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2019 ILXCTF Illinois HS XC Season Previews - Class 1A Boys TeamsPublished by
Stanford Olympia pack leads them to the front
Photo: ©2018 Laura Duffy
By Michael Newman
The storyline of last year’s Class 1A team race started the first week of the season when then eighth ranked Clifton Central “surprised” Monticello in an early season meet. Clifton Central never relinquished that top spot on their way to winning their first state championship in the program’s history. Elmwood-Brimfield came within four points of the state title but had to settle for second ahead of Monticello. Stanford Olympia had a strong season in 2018 but came up short finishing fourth at Detweiller Park. When projections were done for the upcoming season at the end of June, it was Olympia that had the edge over the three above mentioned schools. It changed about a week ago when it was discovered that Olympia received a transfer from Tennessee, Dylan Bennet. The sophomore should be a factor on this team that returns their entire top seven. It just puts this team a notch ahead of the rest of the pack. Elmwood-Brimfield will be a team to watch per usual. Defending state champion Clifton Central will again be tough with Monticello and Urbana University in the mix. Here is a look at the projected top 25 teams for the start of this season in Class 1A. We will also look at some of the other teams to keep an eye on in this classification.
Top 25
1 – Stanford (Olympia) 2018 Finish – 4th IHSA 1A State Coach – Mike Neisler Runners to Watch – Jon Neville SR (43, 15:50), Logan Wheeler JR (50, 15:53), Charlie Kistner JR (57, 15:57), Anthony Ragland SO (65, 16:00), Carter Fairfield SO (97, 16:20), Parker Kistner SR (103, 16:24), Owen Dare SO (168, 17:16), Dylan Bennet SO (transferred from Siegel TN, winter 2019), Alec Pfeffer JR, Lucas Lawless JR. Preview – One of the reasons why Stanford Olympia was projected in the top spot is that they return al of last year’s fourth-place state team. Their split in that race was 30 seconds on their top five. It was 41 seconds in their sectional race. The one thing that prevented the Spartans from getting on the podium at Detweiller Park is that their pack started with Jon Neville’s 43rd place finish. That pack and where the pack starts this fall starts with the transfer in of Dylan Bennet. The sophomore transferred from Siegel, Tennessee just before the start of the Illinois indoor season where he was a part of Olympia’s all-state quartet in the 4x800 Meter Relay. Bennet was Siegel’s fourth runner when Siegel won the Tennessee D-1 Large State Championship. When doing the projections for Stanford Olympia, Bennet is ranked as one of the top ten runners in Class 1A this fall. It will be interesting to see who he converts o Illinois High School Cross Country running this fall. My sense is that he will be a good fit. Neville should challenge for a top 25 finish and could be close to Bennet. Their pack of Logan Wheeler, Charlie Kistner, and Anthony Ragland improved during the track season and should be close to each other. Carter Fairfield and Parker Kistner also showed improvement last spring and will challenge for one of the top five scoring spots. A team that is in good position in a race running close to each other is a team that is tough to beat. A team that can do that and is running with a chip on their shoulder makes them that more dangerous. Such is the case for Olympia. “Our team being so close last year has motivated these guys,” said Olympia Coach Michael Neisler. “I'm sure they are going to have a state trophy as a goal. we will go about business the way we always do. We will just take it one meet at a time, try to stay healthy, and compete as well as we can at the end of the season.” If you just look at their one to four split at state, it was only 10 seconds. Add in Bennet up front with Neville and this team will be tough to beat.
2 – Monticello 2018 Finish – 3rd IHSA 1A State Coach – David Remmert Runners to Watch – Luke Sokolowski JR (62, 15:59), Morgan Dixon JR (64, 15:59), Josh Bayshore JR (88, 16:15), Holden Miller JR (101, 16:23), Ed Mitchell SO, Joey Wenke JR, Jackson Grambart SO, Shawn Darby JR, Jacob Trent SO, Jacob Wilkin SR. Preview – The Sages were in the spotlight a year ago as one of the top three teams in Class 1A. They left Detweiller Park with the Class 1A third-place trophy. Three runners have graduated including last year’s state runner-up Garrett Dixon. Their projected top seven looks to be all underclassmen, but underclassmen that have that big meet experience. One of the runners expected to step up is junior Luke Sokolowski. The junior took the lead with 800-meters to go in the Class 2A 1600 Meter Run state finals in May. He ended up with all-state honors placing fifth. That race may have been the “switch flipping on” moment. Sokolowski was slowed down last summer with a stress fracture. He ended up as the team’s second runner at state. This year finishing in the top 20 in November could be a good bet. “I was particularly impressed early on with Morgan Dixon,” Monticello Coach David Remmert said about Dixon’s summer training. “Something clicked within him and especially compared to last summer, he has really stepped up.” Dixon finished right with Sokolowski last state meet. Dixon continuing that trend staying with his teammate makes this team tough. The teams two through five split last November at Detweiller Park was only 16 seconds. This squad will need a similar split. It depends who steps into the fifth spot. It could be Ed Mitchell or Joey Wenke that could hang close to Josh Bayshore or Holden Miller. Their split on five is projected to be 51 seconds off Sokolowski being up front. The pack split (two to five) could be around 30 seconds. That could be enough to capture another state trophy. “I see a theme each year that I coach. Some dive right in, and it is obvious to see the desire. They show up to every summer team run. Others come only on occasion, still others don’t come much at all and then think they can contribute,” Remmert added. “The program thrives around the ones who are passionate about it. I can’t coach passion. The kids have to bring that. Pat Summitt, the famed coach of the Tennessee Women’s basketball team, used to say that you have to start your own engine. I firmly believe that.”
3 – Elmwood-Brimfield 2018 Finish – 2nd IHSA 1A State Coach – Gregg Meyers Runners to Watch – Luke Hoffmann JR (29, 15:38), Thomas Harmon SO (41, 15:49), Alex Keller SR (56, 15:57), Blake Rosenbohm JR (80, 16:11), Victor Lampe JR (125, 16:44), Thomas Adkins SR, Tyler Sheridan JR, Jacoby McKown SO, Eli McKinty SR, Nick Feller SO. Preview – The one thing that you can say about Elmwood-Brimfield Cross-Country is that you can always count on their team to be in contention for a trophy. Such is the case this season after finishing second in last year’s Class 1A State Meet. This will be another reloading year with Elmwood losing two of their top five runners to graduation. The depth is there to counter those losses. “Our training went well this year,” said Gregg Meyers. “Most of our runners got good mileage in this summer. They are group of guys that get along very well and love training together. So, we are happy with the base they were able to build this summer.” Luke Hoffmann just missed all-state honors last year placing 29th. He will be in the mix for the top 15 this fall. Thomas Harmon and Alex Keller gives the Trojans a solid nucleus to build their pack from. One or both would not be a surprise to finish in the top 25. Their split is projected to be around 50 to 55 seconds. A lower split around 40 seconds could give them a state championship. “All our guys want to show improvement on last year's personal performances and continue to be one of those teams that has a chance at a trophy at the end of the year,” said Meyers. This team typically starts out slow but peaks and runs their best when the state series arrives.
4 – Urbana (University) 2018 Finish – 5th IHSA 1A State Coach – Doug Mynatt Runners to Watch – Aryan Lalwani JR (20, 15:29), Nicolas Kamkumar SR (42, 15:49), Henry Kraatz SR (45, 15:50), Matty Tang SR (68, 16:02), Henry Laufenberg SO (137, 16:51), Aniket Gargya JR (143, 16:53), Ethan Ashbrook SR (173, 17:23), Alex Dolcos JR, Sasha Rushing SR, Dylan Bowman SR, Ray Jones JR. Preview – A team that could be in contention for a trophy if not the Class 1A state championship. The talent is there to accomplish that. All seven runners are back from last year’s state team that finished fifth. “It’s always challenging for us to get everyone together in the same place, at the same time, over the summer,” U-High Coach Doug Mynatt said. “However, the efforts I did see from our team leaders were possibly the best I’ve seen since I’ve been at Uni. They worked harder together over the summer than any group I can recall.” Aryan Lalwani took a step up during the track season dropping his 3200-meters personal best under 10-minutes (9:57.61). Lalwani finished 20th last November and will be in the hunt for a top 10 state finish. He was also be the top runner for this team. A plus is the return back of Alex Dolcos who did not run last fall but was a top seven runner as a freshman. He will give this team a boost in the top five. Henry Kraatz, Henry Laufenberg, Matty Tang, and Ray Jones will also challenge for the top five. This team had a good summer and those results should pay off by the time they get to the state series. “After an 8th place finish in 2017 and a 5th place finish in 2018, expectations are understandably high and that’s what fueled the fire this summer.,” Mynatt added. The split from two to five behind Lalwani was 62 seconds at the 2018 State Meet. The work put in this summer should decrease that split. U-High does have that mojo, that talent, to bring back a trophy from Peoria in November.
5 – Clifton (Central) 2018 Finish – IHSA 1A State Champions Coach – David Ladehoff Runners to Watch - Isaiah Ditta SR (15, 15:18), Trevor Swanson SR (33, 15:40), Jarod Snejberg SR (66, 16:01), Blake Stua SR (77, 16:07), Christian Ladehoff JR (136, 16:50), Caden Chamness SR (142, 16:53), Hunter Davis SO, Carter Swanson FR. Preview – No one expected Clifton Central to win the Class 1A Boys title except for the team, their families, and their coaches last year. It is a different scenario this year for the defending state champions. They are not an unknown entity but a team that will have a target on their back when they step to the line for every race this season. Clifton Central thought they could be a factor last year after the Bix 7 Miler in the Quad Cities. The same holds true this year. “I ran 8 at the Quad Cities Bix 7 on July 27th. (7 mile race),” said their coach David Ladehof. “Isaiah was 74th in 39:27 (5:38/mi), Trevor 83rd in 39:53, Jerod 103rd in 40:38, Blake 183rd in 43:52, Caden 246th in 45:37(6:31/mi), Christian 292nd in 46:38, Hunter 393rd in 48:42, and Carter in 859th in 54:28. There were 7,739 runners this year. Hilly course; 87F. So hotter conditions and the runners are at or better than last years’ times.” Six runners are back from the championship team led by Isaiah Ditta who will be one of the individual state favorites. Trevor Swanson and Jarod Snejberg give the Comets strong two-three runners. Blake Stua was six seconds behind Snejberg at state and will need to stay close. A key will be finding a fifth runner. Their split off Ditta last year was 49 seconds. This year at this point it is projected at close to 90 to 95 seconds. That split will need to come down in order to defend their state title. “Through either superstition or hard work ethic or both, we are meeting the challenge to repeat as state champions by doing the things that worked last year with more intensity and longer duration,” Ladehoff said. “Last season we didn’t feel that we had a target on our backs, it was just coming off the Bix race. Only racing 3 miles was so much easier and quicker. The boys are definitely a closer group this summer than 2018 with the way vacations went for the runners. All are healthy and hungry for the season to begin.”
6 – Robinson 2018 Finish – 6th IHSA 1A State Coach – Tony Cork Runners to Watch – Negus Bogard SR (3, 15:06), Maverick Wright SR (35, 15:14), Koty Amdahl SR (93, 16:19), Parker Middleton JR (107, 16:25), Zach Buttolph SR (150, 17:02), Carter Shew SO, Cameron Shew FR, Evan Ferris FR, Donnie Tillman FR. Preview – It will be interesting to see how this team develops. Only nine runners are on the roster, five of which ran in last year’s state meet. Health and staying away from injuries will be important than any other Class 1A schools. Maverick Wright almost did not come out for the team but changed his mind to run instead of play football. It may take a little for him to get into shape. Zach Buttolph, who should be in the top five, has battled pneumonia the past three weeks and is slowly getting back into the running routine. The Maroons could be a little bit behind early, but not for their top runner. Negus Bogard, their top runner and last year’s third-place state finisher, is having a strong summer of running and is ready to go after an individual state championship. “We have got to stay healthy due to our low numbers, but we hope to get this team to state again if we work hard and stay healthy,” said their coach Tony Cork. By October, this could be a team that will challenge for a finish in the top five.
7 – Benton 2018 Finish – 19th IHSA 1A State Coach – Brent McLain Runners to Watch – Reece Johnson JR (transfer from Neoga IL, 51, 15:55), Joey Sample SR (70, 16:02, Chase Owens SO (102, 16:24), Brady Gischer SR (124, 16:44), Parker Sieveking SO (195, 17:53), Jay Simmons SO, Kaden Beadle JR. Preview – This team could be a top ten force when we get to October and the state series. Their top returning runner Joey Sample had kidney stones that caused him to miss three weeks according to their coach Brent McLain. It will help that they did get some help into the program. Reece Johnson finished 51st last year while attending Neoga High School. He could be among the top 25 state finishers in 2019. Johnson and a healthy Sample gives Benton a strong 1-2 punch in the front. Brady Gischer has improved over the summer and should be close to third runner Chase Owens. The key is getting a fifth runner to get close to their three / four pack. A split from two to five needs to stay under 55 to 60 seconds for this team to be a factor in the state title chase. A good bet to return to the state meet to improve on last year’s 19th place finish.
8 – El Paso-Gridley 2018 Finish – 7th IHSA 1A State Coach – Michael Melick Runners to Watch – Asa Smith SO (87, 16:15), Mason Ringger JR (94, 16:19), Matt Ingalsbe SR (98, 6:20), Nathan DeMarb JR (147, 16:58), Noah Ludy SO (181, 17:29), Sebastian Meyer JR, Aidan Mann SR, Kayden Dewispeleare JR, Brett Endress SR, Sam Bushert FR, Payton Romersberger FR. Preview – It could be tough for the Titans to improve on last year’s seventh-place finish especially after the loss of all-state runner Noah Smith and Bo Halvorson to graduation. Then again, nothing is impossible. The remaining five runners are back for the 2019 led by their third state runner Asa Smith. The sophomore ran 16:16 last year as a freshman. The team has the potential and are projected to have an 80 second split on their top five. Their split from Smith to Mason Ringger to Matt Ingalsbe were a mere five seconds. A key is moving that pack up with a runner in the first 40. “We are going to try to get back to State,” said their Coach Michael Melick. “Since none of the kids on our 2019 roster were sub-16 at State last year, that is going to be a tall task. Elmwood is going to be back again as they always are, Olympia is my early pick to win it all, Athens has a large group of hungry seniors, Clinton is a program that is coming on strong, and our Sectional has about ten more programs that are perennial quality programs making it a fight to advance.”
9 – Athens 2018 Finish – 11th IHSA 1A State Coach – Kerry Trueblood Runners to Watch – Noah McIntyre SR (19, 15:27), Joseph Goodenow SR (75, 16:06), James Goodenow SR (115, 16:37), Will Hill SR (12, 16:46), Kyle Sholtis SR (184, 17:33), Hayden Thomas JR (213, 18:33). Preview – This will be an interesting year for this group as they will try to improve on last year’s 11th place state finish. Five of the runners of the top six returning are seniors. Do you think they will be motivated for that one last time for a state title? I am guessing they will. Noah McIntyre again will lead this time. McIntyre developed into one of the top Class 1A distance runners first winning at Illinois Top Times indoors at 1600-meters and then finishing second in Charleston last May. He will be challenging for the individual title when we get to November. Brothers Joseph and James Goodenow lead a strong pack behind McIntyre. Their top five split at last year’s state meet was 79 seconds. They will need at least that type of split throughout this season in order to challenge for a trophy.
10 – Glen Carbon (Father McGivney) 2018 Finish – 14th IHSA 1A State Coach – Jim Helton Runners to Watch – Tyler Guthrie JR (30, 15:38), Zachary Brasel SR (90, 16:17), Tanner Fox JR (106, 16:26), Brandon Arhing JR (186, 17:35), Andrew Dupy JR (189, 17:46), Clayton Scott SR, Noah Beltramea JR, Christian Logue JR, Nolan Shearer FR, Riley Strack FR. Preview – It is amazing the progress that this “new” xc program has mad going from a sectional and to state in its first two years of existence. The Griffins finished 14th in last year’s state meet. A finish in the top 10 is not out of the question especially with five runners from last year’s team coming back. They will miss Diego Pacheco, last year’s fourth runner, who has an injury from soccer and will not be able to run. Tyler Guthrie should be the team’s top runner and is a possibility to finish among the state’s top 15. Zachary Brasel and Tanner Fox will lead the pack behind Guthrie. “Over the past couple years, we've gradually increased our volume and intensity; started a track program; and getting buy-in from our student athletes,” Coach Jim Helton said. “Two years ago, XC qualified for Sectionals, last year State, now let’s look at top-10. In track in our first year, one state qualifier, then this past year two individuals and a 4 x 800m relay team.” To get into the top ten, they have to have a top five split under 78 seconds. The top five split last year at Peoria was 87 seconds. Heading into the season, that split is expected to be at 90 seconds. There is plenty of time for that split to be lowered. I would not count out this squad from making it into the top 10 or maybe near fifth. Their trust in each other and their work will show during the state series.
11 – Eureka 2018 Finish – 10th IHSA 1A State Coach – Olivia Morris Runners to Watch – Jack Cook SR (39, 15:46), Mitchell Danner JR (117, 16:38), Luke Albertson SR (155, 17:05), Cade Walder JR, Ryan Strawn SR, Matt Nowatney SR, Austin Rocke SR, Noah King SO, Ben Donovan SO, Charlie Bardwell FR, Sye Vanmiddlesworth FR, Gabe Royer FR. Preview – Eureka will look to contend for another top 10 finish after placing tenth a year ago. Three runners are back from that team. “Our training went well, our numbers were up for our morning runs,” said Eureka coach Olivia Morris. “We are young, so a lot of the summer was focused on how to get through a run without stopping and different fundamentals of running. A lot of our older guys work in the summer, so the older guys ran on their own, they seemed to hold each other accountable through their Garmin Watches.” Jack Cook finished in the top 40 last year and will push for a finish in the top 25. Mitchell Danner and Luke Albertson are the other returning runners and will be the nucleus of their pack. Their split on the top five is projected to be close to 90 seconds. That will need to be brought down in order for the Hornets to improve on last year’s finish. “We graduated 4 runners that were in our top 6, so I think the boys are excited to be competitive for those top 5 spots,” added Morris. “We are expecting some guys to really step up and fill in some open spots in our top 7. I think every run, workout, and race, will be gauged towards improvement on the last, working together, and being competitive.
12 – Freeburg 2018 Finish – 12th IHSA 1A State Coach – Carl Florczyk Runners to Watch – McKallen Smith SR (86, 16:15), Cade Smith JR (96, 16:19), Keary Thompson SO (130, 16:46), Evan Wilkerson JR (149, 17:01), Jack Parker SR, Kyle Troutman SO, Aidan Schlichting SR, James Trentman JR, Joshua Merz JR, Alex Aguirre SR. Preview -
13 – Chicago (University) 2018 Finish – 8th IHSA 1A State Coach – Alex Clark Runners to Watch – Luke Sikora SR (26, 15:35), Nicky Edwards-Levin JR (32, 15:40), Eli Ginsburg SO (179, 17:28), Zachary Gin SO (179, 17:28), Gideon Mitchell JR (190, 17:48), Ethan Light SR, David Grieve FR. Preview – U-High surprised some last fall finishing in the top 10 placing eight. That helped from having three runners in the first 40. One of those runners, Abraham Zelchenko graduated. The possibility of having two runners in the top 25 is good. “Summer training is always a bit of a struggle for our team,” said U-High Coach Alex Clark. “They are all very busy with different activities and vacations. However, some of our top guys put in some solid mileage as of late and are getting ready for the season.” Luke Sikora just missed the top 25 and Nicky Edwards-Levin placed 40th last year. Both runners are capable of finishing in the top 20 in Peoria. Zachary Gin and Gideon Mitchell had good summers of training according to Clark and could move closer to Eli Ginsburg when their racing season begins. Added Clark: “Our top 2, Luke and Nicky, have some high goals that I believe they can achieve. They want to earn All-State honors in Peoria. I think we can be just as good, if not better than we were as a team last year, where we finished 8th at State. I would like to see them finish in the top 10 again.”
14 – Rockford (Christian) 2018 Finish – 6th 2A Woodstock North Sectional Coach – Randy Moore Runners to Watch – D’Artagnon Beaver JR, Stephen Thomas JR, Carter Fryer SR, JT Emenecker SR, Ben Capriola SO, Ethan Walsh SO, Tony Chen SO, Ian Kissick JR, Jonathan Kempe JR, Adison Elliott SO, Aidan Sosnowski FR, Tyler Emenecker FR. Preview – It was a detour year for Rockford Christian moving up to Class 2A for the Class 2A season due to the “IHSA Success Factor”. They just missed a trip to state by finishing sixth at the Class 2A Woodstock North Sectional. Their multi All-State runner Riley Wells has graduated and now at Illinois State University. This team is young, but talented. Only three runners are back from their sectional team. D’Artagnon Beaver and Carter Fryer are the only runners that have run in the state meet on this squad according to their coach Randy Moore. That was in a supporting role. Now they will lead this team. Steen Thomas is the other runner back from the sectional race. He will challenge for the top spot. Ben Capriola and Ethan Walsh, both sophomores, had great summer training and will be factors in their top five. There could be no stars in the front for the Royal Lions. We should see some solid front running from this group. “This is the first season in many years where we don’t have a proven superstar #1 leading the pack. We are a young team with only Carter Fryer and D’Artagnon Beaver having state meet experience at Detweiller as role players,” Moore said. “The boys are hungry to get this squad to the state meet. My job will be to make sure their primary focus is not on “what” they want to achieve, but rather on “how” and “why” they train and compete. I expect this will be a fun and challenging season with a lot of improvement and enthusiasm.”
15 – Clinton 2018 Finish – 7th 1A Elmwood Sectional Coach – Daniel Andrews Runners to Watch – Ian Hale SR, Terry Hendrix SR, Ethan Black JR, Ty Brennan SR, Aidan Shanks SO, Brennen Wolfe JR, Max Stauffer SR, Jacob Phillips SR, Skyler Williamson SR, Evan Deavers SR, Ethan O’Daniell SR. Preview – Clinton could be a surprise in November if they can just get to the state meet. The talent is there to accomplish that feat. The Maroons return their top four runners and six of their seven from last year’s seventh-place sectional team. If they return to the Elmwood Sectional (which is loaded with talent), it will make their task just that much tougher. Clinton is up for that challenge. Two seniors, Ian Hale and Ty Brennan, could be the front runners for this team. Both ran mile time trials 30 to 35 seconds faster than last year according to their Coach Dan Andrews. Ethan Black, Terry Hendrix, and Aidan Shanks look to be the other runners in the top five. The team split on five projects to be close to 45 seconds. They key is moving that pack closer to the front. Their improvement over the summer is a reason why they could accomplish that. “Our expectations will never change, we compete for Conference, Regional, and Sectional titles one step at a time in the process,” Andrews said. “We try to control what we can control in the process. We have no idea where we are going to run at Regionals or Sectionals until the IHSA releases that information and when they do you can't worry about it. We can only expect that our regional and sectional in 1A will be the toughest one and so we treat it that way.
16 – Springfield (Sacred Heart-Griffin) 2018 Finish – 10th 2A Decatur MacArthur Sectional Coach – Joshua Blohm Runners to Watch – Grant Sarnowski SR, Jacob Coady SR, August Davis SR, Nathaniel Bell JR, Max Kersting SO, Martin McGrath JR, Daniel Cavanaugh SR, Tyler Johannes SR, James O’Reilly SO, Charlie Pittman SO. Preview – A team that will benefit of the move from Class 2A to Class 1A. The Cyclones are loaded with talent with six of their top seven that finished 10th in the Class 2A Decatur MacArthur Sectional. Grant Sarnowski should be a surprise in the Class 1A individuals race this fall. His training has gone extremely well this summer according to his Coach Josh Bluhm. Jacob Coady and August Davis should be leading the pack behind Sarnowski. The top five split will of course be important if Sacred Heart-griffin wants to advance to the state meet. Their split in the 2A sectional race on their top five was 51 seconds. A split similar to that could put the Cyclones in position to qualifying for a starting spot at Detweiller Park in November.
17 – Joliet (Catholic Academy) 2018 Finish – 26th IHSA 1A State Coach – Jason Midlock Runners to Watch – Marcus Porchia SR (121, 16:43), Owen O’Connor SO (140, 16:52), Jacob Capalbo JR (148, 17:00), Andrew Carlette SO (154, 17:05), Zach Bertino JR (165, 17:12), Michael Rodriguez SR (201, 18:02), Luke Spotafora SR, Noah Jones JR, Xander Allgood SO, Zach Pekol FR, Luke Pekol FR. Preview – It will be interesting to see what this team does this fall. It was a young squad in 2018. Their coach Jason Midlock made the smart move of keeping their frosh-soph runners down until the regional meets. Six of the top seven runners from their state team are back. Four of those runners are either juniors or sophomores. They had good pack running in the state meet led by Marcus Porchia. Their split on the top five runners was only 22 seconds. Porchia finished 121st as their top finishers. A key for this team is moving farther up in races. That could bring them a top 15 state finish. “I am excited to see what the boys team can accomplish this year,” Midlock said. “They had a taste of success by becoming the first boys team in school history to qualify for the state meet. I hope that they build of that experience and take another step forward.”
18 – Herscher 2018 Finish – 23rd IHSA 1A State Coach – Rick Livesey Runners to Watch – Drew Rogers SO (11, 15:16), Kamden Lockwood JR (104, 16:26), Ben Morgan SO (160, 17:0), Trevor Stutz JR (169, 17:16), Connor Joffe JR (199, 17:57), Blaine Dodds SO (205, 18:15), Andrew Jackubowski SR, Brock Altenberger SO, Tyler Latty SO. Preview – Six runners are back from the Herscher state team that finished 23rd in 2018. Drew Rogers had a breakout freshman season last fall concluding with a 11th place finish at the state meet. He will be one of the runners that will contend for the state title in November. This team can make it back to state but will need to cut down their second through fifth runner split. It was 75 seconds last year. If Kamden Underwood can run under 16-minutes at the end of the year with a split under 60 seconds, this team could make a repeat trip to Detweiller Park.
19 – Paxton-Buckley-Loda 2018 Finish – 20th IHSA 1A State Coach – Dustin Franckey Runners to Watch – Ryder James SO (12, 15:17), Jesse Barfield SO (152, 17:04), Keegan Busboom SO (172, 17:22), Ashton Goss JR (176, 17:27), Nik Schnabel SR, Trevor Morse SR, Paul Cleary JR, Liam McCullin JR. Preview – The Panthers could be reloading this fall after losing three of their top seven runners from their 20th place state team. One runner we should see back in Peoria is Ryder James. The sophomore had a great freshman season finishing 12th at Detweiller Park. He is a certainty to be in the hunt for the individual state title. A key will be how their top five develops behind James. Nik Schnabel and Jesse Barfield could lead the pack that could have a split under 60 seconds. “My guys squad wants to bring the Twin Valley Conference trophy back to PBL….they know who they’ll have to knock off,” said PBL Coach Dustin Franckey. “They also want to be in the top 15 in the state in November.”
20 – Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy) 2018 Finish – 11th 2A Woodstock North Sectional Coach – Steven Bland Runners to Watch – Matthew Olech JR (41, 15:37), Hayden Colclasure JR, Eric Richter SR, Josh Peterson SR, Sam Morris SR, Carson Welsh SO, Cannon Lambert SO. Daniel Winkelman FR. Preview – A one year move to Class 2A could pay dividends or the Lions this fall. They finished 11th at the 2A Woodstock North Sectional. Heading into the summer, it looked like their entire top seven would be returning. But that changed. Two of their top five runners will not be coming out with one of the runners transferring out. There is also a question if individual state qualifier from last year Matthew Olech will run. He may opt to play soccer this fall. If the junior decides to run, he could be a difference maker on this team possibly finishing in the top 15 this November. Olech ran 9:51 for 3200-meters and 4:33 for 1600-meters last spring. Hayden Colclasure or Eric Richter should be the front runners if Olech decides not to run. The addition of freshman Daniel Winkelman will also help. He finished fourth in the IESA 1A Eighth Grade State Meet last October and could be an immediate impact. “The athletes and I think we will have a solid year,” said their coach Steven Bland. “We are hoping to make it back to state after missing out last year which was a big disappointment.”
21 – Chicago (Latin School) 2018 Finish – 23rd IHSA 2A State Coach – Dan Daly Runners to Watch – Ryan Hardiman SO (159, 16:48), Henry Coleman JR (161, 16:49), Will Benford SO (175, 17:05), Noah Reese-Clauson JR (204, 17:48), Peter Bernhardt JR, Akili Parekh FR, Matthew Kothcher FR, Will Breman FR, Will Del Hierro FR, Ajay Ragaga SR, Ronan Hussar SO, Charlie Gray SO. Preview – There will be a number of different scenarios for the Romans. The first is that Latin School was moved back down to Class 1A. They finished 23rd in 2A a year ago. The second is their top runner Harry Woodprince transferred to Loyola Academy. “We lose Harry Woodprince who transferred to Loyola Academy,” said their coach Dan Daly. “That hurts on the front end since Harry was our #1 and is such a talented runner. However, our team will have greater depth and a tighter pack this season.” That pack will start with Ryan Hardiman or Henry Coleman that finished within a second of each other at state. A strong freshman group enters Latin School led by Akili Parekh. This is a team that was a solid top 15 team entering the season with Woodprince. Now with this pack, they border on a top 25 team. We will get a better idea of how good this pack will be in September. Right now, the Romans stay in the top 25.
22 – Effingham (St. Anthony) 2018 Finish – 9th 1A St. Teresa Sectional Coach – Eric Zeller Runners to Watch – Brian Dust JR, Ty Wiedman JR, Drew Dust JR, Kennan Walsh JR, Mick Willenborg SO, Austin Faber JR, Noah Tegeler JR, James Schuette JR, Dylan Helmink JR. Preview – St. Anthony should take another step up the ladder in 2019. Their sophomore dominated team finished ninth in the St. Teresa Sectional last year. This squad is a year older. Brian Dust was the team’s top runner in their final race last October. The spilt on their top five was 84 seconds with Dust 38 seconds ahead of the pack. An overall split of 60 seconds and closing the gap on their top runners would mean big things for St. Anthony this fall.
23 – Niles (Northridge Prep) 2018 Finish – 9th IHSA 1A State Coach – Mike Egle Runners to Watch – Andrew Brockmeier JR (71, 16:03), Dan Gomez SR (112, 16:35), Aidan Martin JR (118, 16:41), John Pins JR (194, 17:53), Anthony Vasquez JR (204, 18:10), Max Elder FR, Jack Constanzo JR, Kambi Obioha JR, Sam Schuler JR, Dominic Bitello JR, Nathan Gomez SR. Preview – It was quite a 2018-19 school year for the Northridge Prep Boys Distance squad. They first surprised some by finishing ninth in the 1A State Meet last November. In the spring, their quartet finished second in the Class 1A 4x800m Relay. So, what is next for Mike Egle’s squad? Five runners are back from last year’s state team but will miss their top two runners Brian Walsh and Aidan Dunaway who graduated. Andrew Brockmeier and Aidan Martin had a good training summer and will challenge for the top spot. Both have the talent to finish in the top 50 in November. The addition of freshman Max Elder could boost the hopes of this team. Egle thinks that this team is top 20 capable. I agree that we could see them ranked that high by the time we get to the state series or perhaps higher.
24 – St. Joseph-Ogden 2018 Finish – 6th 1A St. Teresa Sectional Coach – Jason Retz Runners to Watch – Brandon Mattsey JR, Eric Poe SR, Charlie Mabry SO, Elijah Mock SO, Luke Stegall SO, Braden Clampitt SO, Gabe Preston JR, Lukas Hutcherson JR. Preview – The Spartans were close to making the trip to Detweiller Park but fell 5 points short in finishing sixth last year at the St. Teresa Sectional. The vision to make it back to state is strong for this squad. Five runners are back from that team. “We had several that will be looking to make a jump this fall,” said SJO Coach Jason Retz “Our TEAM attitude and culture greatly improved and is ready to take on the challenges of being the 6th place team at the sectional a year ago.” This team will run with good pack running led by Brandon Massey. Eric Poe and Charlie Mabry should lead the two to five pack but will need to stay within 20 seconds of Massey with an overall 55 second split. “Our expectations are to get the work in day in and day out,” added Retz. “It's not one thing that is important, but the sum of the parts. If they can continue to work, they will continue to see growing success in seasons ahead.”
25 – Deer Creek-Mackinaw 2018 Finish – 6th 1A Elmwood Sectional Coach – Sam Ingram Runners to Watch – Colby Johnson SR (8, 15:12), John Blumeyer JR, Tayte Albritton SO, Tyler Spurlock JR, Garrett Forrest SR, Dade Wilson SR, Colton Knowles SO, Hunter Johnson JR, Lane Thomann SO. Preview – The Chiefs have five runners returning from the 2018 sixth-place finish at the Elmwood Sectional. Colby Johnson and John Blumeyer give this team a solid 1-2 punch in the front. Johnson’s break through race came at Detweiller Park when he finished eighth in the 1A State race. He had finished fifth the week before in his sectional. It could be tough to make it as a team to Peoria especially in as tough a sectional as Elmwood. The split between their first two and the pack is projected at 105 seconds. That gap needs to be cu in half for this team to challenge for a top five finish.
The Next 15 (in alphabetical order)
Aurora (Central Catholic) 2018 Finish – 6th 1A Oregon Sectional Coach – Troy Kerber Runners to Watch – Rohn Ritchie JR, Tony LoPresti SR, Sam Woody SR, Jose Lopez JR, Max Meyers JR, Patrick Englehardt JR, Angel Lopez JR, Patrick Belskis SO, Nick Wan SR, Noah Herbst FR. Preview – The Chargers start this season with a chip on their shoulder. They missed qualifying by four points at the Oregon Sectional placing sixth. A new year, a new outcome is hoped for by this team. Four of their top seven runners from that race are back. Rohn Ritchie and Tony LoPresti give ACC a solid 1-2 group in the front. Freshman Noah Herbst is expected to be in their top five mid-season according to Coach Troy Kerber. The top five split needs to stay under 60 seconds for this team to advance to Peoria. “We would like to improve in every facet of the season,” Kerber added. “They feel they have the talent and potential to be a top 12 team in Class 1A.
Carlinville 2018 Finish – 8th 1A St. Teresa Sectional Coach – Charles Helton Runners to Watch – Cale Williams SR, Dustin Roberts JR, Briley Roper SR, Max Wilson JR, Colin Kreipe SO, Damon Sharp, Cameron Strubble JR, Brock Henson SO. Preview – The Cavaliers will look to build off last year’s eighth-plate sectional finish. Five runners from that race are back. Cale Williams was their top runner in the final two races of the season and should lead their pack. The team had a 33 second top five split in their sectional race. Work on their top five pack will be needed if Carlinville wants to take the next step up.
Chillicothe (Illinois Valley Central) 2018 Finish – 9th 1A Elmwood Sectional Coach – Dennis Fraikes Runners to Watch – Elias Bergman SR (59, 15:58), Jacob Quinn SR, Collin Eisenbarth JR, Jayden McNaught SO, Ethan Church JR, Nathen Koch SO, Cameron Williams SR, Reece Nowack FR. Preview – Illinois Valley Central are in the tough Elmwood Sectional and have the talent again to challenge for a top five finish. Four of last year’s top five runners are back from their ninth-place sectional team. Elias Bergman made it to state individually and finished 59th. A top 25 finish could be in his future at state this fall. Jacob Quinn should lead the pack behind Bergman that needs to stay within 60 seconds of their star runner to improve on last year’s finish. Cameron Williams found success on the track last spring and will be running cross country this fall for the first time. Freshman Reece Nowack could also challenge for a top five spot.
Macomb 2018 Finish – 12th 1A Elmwood Sectional Coach – Randy Ames Runners to Watch – Stan Melkumian JR, Karem Tasdan SR, Noah Ramos JR, Amir Oden-Shabazz SO, Brooks Wallace SR, Carl Blome SO, Noah LaPrad JR, Jalen McGruder SR, Jack Hamer SO, Payton McGruder SO. Preview – The Bombers could be a surprise in the Elmwood Sectional this fall. They return six of their top seven from last year’s 12th place sectional team. The main thing that will need to be accomplished is moving that pack closer to the front. The split on five is projected to be under 80 seconds in 2019 led by junior Stan Melkumian. Noah Ramos and Karem Tasdan will be the runners that lead the pack.
Marshall 2018 Finish – 21st IHSA 1A State Coach – Ryan Arthur Runners to Watch – Ben Ross JR (92, 16:18), Dylan Stillwell JR (128, 16:45), Jon Green SR (188, 17:44), Leighton Beltz JR, Elijah Strode SR, Blaze Perron JR, Devon Burkpile SO. Preview – Marshall took the steps to make it to the state year finishing third in their regional and then fourth in the St. Teresa Sectional. The 21st place state team returns three runners with the goal of returning back to Detweiller Park in November. Ben Ross and Dylan Stillwell are the only runners back from the top five that a nucleus would be built from. Their top five split is projected to be close to two minutes and will need to be cut in half for this team to make a return journey to the Detweiller Park starting line.
McLeansboro (Hamilton County) 2018 Finish – 6th 1A Benton Sectional Coach – Sam Wilson Runners to Watch – Theron Smith SR, Kaden Richards SR, Adam Wellen SR, Evan Shelton SR, Trace Butler JR. Preview – Hamilton County came close to making it to state. The Foxes finished sixth at the Benton Sectional missing a top five finish by 10 points. Five of their top seven runners are back. Ham County had a top five split of 44 seconds off top runner Theron Smith. Moving their pack closer to the front while maintaining that type of split could get the Foxes to the state meet.
Pinckneyville 2018 Finish – 8th 1A Benton Sectional Coach – Ryan Bruns Runners to Watch – Steven Hirte JR, James Robb JR, Daniel Garavaglia JR, Trent Morgenstein JR, Ethan Baggett SO, Daniel Martin SO. Preview – A team that I would keep track of this season in the Benton Sectional. The Panthers missed qualifying after making it to state four years in a row. Five runners are back from their eighth-place sectional team led by second runner Steven Hirte. Their four returning runners were within 41 seconds of each other in that sectional race. They will need a top five split similar to that in order to make it back to Peoria.
Pontiac 2018 Finish – 25th IHSA 1A State Coach – Mike Lucas Runners to Watch – Ethan Schikel JR (79, 16:10), Carson Gregory SR (177, 17:27), Sam Fogarty SO (180, 17:28), Paul Giordano JR (198, 17:55), Weiland Torkelson JR (203, 18:07), Noah Parra SR, Kevin Sennott SR, Leighton Gerdes SR, Tucker Riordan SR. Preview – The Indians just missed making it into the pre-season 25. They do have the talent to make it back to the state meet. Pontiac finished 25th in the 2018 edition. Three of their top five runners return led by second runner Ethan Schikel. The team has the potential of having a 30 to 35 second split from their second to fifth runners. The key is moving to within 45 seconds of Schikel.
Rock Falls 2018 Finish – 15th IHSA 1A State Coach – Mark Truesdell Runners to Watch – Dawson Smith (5, 15:10), Devon Parker SR (122, 16:43), John Cid SO (183, 17:32), Alvaro Hernandez SR (208, 18:25), Matthew Marcom SO, Dillon Schueler SO, Ethan Caravatta SR, Lennon Alison JR, Josue Delatorre SO, Jose Gomez FR. Preview – The heart and soul of this team according to their coach Mark Truesdell is Dawson Smith. His career has been great at Rock Falls including finishing fifth last year at the state meet. He will be one of the individual favorites this fall. He leads three other runners back from last year’s state team. Devon Parker will lead the pack behind Smith. The team could get a boost from freshman Jose Gomez whose sister Alex is one of the top runners on the Rock Falls Girls team.
Roxana 2018 Finish – 24th IHSA 1A State Coach – Scott Edwards Runners to Watch – Carlos Ruvalcaba JR (123, 16:44) , Matthew Olbert JR (145, 16:54), Austin Walker JR (157, 17:05), Douglas Johnson SR (200, 18:00), Kaleb St. Cyr JR, Brett Wormack SO, Kaleb Smith JR. Preview – The Shells finished fourth in the Benton Sectional on their way to a24th pace finish in the state meet. They will miss Cree Stumpf who earned all-state honors last year (17th) and has since graduated. Three of the four runners are back led by Carlos Ruvalcaba. Their top five split will need to move 94 seconds to under 70 seconds with the pack closer to the front for Roxana to make a repeat state trip.
Seneca 2018 Finish – 13th IHSA 1A State Coach – Kim Foster Runners to Watch – Billy Glasscock JR (89, 16:16), Eli Eltrevoog JR (158, 17:06), Brady Danek SO (209, 18:25), Trevor Till SR (210, 18:28), Spencer DeGraaf JR, Noah Petty JR, Jacob Ursula SR, Carter Feiner JR, Owen Feiner SO, Eli Hill SO. Preview – The Irish were among the top 15 teams most of the season ending with a 13th place finish at the state meet. They will miss Christopher Collet, the three time state champion in cross country and on the track, who has graduated and now attending Wartburg University. Seneca will also miss Ben Krause, last year’s fourth runner at state, who has decided to play football this fall. The Irish return four of their top seven led by Billy Glasscock. Eli Eltrevong will lead the pack that will need to stay within 30 seconds of Glasscock to make it back to Peoria. Spencer DeGraaf had a good summer of training and will be a factor in that pack. “We hope to make it back to state again this year,” Coach Kim Foster said. “We lost some very strong runners, but we have a pretty solid pack of runners that should be under 17-minutes.”
Shelbyville 2018 Finish – 13th 1A St. Teresa Sectional Coach – Chris Mosley Preview – Cody Rohdemann SR, Will Miller JR, Breyton Beck SO, Zach Hood JR, Phoenix Firnhaber SO, Matthew Grabb SO, Lucas Stokes SO, Calvin Miller. Preview – A team that should take a step up the sectional ladder after finishing 13th last year at St. Teresa. Five runners are back from that team but will miss last year’s second runner Will McClain who transferred to IMSA. A year of cross-country experience should help this young group. Cody Rohdemann is the team’s top runner who could qualify for the state meet individually. “We were very young in 2018 (only 2 athletes total with previous high school XC experience), but in 2019 we will expect more,” said new Shelbyville Coach Chris Mosley who replaced Hall of Fame Coach Kevin Kramer who retired. “Placements and times are still a little up in the air, but we expect to be competitive and improve as the season goes on.”
Toledo (Cumberland) 2018 Finish – 18th IHSA 1A State Coach – Jim Miller Runners to Watch – Logan Edwards JR (138, 16:52), Kayce Zike JR (151, 17:03), Michael Carpenter SR (153,17:04), Wiley Peters SO (212, 18:30), Joel Heynen SR (216, 19:33), Owen Ray SR, Elijah McElravy SO. Preview – Cumberland made it to state last year finishing 18th. They will miss their top runner Kort McClellan who graduated and #2 runner Blake Sutherland who moved to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Logan Edwards had a good summer of training and should be the #1 runner on this team. They could have a tight one-three split under 15 seconds. Moving that pack up will be key for the Pirates to advance out of the St. Teresa Sectional.
Tolono (Unity) 2018 Finish – 7th 1A St. Teresa Sectional Coach – Jared Koerner Runners to Watch – Jarrett Cox JR, Connor O’Donnell JR, Clayton Jamison SO, Benjamin gavel JR, Thomas Cler SO, Derek Dayton SR, Shane Ogden SO, Nolan Miller SO. Preview – Tolono Unity surprised some last fall as a team consisting of three freshmen and two sophomores finished seventh at the St. Teresa Sectional. How high will they climb in the sectional rankings in 2019? Jarrett Cox was the #2 runner for the Rockets last year and should step into the top spot. Getting Connor O’Donnell and the pack with him within 30 seconds of Cox could be the difference in getting this team back to the state meet.
Williamsville 2018 Finish – 10th 1A Elmwood Sectional Coach – Tyler Casson Runners – Evan Horn SR (53, 15:56), Nathan Clack SR, Keaton Hill SR, Logan Giocomini SO, Jack Stender SR, Cody Szafranski SO, Nathan Hidlebaugh JR. Preview – The potential for Williamsville to make it to the state meet is there with this group. Five runners from last year’s top seven that finished10th are back. Evan Horn qualified individually as a junior and laced 53rd. A top 25 finish is within his reach. The split n five runners last year was over two minutes at the end of the year. That split needs to come down even more for the Bullets to be in the Sectional top five hunt.
Other Teams to Watch (in alphabetical order)
Breese (Mater Dei) 2018 Finish – 8th 2A Triad Regional Coach – Marv Eversgerd Runners to Watch – Ryan Clancy SR, Matt Fuehne SR, Andrew Stevenson SR, Mike Redmann SO, Evan Schlueter SO, Ryan Gerdes JR, John Venhaus SO. Preview – The Knights did not make it out of the Class 2A Triad Regional finishing eighth. The move down to Class 1A should give Mater Dei a boost with four runners returning from that regional team. Ryan Clancy should be the top runner on this team.
Erie-Prophetstown 2018 Finish – 9th 1A Oregon Sectional Coach – Elizabeth Green Runners to Watch – Cameron Abell SR, Tyler Hldorf SR, Andrew Bomleny SO, Darien Voltz SR, Chris Link SR, Alex Gustaf JR, Lula Deneve JR, Trevor Henry SR. Preview – Erie will look to improve on last year’s ninth-place sectional finish at Oregon. Five runners are back from that team. Cameron Abell and Tyler Holdorf are the seniors to watch to step into the #1 spot. Moving their pack up 30 seconds a runner could put this team into a state qualifying position.
Franklin 2018 Finish – 17th 1A Elmwood Sectional Coach – Rick Smith Runners to Watch – Grant Marshall JR, Jake Gutzman SO, Tyler Kangamis SO, Codey Smith JR, Tayson Neely SR, Andrew McGath SR, Kyle Roadhouse JR. Preview – Franklin returns their top six runners from last year’s team that placed 17th at the Elmwood Sectional. The Vipers are a good bet to finish among the top ten sectional teams. Grant Marshall and Jake Gutzman are interchangeable talent wise and will trade of the #1 spot. The top four runners are underclassmen. It will be interesting to see how this team develops over the next two years.
Gilman (Iroquois West) 2018 Finish – 7th 1A Lisle Sectional Coach – Jim Price Runners to Watch – Lucas Alvarez JR (131, 16:47), Connor Price JR, Jacob Kuipers JR, Ty Pankey JR, Andrew Schutte-Jibril SO, Ryan Ritzma JR, Tony Espinosa SO, Max McTaggart JR. Preview – Five of the top six runners are back from the Iroquois West team that finished seventh in 2018 at the Lisle Sectional. Lucas Alvarez, who qualified individually for state last fall, again should be the front runner. A key for this team is the improvement of Alvarez who could be running under 16-minutes this fall. A split of 75 seconds or faster off Alvarez could get this team into the top five in an improved Lisle Sectional.
Knoxville 2018 Finish – 15th 1A Elmwood Sectional Coach – Tom Hillier Runners to Watch – Christian Hensley SR, Dawson Hensley JR, Lucas McGuire SR, Sam Wilder SR, Jake Johnson SR. Preview – This is a veteran team with four of their top five runners seniors. Knoxville finished 15th at the Elmwood Sectional in 2018 and will look to improve on that performance. Christian Hensley was the team’s top runner at the end of the year and again should lead this squad.
Marissa 2018 Finish – 10th 1A Benton Sectional Coach – Matt Espenschied Runners to Watch – Kade Portz (113, 16:35), Kyle Rahlfs SR, Logan Gregory JR, Caydin Wagner JR, Riley Seymore JR, Alex Hayes SR, Josh Leemon FR. Preview – This could be a team to keep an eye on this fall in the Benton Sectional. The Meteors finished 10th to end their season a year ago but return six of their top seven runners. “We have quite a few goals or expectations this year,” said their Coach Matt Espenschied. “We finished 10th place at Benton Sectional last season and return 6 out of 7 of our top guys from last year’s team. We set quite a few goals the beginning of the summer and are looking forward to checking some of them off as the season progresses. I know our 2 senior captains, Kade Portz and Kyle Rahlfs will push the team to reach their goals.” Portz will be the #1 runner again for this team. He qualified individually last October and could be among the top 50 in Class 1A in 2019.
Minonk (Fieldcrest) 2018 Finish – 10th 1A Oregon Sectional Coach – Carol Bauer Runners to Watch – Victor Echeveste JR, Christian Skaggs JR, Andrew Gochanour SR, Andy Wiesenhofer SR, Ryan Gochanour SR, Connor Gochanour SR, Tanner White JR, Michael Scott SO, Timmy Luckey SO Mason Stoeger SO. Preview – A team that could sneak up on some in the Oregon Sectional. The Knights finished 10th to end the season but do return six of their top seven from that squad. “They have decided that the most important thing is to be the first team from Fieldcrest to advance to the state meet,” said Fieldcrest Coach Carol Bauer. “They understand to do that we need five solid racers and strong backup runners. This has resulted in very strong group runs where they pull each other along and not try to win a workout.” The team only had a 40 second split in their sectional race. The key is moving that pack closer to the front. It could be Victor Echeveste or brothers Andrew and Ryan Gochanour leading the way.
Neoga 2018 Finish – 14th 1A St. Teresa Sectional Coach – Tim Mueller Runners to Watch – Trevor Roy SR, Brayden Cox JR, Nick Titus SO, Michael Dietz SR, Logan Dow JR, Cameron Buescher SO. Preview – This could be a rebuilding year for Neoga since their top runner Reece Johnson has transferred to Benton High School. Trevor Roy should step up to the top spot for this team.
Teutopolis 2018 Finish – 11th 1A St. Teresa Sectional Coach – Brooke Hoene Runners to Watch – Ethan Weidner JR, Benjamin Kitten JR, Kendall Tabbert SR, Brody Mette JR, Cole Probst JR, Matthew Deters JR, Jack Waldhoff JR, Devon Probst SO, Jackson Vonderheide SO. Preview – Teutopolis will look to improve on last year’s 11th place finish at the St. Teresa Sectional. They have the talent to achieve that with six of their top seven coming back. Ethan Weidner had an excellent summer of training according to new coach Brooke Hoene and again should be the top runner for this team. “We had a good turnout for boys this summer and they all want to get better and put the effort in,” Hoene said. “This is my first year coaching cross country at THS. I am looking forward to it very much. A main goal I tell them and will keep telling them is to improve and get better each and every day. Compete with other teams/runners and compete with yourself too. Try your best to be better than yesterday.”
Tremont 2018 Finish – 11th 1A Elmwood Sectional Coach – Mike Lynn Runners to Watch – Leland Sumer SR (14, 15:19), James Getz SR, Clayton Brown JR, Zach Voss JR, Caleb Steiner SO, Ethan Steiner SR, Nathan Steiner JR. Preview – The Turks will look to the leadership of Leland Sumer heading into the 2019 season. Sumer has been all-state the past two seasons finishing 14th last year. Three runners are back from their 11th place sectional squad. James Getz and Clayton Brown should be the nucleus of their developing pack.
Trenton-Wesclin 2018 Finish – 11th 1A Benton Sectional Coach – Tyler Weis Runners to Watch – Justin Mumford JR (47, 15:51), Gavin Hill SO, Jason Kattenbraker SR, Grant Miller JR, Orion Pertington JR, Caleb Locke SO, Cale Frisse SO, Jon Wheat SR. Preview – A team to keep an eye on especially when we get to the state series. Their entire top seven is back from their 11th place Benton Sectional team. The key for the squad will be their top runner Justin Mumford. He finished sixth at state as a freshman but was bit by the injury bug after that meet. “I could not commend him more on what he did for the team last year in coming back to help them extend their season another week and taking a young squad to a sectional meet,” said his Coach Tyler Weis. A healthy Mumford will mean good things for this young team that is projected to have just one senior in their top seven. “With that being said I'm excited for both of our squads to make another run at a sectional qualification from the southern portion of Illinois,” added Weis. “if we can stay healthy, the boys could potentially qualify as a team for the state meet. There's nothing like ending your season in November at Peoria after all.” More news |
