2023 ILXCTF.com IHSA/Illinois XC Team Previews - Class 1A Boys

 

Low numbers put Benton, Tuscola ahead of the rest

 

By Michael Newman

 

The look of Boys Class 1A Cross Country changed this spring when the IHSA released the new classifications for Cross-Country teams for the 2023-34 and 2024-2025 seasons. Gone is defending Class 1A champion DePaul Catholic Prep, third-place finisher Latin School, and fourth-place Normal University. All will now be racing in Class 2A this fall.

 

The door is open to see a new state team champion in this class in the 10:00 AM race this November at Detweiller Park.

 

Benton gets the nod to start the year. It helps when you have three all-state runners coming back including defending individual champion Gavin Genisio.  The one team that has the talent to chase after the Rangers is Tuscola who finished 12 last year in the downpour. They have two all-state runners returning with a group of runners as well that stepped up their training to get within reach of a trophy.

 

After the first two, it could be up to eight teams that could challenge for the third trophy. They are evenly matched to start the season. Two months of meets will decide who goes where.

 

Here is a look at some of the Class 1A Boys teams including the top 30 rated teams to start the 2023 season.

 

1 Benton

Coach – Brent McLain; 2022 Finish – 5th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Gavin Genisio SR; Gabriel McLain JR; Cole Buchanan JR; Mason Tieffel SR; Kaden Blades SO; Seager Sanchez SO; Parker Johnson JR; Jack Bacon SR; Tyler Buntin JR.

 

Notes – The best state meet finish for Benton in the Boys program history happened twice when they finished fifth first in 2002 and then last year. They should better that performance in 2023 especially with the talent they have returning. Defending State Champion DePaul Catholic is now in Class 2A leaving Benton the team to beat.

 

They start with a front three that finished in the top 15 in last year’s state meet. Gavin Genisio is the defending 1A state champion along with running the 2A title at 1600 meters last spring. Genisio enters as the favorite individually. Gabe McLain improved dramatically last spring on the track while finishing ninth last fall. Cole Buchanan, along with McLain had a great summer of training. Buchanan finished 15 last fall. All three of these runners could finish in the top 10 in November.

 

York in 1999 put 6 runners in the top 24 when they won the AA State Meet. Benton could get close to that type of finish. Mason Tieffel missed the first half of last year due to a broken ankle but still ran at state. Seager Sanchez and Kaden Blades have improved and could challenge for spots in the top five. This team could climb to the top of the mountain this fall. Staying healthy and running with confidence can get the Rangers bringing back a trophy to Benton. “Our goal is top 3 as a team,” coach Brent McLain said.  “We know our top 3 will be motivated and ready to prove their skill so our message and focus is on our #6-9 runners to train hard and try to break into the top 5.”

 

2 Tuscola

Coach – Neal Garrison; 2022 Finish – 12th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Jackson Barrett SR; Josiah Hortin SR; Will Foltz SR; Xander Neamtu JR; Blake McNeese SO; Carson Smith SR; Aaron Hegarty JR; David Hornaday SO; Boyd Brewer SO.

 

Notes – Tuscola made it to the state meet for the first time in the program’s history finishing 12. That should continue this season with five runners returning from that state team. The one big loss could be that of Bryce Graves, a senior, would be the team’s fourth runner but will not run this fall.  This team has a solid top four with three of those runners having a good chance of finishing in the top 25.

 

If you were watching a Tuscola XC race, you would see Jackson Barrett and Josiah Hortin running side by side. Don’t look for any surprises. They will be next to each other when they race during their senior season. “Barrett and Hortin are very good friends and I believe they enjoy races more when they run side by side in them,” said their coach, Neal Garrison. “I think it is a result of them coming from a small school where they didn't have a lot of training and racing partners in track and cross country. So, they developed one by just having a friend to run with.” Barrett finished 12th, Hortin finished 17th in last year’s slop fest. Both dropped track times down considerably. It won’t be a surprise if both finish among the top five this November.

 

Will Foltz missed all-state last November finishing 31st. Foltz stepped up big in track finishing eighth in the 3200 Meter Run. He will finish higher at Detweiller this November. Xander Neamtu never ran the 3200 Meter Run until last spring. He dropped his track time down to 9:57. He was more than 100 seconds behind Foltz at state last year. Watch for him to be closer to Foltz in a couple of months. Blake McLeese was five seconds behind Neamtu at state. He ran 9:53 on track. Watch for McLeese to run some great races this fall.

 

I always heard from my high school coach is that any runner can be replaced. It will hurt not to have Graves on the starting line this year, but the talent is there to capture the school’s first cross country trophy. “This will be our XC program's 61st year. Last year, our program's 60th year, was the first time they had qualified for State,” said Garrison. “This was an important milestone for them to get through as I think it broke down that barrier for this year's team and future teams.  Last year they placed 12th. We aren't gaining any new runners that will likely break into the top 5 and we lost Bryce Graves who was typically our 4th runner. In trying to set realistic goals, our runners would like to win our conference meet. They have only won the conference 3 times in our 60 year school history. They have raced in the SJO Spartan Classic for 51 years and never won it. There are many strong single A teams at this meet, but our runners are hopeful that this may be their year (while acknowledging and respecting how strong SJO, El-Paso, and other teams are).  Our program has never won a Regional meet and believe they have a 50/50 chance of being able to make it happen this year. We also know there is pride before the fall and aren't taking anything for granted.”

 

3 Eureka

Coach – Olivia Morris; 2022 Finish – 9th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Carson Lehman SR; Tucker Hinkle JR; Brady Monk SR; Andrew Perry SR; Gavin Stalter SO; Connell Roth SO; Nathan Otto SR; Jacob Skutt SR; Tim Rogers SO.

 

Notes – The Hornets did not finish the way that they wanted last November finishing ninth in the state meet. They did finish second in the two weeks before that at the Elmwood Sectional and their home regional. This deep even though they return just four from their state team.

 

“We don't have any big workouts that are structured with times, but we have had a really good summer with consistency,” said their coach, Olivia Morris. “Getting a good long run in at least every other week as well as focusing on strides and post run work.” One thing that I like about this team is the way they pack run. It hurt their chances in the sloppy conditions last November when they finished ninth. Their split on five runners was 53 seconds in that race. Andrew Perry led a two through five pack that was only 18 seconds. Carson Lehman, who was the second runner behind graduated Charlie Bardwell most of last year, could be the top runner for this team. The trio of Perry, Tucker Hinkle, and Brady Monk are interchangeable in that group which will help in bigger meets. 

 

The bigger question on who steps into the next three spots. It could be Gavin Stalter, but he ended last year 30 seconds behind the group. He should close that gap this fall. Nathan Otto, Tim Rogers, and Connell Roth are another 15 seconds of Stather making this team even stronger.

 

Eureka had one all state runner last season. That could increase to two with Lehman and one of that group. The key is having a tight pack that could counter the front running of Benton when we get to the state series. “It is always the expectation for our program that each athlete strives for individual personal improvement, and to field a competitive team at Detweiler in November.” Expectations should be high for this team this season.

 

4 Elmwood

Coach – Gregg Meyers; 2022 Finish – 11th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Isaiah Hill SR; Aiden Faulkner SO; Mika Nelson JR; LJ Higgs SR; Reed Florey JR; Garrett Webster SO; Kam Stevenson SO; Mason Siegel SR.

 

Notes – It was not a typical finish for the Trojans last fall finishing 11 at Detweiller Park. The state meet is the typical ending point for Elmwood since they have qualified for state the last 21 years. The six runners that ran in that race gained experience that will payoff when racing this fall.

 

Isaiah Hill made huge strides during the track season earning all-state honors last spring in the 800 and 1600 Meter Runs along with anchoring their team to an all-state finish. Hill finished 32 last fall. A top 10 finish should be within his reach in November. This team will be helped by a strong group behind Hill. Aiden Faulkner, Reed Florey, Mika Nelson, and LJ Higgs were separated by only 17 seconds and behind Hill by 34 seconds. Hill will be closer to the front by state series time. So will that pack. The team traditionally starts out slow early in the season. They could be tough to beat by mid-October.

 

5 St. Joseph-Ogden

Coach – Jason Retz – 2022 Finish – 18th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Jack Fisher JR; Lance Retz SO; Carson Maroon SR; Aden Armstrong SR; Mason Guido JR; Holden Jones; Nate Farney FR; Isiah Mock SR; Colin Burnett FR.

 

Notes -  This team is one to watch this fall. Throw up the stat that they finished 18th in last year’s state meet. The talent is there to do some big things in the next couple of months. “The second half of our summer has been fantastic,” said Coach Jason Retz.  “We've really started to make progress as a team taking care of many of the details that will hopefully help lead us to success.”

 

The one runner that could step to the head of the line for the Spartans is Carson Maroon. The senior was up and down during last fall’s season ending up as the team’s second runner at state. He had a breakthrough track season earning all-state honors in both the 3200 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run. According to his coach, he could be one of the top runners ever at his school. I would have to agree. Lance Retz had his hiccups like what happens in a freshman season. Retz was the team’s top runner last November. He could be even better after a good track season and a great summer of training.

 

This team is deep in talent. Jack Fisher, Aden Armstrong, Mason Guido, and Isiah Jones had great training summers. A runner to watch is freshman Nate Farney who finished 12 in the IESA State Meet last fall. He could contribute in the top seven this season. This team points for the state series to run their best. The lessons that they learned last year could get them from point A to point B and possibly a trophy. “Our team is working hard to take care of day to day details to lead to something bigger,” added Coach Retz. “It won't always be perfect, but as long as we continue to grow in the right direction something special may happen as we begin to blossom at the end of the season.”

 

6 El Paso-Gridley

Coach – Michael Melick; 2022 Finish – 10th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Isaac Porzelius JR; Dean Witzig SR, Lukas Holderby SR; Pierson Romersberger JR; Drew Cooper SO;  Israel Nowark SO; Eli Kibler SO; Jack Gramm SO; Gage Cobbley SO.

 

Notes – The Titans finished third in both the Eureka Regional and the Elmwood Sectional before placing tenth in the state meet. They return four from last year’s state group. Two of their top 10 runners scheduled to return, Nicholas Hairston and Reed Newcomb, did not come out for the team. “We hit it too hard in early June, I used too many extrinsic motivators too early and kids either lost interest or faded in July,” said their coach, Michael Mellick. “ We are going to spend most of September building up, and I'm going to spend most the winter back at the drawing board trying to get a better summer program.”

 

Their top runner Sam Bushert graduated. Isaac Porzelius and Dean Witzig finished within six seconds of each other at state and should be the top runners for this team. The pack for their third through fifth runners has potential with Lukas Holderby, Drew Cooper, Eli Kibler, and Pierson Romersberger all could be within 60 seconds of the front pack.

 

Porzelius and Witzig have to be in the top 40 range at state by mid-October. If they top five split stays at or under 55 seconds, this could be a tough team. “I expect to continue to build a championship culture, I expect these young men to hold each other accountable to making the right choices that will lead to mutual success,” Mellick said. “We have a lot of work to do to bring our 4-9 closer to our top three to be competitive in November- which is freeing in a way because now we don't need to worry about where other teams are and just focus on improving ourselves. We're going get beat pretty bad our first few meets, but we have the potential to move up as we gain fitness and experience.”

 

7 Pinckneyville

Coach – Ryan Bruns – 2022 Finish – 17th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Isaac Teel SR; Landen Boman SO; Landen Carter JR; Brendan Conway JR; Brody Wilt SO; Christian Queen SO; Miles Dorflein SO; Cale Schneider SO. Zach Teel FR, Jesse Winter FR; Aiden Carter FR.

 

Notes – Pinckneyville’s team finished 17th at last year’s state meet returning all of their runners from the state meet. It was a young team with six of those runners either freshmen or sophomore. It was nice that they had Isaac Teel to guide that group around the Detweiller Park course.

 

That state meet experience will help this team in a big way this fall. It will also help Isaac Teel after finishing second in the 1A race run in a complete downpour. He is in good shape after not running in the state series in track. “Isaac had a broken bone in his ankle, and we didn't know it.  We were treating it like a sprained ankle, and it was just not getting any better,” said his coach, Ryan Bruns. “He anchored our 4x800 at sectionals to help advance that group but couldn't go after that.  That's when he decided it was time to get it x-rayed.  The kid's pain tolerance has to be out of this world.” 

 

This team will still be young with Landen Boman, Landen Carter, and Brendan Conway lead a returning group pf seven runners looking to race in the state series. Zach Teel, Aiden Carter, and Jesse Winter are among six freshman on the roster that will be a huge addition to the team. Bruns feels that Carter, the younger Zeel, and Winter could contribute immediately to the top seven.

 

The split behind Teel at state of their second through fifth runners was 50 seconds. The additions to the team could get that pack closer to the front. “I think the boy's team can be very good, and depending on the development of the younger runners, we could be as good as we have ever been,” Bruns said. “We are going work hard and hopefully continue to improve all season.”

 

8 Niles (Northridge Prep)

Coach – Julian Murphy; 2022 Finish – 8th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Brady Kataoka SR; James Barder JR; John Kipp SR; CJ Pronek SR; Peter Kipp SO; Brennan McNamara SR; Tommy Hansen JR; Nick Lee SR.

 

Notes – Julian Murphy steps in as the new coach at Northridge Prep replacing long time coach Mike Egle who retired from coaching. Egle’s final state team finished seventh last November at Detweiller Park. Murphy welcomes back six runners from that state team.

 

Brady Kataoka again should be the top runners for the Knights finishing 27 and missing all-state by two spots. A top 20 finish is within his reach in 2023. A close split between their second and fourth runners this fall will be something to keep an eye on.  John Kipp, James Barder, and CJ Pronek were separated by only 17 seconds at state. Peter Kipp and Brennan McNamara are the runners that I would watch for challenging for the fifth spot. The team’s top five split off Kataoka was a mere 45 seconds last year at state; the 1-4 split was just 29 seconds. This team should be among the top 10 Class 1A teams once again this fall. Kataoka being in the top 20 and the pack moving closer to their front runner will make things better for the Knights this November.

 

9 Winnebago

Coach – Janet Erb, Joe Erb; 2022 Finish – 7th Class 1A Oregon Sectional

Runners – Nicholai Martino HR; Joseph Erb SO; Blake Linder SO; Daniel Hodgdon SO; Cole Thomas SR; Hudson Pope SO; Micah Lyons SO.

 

Notes – This is a young team that had three freshman in their top six on their way to a seventh place finish at the Oregon Sectional. That state series experience may play a big role on how well this team runs this fall. Nicholai Martino had a strong sophomore season culminating with him finishing 38th at state. Fantastic things will be ahead for him this fall.

 

Joseph Erb also had a strong freshman season in which he was the team’s second runner missing making all-state by 11 places. Cole Thomas, Daniel Hodgdon, and Blake Linder were close to 45 seconds of each other in the sectional. This team will continue to get better with every race. That could lead to good things by the time the Indians get to the state series.

 

10 Georgetown (Notre Dame De la Salette)

Coach – Jason Lanthier; 2022 Finish – 27th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Marco Cruz SO; John Brauner JR; Andrew Gross SO; Daniel Sullivan JR; Joseph Mackin JR; John Reen SR; Marcel LeFevre JR.

 

Notes – This was the surprise team of last season with that trend most likely continuing into this fall. The Lions picked up their first IHSA hardware by winning the Chrisman Regional. They followed by making the state meet by finishing sixth. Their first experience in a state meet resulted in a 27th place finish. That first time experience will make this team stronger this fall.

 

Marco Cruz stepped up as the team’s top runner only as a freshman that included winning the regional individual championships. Their top five splits in the state series were fairly consistent considering the lack of big meet experience the team had. The split in the regional was 69 seconds. It was 70 seconds in their sectional race. It grew to 76 seconds at state. Sophomores Andrew Gross and juniors John Brauner, Daniel Sullivan, and Joseph Macklin will make their top five stronger as the season continues. Meets at Olney and St. Joseph-Ogden to begin the season will give us an indication on how good this team could be.

 

11 Peoria (Notre Dame)

Coach – Dan Gray; 2022 Finish – 16th Class 2A State Meet

Runners – Joe Ehrhart SR; Andrew Elward SR; Boden Nosalik JR; Danny Miller SR; Dax Duffy SO; Owen Magner SR; Jake Heberer JR; Max Kirby FR; Josh Stedwill FR; Augie Crank FR; Freddie Couri FR.

 

Notes – Notre Dame returns seven of nine top runners from the team that finished 16 in the Class 2A State Meet. This year the Irish will compete in Class 1A for the next two years under Coach Dan Gray. “For the most part, we need to focus on what we can do to be the best team we can throughout the season. That is what we can control,” said Gray. “If we do that well, we will try to compete with Elmwood, Eureka, and El Paso-Gridley among others in this part of the state. It will be different than paying close attention to Morton, Washington among other 2A schools like we have had for years.

 

Andrew Elward and Joe Ehrhart look again to be the top runners for the team. Andrew finished in 72 in last year’s 2A race. Ehrhart finished just one second behind his teammate. What to watch for is how close the pack can stay together between these two runners. Danny Miller, Dax Duffy, and Owen Magner were a minute behind the top two last year but stayed within 27 seconds of each other at state. Gray has a good freshman group coming in led by Max Kirby and Josh Stedwill that could step into the top five spot. If we are all healthy this year, we look to run in the state meet and perhaps challenge for a top 10 place.

 

12 Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy)

Coach – Steven Bland; 2022 Finish – 7th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – JJ Gonnam SR; Luca Bryja SO; Jack Welsh SO; Jimmy Bernaeyge SR; Caleb Gonzalez SO; Tyler Linta SO; Sami Labib JR; Elijah Terrien JR.

 

Notes – Just when you don’t think that Harvest Christian Academy has that nucleus to be a challenger during the state series, there they are. The Lions have run in eight of the past nine state meets winning three trophies in the progress. They lose Daniel Winkelman and David Peterson to graduation The Lions also lose sixth runner Matthew McLoughlin who decided not to come out for the team.

 

Four of the top eight runners look to be sophomores to start the season. Luca Bryja and JJ Gonnan were close together at state as the team’s third and fourth runners. Jack Walsh could be the team’s third runner according to Coach Steven Bland and could be close to the top two runners. Jimmy Bernaeyge will challenge for the four-five spot along with sophomores Caleb Gonzalez and Tyler Linta. Their top five split could be close to 55 seconds to start the season. The key will be moving this team closer to the front as the season progresses.

 

13 Erie

Coach – Elizabeth Green; 2022 Finish – 10th Class 1A Oregon Sectional

Runners – Charles Link SR; Lucas Dreisbach SR; Jacob Gibson SR; Victor Bonnell JR; Zane Romero SR; Aidan Jepson JR; Wyatt Beck SR; Tyson Skinner SR; Zeke Weidel SR; Alex Bomleny SR.

 

Notes – A team that no one thought of during the state series when they finished 10 at the Oregon Sectional should keep an eye on them this season. The Panthers have a good chance to get into the 1A top 15 this season returning their top 12 runners from last year’s team. The big addition (in a way) is the return of senior Charles Link. The senior was the team’s top runner all the way to the Patriot Invitational where he ran 16:19 at Detweiller Park. Link did not run in the regional or sectional races.

 

Lucas Dreisbach stepped into the top spot for Erie in the final two races. Jacob Gibson, Victor Bonnell, Zane Romero, and Aidan Jepson were the rest of the top five in those two races. Their top five splits in the final two races were 112 seconds and 116 seconds. The projected top five split with Link up front could be close to 85 seconds. This team needs to stay healthy through the course of the season to make it to the state meet. The Panthers have only qualified for the state meet three times in the program’s history last running at state in 2021.

 

14 Aurora (Central Catholic)

Coach – Troy Kerber; 2022 Finish – 13th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Patrick Hilby SR; Kevin Lillwitz SR; James Digate SR; Russell Abner SR; Jacob Gay SR; David Valencia JR; Tom Keller SR; Chris Ginocchio JR; Abram Hessler SO (transfer from Aurora Christian); Jack Swiatek (transfer from Marmion Academy); Ben Bohr FR; Reese Voller FR.

 

Notes – Graduation hit the Chargers hard after last season bringing only three runners back from the team that finished 13th in the state meet. Luckily their top runner Patrick Hilby is back. Hilby ran a full season of cross-country for the first time last fall. He was splitting his time before between football and running during his first two years of high school. We saw what he did last fall earning all-state finishing 20th gave us an indication what he can do in the longer distances. His track season was spectacular winning the 2A 800m title and one of the fastest times in the nation  at 1:48.81. He will be in the top 10 but how high up.

 

Kevin Lillwitz and James Digate were 5-6 at state last year and will be the building blocks of the pack behind Hilby. Russell Abner and Jacob Gay could be runners you will see in the top five. Aurora Central Catholic had runners transfer in with Jack Swiatek and Abram Hessler possibly making an immediate impact. Coach Troy Kerber has a good freshmen class coming into the school. The best could be Ben Bohr who ran 4:45 for 1600-meters in eighth grade.

 

“We are striving to improve on last season’s 13th place at state in what I would honestly describe as not our best race,” said Kerber. “Our team dynamic looks to be having an elite front runner followed by a deep chase pack, however if we can have Bohr and Lillwitz split that gap between Hilby, and the others will be a key to our success this season.”

 

15 Rock Island (Alleman)

Coach – Scott Stoll; 2022 Finish – 8th Class 1A Oregon Sectional

Runners – Danny Darrow SR; Noah Britton SR; Ben Milner SR; Nate Hein SR; Michael Noack SO; Noah Verscha SO; Caden Jenulius SO; Romeo Rosas JR.

 

Notes – A team when all is said and done, Rock Island Alleman could be one of the top teams that feeds into the sectional that was hosted by Oregon last fall. The Pioneers could qualify for the state meet for the first time since 2013. Their eighth-place finish at Oregon got them close to a Detweiller Park trip. They do return the entire top seven from that team.

 

There is potential for the Pioneers to have a tough top three pack of seniors leading the way. Danny Darrow was the team’s top runner in their conference and sectional meets. Noah Britton led the team in their regional race where they finished fifth. Ben Milner was between 2-3 in those three meets. One thing to watch is their top 5 split and where it goes. Their split in the conference meet was 92 seconds. It was 97 seconds in the sectional race which was not one of their best of the season. Nate Hein and Michael Noack look to be the runners to finish off the top five. Darrow and Britton could be closer to the front as the season starts. What would make this team tougher is Milner to stay within 15 seconds of his two teammates. The Pioneers are projected to start the season with an 85 to 87 split on the top five. Moving the top three closer to the front of races and then have the next pack within 45 seconds of the trio could make this team tough to race against in the state series.

 

16 Monticello

Coach – Benton Singleton; 2022 Finish – 7th Class 2A St. Joseph-Ogden Sectional

Runners – River Derby JR; Caleb Wood JR; Xander Anawaty SO; Caleb Ratts JR; Ayden LeGrande JR; Isaac Gardner SR; Jack Krumtinger FR; Lukas Whitt.

 

Notes – The Sages almost made the trip to Peoria last November finishing seventh at the St. Joseph-Ogden Sectional missing the top six by 13 points. David Remmert retired after last season handing over the reigns of the team to Benton Singleton. This team is better than you think even though they return three runners back from the sectional. There were a number of runners that either had injuries or were sick preventing them from toeing the line.

 

This is an underclassmen oriented team heading into this fall. River Derby was the team’s top runner in the sectional race. Caleb Wood did not run in the team’s final three meets but had times comparable to Derby. Both will challenge for the top spot. “River Derby is one of our best runners on the boys team,” said Singleton. “He has been someone to push the other top runners to their best ability along with some of his teammates are all athletes who can lead this time by example and bring their teammates along with them. I have no doubt in my mind that River will challenge his teammates to do better and hold them accountable in the right moments.”

 

Isaac Gardner, Ayden Legrande, and Xander Anawaty have that state series experience that will help this young team grow this season. It is possible that this top five could run under 60 seconds during the course of the season. The key will be moving that pack closer to the front.

 

My expectations for this team this year are simple,” said Singleton. “Leadership & Growth. By leadership I mean "lead by example", but also holding everyone to the standard that you hold yourself to. While at the same time encompassing communication, service, accountability, and punctuality. When I mention Growth, I mean mentally, physically, and cognitively. I want my student-athletes to be mentally tougher as the season goes on. Push past that mental block of "I'm so tired. I have 1 mile left or 3 more reps and I want to quit.". I want them to be physically strong. Pass a teammate on one of our runs, surprise them and challenge them at the end of a workout. I want them to grow cognitively in school and in their sport. Cross country is such a cognitive sport that pacing yourself for workouts and trying to make your times can be draining. I want them to grow in all of these areas as the season goes on. I was in their shoes not too long ago. I understand where they are in life, and I want to guide them in the direction that they want to go.”

 

17 Princeville

Coach – Jeremy Melick; 2022 Finish – 8th Class 1A Elmwood Sectional

Runners – Joey Bosch SR; Tucker Sennett JR; Matthew Bowers JR; Jack Lied JR; Parker Melick SR; Luke Graham JR; Austin Carruthers JR; Ezra Blair FR; Jacob Bosch FR; Collin Bowers FR; Oliver Mellick FR: Elliott Walles FR.

 

Notes – Princeville almost made it to the state meet last year falling short placing eighth at the Elmwood Sectional. They did have two individuals, Tucker Sennett, and Joey Bosch, got the experience of running in the state meet. That could pay off for the rest of the team. The Prince have never run at the state meet as a team in the school’s history. “I thought training went well for many of our runners,” said their coach, Jeremy Melick. “We talked at the beginning of the summer about consistency.  I challenged the kids to run 70 days in a row and I think we had many of them successfully meet that challenge.  They demonstrated greater consistency and ran more miles than we have ever had a team do during our summers.  I think 3 or 4 of our 8 girls ran almost every day in addition to 6 or 7 of our 14 boys.  I'm excited that many of them will be able to start the season with full workouts, rather than taking several weeks just build their bases back up.”

 

The top six runners are back from last year’s team led by Sennett and Bosch. “Joey Bosch has grown up and matured a lot over the last year in terms of understanding what it takes to be successful and putting in the hard work that is necessary to achieve his goals,” said Mellick. “ I think Joey wants another chance to run at State and improve on his finish and performance from last year.  I also think he wants to see his teammates improve and succeed so that they can give themselves a chance at advancing to State as a team.” The top five split is projected to be near two minutes to start the season. Matthews Bowers, Jack Lied, and Parker Melick among others will need to close the length of that gap. The Prince does have a good freshman class entering led by Jacob Bosch that qualified as a team in the IESA State Meet. That success on the lower level will blend in nicely with the returning group.”

 

Coach Melick added: “I think it's about individual improvement that will lead to team improvement.  Both our girls and boys want to perform better at our conference meet.  The girls would like to get back to Sectionals as a team.  As mentioned earlier, the boys believe they can be in the discussion for advancing to State as a team.  Obviously, a lot of other good teams will have a say in that and that is out of our control.  If we can put in the hard work (which I believe they started to do this summer) and take care of the little things that will help keep us healthy and help us gain a few seconds here and there, I think both teams can contend for conference titles.  I think our girls can return to the Sectional meet and I think the boys can give themselves a shot at State.”

 

18 Pleasant Plains

Coach – Derek DeBarr; 2022 Finish – 25th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Jack Willenborg SR; Elijah Teefey SO; Cole Payne JR; Ethan Griminger JR; Jacob Crater; Logan Guillou SR; Kamden Kowalenko JR; Ryan Driskill SO; Braeden Galloway FR; Noah Bergner FR; Ty Copeland FR.

 

Notes – It is hard to see where this team heads after finishing 25 in last year’s state meet. Four runners return from the state team for the Cardinals. It means more opportunity for younger runners to take the next step up. “Training was a mixed bag,: said their coach Derek DeBarr. “Elijah Teefey had a great summer.  Cole Payne is another athlete that performed well; he averaged over 40 MPH this summer, topping out at 61.  Ryan Driskill was consistent in his training, meeting his mileage goals every week.  Unfortunately, Jack Willenborg had an IT band injury, so he had to spend the summer confined to a bike.  The flip side is he was also 7 seconds ahead of his 1600 time trial from this point last year, so he should be in good enough shape to help us contribute.”

 

The Willenborg injury could be troubling for this team. He missed the beginning of the track season with an injury but came on strong during the outdoor season. We will see how they handle this senior this fall. A healthy Willenborg means big things for Pleasant Plains. The emergence of Elijah Teefey at the end of last season will be a plus this fall. “Elijah had an amazing summer,” said DeBarr.  “He topped the 60 mile mark three weeks in a row and averaged over 50 for the summer as a whole.  He is very dedicated and very driven.  While I do not put too much stock in early season performances, he ran 4:50 in our season opening 1600 time trial, which is only 4 seconds off of where Tyler Johnson was his senior year.  In track, he broke Tyler's freshman 1600 record and Daniel Plunkett's freshman 3200 record, coming only three seconds shy of Tyler's frosh/soph 3200 record, which he probably could have beaten had he ran it more than once.  His 4x800 FAT split of 2:04.40 also would have eclipsed David Plunkett's freshman record 800 time.  Simply said, he re-wrote all of our record books, and had one of the best summers of any Plains runners in program history.  I'm not sure what his 3 mile time will be this year, but under 16 does not seem like a stretch.”

 

Cole Payne had a good summer and will be among the team’s top five along with an improved Ryan Driskill and Ethan Griminger. A pair of freshmen – Braeden Galloway and Noah Bergner – have the potential to be running in the top seven. Hard work took them to state last fall. A good summer could take this team back to Peoria again in November. “Our hope is to qualify for the state meet, but the Elmwood Sectional is usually a tough draw,” added DeBarr.  “I'm hoping that we can place 2 runners under 16, our third under 16:15, our fourth under 16:30, our five under 17:00, and have the rest of the boys squad under 18:00.  If we do that, it will be a successful year.”

 

19 Stanford (Olympia)

Coach – Randi Krehbiel; 2022 Finish – 10th Class 1A Elmwood Sectional

Runners – Logan Demling SR; Cooper Phillips JR; Caden Clark SR; CJ Moore SO; Jacob Lawless SR; Evan Petri SO; Landon Smith JR.

 

Notes – It is a tricky path to the state meet out of the Elmwood Sectional. Stanford Olympia was a ranked team heading into the sectional last year, but there are so many good teams racing at that meet, the Spartans finished tenth failing to make it to state. Six of their top seven in that meet are back.

 

One of the key things to keep an eye on this fall is how close together the first four runners for this team are to each other. Logan Demling was the #1 runner for the team all of last season and should lead this team again. The pack of Cooper Phillips, Caden Clark, and CJ Moore at sectionals was just 30 seconds. Now they need to keep that kind of split for that group and get that pack closer to Demling. That is projected to be 90 seconds from the front four and the rest of the team. That needs to close down with runners like Jacob Lawless, Evan Petri, and Cameron Smith pushing for the top five.

 

20 Newton

Coach – Tim Bower; 2022 Finish – 19th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Luke Weber SR; Brock Probst SR; Hayden Borgic SO; Isaac Street JR; Jackson Sornberger JR; Holden Barthelemy FR.

 

Notes – This will be a rebuilding year this fall for Newton. The Eagles won their own regional, finished third at sectionals, and then 19th at Detweiller Park.  Only returning two runners from that state team will be something to watch for and who will step into the next three spots.

 

Luke Weber was the team’s second runner and Brock Probst was the team’s fifth runner at state. They were separated by 28 seconds in that state race. That gap should close as the season progresses. It is anybody’s guess who could step into the next three scoring places. Juniors Isaac Street and Jackson Sornberger, sophomore Hayden Borgic, and freshman Holden Barthelemy are the front runners for those spots on this team. The potential is there for those four runners to have a split of 60 seconds. It just needs that pack to get closer to the front for the Eagles to succeed this fall.

 

21 Petersburg (PORTA)

Coach – Jacob Wooldridge; 2022 Finish – 7th Class 1A Elmwood Sectional

Runners – Haven Gronewold SR; Daxton Trueblood SR; Justin Zimmerman SO; Quincy Stuhmer SR; Kade Parker SO; DJ French SO; Bryce Sonnemaker JR; Marque George FR.

 

Notes – It could be an interesting season for the Bluejays after missing making the state by one place placing seventh at the Elmwood Sectional. The good thing for this team is their 10 ten runners from last season all return. “This summer had both high and low spots. The low was we did not train as consistently as a group as we have in previous years,” said their coach, Jacob Woolridge. “Many of our upperclassmen had summer jobs, and the lower classmen did not have consistent transportation to practices. That being said, when our runners did show up, they were running farther distances at a much more consistent pace compared to years past. Also, two what I call "summer wins" as we had 6 of our predicted top 7 boys attend a distance running camp at Eastern Illinois University. That was the 1st time more than 2 runners from PORTA have attended a camp as a group. We also had those same 6 runners participate in the Detweiller at Dark race a few weekends ago. Both these things I feel did a great job of leading to more team bonding, pack running practice, and will do us a lot of good come October.”

 

Haven Gronewold did qualify for state as an individual placing 96th overall. Daxton Trueblood and Justin Zimmerman had a great summer of training and could close the gap to 30 seconds within Gronewold. Quincy Stuhmer and sophomores Kade Parker and DJ French will solidify that pack behind the first three. “We are always looking for our athletes to improve their times and stay healthy all season. More specific to this season though, after falling just short in 2021 and 2022, this team is really striving to qualify for state as a team, which hasn’t happened for a PORTA boys team since 2007,” Woolridge said. “That 16 year state drought for the boys is by far the longest in program history and so we really want to get back to Detweiller Park. We have been so close the last two years, and this is really the last year of our three year window based on the roster we have. I hate saying it out loud as I know it will put that much more pressure on the boys, but honestly if we don’t make the state meet as a team, the season will be a disappointment. Other than that, a secondary goal would be to win our Conference. Williamsville has dominated the Boys Conference the last 3 or 4 years, but with both them, and Pleasant Plains for that matter losing several key runners to graduation, this could be PORTA’s best shot in a while to take the Sangamo Conference crown.”

 

22 Elmhurst (Timothy Christian)

Coach – Erica Plaisier; 2022 Finish – 26th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Ryan McKenzie JR; Gio Molina SR; Tyce Plaisier SR; Rich Meszaros JR; Josh Bemister SR; Jack Gudgel JR; Jake Ellens JR; AJ Rakers SO.

 

Notes – Timothy Christian will look to make it back to state in back to back years after finishing 26th at last year’s state meet.  Their top three runners and five of the top seven runners are back for the Trojans.

 

Ryan McKenzie most of his sophomore season as the team’s top runner including at the state meet. Their second runner Gio Molina was within four seconds of McKenzie giving this team a good pack in the front. Tyce Plaisier is a solid third runner for the team that could get closer to the front two. The top three split at state was just 23 seconds. Rich Meszaros and Josh Bemister are interchangeable at the fourth and fifth positions. The name of the game for Timothy Christian is moving up in races. The top five split is projected at 70 seconds to start the season. The group led by McKenzie is capable of taking the next step up in 2023.

 

23 Rockford (Christian)

Coach – Randy Moore; 2022 Finish – 14th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Weston Forward SR; Andrew Kurien JR; Joel White SO; Sam Walsh SO; Evan White SO; Blake Lindberg FR; Brendan McGonigal SO.

 

Notes – Rockford Christian has the tradition of running in the state advancing to Peoria eight out of the last nine state meets. The Royal Lions ended their season finishing 14 in last year’s state meet. Two runners are back from that team. A third runner, Cameron McGonigal, took to the hurdles last spring. He will be concentrating on that discipline and will not run this fall. “We have 4 boys on pace to hit 500 miles for the summer and another 2 who will be just shy of that mark. “This crew has done an excellent job of logging mileage and running together,” said their coach, Randy Moore. “We've already seen improvement at every data point we measure in the summer: longest run, highest weekly mileage, total summer volume, and 4 x 1600m track workout we run every July. We will be a young and inexperienced squad, but a hungry and coachable one with a great leader and front runner in Weston Forward.’

 

Forward is one of those runners that is a grinder with the appetite to get better every season. He has been in the topo seven for the Royal Lions now entering his senior season. He will be one of the runners that will drive this team back to the state meet. “Weston Forward's greatest athletic talent is his discipline. He greatest personal characteristic is his integrity. This combination of traits makes him easy to coach, a loyal friend, and an exceptional team leader. Weston is also on pace to hit the most summer miles in program history (right about 800 miles).  What does that mean for him this fall? I'm not sure. We like to focus on the process and let the results take care of themselves.”

 

Forget about the split on the top five for this team. Forward will be one of the top runners in Class 1A and could be 90 seconds or more ahead of his team’s pack. Andrew Kurien should be the top runner. He was the sixth runner for the team at state last year. Moore said that this team is young. It is with sophomores Evan White, Joel White, Sam Walsh, and Brandon McGonigal and freshman Blake Lindberg part of the group. Moore feels that Lindberg could be the surprise of that group.

 

“Our theme for this season "On a Mission" was established back in that December 2022 team meeting,” added Moore. Each of the boys created objectives outside of achievement or race day performance. Many of them established training goals, personal expectations regarding being a good competitor, and tasks to help build relationships and our team culture. I've been thrilled with their progression on their personal missions and on the larger team mission as a whole.”

 

24 Urbana (University)

Coach – Kyle Hummel; 2022 Finish – 11th Class 1A St. Joseph-Ogden Sectional

Runners – Pieter Duursma JR; Ross Kimme JR; Luke Fahnestock JR; Felix Lee JR; Bruce Tang JR; Kelby Svendsen SR; Matthew Ulozas SR; Walter Kraatz SR; Enrico Duursma SO.

 

Notes – This is a team that we could see make it back to state this season. It is a team that we could see challenging for a trophy in 2024. The experience that they had when they finished 11th in their sectional last year will help them with their improvement curve this fall.

 

The team ran a great race in their sectional but got positioned too far back early in the race. Their top five split was led by Ross Kimme, then followed by Pieter Duursma, Matthew Ulozas, Luke Fahnestock, and Bruce Tong were only separated by 34 seconds. Their regional top five split was 36 seconds.

 

One of the things to watch is that this team needs to be closer to the front at the beginning of races. They do have the tradition of past U-High teams to run nice packs, Moving that pack closer gets them to the state meet.

 

25 Decatur (St. Teresa)

Coach – Todd Vohland; 2022 Finish – 6th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Evan Cook JR; Gus Striglos SR; Matt Auburn JR; Nathaniel Babcock JR; Carter Boyer JR; Adonus Williams SR.

 

Notes – It could be an extremely interesting year for Coach Todd Vohland and the Bulldogs. St. Teresa had a great season last fall finishing sixth in the state meet. They lost five of their top eight runners to graduation. The numbers are low, but the talent is there to make the Saturday trip in November to Detweiler Park.

 

“I have been very pleased,” said Vohland. “We graduated 5 really dedicated, talented, and dependable runners, but the remaining team members have worked hard and have a fantastic attitude.” Evan Cook had a standout sophomore season ending finishing 18th and earning all-state honors. The bar is higher for him this year where he could be a top 10 finisher. Gus Striglos and Matt Auburn also ran in state and had great summers of training. Don’t be surprised if Striglos is all-state this fall. Nathaniel Babcock could be a solid top five runner for the team. The roster only has seven runners. Finding a fifth runner  quickly will be something to watch for. “All we need to do is stay healthy,” Vohland added.

 

26 Sterling (Newman)

Coach – Patrick Warkins; 2022 Finish – 22nd Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Lucas Schaab SR, Lucas Simpson SR; Wyatt Widolf JR; Carver Grummert SR; Ryan Welty SO; Zach DeForest JR; Zion Fiorini JR; Ricardo Hernandez SO.

 

Notes – The Comets are a good bet to advance out of the Oregon Sectional this fall. They return five runners from that state team that finished 22nd. “Team workouts were a little sporadic this summer, some due to participation in other sports,” said coach Patrick Warkins.  “But once July came around, things picked up . Team chemistry appears to be very good. The kids worked hard during that period.”

 

Lucas Simpson and Lucas Schaab again should be the team’s top two runners entering their senior seasons. Simpson was the team’s top runner for most of last season. “Lucas Simpson has steadily improve through his high school career and is a great leader by example,” said Warkins. “He appears to be more comfortable in the leadership role and has great work ethic. With that ethic, he pulls the others with him. His 1:55 split in the 4x8 state meet was a 4 second improvement from his previous best. With him and Lucas Schaab, we have a good 1-2 punch.” The team could have a top five split near two minutes with Wyatt Widolf, Carter Grummert, and Ryan Welty part of that top five.  “I feel the team will be very competitive this year and hope to improve on our finish at the state meet  this year,” said Warkins. “Five of my top 7 return from last year. We should also be in the running for the conference. My expectations are high, but with low numbers, we cannot afford to have any major injuries.”

 

27 Lombard (Montini)

Coach – Eric Brechtel; 2022 Finish – 8th Class 1A Harvest Christian Acad. Sectional

Runners – Nolan Ferris JR; Hugh Flannery SR; Gabriel Bianco SR; Maxwell Neal JR; Conor Kaefer JR; Tanner Sebben SR; Danny Sherman JR; Adriel Garcia FR; Andrew Vreeland FR; Nino Pesola FR; Gavin Conway FR.

 

Notes – Montini missed making it to the state meet finishing eighth in the sectional meet. Six runners are back from that team that has their sights on a trip to the state meet. Nolan Ferris finished 34th and Hugh Flannery placed 110th in last year’s state meet running individually. Ferris could be among of the top 15 runners in Class 1A this fall. Flannery had a good track season which could boost him closer to his teammate. Gabriel Bianco, Conor Kaefer, and Tanner Sebben could possibly be part of the top five.

 

The split on five in the sectional race was 2:25. That was not enough to make it out of the sectional. The move to Class 2A of DePaul Catholic and Latin School puts this school in position to make it to Peoria regardless of a top five split. It is projected to be close to 2:40 to start the season. It should drop with every meet. “We have had one of our stronger summers in recent memory,” said their coach, Eric Brechtel. “Couple that with the fact that we have our largest team since 2014 we are hoping to be really competitive at the regional and sectional level with an eye on qualifying for State this season.”

 

28 Clinton

Coach – Rachel Lyons, Leann Sosamon; 2022 Finish – 8th Class 1A Shelbyville Regional

Runners – Drew Moser SR; Talan Thrasher JR; Abel Koritz SO; Oliver Goar SO; Colin Jameson JR; Lincoln Adams SO; Jarrett Turney SO; Dyllon Wright SO; Carter Blankenship SR; Justin Droke FR.

 

Notes – Clinton did not have their best race of the season. What they did is finish their season by finishing eighth at the Shelbyville Regional. Six runners from that team are back. “We undoubtedly had the best summer in Clinton’s history,” said coach Rachel Lyons. “Our summer training was highlighted by our team trip to Colorado Springs Colorado. We trained for a week in the most idyllic setting, running doubles every day and sharing team meals. It was very special. We have some really special teammates this year as well. One night, two athletes were unable to make our practice time due to a college visit. When they came back to the HS that night to do the workout, they were met by two teammates who came back to time and encourage their 800 intervals.”

 

Drew Moser is the team’s top runner and the leader of this team. He qualified out of the sectionals and did run 17:07 to finish 108th at state. Moser this season has already run 15:56 at Detweiller at Dark in July. “Drew has had a truly outstanding running story,” added Lyons. “He was recruited his freshman year to our team despite never running but being an excellent distance swimmer. Drew embraced the motto that consistency is key and laid a blueprint for the rest of our team to follow. He is a phenomenal leader and has changed the culture of our team.”

 

Talan Thrasher, Oliver Goar, Colin Jameson, and Abel Koritz were in the top five but separated by 69 seconds. Jameson had a good summer of training and could jump into the second spot on this team. He could surprise some people this year according to Lyons. “The team is fully focused on qualifying for state,” added Lyons. “Clinton has not qualified a boys team since 2001 and these boys are committed to ending that drought.”

 

29 Glen Carbon (Father McGivney)

Coach – James Helton; 2022 Finish – 28th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Liam Schmidt SO; Liam Boeving JR; Connor Schmidt SO; Levi Huber JR; Aidan Schmidt SO; Colin Moore SR.

 

Notes – This program has potential that we saw last year and will see in the next three seasons. The Griffins finished 28th at last year’s state meet returning four runners back from their top five runners. What makes this team promising is that they ran a senior, two freshmen, and two sophomores in the state race. “Our freshmen and sophomores have gotten stronger. Able to do more (volume) and higher quality (intensity),” said coach James Helton. We are looking forward       to how we progress throughout the season.”   Their top five split was 69 seconds in the state meet.

 

Liam Schmidt, who Helton describes as one of the “gutsiest” runners on the team, was the team’s #2 runner in the state meet. Liam Boeving was just three seconds ahead of Schmidt in that state race. There is talent on this team, some of which did not get a chance to run in Peoria. Connor and Liam Schmidt along with Levi Huber are some of the runners that you should see this year in their top five. “We want to return to the state meet,” stated Helton. “ Our key will be how our tight pack from last year moves closer to the front and develops.  I still see us still having a small split...but will it be low enough?” 

 

30 Tolono (Unity)

Coach – Nicole Bagwell; 2022 Finish – 10th Class 1A St. Joseph-Ogden Sectional

Runners – Eli Crowe SO; Camden Fairbanks SO; Carter Tiemann SO; Bryson Denney SR; Alex Mowrer JR; Isaac Ruggieri SR; Collin Graven SO; Alex Wells SO; Caleb Coy FR.

 

Notes – This team has potential even if they finished 10th at last year’s St. Joseph-Ogden Sectional. “We had a great summer of training,” said coach Nicole Bagwell. “We had a great turnout at each practice and the boys were always ready to go even though it was both early and hot. The boys have also been getting along really well so that has also helped with their training.”

 

The fact is that this team had six runners in last year’s sectional race that were either freshmen or sophomores. Eli Crowe, one of those freshmen, was the top runner for the team in the final three races of the season. “I am very excited to see what he is going to be able to do this year,” added Bagwell. “He had a great freshman year both in cross country and track, but I know he is wanting more. He has put in a lot of work this summer and has big goals for the fall.”

 

The team could be interchangeable in the top seven. Camden Fairbanks, Carter Tiemann, and Alex Mowrer are among the runners that challenge for top 7 spots. The only freshman on the team this year Caleb Coy is also a possibility to be in the top 7. The team’s top five split at sectionals was 84 seconds. We could see it close to 65 seconds by mid-October. “The team has big goals,” Bagwell stated. “I am confident with the work that they put in this summer, they

have a lot to look forward to.”

 

Teams to Watch (Listed in Alphabetical Order)

 

Anna (Jonesboro)

Coach – Matt Denny; 2022 Finish – 30th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Lucas Hoehner SR; Eric Chen JR; Eric Abernathy SR; Ryder Ottolini JR;  Dalton Cobb JR; Ryan Blake Abernathy FR; Tillman Dallas FR; Ben Mangraff FR; Trevor Treece FR.

 

Notes – Anna-Jonesboro qualified for the state meet for the first time in the school’s history last year finishing 30th^. They had high hopes for the upcoming season. However, their top two runners left the program and will not run this fall. It could be a bit more of a challenge as this season begins. Lucas Hoehner should be the top runner. An injury slowed him down this summer and he is building now into the season. Eric Chen had a good summer of changing as is a possible choice for the #1 runner. Freshmen Blake Abernathy and Tillman Dallas are new to the team. Coach Matt Denny thinks that those freshmen could challenge to be the top runner at some point this fall. We could have a good idea how things team lines up by the end of September.

 

“We would like to return to state, which isn't out of the question, just depends on how everyone progresses,” said Denny. “As for conference with our re-alignment we have Pinckneyville and Benton on our side, so there's that.”

 

Belleville (Althoff Catholic)

Coach – Thomas Fischer; 2022 Finish – 8th Class 1A Benton Sectional

Runners – Sam Hiller SR; Joseph Talafuse SR; Ryan Schillinger JR; Ethan Schillinger; Michael Ruocco SR; Luke Fox SR; Braden Madura SR.

 

Notes – Althoff Catholic missed making state by finishing eighth in the Benton Sectional in the final meet for retiring Coach Mike Sanders. Thomas Fischer steps in as the new coach. Five runners are back from that sectional team. Sam Hiller was a solid #1 runner for the team as a junior last season. He should be in the same role this fall. Joseph Talafuse and Ryan Schillinger are a solid second and third runners for the team. Both runners should be within 40 seconds of Hiller. There could be close to a minute split between three and four. Ethan Schillinger and Michael Ruocco appear to be the top runners for those spots. The top five split of nearly 100 seconds. September’s meets will tell a lot about this squad.

 

Carlinville

Coach – Charles Helton; 2022 Finish – 10th Class 1A Shelbyville Regional

Runners – Will Meyer SR; Matt Dunn SR; Sam Wilson JR; Alex Behme JR; Jack Goby SR; Daniel Eichen SO; Dominic Genetti SO.

 

Notes – It is a good bet that Carlinville will make it out to sectionals after finishing 10 at the Shelbyville Regional. Five runners are back from last year’s regional team. Matt Dunn was the only Cavalier runner that made it out of the regional meet. Dunn finished 65 the following week at the St. Joseph-Ogden Sectional. Will Meyer did not tun his best race of the year at regionals. He was, at times, the top runner for the team. The two could form a solid 1-2 pack in the front. Sam Wilson, Alex Behme, and Jack Goby should fill out the top five. This is a veteran team that has the experience to take the next step forward.

 

Deer Creek-Mackinaw

Coach – Sam Ingram; 2022 Finish – 9th Class 1A Eureka Regional

Runners – Ryan Kuhn JR; William Scroggs SR; Lincoln Rassi SO; Lucas Whalen SO; Andrew Sauder SO; Seth Witte SR; Brandon Harding SO.

 

Notes – The Eureka Regional is traditionally one of the toughest Class 1A statewide. Dee Mack did not get out of the regional missing making it to sectionals finishing ninth. Their top six runners return. It was a talented team last season. They should run an extra week this fall. Ryan Kuhn did extend his season a couple of weeks advancing to the state meet. He ran at Detweiller Park but could not finish due to food poisoning. He had a great sophomore season which should only get better the next couple of months. William Scroggs has improved over the past six months dropping his personal best in the 1600 Meter Run down to 4:47. Scroggs was the team’s third runner in the regional meet. He should be running with Kuhn this season. Lincoln Rassi, Lucas Whalen, and Andrew Sauder (all sophomores) should again be in the top five. Keeping Kuhn and Scroggs together closer to the front of the pack will improve their chances to make it to sectionals. “I think it could be exciting to see what we are able to do teamwise with a decent top 4 returning,” said coach Sam Ingram.  “In a perennially difficult regional and sectional it will take a big jump from one of our runners to make a solid 5th runner to make it in the post season.”

 

Edwardsville (Metro-East Lutheran)

Coach – Ruth Thompson; 2022 Finish – 29th Class 1A State Meet

Runners – JJ Lostutter JR; Jack Shank SO; Adam Broekemeier SR; Henry Schumacher SO; Wyatt Goeckner SO; Lucas Abbott FR; Dean Hemmer FR; CJ Hayes FR.

 

Notes – It could be a tough road back to state for the Knights after finishing 29th at Detweiller Park. Metro-East Lutheran took a heavy hit on their roster with their top four runners from last season either changing sports or transferring out of the school including their top runner Max Weber. There are a lot of new faces that will toe the line for this team. JJ Lostutter and Jack Shank appear to be the top runners back. Lostutter was the team’s fifth runner at last November’s state meet. A freshmen group led by Lucas Abbott will need to step into the top five immediately. “We are a young team,” said their coach, Ruth Thompson. “I have one returning senior boy and the rest are sophomores or freshmen. One of the sophomores was injured last season so this will be his first high school cross country season. I see a lot of potential in our team, but we don't have a lot of participants so staying healthy will be critical.”

 

Herscher

Coach – Rob Grosso; 2022 Finish – 9th Class 1A Harvest Christian Acad. Sectional

Runners – Brayden Shepard SR; Matthew Benoit JR; Thomas Morgan SR; Joshua Thorson JR; Nicholas Borschnack SO; Jeremy Szepelak SO; Aidan Knobloch SO; Ezekiel Houberg JR.

 

Notes – The chances that Herscher make it back to the state meet is good heading into this season. The Tigers finished ninth last year at the Harvest Christian Academy Sectional. The Tigers have the talent with five runners coming back. Hayden Shepherd led this team last fall qualifying individually and finishing 111th the following week. Matthew Benoit and Thomas Morgan are interchangeable in the two-three spots. Joshua Thorson and Nicholas Borschnack could be a minute behind Thorson. Herscher could make it to state but need to close their 1-5 split. It was 89 seconds in the HCA Sectional.

 

Heyworth

Coach – Eric Updegraff; 2022 Finish – 9th Class 1A Elmwood Sectional

Runners – Nathan Roehrig SR; Alex Dahlhauser SR; Aven Johnsen SR; Kyler Williams SR; Jacob Pickett JR; Gonzalo Leal SR; Jack Hanrahan FR; Hunter Samuelson FR; Landon Nieslawski FR; Gabe Roehrig FR.

 

Notes – Heyworth ended last season placing ninth at the Elmwood Sectional. Just three runners are back from that sectional race. The biggest loss for the Hornets was that their top runner for the past three years, Alex Maas, decided to concentrate on preparation for the upcoming basketball season instead of running. “We have had a solid summer of training,” said Heyworth coach Eric Updegraff. “Nothing spectacular, but the type of summer that should set us up for a nice season. I was really impressed by the consistency of the 3 seniors, Aven Johnsen, Nathaniel Roehrig, and Alex Dahlhauser this summer.”

 

It changes the direction of what this team could do in the next couple of months. Last year’s fourth runner Nathan Roehring and fifth runner Alex Dahlhauser should challenge for the #1 runner on this team. There will be a lot of rebuilding this fall for this team. “The loss of Alex Maas made us revise our team goals a bit for this season,” added Updegraff. “ We thought that we would have one more year in what has been a very competitive window for us. I have coached the seniors since they were in 6th grade, and they have had a really nice run of success. We anticipate that all three seniors (Johnsen, Roehrig, and Dahlhauser) will be sub 17, so it will really depend on the development of our 4 and 5 on how far we can go this season. We still believe that we can challenge for a team spot in the sectional meet and that all 3 seniors can challenge for spots in the state meet. I view this season as a bit of a "tweener" season. We are led by 3 talented and hard working seniors that should keep us competitive throughout the season, but with only 1 junior on the team, we are also in a bit of a rebuild for the future. We have a talented, but raw group of freshmen/sophomores. If one or more develop faster than expected, I think we could be one of those teams that could surprise later in the season.”

 

Port Byron (Riverdale)

Coach – Kevin Claus; 2022 Finish – 2nd Class 1A State Meet

Runners – Braeden Bode SO; Cael Hinde SR; Andy Murray JR; Gage Gaulrapp SR; Adam Benoit JR; Sam Butterfield JR; Merik Rozek JR.

 

Notes – Riverdale had a memorable season in 2022 ending the season finishing second in the rain at Detweiller Park and returning to Port Byron with a trophy. They lose four runners to graduation including three all-state runners Tommy Murray, Landis Musser, and Peyton Sand. This team could be good this year with the potential of making it back to Detweiller Park in November. Braeden Bode stepped up as the team’s fourth last year as a freshman. He looks to be the top runner on this team. A good group trails Bode that is led by Cael Hinde, and followed by Andy Murray, Gage Gaulrapp, and Adam Benoit. Hard to say if there are freshman yet on the roster. The split from two through five appears to be huge. Closing that gap on Bode could help this team get closer to making it back to the state meet.

 

Robinson

Coach – Tony Cork; 2022 Finish – 12th Class 1A St. Joseph-Ogden Sectional

Runners – Austin Wesley SR; Noah Gilmore SR; Caleb McNary SR; Luke Wernz JR; AJ Gower SO; Quinton Tuttle SO; Elijah Robb SR; Wyatt Herrington FR; Austin Carter FR; Ben Coonce FR.

 

Notes – The Maroons will look to improve on last year’s sectional meet where they finished 12th. Robinson’s roster will be smaller than usual. As of now, it could be under 10 runners. Staying healthy for this team will be a key. Austin Wesley qualified individually for state and again will be the team’s top runner. Seniors Noah Gilmore and Caleb McNary were almost two minutes behind Wesley in the sectional race. That split should come down as the season starts. “The team is working hard and all we’re concentrating on is improvement,” said their coach, Tony Cork. “We will know in a couple weeks how competitive we can be as a team. I have never coached a team with this little experience, but they are good kids who are working hard.”

 

Roxana

Coach – Ben Scamihorn; 2022 Finish – 7th Class 1A Benton Sectional

Runners – Anthony Hardin SO; Wyatt Doyle JR; Hunter Ponce SR; Noah McVey JR; Eric Scroggins SR; Maurice Sparks JR; Aaron Shields JR.

 

Notes – Roxana came close to qualifying to the state meet last season but missed finishing seventh at the Benton Sectional. Being that close to making the trip up to Peoria could drive this team to do some big things. Ben Scamihorn steps in as the new coach welcoming back six runners from last year’s team. This team will be young with two seniors in the top seven. The team’s top five split was 94 seconds off the lead running from sophomore Anthony Hardin. The talent is there to close down that split that includes Wyatt Doyle Hunter Ponce, Noah McVey, and Eric Scroggins. Roxana has only qualified for the Boys State Meet twice. Their last appearance came in 2018.