Bogard, Smith lead a good sophomore class in Class 1A

 

By Michael Newman

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Photo: ©2018 – Laura Duffy

 

One of the most exciting finishes of the six races at last year’s state meet was in the Class 1A Boys race when Christopher Collet pulled away from Garrett Dixon in the final 400-meters to win the state championship in this classification.

A new year is upon us and we could see the same scenario when we get to November. Negus Bogard comes into this fall as the top runner back from last year’s race. Dawson Smith should keep him company in the front.

It could be a group of good sophomore runners that will make the noise in this classification. Miles Sheppard, Drew Rogers and Ryder James proved what good runners they were their freshman seasons. That year of experience will pay dividends on cross country courses this fall.

Here is a look at some of the top runners that will participate in Class 1A this fall.

 

Negus Bogard

SR – Robinson

Notes – Negus will be the runner to beat this season after finishing third behind Christopher Collet and Garrett Dixon. He has a good combination of speed and endurance having a 1:58 personal best for 800-meters. His track season set him up for this fall. He won the Class 1A 3200 Meter Run at Illinois Top Times in March. He finished eighth to earn all-state honors in the Class 1A 3200 Meter Run and followed that by finishing third in the Class 1A 1600 Meter Run. He is a focused runner and will be tough to beat.

His Coach Tony Cork said: “Negus has had a good summer of training. He missed one full week on a family vacation but has gotten in a lot of good training weeks. We have concentrated almost totally on mileage . We will send him to a large meet at Peoria in mid-September and we always go to the Peoria Heights Invite the week before regionals. Negus is a hard worker and great competitor and we are looking forward to a great season.”

2018 XC Finish – 3^rd, Class 1A State Meet (15:06)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:05.5; 1600m – 4:23.11; 3200m – 9:34.12i

 

Dawson Smith

SR – Rock Falls

Notes – The one thing that I can say about Dawson from the times that I have seen him race he is not afraid to push the pace. There have been times that it has blown up on him, but he learns from that race. All of those experiences should pay off this fall as he heads into his senior season. He was also all-state his sophomore season finishing 15^th. The one thing that will be interesting is that Smith and Bogard will not race each other until they get to Peoria in November. Smith earned all-state honors on the track last May when he finished third in the Class 2A 3200 Meter Run. Both Smith and Bogard have similar season bests for 3200-meters for 2019.

His Coach Mark Truesdell said: “Dawson Smith will be the heart and soul of this team.  He had a great summer that started out by doing some training with former state champ Brayden Hamblen.  Followed next by a running camp at the University of Wisconsin.  His season was capped off with the Bix 7 as top finishing high school boy.”

2018 XC Finish – 5^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:10)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:06.18i; 1600m – 4:28.67; 3200m – 9:25.64

 

Miles Sheppard

SO – Hamilton-Warsaw

Notes – I was sent an email towards the end of last September to keep an eye out on this runner. When I saw Miles run at the state meet in November, I was impressed. Maybe it was the freshman in him where he was not scared of anyone when he raced. When a freshman has a personal best of 4:35.77 for 1600-meters and 9:40.90 for 3200-meters, then you should probably pay attention. Sheppard was third in last year’s Class 1A 3200 Meter Run. He’s a year older and could be the runner to win the state title the second weekend of November.

His Coach Brad Niesen said: “Miles should be pretty impressive this year.  All indicators right now show that he is much stronger and faster than last year.  15:30 at Detweiler at Dark and he was in 200th place at the half mile and got off to a really slow start due to huge crazy rush at the start of the race.  Good to see him fight back all the way to 12^th place. Probably would have ran closer to his 15:11 state time last year with a better start.  He has put in a lot of training in the off-season and is holding up well.  I know there are some good runners still out there this year and some really good young ones along with Miles, so it still remains to be seen who will come out on top this season, but I like to think that Miles will be right there challenging for that coveted first place prize.”

2018 XC Finish – 7^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:11)

2019 Track Bests – 1600m – 4:35.77; 3200m – 9:40.90

 

Ryder James

SO – Paxton-Buckley-Loda

Notes – Another great Class 1A runner from the Class of 2022. James opened a ton of eyes last cross country season finishing in the top 10 in eight of the ten races he was in. Ryder, like Sheppard and Drew Rogers, put themselves in the top 50 All Time for freshman times run at the state meet. Ryder stepped up during the track season to earn all state honors by finishing seventh in the Class 2A 3200 Meter Run.

His Coach Dustin Franckey said: “Ryder left Charleston in May very hungry after his 7th place finish in the 3200. He is wise beyond his years when it comes to racing, training, and leading a team. This young man has been working his tail off. This summer I kind of let him loose a little, he’s put together some great summer mileage and is really chomping at the bit to race.”

2018 XC Finish – 12^th, 1A State Meet (15:17)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:06.43i; 1600m – 4:30.28; 3200m – 9:42.65

 

Drew Rogers

SO – Herscher

Notes – The third runner in the top five from this super sophomore class. Rogers was in the top ten in all the races he ran in before the state meet. The competition he will have in his area this fall could drive him to bigger and faster things this season. Drew qualified for state last May for the 3200m Run. He finished 14^th in the 2A finals. He did run under 10-minutes for 3200-meters twice during last season.

2018 XC Finish – 11^th, 1A State Meet (15:16)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:11.15i; 1600m – 4:40.34; 3200m – 9:57.83

 

1A Runners to Watch (in alphabetical order)

 

Dylan Bennet

SO – Stanford (Olympia)

Notes – I wanted to include Dylan in this preview because he could be the unknown entity in Class 1A this fall. He ran for Siegel (TN) last fall on their state championship team where he was the fourth runner. His time transferred to speed ratings projects him as one of the top 10 Class 1A runners. The thing to watch is to see how he adjusts to Illinois courses. He transferred to Olympia before the start of the second semester last January. Bennet did not run any distance races this track season but played a part of Olympia’s relay squads. He ran on Olympia’s all-state quartet in the 2A 3200 Meter Relay where his team finished fourth. He ran a 1:59.6 opening leg. He also has a 4:58 1600-meters personal best from eighth grade.

2018 XC Finish – 23^rd, TSSAA (TN) D1 Large State (16:39, 5k)

2019 Track Bests – 400m 56.01, 800m – 1:59.6r; 1600m – 5:14.87

 

Elias Bergman

SR – Chillicothe (Illinois Valley Central)

Notes – A curious case with this runner. Elias did not have his best race at state last November when he finished 59^th. He did run 15:40 at Detweiller three weeks prior to state. His mojo changed during the track season after he made it to the Class 2A State Meet in the 1600 Meter Run. He peaked at the right time by running 4:21.32 to finish second. His confidence is high as he enters his senior season.

His Coach Dennis Fraikes said: “Elias Bergman has had a great summer his mileage has been increasing and has been healthy. He is coming of a 2nd place finish in the mile in the 2A state meet running 4:21 has backed that up with a good performance at Detweiller at Dark running 15:34.”

2018 XC Finish – 59^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:58)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:05.33; 1600m – 4:21.32; 3200m – 9:56.59;

 

Jack Cook

SR – Eureka

Notes – Jack returns as his team’s top runner and will look to finish in the top 25 this fall after finishing 39^th in 2018. Cook was part of Eureka’s quartet that finished eighth in the Class 2A 200 Meter Relay finals.

His Coach Olivia Morris said: “Jack is one of my athletes that works in the summer and chooses to do most of his training on his own. He seems to be getting some solid training in, he was able to attend a running camp this summer which really helps an athlete pause and take time to solely focus on his training.  He was also able to encourage a couple of his teammates to go with him, which tells me he has had some accountability this summer.”

2018 XC Meet – 39^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:46)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:01.9r; 1600m – 4:35.63

 

Isaiah Ditta

SR – Clifton (Central)

Notes – Isaiah is one of the runners that I could see win this Class 1A individual title. Ditta was the team’s top runner last fall when Clifton Central won the state championship. He qualified in the state meet in both the Class 1A 3200 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run. He also helped his team qualify for the finals in the 3200 Meter Relay.

His Coach David Ladehoff said: “Isaiah is setting his goals on an individual championship. He will have Drew Rogers (Herscher), Ryder James (Paxton), and Chase Provost (Kankakee Mac) in almost every meet we race locally. The boys (Trevor, Blake, Jerod, and Christian) are pushing Isaiah on different runs at different times which is helping. Isaiah is also adding 20% to his weekly mileage from last year so his base is deeper. He’s worked on his foot strike and appears to be less sore from workouts as in the past. Isaiah won our local 5K on July 13 in 16:30 (5:19/mi) where Trevor was 2nd in 17:06 his only competition.”

2018 XC Finish – 13^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:18)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:08.85i; 1600m – 4:43.74; 3200m – 9:58.13i

 

Tyler Guthrie

JR – Glen Carbon (Father McGivney)

Notes – Tyler is a runner to keep an eye on in the top 25 this season.. He just missed that barrier finishing 30^th at state. Dropped his time by 37 seconds from the first time that he ran at Detweiller Park in September. Tyler qualified for the state track meet in the Class 1A 1600 Meter Run and with his teammates in the Class 1A 3200 Meter Relay.

His Coach Jim Helton said: “Finishing just out of all-state recognition last year motivated Tyler through the winter, and he had a very nice track season running 4:31 in the 1600m/qualifying for state.  He has looked strong this summer, and we are looking for him to take the next step.

2018 XC Finish – 30^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:38)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:07.26; 1600m – 4:31.80; 3200m – 10:08.9

 

Layton Hall

JR – Arthur-Lovington

Notes – Layton is a good bet to be among the top ten Class 1A runners when we get to November. Hall improved from 15:47 at Detweiller Park to 15:31 at the state meet three weeks later. Hall also showed his distance strength on the track when he earned all-state honors in the Class 1A 3200 Meter finishing seventh. He also qualified for the 1600 Meter Run last May.

His Coach Lyle Dorjahn said: “We're excited to see the results of a summer of hard work put in by our returning All Stater Layton Hall’s Numbers are up for the ALAH cross country team featuring a great group of underclassmen.  Layton  will provide excellent leadership for this group as he continues to work to achieve his goals.”

2018 XC Finish – 21^st, Class 1A State Meet (15:31)

2019 Track Bests – 400m – 57.69; 800m – 2:10.13; 1600m – 4:35.88; 3200m – 9:47.0

 

Colby Johnson

SR – Mackinaw (Deer Creek-Mackinaw)

Notes – Colby surprised some at the end of last season. After finishing fifth in his sectional race, he came back to finish eighth at Detweiller Park. He could finish in the top five this season. Johnson was part of Dee-Mack’s quartet that finished sixth in the Class 1A 3200 Meter Relay. Johnson also qualified for the state meet in the 1600 Meter Run.

2018 XC Finish – 8^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:12)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:03.04; 1600m – 4:30.82; 3200m – 10:42.56

 

Aryan Lalwani

JR – Urbana (University)

Notes – I think we could see some big things from Aryan this fall after finishing 20^th in the 2018 State Meet. Will be the front runner again for U-High as they contend for a state trophy. Lalwani qualified for the state track meet in the 3200 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run.

His Coach Doug Mynatt said: “He’s always been one of the more focused athletes I’ve coached, being very detailed in his approach to his own running and motivated to improve his individual talents.   This summer, however, he seems to have reached for another level of achievement and is intent on bringing his teammates along with him. That’s exciting for a coach to witness.  Aryan, however, showed a level of maturity and leadership that I had not seen from him before. He did such a good job communicating with me and giving feedback throughout the summer.  After his all-state finish last season, I’m excited to see what he can do individually and as a team leader this season.”

2018 XC Finish – 20^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:29)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:05.15i; 1600m – 4:33.97; 3200m – 9:48.80i

 

Noah McIntyre

SR – Athens

Notes – Looking at the determination we saw from Noah during last track season, he has put himself in position for big things this fall. He will place better than his 2018 finish but how high will he finish? His indoor track season concluded when he won the 1600 Meter Run at Illinois Top Times in March. He qualified for the state track meet in the Class 1A 800 Meter Run and Class 1A 1600 Meter Run but concentrated on the longer distance race in Charleston. That paid off when he finished third in the state finals in the 1600 Meter Run. Has great finishing speed which will pay dividends in November.

2018 XC Finish – 19^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:27)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:00.20; 1600m – 4:25.58; 3200m – 9:56.20

 

Alfredo McLaughlin

SR – Chicago (DePaul College Prep)

Notes – A runner to keep an eye on with his school’s move in XC from Class 2A to Class 1A. Alfredo finished 54^th last November in the 2A race and will be in position to finish in the top 25 when we get to Detweiller this November. McLaughlin qualified for the Class 1A State Meet last May in the Class 1A 3200 Meter Run.

2018 XC Finish – 54^th, Class 2A State Meet (15:46)

2019 Track Bests – 1600m – 4:44.75; 3200m – 9:52.71

 

Justin Mumford

JR – Trenton (Wesclin)

Notes – Perhaps one of the most intriguing athletes to keep an eye on this cross country season. Mumford caught everyone’s eye his freshman season when he finished sixth in the Class 1A State Meet. Injuries slowed him down his sophomore season last year. He only “raced” in the state series last fall finishing second in both the regional and sectional races on his way to a 47^th place state finish. He did not race much during the track season. If he is healthy, he will be someone to watch. Let’s hope he is healthy.

His Coach Tyler Weis said: “Justin has had a rough go on the injury front as everyone is well aware.  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, even if that meant him coming back before he was ready to compete with the top 1A athletes in the state as we all know he is capable of.  While he has had issues of being banged up, we hope those are behind him and he can stay healthy to achieve the heights that he has worked so hard for.  If anyone deserves the record setting times and accolades that are awarded to those who endure hardships to earn them, it's Justin Mumford.  I hope we can make that happen for him.”

2018 XC Finish – 47^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:52)

2019 Track Bests – 1600m – 5:00.38

 

Jon Neville

SR – Stanford (Olympia)

Notes – Jon is one of the reasons why Olympia will challenge for a state team title this fall. Neville was the team’s top runner when he finished 43^rd last year. Jon only ran outdoors last year with a 4:39.99 1600-meters time his best.

His Coach Michael Neisler said: “Jon has had a really good summer. He'll be over 500 miles. He is one of the hardest workers I have coached at Olympia, I know he will be shooting for top 25.”

2018 XC Finish – 43^rd, Class 1A State Meet (15:50)

2019 Track Bests – 1600m – 4:39.99

 

Tristin Olpin

SR – Rockford (Keith County)

Notes – Tristan is a runner that will surprise some this fall. I think he made his step up in the last year especially during the track season. He earned all-state honors last November finishing 23^rd. He qualified in track for the Class 1A 3200 Meter Run and the Class 1A 1600 Meter Run in last May’s state meet. He ran 9:49.68 for 3200-meters and 4:27.56 for 1600m when he qualified for the state finals. He just needs that one breakout race to take that next step up. That happens this fall.

2018 XC Finish – 23^rd, Class 1A State Meet (15:31)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:07.69i; 1600m – 4:27.56; 3200m – 9:49.68

 

Cort Ross

SR – Casey-Westfield

Notes – The one runner that non-1A followers do not know about. Kort had a breakout junior season and will only get better in 2019. Ross was among the top five in all of his races last leading to the state meet where he finished 9^th overall. He got better during his indoor season when he finished third in the 3200 Meter Run and sixth in the 1600 Meter Run at Illinois Top Times in March. He earned double all-state honors last May when he finished ninth in the Class 1A 3200 Meter Run and seventh in the 1600 Meter Run.

2018 XC Finish – 9^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:13)

2019 Track Bests – 1600m – 4:26.26; 3200m – 9:37.04i

 

Luke Sikora

SR – Chicago (University)

Notes – The 2018-19 school year was a season(s) of just missing for Luke. He missed all-state by one place when he finished 26^th last November in the Class 1A race. He missed making the finals last May in the Class 2A State Meet in the 1600 Meter Run by one spot. He was a part of U-High’s quartet that finished sixth in the Class 2A 3200 Meter Relay finals. The season of almost is now behind Luke. Look for big things from him this fall.

His Coach Alex Clark said (About Luke and Nicky-Edwards Levin): “Both Luke and Nicky earned All-State in the 4x800 with Abraham, and Eli Ginsburg. This has motivated them to train really well this summer. Luke is in some really good shape already and is going to be dangerous. Nicky had a little slower start to summer training than Luke, but his competitive side will refuse to let Luke get too far ahead of him. Both guys work extremely hard every day, and always want to get better. They are really good friends, who push each other in every workout which is a great example for the rest of the team to follow. Luke is wanting to compete as a runner in college but knows he will have a lot to prove to get the attention he wants. Nicky has the most passion for the sport of anybody I have ever met, he spends his free time reading up on the professionals or even college runners, Nicky gets excited about all things running.”

2018 XC Finish – 26^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:35)

2019 Track Bests – 1600m – 4:35.47

 

Luke Sokolowski

JR – Monticello

Notes – Luke took a big step up during last track season. We will see how that success transfers to the cross country season as he should be the Sages’ #1 runner. He earned all-state honors last May as a sophomore as he ran a personal best in finishing fifth in the Class 2A 1600 Meter Run. The best is yet to come in his final two years of high school running.

His Coach Dave Remmert said: “Luke had an exceptional track season.  I was out of my mind when he took the lead in the state 1600m final with 800m to go! His greatest asset is between his ears and beating strongly in his chest.  Somewhere, somehow he manages to flip a switch deep within himself.  We need him to step up this season and lead this team.  He had a stress fracture that stole a big part of his summer training a year ago, so I’m hopeful he’ll be bold and courageous as we get going this year.  He is an important key for us.”

2018 XC Finish – 62^nd, Class 1A State Meet (15:59)

2019 Track Bests – 1600m – 4:25.63; 3200m – 9:58.03

 

Leland Sumer

SR – Tremont

Notes – Leland looks for his third time on the podium after finishing 20^th as a sophomore and then 14^th last year. A top 10 finish this November is within his reach. He was part of Tremont’s quartet that finished seventh in the Class 1A 3200 Meter Relay earning all-state honors. He has earned all-state all three of his high school track season with his teammates in that relay.

2018 XC Finish – 14^th, Class 1A State Meet (15:20) 20 as soph

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:05.57; 1600m – 4:34.15; 3200m – 10:27.19

 

Trevor Swanson

SR – Clifton (Central)

Notes – Trevor should step up to the #2 runner this season and should contend for a finish in the top 25 as Clifton Central goes after back to back state team titles. Trevor qualified for the state track meet last May in the Class 1A 3200 Meter Relay and the Class 1A 800 Meter Run.

His Coach Dave Ladehoff said: “Trevor was injured this time last year with a leg length imbalance. He underwent therapy for the first 4 weeks of school last year and was able to get 33rd. Through camp, he is completely injury free and was able to get in 20 miles of mountain hikes while running most of it. (The rest of us walked and took pictures) He seems to be handling having his little brother around better than most. Trevor is hoping on a top 15 finish, as is Jerod, so they have been training partners. I raced with Trevor on the 4th of July (only three weeks into the summer training). He finished behind two college runners in 17:22 (5:36/mi). Trevor seems much stronger and is better at racing strategy than last fall.”

2018 XC Finish – 33^rd, Class 1A State Meet (15:40)

2019 Track Bests – 800m – 2:04.71; 1600m – 4:48.81