ILXCTF 2024 Team Season Previews: Class 2A Boys

By Michael Newman

 

This could be a rebuilding year for Class 2A. It accounts for the fact that only nine all-state runners are back for the 2024 season. The one team that may have the edge to be in front to start the season is Payton College Prep. The Grizzlies enter the season with the most momentum after a state title in the 4x800 Meter Relay and the confidence that comes from that. There will be a new champion in this class since Marion has graduated two all-state runners, one of which is a two-time state-champion, Dylon Nalley. So why not Payton College Prep that could have the most talented team in Class 2A.

 

The race to the state title will be open after Payton. Kaneland is one of those teams that has a pair of front runners and a freshman that all could finish in the top 25. Dixon will be a surprise and should be one of the top five teams in the state along with Morton and Marmion Academy.

 

Here is where we see the 2A Boys Top 30 teams landing to start the season. We look at 20 other Class 2A schools listed in no particular order.

 

1 Chicago (Payton College Prep)

Coach: Dan Dziubski/Adam Palumbo

2023 Finish: 3-2A; 4-Trinity Sec; 1-Latin Reg; 2-CPL

Top Runners: Tra’Monti Williams JR, Preston Ellis SR, Declan Slavin JR, Gabriel Cooper SR, Vaughn Collier SR (from soccer, track), Gus Berlinghof SO, Miguez Mendez JR, Steven Jiang SO, John Falciglia SO, Ivan Outkine SR, Saatvik Viniak FR.

Notes: The Grizzlies have gone from sixth in the 2A State Meet in 2022 to third last year. The road should continue to go up for this Chicago school in 2024. The karma that surrounds this program heading into this year is immense. The Grizzlies started it in the spring of 2023 winning the 4x800 Meter Relay at the 2A State Meet. They followed that up with their Detweiller Park finish last fall. State track was a repeat of 2023 setting a new meet record in Class 2A in the 4x8 followed by finishing fifth at Nike Outdoor Nationals earning All-American honors.

 

They are at a high confidence level. That has not shown in their work during the summer. “After a bit of a slow start due to kids running Nike Nationals, the Grizzles had a great summer of training and are escaping the summer relatively healthy,” said Payton Coach, Adam Palumbo. “Last year Gavin Lee made a big jump with an increased workload over the summer. Seeing that success the kids accepted the challenge of putting in more miles and training even harder. The coaching staff continues to pull from the Joe Newton playbook emphasizing a commitment to excellence over the summer with high volume repeats.  During the most recent training block we were able to get in a heavy dose of hills and tempos. Along with that we hit the track for 25x400’s, which was one of our best team workouts all summer. Last year we had just one runner hit the 500-mile club, and we should be close to double digits members this year.”

 

I think this team would have been close to 2023 State Team Champion Marion last fall if not Gabriel Cooper not losing his spike early in the race. Cooper ran 15:43 in the state race 17 seconds behind third runner Declan Slavin. Cooper ran the same time at the Peoria Invitational as Slavin did at that race. Tra’Monti Williams and Preston Ellis were separated by five seconds at state with Slavin two seconds behind. If Cooper would have run his typical race, Payton would have had just a seven second split on four runners.

 

“Tra’Monti, Declan, and Preston have had a fantastic summer,” said Palumbo.  “The past 2 seasons Declan dealt with a couple of nagging injuries which sidelined him for large chunks of the summer. This year he has been logging miles and has showed tremendous improvement. All three runners are ahead of schedule and looking forward to racing.”

 

Tristan Zhu was one of the top seven runners on last year’s team and chose not to run in his senior season. Palumbo and Dan Dziubski do have several runners that are hungry to get into the top seven. Vaughn Collier in his first track season ran on Payton’s championship 4x8’s. Collier left soccer beyond to give cross-country a try. If he is successful as he was last spring, look out for him. Gus Berlinghof had a tremendous summer of training and is ready to step into a top seven spot. Steven Jiang had a good freshman year making it to state in the 3200 Meter Run and has taken that training step up ready for the season.

 

This team will be tough to beat by state series time, Dziubski and Palumbo will have them ready. Keeping away from injuries will be a plus for Payton. Class 2A Boys team competition is wide open this year…after Payton. “Achieving success like that has really injected a boost of confidence and winning mentality throughout the team,” said Palumbo. “The team depth is at an all-time high, as we have about 12 kids competing for a top 7 spot. The goal remains the same. Win a state title and compete with the top 3A teams in the state.”  

 

2 Dixon

Coach – Simon Thorpe

2023 Finish: 19-2A; 6-Wood Sec; 4-Kane Reg; 1-BNC.

Top Runners: Aaron Conderman SR, Dean Geiger SO, Averick Wiseman SO, Keegan Shirley JR, Westin Conatser JR, Noah Terviel JR, Hayden Fulton SR, Brody Hopper SO, Kohlson Stumpf JR, Lee Higley FR.

Notes: I think you can brush aside the 19th place finish that Dixon had in last year’s state meet. All seven runners from that race are back, including two freshmen that are now sophomores. You don’t normally see a ton of freshmen run in Class 2A and Class 3A. Growth between the first and second season of a high school runner. It will be interesting to see how Averick Wiseman and Dean Geiger improve this fall. “The state finish in 2023 was fair, at best. Aaron's medal was a definite highlight, but our eggs were really in our sectional basket and qualifying out of the Lake County Sectional of death, where we are the western-most school (along with Freeport),” said Dixon Coach, Simon Thorpe. “Leading up to sectionals, we had progressed steadily, but were beaten by 3 teams at Regionals, and needed to beat at least 1 to qualify. The boys executed our race plan perfectly, but we essentially shot our shot on that day. The following week at the state meet left much to be desired, which informed our actions leading into the track season which then informed our actions this summer. It was a good learning experience for a team that had zero seniors and only two juniors, and we now have race experience for this year.”

 

Growth showed in the running of Aaron Conderman during his junior season. Conderman was the top runner of this young team. Conderman finished 60th as a sophomore in 2022. He took the next step-up last fall finishing 18th and earning all-state honors. The bar will be set high for him in his final year of high school running. “Aaron has always been a steady and even-keel student-athlete,” added Thorpe. “His performance last year at the State XC meet was a pleasant surprise based on previous results, but his training sessions indicated that it was possible. The weightroom has been a point of emphasis for him individually this summer, as well as continuing to put in the steady, mostly monotonous work. He yearns for vast improvement, so much to the point that I told him and Westin Conatser down from attempting double-thresholds and 75-mile weeks. His race at D@D was an improvement from last year, although he and I were expecting more, but he also ran that race with his spike torn in half and only his big toe in the remaining shoe. He is not afraid to dream big but will need to hit checkpoints along this season for him to be primed at the end of the season.”

 

Geiger and Wiseman were separated by seven places and four places in last year’s state race. Both runners finishing in the top 40 is a good possibility. Westin Conatser and Keegan Shirley give the Dukes a solid fourth and fifth runners that will get closer to the two sophomores this season. Noah Terviel was 6/7 last fall. A good summer of training moves him closer in the top five. Three runners in the top 35 is a big possibility for this team. Projections on the top splits to start the year look to be 25 seconds on the top three, 73 seconds on their top five. A split of 55 seconds on the top five runners puts them into trophy contention.

 

“Our body of work as a team is rather boring and dull to onlookers, I presume. Our bread & butter is Lactate Threshold runs (@ "marathon pace) that the boys insisted be on the track,” Thorpe concluded. “When given the choice of going to a shaded path or stay on the track under the glaring sun, they always opt for the track. The reasoning was that the track was where they could have no interruption, and they could just do the work every time. These are 5–8 mile, uninterrupted sessions of just being steady. My point is that while people often want to work "HARD" and feel good about a session, we need to remain cool, calm, and collected and just focus on the daily processes of getting better with our goals in mind.  I have seen tremendous growth this summer with all the boys, as hard work is contagious.”

 

3 Maple Park (Kaneland)

Coach – Chad Clarey

2023 Finish: 4-2A; 2-Wood Sec; 2-Kane Reg; 1-IS8.

Top Runners: Evan Nosek SR, Evan Whidlin JR, Zachary Murdock SR, Carson Kaiser FR, Liam Lentz SR, Joey Schuch SO, Jessub Hardy SO, Nathan Kowalczyk SO, Johnny Neville SR, Ricky Anderson SO.

Notes: The top eight teams during the 2023 rankings were interchangeable heading into the state meet. Unfortunately, Kaneland missed a top three trophy finishing fourth scoring 220 points. Five runners are back from that state race. One addition to the coaching staff is the return of former Kaneland State 2A Champion Matthew Richtman who captured that title in 2017. “A new development in our summer was the exciting addition of a volunteer coach, our own Matthew Richtman,” said Kaneland Coach, Chad Clarey. “Matt finished his eligibility and graduated from Montana State, is completing his certifications for the IHSA, and will join us a few days a week at practices and meets. Richtman is excited to learn more about coaching and will no doubt have an impact on many levels for the youngest runners as well as our veterans.”

 

“Our camp was full of varsity and frosh soph runners all summer long,” Clarey said. “We run at 6am for our 24 days, and that level of getting up at 5:10am to make the drive out to our locations is a testament to their dedication. We get good work in cooler temps. We consistently saw about 18-20 of our 25 runners on a regular basis. We put in the work that has left them chomping at the bit for "more" as our season begins in August. We took a trip as a team to Loredo Taft in Oregon, Illinois. There we spent time running with Naperville Central's squad and took in some important lessons on positivity.”

 

Returning four of the top five runners from last year’s team is big led by Evan Nosek and Evan Whitman followed by Zachary Murdock and Liam Lentz. A big addition to this top five could be the arrival of incoming freshman Carson Kaiser who had a banner middle school running career. Kaiser finished third in the IESA Class 4A State Meet finishing third. Kaiser was all-state in track in the 1600 and 800. He jumped into the national spotlight finishing fourth at HOKA Festival of Miles and running at the Brooks PR Invitational Junior High race. He ran 4:29.05 for 1600-meters at Brooks. He will open eyes in Class 2A and the state this season. “We are excited to see how Carson fits into our varsity mix; but we will take our time in getting to that point as he deserves the opportunity to learn the high school distance and find his groove,” stated Clarey. We know he's been putting in the work this summer, in and out of camp with his teammates.”

 

Nosek and Wildin are the two big guns that will give this team low numbers in the front. Nosek finished sixth last year as a junior. He will be one of the favorites to win an individual state title along with a team crown. Whildin finished 36 last year as a sophomore and is hungry to improve on that this season. “Nosek and Whildin go by the nicknames of E1 and E2, coined by a former coach of theirs,” added Clarey. “They are usually found together on all training runs. They understand that if their seasons progress and they can stay healthy, that they have an opportunity to lead their team back to Detweiller. Their drive to succeed isn't common among most high school athletes we have seen at Kaneland. We've had some great runners in Knights jerseys. There's just something about these boys that is unique, that desire to keep pushing the envelope. It's always a blessing, but at the same time, we are working to keep the right totals, the right balance, to maintain great fitness but not "overcook" the recipe. These young men want to pull their teammates with them, they are the model for hard work, and their collective work ethic is special. When it rubs off on their teammates, good things happen.”

 

The Knights have the low numbers up front that could take them to a state championship. A key to watch is what their split is after the top three runners. The split on five off Nosek was 90 seconds last year. It is hard to project a top five split until we see Kaiser in a couple of races. “We read the book, The Positive Dog (by Jon Gordon), to showcase the kind of mindset that we want the group to emulate,” added Clarey. “We are learning about how our brains work, how we can make the positive chemicals work to our advantage in life. We will continue to strive to capitalize on that positivity and embrace a blue-collar work ethic that can help make this season something we remember fondly.”

 

4 Morton

Coach – Joe Zeller

2023 Finish: 5-2A; 1-Geno Sec; 2-Meta Reg; 1-MIC.

Top Runners: Christian Harris SR, Boston Beyer SR, Phillip Canopy SR, Keyston Beyer SO, Maxwell Carter SO, Noah Harris SO, Paul Yontz SR, Luke Baker JR, Abe Martin FR, Isaiah Hatter FR.

Notes: It looked like it would be a rebuilding season for the Potters after losing their top runners from the state meet Josh Weeks, Yonas Wuthrich, and Layton Knopp to graduation. The next four runners with state experience are back from the team that finished fifth in the Class 2A State Meet. This team is deep in talent to the point they could have 12 runners that could challenge for the seven state spots.

 

The big question to ask is who could step into the #1 spot for Morton this fall. It could be that we could see any of four runners that are interchangeable to lead. In a big meet, having runners that are close make the team tougher if they are closer to the front. Christian Harris, Boston Beyer, and Phillip Canopy were within three seconds of each other at state with Harris leading running 15:52. A huge addition for this team will be Abe Martin. The freshman last year in the IESA Class 4A State Meet finished second in that race. He already ran 15:56 at Detweiller Park in July and will give their team a boost.

 

This team is young besides Martin. Sophomores Keyston Beyer, Noah Harris, and Maxwell Carter all ran under 16:30 at some point last year. They will also have another freshman on the team in Isaiah Hatter. He finished fifth in the IESA 4A Meet behind Martin. Hatter, like Martin, also give this team a boost. It took 15:11 to finish in the top 25 last season. With only nine all-state runners returning anything could happen with this team. Their top five split projected to be between 30 and 35 seconds. Having one or two runners all-state and that kind of spread places them in state title contention.

 

5 Aurora (Marmion Academy)

Coach – Andrew Lifka

2023 Finish: 8-2A; 1-Wood Sec; 1-Kane Reg; 1-CCL.

Top Runners: John Daffenberg SR, Matthew Sullivan SR, Michael Whitacre JR, Jonah Sartain JR, Joseph Dorando JR, Samuel Rowe JR, Vincent Dorando SR, Brandon Jurado SO, Flynn Bennett FR, Caleb Brochtrup FR, Evan Jarot JR (soccer).

Notes: The Cadets have a promising team even though they only have three runners that have state xc meet experience. Marmion Academy finished eighth in the Class 2A State Meet with those three runners back. “Summer training was strong, healthy, and consistent this summer,” said Marmion Coach, Andrew Lifka. “Some key elements of our training included strong long runs, lactate threshold, hills, strength paces, and top end speed development. Despite graduating many runners from last year’s squad, we return a core six, with the seventh spot largely up for grabs, who believe they can improve upon last year’s 8thplace team state finish and add to the accolades started by last year’s team of Cadets, which included Chicago Catholic League, Regional, and Sectional titles.”

 

One of the three runners returning is John Daffenberg. The senior had a good junior season that ended up finishing 31st at state. A top 20 finish will be in his reach when we get to November. “John showed that he has speed in him this track season, leading our team’s state 4x800 team with a 1:57.9 split,” said Lifka. “John was our #1 runner last season PR’ing at the state meet with a 15:14.6. He has kept his consistency this summer, has continued to grow in his aerobic strength, and is aiming for new heights at the state level as a team and individually. Daffenberg and Sullivan are looking like they will be a dynamic duo leading the charge for the Cadets, a strong 1-2 punch in the low-or-sub-15 range that Marmion has not had in recent years.” Matthew Sullivan, like Lika stated, should be close to his teammate this November. Sullivan was 22 seconds behind Daffenberg finishing 66th. Sullivan closed the two runners’ gap in the final race. They were separated by 26 seconds in the sectional and 36 seconds in their league championship. “Sullivan has had a great summer of training following up on his successful track season,” added Lifka. “Matthew qualified for his first track state meet this spring in the 3200m and ran a PR time of 9:47.15, 15th place for 2A. This summer, his deep aerobic strength has taken off with higher mileage, strong long runs, and great threshold workouts. He ran a PR time of 15:14.6 at the recent Detweiller at Dark race this July, giving us a glimpse at his early season fitness. Matthew Sullivan has been the rock of leadership, leading the charge for this new group. He is a great example of a senior leader, a four-year program runner, and model of faith, leadership, and character for his teammates. Matthew has naturally filled any leadership void that was left by last year’s graduating class and has readied the 2024 Cadets for another historic season for the program.”

 

Michael Whitacre did not run his best race at state finishing 211th. He was four seconds behind Sullivan at sectionals and 15 seconds ahead at CCL. “Whitacre showed jumps this track season despite having an early winter injury,” Lifka described. “He bounced back as a member of our State 4x800 team with a 2:02.9 relay split. Since then, he has had a healthy and consistent summer of training, adding aerobic strength to his natural speed. The goal of this summer for Whitacre was strength from long runs, hills, and lactate threshold ability and he accomplished that. He clocked a 15:39 at Detweiller at Dark giving us a glimpse at his early-season fitness.” Joseph Dorando, Jonah Sartain, and Sam Rowe all showed improvement according to Lifka and look to challenge for top five spots.

 

You could see three all-state runners with Daffenberg, Sullivan, and Whitacre to that top 25 spots. That could make things good for Marmion Academy. Their top five split to start the season is projected to be 66 seconds. It will get lower as we get closer to state. Remember, they won their final three races before state. That confidence this time puts the Cadets in trophy position. “The theme of this season is “BECOME,” drawing from our team’s faith-based mission: “Glorify God by doing the best you can each day to become the best version of yourself.” Last year’s team decided who they wanted to be, what the culture of our team should be, and what they wanted to achieve as a team,” Lifka concluded. “This year is the sequel to those decisions made by the 2023 team. These Cadets want to become an even better version of who they were last year as runners, leaders, and ultimately, men of faith. That is the goal of the season.”

 

6 Chicago (St. Ignatius College Prep)

Coach – Chris Korabik

2023 Finish: 6-2A; 3-Trinity Sec; 1- St Ignatius Reg; 2-CCL.

Top Runners: Hugh Lynch SR, Nicholas Lopez SR, Manny Alvarez SR, Brendan Houlihan SO, Ethan Petrillo JR, Zachary Tan JR, Charles Archambault SR, Aidan Tansor JR, Connor Birkett FR.

Notes: Chris Korabik steps up from assistant to head coach of this program this season. The Wolfpack returned four of the top seven that finished sixth in the Class 2A State Meet. This is the second team listed that is in the Chicago Catholic League demonstrating how tough that league could be this fall. “We had a solid summer across the board,” said Korabik. “All our returning top 7 have run more this summer than last year. I challenged everyone on the team to run 300 miles over the 10 weeks from 6/1 to 8/12, and we’ve had about 20 boys hit that mark.”

 

Lynch is the top runner returning as he finished 57th in the state race. With a good summer of training, he has positioned himself close to a top 25 position. Nicholas Lopez, Manny Alvarez, and Brandon Houlihan all ran in the state meet finishing within 17 seconds of each other. They were 18 seconds behind Lynch in that race. Ethan Petrillo and Zach Tan have been impressive in summer workouts according to Korabik. This team could be good in the fall as their top five split is projected to be between 45-50 seconds to start the season. With one of the runners in the top 25, it could be another impressive season for St. Ignatius. “My main message for the boys this summer was to work consistently and to keep it fun. I’ve stressed consistent mileage over high mileage, and I think that’s done a good job at keeping everyone healthy,” Korabik concluded.

 

7 Washington

Coach - Kathryn Petravick

2023 Finish: 12-2A; 2-Geno Sec; 1-Meta Reg; 2-MIC.

Top Runners: Ben Gorsage SO, Fisher Rinkenberger SR, Charlie Borlin SR, Jacob Hall SR, Seth Larsen JR, Ethan Kopinski SR, Owen Spiezio JR, Aiden Crull SO, Ethan Sakata SO.

Notes: Washington came close to finishing in the top 10 but just missed placing 12 in the Class 2A State Meet race. The Panthers might have to work on their 5-6-7 positions this season, Washington does have a strong top three runners to lead them.

 

Ben Gorsage was the team’s top runner as a freshman last year which leads us to think how much higher he can finish this fall. Gorsage missed all-state last season finishing 29th at state running 15:12. He ran 15:20 at Detweiller at Dark at the end of July in a performance that made this team smile. Washington had three runners in the first 6o with Fisher Rinkenberger and Charlie Borlin within 21 seconds.

 

Work needs to be done on the next four runners on this team at the varsity level. Jacob Hall, Seth Larsen, Ethan Kopinski, and Owen Spezio were separated by 27 seconds and just 16 seconds behind Rinkenberger at the Mid Illini Conference. Rinkenberger did not have his best race that meet. The split off Borlin in that race was 55 seconds. The pack split is nice. Getting that group closer to the front is something that will need to be worked on early this season. We will get an idea how good this team is at First to the finish Invitational on September 14.

 

8 Bethalto (Civic Memorial)

Coach – Jake Peal

2023 Finish: 14-2A; 3-Jacksonvil Sec; 1-High Reg; 1-MVC.

Top Runners: Max Weber JR, Landon Kearbey JR, Jacob Cranford JR, Tullio Zampieri JR, Logan Kearbey SO, Wesley Stewart JR, Glenn Collins SO.

Notes: It might be a reloading year for Civic Memorial after finishing 14 in the Class 2A State Meet. They graduated the top two runners in their state race. The Eagles do return four runners from that state team. “This will be the first year where we've been hit hard by graduation, but we have guys who know that it is their time to step up and lead the team and create their own legacy,” Coach Jacob Peal said. “We may have lost three incredible guys that have been four year varsity runners for us but the guys we are bringing back have also contributed to our success the last few years and are ready to take on the mantle and know that culture wins championships.”

 

Max Weber fit in immediately to this team after transferring last summer from Edwardsville-Metro East Lutheran. Weber did not have his best race of the season placing 53rd. He did win his races at his conference and regional races while finishing ninth at the Jacksonville Sectional. The runner could do some special things this fall.” Max has had a great summer and looks to build off what he did last fall and being so close to nabbing a medal in the 3200 this spring,” said Peal. “He's been hampered a tad by some IT band tightness as of late, but he's back to running and will be running his best in October and November. He's an impeccable leader for this team, and as he gains confidence the rest of the guys feed off of that. Max has his eyes set on getting All-State in November and knows what it takes to get on the podium after learning from the state last fall. He may have a slow start this fall but he'll be healthy and running his best in October and November.”

 

The projected top five split of Weber led by junior Landon Kearby to the start season at 86 seconds with a healthy Weber. The split of Kearby that could include Jacob and Joshua Cranford along with Tullio Zampieri is projected to be at 32 seconds. Even with the graduation that hit on this team this spring, the Eagles will be in the mix to finish in the top 10. “The central message with the team this summer has just been this season is a blank slate, that we can build off our past experiences, but we can't live in them,” added Teal. “If we can focus on the process of just getting 1% better every day and focusing on the right things then we can be in a position in October and November to accomplish our team goals. This year's team is very hungry to continue our streak of competing at Detweiler in November.”

 

9 Lake Villa (Lakes)

Coach – Travis Shepherd

2023 Finish: 16-2A; 7-Wood Sec; 2-Lakes Reg; 2-NLCC.

Top Runners: Jackson Summy SR, Brady Mock SR, Blake Salbilla SR, Cooper Summy SO, Matthew Powley SR, Reese Mock SO, Lawson Caruth SO, Aiden Hauca SO, Rheese Rieb SR, Henry Morgan SR, Nathan Bloom FR.

Notes: The Eagles could do some damage on the state level by the time we get to the state series when we get to October. Lakes Community did lose one of their top runners Payton Whitehead to graduation but return everyone else from the team that finished 16 in the Class 2A State Meet. “We've had a good Summer overall,” said Coach Travis Shepherd. “Guys have stepped up and put in the work. We'll be able to hit the ground running (no pun intended) when we report on August 12th. Most importantly, the boys are really coming together as a team. They run the show, and they do it together. This group has been around each other for a long time and it's been awesome to see them put in the work TOGETHER throughout the Summer. For example, they all decided to go to a running camp together and had a great experience at the UW Badgers XC Camp in July. They're staying connected and setting a strong foundation for the Fall.”

 

The one runner that stepped up to the #1 runner last year and is continuing to embrace that role is Jackson Summy. He was the top runner for the Eagles at state placing 63rd. I am sure he is looking forward to improving on that state finish this November. “Jackson had a sensational junior year,” Shepherd said. “He has that IT factor and is someone to keep an eye on this Fall as he will only keep getting better. He's a savvy racer with confidence in who he is and what he is capable of. He is an exceptional closer and someone you can never count out of a race. He has a strong base from the work he put in this Summer and enters the season very fit. I also want to highlight how much of a catalyst he is for our team. He is the one they look to for guidance and leadership at practice. At xc meets, he provides the juice and gets the team ready to compete. He is a supportive teammate and is always trying to find a way to help the team achieve success. We're proud of Jackson and excited for his senior year.”

 

Brady Mock and Matthew Powley stepped up their training this summer according to Shepherd. The two seniors are ready for their final run this season and look to be a strong nucleus for this team. Blake Salbilla and Cooper Summy were the team’s 4-5 runners at state. They once again should contribute to the team’s top five. This team should make it back to state and be among the top 10 teams if they keep their top five split under 58 seconds.

 

“We feel confident in our training and our work ethic, as well as our ability to compete well each time we lace up,” added Shepherd. “What we really need now, more than ever, is a focus on being a TEAM. We have and will continue to discuss how much the focus needs to be put on enjoying the process and putting in the work together. How we are all working toward a common goal each day and throughout the season. Strengthening that bond and enjoying each day will allow us to maximize our opportunities during the season.”

 

10 Normal (University)

Coach – Lester Hampton

2023 Finish: 9-2A; 1-Jacksonvl Sec; 3-NUH Reg; 1-CS8.

Top Runners: Sean Kaeb JR, Connor Hartman SR, Jacob Bauchmoyer SO, Spencer Boesdorfer JR, Brady Kim SR, Aaden Richards SO, Mason Dunn SR, JT Piper JR, Xander Scray SO.

Notes: It was like night and day for the Pioneers in their final two races of last season. Normal University used tight pack running as they did most of the season as they held off Marion 70-78 for the sectional team title. It was not the same scenario the following week at Detweiller where Marion had their best race of the year in winning the state title. U-High ended up finishing ninth overall. “Obviously, we didn’t finish where we were hoping to last year and I accept all the blame for that,” said U-High Coach Lester Hampton.  “I didn’t put the boys in the best position to accomplish what they were capable of.”

 

The team spread on their top five runners that finished in the top 22 was just 25 seconds. The following week in the state race, graduated Mason Hart was the lone all-state runner placing 24th. Then came a 32 second split before second runner Sean Kaeb crossed the line in 77th. The split on that 2-5 pack was just 10 seconds.

 

It will be different for the god for U-High this season even though they just have three runners back from that top seven. They do have a strong group ready to take their place on the team’s top seven. “We had a pretty good summer, most of the kids put in some solid weeks,” Hampton said. “We should be ready to start our training at a fairly high level.” This team will continue like they did last year. Kaeb into the top spot along with Connor Hartman. The two were within 10 seconds of each other. Kaeb made it to state last spring in the 3200 Meter Run winning his section but just missed all-state finishing 10 overall. His 9:35.43 time shows he is ready to run with the best runners in Class 2A. Injuries kept Hartman off the track most of the spring. He should be ready to go in September. “Kaeb will lead this team; he’s had a great summer, and we can’t wait to see where it takes him,” Hampton said. “He has all the ingredients to be one of the top runners in the State. He’s worked really hard over the summer to put himself in a good position to start the season.”

 

Jacob Bauchmoyer was the seventh runner at state as a freshman that will contribute in the top five this fall. Spencer Boesdorfer, Brady Kim, and Jackson Albers are some of the runners that will challenge for a spot in the top seven.

 

11 Marion

Coach – Scott Gill

2023 Finish: 1-2A; 2-Jacksonvl Sec; 1-ORC Reg; 1-S7C.

Top Runners: Raphael Greer SO, Gabriel Greer SO, Evan Dailey SR, Tai Doan JR, Joseph Mings JR, Andrew Scholes JR, Tate Miller SR, Damien Russell SO, Wyatt Kremer FR, Jonathan Parks FR, Paul Buchanan FR.

Notes: One of things that Dylon Nalley wanted this season was to break the course record at Detweiller Park. As the Marion team grew during the season, his goals changed to help his teammates win a team state championship. That thought came to fruition at Detweiller Park. Nalley was in shock not for his second individual title, but that his team won a state title. So was the rest of the crowd of Marion supporters after finding that they won but did not believe that was true.

 

Nalley and Mekye Lomax, both all-state runners along with other top seven runners Cade Parks and Hayden Lees all have graduated. Will 2024 be a rebuilding year ir a reloading season. Perhaps a little bit of both. Raphael Greer and his twin brother Gabriel Greer were typical freshmen last season being a very quiet and just ran. With the seniors that left, it is their turn. Raphael Greer was all state last spring on the track in the 3200 Meter Run. Gabriel Greer just missed all state honors, placing 28th. That is something he will earn this fall. “Raphael and Gabby Greer are way ahead of where they were last year at this time,” said Marion Coach Scott Gill. “They can handle the high school training much better now. I anticipate they will keep improving and be at the front of a lot of races. Raphy is learning to lead workouts because the Seniors that pushed him last year have graduated.”

 

Building the pack behind the Greer twins will be something to watch for as this season goes on. Evan Dailey will lead that pack as the only other returning state runner. Dailey was behind Gabriel las state meet. That spread expects to close as the season moves forward. Gill believes Tai Doan and Tate Miller as the fourth and fifth runners as the season starts. “Our top five were consistent over the summer and showed improvement over last year on tempo runs,” said Gill. “I think they have a solid foundation to handle the upcoming season. Joe Mings had some minor injuries but hopefully he will stay healthy now and have a breakthrough season to help us.

 

There was no sense before the start of last season in this program that they could win a state team championship. Look what they did. Coming into this year they know at this moment they are not the top team in the state. The Wildcats learned how to get from point A to point B and they get reminded of that every time they pass the trophy case. This will be an interesting season for this program. It will be interesting to see what Marion accomplishes. “After last year’s state title this team expects to be back and place high,” added Gill. “I won’t discourage them from that goal, but we have a lot of work to do. Over the summer I stressed the importance of sleep and hydration. After each hard day I encouraged them “We Got Better Today.”

 

12 Morris

Coach – Joe Blumberg

2023 Finish: 22-2A; 6-Geno Sec; 5-Meta Reg; 3-IS8.

Top Runners: Cuyler Swanson SO, Everett Swanson SO, Nikita Hovious JR, Brodie Peterson, Jonathan Zarbock JR, Chase McConnell JR, Parker Fleetwood JR, Owen Noon JR, Logan Morris SR, Luchi Eberhard SR, Diego Lugo FR, Colin Wickman FR, Joseph Emmerich FR.

Notes: Not too many xc followers thought that Morris would make it past last year’s sectional meet. They proved doubters wrong making it out of the Geneseo Sectional and then 22nd at the Class 2A State Meet. This team could be special, especially with all seven state runners coming back.

 

“This summer has been our best in terms of consistent attendance and mileage/volume,” said Morris Coach, Joe Blumberg. “Over half of our guys are over 300 miles (that may not compare to some more established programs, but we are trying to build carefully/conservatively - most of ours last year were 200-250). Cuyler Swanson, Everett Swanson, Nikita Hovious, and Brodie Peterson have stayed together on all our summer quality workouts. Much of our focus has been on our number five. Zarbock and McConnell play tennis in the spring, so they start more conservatively during the summer, and our 1-5 gap may be larger at the beginning of the season as a result. Owen Noon, Parker Fleetwood, Hunter Russell have also matured and improved to give us added depth (all have dramatically increased their summer miles from last season).

 

The addition of two freshmen to the team’s varsity last season moved the team into a different category. Morris used to be a team that would finish in the teens in their sectional, to a top 10 state team this season, to state championship contender in 2025. Cuyler Swanson stepped into the spotlight last year and was all-state as a freshman placing 21st. His success during the track season running 9:35 and all-state in the 3200 Meter Run will put him in atop runner in Class 2A this fall. “Cuyler continues to impress at a young age, and we are learning not to be surprised by anything he accomplishes,” Blumberg said.  “He ran a 4:53 as an 8th grader with little to no mileage. So we were very cautious with his volume last summer and into his first fall. We didn't expect a 15:06 and All State medal as a freshman. Shame on us! He had a quality winter (and still played freshman basketball) and a solid freshman spring (4:32 | 9:35). His mileage is up, and he's already ahead of last year's state time (ran a 14:59 at DAD in late July). He's just so smooth and it looks effortless. We are going to work harder this fall on learning how to race and respond to different scenarios, taking advantage of the quality competition he will see this season from Morton, Metamora, Dixon, among others. We race Kaneland three times this fall, and will encourage Cuyler to learn from one of the state's best in Evan Nosek. We think in ideal conditions, Cuyler can run 14:20-14:30 this season. One of our goals is to get Cuyler's twin (Everett) to close the gap... Everett ran 15:46 at DAD and, once he gains confidence, will have his brother in sight.”

 

Everett Swanson enters his sophomore season 34 seconds behind his brother after their state race. He will lead the pack behind Cuyler that includes juniors Nikita Hovious, Brodie Peterson, and Jonathan Zarbock. The split from the second through fifth runners is projected to be 93 seconds to start the season. This spread cut down to under 55 seconds puts this team among the top 10 teams in Class 2A. They could go higher than that.

 

“I'd say the one message is "big picture." Last year was our first trip to state as a team. And all are not only back this season, but also next. So, we've talked about, and the guys have set two-year goals. They want to earn our school's first state cross country trophy in 2025. To do that, they know we need to intelligently build mileage and intensity this season into the next. They also know the state of Illinois is a juggernaut, regardless of class. Everybody is putting in quality miles. We have to focus on all of the little extras - diet, sleep, mobility work, and remembering to have fun along the way. And they've done a great job of those things this summer. We expect more success this season, and our guys have set some lofty goals. They want to challenge two perennial state finals teams in Kaneland and Sycamore for a conference title. They want to be healthy on the regional line and compete for our school's first Regional championship and finish as a top 10 team in 2A. But we also need to keep the bigger picture in mind if/when we don't meet those lofty goals this season. We need a win or learn mentality, not getting hung up on failures, knowing success in 2025 is our ultimate goal.

 

13 Geneseo

Coach – Todd Ehlert

2023 Finish: 18-2A; 3-Geno Sec; 2-Gales Reg; 1-WB6.

Top Runners: Dylan Gehl SR, Jaxson Sottos JR, Max Johnson SR, Jack Kreiss SO, Kaden Elmer JR, Aidan Bries JR, Graysen Carlson JR, Christian Haney SR, Henley Bourne FR, Kael McCord FR>

Notes: The Maple Leafs are one of those teams that you will see back at Detweiller Park in November this fall after finishing 18th in the Class 2A State race. Geneseo built their momentum throughout last year’s racing. That momentum will continue this season. Dylan Gehl finished 66 as a sophomore in 2022. He could have been one of the bigger surprises of the season running 14:48 to finish seventh overall. He is back after having a tough track season where injuries slowed him down. Gehl enters this fall as the third returning runner from last year’s state meet.

 

“Dylan had an injury in the track season this spring,” said his coach, Todd Ehlert.  “He has fully recovered from the injury.  He is starting to get the passion back.  Dylan has had a good summer with training.”

 

Five other runners from last year’s state meet are back with Gehl. Jaxson Sottos was the team’s third runner last November. He had a great summer of running and will lead the pack behind Gehl. Jack Kreiss, Max Johnson, and Kaden Elmer were separated by 12 seconds at state. That pack is projected to have a 44 second split off Sottos. The key is closing the gap on Gehl from 70 seconds to 45 seconds by the state series kicks off.

 

“Summer runs have been going great,” added Ehlert. “Last year’s returning 10 have been consistent with running.  We are on pace or ahead of last year.”

 

14 Glen Ellyn (Glenbard South)

Coach – Doug Gorski

2023 Finish: 2-2A; 1-Trinity Sec; 1-Trinity Reg; 1-UEC.

Top Runners: Tom Jochum SO, Luke Van Tholen SR, Giancarlo Pietrasanta FR, Lucas Galas SR, Logan Price SR, Gus Kling JR, Diego Myers SR, Connor McKenna SO, Andrew Walter FR, Evan Rubians FR.

Notes: Glenbard South is coming off a two year stretch where they finished third in the Class 2A State Meet in 2022 and second last year. They will miss their senior leadership of Tim Jochum and Jaden Frederick who have graduated. Glenbard South Coach Doug Gorski terms this season for the Raiders as reloading. That would be true with this squad with just two runners back from last year’s state team.

 

“We had over 25 kids sign up for our summer running camp which is a lot for us,” said Gorski.   “Most of them are underclassmen working together to get better and faster for the beginning of the season.”

 

Tom Jochum had a standout freshman season last fall in which he was the team’s second runner finishing 15 at state. He ran a second faster at Detweiller at Dark (15:03) than he did last November. The one runner that could step into the #2 spot is Giancarlo Pietrasanta who had a good freshman summer season. “Freshman Giancarlo Pietrasanta ran over 300 miles this summer,” added Gorski. “We do a 3 x 1 Mile w/4:00M rest workout, Giancarlo averaged 5:12 and two weeks later 5:10. Tom Jochum was closer to 5:00 both times. Tom had a great summer, he ran a 15:03 at Detweiler at Dark, 1 second faster than he ran at the 2023 state meet race.  He was pleased with the time but knows he needs to continue to improve every day to make it to the top of the mountain.”

 

It will be finding runners to fill the next five positions on the varsity level for the Raiders to get back them back to the state meet. Luke Van Tholen also ran at state last year and is the only other runner back. Lukas Galas and Logan Price look to be among the top five. Freshmen Andrew Walter and Evan Rubians look to also challenge for spots in the top five.

 

“Consistency is key in the summer, and we got that most days” stated Gorski. “This is a reloading year, led by Tom Jochum.  We will need to develop a tight 2-7 pack over the course of the season. The team goal is to advance through the State Regional  & Sectional meets, and make an appearance at the state Meet AS A TEAM for the 6th year in a row.”

 

15 Mahomet-Seymour

Coach – Andrew Walmer

2023 Finish: 12-Jacksonvl Sec; 4-NUH Reg; 3-Apollo.

Top Runners: Agustus Gaudio JR, Henry McMurry JR, Lukas Nykaza SR, Kaleb Kasper SR, Zach Wilcoski SR, Gavin Fan SR, Tate Bode JR (from football), Adam Smigelski FR, Liam Burwell FR, Henry Welch FR, Carter Alderks FR, Tayten Gergen FR.

Notes: The Bulldogs missed out on a trip to the state meet last year finishing 12 last year at the Jacksonville Sectional. This team will improve and surprise some fans this season returning their top five runners from that sectional squad coming back. “Summer training has gone well, especially with the freshmen,” said Coach Andrew Walmer. “The freshmen have been running more days each week and more miles each day on average than any group of freshmen I can remember. I think their consistency and willingness to put in the work will pay off this fall.”

 

Augustus Gaudio again will be the top runner for Seymour. He qualified for the 2A state meet individually, finishing 85th. His sights are set higher in 2024. “Auggie is determined to do well at the state meet this fall,” said Walmer. “He missed out in XC and track his freshman year by the smallest of margins. His sophomore year, he made it to both as an individual but only had decent performances. Now, with experience and a solid summer of training under his belt, he's ready to go all in at state. He understands that he can't control what the other runners do, but he's ready to get up there and compete with the best of them.”

 

Henry McMurry gives the Bulldogs a solid second runner. McMurry finished 34 seconds behind Gaudio in the sectional race that should decrease to 15 seconds by state series time. Lukas Nykaza, Kaleb Kasper, and Zach Wilcoski look again to be in the Mahomet-Seymour’s top five. The split off McMurry is projected to start the season at 50 seconds. Tightening up that pack could get them to Detweiller Park in November.

 

“My goal for the guys was to put in as much work as they could this summer while keeping things fun and under control,” Walmer said. “They know that things can pick up quite a bit once the season starts, so I wanted them to be fresh and ready to go for that moment. I think they've done a good job of striking the right balance.”

 

16 Chicago (Latin)

Coach – Dan Daly

2023 Finish: 8-Trinity Sec; 3-Latin Reg; 2-ISL.

Top Runners: Ben Gibson SR, Daniel Goodman SR, Jack Lyons SR, Miles Daly SR, Micah Weiss FR, Nico Rastatter FR, Myles Levine SR, Jack Ramsey JR, Tucker Thayer JR, Sebastian Lee-Yee JR.

Notes: Injuries played an effect to how Latin’s season ended up. The Romans did not make it to state finishing eighth at the Trinity Sectional. Everyone appears to be healthy according to Coach Dan Daly. The addition of two freshmen to this roster that  will make an impact in the top five this fall will also help. “The captains kept in touch with the team and encouraged all to run,” said Daly. “Most of the team did between 20-40 miles per week.”

 

Ben Gibson ran only one race last fall before an injury took him out of the season soon after that. Gibson ran 2:02.32/4:29.05 during the track season qualifying for the 2A State Meet making the 1600 Meter Run prelims. We will see how this transfers to this fall. “Ben kept everyone on task and stayed motivated all summer,” Daly said. “He has the right combination of talent, hard work, big goals, he's a supportive teammate and maintains a positive attitude.

He's fired up and ready to have a great season along with his teammates.”

 

Dan Goodman and Jack Lyons made it to the state meet individually. Lyons finished 96th in that state race. Goodman did not have his best race of the year last November. Goodman was the team’s top runner last year and will be with Gibson in the front. Lyons and Miles Daly again will be challenging for spots in the top five. A big addition is Micah Weiss who joins the team as a freshman. Weiss had a successful Middle School running career. His eighth-grade season was great, winning the IESA Class 2A State title in the fall. He was the IESA 3A 800 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run champion. He went on to finish second at the NON Middle-School 1 Mile Run with a 4:30.66 time. Weiss should be one of the top runners on this team. Nico Rastatter is another freshman that will help after finishing third in the 1A race at the IESA State Meet in Normal. He ran a season’s best of 4:50.34 last spring.

 

17 Chatham (Glenwood)

Coach – Mike Garber

2023 Finish: 11-Jacksonvl Sec; 5-NUH Reg; 2-CS8.

Top Runners: Van Schneider JR, Carter Simmons SR, Will Patzia SR, Brady Moser JR, Sadam Galvan FR, Adi Anderson FR, Mason Daley SR, Logan Reible SR, Edward Wilson SR, Gabe Iwanicki JR, Sam Snider SO.

Notes: I don’t think that last year’s sectional meet was the best for the Titans last fall when they finished 11 at the Jacksonville Sectional. Learning lessons a=come out of meets like that in which you will benefit from those moments. It could be the case for Glenwood as this year starts. The Titans are deep with talent bringing back six runners from that sectional and 11 runners that at least can challenge for spots in their top seven.

 

“The boys had a big mileage change this summer,” said Coach Mike Garber. “We upped the mileage a good amount the last couple months and with the few summer races we have participated in, it has really paid off. We have had people that previously ran very few miles commit not only to themselves, but their boys and get a lot of work done.”

 

Van Schneider stepped up his running during track making individually to the state meet in the 800 Meter Run finishing 11th In the 3A State Meet, He still ran :1:54.74/4:23.94 as a sophomore. He made it to state last year finishing 103rd.  “Van is one heck of a talent,” Garber added. “He did not partake in his freshman year cross country season due to playing football. Since joining track as a freshman and then running both seasons last year, he has broken almost every record he has had an opportunity to break. With a 4:22 mile and 1:54 800 to his name after the Spring, he has returned to high mileage. You can tell he is ready for the next step in cross country this Fall.”

 

The Titans should have a projected 40 second split on their second through fifth runners led by Carter Simmons. Will Patzia, Brady Moser, and Mason Daley should join Simmons in that pack. The split in the Central State Eight Conference was 34 seconds. This team is ready to make it to state. Their past summer of training shows that. “This group has been together for many years at this point, but we have a great deal of talent coming up through middle school. Integrating the newcomers and creating a sense of unity is quite important to me,” Garber said. “There is value in everyone on the team, regardless of if they are varsity or not. This group is putting that into practice, and I couldn't be more excited.”

 

18 Lisle (Benet Academy)

Coach – Kevin Renicker

2023 Finish: 7-2A; 2-Trinity Sec; 2-Trinity Reg; 1-ESCC.

Top Runners: Finn Richards SR, Aiden Hulett SR, Jeffrey Lange SR, Robert Johnson JR, John Pogue JR, William Schaeffer JR, Quinn Knox SR, Lucas Kohlmeyer JR, Nathan Gianan JR, Aaron Huang SO.

Notes: The Redwings were one of the top teams in Class 2A last season that culminated by finishing seventh in the Class 2A State Meet. It could be a year that they rebuild the rest of their pack with runners from last year’s team graduated. It does help that there are quality runners on their roster waiting for their chance to race on the varsity level.

 

It does help that you have a quality runner / student like Finn Richards leading this team. Richards had a tough year after the loss of his younger brother. But last year’s journey made him that much stronger. Richards enters this season after finishing fifth in the Class 2A State Meet and the #1 runner back in the state from that race. The senior made it to the state meet in the 3200 Meter Run in the Class 3A State Meet. Richards ran 9:22.98 to win his section of the event. Aidan Hulett finished 26 in the 2A race missing all-state by one position. A top 10 finish is extremely possible for this senior.

 

There could be a two-minute gap to start the season after Hulett crosses the line to the third runner. The pack of Robert Johnson, Jeffrey Lange, John Pogue and William Schaeffer all can run within 35 seconds of each other. The key for this team is getting that pack within 40 seconds of Hulett which is something we should see.

 

19 Mascoutah

Coach – Darren Latham

2023 Finish: 20-2A; 7-Jacksonvl Sec; 2-High Reg; 5-MVC

Top Runners: Leo Cozzi SR, Greg Drain SR, Lucas Jensen JR, Kaine Climaco JR, Logan Zurbrugg JR, Jacob Chung SR, Zachary Barshay SR, Henry Koehler JR, Cole Perryman JR.

Notes: Mascoutah peaked last year at the right time finishing seventh at the Jacksonville Sectional and then 20th the following week in the Class 2A State Meet.

 

The team has five runners back from the state meet. Leo Cozzi leads this team having finished 93rd in the 2A race. Greg Drain and Lucas Jensen are also back from their top five pack that were within 27 seconds of Cozzi.

 

Kaine Climaco and Logan Zurbrugg had state meet experience last year as the team’s sixth and seventh runners. It might be Henry Koehler and Jacob Chung that will challenge for the top five.

 

20 Champaign (Central)

Coach – Steven Kesler

2023 Finish: 10-Jacksonvil Sec; 3-ORC Reg; 3-Big 12.

Top Runners: Caleb Mathias JR, Jakob Riley SR, Noah Green JR, Simon Campbell SO, Enrique Beuschlein SR, Austin Ritter JR, Nikolas Kesler JR, Nate Davis JR.

Notes: The Maroons missed a chance to run in the Class 2A State Meet last year finishing 10 at the Jacksonville Sectional. Their top two runners, then sixth and seventh runners are back for the 2024 season. Caleb Mathias was all-state for the second time in his high school career, finishing 16th. He will be one of the top runners in Class 2A this season. He is in great shape after his summer training session. The junior already matched his state time of last year running 15:04 in July at Detweiller at Dark. He did run a 1:58.4 split in their sectional 4x8. Hed did run 9:27 in the 3200 Meter Run last spring.

 

Jakob Riley was the team’s second runner at Jacksonville almost a minute behind Mathias. Riley should be the leader of this team’s pack this fall. Noah Green, Simon Campbell, and Enrique Beuschlein figure to be runners you see in this team’s top five. The split off Riley is projected to be 100 seconds. Mathias figures to be getting low points for Central this year once again. Closing the split on the next four runners could put them in position to qualify for state.

 

21 Chicago (DePaul College Prep)

Coach – Mitchell Baum

2023 Finish: 25-2A; 5-Trinity Sec; 2-Latin Reg; 5-CCL.

Top Runners: Elias Roldan SR, Bodi Ward SR, Liam Donehoo JR, Jack Barnes SO, Sebastian Macias JR, Keegan Glascott SR, Charles Malelo SR, Oliver Schultz SR, Ashenafi Strong JR, Ian Cromwell SO.

Notes: The Rams did not have their best race last year at the 2A State Meet ending up finishing 25th. Even though two of their top five runners have graduated, DePaul welcomes back four runners back. Elias Roldan steps into the #1 spot for the team finishing 56th. A top 30 finish could be in the works for this senior leader. Jack Barnes and Bodi Ward were the third and fourth runners for this team last year but 81 seconds behind Roldan. Ward ran 11 seconds behind Roldan during the sectional while Barnes was another 25 seconds behind. Roldan was 13 seconds ahead of Ward in the league championships.

 

Liam Donehoo was the team’s sixth runner and should step into a top five spot with Sebastian Macias and Keegan Glascott challenging also for the top five. The two in their league meet were more than a minute behind. The Rams should make it back to the state meet but will need to lower their top five spread to under 90 seconds to accomplish that.

 

22 Highland

Coach – Joe Shannon

2023 Finish: 13-Jacksonvl Sec; 5-High Reg; 5-MVC

Top Runners: Christian Knobloch SR, Avery Brock SR, Donnie Miller JR, Adin Roach JR, Walker Nehrt SO, Sam Huelskamp SR, Liam Priest SO, Zach Smith JR.

Notes: Highland will look to get closer to state qualifying as they finished 13 in the Jacksonville Sectional. This season looks promising with six runners returning from that sectional team.

 

Christian Knobloch was the only qualify to state for the Bulldogs last year. The senior finished 54 in the 2A race and should have good hopes to finish in the top 25. Avery Brock did not run in the sectional race but was the team’s second runner in both their conference and regional meets. Brock averaged 10 seconds behind Knobloch in those final two races giving Highland a strong 1-2 duo in front in races. The top five split will need to be worked on to improve on last year’s sectional finish. It could be close to two minutes off the pace of Knobloch. Donnie Miller and Adin Roach along with Walker Nehrt will look to lower that split on the group.

 

23 Mt. Zion

Coach – Kelly Fox

2023 Finish: 15-2A; 6-Jacksonvl Sec; 1-NUH Reg; 1-Apollo

Top Runners: Daniel Grauer SR, Mark Mavis JR, Jude Toft SR (transfer from Lincoln), Aiden Mulgrew JR, Caj Reid SR, Nate Hahn JR, Corin Etchison SO, Oscar Sullivan JR, Jackson Bilyeu SO.

Notes: The Braves were supposed to have four runners back from the team that finished 15th last fall at the state meet. They will miss their top runner, all-state Julian Baker who graduated. Their second runner from last year Lyncoln Koester will not run this fall instead concentrating on Basketball. Koester received a scholarship offer from UI-Springfield.

 

Daniel Grauer, the third runner at state last year for Mt. Zion, rises to the #1 spot for the team. Mark Mavis, Aiden Mulgrew, and Caj Reed appear to be runners to keep an eye in the top five. Coach Kelly Fox also will have transfer Jude Toft from Lincoln ready to jump in the top five. Loft transferred into the school early last year but due to IHSA regulations could not run competitively until this fall. He should give their top five an immediate boost. “Running is something that we're all blessed to do,” said Fox.  “We've enjoyed running at our local conservation areas and traveled to the Shawnee National Forest to spend quality time there as a team. I've stressed building relationships this season as the boys have had to transition from the loss of Coach Bill Harbeck.”

 

24 Dunlap

Coach – Chris Friedman

2023 Finish: 24-2A; 5-Geno Sec; 3-Gales Reg; 3-MIC

Top Runners: Jacob Gladstone SR, Jack Nester JR, Max Draksler SO, Alex Colvin SO, Madox Dean SR, Nate Acklie SR, Ben McClelland SO, Tyler Horn FR, Tyler Owen FR, Ben Bobchik FR, Ben Paustian FR.

Notes: The Eagles welcome back four runners from the top seven from last year’s state team that finished Class 2A State Meet. Dunlap also has four freshmen coming in that could be a part of the team’s top 12 this season.

 

Jacob Gladstone was second runner for Dunlap in Peoria and should lead this team. Jack Nester and Max Draksler were also a part of the team’s top five, The three runners were separated by 35 seconds in that race. A key this season will get all three runners under 16-minutes this season. Alex Colvin, Madox Dean, and Nate Acklie were all on the roster and will challenge for spots in the top seven. Dunlap has four freshman that will find their way into the top seven at some point this fall. Tyler Horn, Tyler Owen, Ben Bobchik, and Ben Paustian all ran in the IESA Class 3A State Meet last fall finishing in the top 25 for either Dunlap Middle School and Dunlap Valley Middle School.

 

25 Sycamore

Coach – Mike Lambdin

2023 Finish: 11-Wood Sec; 5-Kane Reg; 2-IS8.

Top Runners: Corey Goff SR, Logan Jones JR, Phoenix Calabrese SR, Kaiden Van Schnase SR, Lucas Miller SO, Devin Karda SR, Liam Berry JR, Nate Burgess JR, Bruno Wilkerson SR, Jose Ponce JR, Josh Miller SO, Noah Murcia SO.

Notes: Sycamore returns four runners from the sectional team that finished 11 at Woodstock. Corey Goff qualified for the 2A Meet last year and ran 16:20 to finish 150th. Goff was expected to be the top runner for the Spartans to start the season. “Corey's summer got off to a terrific start, but with the arrival of July came issues with wisdom teeth and an ingrown toenail,” said his Coach Mike Lambdin. “The combination of these procedures have set him back. Don't be surprised if he gets off to a slow start but look for him to be there at the season's end.”

 

Phoenix Calabrese and Logan Jones give Sycamore a solid 2-3 behind Goff. “Bruno Wilkerson and Kaiden Von Schnase have been leading the way in executing our summer training schedule,” added Lambdin. “Logan Jones, Luke Miller, and Noah Murcia appear to have made significant progress running well in our three-mile time trial versus the alumni.”

 

26 Taylorville

Coach – Steve Walters

2023 Finish: 17-2A; 6-Jacksonvl Sec; 2-NUH Reg; 2-Apollo.

Top Runners: Liam Bettis SO, Logan Halligan SO, Tyler Corpin JR, Brody Harker SR, Alex Davis JR, David Schafer JR, Ross Brown JR, Joseph Goodman SO.

Notes: Taylorville Boys XC team made it to the IHSA State Meet for the first time last year. They will miss their leader and all-state runner Owen Morgan who graduated. I could be tough to make it to state this fall as they only have three runners returning from that state race.

 

Liam Bettis had a great freshman season as the team’s second runner finishing 44 in the state race. Bettis did make it to state in the spring qualifying in the 4x8 and the 1600 Meter Run. He ended up his season by running 4:26.17 to finish seventh in the 1 Mile Run at the Nike Outdoor Nationals. Big things will be ahead of him for the next three years including this fall. He could run under 15-minutes at Detweiller Park this fall.

 

Logan Halligan is also a sophomore and will fit nicely in the top five as the second runner. Tyler Corpin, who has state meet experience, Brody Harkin, and Alex Davis expect to be the runner that could jump into the top five this season.

 

27 Mundelein (Carmel)

Coach – Jim Hafford

2023 Finish: 13-Wood Sec; 4-Lakes Reg; 3-ESCC.

Top Runners: Evan Hursthouse SO, Cole Bonham SR, Joey Lodowsky JR, Kyle Paras SR, John Krietsch SR, Quinn Emmons SO, Marcos Monroe JR, Charles Cowart SR, John Deiler SR, Teddy Schlicksup JR.

Notes: This team was young for their 2023 season as they finished 13 at the Woodstock Sectional. The Corsairs may build into this campaign this year as two of their top five runners are coming back from injuries. “Cole Bonham is a two-time qualifier who has a foot injury and Kyle Paras is back to training from a Spring fracture,” Coach Jim Halford said.  “Otherwise, we have had a very good summer.”

 

Evan Hursthouse could be one of the top sophomores in Class 2A after finishing 68th as a freshman last November. Joey Lodowsky and Marcos Monroe were the top five runners and will look to close the gap on the rest of the pack. Once Bonham and Paras are back at 100%, this team could have the talent to make a run at an appearance at Detweiller Park in November. “We are stressing our health,” said Halford.  “If we can get Cole back, he will be with Evan, making a very strong 1-2 punch.”

 

28 Metamora

Coach – Amanda Young

2023 Finish: 12-Geno Sec; 5-Meta Reg; 4-MIC.

Top Runners: Zach Born SO, William Eppenger JR, Caleb Sheirer SO, Trae Helwig SR, Gavin Walters JR, Drew Hodel SO, Elijah Gerkin SO, Tommy Casey JR, Max Lovin SR, Ethan Stone SO.

Notes: It was a rebuilding year for the Redbirds last season as they finished 12 at the Geneseo Sectional. They could make it back to the state meet for the first time since 2019 with six runners back from their top seven. Four of those runners last year were freshmen.

 

There is room for growth with this team starting with their #1 runner, Zach Born. He had a great freshman season making it to state as an individual running 15:17 to place 37th overall. Born earned all-state honors finishing eighth in the 800 Meter Run in the Class 2A State Meet. He was also on his teams’ 4x4 team that was also all-state finishing ninth. This sophomores could do some big things this fall including finish in the top 15 in November.

 

Metamora should have a good pack behind Born led by William Eppenger followed by Caleb Sheirer, Trae Helwig, and Drew Hodel. The split of this pack heading into this fall is projected to be 32 seconds. They will need to work on the gap between Born and this group, which is projected to be close to 95 seconds.

 

29 Mt. Vernon

Coach – Trace Turner

2023 Finish – 21-2A; 5-Jacksonvl Sec; 2-ORC Reg; 2-S7C

Top Runners: Joel Hayes JR, Rowan Wilford JR, Trace Elliott JR, Eli Johnston JR, Carson Workman JR, Jayden Jones SO, Alex Knappier JR, Jordan Hofmann JR.

 

Notes: The Rams have four of their top seven back from the team that finished 21 in last year’s Class 2A State Meet. Joel Hayes should be the team’s top runner after being the third runner most of last season. Rowan Wilford and Trace Elliott will fit into the next two spots. Finding a fifth runner is something to watch from this group. The top four split is projected to be nearly 40 seconds. The five split could be near two minutes.

 

30 Crystal Lake (Prairie Ridge)

Coach – Judd Shutt

2023 Finish – 11-2A; 3-Wood Sec; 1-Lakes Reg; 1-FVC.

Top Runners: Steven Randles SO, Kieran Gilleland JR, Kye Gunter FR, Liam Bailey SR, Nathan Debelak SR, Thomas Henry SO, Bodhi Lee JR, JB Torgerson JR, Trevor Dam JR.

Notes: This will be a rebuilding year for the Wolves. Prairie Ridge finished 11th in the Class 2A Meet. They lost five runners from that state team including their top four runners. Only two runners are back from the state squad. “We are an extremely young team, so summer training was relatively consistent for our top 10 runners, but the mileage totals were lower than the last two summers based on the number of underclassmen that will potentially race in our top 5,” Coach Judd Shutt said.

 

Steven Randles is just a sophomore but ended his first season as the team’s fifth runner. Kieran Gilleland was 14 seconds behind Randles and will be closer in races to his teammate. Randles this summer has embraced his role on the team. “Steven had the luxury of learning from a strong senior class last year, working his way onto varsity later in the season, and racing relatively conservatively,” said Shutt.  “This summer he showed that he is making a shift. In our daily talks he shows confidence in his ability to move up in the racing pack this year, and take a few more risks due to his experience and confidence. He is learning to trust his fitness and I am excited to see the jump he can make this year.”

 

There will be many new faces on the starting line for this team. It could be a good team that makes it to their sectional meet. Patience will be a key for this team this fall. “We discussed that this year will be a work in progress into October,” said Shutt. “Patience and a willingness to alter previous roles were two themes. This season will require us to take early season results with a grain of salt and have the patience to work through October to discover this team's potential. Our overall success may be dictated by runners embracing new and more challenging team roles.”

 

Other 2A Boys Team to Watch

Troy Triad

Coach – Andy Brendel

2023 Finish: 8-Jacksonvl Sec; 3-High Reg; 2-MVC.

Top Runners: Drew Twyman SR, Sam Kuckuck SR, Gavin Woolverton SO, Gray Lipe SR, Eric Mooshegian SO, Michael Schram SO, Devin Maedge JR, Jacob Ramert SO. Caden Meier FR.

Notes: Triad just missed making it to the state meet last year finishing eighth at the Jacksonville Sectional. The Knights would like to make it to Peoria this fall. Their last team visit was in 2019 when they finished 17 in the Class 2A Meet. This program was hit with graduation last year as four runners are back from the sectional team. “I feel like this group has been more dedicated than other teams as far as summer training. We won't have a big or very deep team but we will have a squad of boys that are not afraid to hurt,” said their Coach Andy Brendel.

 

Drey Twyman has been one of the team’s top runners for the past two years. He enters this season in a position to earn all-state honors. Twyman finished 78 last fall in what was not his best race of the season. His confidence grew during track season qualifying for the 2A State Meet in the 800 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run. He scratched out of the 1600. He earned all-state honors finishing seventh in the 800 with a 1:55.20 personal best. “Drew has been on a mission this summer and has been able to handle everything that we have thrown at him,” said Brendel. “His overall mileage and quality of workouts has been outstanding. He was disappointed with his state xc finish last year. That showed in the spring when he went 1:55 on the track. I predict some fast times and top finishes out of him. He will be a top 2A boy this fall.”

 

There are several good runners behind him with Sam Kuckuck, Gavin Woolverton, and Jacob Ramert. Brendel has a strong group of freshmen entering the team this year led by Caden Meier. That group could give a boost to the team top seven. The pack behind Twyman is projected to have a 45 second spread being 60 seconds behind their top runner.

 

Woodstock

Coach – Jay Fuller

2023 Finish: 10-2A; 5-Wood Sec; 1-Wood N Reg; 1-KRC

Top Runners: Ellery Shutt JR, Milo McLeer SR, Elijah Hedges SO, Will Kashmier JR, Josh Roth SO, Adam Bailey SO, Cody Hendrickson JR.

Notes: Woodstock will rebuild this year after finishing 10th in the Class 2A State Meet. Five runners have graduated including Ishan and Aryan Patel. One of the runners Braedon Schwanke, who was expected to be one of the top five runners, decided not to return to the team. Elery Shutt finished 82nd last year and will be the top runner on this team. Mike McLeer was 44 seconds behind Shutt. There are several questions on who could step into the top five. The scoring split to start is projected to be over two minutes. The split needs to come down for this team to advance out of their regional.

 

Grayslake (Central)

Coach – James Centella

2023 Finish: 13-2A; 4-Wood Sec; 3-Lakes Reg; 3-NLCC

Top Runners: Adan Cordova JR, Daniel Varblow SR, Reid Donisch SO, Justin Mottola SO, Aaron O’Neill SR, Kurt Stockman SR, Alex Wolff SO, Andrew Varblow SO, Bryson Struck FR.

Notes: It could be a reloading year for the Rams after finishing 13 in the Class 2A State Meet. They lost all everything Trey Sato to graduation along with four other runners. The pressure will go on Aden Cordova who is one of two runners coming back. “Adan is an extremely determined competitor with all-state and sub 15 potential,” said James Centella, Grayslake Central head coach.  He has matured a lot as a runner over the summer both mentally and physically.  Physically he has logged his highest mileage total yet.  Mentally has become a student of the sport. For example, he attended the Harvard XC camp and has brought back some of what he has learned there to help our team.  He is learning that workouts do not need to be home runs and that this will allow his best to come out in races.”

 

This team will be younger behind Cordova. David Varblow is one of two seniors that could be in the top seven. Freshman Bryson Struck might also be among part of the top seven. “Three freshmen (Justin Mottola, Reid Donisch, and Nolan Lara ) broke 5:00 in the 1600 for us last spring and are poised to be in the top 7,” added Centella. “These three sophomores along with senior Aaron O’Neill and fellow sophomore Andrew Varblow have been working hard and pacing together in workouts this summer.”

 

It will be interesting to see what kind of split this team will have. Cordova will be at 15:10-15:20 to start the season. David Varblow was almost two minutes behind his teammate. His hard work during the summer should cut that down. “We preached consistency as the main message when it came to training,” said Centella. “As far as team culture/team building we are stressing the importance of making this year's team their own as we have graduated some major leaders and performers. We only bring back 2 of our top 7 from last year and will be leaning on as many as four sophomores in our top 7.  Outsiders may think we are in a rebuilding year but we are trying to preach to the team that we are reloading and not rebuilding.  If we continue to work hard and have some breakthroughs, we might just be able to pull off the “reload” and find ourselves running on that second Saturday in November at Detweiller.”

 

Herrin

Coach – Dusty Mallow

2023 Finish: 16-Jacksonvl Sec; 5-ORC Reg; 1-SIRR-OH

Top Runners: Braden Davis JR, Mason King JR, Waylon Hall SR, Noah Coleman SR, Nolen Frost SO, Maddox Burks JR, Sam Jolliff JR, Elijah Kleber SR.

Notes: Herrin looks to improve on their finish last year of a 16th place finish in the Jacksonville Sectional. All seven runners in that race return. The top five split in their sectional race was just 56 seconds which will help this team this fall. A key will be moving the seven runners closer to the front. Their top spot is interchangeable with Waylon Hall, Barden Davis, or Mason King are ready to lead this team in races. This is a team that could be a year away from a state spot. Five of the top seven runners are all underclassmen.

 

Belvidere (North)

Coach – Ken Husser

2023 Finish: 12-Wood Sec; 4-Wood N Reg; 4-NIC 10

Top Runners: Jesse Kramer SR, Antonio Ostalaza SR, Zachary Rediger JR, Lukas Hoemke JR, Brandon Molina JR, Angelo Parrinello JR, Adam Lendman JR, Tyler Caporaso JR, Juah Binger FR, Martin Hernandez FR, Henrik Piske.

Notes: The Blue Thunder took home a trophy in 2022 finishing second. Last year they started reloading their team which resulted in a 12th place finish at the Woodstock Sectional. What will be in store for this team in 2024. They do have 5 runners coming back along with 10-12 that could challenge for a spot in the top 12. “We have had a good summer so far.  Turnout it has been good, we have had a pretty solid core group of 15-20 runners,” said coach, Ken Husser. “We always run a hill loop at Rock Cut State Park three times during the summer and most of our runners showed significant improvement.  Also, on some of our Fartlek and repeat Threshold workouts, there has been a significant reduction in time from most of the runners.”

 

Jesse Kramer made it back to the state last year and will be the top runner again for this team. “Since the start of last track season, he has emerged as a team leader,” said Husser about Kramer. He has been dedicated, rarely missing a practice and attacking his workouts.  He set a Personal Best at Detweiler at Dark by 30 seconds and with increasing confidence, I think he could cut significant time off that.  He has been doing several runs with former North runner Evan Horgan and I think that has really helped Jesse as well.  If he stays healthy, Jesse has the talent to be All - State and get under the 15-minute mark.”

 

The team is young, but two freshmen could be difference makers already this season. “Judah Binger had to have minor knee surgery, he is cross training at the moment, should be running in a couple of weeks and if all goes well we will have him racing in mid or late September.  If he recovers, I think he can be our #2 runner by the end of the season,” said Husser.

 

The team had an 89 second split in their top five in the second race. Don’t count this team out for making it to state. If North gets hungry, they should be fun to watch run in November. “We are a rather young team with Jesse being the only senior,” concluded Husser. “Still, we have a number of Sophomores who are now Juniors.  The message is, you are no longer sophomores, but now varsity runners and to qualify for state they must be willing to make the sacrifices in all facets of the sport, including the summer training, nutrition, racing, to make this team better.  A phrase we have been using frequently is, to have the discipline to meet your duties and responsibilities.”

 

Chicago (University)

Coach – Austin Warner

2023 Finish: 28-2A; 7-Trinity Sec; 2-St Ignatius Reg; 3-ISL

Top Runners: Simon Lane SR, Benjamin O’Donnell SR, Oliver Go SR, Connor Lane SO, Sean Niro JR, Kabir Joshi JR, Osvaldo Carretero JR, Isaac Begle SR, Alexander Blander SR, Kabir Joshi JR.

Notes: The Maroons were not expected to make it to the state meet last year but somehow did so finishing seventh in the Trinity Sectional then running the following at Detweiller Park finishing 28th. There will not be the comments that U-High is a surprise making it to the state meet. The team has five years coming back that have state meet experience. “It was the best summer for our varsity guys,” said Coach Austin Warner. “It was a very good summer for our guys. If you ask anyone in our projected top 10, they’d tell you they’ve never felt so good entering a cross-country season so there’s some optimism in that front.”

 

One runner that is feeling good coming into this season is senior leader Simone Lane. He finished 59th in the Class 2A state race. It was his second time running in the state meet bettering his overall finish by over 100 spots. Lane made his big steps during the track season. He ran three events at the state meet. Lane is always helping his team. He ran in the prelims of the 4x8 and 1600 not making it to the finals. He came back on Saturday in the 3200 Meter Run. He won his section of the race with a 9:35.30. It was enough to get him ninth and all-state. The following week at Magis Miles he bettered his 1600 personal best running 4:24.96. “Simon really had a strong end of his junior track season with his performances at the state meet and Magis,” Warner said. “He is coming into the school year in the best shape of his life and has added some strength to be competitive on the cross-country course. His confidence should be high with the direction his training is taking him. He can be a front runner for us at every meet we attend this season.” He could also be near 15-minutes when all is said and done.

 

Benjamin O’Donnell was third runner at state and should drop into the second spot for this team. Getting him from 90 seconds to nearly 60 seconds is something to watch for. Oliver Go, Connor Lane, and Kabir Joshi could be in the top five for this team. Keeping this group withing 46 seconds of each other would be a plus for the Maroons. “We stressed consistency in our training this summer,” said Warner. “Consistent miles will be the difference maker so we can handle the workouts in September/October to prepare us for the big postseason meets.”

 

Darien (Hinsdale South)

Coach – Jim Dickerson

2023 Finish: 9-Trinity Sec; 4-Trinity Reg; 5-WSCG

Top Runners: Wojtek Gilarski JR, Dziugas Meiliulis SR, Andrew Petersen SR, Ethan Frankel SR, Eric Fournier SR, Ryan Murphy SO, Noah Koehler SO, Jason Fournier SR, Javi Terrell SO (from football).

Notes: The Hornets got closer to making it to state last year finishing ninth at the Trinity Sectional. The big plus is their top six runners are all back. “Our summer went well,” said their coach, Jim Dickerson. “Detweiller at Dark performances (not just times but splits) were very encouraging, especially after injury issues last year. Also, several athletes were right at their best times from last year during a tempo run at practice on a course with hills.”

 

Two runners made it to the state meet last year qualifying as individuals. Wojtek Gilarski is able to do some big things in his junior season. He was the top runner all last year for South as a sophomore. He dropped his best times down to 4:28/10:00 last spring. Gilarski finished 72nd last fall. He is in position to finish in the top 25 this season. Andrew Peterson also made the state trip last fall placing 195th. That experience will help him during this season. “Wojtek is a very hard worker and great teammate,” said Dickerson. “He continues to get better and better. He was in Poland with family much of the summer and did what he needed to do to stay in great shape. This was evidenced by tying his best Detweiller time at D at D. He will continue to get better from here.”

 

There will be a gap between Gilarski and Petersen. That is a given. The two runners were separated by 51 seconds in the sectional race. Ryan Murphy, Ethan Frankel, and Eric Fournier could all be within 40 seconds of Petersen. “We need good health and consistency this fall,” added Dickerson. “We are, for the most part, a very experienced and dedicated team. We are going to do what we need to do to be at our best and are looking forward to a great season.”

 

Chicago (Brother Rice)

Coach – Tom Wazio

2023 Finish: 10-Geno Sec; 2-Tridge Reg; NTS-CCL

Top Runners: Gavin O’Connor SR, Andrew Straley JR, Brian Sheehan SR, Aidan Leary JR, Dylan Cody SO, Eamon Roache SR, Brian Biondo SR, Oliver Davis JR (from soccer), Danny O’Connor FR.

Notes: It is hard to judge during a season how good Brother Rice will be by state series times. It depends on how many underclassmen Coach Toma Wazio has. He normally does not put his top seven together until after their league championships. The Crusaders have a good chance to make it to the state meet after finishing tenth last year at the Geneseo Sectional. Six runners are back from that team. One of that top seven group this year will be on the Frosh/Soph level.

 

Gavin O’Connor and Andrew Straley made it to state with the two separated by just 19 seconds. O’Connor finished 50th in that Class 2A race. “Gavin was disappointed with his state meet last season,” Wazio said. “He bounced back & had a great indoor track season, but then got bronchitis & never fully recovered. He may be the most dedicated runner I've ever coached. He's more motivated than ever to show what kind of runner he is. He's been averaging around 60mpw and been nailing every workout. I believe he can be a top runner in November.”

 

O’Connor and Straley are a solid pack for Brother Rice with all-state possibilities. Wazio stated that Brian Biondo had a great summer of running after being injured to start the season to the point he should lead the pace behind last year’s state qualifiers. Brian Sheehan, Aidan Leary, and Dylan Cody all could be in that pack with Biondo. The group should have a tight split projected to be at 30 seconds. “The message/mindset I've stressed this summer is to 'Burn the Ships,” said Wazio.  “Be all in. With 2 potential all-staters, if everyone can commit & have a great attitude every day, then the team can accomplish big things.”

 

Freeburg

Coach – Carl Florczyk

2023 Finish: 7-High Reg; 1-Cahokia Miss.

Top Runners: Zachary Duffie JR, Mark Rozhon JR, Lawrence Somosa SR, Caden McCullough SR, Brady Marshall SR, Tyler Bryant SR, Reid Huelsmann JR, Trey Mense SR, Luke Christ JR.

Notes: Freeburg advanced two runners to last year’s Class 2A as individuals as the team finished seventh in the Highland Regional. That experience should pay off for the Midgets as they have runners back from that top seven. Mark Rozhon and Zach Duffie stepped up to make it to state as sophomores last year finishing within eight seconds of each other with Rozhon finishing 57th. Duffie finished 69th in that 2A state race. Their top five split is projected to be between 55-60 seconds this season. What will help Freeburg this season is that Rozhon/Duffie will be closer to the front in races. That pack will follow. The Midgets should make it out of regionals. Don’t be surprised if they race as a team in the second weekend of November.

 

West Chicago (Wheaton Academy)

Coach – Chris Felinski

2023 Finish: 7-Kane Reg; 1-CSC.

Top Runners: Luke Dorn SR, Miguel Boney SO, Michael Osielski SR, Luke Osterholm JR, Toby Morden JR, Simeon Gabriel SR, Josh Chatfield SR, Daniel O’Carroll SR, Ezra Southard SO, Luke Linstra FR, Andrew Nyquist FR.

Notes: It is tough to have a good team during the season that are placed in a regional where there are better teams than you in there. That was the case for Wheaton Academy last year as they finished seventh in the Kaneland Regional. Six runners are back from that regional team. The drive that this team has could get them racing into November. “We had an excellent summer of training.  This year we had team mileage goals as well as individual mileage goals,” said Coach Chris Felinski. “The athletes that are shooting to be on the varsity team have been keeping pace with their 30-40 mile weeks.  For my freshman at the fresh/soph level, I am looking for at least 20 miles a week and they have been very dedicated to getting their summer base in.  We have been doing some tempo runs and hills at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville and the athletes are really doing well for the summer.  I like where we are – ahead of where the athletes were last year, but I don’t have that feeling whereas as a coach, I sometimes wonder ‘are they going to peak too early because they are doing too much during the summer’.  I really feel like they have done the summer work and are ready for the first day of practice.”

 

Luke Dorn and Miguel Boney made it to the sectional meet and should be the team’s top runners heading into this season. Michael Osielski, Luke Osterholm, and Toby Morden all had a good summer of training. The Warriors had a 65 split on their top five in the regional race. That needs to go under 52 seconds and move the pack up closer to the front for good things to happen for this group. “The idea that success comes from what someone does consistently, not what they do occasionally,” said Felinski. “I used as the framing for a lot of what we did during the summer in terms of training calendar and plans.”

 

Crystal Lake (Central)

Coach – Bill Eschman

2023 Finish: 8-Wood Sec; 2-Wood N Reg; 4-FVC.

Top Runners: Jackson Hopkins SR, Jackie Clark SR, Mason Alvarez SR, Amana Omale JR, Oliver Lavaty SO, Adam Kyrouac SR, Reed Mihelich JR, Eli Irvin JR.

Notes: Crystal Lake Central could not escape out of the ever-tough Woodstock Sectional after finishing second in the Woodstock North Regional. The Tigers placed eighth in the Woodstock Sectional race returning four runners from their top seven.  Jackson Hopkins was the second runner in the final race of the season. He should be the top runner on this team. Hopkins showed some success during the track season making the finals of the Class 3A State Meet 800 Meter Run where he ran a personal best of 1:53.61 to finish tenth in the finals. He will get an increased level of confidence during this cross-country season. Jackie Clark was 26 seconds behind Hopkins giving Central a solid 1-2 duo up front. Work will need to be done on the team’s top five. It is projected starting the season to be between 75-80 seconds.

 

Burbank (St. Laurence)

Coach – Darrell Reed

2023 Finish: 27-2A; 6-Trinity Sec; 3-Trinity Reg; 8-CCL.

Top Runners: Luis Flores SR, Peter Mulligan SR, Jimmy Vertucci JR, Ethan Toch SO, Kendel Mulligan JR, Joey D’Anca SR, Hayden Goldstein SR, Julian Chavez SO, Aiden Harney JR.

Notes: St. Laurence was one of the Class 2A surprise teams in 2023. They were not on anyone’s radar to start last season. By the end of the season, they were  27th place finishers in the Class 2A State race. It does help when you have a runner like Luis Flores leading the way. Flores did not make it to the state meet as a sophomore finishing 108th in his sectional race. Last year he was all-state placing 25th. His success carried over in track running 9:25.26 to finish fifth in the 2A 3200 Meter Run. The week after he ran 4:22.59 to win his division in the 1 Mile Run at Magis Miles. We will see him in front in races this fall especially when we get to Detweiller Park in November. Their state meet top five split las year was 130 seconds, 59 seconds from their second through fifth runners. The split was similar in the sectional meet. Flores could be farther ahead this season. Keeping that pack led by Peter Mulligan under 60 seconds could help in getting this team back to the state meet.

 

Rock Falls

Coach – Mark Truesdell

2023 Finish: 13-Geno Sec; 5-Gales Reg; 4-BNC.

Top Runners: Gunnar Damhoff SR, Gabe Moyer JR, Anthony Valdivia SR, Christian Cid SR, Jeffrey Sommer JR, Ian Finney JR, Michael Kopitas SO.

Notes: The Rockets will look to improve on last year’s finish when they placed 13 at the Geneseo Sectional. Rock Falls could be among the top 10 sectional teams this season returning six runners from that sectional team. The Rockets had a 70 second split on their top five led by Connor Damhoff as their #1 runner. Replacing one of that top five could increase that split to start the year but could get near 50 seconds when they get into the state series. Gabe Moyer, Anthony Valdivia, and Christian Cid are some of the runners that you will see challenging for top five positions.

 

Burlington (Central)

Coach – Vince Neil

2023 Finish: 10-Wood Sec; 3-Wood N Reg; 6-FVC.

Top Runners: Jayden Beecroft SR, Danny Burke SO, Andres Quesada SR, Brandon Pflug SO, Connor Polz JR, Gio Episcopo SR, Cole Pollock JR, Julian Onayemi SR (from track), Aadi Sheth SR, Rahil Patel FR, Dane Walikonis FR, Venkata Ananatha FR.

Notes: This could be a rebuilding year for Burlington Central after they finished 10 at the Woodstock Sectional. The Rockets will miss their top three runners who have graduated. Central will have three runners back with sectional experience. A good freshman class and transfers in from other sports will boost this team. “The boys’ team has some solid potential this fall but it is going to take time to mold together,” said Coach Vince Neil. “We graduated a key group last fall but the potential is there.  The team put in a fair amount of miles this summer but training and racing together is going to be the key to their success.  This summer the boys’ team had flashes of running together and we will look to capitalize on that this season.”

 

Jayden Beecroft was the team’s fourth runner last year and will challenge for the top spot. Aadi Sheth is new to the program and has stepped up his training where he could lead this team. There could be 10 runners challenging for seven racing spots. “Jayden is hardworking and has become dedicated to the sport of running,” said Neil. “He loves training, fitness and putting in the effort.  Last year was his first cross country season and this year he is fully invested in the training and racing.  Look for him to make huge strides this fall and be competitive down the IHSA stretch. The season is long and competitive.  We need to be ready for the training and running together as a group.”

 

Oak Forest

Coach – Gary Andruch

2023 Finish: 26-2A; 7-Geno Sec; 1-Tridge Reg; 1-SSC Blue.

Top Runners: Nick Manso JR, Patrick Scurek SR, Hudson Neth SO, Christian Padget SR, Sam Coe JR, Zach Kwait SO, Levi Berlein SO.

Notes: Oak Forest made it back to the state meet for the first time since 2010 as they finished 26 in the Class 2A race. The Bengals graduated their top two runners but return their remaining five runners. Nick Manso and Patrick Scurek were within 11 seconds of each other in Peoria and will push each other for the #1 spot. Hudson Neth, Christian Padget, and Sam Coe have state meet experience and challenge for top five spots. The team is [projected to have a 102 second top five split. Manso ran 16:23 at state last year but should run faster in 2024. Manso running 15:40 or faster with a top five split of 62 seconds gets the Bengals back to Peoria in November.

 

Lemont

Coach – John Kennedy, Jr.

2023 Finish: 9-Geno Sec; 3-Tridge Reg; 2-SSC Blue.

Top Runners: Adam Mustafa SR, Sam Scoville JR, Gavin Abad SO, Michael Tilly JR, Scott Biedess SO, Jacob Czerwiec SO, Matthew Breszach JR, Faniel Foy SR.

Notes: Lemont will look ti make it to the state meet for the first time since 2008. This team finished ninth at the Geneseo Sectional returning six runners from that team. Lemont could have a strong top three pack in the front replacing last year’s #1 runner Jack Davey who graduated. Sam Scoville and Gavin Abad came across the line together with Adam Mustafa 17 seconds behind. The front spot could be interchangeable this season. The top five split starting the year will be around 90 seconds. The tight pack running this team has should cut that spread down in September and into October.

 

Sterling

Coach – Mark Johnson

2023 Finish: 23-2A; 4-Geno Sec; 1-Gales Reg; 2-WB6

Top Runners: Aalin Schmidt SR, Charles Johnson JR, Parker Blakeslee SR, Gavin Staats JR, Isaiah Rojop SO, Micah Peterson FR.

Notes: Mark Johnson steps in as the new coach for Sterling. He was the Sterling Challand Middle School Coach for the past five years. Johnson inherits a team that finished 23 in last year’s Class 2A State Meet. Three runners are back for Johnson. All were in the top five last year. They will miss multi all-state Dale Johnson who graduated. Aalin Schmidt will be the top runner to start this fall with Charles Johnson and Parker Blakeslee close behind. Johnson has 12 freshman entering the program this fall. Micah Peterson leads this freshman group and could be among the top five this season. “The team lost a strong frontrunner in graduating senior Dale Johnson,” Coach Johnson said. “My message to the team is that we have to find a new identity, and we need to train and support each other as a team. We don't have to be great; we just need to be good. Trust the training process, because it's not how we start the season, but how we finish.”

 

Niles (Notre Dame)

Coach - Braulio Alvarez

2023 Finish: 16-Wood Sec; 6-Lakes Reg; 2-ESCC.

Top Runners: Santino Conte SO, Henry Theut SR, Ryan Simpao SR, Andrew Gracia SR, Nicholas Sullivan JR, Zachary Welch SO, Horace Mitchell SR, Brennan Fleischhacker SO.

Notes: The Dons will look to improve in their 16th place finish from last year’s Woodstock Sectional. Santino Conte and Henry Thuet traded off the #1 spot coming down the stretch last year and will push each other in the front. Nicholas Sullivan, Andrew Gracia, and Ryan Simpao look to be the next three runners in this top five. The top five split for Notre Dame is projected to be anywhere from 95 to 100 seconds.

 

Wheaton (St. Francis)

Coach – Jason Accardi

2023 Finish: 9-Wood Sec; 3-Kane Reg; 3-CCL.

Top Runners: Michael Coco JR, Gavin Grover SR, Alex Keough SO, Nolan Kiley JR, Ian Dimler JR, Diego Marquez SO, Brendan Leegan SO.

Notes: St. Francis came close to getting their Boys’ teams down state finishing ninth out of the Woodstock Sectional. Three runners on that sectional team return led by Michael Coco who could finish among the top 50 individuals this season. Alex Keough and Gavin Grover ran close most of last year giving the Spartans a tough nucleus to the top five. Developing a fourth and fifth runner is something to keep an eye on in September.

 

Carbondale

Coach – Greg Storm

2023 Finish: 15-Jacksonvl Sec; 6-High Reg; 3-S7C.

Top Runners: Zion Wilkins JR, Lucas Ratcliff JR, Lockley Welcker SR, Jeb Meredith SO, Hayden Burns JR.

Notes. The Terriers finished 15 at the Jacksonville Sectional. Five runners are scheduled to return. “We had quite a few returners that would have contributed to the varsity team not come out so we will have inexperience and not much depth,” said their Coach Greg Storm. It will be difficult to analyze this team. We do know that Zion Wilkins will be back. He finished 63 in last year’s Class 2A State Meet. His potential shows he could be among the top 25 this November. “He had a good summer with consistent mileage,” said Storm.  “I believe that qualifying in the 800m in track last season instilled even more confidence that he had coming from a Fall XC season.  Unknown to many people, Zion lost a shoe in the first 400m of the XC state race last fall and still managed to place within the Top 75 (63rd) as well as run a new personal best.  I believe from what we have seen this summer and a TT we did right before dead week he could be poised to make a run at Top 25.  He is a full-time member of our band, so we are going to be smart with his mileage as we do not want to tire him out early chasing fast times in the beginning meets.  Our marker every year is the Peoria Invite on October 5th so hopefully he can put a time that shows his progression.  With the quality we have in our conference, he will get quality competition from there to prepare him to run against the other top athletes in the state.”