ILXCTF 2024 Team Season Previews: Class 3A Boys

By Michael Newman

 

Downers Grove North will look for their second straight state title and third overall this season. The Trojans were dominant in last year’s run at Detwiller Park and then followed that with a seventh-place finish at the Nike Cross Nationals. They are considered on of the top teams in the nation and could show that in December. First, they have the state meet to look at returning 3 runners that finished in the top 30 at state including two all-state runners both juniors.

 

Plainfield North could be Downers North’s chief competition as they were a year ago when they finished second. Five of their top six return with also two all-state runners back. There are several teams that are good enough to claim a state trophy including Plainfield South, Barrington, Fremd, New Trier, and York.

 

Here is where we see the 3A Boys Top 30 teams landing to start the season. We look at 20 other Class 3A schools listed in no particular order.

 

1 Downers Grove (North)

Coach – John Sipple

2023 Finish: 7-NXN; 1-NXRMW; 1-3A; 1-HC Sec; 1-LT Reg; 1-WSCS.

Top Runners: Phillip Cupial JR, Grant Schroder SR, Will Surratt JR, Brady Travers SR, John Courtney SR, Owen Kelly SR, Brennan Hardy JR, Colin Finn SR, Jack Loftus SR, Matt Novak JR, Brendan Lynch SO.

Notes: Since 2013, Downers Grove North has left Detweiller Park with seven state trophies including a state title in 2017 and a state title last fall. The Trojans went on after their state championship to win the Nike Cross Midwest Regional and then seventh at the Nike Cross Nationals.

 

Their momentum continued during the track season as they won the Class 3A title in the 4x800 Meter Relay in Charleston. Three weeks later at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, North captured the National title in the 4x800 Meter Relay. “I think having kids that have gone through those experiences helps to humanize the successes and help the younger guys know what is possible,” said their coach, John Sipple. “I think it also helps them understand that the work they put in each and every day is really the most important thing in developing a good mental mindset for the races.”

 

Downers Grove North enters their defense of their state title with just three runners. Phillip Cupial, Grant Schroder, and Will Surratt all ran in the Nike Outdoor and state 4x8. Cupial has taken up his running to another level lowering his 3200 time down to 9:13.91 and more importantly, the 3A State 1600 Meter Run. After his relay experience, he went on to run 4:10.17 for 1600 on his way to running 4:11.71 for the mile. Cupial finished seventh last fall and is the third runner returning from the state race.

 

Schroder and Surratt dropped their track times last spring giving themselves a confidence for this year although after their national exploits has done that already. Schroeder ended last year placing tenth in the state race and is the sixth returning state runner. He dropped his 3200 time down to 9:22.50, his 1600 time down to 4:16.18. His split at state was 1:54 in the 4x8. Surratt put in some great times for a sophomore. He missed all-state last fall finishing 30th and the 15th returning runner from last year’s race. Surratt’s times on the track were 9:24.60, 4:17.29, and 1:57.63. He split 1:56.9 in the 4x8. Not too bad of times for a sophomore. “They did get a late start on training this summer due to an extended post season during track,” said Sipple. “At the beginning of our summer camp these guys were all still taking some time off, so they spent their time helping/teaching/coaching the new/younger runners our routines/norms that we operate with at practice.  I think it helps keep them grounded and focused on the work they need to do each day to be great when they want to be.”

 

Sipple has a solid top three to build the rest of his top seven. He does have a talented group of runners to choose from. “Training this summer went well for most of our guys.  We have some older guys who are motivated and have been putting in some solid work,” said Sipple. “I have been impressed with our sophomores and the focus that they are showing throughout the summer. Brady Travers, Colin Finn and Jack Loftus are three guys that have been putting in the work consistently throughout the summer.  They have also been doing a good job stepping up as leaders.” What is impressive is that Downers Grove North has 15 runners back that ran 16:30 or faster last fall. John Courtney, Owen Kelly, Brennan Hardy, and Matt Novak all have that talent to be part of this team’s top seven.

 

“We have really been stressing the importance of the gravity each team member should feel to each other and really working on having intentional positivity at practice as teammates and leaders,” Sipple concluded. There are times when you see teams that show their confidence in a brash way. This team does not do that. They do have confidence in their running but before and after they run, Downers Grove North is businesslike and polite. That’s the sign of a championship team. They will worry about the post seasons meet after their business trip to Peoria is complete

 

2 Plainfield (North)

Coach – Andy Derks

2023 Finish: 15-NXN; 2-NXRMW; 2-3A; 1-Gran City Sec; 1- Plain C Reg; 2-SPC.

Top Runners: Thomas Czerwinski JR, Quinn Davis SR, Aidan Connors JR, James Masso JR, Gavin Hall JR, Sean Jansen JR, Dominic Frigo SO, Logan Dodson SO, Aidan Kyrychenko JR, Evan Patchett SO, Cal Anderson JR, Evan Alexander SR, Zach Bucsanyl SO, Liam Beavers SO, Stone Kaczmarek FR, Hector Landeros FR, Mitchell Rudland FR, Troy Wilson FR, Ryan Czerwinski FR, AJ Hartmann FR, Chase Hemmer FR, Jacob Schmauderer JR

Notes: The Tigers are on a trend upward now going on for a third year. Plainfield North finished fourth in the state in 2022 and then second last fall behind Downers Grove North. This team has four of their top five along with five total runners coming back and ready to roll into 2024. “I think we learned (from last year) is that we have everything we need right here to be a top-level team,” said their coach, Andrew Derks.  “We belong. We are grateful for the experience. We know that a lot of things went right at the end of last year, but we’re also hungry to get back and perform even better.”

 

The Tigers had a 56 second split on their top five in last year’s state race. That was with two all-state runners leading the way. Thomas Czerwinski finished fifth in last year’s state race and the second runner back from the race. He will be one of the runners to watch state-wide this fall. Quinn Davis finished 22nd behind Czerwinski and is the 13 returning runner in Class 3A. Derks has a good base to work from. “They give us a strong 1-2 punch, definitely as strong as we’ve ever had,” said Derks. “They are incredibly hard-working and selfless teammates, so it’s great when your best runners are also leading the character of your team. We decided to run Detweiller at Dark this year since the guys wanted to. Our top group was instructed to run controlled through 2 miles around 10:40, then they could “race”. Thomas and Quinn closed in 4:39/4:40, so I think that was a confidence builder and just showed them they’re right where they need to be.”

 

Aidan Connors was the team’s fourth runner at state placing 40 running right at 15:00. James Maso had a great breakout year finishing 62nd, eight seconds behind Connors. Gavin Hall on that day finished 74 but just another eight seconds off Maso. Hall responded at the Nike Cross Nationals as the team’s fourth runner.

 

“Our training went very well,” added Derks. “As always, we strive for consistency, health, and look for athletes to progress when they are ready. We had a solid group of 12-14 guys in our top group most of the summer putting in a good variety of work, including some Sophs who are really stepping up. We have become not only stronger runners but better athletes. We challenged our runners to do a bit more running on their own than usual to focus more practice time on athleticism and supplemental strength work a couple days/week. I’ve been really pleased with the results. We still ran plenty and our top guys were consistent in that 50-60 mile +/- range, but we added a layer of athleticism that I know will help us in training and racing down the road.”

 

Plainfield North is more than a five-runner team. There are seven up to ten runners that are ready to step into the top seven. Juniors Aidan Kyrychenko and Sean Jensen ran 16:02 and 16:12 at Detweiller at Dark, sophomores Dom Frigo and Logan Dodson are pushing to get into the top seven, and another set of sophomores Liam Beavers and Zach Bucsanyl could also sneak into their top seven. Jacob Schmauderer ran a 2:01 split last spring in the 4x8 and could sneak up on people according to Derks.

 

The experience that this team gained last year will make the Tigers that much tougher and most importantly in position to win a state title. “All we want to do is enjoy the ride,” stated Derks. “Surrender the outcome. Mudita. Don’t let what we do or don’t do at the end of the season define our success. We can’t control what other teams do, but let’s approach the season and every practice with joy and just focus on continuing to get better all season. We know if we stay healthy and train smart we will be right there in the end.”

 

3 Barrington

Coach – Thomas Root

2023 Finish: 13-3A; 3-Hof Es Sec; 2-Grant Reg; 1-MSL.

Top Runners: Joe Bregenzer SR, Ethan Scott SR, Justin Hurtado SR, Mark McGinn SR, Avery Erickson SR, Haru Nagaoka SR, Jonathan Curbelo SR, Caden Carver FR, William Schneider SO, Ryan Scott SO, Lucas Lechowicz JR, Charlie Sukel JR.

Notes: It is hard to explain what happened with Barrington at the end of last season. They scored only 30 points to win the Mid-Suburban League and looked like a trophy team after that meet. They finished second at the Grant Regional, third at the Hoffman Estates Sectional, and then placed 13 in the Class 3A State Meet. Those experiences should help this veteran team as they take their journey to the state meet. Five runners are back from that state team. All of them are seniors.

 

“We had a very positive summer,” said their coach, Thomas Root. “Our goal was to get back on track training as a cohesive unit with our talented now-seniors having had a rocky spring in track (teamwise - I know Joe obviously had a fantastic finish). We’re keeping things simple and doing very well focusing on one day at a time. Our strong seniors worked very well with our younger runners as well as we saw many of our sophomore class especially really buy in to what it takes to be great.”

 

The top runners that are back are all seniors. It does not mean that some of their underclassmen will get into the top seven at some point this season. Ethan Scott was the team’s top runner in the state meet finishing 31st. The runner that was the #1 man on the team most of last season, Joe Bregenzer. It was not his best race of the season as he finished 50th. That race spurred him to a great track season ending by running 8:58.10 to win the Class 3A State title in the 3200 Meter Run. “Joe obviously did not have a great day at state last fall but showed enormous steady improvement in all aspects of his “game” as he made his way to the state 3200 in the spring,” added Root. “He was clearly a man on a mission to prove himself.”

 

The top five split off Ethan Scott at state was 67 seconds. In their league championship, their top five split was 46 seconds. The split in that race from their second through fifth runners was just 16 seconds. Scott and Justin Hurtado are interchangeable in the second and third spots. Mark McGinn, Avery Erickson and Haru Nagaoka will be interchangeable for the next three spots.

 

Thomas Root’s message to the team this summer was to keep things simple. We have seen Barrington’s teams in the past where they have a strong front runner and a tight pack following him. Bregenzer did run 14:27 last September at Detweiller Park. Scott ran 14:53 in his state race last November. It shows the two runners could be within 30 seconds of each other. Having two all-state runners is a possibility for the Broncos. A key to getting in state trophy contention is having a tight split on their pack behind their leaders. We will get to see how good this team is at Lakes for the Lake County in the first week in September and then the Richard Spring Invitational on September 21.

 

4 Plainfield (South)

Coach – Jason Crowe

2023 Finish: 3-NXRMW; 3-3A; 2- Gran City Sec, 4-Plain C Reg; 1-SPC.

Top Runners: Dylan Maloney SR, Riley Fink SR, Alex Batsala SO, Dylan Buturusis SO, Austin Cory JR, Cole Maranowicz SR, Tyler Miller JR, Aron McCormick SR, Noah Martin FR, Carter Morgan FR.

Notes: The simplicity that Plainfield South had during the summer has set them up for another great season in 2024. After the pandemic interruption in 2020 where there was no state meet, the Cougars finished seventh in 2021, state champion in 2022, and finishing third a year ago. They finished third at the Nike Cross Midwest Regional but did not travel to Oregon missing the at-large bid. It will be quite different in a positive way this fall with Plainfield South returning four runners from the state team. “The summer has been a lot of fun,” said Coach Jason Crowe.   “Teamwork.  This 2024 team has done a great job of working together this summer.  We set up camp at our home XC course at Hammel Woods.   They kept it simple, just show up and work together to accomplish our team goals by putting in the miles together.”

 

This will be a different team for the Cougars this fall. They lost Camyn Viger, Gavin Borger, and Joaquin DeAlba to graduation. With the single digit points that Viger and Dylan Maloney gave the team in every race over the past three seasons, heading up front will belong to Maloney in his senior year. “We are really excited for Dylan's senior year,” added Crowe. “He has some excellent individual goals, but he puts his team first and we have been seeing that throughout the summer.  Since becoming a senior, he has really embraced the leadership role, and the team has responded well to him this summer.  We have some big goals this season at the state and national level and it all begins with Mr. Maloney.”

 

Packing their second through fifth runners could be the most important aspect this fall for this team. This team had practice on their third through fifth runners behind Viger / Maloney last fall. The split between DeAlba, Riley Fink, and Alex Batsala was just one second. Crowe expects a tight pack of Fink, Batsala, Dylan Buturusis, Austin Cory and Tyler Miller close to each other this fall.

 

Pack running can be the most intimidating thing against another teams. A split under 30 seconds on their four runners and staying within 40 seconds of Maloney will put the Cougars in position to garner another trophy. “I preached consistent training together, Crowe said. “There is something special about putting in the miles together throughout the summer.  Yes, everyone's fitness improves, but more importantly we build TEAM chemistry together!  The more work we all put in together, the harder it will be for other teams to beat us.”

 

5 Palatine (Fremd)

Coach – Matt Zaluckyi

2023 Finish: 12-3A; 5-Hof Es Sec; 2-Pal Reg; 3-MSL

Top Runners: Rory Gaan SR, Jack Jennings SO, Cooper Hewson SR, Arjun Shah SR, Tom Johnston SR, Trent Odachowski JR, David Moore SO, Bryden Li SO, Jackson Kelly JR, Bowie Henson JR, Devansh Muppala SR

Notes: The Vikings are on the crossroads of something great happening for their team this fall. Fremd finished 12 at last fall’s Class 3A State Meet. They return five runners total including their top four runners from that team. “Our training went well for our boys and from the looks of it our returners will all be ready day 1 with a solid base,” said their Coach, Matt Zaluckyi. “We had some solid performances at palatine no frills and Detweiller at Dark. Just like last summer we had a great turn out all summer long.”

 

This team could be on the verge of doing big things this fall. One of their top two runners is Jack Jennings. He had a fantastic freshman season starting last fall when he ran 15:01 in the state meet to finish 41st. He took off during the track season when he ran 9:16.63 indoors to finish third at Illinois Top Times. He made it to Charleston last May where he finished 17 in the 3200 Meter Run with a 9:17.99 time. He also had a personal best of 4:22.80 in the Mid Suburban League. He will be all-state this November. How high he will finish we will find out.

 

Rory Gaan might be the mystery for this team this fall. Gaan was all-state last fall running 14:34 to place ninth in the Class 3A State Meet race. A turning point for Gaan was last April where he ran a great double of 9:09.37 in the 3200 Meter Run and 4:17.60 for the 1 Mile Run at Arcadia. He ran the following week in a dual against Palatine and then at Distance Night in Palatine. He was injured before Distance Night but still ran. He ran in the 1600 Meter Run at the Mid-Suburban League but ran 4:32.84. He led the 3200 Meter Run at the Glenbard North Sectional 200-meters into the race before Josiah Narayanan passed him. Gaan struggled the next two laps before he was forced to drop out of the race with a lap to go.

 

“Obviously these two are not afraid to put themselves out there and challenge anyone as seen during track this year,” said Zaluckyi.  “I think they both learned just how far they can push themselves through great 3200 performances last season. Obviously, Rory’s track season didn’t end the way we wanted due to injury, but we took of an extended amount of time and built up slowly this summer and he is getting fit quickly and will be ready to run his best when it matters.”

 

When it matters means when we see him on a course. It might be at First to the Finish on September 14 or perhaps later. Gaan ran 17:23 in a summer meet this July at Deer Grove East Forest Preserve. He ran 15:40 in the same race in 2023. All we hope is that he is 100% healthy and ready to go when the moment is right.

 

Cooper Henson and Arjun Shah were the team’s third and fourth runners in the state meet separated by seven seconds and 30 seconds behind Jennings. Shah could have a breakout season according to Zaluckyi dropping his 3200 best last spring from 10:15 down to 9:38 and training with Jennings all summer. David Moore is a talented sophomore that has shown improvements in the past six months dropping his time down to 15:30. All three of those runners give Fremd a solid third through fifth runners. Bryden Li also improved this summer and could find himself in the top seven.

 

Fremd could be a trophy contender if their top seven is healthy. Gaan’s injury last spring might carry over. We will see how strong this team is when Gaan finally takes to the cross-country course. “It’s a new year, just because things went well or not well last year, we need to focus on the work ahead of us and control what we are control over,” added Zaluckyi.

 

6 Winnetka (New Trier)

Coach – Matthew Sloan

2023 Finish: 7-3A; 1-Hof Est Sec; 1-Loyola Reg; 1-CSL.

Top Runners: Ben Crane SR, Walter Garrett SR, Jordan Kreiner JR, Joey Papanicholas SR, Evan Shu SR, Nico Hampton FR, Jonah Swanson SR, Cooper Hazday SR, Vincent Noble SR.

Notes: New Trier is a staple team in the Class 3A Meet. You always see the Trevians on the starling line at Detweiller Park. The last time New Trier did not advance to the state meet was 2008. I think we will see this program back in Peoria in November. Their best finish during that time was when they finished fourth in 2021. A trophy could be coming to Winnetka possibly this season. New Trier has the talent of returning four of their top five runners from the team that finished seventh last season in the Class 3A race.

 

“We had a great summer of training,” said New Trier coach, Matt Sloan. “The boys worked extremes developing their high-end aerobic system and we utilized bridge workouts to transition from date towards goal 3-mile pace work. We also took advantage of the Des Plaines River Trail System in Lake County and the UW-Parkside course on a few occasions. The Parkside course is always a great team building excursion with some terrific hills.”

 

It is always nice to have the top returning runner in Class 3A leading your team. Such is the case for Ben Crane who enters his senior season after placing third in last year’s state meet. Crane made it to the Foot Locker Nationals where he finished 24 last December. On the track, he was all-state twice in the distance events placing second in the 3200 Meter Run and eighth in the 1600 Meter Run.

 

“Ben is a joy to coach,” said Sloan. “What a competitor! I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with him over the last 3+ years. He is in the best shape of his life right now and we are excited to watch him race this fall. It is going to be fun. During the summer of 2023, I witnessed Ben level up his training, and I knew he would be ready to run with the best in the state. Then he opened his season with the win at the Red Devil Invite last fall in sub-15. He certainly had arrived, but he kept the ball rolling throughout both XC and track. Winning at Katherine Legge Park last September, was parallels the story for another Trevian great, my brother, Erik, who was an All-State XC runner for New Trier back in 2001 and collegiate athlete for Kansas on their 12th place team finish at NCAA XC in 2005. When I asked Erik what his most memorable race was from his career, he said winning Hornet-Red Devil his junior year. Erik felt like that was his coming out party. I think Ben’s performance at Red Devil helped set the tone for his entire junior campaign. Ben’s junior track season was undoubtedly a success as he earned All-State medals in both the 3200 & 1600 (the first Trevian male to achieve this in our storied program history). However, there was more to the story as Ben experienced a significant sickness back in February that forced him to downshift his training for a good 4-6 weeks. And yet, Ben patiently trusted the process and built back his fitness. He broke 9-minutes twice including his PR of 8:57 (#2 all-time at NT) for the full 2-mile at New Balance Outdoor and a 4:14 (#6 all-time at NT) at the state meet.”

 

The Trevians have a solid three runners behind Crane that will form a solid nucleus of their top seven. Joey Papanicholas dropped his times down to 4:24 / 9:30 and could be among the top 25 in November. Walter Garrett finished 87 last year but should take a huge step up this fall. Jordan Kreiner is fully healthy after a hamstring injury slowed him down last May. He has rounded into great shape according to Sloan. Evan Shu and Jonah Swanson will be two of many runners that will challenge for the three “open” spots in the top seven. Shu could be a good fit in the top five.

 

We will get to see how good New Trier is in the first two weeks of the season when they race at Red Devil in Hinsdale and the following week in Peoria at First to the Finish. We know we will see the Trevians this November in Peoria. How high will they finished on the hallowed grounds of Detweiller Park. “While our athletes have long term goals set for both the team and themselves individually, I regularly discuss that our focus must be on where our feet are,” Sloan said. “When we focus on the controllables, strive for consistency in all our endeavors, and aim to be the best version of ourselves on a daily basis then we give ourselves a chance to achieve excellence. We recognize that the path to excellence will include obstacles, but we must welcome that adversity not as a threat to avoid but as an opportunity and a challenge to crush.”

 

7 Elmhurst (York)

Coach – Charlie Kern

2023 Finish: 24-3A; 6-LP Sec; 2-OPRF Reg; 5-WSCS

Top Runners: Zach Bradford SR, Max Zangan SR, Zach Saltiel SR, Carter Olsen JR, Jack Sebastian SR, Sam Kehoe SR, Evan Zapata SR, Harrison Manternach SO, Ryker Harges JR, Patrick McGrail SR, Ben Popilek JR, Everett Sinson SR, Patrick Hill FR, Michael Gurgone FR.

Notes: The Dukes recontinued their streak of making it to the state meet in November finishing 24th. They have now qualified for the state meet since 1964 58 of 59 state meets that have been held. York finished second in their regional and then sixth at the Lake Park Sectional. This team had their high and low moments last fall. That figured considering they had no seniors in their top 12. Now they are a year older and hungry to compete. “Last year we were focused on returning to the state meet and achieved that goal,” said York Coach Charlie Kern. “They know that they are capable of much more than qualifying, but they also understand that they need to stick together in practice and when racing.  They have been very serious about sticking together on runs and encouraging each other to be successful.”

 

The starting seven for the Dukes might be different that what we saw at the end of last year. Some of the group had great track seasons that carried over to the summer and now fall. They did lose prospective top seven runners Josh Tobin who returned to playing soccer and sophomore Ben Jensen who ran 16:00 last fall decided to not come out for the team. Otherwise, everyone else is back. “Our training this summer went very well,” said Kern. “We were able to build mileage up into the upper 50s and lower 60s for our top athletes.  We also added additional mileage, speed and athletic movements each day with spirited games of ultimate frisbee.  We did well to stay inside training zones that permitted us high quality aerobic work without needing to rest for multiple days.  Mondays were dedicated to 400m repeats.  The boys showed incremental improvement each week and gained confidence to increase volume.”

 

Emmett Bradford is healthy and could be one of the top runners for the team. He qualified for state track in the 1600 Meter Run dropping down his personal best to 4:18. His improvement have transferred to his summer training. “Emmett has grown so much as an athlete,” said Kern. “He has gained a great deal of strength while working with our assistant coach Niko Karavolos.  Emmett has let physical strength help improve his mental strength.  At this point in the summer, he has established himself as our number one.”

 

Zach Saltiel will be in the team’s top five when he is ready. An injury at the end of track season has slowed him down. “He had a great track season until the week of the outdoor conference meet,” added Kern. “In a workout in the rain, he aggravated his Achilles and was unable to overcome the injury at the sectional meet and was unable to get state track meet experience.  Not surprisingly, the Achilles needed time to heal, and he is behind his teammates at this point, but he is a smart, patient, young man who knows that he needs to take the necessary time to build his foundation out of brick and not straw.  We are confident he will be back in the front of our back by the end of September.”

 

Kern talked about packing in races/workouts, and they have a solid pack forming. Max Zangan and Jack Sebastian have showed improvement and lead this group. Carter Olsen and Sam Kehoe will be in that group along with Patrick McGrail and Harrison Manternach who missed the end of last fall due to an injury. He has been running in the top seven group according to Kern. York has two great freshmen with Michael Hill and Michael Gurgone that could be among the top seven at the end of the year. Kern will be patient keeping them down of the frosh/soph level to start the season.

 

Bradford could be in the hunt for a top 25 finish. Their next six runners are projected to have a 30 to 35 split to start the season and is encouraging. This team is deep in talent, so Kern has the luxury to change their lineup. This team will be tough by the time they get into the state series of meets. “We have stressed multiple messages this summer,” Kern stated. “We have continually talked about the need to build something that will last.  This is done through self-disciple, consistency and enthusiasm.  We have been patient while increasing mileage, intensity and effort.  We have focused on being the best version of self.  We have focused on giving your best effort.  We have focused on learning where our thresholds may be.  We have not perfected these things, but we get up each day with a growth mindset and make the most of the time we have and try to get a little better every day.”

 

8 Wheaton-Warrenville South

Coach: Chris Kuntz/Craig Lawrence

2023 Finish: 17-3A; 1-LP Sec; 1-SCE Reg; 2-DuKane.

Top Runners: Josiah Narayanan SR, Aiden Noel SR, Atticus Cunningham SR, Samuel Purdue SR, Jack Ruswick SR, Ethan Farrell JR, Johnah Hatzinger SR, Everett Zou JR, Sam Walker JR, Daithan Narayanan SO.

Notes: This is a team that we could see among the top five 3A Boys teams in the state by the time we get to state series time. South returns five of their top seven  runners from a team that finished 17th in the Class 3A State Meet. “The athletes have done a great job running this summer and have been working hard,” said one of their coaches, Craig Lawrence.  It is hard to pinpoint one athlete or workout, but the team has been consistently solid this summer. The boys should be proud of how much they have improved.”

 

The finish at the state meet last fall was deceptive and not indicative of how good Wheaton-Warrenville South was last season. Aidan Noel was among the 20 runners in the final 100-meters of the race when he fell. He got himself up to cross the line finishing 49th.

 

There was nothing deceptive of how much Josiah Narayanan improved over the last year. Narayanan as he finished 12th last November in the 3A State race.  Narayanan was with the leaders in the Class 3A 3200 Meter Run until the final 600-meters but earned all-state honors finishing sixth. Noel should be all-state this fall. Don’t count out Narayanan to challenge for the individual state title. “The team has had an amazing summer of running,” Lawrence said. “They've been "All In" and worked extremely hard. While we graduated some key runners from last season’s squad, we return 11 of our top 14 from last year, including seniors Josiah Narayanan (4:18, 9:08, 14:30) and Aiden Noel (4:25, 9:21, 14:51). They will be a solid 1-2 punch and lead the pack that has some key returners with postseason experience along with some new faces from guys who have made great strides. This team has set appropriately high individual and team goals for the season and postseason. We're excited about the work the kids put in during the off-season and can’t wait to see how that translates to races this fall.”

 

The injury to Atticus Cunningham in mid-September to forced him out for the rest of the season hurt South’s finish in November. Cunningham is healthy along with Samuel Purdue giving the Tigers a solid third and fourth runners. Jack Ruswick, Ethan Farrell, and Jonah Hatzinger will look to round out the team’s top seven. “The group has been fantastic,” added Lawrence. “The underclassmen have been impressive with their commitment to pack running, and the upperclassmen have been strong leaders. We have added some strength and conditioning components that we think will pay off. Overall, the team has made big improvements since last cross-country season. We consistently talk about the importance of dedication (being “all in”); that is our primary message we stress throughout the year. We also emphasize goal-setting and maintaining a positive mindset.” 

 

9 O’Fallon

Coach – Jon Burnett

2023 Finish: 5-3A; 3-Gran City Sec; 1-Alton Reg; 1-SWC

Top Runners: Zach Thoman SR, Brayden Kloeppel JR, Jackson Gherardini JR, Harrison Schroeder JR, Robert Wocking SR, Jamison Gherardini SO, Benjamin Lown SO, Xavier Turner SR, Cole Deering FR, Jude Rose FR, Will Thoman FR.

Notes: The Panthers lost top three runner Dylan Ybarra and Eli Greenstreet to graduation. O’Fallon still returns five runners from the state team that finished fifth in the Class 3A State Meet. The loss of their top runners might hurt this team to start the season. We will have a good idea on this team by the end of September. “We did have a good summer of training,” O’Fallon coach Jon Burnett said. “The number of runners running with the top of the team was greater this summer than last.”

 

Zach Thoman will step into the #1 spot on this team> he finished 16 at state last year and will challenge for a top ten finish.  He dropped his personal bests down to 1:54.66 for 800-meters and 4:20.24 for 1600-meters. He qualified for state but did not make the finals in the 800 Meter Run. “Zach had a great spring except for the state meet,” Burnett said. “He is looking to redeem himself.”

 

Brayden Kloeppel showed great improvement last spring and into the summer ready to have a great junior season as the team’s second runner. Harrison Schroeder, Jackson Gherardini, and Robert Wocking give the Panthers a good group with Kloeppel. Their pack split behind Thoman looks to be between 40 to 45 seconds. Keeping that pack within 20-25 seconds behind Thoman would be a great team for this team. “We stressed the same things that we do every season,” said Burnett. “We will just stay consistent and stay together.”

 

10 Edwardsville

Coach – George Patrylak

2023 Finish: 15-3A; 4-Gran City Sec; 2-Alton Reg; 2-SWC

Top Runners: Colin Thomas JR, Hugh Davis SR, Gavin Rodgers JR, Jackson Amick SR, Colin Luitjohan SO, Cooper Wittek JR, Taylor Davis JR, Jackson Elliott JR, Parker Weaver SR, Aidan Jumper SR.

Notes: The Tigers are a team that has no superstars, no runners that we might see among the front runners in the state meet. Edwardsville has 10 runners that can run with each other. We should see improvement from this team after placing 15 from the state meet returning six of their top seven runners. “We were young and inconsistent last year,” said Edwardsville Coach George Patrylak. “We were given quite a bit of love during the previews, but then disappeared until near the end of the year.  The highlight of the season was our sectional performance, followed closely by our 15th place finish at State.  This year, the boys are focused and hungry.  They want to win the conference and make up for the two consecutive years of being dominated by O'Fallon.  They want to finish in the top three at Sectionals and ultimately finish in the top 10 at State.”

 

Patrylak called his top seven runners interchangeable where we could see a different runner leading them in every meet. You can look at how they ran at the end of last year with Jackson Amick their top runner at the Southwest Conference and regional meet, and Colin Thomas the #1 runner in the state meet finishing 73rd. Gavin Rodgers, Hugh Davis, and Colin Luitjohan were in the top five last year and look to be among the top seven during the season. Their top five runners split in Peoria was 36 seconds. That kind of split can get a team in the top 10, the top five if their pack moves closer to the front.

 

“When you have a group of friends who care about one another and have common goals, that is when good things can happen,” added Patrylak. “Last year I was impressed on how they performed at the end of the cross-country season.  This year, I anticipate being strong early, but not dominate.  The plan is to progress like last year and hopefully have the finish the team is focused on.  A top ten finish is not out of the question.  We return all our scorers from last year's state meet.  It could be an exciting and memorable year.”

 

11 LaGrange (Lyons Township)

Coach – Mike Danner

2023 Finish: 4-3A; 2-HC Sec; 3-LT Reg; 2-WSCS.

Top Runners: Benjamin Wuggazer SR, Tate Pavelka SR, John O’Halloran SR, Charles Ciesla SR, Patrick Collins JR, Aaron Obert, SR, Isaac Constas SR, Lukas Petersen SR, Eric Roemer SR, Ethan Meurer SR.

Notes: It seems that every season Lyons Township loses some of their top runners. Every summer they reload and repeat their performances again. Cillian Henning (15th) and Nicholas Strayer (18th) were all-state last year but have graduated. The Lions have four runners back along with a talented group behind them after they finished fourth in the Class 3A State Meet.

 

“Our training over the summer has looked similar to previous years,” said Coach Mike Danner. “We were in Wisconsin towards the end of July putting in some hard work and coming together as a team. Goals for this year should line up with our program goals which are to be competitive in most big invites and finish in the top 5 at the state meet.”

 

Ben Wuggazer was the team’s third runner in Peoria finishing 67th. A solid track season and a good summer could get him close to a top 25 finish. Tate Pavelka, John O’Halloran, Charles Ciesla, and Patrick Collins give Lyons Township a solid top five pack. This program knows how to pack run. Their second through five split behind Wuggazer is between 35 to 40 seconds to start the season out. We always warn some to keep a close eye on this team. So this year, keep an eye on them. Don’t count this team out.

 

12 Oak Park-River Forest

Coach – Chris Baldwin

2023 Finish: 6-3A; 2-LP Sec; 1-OPRF Reg; 3-WSCS

Top Runners: Liam O’Connor SR, Andrew Harmon SR, Brady Creel JR, Bennett King JR, James Nacke SR, Connor Harmon SO, Jack Gallery SR, Connor Schupp SR, Ryan Solberg SO, David Schiff JR, Jack DeBeers SR.

Notes: The Huskies took a hard hit in graduation five of their top runners that finished in the state meet placing sixth at Detweiller Park. They still should make it back to the state meet and could also be among the top 10 teams in Class 3A. Finn Kelly might have been among the top runners this year. He did run 14:47 last fall before getting injured last September, and then ran at state. He has not run since. “Finn is still out for us,” said his coach, Chris Baldwin. “He hasn’t run since the state XC meet and don’t have a timetable for a return to running for him.  He is still a member of our team and our program and is a leader and resource for his teammates.”

 

This team will be young with three to five underclassmen in the top seven. It has caused Baldwin to change up training this summer. “We changed around some of our training this summer, slowing down our tempos to make them truer tempo runs,” said Baldwin. “We also switched around some of the types of runs we have.  Our current sophomore class had a great track season, but they weren’t ready to run the volume that Liam, Andrew, James, and some of the other guys put in.”

 

Liam O’Connor will be the runner to watch for the Huskies this fall. He moved to the front of the pack towards the end of last season when he was all-state finishing 17th.  O’Connor did make it to Charleston for the Class 3A State Meet. He qualified in the 3200 Meter Run on a state championship team where he ran 9:16.32 to finish 14th. His spring indicates how good he could be this fall. “Liam has done a great job running his best races at the biggest times of the season for the past two seasons,” said Baldwin. “He puts in the work and is a leader in the program.  He gets just as much joy out of seeing his teammates run well as he does out of his own races.  O’Connor and Harmon have really put their stamp on this team, and I am excited to see how they connect with the future of our program.  We are in great hands with both.”

 

Andrew Harmon was the other runner back from the team and could be a top 40 runner especially after the track season he had. Brady Creel, Bennett King, and James Nacke are among 10 runners that could make their top seven even stronger. “This summer we talked about having a purpose in everything that you are doing,” added Baldwin. “There is a reason we are doing drills, core, running the volume we are doing.  To do it with a purpose. We always preach being present with each other and doing things together.”

 

13 Wheaton (North)

Coach – Nate Roe

2023 Finish: 25-3A; 7-LP Sec; 2-SCE Reg; 3-DuKane.

Top Runners: Aidan Murphy SR, Luke Haworth SR, Quinn Murphy SR, Daniel Xochitecatl SR, Jack Sanders JR, Gabe Leemans SR, Seth Pacer JR, Stefan Van Getson SO, Matthew Joyce JR, Nathan Carroll FR, Jayden Casas FR.

Notes: The Falcons will be improved this fall because of the state experience they had last fall. Wheaton North just advanced out to state finishing seventh at the Lake Park Sectional. North followed up the next week placing 25th at state. Their top three runners from the state meet are back along with two more runners in the top seven. “This summer our training was very steady and successful for most of our guys,” said their coach, Nate Roe. “Our exit 2-mile TT in July revealed lots of guys with significant improvement over the previous year, which is very encouraging.  We focused on mileage build up and longer threshold runs for June and much of July.  We did begin introducing fartlek pace and shorter reps and hills in early July.  Up in Wisconsin for our end of summer team camp, we always have a few benchmark runs including the 4/5 mile hilly progression run and an 11-13 mile long run.  We had strong showings on each of those runs, with over half of our group of 15 running 13 miles.”

 

Aidan Murphy again should be the team’s top runner after all-state last year placing 23rd. Luke Haworth and Quinn Murphy were separated by 13 seconds at state and 41 seconds behind Aidan at state. The three runners have improved and should close that 1/2 gap. Murphy is a good bet to finish in the top 15. “Both Aidan and Luke have had great summers of training.  Aidan was slower to start after we took a break from track to rest him,” said Roe. “Not many knew it, but he basically only ran 10-12 times(including races) from early April to late May due to shin pain.  Much of his training was in the pool, Alter G or bike.  He was only able to do some limited track work around the County meet, where he and Luke ran under state qualifying for the 1600.  He still managed to qualify for the State Meet in the 1600 and is very hungry for this Fall.  I believe a healthy Aidan would have run in the 4-teens and 9-teens for the 1600 and 3200 respectively, which were his goals.  He has stayed healthy all summer and is feeling great.  We've worked on lower leg strengthening and stretching that seems to be helping.  His 2 mile TT was about 20 seconds faster than last year, and he ran 14:43 that year, so he's excited and looking great. He's had to face a lot of adversity over the past two seasons, and I think it will serve him well this year.   Luke has also put in an excellent summer and was just 1 second back of Aidan in the TT.  He's had to put in work on his own most of the summer as he has travelled quite a bit.  He's very disciplined and driven to build on his success last track season.  He and Aidan key off of each other so well and really give us a strong 1-2 punch going into the season. I think extra motivation for him is missing the state meet in track by just .14 seconds.  He's physically and mentally tough and eager to end his high school xc career with style.”

 

Gabe Leeman ended last fall running 18:13. His last nine months have shown tremendous improvement. He could be among the top seven with this team along with Seth Pacer, Daniel Xochitecatl, and Jack Sanders. The team could have a 35 second split from Haworth. Murphy to Howarth at the end of the season were averaging a 49 second split. Haworth’s improvement should see that split coming down. “I guess the main message we had is what we always talk about, which is consistency,” added Roe. “It's not original, but it's what has allowed our program to remain in the conversation for conference championships and state qualification for many years.  Aside from that, we have also stressed enjoying the journey.  We've too often (especially me) focused on the end results as the only goal, forgetting that we run and train together to build and strengthen relationships as well.  Paul Olsen, my Augustana College coach, instilled this in us.  We had a shirt from my senior year that read "One Goal" on the front, with "...the journey" on the back.  My friend and college teammate Randy Moore at Rockford Christian exudes this philosophy and I've been recently reminded of its importance.   If we enjoy the journey together, the end results will take care of themselves.”

 

14 Palatine

Coach – Joe Parks

2023 Finish: 8-Hof Est Sec; 3-Pal Reg; 4-MSL

Top Runners: Alex Krieg JR, Carter Hayes SR, James O’Sullivan JR, Christopher Quick JR, Keaton Fletcher SR, Ethan Trujillo SR, Erick Gonzalez SR, Keith Solberg SR, Evan Salgado FR, Andrew Schellenbach FR.

Notes: The Pirates did not make it to the state meet last year, finishing eighth at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. Do not expect the same thing from this group in 2024. They are a year older with much more experience. Six runners with sectional experience are ready to go this fall. “The training that our team had this summer was solid,” said Palatine Coach, Joe Parks. “Nothing out of the ordinary, but a lot of good work from our top group. We did spend a week in Colorado where we grew closer as a team and had a great week of training in a challenging environment.”

 

Alex Krieg was the only runner that advanced to the state meet where he finished 63rd. He will finish higher this fall especially with the track season, Krieg ran 9:07.56 to win his section of the Class 3A 3200 Meter Run. He finished fifth overall earning all-state honors. Carter Hayes was all-state running 1:53.58 to finish ninth in the 800 Meter Run, Both should have successful fall seasons. “Carter and Alex are two extremely dedicated young men who have certainly benefitted from having one another and complement each other very well,” said Parks. “They were disappointed with the way our season ended last fall (24 points from team qualifier and Alex falling hard at state meet) and trained diligently all track season to end with great results. Both picked up where they left off this summer and have put together great summers. Both are certainly capable of All-State honors and more. They track seasons should only further their beliefs they are two of the top runners in the state.”

 

Palatine will have a solid third and fourth runners behind Krieg and Hayes. James O’Sullivan and Christopher Quick were separated by 12 seconds and 14 seconds behind Hayes. The question is who will step into the five through seventh spots. “We’ve had a great improvement in commitment in some of our seniors who are not that well known for past successes,” said Parks. “Kevin Lopez, Keith Solberg, Kyle O’Keefe, and Keaton Fletcher have really elevated their enthusiasm in the sport and has been an important part of our team growth this summer.”

 

The top five split could not be an issue especially the way that Krieg has been running. The talent in their top seven should keep each other close. Expect the red and white to be on the start line at Detweiller Park on November 9. “Our message is always simple in the summer,” said Parks. “Be consistent, be a good teammate, and dream big. The boys did a great job. We have a motivated and committed group. We have a couple of boys on our team that passed the 1000 mark for consecutive days of running. We don’t preach running streaks. It just shows the commitment we have from some of our boys and that has rubbed off on others.”

 

15 Arlington Heights (Hersey)

Coach – Mike Glosson

2023 Finish: 8-3A; 2-Hof Est Sec; 1-Pal Reg; 2-MSL.

Top Runners: Aidan Korb JR, Mateus Salomao JR, Nathan Marotta JR, Jon Choi SR, Gabriel Gronski SO, Brandon Rugg JR, Tim Laskiewicz JR, Elliott Baik JR, Billy Allen SR, Kass Kurzynski FR, Luke Carlson FR, Dylan Altmayer FR.

Notes: Mike Glosson steps in as the new coach at Hersey replacing Kevin Young who retired from coaching. The Huskies finished eighth last year in the Class 3A State Meet. Hersey graduated their top five runners from that team. “This summer we focused on running together and placed an emphasis negative splitting,” said Glosson. “We had a 2-mile time trial early in the summer where we had eight athletes at the mile.  Six of the eight ran negative splits and our 1-6 split was 20 seconds.  We had a solid summer of training, and I thought the athletes responded well to a new coach and some sew ideas regarding training.”

 

It might not be a matter of one runner leading this team in the front. It could be changeable for several runners. Mateus Salomao was a part of Hersey’s 4x8 team that finished tenth in the 3A state finals. He ran a 1:56.8 split in the finals. Salomao ran 9:32.58 for 3200-meters last spring. Aidan Korb ran in last year’s state meet and will be in the front of the pack. Nathan Marotta ran on and off last fall to an injury. Marotta dropped his 1600 time down to 4:47. He could have a breakout junior season. “Both of these guys have tremendous potential,” added Glosson about Salomao and Marotta. “They had good summers and will be counted on to make a big jump to replace the guys we lost to graduation.  Matteus ran a 1:56 split on the 4x8 and won the undercard 2 mile at PDN in 9:35. It was his only 2 mile in the spring.  Nathan is a work horse and put in a tremendous summer of training.  The key will be staying healhy”

 

Six of their top seven runners most likely will be underclassmen. The lone senior in the top seven could be Jon Choi. It makes it even more important for Glosson that this young group only had a 20 second split on six runners. Their inexperience begs for tight pack running. “Good things happen when you do things for the person next to you,” said Glosson. “We all have individual wants and needs. However, teams that can truly mesh and cheer for the guy next to them are typically the teams that succeed when it matters most!  Like Kobe Bryant once said, no matter if you win or lose, you must get up the next day and do it again.”

 

16 New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)

Coach – John Taylor

2023 Finish: 19-3A; 5-Gran City Sec; 1-Andrew Reg; 1-SWSCR.

Top Runners: Braden Hoff SR, Jack Galminas SR, Bryce Counihan JR, Kyle Friedl SR, Cian Scanlon SO, Evan Luming SR, Andrew Nilson SO, Conor Meehan SR, Leonardo Uribe SO, Domenico DiSalvo SO, Russell Welch FR, Ryan Zartler FR, Colin White FR, Jaxson Oldenburg FR.

Notes: The Knights found consistency in their mileage during the summer which could bring out their racing this fall. Lincoln-Way Central advanced to the state meet last November finishing 19 in the Class 3A State Meet race. “The summer went well with the boys putting in the miles with great weather,” said their Coach, John Taylor.

 

Five runners are back from the state team led by Braden Hoff and John Galminas. Hoff was the second/third runner most of the season until he got to Detweiller Park. He ran 15:17 to finish 78 to lead their team. Galminas finished one second behind Hoff. Bryce Counihan, Kyle Friedl, and Cian Scanlon give the team a solid first five runners. Their split needs to come down from 72 seconds to under 55 seconds as well as pushing their pack forward to get back to Peoria in November.

 

17 Orland Park (Sandburg)

Coach – John O’Malley

2023 Finish: 18-3A; 5-HC Sec; 1-Marist Reg; 1-SWSCB

Top Runners: Mateo Ramiro-Garcia JR, Luke Atzman SR, Brayden Gaffud SO, Luke Atzman SR, Jack Easterhouse SR, Myles Jacquez JR, Jackson Canellis JR, Gunner Hinger SO, Ben Lewandowski JR, Gavin Smalarz JR, Jake Crotty JR.

Notes: The dynamics should not change that much for the Eagles. Just Grant Giblin graduated from last year’s top seven. Sandburg finished 18 in last year’s state meet. That experience from this young team will benefit them at the end of the season. “It's been fun developing the new identity of the group,” Coach John O’Malley said. “We just graduated the smallest class of seniors we've ever had (2), so with that vulnerability the last two seasons, many younger guys got opportunities they would not have otherwise. That has resulted in a strong group of veterans this season. We didn't do anything magical with training. Just steady progress and development of all capacities.”

 

With Giblin moving on, there will be several questions in their top seven. The fact that six runners that have state meet experience helps. Mateo Ramiro-Garcia dropped his time down to 1:56 last spring. He also helped the Eagles back to the state finals in the Class 3A 4x8 where they finished 11th. He also ran 15:19 at the state meet as the team’s second runner. Luke Atzman was 11 seconds behind his teammate last November with a solid 1-2 punch in the front. “Luke had a tremendous summer and looks super fit and strong.” Said O’Malley. “Mateo also looks good and completed two weeks of training on his own in Mexico but came back looking great. They're both in great positions to have a successful fall.”

 

Sandburg had an over 40 second split in their top five runners towards the end of this fall. Sandburg will need a tighter pack in their top seven to make their presence known in races. Matt Miller and Jake Crotty made huge jumps in their running this summer and could make a push in the top seven. “They look good right now and will be important parts of our varsity group,” added O’Malley. “This is an absolute need for us as we shrink the space between our front end and closing it out behind them.” Brayden Gaffud, Jack Easterhouse, Myles Jacquez, and Jackson Capillas were in the state lineup last year and will be among the runners challenging to get in the top five.

 

“We really centered our attention inward. In order to show up and express the parts of ourselves we most want to express as competitors and leaders, we need to be self-aware and build better relationships with ourselves before we can develop better relationships with each other, the race, and practice,” said O’Malley with the message he stressed with his team over the summer. Watch for Sandburg to challenge with a top 10 finish when this season is all said and done.

 

18 Mt. Prospect (Prospect)

Coach – Jay Renaud

2023 Finish: 23-3A; 7-Hof Est Sec; 3-Loyola Reg; 5-MSL.

Top Runners: Landon Samp SO, Quinn Davis JR, Finley Moss SR, Luke Robinson JR, Brody Cushing JR, Collin Ryan JR, Ben Wilkin SR, Boris Dimitrov SR, Ethan Maher JR, Bobby Wintermute FR, Pierce Baker FR.

Notes: It could be an interesting start to the season for the Knights. Prospect returns four runners from the state team that finished 23 in last fall’s Class 3A State Meet. Their top runner back is Landon Samp who could start the season slowly with an injury. “Landon was diagnosed with a stress fracture at the end of May,” said Prospect Coach, Jay Renaud. “He's been running for a few weeks now so he will have a slower start, but I fully expect him to be back up to speed when it counts the most.”

 

Quinn Davis is one of three runners back with state experience along with Luke Robinson and Finley Moss. It might be Davis as the runner that steps into the #1 spot. “Quinn has shown the most improvement over this time. He will be our clear cut #1 runner to start the season. Quinn has been dropping everyone on our summer workouts and was our #1 for our end of summer camp 1600m time trial. Finley Moss has been right there with Quinn. Finley was our top finisher in the Arlington Heights Road 5k. Luke Robinson had a great summer and will certainly be in our top 3-5 runners.”

 

Davis was only six seconds behind Sapp in last year’s state meet. We will get an idea of how much Davis has improved in his opening race of the season. “Summer has been solid. We've just been building some mileage and progressing workouts over the last 9 weeks,” said Renaud. “I've been very pleased with our commitment this summer. I think this is the best cross-country team I've ever coached or at least hope it will be the best! We have 5 guys returning who ran 4:33 or faster for 1600m and 5 guys returning who ran 9:50 or faster for 3200m.”

 

19 Yorkville

Coach – Chris Muth

2023 Finish: 16-3A; 6-Gran City Sec; 3-Plain C Reg; 4-SPC.

Top Runners: Owen Horeni JR, Ryan Rotramel SR, Brody Greyer SR, Adam Klemm SR, Lukas Summers SR, Walter Strait SR, Marcus Hosu SO, Brennan Sahuri SR, Ian Goodwin SR, Bryan Fichtel SR, Carter Reichert FR, Nicholas Sanchez FR.

Notes: Yorkville will look to make it to the state meet for the fourth time in the past five meets. They finished 16th in the Class 3A last year, returning five runners from that race. “Our summer training numbers on the guys' side were higher than past years,” said Yorkville Coach, Chris Muth. “We also increased our mileage slightly from years past and have followed our normal summer progression in training.”

 

Owen Horeni had a great track season running 1:52.34 to finish fourth in the Class 3A 800 Meter Run at the IHSA State Track Meet. Horeni is showed his fitness by running 14:57 at Detweiller at Dark at the end of July. He ran 15:07 at last year’s state meet. “Owen never surprises me with his results,” said Muth. “Kid is the most talented runner I have coached, but what was outstanding about D@D results was the way he raced the race.  He had one of his most complete 3-mile races mentally that I have seen him run in high school.  Having said that, once he consistently puts those types of races together, he still has another level to reach.  Training wise he is behind a little because of a long track season and postseason of racing, but he has done a great job listening to his body and progressing at the pace he needed to stay healthy.”

 

Ryan Rotramel led a pack that included Brody Greyer and Lucas Summers that was 26 seconds behind Horeni at state. Those three runners were separated by 22 seconds. Adam Klemm did not have his best race at state but should be within 10-15 seconds of Summers. “This team is senior heavy and with that comes individual experience and individual goals,” Muth said. “We need to transition back into a we before me mindset and get back to I will run for you, if you will run for me mentality for us to be at our best in November.”

 

20 Lake Zurich

Coach – JB Hansen

2023 Finish: 13-Hof Est Sec; 6-Pal Reg; 1-NSC

Top Runners: Karanveer Patil FR, Luke Marshall SO, Esau Meza JR, Sushant Kesavan JR, Marc MacCormac JR, Owen Holzhauer JR, Luke Firkin FR, Miguel Marquez JR, Carson Porter SO, Nishanth Mandavilli JR, Cameron Libby SR

Notes: The Bears could be a top five team in the state in 2025. They will be vastly approved this fall after finishing 13 at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. Part of that reasoning is due to the start of his high school career for incoming freshman Karanveer Patil who will make an immediate impact for this team. “Karanveer Patil had a standout middle school career and will have an immediate impact at the varsity level,” said Lake Zurich Coach, JB Hansen. “He is special.”

 

Luke Marshall was the team’s top runner as a freshman, making it to the state meet and finishing 114th. We should see a big improvement from him in his sophomore year. Three more runners are back from the sectional team led by Sushant Kesavan, Cameron Libby, and Owen Holzhauer. The three runners at Hoffman Estates last fall were separated by 40 seconds.

 

“Our training has been consistent, and we have been generally healthy during the summer,” said Hansen. “Some of our workouts compare favorably with some of the best teams we have had.: The emergence of Patil with Marshall give the Bears strong 1-2 up front. Hansen traditionally holds his top freshman down for the first month of the season. With Patil’s talent, will we see him on the varsity level at the Richard Spring Invitational? Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how his freshman season develops.

 

21 Batavia

Coach – Bruno Meeks

2023 Finish: 26-3A; 5-LP Sec; 3-SCE Reg; 4-DuKane.

Top Runners: Francesco Benelli SR, David Bednarek SR, Edward Polaski SO, Will Polaski SO, Gavin Warpinski JR, Alejandro Jacob SR, Luke Gianfrancesco JR, Ryan Widmer JR.

Notes: Batavia improved during the second half of the season making it to state placing 26th. The Bulldogs will reload for the 2024 season with three runners from their state team. “We have a great core group that met regularly throughout the summer,” said Batavia Coach, Bronco Meeks. “The varsity group has done a great job working as a pack through our workouts. Based upon workouts thus far, I expect to see Francesco up with the front runners followed by a very strong pack. Our pack was our strength last year. We are hoping to continue to run with each other this year.”

 

The one runner that made a huge step up during the track season was Francesco Benelli. His junior year included running 9:13.40 to finish 11th in the 3A State Meet 3200 Meter Run. “Francesco improved drastically last school year. Franci began to learn how to race during the 2023 cross country season. He carried that into track season and was able to take things to another level. While his performances on the course and track have been impressive, I think the dedication and care he shows for his teammates is even more admirable than his performances. Much of Franci's family lives in Italy. In the past, Franci has typically travelled to Italy during the first couple months of the summer. While he always trained and came back in great shape, we missed having him as we embarked on our journey each year. This summer he decided to forgo his travel plans in order to train with his team. The effect this has had on our team cannot be overstated. Franci is constantly encouraging his teammates and challenging them to push themselves to levels they did not believe they were capable of. Franci provides a first-hand example of what can happen if an athlete works hard. He was not a guy that started out on varsity immediately. He ran solid times as a freshman (17:59 his first race at Detweiller freshman year, 10:21 for 3200 in track). While Francesco certainly has some natural talent, he has had to work incredibly hard to get to where he is now.”

 

David Bednarek and Edward Polaski will be part of their team’s top five. Will Polaski has improved this summer and along with Ryan Widmer, Cody Rummell, and Luke Gianfrancesco giving the team a boost in that pack and the ability to tighten up their split.

 

Batavia could start the season slowly with so many new runners on Varsity. The improvement of Benelli will give the Bulldogs single digits up front. They will be ready by their conference and again should roll from there. “I’ve told them this summer to enjoy the process/journey,” said Meeks. This team has the tools to be one of the best teams we have had. It will not happen overnight though. We will need to be patient and not get caught up in comparisons. Each team has their own journey. If we can stay focused on OUR journey, we will be successful.”

 

22 Minooka

Coach – Kevin Gummerson

2023 Finish: 12-Gran City Sec; 3-Andrew Reg; 5-SPC.

Top Runners: Nico Cimino JR, Nate Schalk JR, Jase Cook JR, Carter Wikoff SR, Alex Null JR, Vaughn Van Eck SO, Matthew Whalen SO, Bryce Fuhrman JR, Ryan Resar FR, Sammy Kies FR, Carter Zemaitis FR, Thomas Zrbanek FR, Mason Raspolich FR.

Notes: Minooka will continue to reload and will better last year’s 12 place finish at the Granite City Sectional. They have a good freshman class coming in with three runners returning. “I have been very pleased with their effort, consistency, and excitement this summer,” said their coach, Kevin Gummerson. “There has not been one big workout that we have completed at this point in the season, just looking for this group to get the appropriate volume and putting them in position to race at the highest level possible.”

 

This team will be young again with possibly all their top seven underclassmen. Nico Cimino and Nate Schalk have state series experience along with Jase Cook. “Nico is excited, and really leading this team,” said Gummerson. “He is putting in some quality miles right and are responding and improving. He is determined to be at his best in November and I can see him really training with purpose.”

 

Alex Null and Vaughn Van Eck should also be among the top five runners. Cimino is the top runner of this team. He was 37 seconds ahead of Schalk in their sectional race. The rest of their top five runners are projected to be within 30 seconds of each other forming a close pack. This team could advance out of sectionals with good pack running and staying within 20 seconds of Cimino.

 

23 Libertyville

Coach – Stuart Mendelsohn

2023 Finish: 12-Hof Est Sec; 4-Grant Reg; 3-NSC

Top Runners: Michael Chudy SR, Thomas Chudy SO, James O’Keeffe SR, Filip Vojvodic SO, Bennett Fogle JR, Marcello Prinz SO, Max Finn SR, Peter Rappa JR, Trace Whildin SO. Taylor Rihm FR, Colin O’Connell FR.

Notes: The Tigers could be the surprise team in Class 3A this fall. Libertyville has not raced as a team at the state meet since 1992 when the IHSA was in a two-class system. They finished fourth in that meet. Their top eight runners are back from last year’s team that finished 12th at the Hoffman Estates Sectional.

 

Michael Chudy should be the top runner again for this team as he was at the end of last season. Chudy dropped his personal best down to 9:55.21 for 3200-meters. “Michael is determined to have a successful senior year and wants to improve on last year,” said his coach, Stuart Mendelsohn. “Michael is focused to learn what is going to be the best runner he can be his final year in high school.”

 

Thomas Chody will lead the pack behind his older brother. This team will need to rely on some tight pack running to advance out of their sectional. James O’Keefe, Filip Vojvodic, and Bennett Fogle were part of the top five pack that started to cut down their split. It is now projected to be between 35th to 38th. Michael Chody finished third in his conference and 25th in the sectional race. He will be among the top runners at the end of October.”

 

24 Naperville (Central)

Coach – Grant Baganz

2023 Finish: 20-3A; 3-HC Sec; 2-Nap N Reg; 2-DVC.

Top Runners: Patrick Clune SR, Manuel Najera SO, Vaugn Scherer JR, Zach Huffstetter SR, Derek Williamson (soccer/xc), Lukas Probst JR (football/track), Matthew Wick SR, Gavin George JR, Paul Van der Vorst SR, Richard Zhang, SR.

Notes: It could be a rebuilding year for the Redhawks after finishing 20 in last year’s Class 3A meet. Eight of their top ten runners from last year have graduated. “We had a very good summer,” said their coach, Grant Baganz. “Our volume was a bit higher than past with a slightly more aerobic emphasis. Highlights included Jay Johnson fartlek, Blackwell hills, and running a new race-like effort at our summer retreat.”

 

Patrick Clune was the team’s second runner last fall and should be the top runner this fall. Manuel Navera had the sixth fastest freshman time last year at the state meet is Naperville Central’s other returning runner. “Patrick has grown immensely in the past year,” said Baganz. “He gained a lot of confidence from an excellent junior year in both cross country and track. He now fully believes he is among the top runners in the state. Patrick is fiercely competitive, and he is starting to tap into his natural talent. Equally impressive has been his growth as a selfless leader. It will be fun to see him lead our team this year.”

 

This team is young so it is hard to tell who could be among the top five on this team. Vaughn Scherer was the team’s seventh runner in their sectional race and should be one of their top five runners. “Despite losing a lot to graduation, our team culture remains strong and was enhanced at our retreat in mid-July,” Baganz added. “New leadership is stepping up nicely and we have a strong and motivated freshman class to complement that. This is a new era and we are ready to turn the page and see what we can accomplish without a lot of expectations. The development we saw during the outdoor track and field season was excellent and it will be exciting to see how it translates this fall.”

 

25 Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)

Coach – Ryan Counihan

2023 Finish: 9-Gran City Sec; 2-Andrew Reg; 2-SWSCB

Top Runners: Sean Hanrahan SR, Dylan Robinson SR, Logan Kessling SR, Nathan Schroers SO, Luke Mueller SO, Nathan O’Reilly SR, Michael Andruch JR.

Notes: The Griffins will look to get back to Peoria as a team to run in the state meet after finishing ninth last year at the Granite City Sectional. It could be tough with just two runners back from their sectional team. Sean Hanrahan qualified for the 3200 Meter Run last spring. He ended up running 9:24.35 in the finals. He was second man last fall in their sectional race. Earlier in the season, he ran 14:59 at the Richard Spring Invitational. He is capable of finishing among the top 25 this fall.  Dylan Robinson was second runner behind Hanrahan in the sectional race. Nathan O’Reilly, Logan Kessling, and Nathan Schroers could be several runners that make it into the team’s top five. The team is projected to have a 40 second split off Hanrahan. He finished 45 in last year’s sectional race. Hanrahan started the season running 15:20 at Detweiller at Dark.

 

26 Naperville (North)

Coach – Tim Brown

2023 Finish: 9-HC Sec; 5-Nap N Reg; 4-DVC.

Top Runners: Ammar Bhanpuri SR, Jackson Truty JR, Aidan Malana JR, Simon Reckamp JR, Lukas Keane JR, Brian Hatlestad JR, Carson Harris JR, Sebastian Zylstra JR, Charlie Minott SO.

Notes: Naperville North came close to qualifying for the state meet last year finishing ninth at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. The Huskies return five runners from last year in what will be a junior oriented team. “Summer running has been solid, but like many summers, rarely was everyone on the core part of the team there consistently,” said their coach, Tim Brown. “Lots of summer vacations or summer school, etc.  Looking forward to getting to be a whole team on a consistent basis once the school year starts.”

 

A strong group of sophomores from last year are now juniors and should be the bulk of their top seven. The lone senior will be their top runner, Ammar Bhanpuri. He has been the team’s #1 runner since his sophomore season. Bhanpuri qualified for the state meet last fall running under 15-mutes running 14:57 in 37th place. A top 25 finish is within his reach. “Ammar had a good summer of running,” said Brown. “I feel that his training is back on par and he seems to be 100% from his injury and surgery last winter. I think the next step is the mental preparation for racing.  I’m optimistic that he will pick up where he was last year and just take off.”

 

Jackson Truty, Lukas Keene, Aidan Malana, and Simon Reckamp are all juniors that ran in the sectional at Hinsdale Central. Truty, Reckamp, and Malana stepped up their workouts this summer according to Brown and led their team. What for a boost from these three in the next couple of months. “The one message I had for them was to qualify for state as a team,” stated Brown. “It was in 2019 since we ran as a team in Peoria.  This is all the guys talked about and focused on this summer.  They’ve kept each other accountable for doing the work this summer, and they’ve put in their time.  They are ready to compete.” 

 

27 Park Ridge (Maine South)

Coach – Greg Nordahl

2023 Finish: 8-LP Sec; 6-OPRF Reg; 4-CSL

Top Runners: Owynn Garrelts SR, Owen Tremblay SR, Colin Frye SO, Lukas Runtz SO, Alex Czerwoinka SO, Jake Eckhart SR, Tony Murphy JR, Gabe Szfranko SO.

Notes: Could be a young team with three to four sophomores in their top seven. The Hawks came close last year finishing eighth at the Lake Park Sectional. Maine South barely made it to that point, finishing sixth by two points in their regional meet. 5 runners are back from that sectional race. “Our training over the past couple of months went smoothly said Maine South Coach Greg Nordahl. “We had several very committed runners this summer. Our numbers are not great at the upper levels, however, the guys running have been fairly committed to starting out successfully this upcoming season.”

 

Owynn Garrelts again should be the team’s top runner after finishing 47 at state last year despite a mishap before the race. He was strong before the state meet, finishing third at the CSL Meet, second in his regional, and then third in his sectional. “Owynn Garrelts has been our most committed runner this summer and for the last few years,” said Nordahl. “At the IHSA state meet he was knocked over during his warm-up and was scrapped up and this likely negatively impacted his performance. His work level this summer is on par with some of the top runners that Maine South has produced, and he should again be an all-state contender. His endurance is very impressive, and we are working on turnover and finishing kick to make him a top athlete in the state.”

 

Owen Tremblay should lead a good pack behind Garrelts that should include Jake Eckhardt, Colin Frye, and Alex Czerwoinka. Their split behind Tremblay should be 60 seconds. That will come down as this team improves during the season. “The main message this year was commitment and dedication,” added Nordahl. “We did not have enough of these ingredients last season because of a lack of leadership and had a very disappointing season ending.”

 

28 Huntley

Coach – Matt Kaplan

2023 Finish: 10-LP Sec; 3-Hamp Reg; 3-FVC.

Top Runners: Tommy Nitz SR, Andrew Raistrick JR, Brandon Thompson SO, Nathan Sauber JR, Logan Barreto JR, Derek Spaid SR, Matt Kolozsy SR, Jake McVeen SO, James Hennessey FR.

Notes: A team that look to improve on their tenth-place finish from last year’s Lake Park Sectional. Five runners are back for this Huntley team. “Summer went as expected for our group,” said Huntley Coach, Matt Kaplan. “Our goal for the summer is to have our returning group together as much as possible and we were able to achieve that goal.  Our expected top 5-7 boys spent most of the summer together.  Our top 5 do a great job of focusing on putting in the work.  The put in quality weeks and we had a small group of boys participate in a Colorado camp.”

 

Tommy Nitz hopes his senior year is his best of the four years that he has been on this team. Nitz finished 21st for all-state honors last November. His track season was twice as nice as he ran 9:10.27 to finish seventh in the Class 3A 3200 Meter Run, He came back to run 4:16.80 for another seventh place finish this time in the 1600 Meter Run. The fact that he ran 4:11.97 shows what kind of toughness he has. “Tommy had an amazing junior season earning all-state in the fall and in the spring,” said Kaplan. “Medaling in the 3200/1600 shows just how strong a runner he is.  This senior season we've talked about setting the bar where it needs to be and what type of work goes into the goals, he has for this season including earning another all-state finish come November. He has had a good summer.  He has shown a great deal of focus and dedication in the preparation for this final season.  Tommy will continue to set the tone for this team.  He cares about the team’s success, and he looks forward to helping the team be successful.  Tommy has proven to be able to compete with anyone and he is one of the best runners in Illinois.  It'll be fun to watch him compete and see what he achieves this season.”

 

Nitz has a good cast of teammates surrounding him. Andrew Raistrick was a consistent third/fourth runner at the end of last season. The junior should step into their second spot. Logan Burrato, Nathan Sauber, and Brandon Thompson. All had good track seasons and a better training summer to give this team a boost this fall. The split will be big between Nitz and the pack. A projected 25 second split between the next four runners puts the Red Raiders in position to get back to Peoria in November.

 

29 Hinsdale (Central)

Coach – Jim Westphal

2023 Finish: 22-3A; 7-HC Sec; 4-LT Reg; 4-WSCS.

Top Runners: Michael Gamboa JR, Cooper Revord SR, Henry Miller SO, Nikita Kamenev SR, Quinn Doorhy SR, Cole Levin JR, Logan Tarasi JR, Alex White SR, Kasra Mikaili SR, Matthew Rogers SR.

Notes: It can be tough for a programs to lose such great runners and leaders such as Daniel Watcke and Aden Bandukwala. Watcke graduated two years ago and transferred his leadership to Bandukwala who graduated with back-to-back Class 3A State Individual state titles. Hinsdale Central will look a little different without a red and white singlet leading the way. The top three runners from last year’s team have graduated after finishing 22nd in the Class 3A state meet. “Our training was consistent this summer,” said coach, Jim Westphal. “We've been careful when assigning training volume & intensity depending on the grade level of the athlete. For example, for a rising sophomore like Henry Miller we were intentional about when to push and when to back off. Cooper Revord, rising senior, could handle a bit more volume given his strength and experience. We've come to learn there is such a fine line of stepping over the intensity line without kids getting injured.”

 

Miller and Revord along with Michael Gamboa will be the core of this team this fall. They were the fourth, fifth, and sixth runners for the team last year, now stepping up as leaders on the course. “How Cooper, Michael, & Henry go is how we go as a team,” said Westphal. “I think they've done a tremendous job pushing each other this summer and we're hopeful it pays off this fall. They each feel they have something to prove at the varsity level and are very excited about the season.”

 

Seniors Matthew Rogers and Kasra Mikaili are runners to watch this fall. Westphal believes both runners will have an impact on the top for this team. So goes their fourth and fifth runners, so goes this team. “The two runners had excellent summers,” Westphal added. “They've really carried the positive momentum they created last spring and have done a nice job building on that. We're hopeful they are both contributors to the top 5 this season.”

 

30 Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West)

Coach – Kyle Nugent

2023 Finish: 9-LP Sec; 4-OPRF Reg; 6-WSCS

Top Runners: Graham Faris SR, Liam Grady SR, Cayden Camp SR, Matt King JR, Ryan Fader SR, Brandon Carpenter SR, Nile Woods JR, Jack Jenks JR, Sam Roser JR.

Notes: The Hilltoppers missed the state meet by two places finishing ninth at the Lake Park Sectional. Four runners are back from the sectional with a door wide open for a good group of runners now getting their chance to step into the top seven. “We had a smaller but more consistent group than normal,” said their coach, Kyle Nugent. “Our varsity group just focused on building mileage and they certainly did that. We have a very tight knit group that spends time together outside of XC.  We got through the summer healthy and can't wait to start racing.”

 

Glenbard West could have four runners to build a strong pack. Graham Faris looks to be the top runner for this team after he was the second runner in two of the three final races. “Graham is as steady as they come,” added Nugent. “He is a perfect example of consistency.  Graham has improved each year, and we hope that continues. He has had his best summer yet and he is healthy.” Cayden Camp, Matt Grady, and Liam Grady are the three other runners back. The four were separated by 42 seconds, which is a good start for a pack. Ryan Fader, who was the team’s seventh runner in their regional meet, could be the choice as the fifth runner. He finished in the regional right next to Grady. “Fader has had a great summer,” commented Nugent. “He has always had the talent, but this summer his consistency improved tremendously.  He is looking good right now.”

 

Other 3A Boys Teams to Watch

 

St. Charles (East)

Coach – Chris Bosworth

2023 Finish: 14-3A; 2-LP Sec; 4-SCE Reg; 1-DuKane

Top Runners: Greyson Ellensohn SR, Ryan Tobin SR, Michael Wilson JR, Joseph Edgar JR, Alex Asimor JR, Sam Wollak SO, Jack Tsiftilis SR, Patrick Klasa SR, Dom Strada FR, Connor Stall FR

Notes:  The Saints know how to peak at the right time and run their best when it counts. They showed that at the end of last year when they finished second at the Lake Park Sectional and then 14th in the state meet. St. Charles East returns three runners from that state team. “Training went well for the most part this summer,” said Coach Chris Bosworth. “We had a good group of guys that were very consistent with training.  We incorporated more aerobic-based workouts throughout our training this summer.  However, it was a struggle getting all of the top kids together at the same time due to vacations, jobs, or college running camps throughout the summer.”

 

Greyson Ellensohn finished 90th last year as the team’s third runner. He took his running up during track season. He ran 9:14.02 at his sectional meet to make it to the 3A State Meet in the 3200 Meter Run where he finished 16th overall.  Ellensohn also dropped his personal best in the 1600 Meter Run to 4:18.48. “Greyson had a breakout junior year,” said Bosworth. “He had a great xc season last year with an even better track season.  The biggest change this summer has been his confidence.  He knows he can run with the top kids in the state and will look to do so this fall.  His training has gone very well this summer. He has been a true leader for this team and will look to carry on the tradition of the Saints team racing at Detweiller in November.”

 

Ryan Tobin ran in state last fall. His track season indicates he will be ready to go. “Ryan is coming off a track season where he lowered his 3200 time from 10:42 as a Soph to 9:57 as a junior,” added Bosworth. “He is training with more confidence and is ready to take the next steps for this team this season.” Bosworth has a good group behind these two led by Michael Wilson, Sam Wollak, and Joseph Edgar. There will be a bigger split off Ellensohn because of his improvement. The split from their second to fifth runners could be 50 seconds to start the season. It will get lower as we get into November. 

 

Buffalo Grove

Coach – Miguel Parra-Garcia

2023 Finish: 7-Pal Reg; 8-MSL.

Top Runners: Riley Wold JR, Grant Preusker JR, Spencer Flershem SO, Will Capito JR, Nate Lipani JR, Alex Hernandez JR, Emanuel Esquina SO, Dylan Ishikawa SR, Luke Hilgeman FR, Patrick Romanski FR.

Notes: This is a team that will surprise people this fall even though they finished seventh at the Palatine Regional. This team showed promise at the end of last fall and should be in the upper half of the Mid-Suburban League this season. Riley Wold again is their team’s top runner. His confidence has grown since making it to state last spring. He improved his personal best from 10:21 at the end of his freshman season down to 9:39.75 last spring. “Riley gained a lot of valuable experience this past season at the IHSA track meet and will look to qualify to state as an individual this year,” said their coach, Miguel Parra-Garcia. “His teammate Will Capito who was injured during last post season is coming off a very strong track campaign and also has a chance to run in Peoria.”

 

The team wad a 95 second top five split off Wold at last year’s regional. The encouraging thing was that the split from their second to fifth runners was just 27 seconds. “Our top 7 showed significant improvement this summer. Our 1-7 split will be much better than in previous years because training has been more consistent this summer and the boys are learning to train together,” said Parra-Garcia. “The boys have been putting in a lot of hard work this summer and continue to get better each day. With no seniors and 2 freshmen potentially in the top 7 this year, we are still young and have a lot of room for improvement. Over the summer they have put in a lot of quality miles and have been pushing each other during workouts. Training has included long runs, tempo runs, interval work, repeats, hills, and some speed.”

 

Normal (Community)

Coach – Tom Patten

2023 Finish: 10-Gran City Sec; 3-Alton Reg; 1-Big 12

Top Runners: Joey Yaros SR, AJ Ince JR, Drew Patterson SR, Caden Nyman SR, Colin Heath JR, Nate Witzig SR, Thomas Eganhouse JR, Dhruv Marlapaty JR, Bryce Kuhlman FR, Wyatt Patterson FR.

Notes: Normal Community finished their season last fall on a high note winning the Big 12 Conference Championships and then finished 10 at the Granite City Sectional. Six runners are back from that team. Joey Yaros is the top runner for this team. He finished 130 last fall in Peoria. “Joey obviously had a good season last year,” said their coach, Tom Patten. “He had a setback at the start of track, breaking his collar bone in a snowboarding incident, but responded well as member of our 4x800 team. After making the state meet as an individual last year, he certainly hopes to return to that meet for a chance to improve his finish. If he can carry his teammates with him, even better.” AJ Ince and Drew Patterson give the Ironmen a strong second and third runner with Colin Heath and Nate Witzig close behind. The team had a 55 second split in their sectional race. It was only 15 seconds from their second through fifth runners.

 

Naperville (Neuqua Valley)

Coach – Jamie Janota

2023 Finish: 9-3A; 4-HC Sec; 1-Nap N Reg; 1-DVC.

Top Runners: Aaron Hamilton SR, Ryan Adamski SR, Garrett Anderson JR, Liam Yack SR, Anish Bhagwat JR, Neal Chawla SR, Tarum Avantsa SR, Grayson Meek FR, Jesse Gaudauskas SO, Ryan Lee JR.

Notes: It will be a rebuilding year for Neuqua Valley. Coach Jamie Janota does have the talent to accomplish that. Six runners in their top seven have graduated including Robert Glenn and all-state Zac Close. The Wildcats finished ninth in last year’s Class 3A State Meet. Aaron Hamilton is the only runner back that has state experience. Hamilton was the team’s fifth runner in Neuqua Valley’s final three meets. “We are hopeful for a very good fall season after all the injuries he has dealt with since late October of 2023,” said Janota. “So far, so good.”

 

Neuqua Valley just have four seniors on their roster entering this season. Ryan Adamski was the team’s fourth runner at Naperville Twilight in October before an injury forced him out for the rest of the season. Adamski was one of the team’s four runners in the 4x800m Relay where he ran a personal best of 2:01.

 

Our training has gone well over the summer,” Janota said.  “I was very encouraged by our progress in the 5K that many team members ran at our Track meet on July 11.  The guys packed up very nicely and worked together, which has been a focus for us this summer.” The name of the game for an inexperienced team is tight pack running that was concentrated on in workouts during the summer. Tarum Avantsa and Garrett Anderson will be two of the core members of the team’s top seven. The top five split to start the year will be between 40-45. It could be rocky for the Wildcats in their first couple of meets in September. They will be tough by the time they get to the state series in October.

 

Lockport (Township)

Coach – Tom Razo

2023 Finish: 8-Gran City Sec; 4-Andrew Reg; 3-SWSCB.

Top Runners: Jake Cruz SR, Henry Eissing SO, Andrew Maloney SO, Davin Mikulick SR, Jonah Brownlee SO, Glen Earnest SR, Andrew McIntire JR, Matthew Lienhardt SO, Jacob Maloney SO.

Notes: The Porters missed making it to the state meet by 11 points last fall when they finished 8 at the Granite City Sectional. Their top three runners have graduated. Jake Cruz was anywhere from the third to fifth runner position and will be one of the leaders in the front. Henry Eissing was an average five seconds behind Cruz and should be pushing for on spot in the front. Glen Earnest, Andrew Maloney, and Davin Mikulick are some of the eight runners that will challenge for a top seven position. Lockport should have a nice top five split projected to be hovering between 45 to 50 seconds. The key will be moving their top five runners closer to the front as the season progresses.

 

Downers Grove (South)

Coach – Brian Caldwell

2023 Finish: 10-HC Sec; 4-Nap N Reg; 1-WSCG.

Top Runners: Conrad Saner SO, TJ Harvat SR, Martin Joy SR, Owen Fudacz SR, Charlie Delapaz SO, Aditya Kota SO, Andrew Erdal JR, Billy Neumann SR, Harris Kelliher JR, Will Miller SO, AJ Handy JR, Erhan Traugott JR

Notes: The Mustangs return four runners from their squad that finished tenth at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. Ethan Traugott last season finishing towards the front in one of the NXR Midwest Regional open races.  He ran 9:47 in his conference meet indoors then suffered an injury that kept him out of the rest of the track season. It is hard to say when he will be back this fall.

 

The one runner to keep an eye on this fall is Conrad Sanner according to his coach, Brian Caldwell. “Conrad was our #5 down the stretch as a freshman last fall while running basically 3 miles per week - just the races. Even during his excellent track season (2:00 split, 4:31 1600) he was running very low mileage as our primary focus was just getting and keeping him healthy. He's been putting much more consistent work in throughout the summer and has been our clear #1 runner. He's run some incredible progression runs and tempo workouts and looked effortless hitting solid marks in the one repeat workout we've done thus far. He placed third in our Alumni Race behind only Tim Neumann (DGS record holder) and Jacob Curulewski (14:35 5k school record holder at Carthage) and ran a minute faster than his best last fall, looking very comfortable doing so. He will be up front in varsity races this fall for sure and has potential to really surprise some people.  This morning, he ran the 5th fastest 3k time trial in the last 18 years coming off of illness last week, 20 seconds faster than any sophomore we've had do it.”

 

The team has a solid top three with Saner, TJ Harvat, and John Clinton to start the season. Caldwell will have several runners to choose from to fill out the team’s top seven. “Training went well for those guys on our team that were consistently healthy and in attendance.,” Caldwell said. “Unfortunately, some of the key returners did not fit that criteria as we had a few of our key guys miss time training due to injuries. We should see some major improvement from many of our younger guys that really stepped up their training this summer though. Some incoming sophomores had good summers and should be ready to compete for spots in our top 7 including Charlie Delapaz, Aditya Kota, and Conrad Saner.”

 

Joliet (Central)

Coach – Doug Cherry

2023 Finish: 15-Gran City Sec; 6-Plain C Reg; 9-SPC.

Top Runners: Nathaniel Gabriel SO, Esteban Vasquez SR, Leo Martinez JR, Erick Ortiz JR, Anthony Miranda SR, Marcos Conteras JR, Diego Santos JR, Marcos Contreras JR.

Notes: Joliet Central finished 15 last year at the Granite City Sectional and return four runners from that top seven. This could be a deceptively good team that by the end of the season should be a part of the top ten teams in their sectional. Nathaniel Gabriel had a good freshman season as he was the top runner in the team’s final two races. Esteben Vasquez was only four seconds behind Gabriel at Granite City and should give the team in the front. The two runners will need to move closer to the front in races. Their top five pack, that could include Leo Martinez, Erick Ortiz, and Marcos Contreras are projected to start the season with a 50 second split which will hopefully go down as they get closer to the state series.

 

Oswego (East)

Coach – James Milner

2023 Finish: 27-3A; 7-Gran City Sec; 2-Plain C Reg; 6-SPC.

Top Runners: Nicholas Goduta SR, Eddie Bozett SR, Jack Wolstenholm SO, Phoenix Scott JR, Mason Van Denend SO, Deliz Piny JR, Tyler York JR, Michael Curfs SR, Nimit Trivedi FR, Anthony Garcia FR, Tyler Brady FR.

Notes: The Wolves had an up and down season last fall that resulted in a 27th place finish in the Class 3A State Meet. Oswego East finished sixth iin their conference, then second in their regional and just made it out of their sectional placing seventh. At the start of this year, they start close outside of the top 30 and might be back in the 30 group soon. Five runners are back from that state team. “The training went very well,” said their coach, James Milner. “It was a typical summer format for us.  The guys really focused hard on developing a strong pack.  They went on their annual Colorado trip and had some very good workouts and team bonding.”

 

Nicholas Goduta was in the team’s top three runners’ last fall. He should jump into the top spot to start the season. “Nico has done a tremendous job stepping up into a leadership role this summer,” said Milner. “He has put in his best summer of training and is looking to team up with Eddie Bozett to lead our pack.  He is a huge team player and a great teacher/example for our younger runners who we'll no doubt need to contribute to varsity success this season.”

 

Goduta and Bozett averaged a seven second gap at the end of the season. Jack Wolstenholm, Phoenix Scott, and Mason Van Denend are the other state returnees that will need to tighten the split for success for the Wolves. The five runners were separated by 99 seconds in the state race. Their split to start the season is between 70 to 75 seconds. Goduta and Bozett will need to chase after single digit scores while the split dips under 60 seconds. That could be the formula to get Oswego East back to the state meet.

 

Aurora (West Aurora)

Coach – Anthony Rizzo

2023 Finish: 8-HC Sec; 3-Nap N Reg; 3-SPC.

Top Runners: Nathan Gehrmann JR, Lachlan Maloney SO, Michael Nava SR, Miguel Orrala SR,

Yoshua Paredes JR, KJ Rogers JR, Nate McGinnis SO, Kaden Neuhaus JR, Julian Flores SO.

Notes: The Blackhawks have a change of address moving away from the Southwest Prairie Conference to the Upstate Eight Conference. Presumably West Aurora will remain in the same sectional complex they were in last year. West Aurora missed making it to the state meet in 2023 finishing eighth at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. There are three runners from that team that return.

 

Nathan Gehrmann had his eyes on a trip to the state meet last year. Injuries during the year derailed that attempt. He qualified for state in the class 3A State Meet in the 800 Meter Run during the spring. He just missed the finals by one place but still ran a personal best of 1:55.69. “Expanding on his successful track season in the 800, we expect him to do well,” said his Coach, Anthony Rizzo. “One of our goals is to keep him healthy, as last season a nagging injury prevented him from obtaining his goals.” Lachlan Maloney and Michael Nava are the other runners back that will build a good nucleus for their top five for the upcoming season.

 

Hampshire

Coach – Ryan Hollister

2023 Finish: 18-LP Sec; 6-Hamp Reg; 8-FVC

Top Runners: Nolan Sheets SR, Jack Sheets SR, Marcus Davis JR, Samuel Beamon SR, Cody Dobush SR, Lucas Bailye SO, Nigel Gay SO, Marshall Waldau JR, Lucas Heitman SR, Tyler Krauss SO, Aric Abbott JR, Jace Pfenning JR (transfer from Round Lake).

Notes: The Whips should improve this fall on last year’s 18 place finish at the Lake Park Sectional. All seven runners from last year’s team are back. Their experience from last fall should make this team that much tougher. “We had great turnout this summer and a lot of enthusiasm from the group,” said their coach, Ryan Hollister. “We had a big emphasis on team building with weekly breakfasts and a team pickleball tournament.”

 

Work will need to be done on their top five split especially if Hampshire wants to be among the top 10 sectional teams. Their sectional top five split was 86 seconds off the front running of Molan and Jack Sheets. “Nolan struggled with injury early last season but came back strong to run some great races when we needed him most.  If he can stay healthy, I think he and Jack can get down to the mid 15s.” added Hollister. “Sam Beamon looks incredibly strong coming into the season.  He was our number six runner last year, but he looks like he's got a great shot at climbing the ranks.”

 

Riverside-Brookfield

Coach – Jack Brady

2023 Finish: 21-3A; 6-HC Sec; 2-LT Reg; 1-MSC

Top Runners: Brady Norman SR, Diego Lopez-Molina SR, Tommy Bogden JR, Asa Kahle SR, Aiden O’Brien SO, Quinn Hendricks JR, Abraham Smith-Ray SR, Mateo Garcia SO, Sam Lee JR, Gavin Duncan SO.

Notes: The Bulldogs move into the Upstate Eight Conference for the 2024-2025 school year. RB welcomes three runners back from the team that finished 21 in the Class 3A race. Brady Norman did not have his best race of the year last fall at Detweiller Park finishing 106th.  He started this fall running 15:37 at Detweiller at Dark. Norman could be near 15-minutes when all is said and done. Diego Lopez-Molina and Asa Kahle are back after running as the Bulldogs’ fourth and fifth runners. Their top five split to start the year is 110 seconds. RB will need to find two runners that will be close to the top three in races.

 

Machesney Park (Harlem)

Coach – Jared Richardson

2023 Finish: 19-LP Sec; 5-Hamp Reg; 3-NIC 10

Top Runners: Leo Ramos SR, Owen Recoy SR, Nick Tyrcha SR, Jack Johnson JR, Parker Lipinski JR, James Gallagher SO, Dominic Carlson SR, Tyler Buetsch SO.

Notes: The Huskies return six runners from their team that will look to improve on their 19 place Lake Park Sectional finish.  They will miss their top runner from a year ago Dylan Malmgren who has graduated. Owen Recoy, Jack Johnson, and Parker Lipinski were all within 14 seconds of each other in the sectional meet. That split is a good starter for Harlem, but the three runners will need to move up closer to the front. Leo Ramos and Nick Tyrcha should also be runners to watch for in the top five. The potential for this team is promising with their top five split projected to be within 25 to 30 seconds.

 

Vernon Hills

Coach – Steve Szabo

2023 Finish: 10-Hof Est Sec; 3-Grant Reg; 5-CSL.

Top Runners: Bryant Lester SO, Jeremy Gitzinger SR, Trevor Todd JR, Konstantin Koychev JR, Aarav Sheth JR, Brady Koetz SR, Zackery Shoemaker SR, Stephen Posner SR, Raghav Verma SR.

Notes: The Cougars could get to the sectional top seven this season after finishing tenth last year at Hoffman Estates. Five runners are back for this team. Bryant Lester in his sophomore season will replace graduated Charlie Blackmer. “Bryant has grown a lot this summer is his approach to his training,” said his coach, Steve Szabo. “He learned a lot from Charlie Blackmer last year and has spent time this summer working with former VHXC runner and state runner up Mahmoud Bahrani on his approach to training.”

 

There will be three juniors and a senior that will be in a pack behind Lester giving this team bigger meet experience. Aarav Sheth according to Szabo put in tremendous work this summer and will take a big step forward. Jeremy Gitzinger, Trevor Todd, and Konstantin Koychev will again be looked at to be in the team’s top five. “I have stressed that they guys need to be intentional about what they do, support each other and push each other,” Szabo said. “They have put in the miles, but they can’t rest on that. They have to now continue to push each other, to maintain excellence and strive for more.”

 

South Elgin

Coach – Kari Turcan

2023 Finish: 15-LP Sec; 6 Tie-Hamp Reg; 2 – UEC

Top Runners: Noah Callahan SR, Logan Lott SR, Adrin Boongaling JR, Gael Bibiano SR, Brody Mills SR, Charlie Stace SR, Josiah Lindsey JR, Kyle Diven SR, Alex Daniec JR (from track), Aiden Sundara JR (track), Micah Lindsey FR, Lucas Burchacki FR.

Notes: The Storm have all seven runners back from their team that finished 15th at the Lake Park Sectional. Noah Callahan and Logan Lott traded off the #1 spot last year with Callahan their top runner in the sectional race. “Noah is hungry,” said their coach, Kari Turcan.  “Consistently finishing second or third for us last year really has him on fire. He spent the summer working with his swim club and the Elgin Sharks getting in a lot of cardio without all the hard pavement stress. He’s going to be a tremendous leader for our team not just in meets but in setting examples and teaching our young guys the ropes. We are very excited for Noah to be in the spotlight.”

 

This is a senior oriented team with five seniors expected to be among the top seven runners. Their top five split in sectionals was 75 seconds. Their projected top five split to start the season should be between 45 to 50 seconds. “We kept it pretty simple this summer with mileage and hills, as many of our top guys were also doing track camp and practicing and competing with the Elgin Sharks,” said Turcan.

 

Normal (Community West)

Coach – Chad Aubin

2023 Finish: 14 Gran City Sec; 4-Alton Reg; 4-Big 12.

Top Runners: Ezekiel Rice SR, Aiden Swanlund SR, Joshua Bierbaum SO, Aidan Starkey JR, Johnnie Behrends SR, Samuel Burrell SR, Mason Jones JR, Casey Waninger SR, Donovan Wright SO.

Notes: The Wildcats will look to build off their sectional finish from a year ago when they finished 14 at the Granite City Sectional. Their top runner Ethan Snyder has graduated leaving their remaining six runners vying for the top five. Ezekiel Rice appears to be the #1 runner on this team to start the season with Aiden Sandlund and Joshua Bierbaum close behind. The pack will need to move up with their top runners between 15:40-15:45. Their top five split to start the year will be between 55 to 60 seconds.

 

Geneva

Coach – Peter Raak

2023 Finish: 16-LP Sec; 5-SCE Reg; 5-DuKane

Top Runners: Julian Hipp SR, Luke Gaston SR, Dominic Ross SR, Noah Martin SR, Andrew Hisman SR, Dominic Savarese SR, Ernie Bebe SR, Mack Biesk JR, Griffin Poterek FR

Notes: This will be a senior oriented team with all their returning top five seniors. The Vikings placed 16th at the Lake Park Sectional and will look to improve on their finish.  Their top two runners are both seniors with Julian Hipp and Dominic Ross. “Julian is an extremely motivated and diligent runner with his training and a fierce competitor on race day,” said their coach, Peter Raak. “He loves a challenging course and always steps up for big races.  Julian and the other seniors have been wonderful examples for the boys all summer and will look to help take GVXC to the next level.  Dominic Ross has seen some nice breakthroughs this summer.  He's always been training well but has been stuck at a plateau the past xc and track season.  I look forward to seeing him having a strong season he's worked so hard for.” Noah Martin also had a breakthrough summer and could boost the team’s top five. Incoming freshman Griffin Poterek is the top of the freshman group coming in to Geneva. He could have an impact on the team’s top five.

 

“This summer the message was to be consistent and to be purposeful with their training,” said Raak. “Don't try to do too much at once, be patient, and have slow and steady improvement.  We are building towards some big things this fall and will be ready for these meets.  Diamonds are formed under pressure.”

 

Mundelein

Coach – Kurt Rutz

2023 Finish: 7-Grant Reg; 4-NSC.

Top Runners: Elijah Mendoza JR, Izic Miller SO, Nathan McCreight JR, Andrew Weaver JR, Logan Ramirez SR, Nathaniel Mendez JR, Logan Vale SO, Erick Cordova FR, Aidan Sweet FR, Brandon Newell FR.

Notes: Mundelein just missed making it to sectionals last year finishing seventh at the Grant Community Regional. They do lose one of their top runners Alberto Diaz. The senior decided not to run this fall. Elijah Mendoza and Nathaniel McCreight did advance to the Hoffman Estates Sectional. The two runners should be the nucleus of the team’s top five pack. “Elijah is one of the toughest competitors I've had in a while,” said their coach, Kurt Rutz. “He's had a great summer, and in the best shape he's ever been.  His mental approach has also improved, and he has a lot of confidence.  I expect him to compete for the top 5 in the conference.”

 

Their top five projected split without Diaz is expected to be near 60 seconds. It will come down during the year. Rutz believes that two freshmen, Erick Cordova and Aidan Sweet, will give the team a boost maybe as early as the end of September. “Team is the most important aspect of the sport,” said Rutz. “We need to train as a team, and race as a team to be successful.  This is still a young team (no seniors in top 7), and we can still be successful if we remember that.”

 

Deerfield

Coach – Scott Friedlander

2023 Finish: 28-3A; 6-Hof Est Sec; 1-Grant Reg; 3-CSL.

Top Runners: Jamie Chandler JR, Ben Freedman SR, Nick Dowell SR, Scott Harvey JR, Sam Chaban JR, Danny Kriegel SR, Hugo Albrecht-Buehler JR, Andrew Calderon SO.

Notes: I can’t doubt this program. Deerfield had two runners back several years ago and yet the Warriors still finished second in the Class 2A State Meet. Deerfield graduated six of their top ten runners and return two from their team that finished 28th in the Class 3A State Meet. The team has the talent to make it back to the state meet. “Training has been going well,” said their Coach Scott Friedlander.  We don’t have a lot of evaluation checkpoints because we focus mostly on volume in the summer, but the team seems to be handling the volume well. The big checkpoint we have is Detweiller at Dark where we had only a few varsity runners and got pretty good results. Ben Freedman, Hugo Albrecht-Buehler, and Sam Chaban all ran in the mid-16s. They’re three of a big handful guys who might slot in as our 2-5 runners behind Jamie Chandler. Historically, our progression from Detweiller at Dark to October is pretty good, so mid-16s is a solid starting point.:

 

Jamie Chandler and Ben Freedman are the only runners back with state meet experience. Chandler might take a step up this season. “Jamie is incredibly driven,” Friedlander said. “He has stated that his goal is to be 3A All-State this season, and that’s realistic. He had a very solid summer, though a minor ankle issue at the beginning of August forced him to take a few days off, but he’s back now.” I won’t project what this team’s top five split will be to start the year. I think we will have an idea on that by mid-September. This is a driven team. Good things happen through hard work. “We stressed the importance of running for the team,” added Friedlander.  “We graduated most of our varsity lineup from last season where we qualified for 3A state for the first time in 36 seasons, but our culture has fostered such strong depth that we won’t fall as far as many might predict. And that takes extreme care of the team, its reputation, and its future. It will be challenging to qualify for 3A State again, though we’ll fight for it, but a strong team-first focus will ensure that we’re always in that fight every year no matter what graduation takes away.”

 

DeKalb

Coach – Mike Wolf

2023 Finish: 14-LP Sec; 4-Hamp Reg; 6-DVC.

Top Runners: Jacob Barraza SR, Nathan Tumminaro SR, Christopher Thunder SR, Felipe Hernandez JR, Tegan Bengford-Breneisen SO, Noah Thompson SO, Rafael Forney SR.

Notes: The Barbs will be missing last year’s third and fourth runner but return the rest of the top seven that finished 14th at the Lake Park Sectional.

 

The spotlight will be on Jacob Barraza for his senior after finishing 11th in the Class 3A State Meet. Barraza is the seventh returning runner from last year’s meet. He had a standout track season as he finished third in the Class 3A State 1600 Meter Run. “Jacob is training well and we have incorporated some cross training that he and a few others used successfully last spring.  He was a little banged up and sick at the beginning of last year’s cross-country season which led to adjustments to his training and racing plans,” said his Coach, Mike Wolf. “He improved week-to-week but was a little frustrated by not being able to train and race at 100% in the 1st half of the season.  He is very focused on staying healthy and doing the things he needs to so that he can start his season at a higher level.”

 

Forget about a top five split on DeKalb especially with Barraza in the front. Nathan Tumminaro will lead what is hoped to be a tight pack. Christopher Thunder will be the closest to Tumminaro in races this fall. “The message we had for the team is that everyone can improve,” Wolf said. “Have fun with the journey.  Enjoy your running and running with your teammates.”