2019 ILXCTF.com XC Season Awards - Boys Most Improved

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

Class 3A

Two athletes stood out in this category in 2019.

Zach Benziger of Waubonsie Valley just missed qualifying for the state meet his sophomore season in 2018 finishing 22nd at the Waubonsie Valley Sectional. His track season was not earth shattering, but he still ran 9:59 for 3200-meters in April and 4:41.3 for 1600-meters in May. Good times for a sophomore as he readied himself for a strong fall of cross country running.

Benziger emerged as the top runner on a Waubonsie Valley team that qualified for the state meet for the first time in over 10 years. He ran a personal best of 14:47 to finish 24th in the Class 3A State Race to earn all-state honors. Benziger will be one of the top runners to return on the state level next fall. Big things should happen for him in 2020.

Corey Pacernick of Stevenson was not on anyone’s radar at the end of his junior cross country season. He ended that year by finishing 82nd at the Hoffman Estates Sectional.

He made a big step up the mountain this fall started by finishing 11th at the Palatine Invitational. Pacernick won the North Suburban Conference Championship running 14:45. He qualified for the state meet by finishing 5th at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. This senior earned all-state honors by finishing 18th in the Class 3A race.

Congratulations to Corey Pacernick of Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire as the 2019 ILXCTF.com Illinois Class 3A Boys Most Improved Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Class 2A

There was only one runner that I considered in this category.

Who was the runner that leading at 1-mile in the Class 2A state race in November? It was Craig Hundley of Grayslake Central.

He was not in that position in 2018. He did not even make it to the state meet that season finishing 44th at the Woodstock North Sectional. Hundley finished her junior track season with personal bests of 10:23 for 3200-meters and 4:43.83 for 1600-meters. Entering his senior season, he had no state meet experience.

Hundley earned his trip to Detweiller Park by finishing ninth at the Belvidere Sectional. After that race, his chances were good to finish in the top 25 at state especially after his race in the toughest 2A sectional in the state.

His race at Detweiller Park was eye-catching leading at the mile and finishing 5th overall to earn all-state honors. He was the fourth runner from his sectional to cross the finish line. That says so much about the state race that he had.

If there was an overall classification, it would have gone to Hundley especially with the senior season he had.

Congratulations to Craig Hundley of Grayslake Central High School in Grayslake as the 2019 ILXCTF.com Illinois Class 2A Boys Most Improved Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Class 1A

Two underclassmen runners were considered in this category.

Isaac Stanford of Flora had a good freshman season in 2018 but did not make it to the state meet finishing 36th at the St. Teresa Sectional. He came on strong during his sophomore season making it to state finishing seventh in the St. Anthony Sectional. He ran under 16-minutes for the first time for 3-miles at Detweiller Park when he ran 15:20.7 to finish 14th to earn all-state honors.

Briar Nevills of West Carroll was in the same boat as Stanford in 2018. He finished his sophomore season finishing 17th at the Oregon Sectional. When he ran at Oregon this past November, he finished fourth in his sectional race. He followed that up the following week in the 1A state race earning all-state honors finishing 20th.

It was hard to choose just one runner. Neither runner made it to the state track meet last spring. Stanford had a 4:56 personal best for 1600-meters. Nevills had a 5:02 personal best at the same distance.

Although Stanford finished sixth spots ahead of Nevills at state, the West Carroll gets the nod in this category. He did not make it to state his first two seasons of cross-country running. Nevills made it past this barrier to Detweiller Park this past season.

Congratulations to Briar Nevills of West Carroll High School in Savanna as the 2019 ILXCTF.com Illinois Class 1A Boys Most Improved Cross Country Runner of the Year.