2021 IHSA State Cross Country Season Previews - 3A Boys Individuals

 

Micah Wilson leads a talented group in Class 3A

 

By Michael Newman

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Micah Wilson of St. Charles East did some great things at the end of his track season that snuck into July. His state win in Charleston and then his second-place finish in the 5000 Meter Run out in Oregon proved that he has become a thinking man’s runner looking at bigger things ahead. While he was in Oregon, he stopped in Portland and took a quick tour of Glendoveer Golf Course the site of the Nike Cross Nationals. You think he was already thinking of what could be in the 2021 cross-country season?

 

First things first, Wilson has some business to take care of leading into getting to Detweiller Park in November. It will be a tough run to capture a state championship especially with runners like Ryan Watts of Edwardsville, Luke Wiley of Warren, Spencer Werner of Loyola Academy, and Nick Falk of New Trier talented enough to go out and win that race in November in Peoria.

 

Here is a look at some of the top runners in Class 3A for the upcoming Illinois cross-country season.

 

 

1 Micah Wilson – St. Charles (East) – SR

 

Preview – Humble would be a good word to describe Micah Wilson. If you are a teammate of his, there is no other runner you want by your side at the starting line. Wilson has grown in his racing in the past year and could put up some fast times as one of the 3A favorites. “Micah had a fantastic end to his track season.  Times and places aside, I was more impressed by his racing tactics,” said his coach, Chris Bosworth. “He is learning how to race well when it counts.  His summer training has just started a few weeks ago.  After racing at Oregon, he took 2 weeks off and has started back training.  He will continue to build a base well into the xc season, with his sights set on the end of the season.”

 

Wilson finished first or second in every race that he ran in last fall. His teammate Luke Schildmeyer was the only runner to finish ahead of him. He ended the season finishing second in the ShaZam Club Championships and then 22nd at the USA Meet of Champions. Wilson was all-state when he was a sophomore placing seventh in the 3A race in 2019. The senior had a great track season with a 4:15.38 at Wheaton-Warrenville South and 9:09.14 in the 3200 Meter Run at Distance Night in Palatine. He ran a tactical race in the heat of Charleston winning the 3200 Meter Run at the 3A State Meet. Wilson ended his season in Eugene, Oregon when he ran 14:38.06 to finish second and earn All-American honors at the Outdoor Nationals presented by Nike.

 

2 Ryan Watts – Edwardsville – SR

 

Preview – This fall will be a year of perseverance for Ryan Watts. He missed most of outdoor track due to an injury. Watts announced on Twitter on May 6 that he had a stress fracture in his navicular bone. “Ryan's doctor and PT kept him out of running longer than I anticipated, but they are also allowing him to progress faster than I am comfortable with,” said his coach, George Patrylak. “Keep in mind, he did not run at all the summer of his sophomore year.  We are going to limit his racing and see how he progresses. I think he will be top ten by the end of the year, but where in that top ten is the question.  I have learned not to count Ryan out.  He is really motivated to go.”

 

Watts stepped it up last fall after running 15:30 at the state meet. The senior went undefeated during the regular season big meets including running a fast 14:41 at his regional meet at Granite City. Watts after winning his sectional race finished third to win the ShaZam Club Championships. He only ran one race indoors last winter, but it was a major effort. Watts was timed at 9:13.63 to finish third on March 20 in a 2 Mile Run race at Gately Park. He will be one of the top runners in the state this fall if he can get healthy. His desire to want to be the best will get him into that position.

 

3 Luke Wiley – Gurnee (Warren Township) – SR

 

Preview – Everything clicked into place for Luke Wiley when he got to the state series meets. After finishing third in the North Suburban Conference Meet, he bounced back to win the Grant Regional and Hoffman Estates Sectional finishing ahead of top runners like Nick Falk and Spencer Werner. He ended last season finishing sixth at the ShaZam XC Championships. He improvement continued to grow in last spring’s track season.

 

“Luke is one of the hardest working kids I have ever coached,” said his coach, Brett Heimstead. “He has taken his training to the next level, even after the great cross country and track seasons he just completed. Luke is focused and hungry to run fast, like fast fast. He does all the little things to ensure he is healthy and ready to roll. He is also a genuine teammate who cares about each member of the team. A guy that anyone would be lucky to coach.” Wiley gave notice he was here to stay in a February race at Gately Park when he ran 9:02.65 to win the 3200 Meter Run. Injuries slowed him down early in the outdoor season. He came on strong when it counted finishing second in the 3A 3200 Meter Run in the state meet. He came back to run a personal best of 4:16.82 to finish sixth in the 1600 Meter Run. He improved on that a week later when he ran 4:12.32 in a great race at Magis Miles.

 

4 Nick Falk – Winnetka (New Trier) – SR

 

Preview – One of top runners for the Trevians last fall. Nick Falk took the next step to the top level of elite runners in this state this past season. Falk was the team’s top runner as he won the Loyola Flight Meet and the CSL-South Conference last October. Falk finished strongly finishing third in his sectional race and then fourth at the ShaZam XC Championships. His strength has improved in the past year making him a threat at the top prize at Detweiller Park this November.

 

“Nick has used this summer to build fitness in preparation to compete with the best runners in state,” said his coach, Matthew Sloan. “I’m confident that during the business end of the season, Nick will be ready to meet that challenge.” Falk had an impressive track season running a personal best of 4:16.43 for the 1600 Meter Run at Deerfield on May 15. He finished third at Distance Night in Palatine with a 9:03.28 personal best for the 3200 Meter Run. Falk earned all-state honors of finishing eighth in the 3A 3200 Meter Run at the IHSA State Championships.

 

5 Spencer Werner – Wilmette (Loyola Academy) – SR

 

Preview – One runner that took the next step up during the track season was Spencer Werner. This senior picked up wins at the Sandburg All-Together Invitational and the in the Chicago Catholic League Championships before he headed to the state series. Werner then finished fourth in the Loyola Regional, fifth in the Hoffman Estates Sectional, and then seventh at the ShaZam Club Championships.

 

Werner’s times dropped during the track season. He planned to double in the state meet and prepared for that running 9:11.34 for 3200-meters and then 4:16.74 in the 1600 Meter Run to win both races in his sectional meet. He bettered that the following week in Charleston running 9:16.36 to finish third in the 3200 Meter Run and 4:13.60 to finish fourth in the 1600 Meter Run earning all-state honors in both races. His post season was just as good running 4:12.28 in winning Magis Miles and then running 9:11.30 to finish ninth at the Outdoor Nationals. His track experiences should translate to big things this fall. Werner’s kick at end of races is one of the best in the state.

 

3A Runners to Watch (In Alphabetical Order)

 

Oliver Burns – Plainfield (North) – JR

 

Preview – Oliver Burns showed tremendous improvement during last season achieving personal bests of 4:28.22 for the 1600 Meter Run and 9:32.27 to finish third in the 3200 Meter Run just missing qualifying for state at the Rock Island Sectional. Burns ran 9:42.23 for the 2 Mile Run indoors in February. Those are god times for just a sophomore.

 

“Oliver has very high goals for himself this season,” said his coach, Andrew Derks. “He hit the ground running (no pun intended) in July and has shown in early workouts/ tempo runs/etc that he is on a new level.  We have a long season to go, but he has shown excellent aerobic strength to this point and is ready to race with anyone in the state this season. On top of being a talented, driven runner, he is also one of the most coachable athletes I've ever had, always communicating well, and doing whatever is necessary to stay healthy and training at a high level.” Burns ended last fall finishing third at the Normal Sectional and 29th at the ShaZam XC Championships.

 

George Cahill – Winnetka (New Trier) - SR

 

Preview – George Cahill started last fall as one of the top five runners for the Trevians. This fall, Cahill should be one of the top runners for his team and one of the top 10 runners in the state. Cahill was the team’s third runner when he finished 13th at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. He also finished 32nd at the ShaZam Club Championships. Cahill ran a personal best of 9:29.73 for the 3200 Meter Run during outdoor track. He qualified for state in the 1600 Meter Run. His personal best came in the state race when he ran  4:22.90 to finish 20th.

 

“After finishing 133rd at State as a sophomore in 2019, George, has used his terrific work ethic to improve in all facets as a runner,” said his coach, Matthew Sloan. He was consistently one of our top finishers during the 2020 XC season and he followed that up with a very consistent track season where he ran 9:29 early & 4:22.9 at state. He has high aspirations for this season for our program as a whole and himself individually. I am excited to support him in his journey to achieve those ambitions.”

 

Joey Furlong – Barrington – SR

 

Preview – Joey Furlong was one of the surprises in Class 3A last fall. He came on strong at the end of last season finishing ninth at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. Furlong had a great race at the ShaZam Club Championships finishing 16th. Furlong had personal bests of 4:27.45 for 1600-meters and 9:24.40 for 3200-meters last track season. He was part of Barrington’s quartet that finished eighth in the 4x800m Relay at state last June earning all-state honors. He will not surprise anyone this cross-country season.

 

“On the surface, Joey can be quite the goofball and a great source of entertainment on runs,” said his coach, Thomas Root. “But on the flip side Joey has very seriously taken on the title of “student of the sport,” paying very close attention to his workload, his body, his recovery, and his teammates around him. He has also jumped right into a leadership role along with his fellow seniors in the wake of their large number of graduated teammates, providing amazing encouragement for the younger runners in our ranks.”

 

Roy Lewellyn – Downers Grove (North) – SR

 

Preview -  Roy Lewellyn should step into the top spot for the Trojans replacing the graduated Evan Cummins. He made steps during the track season with a personal best of 9:26.77 for his win in the 3200 Meter Run at the WSC-Silver Meet last June. He qualified for the state meet in the 1600 Meter Run. Lewellyn ran 4:20.82 to finish 14th in Charleston. It was a personal best. His cross-country season ended by finishing ninth at the Whitney Young Sectional and 28th at the ShaZam Club Championships. “Roy has really made a lot of progress throughout his junior year despite all the issues that we have faced,” said his coach, John Sipple. “He is really starting to develop as a racer and someone who can operate confidently at the front.  Additionally, he continues to make huge gains in the leadership department, and I am really impressed with the quality of his character overall.”

 

Charlie McLawhorn – LaGrange (Lyons Township) – SR

 

Preview – Lyons Township will be a younger team than they have been the past couple of seasons. The one constant to last year’s team will be Charlie McLawhorn. The senior was the team’s top five runner a year ago. This season, he should be the Lions top runner that could finish in the top 20 in the state meet in November. He ended last season on his home course finishing 11th in his sectional race. McLawhorn was the team’s third runner when he finished 23rd in the ShaZam Club Championships. McLawhorn was a member of LT’s quartet that finished fifth at the 3A State Meet in June earning all-state honors. He achieved a personal best of 4:23.72 in the 1600 Meter Run last spring.

 

Tim Neumann – Downers Grove (South) – SR

 

Preview – I am really interested to see how Tim Neumann runs this fall. His junior cross-country season ended when he won his conference and regional races. He did not have his best race when he finished 33 at the Whitney Young Sectional. It looked like things were normal in the indoor races at Gately Park. Better than normal when he ran 4:18.48 on March 6. Two weeks later, Neumann was clocked at 9:15.94 for 2-miles. He was sidelined for most of the outdoor season with a leg injury. He fought his way back to qualify for the state meet in the 3200 Meter Run. He just missed all-state by running 9:22.31 to finish 10. It was remarkable that he even made it to that race. Neumann followed that up in a three-day period at the end of June running 4:15.80 at Mags Miles and then two days later 1:56.26 in the 800 Jamboree.

 

“Tim is coming off a really tough track season where he spent almost the entirety of the outdoor season swimming and biking,” said his coach, Brian Caldwell. “He eventually was healthy enough to race and ran some remarkable times considering the substantial limits to his training. For him to finish 10th in the 3200 and then go on to run 4:15 for a mile and 1:56 in the 800 is a testament to his motivation and determination to be great. He ran hard fewer than 10 times over the entire outdoor season and 5 of those times were races in June. He's been able to train consistently this summer and looks strong. He is ready to have a fantastic XC season. He's got some lofty, yet attainable, goals for the fall. If his training continues uninterrupted, with the way he approaches the sport from a mental standpoint, he's capable of doing some special things this coming season.”

 

Geordan Patrylak – Edwardsville – SR

 

Preview – Geordan Patrylak is truly a student of this sport. It helps when your dad, George, is a cross-country and track & Field coach. The younger Patrylak’s appreciation of running shows every time he steps to the starting line. “Geo had a strong start to the XC season last year and did not have the best Sectional/Shazam meets,” said his father. “He struggled some in track, running 2:03, 4:29 and 9:37.  I know that he loves cross country and loves his teammates. He really wants to help the team and he knows there will be some key parts missing.  He took two weeks off after the State Track Meet and has been building his miles.  I don't think he will be blazing early, but we hope to see a constant progression and a shot at All-State at the end of the year.”

 

I think big things are ahead for this senior. Geo did finish 49th at the ShaZam Club Championships but before finishing second in the Granite City Regional and ninth in the Normal Sectional. Patrylak did qualify for the state meet last June. He ran personal bests of 4:32.48 for 1600-meters and 9:37.07 for 3200-meters.

 

Brock Rice – Orland Park (Sandburg) – SR

 

Preview – Brock Rice is one runner that I will be keeping a close eye on this fall especially in what did in last spring’s track season. It won’t be a surprise if he is a top 15 runner in Class 3A in November. Rice was among Sandburg’s top 5 most of last season. He ended last fall finishing 16 at the Whitney Young Sectional and 44 in the ShaZam Club Championships. Rice stepped into the spotlight with his teammates last spring when he was part of Sandburg’s quartet that finished third in the 3A State 4x800m Relay. He also qualified in the 1600 Meter Run at state where he finished 12th running 4:20.62. Rice also achieved a personal best of 9:28.36 in the 3200 Meter Run.

 

”Brock is really tough and full of character traits that every coach wants,” said his coach, John O’Malley. ”He's going to be a leader for us and a guy we rely on to get our front pack in the right positions not just physically but mentally as well. He's going to make some big improvements from last year and be a relentless racer when it's the toughest moments.”

 

Fiker Rosen – Quincy – SR

 

Preview – The senior season could be the biggest for Fiker Rosen especially when he gets to Detweiller Park in November. Rosen has made it to Detweiller Park for the state meet in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Her earned all-state honors in 2019 when he finished 20th. COVID-19 guidelines kept Rosen racing in his area. He did end his season finishing second at the Normal Sectional and then 37th at the ShaZam XC Championships. Rosen ran personal bests of 4:34.94 for the 1600 Meter Run and 9:38.05 for the 3200 Meter Run last spring.

 

Gabe Ryan – Naperville (North) – SR

 

Preview – The only runner back from the top five at the ShaZam Club Championships is Gabe Ryan. He will step into the leadership role for his team this fall on and off the course. Ryan finished 6th in the Whitney Young Sectional. He finished 33rd in the ShaZam meet. His improvement continued during track qualifying for the state meet in the 3200 Meter Run when he ran a 9:28.52 personal best in his home sectional. Ryan finished 19th in brutal conditions in the state race.

 

“Gabe had a great summer of running and training,” said his coach, Tim Brown. “Both physically and mentally he has matured and is running at a much higher level than last fall.  He has really stepped up in a leadership role this year, which is tremendous for us since he’s always been running with past varsity guys like Jake Allen, Tommy Paltzer, Chase Burrell, and Julian Head.  He’s been pushed outside his comfort zone and has responded in a positive way.  His leadership for this team will be critical in the latter half of our season.” 

 

Ryan Schreiner – Wheaton (North) – SR

 

Preview – Ryan Schreiner never got the opportunity to show what he could do at the end of last cross-country season due to his team being quarantined due to the COVID-19 virus. He had the opportunity to show his talent during track making this fall even more exciting for him. Schreiner concentrated on the middle-distance events that included a personal best of 50.70 for 400-meters. His star shined in the 800 Meter Run. He qualified for the state meet in the event running in the first of two sections of the event. He won that race (1:55.73) and finished fourth overall in the event. Schreiner ended the season finishing third in the high-powered Naperville Twilight Invitational and then third in the DuKane Conference Meet.

 

“What a joy he is to coach,” said his coach, Nate Roe. “My number one goal is to stay out of his way and let him shine. His performance last spring was not surprising at all.  I only wished he could have been in the fast heat to see what might have happened.  He is still so new to cross-country and keeps getting better.  He has consistently dropped time each year and I know he wants to go below 15 minutes.  He may have to wait until a little later in the season because he is only a month into his xc training.  He really wants the team to succeed and is such a great leader.  I hope that he'll be able to crack the top 10-15 this season at the State Meet.  One of many things that's great about Ryan is that he's such a competitor and comes through in the clutch.  But if it doesn't go as planned, he doesn't dwell on it and is ready for the next race.  He always finds the positive in his races, even when they don't go as planned.  I think that, and his humility, are what make him a champion.”

 

Ethan Summer – Elmhurst (York) - SR

 

Preview – One of the runners in the state that had a breakthrough season last fall was York’s Ethan Summer. He was not considered to be one of the team’s top runners after the 2019 season. Yet, here he is now ready to break down some more walls in his senior campaign. His end of season ended finishing fourth at the Proviso West Regional, 19th at the Lyons Sectional, and then 20th in the ShaZam XC Championships. Summer’s track season was interrupted by injuries in April into May. He did achieve a personal best 4:20.33 indoors at Gately Park in the 1 Mile Run last March. Summer bettered that after the season running 4:20.27 at Magis Miles. He achieved a personal best of 9:31.00 in the 3200 Meter Run. He qualified for state in that event where he finished 17th in Charleston.

 

“Ethan Summer is a driven young man,” said his coach, Charlie Kern. “He wants to succeed in everything he does. He has set a very high bar for himself, and he is doing all he can to meet his own expectations.   We both know that he has top ten potential, but more importantly, he knows that if he puts in the work, manages the struggles and successes of a season, and controls what he can to the best of his ability, he will be able to race with the top athletes in the state.”

 

Declan Tunney – Orland Park (Sandburg) – SR

 

Preview – A runner that impressed me last fall and into the track season is Declan Tunney. When Sandburg’s top runners were in the throws of COVID-19 quarantine, Tunney stepped up as the team’s top runner finishing sixth in the Marist Regional and then 11th at the Whitney Young Sectional. He followed that up during track when he ran a personal best of 9:19.75 to earn all-state honors finishing sixth. He also achieved a personal best of 4:26.36 for the 1600 Meter Run. “Declan is as tough as they come,” said his coach, John O’Malley. “He gets everything out of himself and doesn't make a big deal about big moments and big performances. I never worry about Declan on race day.”

 

Daniel Watcke – Hinsdale (Central) – JR

 

Preview - When you see a sophomore win a state title, you must take notice. We knew about Daniel Watcke when he won the middle school race at Magis Miles in 2019. He stepped to the front last fall as Hinsdale Central’s top runner. Watcke finished the 2020 season finishing third in the WSC-Silver Meet, second in both the Marist Regional and Whitney Young Sectional. He finished 26th at the ShaZam Club Championships. We know what he did in track winning the 800 Meter Run at the 3A State Finals. The junior ran the fastest time ever for an Illinois sophomore runner (1:50.34) a week later at the 800 Jamboree. Watcke also ran a personal best of 4:15.84 for the 1600 Meter Run.

 

“Dan has had an excellent summer,” said his coach, Jim Westphal. “He is very excited about the upcoming season and has been really focused on his overall training and build-up. Of course, Dan is a consummate team guy and is even more excited for the team aspect for the coming fall.”