletes that will be in 800-mile area which I view as a predictor of season success. The team has a top group of ten runners that consistently train together.”

The top runner is Brady that will have all eyes on him when he steps to the line. He can handle that pressure and he showed that last fall when he finished third at state and in the spring when he finished third in the 3200 Meter Run. “Tommy has very high expectations of himself and the team has come together to support him and make the team competitive in the post-season,” Nordahl added. “There has been consistent summer attendance and six athletes are attending the Wisconsin Camp of Champions.” Ian Spears could be a solid second runner behind Brady after qualifying for state track in the 3200 Meter Run. He was slowed down a little during the summer due to knee tendinitis. He should be ready to go for the season. Juniors Joey Kasich and Adam Christopher will surprise some early but not by the time they get to the state series. Both are talented enough to get close to Spears. Walter Glockner, Adam Tauber, and Sean Bauer had good summers of training and will factor into their top five.

“The 2017 Lake Park sectionals were very disappointing since we did not qualify as a team despite having two all-state runners,” said Nordahl. “Non-running injuries contributed to a slow start last season, then we won the CSL conference meet and regionals and more things went wrong the day of sectionals and the team missed qualifying by 6 points. Our team goal is to return to state this season. All together our post-season goals include competing for the conference championship, the regional championship, qualifying at sectionals for state and then a top ten finish at state. If things go well, then we have the potential to be top five.”

 

Mt. Prospect – Prospect

2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Coach – Mike Stokes

Preview – Erik Snell JR, Thomas Walter JR, Andrew Reiman SR, Kendall Morrow SR, Fabian Pena JR, Nicholas Squallacioti SO, Kane Lecomte JR, Dominic O’Connel JR, Paul Khairallah SR, Patrick Heil SR, Logan Mertes JR, Jack Dechiloudens SO, TJ Garland FR, Sean Kura FR, Andrew McNally FR, Kosts Skoufos FR.

Preview – It should be an interesting start to this season for Prospect. Only two runners are back from their eighth-place sectional team. September will be a month where work on the front five and finding out who will step into those positions. Juniors Eric Snell and Thomas Walter were the team’s fourth and fifth runners in the sectional race running within three seconds of each other. Andy Reiman was bogged down by injuries but seems to be healthy heading into this season. He could be the front runner that this team needs. He was the team’s second runner at the end of September at the Palatine Invitational.

September’s meets will discover who should be in the top seven. Kendall Morrow and Fabian Pena will be two of some of the runners that will challenge for some of those spots. “We would like to run our best in late October with three guys under 15-minutes and two more runners under 16:15,” said Mike Stokes.

 

Wheaton North

2017 Finish – 6th, 3A Lake Park Sectional

Coach – Nate Roe

Top Runners – Connor Zydek SR, Nick Garza SR, Kevin Boehm SR, Will Roth SO, Josh Gorup JR, Mauricio Xochitecatl JR, Finn Askin SR, John Logan JR, Lucas Urchell JR, Aidan Sullivan SR, Joseph Parker JR, Sam Walhout SO, Sam Carlson JR.

Preview – A team that will be running with HUGE incentive in 2018. The Falcons were heartbroken after they found out that they missed qualifying for the state meet by one-point finishing sixth at the Lake Park Sectional. There are only three runners back from that team but have four other runners within 30 seconds of each other that could jump into their top five.

“Our Summer training went better than I had hoped,” Nate Roe said. “With our team graduating so many quality people and runners last season, I wasn't sure what to expect from this group.  I have been so pleased with the leadership of some of our seniors and the enthusiasm and work ethic of key juniors.  This has allowed us to see tremendous progress in their fitness and confidence.  We'll still be a bit of a work in progress at the start, and maybe even the middle, but I think this group will surprise many, including themselves.  We incorporated more race-pace work in small bouts this Summer to see what impact it will have later on.  One of the key runs for us each week has been our long run.  We've added a number of variables to this run, which we hope will result in stronger, more confident racers.  This group has also really worked well together and seem to be rooting for each one to do well.  We can't afford big egos with this squad, as they'll need to lean on each other each week.”

Connor Zydek had a breakout track season and should be the top runner on this team. He won his sectional race in the 3200 Meter Run running 9:22.77. He did not have his best race at state the following week, but he could establish himself as one of the top 25 runners in 3A. Nick Garza and Kevin Boehm are solid pack runners that will need to stay within 10 seconds of each other. Roe believes that Sam Carlson, who ran track and is running in the fall for the first time. He could be a surprise. Finn Askin, who is the heart of the program according to Roe, concentrated on track solely for the first time last spring and showed great improvement from that. He could be in the top five. Joseph Parker, who was healthy last track season after a season of injuries will be one of the runners to keep an eye on in the top five. He was under consistently under five-minutes for 1600-meters last spring is ready to see what he can really do this fall.

“Our expectations remain high for the season, and the guys have already shown the commitment to each other,” said Roe. “We know each race we'll have a very low number in Connor, so our talk has been of bringing a solid pack in behind him.  We'd like to be in the top 3-5 each invite, willing to experiment and take risks along the way, and be firing on all cylinders come conference meet and the State Series.  Our new conference will be very tough, so if we could finish in the top 2-3 going into the post-season, that would match up with our goals and set us up for a good run at the State Finals.”

 

Chicago Saint Ignatius

2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional

Coach – Ed Ernst

Top Runners – John Walls (123, 15:34), Jacob Flynn JR, John Rittereiser SR, Christian Coletta SR, Kyle McGovern SO, Colin Linnen SO, Liam Linnen SO, Michael Lesak JR, Carlin Kyhl SO, Nicola Mennella SR, Philip Lynch SR, Luke Abraham JR.

Preview – A team that could surprise some coming out of the tough Marist or Niles West Sectional. The Wolfpack return four of their top seven runners from the team that placed seventh at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. John Walls is improving after a good track season where he qualified for state in the 3200 Meter Run. “He has had a great summer of training, trying to follow the example of Michael OBroin, who made such progress before his strong all-state season last fall,” said his coach Ed Ernst.

Saint Ignatius has four runners back that ran 10:15 or faster for 3200-meters including Jacob Flynn who ran 9:47 last spring. Tom Novy and Christian Coletta have struggled with injuries but are healthy heading into this fall. Along with John Rittenheiser, all three had a good summer readying themselves for this season.

“On paper, this is probably our weakest team in almost ten years,” Ernst said. “But we have hopes that they might be better then they look on paper. We took 18 boys on a one-week trip to the Rocky Mountains, with a long run on Magnolia Drive above Boulder.  It was a great bonding experience, and we hope it kicked some of our younger boys into a higher gear in terms of their ambitions and goals for the future.”

 

Chicago Jones College Prep

2017 Finish – 9th, 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional

Coach – Andrew Adelmann

Top Runners – Ian Bacon JR, Michael Villa SR, AJ Fundator SR, Ryan DeSantis JR, Anthony Maida JR, Baito Sarkiss JR, Jeremy Yakes SR, Aaron Hou SO, Matthew Laggese JR, Michael Sommese SO, Noah Fitch SR, Colin Greiner JR.

Preview – Four runners are back for the Eagles that finished ninth in the Hinsdale Central Sectional. The quality of runners is there to make a run for a chance to run in the state meet in November. “Fitness and training wise, I believe we are where we need to be at this time of the year and will continue to progress,” Andrew Adelman said. “The difference maker though will be how this team responds to the challenge and improves in some of the non-training areas that have hampered us a bit the last couple years.  If they do that, which I believe they can, these guys do really have the potential to leave their own mark on this program in big ways.  As was reinforced this summer, the talent and ability are there, but the hunger and fire just have to match, or it won't mean much on race day.”

AJ Fundator, who was the team’s third runner in the sectional race, has stepped up as the leader of this team according to Adelmann who said he was ready to take the next jump. Ian Bacon and Michael Villa were the top two runners at the end of 2017 and will be among the front runners. Sophomores Aaron Hou, Andy Niser, and Michael Sommese all had great track seasons. Don’t be surprised to see them among the top seven. Ryan DeSantis has been running with confidence and will be up front with Bacon.

A team to watch heading into the Chicago Public League Championships. It is a young but talented team that could rise in the rankings especially in October. “Our only expectation, as it is every year, is just to continue focusing on the process. I sound like a broken record every time I answer this question, but our priorities remain the same: to be healthy, grow and just be the absolute best we are capable of being while representing our core values,” said Adelman. “We certainly aim to finish our season in Peoria, but we can only control what we can control.  It is always hard to come out and define specific expectations regarding results, because we could have the best team we have ever had, but so could five other teams on the same day.  That wouldn't change what we may have accomplished though.  Just as in 2012, I still just get somewhat uncomfortable defining success in relation to outside factors.”

 

Aurora Marmion Academy

2017 Finish – 9th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Coach – Paul McClelland

Top Runners – Jack Brewster SR, Keoni English SR, Anthony Sangler JR, Jake Coffman SR, Alex Carlson JR, Ernie Rowoldt JR, Travis Clementi JR, Charlie Schultz SO, Rohn Ritchie SO, Cormac Dietz JR, Keegan Bennett SR, Christian Schultz SR.

PreviewPaul McClelland steps in as the new coach for the Cadets after coaching Illinois Math & Science Academy that past couple of seasons. He welcomes four runners back from Marmion’s ninth-place sectional team.

They will miss last year’s top runner Michael Ronzone who has graduated. Jack Brewster should step into the team’s top spot. “Summer training was great,” said McClelland. “Only a few hard days, which they were not used to (It seems like they did more !!), but which they embraced.  They were learning to train a little differently and I was learning about them.  One coming off of injuries (Jack Brewster missed all of outdoor) and others who had been banged up for 2017 season.  They are training hungry because they missed out on State last year and know they can be there this year.  I learned that they aren't only good runners, but they are kind hearted and have depth of soul.  As I said, I am looking to add to the tradition that Coach Klatt and previous coaches started not reinventing anything.  This is a moving force that I hope to help steer in the same direction with hopes of getting a better finish.”

The team will need to keep their top five split under 50 seconds. Brewster will lead the way but will need Keoni English and Anthony Sangler close to him. Jack Coffman and Alex Carlson will make this team just much better. Marmion Academy should improve on last year’s finish and hope that its good enough to make it to Peoria. “We have high expectations for the season,” added McClelland. “This team would like to improve at Invites, learn things about ourselves which will correspond to a trip to the State Meet and then run our best times there.”

 

Carpentersville-Dundee Crown

2017 Finish – 17th, 3A State

Coach – Ronald Delarmente

Top Runners – Adam Swanson SR (50,15:05), Lucas Janikowski SR (98, 15:28), Mark Jensen SR (129, 15:36), Kyle Wizgird SR, Peter Giardino JR, Max Wizgird JR, Will Finucane JR, Brian Hernandez SR, Inigo Kesseler SR.

Preview – The Chargers had the season that they had dreamed about for some time qualifying for the state meet and placing 17th. “No team likes to lose the leadership of Seniors, especially when they accounted for four out of our top seven, but I think our returning core of Adam Swanson, Luke Janikowski, and Mark Jensen will do a really good job filling into those roles,” said their coach Ronald Delarmente. “A lot of success this year will be based on that core to push the pace and challenge each other.”

Swanson had a good state meet last November finishing 50th with prospects of getting close to the top 25 in this season. Janikowski and Jensen ran within eight seconds of each other at state and will need to repeat that kind of running. Delarmente expects Jensen to have a big senior season. Max and Kyle Wizgirid along with Peter Girardo that will look to step into the top five. This team will need to do a lot of work to get their top five together especially with the graduation losses. This Chargers team will again be good, possibly good enough to make it back to state. “Our boys came within a few points of Huntley for Conference last year and tasted how sweet it was to qualify for State after a 10-year drought,” Delarmente added. “Our expectations are to be competitive for that Conference title and to put ourselves in the best position to peak during the State series.” 

 

Lake Zurich

2017 Finish – 11th, 3A State

Coach – JB Hanson

Top Runners – Patrick Hart JR (108, 15:31), Jack Gilboy SO (114, 15:32), Adam Cupples JR (141, 15:43), Jacob Myers SO, Oscar Phillips SO, Sam Guinta SR, Jack Mason SO, Caleb Engelmann JR, Mark Santi JR, Tommy Braasch SR, Alex Irvine SR, Joey Nemec SO, Josh Ripoli SO, Danny Burns FR.

Previews – The Bears will look to rebuild during the first half of the season having lost a large senior class to graduation. But just like any other year for Lake Zurich, they could again be in the mix for a trip to the state meet. They made it their last year finishing 11th at Detweiller Park. Three runners are back from the 2017 team. Underclassmen could dominate the top seven of this squad this fall.

Patrick Hart, Jack Gilboy, and Adam Cupples were within 12 seconds of each other at state and should lead that pack. Moving it closer to the front will be one of the things to watch for. Jack Meyers ran 4:40/9:53 during track and should be in this pack also. Cupples and Hart were injured during the track season but are healthy and ready for the season to start. Finding a fifth scorer could be tough. Sophomores Oscar Phillips and Jack Mason along with freshman Danny Burns could step into one of those spots.

“We have a dual meet win streak above 70 and 10 straight years in the state meet, so our goals revolve around defending our conference title (which will be challenging with a number of improved teams in the NSC this year) as well as qualifying to state and running our best race there,” said JB Hanson. “We are far from those goals at the moment, but we are counting on great competition bringing out the best in us.”

 

Naperville North

2017 Finish – 13th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Coach – David Racey

Top Runners – Jake Allen JR, McLean Griffin JR, Nicholas Trattner SR, Tommy Paltzer SO, Aidan Handa SR, Griffin Blecke SR, Sasha Dresbach SR, Joshua Tong JR, Josh Pietsch SR, Nick Williams SO, Gregory Shobert SR, Ignacio Gamboa SR.

Preview – The Huskies are team that is continuously improving and will hope to better last season’s 13th place sectional finish. Their top three runners from that sectional team are back. One of the big reasons for the improvement has been the concentration on running only from some of their prospective top seven runners. McLean Griffin and Jake Allen had played basketball and Nick Trattner used to play LaCrosse. Their performances on the track have showed led by Allen. “Jake Allen has run really well this summer,” David Racey said. “Jake running 9:27 at the DGN sectional has given him the confidence that he can run with some of the better guys in the area. He and the other two top guys (Griffin and Trattner) appear to be interchangeable.”

The key will be finding the rest of their top seven. This team is deep with five more runners within 15 seconds of each other. Tommy Paltzer and Griffin Blecke lead that pack. Getting that pack into strike mode, or further up in races, will be something to watch before the state series starts. “Our expectations are for the top three to be very competitive near the front at all invites,” Racey said. “The f/s team should do very well this season. There are several very capable juniors and seniors to fill the 4-7 spots on varsity until the better f/s runners are brought up to varsity to compete for those spots. When it counts the most, we plan to compete for a conference title and qualify for the state meet.”

 

Wilmette Loyola Academy

2017 Finish – 10th, 3A Lake Park Sectional

Coach – Dan Seeberg

Top Runners – Spencer Dzyacky SO, Billy Delaney JR, Alex Owens JR, Jack Lynch SR, Eli Miller SR, Scott Dean SO, Jack Garrigus SO, John Albrighton SO, Ian Gallo SR, Billy Dettling JR.

Preview – Five of the seven are back from the team that finished 10th at the Lake Park Sectional. Spencer Dzyacky finished his freshman season as the second runner of the team. He should be one of the top runners for the Ramblers. Juniors Billy Delaney and Alex Owens could run within 10 seconds of the sophomore and senior Jack Lynch will be another five seconds behind. Their top four will be young but running close together. Getting a fifth runner in that group could improve their sectional standings.

 

Algonquin Jacobs

2017 Finish – 10th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Coach – Kevin Christian

Top Runners – Zach Albrecht SR (44, 15:02), Mark Lemke SR, Ezequiel Valdez JR, Evan Ludlum SR, Brett Bognar SR, Kyle Horn SO, Connor Maloney SO, Trevor Petrin JR, Samuel Albrecht JR, Adrian Penning JR, Blake Buttron SR, Justin Lorenz SR.

Preview – This could be a good season for the Golden Eagles with five runners back from their 10th place sectional team. Zach Albrecht dropped his 1600-meters time to 4:13.25 this spring. He was also a part of Jacobs’ state qualifying 3200 Meter Relay. “After a terrific track season that ended early due to illness, Zach showed tremendous strength at the Magis Mile to finish the year,” said his coach Kevin Christian. “He has typically had great season but struggled against the top competition, but that all changed at the Magis Mile and it has given him a significant amount of confidence going into the season for what he can do at state finals.”

Jacobs will need to work on getting the packs closer together. Albrecht appears to be 30 seconds ahead of Mark Lemke. He will be almost one-minute ahead of Ezequiel Valdez. That pack needs to close down to 30 seconds on the three through seven runners. “We return all 4 runners from a state qualifying 4x800 last season, with seniors Zach Albrecht, Mark Lemke, Brandon Cole and Brett Bognar.” Said Christian. “Brandon Cole returns from an injury filled junior season and, in the past, has challenged Lemke.  Bognar was a sub-16 runner last season and continues to improve.  After our big four we have several options for breakthroughs this season, with senior Evan Ludlum, junior Trevor Petrin, and sophomores Connor Maloney and Daniel Sanders putting in tons of work this summer.”

 

Aurora Waubonsie Valley

2017 Finish – 14th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Coach – Kevin Rafferty

Top Runners – Wes Beitler JR, John Caron SR, Jackson Bakula JR, Eryk Stewart SR, Alex Barenbrugge SR, Huzefa Tawawalla SR, Joey Sweeney JR, Nathan Sheppard JR, Toby McGuire JR, Zach Benzinger SO, Cam Schiro SR, Robert Szivak JR, Aden Oster FR, Ethan Marshall FR.

Preview – The Warriors should move up from last season’s 14th place finish in their own sectional. Four runners from that team will be back. The one important one is Wes Beitler who had a great sophomore season and is ready for a breakout fall. “Beitler was a 9:44, 4:32, 1:59 kid as a sophomore,” said his coach Kevin Rafferty. “His summer four-mile timed efforts have been up around my individual state qualifiers times from their summers. I could see Wes either being a number one on a state qualifying team or be in a position to earn an individual qualifying spot. If Wes can balance leading the team and setting himself up for success we're going to be in for a good season.”

John Caron, Eryk Stewart, and Jackson Bakula give Waubonsie solid runners in the pack. Joey Sweeney had a growth spurt (6 inches) since last cross-country season and his body looks less beat up so his training looks smoother according to Rafferty.  The team should have a tight two through five pack while Beitler is getting single digit points. “We'd like to be competitive throughout the year,” Rafferty added. “We have some solid track times and we'd like to translate that track success over to the cross-country season. Without knowing who's assigned to our sectional and who's hot or cold we'd like to keep running solid races throughout the year and have our most recent race be the best race of the season. I'd love to say we're in the running to be a state qualifying team but we're not good enough to be top 5 in our sectional regardless of who gets assigned to our sectional. I do know we'll run our home course at Aurora City, DuPage Valley Conference, and Waubonsie Valley Sectional race. By the time the sectional comes around we should know exactly how to approach our course.”

 

St. Charles North

2017 Finish – 12th 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Coach – Kevin Harrington

Top Runners – Ryan Arnold JR, Jack Dorrance SR, Ben Cook JR, Lorenzo Dripps SR, Hunter Bletz SR, Nicholas Gutierrez SR, Toby Strader JR, Kaden Kirby JR, Patrick Obenesser JR, Connor Nolis SR, Noah Eng SO.

Preview – The North Stars transition from the Upstate Eight Conference to the new DuKane Conference for the 2018 season. Five runners are back from the sectional team that finished 12th at Waubonsie Valley. Ryan Arnold leads a team that will have to keep their top five split under 30 seconds and moved up 10 seconds (at least) per runners to advance to the top half of their sectional standings. “With so many teams in our new conference who qualified for state last year (and several of which should have state and national ranks), we are completely under the radar right now,” Kevin Harrington said. “We expect to rise to the challenge of what may be one of the most interesting conferences around.”

 

Cary-Grove

2017 Finish – 12th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Coach – Layne Holter

Top Runners – Max Caesar JR, Derek Warren SR, Nathan Kutok JR, Ryan Peters SO, Andrew Lewis SR, Juan Camargo SR, Eric Christensen JR, Daniel Flores SR, Adam Caesar JR, Titus Simpson JR, Grant Lehman SR, Ethan Rische SO.

Preview – The Trojans should improve in the Fox Valley Conference where they finished fifth and their sectional where they placed 12th a year ago. Six runners are back from that sectional team. Max Caesar is the top returning runner that is 30 seconds ahead of the rest of his teammates. Derek Warren leads that pack that will be part of a move closer to Caesar and closer pack that could be as 90 seconds behind Caesar in the fifth-runner spot.

 

Yorkville

2017 Finish – 22nd, 3A State

Coach – Brian Long

Top Runners – Ivan Westcott SO (125, 15:35), Ben Tholen SR (154, 15:48), Alex Loos SR, Colin Kachlic SO, Mark Mattson JR, Corey Kramer JR, Austin Hunter JR, Tyler Jensen JR, Jackson Edwards SO, Tyler Deutsch SO, Austin Popplewell SO, Zach Rice SR, Hunter Reyes SO, Aiden Goodwin SO, Jack Stillmunkes FR, Brody Furco FR, Nick Clever FR.

Preview – It could be a rebuilding/reloading year for the Foxes after finishing 22nd in last year’s state meet. Only two runners are back from that team led by Ivan Westcott and Ben Tholen. Finding runners for the next five spots for this team will be an adventure early in the season. There were many runners that showed improvement during the summer according to coach Brian Long. Knowing that there are varsity spots open have fueled that drive. Austin Hunter along with sophomores Colin Kachic and Jackson Edwards have showed improvement since last track season. Alec Loos along with freshmen Jack Stillmunkes and Brody Furco could also find their way into the top seven.

“I want them to develop as young men, be consistent, take risks, train the mind in conjunction with the body, be good teammates, and have fun,” Long said. “Over the last few years, our Boys’ team has had a lot of success.  They know that this season will be difficult considering the talent we lost due to graduation.  However, they are an extremely hard-working group and they have the ability to do amazing things.  We need to really focus on mastering all of the small things because after all, it's all of those small things that make the biggest difference.”

 

Rolling Meadows

2017 Finish – 15th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Coach – Frank Schweda

Top Runners – Eddie Lennon SR, Royce Piscitello SR, Jack Martin JR, Stephen Barretto SO, CJ Miller SR, Matt Schoessling SR, Aidan Fruzyna SR, Nate Orlyk SR, Jacob Wright JR, Erik Vinopal JR.

Preview – It will be interesting to see how far the Mustangs go this fall. With all seven runners back from their 15rth place sectional team, finishes in the top half of the sectional and the top five of the Mid-Suburban League (they finished 7th in 2017) are strong possibilities. “Summer training has gone well,” Frank Schweda said. “There have been a core group of guys who have run together and the few that were out of town or on vacation got the runs in. I’ve been lucky to have to do little to motivate them.  We’ll continue to build our mileage while throwing in some faster stuff the rest of the early going here.”

Eddie Lennon finished 41st in his sectional last fall but showed improvement in track running 9:33.64 for 3200-meters. If the team does not make it to state, Lennon could. There was a 40 second gap between Lennon and Royce Piscitello, Jack Martin, and Stephen Barretto. Closing them gap will help. The top five split on the team at the end of last year was 49 seconds.

“I am excited to see what the guys can do,” Schweda said. “We have a great group returning that have been in big meets and have had pressure put on them since they were sophomores. We have 7 guys under 4:50 in the 1600  (4:30 - 4:48), 6 of those are also under 10:25 for the 3200 (9:33 - 10:23).  I think that with 8 or 9 top guys running together most of the summer we should be able to mix it up with several teams that in the past we couldn’t.  I know the guys (I’m in the same boat) really have the goal of qualifying for the state meet.  I realize how difficult this is - as the RMHS Boys XC team has never qualified for the IHSA state meet as a team (highest sectional place I believe is 7th). We have not finished higher than 4th place in the MSL Conference meet.  We’ll need our top guys to stay healthy and most importantly we’ll need the guys behind them to stay as close as possible to our #2.  I think the #3-7 guys should be very close to one another so that will help.  To sum it all up - our expectations are that we run faster, win more meets/invites, place top 3 in the MSL conference meet, and qualify for the state meet.”

 

Berwyn-Cicero Morton

2017 Finish – 12th, 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional

Coach – Bill Bloom

Top Runners – Guillermo Ibarra JR, Jonathan Garcia SR, Kenneth Sandoval SR, Anthony Munoz SR, Pedro O’Campo SR, Hector Anguiano SR, Juan Duran SR, Aaron Delgado SR, Veymer Ramos SR, Tomas Gonzalez JR, Roberto Aviles JR, Damian Sanchez JR.

Preview – The Mustangs finished 12th at the Hinsdale Central Sectional with five runners back from that team. Work will need to be done on their five-runner split. It was 76 seconds at the end of the season. Guillermo Ibarra had a good track season which included a 4:25.1 1600-meters and a 9:35 3200-meters. He qualified for state in the 1600 Meter Run. His moving up in races will need to happen. The split on five needs to go under 60 seconds for this team to move up in the sectional standings as well as challenging Downers Grove South in the WSC-Gold.

 

Gurnee Warren

2017 Finish – 17th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Coach – Bill Dawson

Top Runners – Bryan Holland SR, Collin Jones SO, Griffin Pasha SO, Hunter Subry JR, Andrew Metcalf JR, Carlos Villa SO, John Wiser JR, Nathan Paperniak JR, Liam McArthur SR, Jack Welch SR, Sergio Hernandez SR, Daniel Whalen SR.

Preview – Warren could be a surprise not only in the North Suburban Conference, but the state series meets in October. All seven runners are back from the team that finished 17th in their sectional. This team does a great job in pack running. Bryan Holland led a 19 second split on the top five in their sectional race. This team needs to show improvement getting that pack closer to the front. Their experiences in races from 2017 could get them in position to do some amazing things by the time we get to October.

 

Wheeling

2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Palatine Regional

Coach – Tom Polak

Top Runners – Tyler Polak SR, Ben Karp SR, Jackson Gross SR, Jordan Teran JR, Sebastian Vences-Perez SR, Esteban Lagunes JR, Bryan Martinez SO, Chris Gama JR, Mason Hoffman JR, David Martinez SR, Greg Sevilla JR.

Preview – The Wildcats did not make it to their sectional meet placing seventh in the Palatine Regional. Expectations are high for this team with all seven back from their regional team led by Tyler Polak. He finished 15th in his conference meet last October as well as running personal bests on the track this spring. “This summer's training went very well, partially because we had over 30 athletes at practice every day and the quality of the training is what has changed,” Coach Tom Polak said. “We are running faster and more relaxed.  For me, the biggest change is that they are running together like a team.  This year’s team will be the biggest team in numbers that Wheeling HS has ever had (approaching 50 runners, not bad for a 3A school with only 1700 students). This group is truly a family, maybe it's more special because my son is involved, but time will tell if that is the only factor that makes this team special.”

The five-runner split for this team will be a key. It was 79 seconds off Polak in their conference race and then 82 seconds in the regional race. Work needs to be done to drop it by 25 seconds to be closer to get to the state meet.  “I am a believer in momentum in XC, our first two invites will help us determine where we stand, and what can be accomplished,” Coach Polak said.  “If we can have success at Fenton and Lake Park, that will build confidence into the rest of the season. Our expectations are to qualify for state - We should be in the top four in the MSL and have high expectations to get out of the sectional.  I know the Schaumburg Sectional, it takes five guys under 16-minutes most years to get out.  WE have some work to do, but we are ready to get it done.” 

 

Pekin

2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Minooka Regional

Coach – Cole Stoner

Top Runners – Brody Blackwell SR (186, 16:08), Bennett Custer SR, Seth Kasinger JR, Jayden Tabb SR, Andrew Wolfe SR, Noah Sivori SO, Ian Sayles JR, Kaleb Just JR, Russell Sarff SO, Drae Heiple SO.

Preview – The Dragons missed sectional racing last fall placing seventh at the Minooka Regional. Six of the sevens runners in that race are back for Pekin. “Our training went well this summer,” Cole Stoner said. “Our program is growing, and we have good senior leadership this year that set the tone every day in our workouts.”

Brody Blackwell was a state qualifier last fall. He ran 15:30 in September at Detweiller Park. He ran almost 40 seconds slower at state. He could be capable of doing some great things in the state series including finishing in the top 40 runners. Pekin’s split was over 60 seconds last year. That will need to come down to make it to sectionals and beyond. “I think our first goal is to be competitive in our conference,” Stoner said. “Central Illinois has some incredible programs. Metamora, and Coach Gene Jones, have set the bar as far as the boys side of the Mid-Illini goes, and I think we all believe we can compete. We are just ready to lace up the spikes.”

 

Chicago Lane Tech

2017 Finish – 9th, 3A Lake Park Sectional

Coach – Kris Roof

Top Runners – Julian Higueros SR, Frank Burke-Olson SR, Jackson Burns JR, Jonathan Cattan SR, Alex McBride JR, Jonathan Archer SO, Tommy Donohue JR, Matthew Almonte SR, Nicholas Gloss JR, Charlie Drohomyrecky JR.

Preview – Lane Tech will be one of the top teams in the Chicago Public League as well as challenging in the tough Niles West Sectional. The Indians finished third in the city meet in 2017. Five runners are back from that sectional team led by Julian Higueros. Now a senior, Higueros finished 22nd in the sectional race missing a state individual qualifying spot by one-place. The team ran an 81 second split on five in the city meet and 73 seconds in the sectional race. Getting their split under 64 seconds will move them up the sectional standings.

 

Highland Park

2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Coach – Steve Buti

Top Runners – Jose Reyes SR, Jason Polydoris SO, Richard Heller SR, Erik Anderson SO, Jordy Mazza SR, Sam Lothan SR, Jack Schulman SR, Jack Casey SR, David Halfin SR, Max Friedman SO, Tyler Carson SO, Evan Diethrich SO, Alex Brown FR.

Preview – Highland Park again will use pack running to get from point A to point B. They missed state last year finishing seventh in their sectional. It could be a rebuilding year with three runners back from that squad. “The team came up with very lofty goals for the season which included winning the CSL North and making State as a team,” said their coach Steve Buti.

Jose Reyes was the third runner at the end of the year and will step up in the top spot. To achieve their goals, this team will need to lower their five-runner split which is currently projected at over 90 seconds. Jason Polydoris had a great summer of training and could be close to Reyes. Freshman Alex Brown could be in the top five some time this season.

 

O’Fallon

2017 Finish – 16th, 3A State

Coach – Jon Burnett

Top Runners – Will Van Alstine SR (78, 15:20), Jacob Ramirez SR (168, 15:55), Nick Edwards SO (178, 16:03), Christopher Wichlac JR, Will Ray JR, Andrew Joyce SR, Braden Goab JR, David Tady JR, Brendon Krill SR, Kolson Mendelsohn SR, Tristen Fornes JR, Matthew Ray SO.

Preview – It will be interesting to see O’Fallon evolve during this 2018 season. It could be a rebuilding season as the Panthers return three from last year’s 16th place state team. The southernmost 3A sectional in the state has improved. It could be tough for this team to advance to Peoria. Three runners are back from their state team. Will Van Alstine could make it individually to state placing in the top 40. Big improvement showed from sophomore Nick Edwards that ran side-by-side with Van Alstine during the summer. Finding five runners that can stay within 55 seconds of these two will be a key. “Summer training went well.  We had new people step into leadership roles,” said Jon Burnett. “We know that we are up against a lot of programs that are returning many contributors from last season.  Minooka, Edwardsville, and Lockport are each returning nearly the entire team from last fall.”

 

New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central

2017 Finish – 24th, 3A State

Coach – John Taylor

Top Runners – Jared Kreis JR (111, 15:32), Andrew Englert SR (145, 15:45), Jackson Burriss SR (199, 16:23), Erik Johnson JR, Lucas Dion JR, Jay Parker SO, Matthew Grigoletti SR, Ethan Fazio SR, Kevin Martin SO, Daniel Warren SR, Sean Doser SO.

Preview – The Knights could make it back to the state meet after placing 24th in 2017. Three runners are back from that team led by Jared Kries. The junior made strides last spring running 9:42 for 3200-meters and 4:24 for 1600-meters. He showed he was ready for this season by running 15:23 at Detweiller at Dark which was almost 10 seconds faster than last year’s state time. Andrew Englert had a breakthrough track season running 4:21 for 1600-meters in the state prelims. These two could take Lincoln-Way Central far this fall. Moving their five-runner split down will be a key on whether this team gets back to state. “We put in a lot of summer miles to prepare for the rigorous season,” said John Taylor. “We are looking forward to seeing what our one-two punch can do against the top runners in the State throughout the season. We will be working on running in our packs to improve our team results and our 1-5 split.”

 

Palatine Fremd

2017 Finish – 14th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Coach – Darius Sanchez

Top Runners – Charlie O’Brien SR, Ethan Saunders SR, Dylan Siepka SR, Wesley Jones SR, Amish Pokharkar SO, Jack Welski JR, Thomas Novak JR, Jacob Zemba SR, Ryan Meyer SR, Nick Grasse JR.

Preview – The Vikings will look to climb into the top ten and better their fifth-place finish in an improved Mid-Suburban League. Four runners are back from that sectional team led by Charlie O’Brien. “We are very young, but our veterans are ready to cash in on a summer of hard-work,” said Darius Sanchez. “We had an excellent summer with lots of growth in our sophomore and juniors. Senior Wes Jones served an outstanding leader over the summer months and his training progressed significantly.  Senior Charlie O’Brien is focused on having a good senior season and showed a lot of growth in his training. Charlie is a returning all-conference runner.”

 

3A Boys Teams to Watch

(In Alphabetical Order)

 

Bartlett

2017 Finish – 16th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Coach – Jeremy Ruston

Top Runners – Luke Jennes JR, Sam Jennes JR, Peter Golaszewski JR, Alan Michalek SR, Patrick Stephen SR, Isaac Johnson SR, Nathan Dunbar JR, Jeet Patel SR, Lawrence Yap JR, Louie Paul SO.

Preview – It will be hard to figure this team early in the season. Their top runner from last year Angelo Peters did not compete in track last spring and did not compete in the team’s summer running program. Fifth runner in sectionals Jonathan Jasso has transferred to Downers Grove North. Three runners are back from the sectional team led by Luke and Sam Jennes. “I am not exactly sure what to expect out of this group,” said Jeremy Ruston. “After last season we had very high expectation for this team but after losing a couple of the top runners we will have to rebuild quickly.  Everyone will have to step up and take a leadership role.  We still have a lot of talent, but they aren't used to being the front runners of the team.  This summer has been a learning experience for everyone. Much of our varsity team will be inexperienced on the varsity level so I am excited to see how they respond to new roles.  As far as end of the season goals, we still expect to do well in the conference after the loss of some very competitive teams.  I feel like a top 3 team finish as well as a few all conference individuals is still very realistic.”  

 

Buffalo Grove

2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Palatine Regional

Coach – Chris Marks

Top Runners – Javier Guerrero SR, Grant Wasielewski JR, Luke Wenzel SR, James Cozzi SR, Matt Metzger SR, Camillo Rivera SO, Will Hulligan SR, Jake Spies SR, Jac Vessel SR, Matthew Jakimovski SR, Riku Komatani JR, Tyler Matsuda FR.

Preview – The Bison just missed out making it to the Hoffman Estates Sectional Meet placing seventh at the Palatine Regional. Three runners are back led by seniors Javier Guerrero and Luke Wenzel. Freshman Tyler Matsuda could contribute immediately to the top five. “We had a great summer of training.  There was strong senior leadership, the boys stuck closely to the training plan, and they logged tremendous mileage,” said Chris Marks. “Our team is spread over many grade levels and we will see contributions from many ages.  We will continue to stick to the year-long plan and target the MSL meet for peak performance.”

 

Carol Stream Glenbard North

2017 Finish – 12th, 3A Lake Park Sectional

Coach – Mark Karwowski

Top Runners – Matt Salucha SR, Marat Schatz SR, Omar Solorio SR, Haren Patel SR, Ryan Treanor JR, Jordan Alwan SR, Alex Sowa SR, Ronan Schuelke JR, Daisuke Kamiuchi SO, Muhammed Nehas SR, Joseph Nichols SR, Kameron Alwan SO.

Preview – Glenbard North returns their top three runners from last season’s 12th place sectional finish. The top three were separated by 25 seconds in that race led by Matt Salucha. Keeping their top five split under 70 seconds could improve on last year’s sectional finish.

 

Chicago Marist

2017 Finish – 24th, 2A State

Coach – Jon Gordon

Top Runners – Thomas Leonard JR (48, 15:41), Lucas Pennix SR (136, 16:32), Colin Tracy SR (165, 16:49), Aidan Dillon SR (185, 17:11), Luke Hartsman JR (197, 17:27), Kevin Bugos SO (202, 17:42), Joe Donnelly SR, Josh Burns JR, Jonathan Rivera SO, Brian Breslin SR.

Preview – After one year in Class 2A, the RedHawks are in 3A looking to get in the hunt to challenge for a finish that will get them back to Detweiller Park in November. All seven runners are back from that state team led by Thomas Leonard. The junior ran 15:41 in that race last year which was a seasonal best for that distance. Dropping that time down at least 30 seconds could get him back to the state meet. The team’s five runner split was 106 seconds. The pack needs to move up and drop their split by 35 seconds to be in the state qualifying picture.

 

Chicago Payton Prep

2017 Finish – 20th, 2A State

Coach – Thaddeus Rego

Top Runners – Matthew Sullivan JR (65, 15:53), Zach Rose JR (82, 16:02), Jameson Huge SO (175, 17:01), William Thakur SO (194, 17:20), Simon Huffman-Goltschling JR (195, 17:24), Elias Culver JR, Ethan Cox SO, Henry Xiao JR, Ryan Thomas SO, Franklin Wu JR.

Preview – Payton Prep is in the same boat as Marist moving back into Class 3A after running in the 2A state meet. The Grizzlies return five of their top seven from that team led by Matthew Sullivan and Zach Rose. Getting their top five split under 65 seconds by the time of the state series (it was 87 seconds in 2017 at state), this team could contend for a top ten finish in their sectional.

 

Deerfield

2017 Finish – 13th, 2A State

Coach – Scott Friedlander

Top Runners – Bradley Brodsky SR (35, 15:30), Josh Puyear SO (117, 16:17), Jonathan Wallk SR, Declan Black SR, Ben Kraemer JR, Jason Dahlberg JR, Joe Ariano JR, Charlie Hart SO, Mac Cooney JR, Jeremy Plafsky JR, Eric Lakemaker FR.

Preview – Deerfield is used to moving back and forth between 2A and 3A. This is an even ending year, so it must be 3A. The Warriors had a good race at last year’s 2A race finishing 13th. Only two runners are back from that team, so it could mean a rebuilding season. Bradley Brodsky is a strong leader that could get close to qualifying individually this fall. “If anyone casually looks up our results from last year, they'll see the Deerfield as the 13th place 2A team that loses five guys from their top seven and is moving up to 3A,” said Scott Friedlander. “Most will count us out. But hidden outside of varsity results was a core of juniors and sophomores that have limited varsity experience but steep slopes of progression that have matured another year now, and that's what this team is all about. Combine that with the best freshmen class (now rising sophomores) Deerfield has had since the glory days of the 1970s, and I think this team can be as good, maybe better, than last year's senior-heavy squad. The rising sophomore class had 6 guys under 5:01 in the 1600m last year, including Josh Puyear who ran 4:41/9:57, so I'd expect at least of few of them to be in our top 7. A big program goal that we've had for many years is to trophy in 2A or qualify for State in 3A because we feel those two goals are pretty similar in difficulty, and we never know in which class we're going to land. We are the final team over the cutoff for 3A this year, so the State Series goal is to be that squad to break through and qualify. These boys have their sights aimed high.”

 

DeKalb

2017 Finish – 11th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Coach – Mike Wolf

Top Runners – Aidan Donohue JR, Jacob Tripp SR, Emmanuel Yepiz JR, Riley Marks SR, Juan Castro JR, Karl Olsen SO, Eric Yang JR, Luke Mattson SR, Mario Montoya SR, Jason Allen JR, Jon Rojo JR.

Preview – DeKalb could get close to a state qualifying bid. They return six of their top seven from the 11th place sectional team. This team showed a close pack and some good running at Det at Dark in July. Led by Aidan Donohue and Jacob Tripp, the team had a 32 second split on their top five. Moving up that pack closer to the front of races could give the Barbs more success in 2018. “We had a very consistent summer with our boys - great attitude and work ethic,” said Mike Wolf. “While we ran well at sectionals last season we were not happy with our 11th place finish and we are looking to climb over some of those teams that finished in front of us.”

 

Evanston Township

2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Lake Park Sectional

Coach – Don Michelin

Top Runners – James Moran JR, Max Ebeling SR, Julion Michelin SR, Alex Tokmakoff SR, Conor Ward JR, Sacrad Michelin JR, Ben Peters SR, Maximus Patterson JR, JT Darien SO, George Whiting SO, Jeff Klamm JR.

Preview – The Wildkits will look to rebuild after finishing eighth in the Lake Park Sectional. Three runners return from that team led by James Moran. September races will give this team ideas of who will step into the top five. Evanston seems to peak at the right time. The state series meets could show what this team has.

 

Frankfort Lincoln-Way East

2017 Finish – 7th, 3A Granite City Sectional

Coach – Ross Widinski

Top Runners – Brett Gardner JR (76, 15:19), Arnulfo Pulido SR, Jake Heimlich SR, Ben Zinsky JR, Noah Gehl JR, Nolan Enright SO, Tom Arndt SR, Luke Fitzgerald SR, Ryan McEldowney JR, Cameron Kavanaugh JR, Matt McCavley JR.

Preview – The Griffiths are a deep team, but it could be tough to better last year’s seventh-place sectional finish. Two runners are back from their top seven. One of those runners is Brett Gardner who could be one of the top runners in 3A. He was fighting off an injury in last year’s state meet when he finished 76th. He rebounded in track running 9:11 for 3200-meters and 4:24 for 1600-meters. “I was pleased with the progress the team made. As student athletes, summer school always takes a few of our better kids away. Hopefully, they continued running on their own,” Ross Widinski said. “As always we just want to maximize our talent and see where it takes us.”

 

Franklin Park/Northlake Leyden

2017 Finish – 15th, 3A Lake Park Sectional

Coach – Brad Henning

Top Runners – Patrick Sarad SR, Julian Munoz SR, Daniel Casarez JR, Jose Garcia JR, Matt Wind SR, Paul Payne SR, Luis Lopez SR, Saul Robles SR, Hayden Szaltis SR, Hector Montes SR, Keith Esbjornson SO, Bryan Luna-Carreno SO.

Preview – Three runners with state series experience return in 2018. Two of those runners ran in the sectional meet where the Eagles finished 15th at Lake Park. Patrick Sarad will be the team’s front runner. Leyden will look to repeat on their second-place finish in the WSC-Gold. “Training went well this summer,” said Brad Henning. “We averaged 4 - 8 more miles per week this summer for our varsity squad.  We included some more tempo runs and a couple of timed "distance" runs this year. Last year we placed 2nd in the WSC behind a strong DGS team and just ahead of Morton.  We will again look to take 2nd in conference and qualify out again as a team to the sectional race.  We are hoping that the training of Patrick and Julian (Munoz)will give them a chance to qualify for the state meet.”

 

Geneva

2017 Finish – 21st, 3A State

Coach – Bob Thomson

Top Runners – Ryan Kredell SR (94, 15:26), Kellen Cesarone SR (177, 16:02), Vladis Slokenbergs JR (179, 16:04), Ben Calusinski SO, Aaron Dewey JR, Jacob Caballero SO, Tim Archibald SO, Nate Walinder SR, Isaiah Roeder SO.

Preview – Geneva suffered a huge loss with Josh Rodgers, who finished 10th in the 3A State Meet, will not run on the team this fall. His family has moved to Colorado. His brother Tom, who was a sophomore, was expected to be one of the runners in the top five. Ryan Kredell will be one of three runners back from Geneva’s 21st state team. The loss of Rodgers could make that state return a little tougher. “With his move, it leaves a big hole on our team.  Having been the conference, regional, and sectional champ not to mention a 10th place All-Stater, you can imagine our loss,” said Bob Thomson. “We did graduate half of our top 12 from last year’s team but feel for the most part, most will be replaced by some of the younger boys that have matured and worked hard to fill in.”

 

Glenview Glenbrook South

2017 Finish – 11th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Coach – Kurt Hasenstein

Top Runners – Will Kelly JR, Charlie Schultz SR, David Lopez SR, Joey Pauletto SR, James Kurtzneil JR, Wade Herrera JR, Will Houser JR, Joey Patronik SR, Aditya Bhalla SR, Jordan Lynch SR.

Preview – Glenbrook South could show some early growing pains with four runners back from their 11th place sectional team. Will Kelly and Charlie Schultz lead this team that could run a 50 second or faster split by the end of this season on their top five. “Other than a few varsity runners I actually backed off on mileage with most of the group due to lack of experience or if they were returning from injuries,” said Kurt Hasenstein. “I hope that we can be competitive in the CSL and State Series.  Junior, Will Kelly (All Conf 2017) should be our front runner and I feel he has the talent and fitness to be in the low 15's this year.”

 

Granite City

2017 Finish – 12th, 3A Granite City Sectional

Coach – Rich Skirball

Top Runners – Andrew O’Keefe SR (100, 15:28), Jeremiah Perry JR, Tony Harold SR, Logan Gilmore JR, Mason Drake SO, Donald James SR, Stephen Glasgow SO, Aaron McKeal SO, Austin Barrett FR.

Preview – The story for Granite City will be the accomplishments of Andrew O’Keefe. The senior did not finish off last fall the way that he wanted. He ran sick in the state meet placing 100th. He rebounded in track with a great state race where he finished second in the 1600 Meter Run where he had a 4:11.68. He will be one of the top runners in 3A. He ran 14:43 at Detweiller Park last September. Five runners are back from last year’s sectional team. “We are a wild card for sure. With so many young and inexperienced guys, it's hard to pinpoint where we are and/or predict where we can be. Therefore, the goal is simplified to work to continue to work hard, gain experience and compete to our highest potential while having FUN doing it, said Richie Skirball. “I believe we are still fighting for the "best of the rest" title in our Regional. Edwardsville and O'Fallon are clear cut favorites and

then there is around a 50-point separation before 3rd. I believe we will fight the Bellevilles and Collinsville for that spot.”

 

Hampshire

2017 Finish – 11th, 2A State

Coach – Dennis Wozniak

Top Runners – Tommy Croissant SR (104, 16:13), Isai Morales SO (118, 16:19), Teddy Lyon SR (162, 16:47), Darius Ngjepi SO, Aiden Moseley SO, Max Beer JR, Sam Lyon JR, Tom Puczek JR, Kyle White JR, Alex Surprise SR, Aiden MacDonald FR.

Preview – Hampshire’s enrollment went up in the past year moving this team from 2A to 3A for this season. The Whips finished 11th last year in the 2A state meet with three runners back from that squad led by Tommy Croissant and Isai Morales. “I know our athletes want a taste of Peoria again,” said Dennis Wozniak. “Last year, the Boys team and an individual girl qualified for the state meet making it the best year in program history.” 

 

Libertyville

2017 Finish – 10th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Coach – Stuart Mendelsohn

Top Runners – Will Garden JR, Max Sauers SR, Ben Johnson SR, Jonathan Timm SR, Matt Smith SR, Matt Beckman SR, Kenneth Miller SR, Bennett Scheunemann JR, Mitch Gifford SR, Nicholas Otto SR, Andrew Brooks FR, Jack Hamilton FR, Peyton Erdal FR, Ali Faiz FR.

Preview – Libertyville will look to rebuild after losing their top runner Alex Tam to graduation. Three runners are back from the team’s 10th place sectional led by Will Gordon. “A lot of returning runners put in the work and show improvement already from the past Track season.  Losing a lot of seniors from the Varsity team made veterans hungry for a chance to earn a spot on the Varsity team,” Stuart Mendelsohn said. “My expectations are for everyone to improve from their previous season.”

 

McHenry

2017 Finish – 13th, 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional

Coach – Kevin Horst

Top Runners – Carlos Montes SO, Caleb Schopen SO, Jessi Garcia JR, Ian Knebl JR, Dylan Jensen JR, Jorge Aragon SO, Will Puls JR, Parker Zancho JR, Brayden Singer JR.

Preview – McHenry lost their top two runners but return their remaining five that were a part of the team’s 13th place sectional finish. This team could be young with sophomores Carlos Montes and Caleb Schopen leading this team in 2018. “This is my third year as head coach and it was the best summer so far,” Kevin Horst said. “All our top boys logged impressive miles the past few months. Attendance for summer workouts was good. Our team expectations this year are to improve on our 2017 Fox Valley Conference finish (4th) and Sectional finish (13th) as a stepping stone towards greater achievements for our young squad in 2019. We have dropped the Palatine Invite this year in order to do less racing and take another weekend off.”

 

Moline

2017 Finish – 11th, 3A Granite City Sectional

Coach – Tauwon Taylor

Top Runners – Tim Wolf JR, Jackson McClellan SO, Nikola Stojanovic SR, Michael Aumuller SR, Spencer Clapper SR, Sam Adams SR, Bryce Johnson SR, Ethan Crist SO, Trae Geyer JR, Cameron Samolitis SR.

Preview – Moline will go after the Western Big 6 title after finishing second a year ago. Five runners are back from the sectional team that finished 11th at the Granite City Sectional. Tim Wolf leads the pack for the Maroons that should be running a five-runner split under 60 seconds.

 

New Lenox Lincoln-Way West

2017 Finish – 10th, 3A Granite City Sectional

Coach – Jason Van Swol

Top Runners – Jonathan Stiglic SR, Robert Macie SO, William Malto SR, Ethan Trost SR, Kyle Auchstetter SR, Nolan Krol JR, Jack Auchstetter SO, Bobby Ryan SO, Jack Quinn SR, Kyle Pearce SR.

Preview – The Warriors have improved and could move closer to a state qualifying position. Six runners are back from the sectional team that finished 10th at the Granite City Sectional. The team continued to tighten their pack during last season. Their split in the sectional race was 38 seconds. Jonathan Stiglic leads the pack with Robert Macie and William Motto close behind.

 

Normal Community

2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Granite City Sectional

Coach – Tom Patten

Top RunnersAjitesh Muppuru SR, Jacob Myers SR, Colin Fitzgerald JR, Drew Toohill SR, Xavier Smith SR, Carter Owen JR, Jacob Haggarty SR, Caleb Rowley JR, Andrew Srob SO, Ben Laube JR.

Preview – Could this team improve on last year’s 8th place sectional finish? The Ironmen could with six runners back from that team led by Ajitesh Muppuru and Jacob Myers. The team again could use tight pack running to move forward. “Seniors Ajitesh Muppuru (15:36), Jacob Myers (15:58), Drew Toohill (16:06) and Xavier Scott (16:37), and juniors Colin Fitzgerald (15:59) and Carter Owen (17:00) look to make it a good year. Strong competition in our conference should help prepare for a good run in the state series,” said Tom Patten.

 

Normal Community West

2017 Finish – 10th, 2A State

Coach – Chad Aubin

Top Runners – Charlie Wetzel JR (16, 15:10), Gabriel Bush SR (57, 15:49), Elijah Bush SO, Sean Daugherty SO, Logan Beck SO, Andrew Stevens SO, Dawson Beck SR, Josh Perry SO, Grayson Talaski SO, Ben Baumgardner JR.

Preview – The Wildcats move from 2A to 3A for the 2018 season. West finished 10th in the 2A State Meet with only two runners back meaning there could be some rebuilding for this team. Charlie Wetzel finished 16th as a sophomore in 2017 and earned all-state honors. He could repeat that this season. He ran 9:27 for 3200-meters qualifying for the 3A State Meet.

 

Oak Park Fenwick

2017 Finish – 16th, 3A Lake Park Sectional

Coach – David Rill

Top Runners – Joseph Wermes SR, Owen Filbin SR, Eric Janc SR, Jared Wermes SR, Chris Brady JR, Joey Schultz SO, Matthew Zuber JR, Julian Maldonado JR, Caden Gierstorf SO, John Carmody SO.

Preview – The Friars should move up in the sectionals returning six of their seven runners that were on the 16th place team. Joseph Wermes again will be the top runner for Fenwick. Their split would need to move under 60 seconds for this team moving into the top ten.

 

Oak Park-River Forest

2017 Finish – 13th, 3A Lake Park Sectional

Coach – Chris Baldwin

Top Runners – Garrett Minich SR, Spencer Thorpe SR, Jack Blatchford JR, Alfonso Acevedo JR, Marcello Robbins SR, Gabe Matesanz SR, Ben Barndt SO, Oliver Green JR, Thomas George JR, Paul Raducha JR.

Preview – The Huskies could be a young squad this fall after the loss of graduated All-State miler Matt Vietzen. Only three runners are back from the sectional team that finished 13th at Lake Park. Senior Garrett Minich should be the top runner this fall for the Huskies. “Our training group this summer was young,” said Chris Baldwin. “A lot of our older athletes were on vacations away from Oak Park so overall we will wait and see the work that got put in. We also had several of our returning top 12 rehabbing from injury, so it was many hard bike workouts which we hope to transfer to the XC course. We don’t have high expectations coming into the season.  Our goal is for everyone in improve upon their times from last year.  We will be in several very competitive meets and we want to see how we fare against the competition.  If we can stay healthy, we should have a solid season for our team.”

 

Oswego

2017 Finish – 6th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Coach – Dan Whipple

Top Runners – Jonathan Zambo SR, Brady Mello SR, Nathan Miller SR, Jacob Bohnert JR, Ivan Garcia SR, Nathan Bradford SO, Kole Schramm JR, Owen Erickson SO, Kyle Kelty SR, Anthony Le Dew JR.

Preview – The Panthers came close to qualifying for state finishing sixth at the Waubonsie Valley Sectional. Three individuals qualified for state. All of those runners graduated. Oswego has only their sixth and seventh runners back from that team. The team should rely on pack running led by seniors Jonathan Zambo and Brady Mello. There is talent on this team that could run within 30 seconds of each other in the top five. Moving that pack up during the season will be something to watch.

 

Plainfield Central

2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Plainfield South Regional

Coach – Jeff Purdom

Top Runners – Jonathan Goetsch SR, Javy Garcia SR, Ryan Bonomo JR, Tommy Adelmann SO, Austin Emrath JR, Dean Eubanks JR, Ryan Kodura JR, Dustyn Perona JR, Aiden Haughian SO, Colin Graefen SO, Cam Mulyk FR.

Preview – The Wildcats look to take the next step up after finishing eighth in last year’s regional race. Jonathan Goetsch leads six of last year’s top seven runners back. Their split on five was close to 100 seconds at times in 2017. That will need to come down for improvement in the state series. “The guys had a really strong summer,” said Jeff Purdom. “They really committed to getting better. Our core group was putting in more mileage while still adding in a focus on pure speed and general strength. he team returns 6 of our top 7 from last year. The guys are a year stronger and have really committed to getting better this summer. Javy Garcia is a natural leader and has helped to push this group. Austin Emrath had a great spring and will be a key contributor. Tommy Adelmann and Ryan Bonomo should also be in the mix for us. Based on the energy and commitment this summer I know the guys have their sights set on running well into November.”

 

Plainfield North

2017 Finish – 8th, 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional

Coach – Andy Derks

Top Runners – Jack Anderson SR, Nick Lowe SR, Matthew Thomas JR, Sean Curran JR, Ryan Maseman SO, Josh Peal JR, Jack Patton JR, Michael Schmauderer JR, Tommy Tracey SR, Andrew Radulovich SO, Matt Schmauderer FR, Cooper Shelton FR, Suchir Sumant FR, Eli DeBrock FR, Nick Simpson FR.

Preview – The Tigers could make it to state but will need to do some work to get there. There summer training they have showed is a start. Plainfield North lost their top three of their top four runners to graduation. Jack Anderson lead a team that could be deeper than they were in 2017. Keeping their five-runner split under 60 seconds and moving that pack forward could get this team back to Peoria.

“Our expectations are to put ourselves in position to be a state qualifying team and win a conference championship,” Andy Derks said. “We also have what could potentially be a very strong FS team, so they have their own goals for competing for a conference championship.  Last year's varsity team was very top heavy, but we lacked depth.  This year it feels like we may not be as strong up front, but we have a lot more depth. We cannot control what other teams do, but we expect to improve our training, improve our toughness, our ability to run close to teammates out on the course, and ultimately shatter any previous limitations we place on ourselves and what we can do.  We have a state qualifying capable group, and it will be fun to see how we respond to the challenge and how new leaders emerge.  We lacked focus in the past, but this year's group seems to be very driven to make a name for themselves.  We have talked a lot about risk and embracing the fear of the possibility of failure.  We do not have a "play it safe" group this year.  It's going to be a lot of fun.”

 

Skokie Niles North

2017 Finish – 11th, 3A Lake Park Sectional

Coach – Jonathan Roberts

Top Runners – Charlie Montgomery SR, Seth Rizzari SR, Aaron Brown JR, Jay Patel SR, Khoush Patel SR, Max Battle SR, Eugene Domingo SR, Kaspar Goralczyk JR, Matthew Espinosa JR, Kyle Kenmotsu SO.

Preview Jonathan Roberts steps in as the new coach for Niles North. Roberts welcomes two runners from their 11th place sectional finish. Charlie Montgomery should be the team’s front runner. “We expect to have our best races towards the end of the year,” Roberts said. “Qualifying for the sectional meet will be a big goal for us.  But having our best race at the sectional is even more important.”

 

South Elgin

2017 Finish – 18th, 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

Coach – Kari Turcan

Top Runners – Ryan Harvey JR, Jace Warrick SR, Shaun McBride SR, Aidan Lewis SR, Derryl Barnes JR, Andrew Jo JR, Nathan Gallo JR, David Hahn SR, Pranav Khare JR, Christian Gleba SO.

Preview – The Storm could move up in the sectional standings. Two runners are back on the team that finished 18th in the Waubonsie Valley Sectional. Ryan Harvey showed improvement at the end of the season running as the team’s third runner in the regional meet and fourth runner in the sectional. He will challenge for the top spot on this team with Jace Warrick. The top five will need to move up as the season progresses. The potential is there for this team to run a five-runner split under 50 seconds.

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