Hinsdale Central reloads, looks to repeat 2013 state championship

 

By Michael Newman

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It was not a typical year for cross country in 2013. It was more so at the end of the year that Hinsdale Central ran the best race of the year to win the state championship than what happened to defending state champion York finishing fifth. Hinsdale Central lost three all-state runners to graduation. The Red Devils have the pieces to repeat the state championship that they won before.

 

They are not a solid #1 at the beginning of this year. There are at least nine schools that could go after r=the state championship. That is how wide-open the 2014 season could be with teams rocketing up and down the rankings waiting for the right moment to peak.

 

Hers is a look at some of the top teams as we see them right now. This is not how they will finish at the end of the year. The only ranking that does count is on the results sheets handed out after the state meet. It is as simple as that.

 

Top 25 Teams

 

1 – Hinsdale Central

Coach – Jim Westphal

2013 Finish – 1^st – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Blake Evertson SO (29,15:06), Chris Brenk JR (43,15:13), Matt McBrien SR (60,15:22), Alex Domiano SR, Josh Feldman SR, Austin Kleber SR, Andrew Irvine JR, Griffin Gartner SR, Yuji Cusick JR, Nathan Hill JR, Nick Tandle SR, Matt Tobia SR, Ben Anderson JR, Ryan Doorhy SO, Ethan Planson SO, Max Maydanchik SR.

 

Outlook – Coach Jim Westphal had a look of amazement on his face as he looked at his team celebrating. There is one thing that a team will know when they get through the finish area after a cross country race. If you know you are where you are supposed to be, there is a good certainty that you will be successful. Even though the official results were not out yet, his team knew what they had done even though Westphal refused to believe it until he saw the sheet of paper. Hinsdale Central as a school has a storied history of state championships, but for Boys Cross Country that was the first. Three all-state runners have graduated. For some programs, it would be a rebuilding year. Both with the incredible depth that Westphal and his assistant Noah Lawrence have developed, reloading would be a better term to use for this 2014 Hinsdale Central team.

 

One question was answered right after the track season had completed. With the senior leadership of Billy Magnesen, Kevin Huang, and TJ Caveney graduated, who would step up for this young team? “Summer training has gone well. Fairly uninterrupted for many of our athletes,” said Westphal. “Matt McBrien and Josh Feldman have provided the leadership for the rest of the guys this summer.” McBrien had a good track season running 9:35 at the end of the season at the Race at State in Charleston. Feldman could be the big surprise for the Red Devils. His PR for the 3200 has dropped more than 40 seconds in the last year down to 9:41. He should be part of a strong pack.

 

Blake Evertsen just missed out for all-state honors. That is pretty incredible considering he is now only a sophomore. He ran 9:43 for the 3200 last spring along with running a 4:25 1600 also at Race at State. He is ready to make the next step up. Chris Brenk was the fifth runner for the team a year ago. His sophomore track season was non-descript with injuries and growing pains slowing him down. He did run 10:00 at his sophomore conference meet. That was done on basically little training according to Westphal. He had a great summer and is ready for the season. Another runner moving up on the varsity level is Andrew Irvine. As a sophomore last season, he ran 9:51 and 4:34 in sophomore races. Just like Brenk, he is ready for the next few months. The one runner that could end up as the #1 runner is Alex Domiano. He had a breakout junior year in track running 9:29 for 3200 Meters as well as 4:29 for 1600. He could be in the mix of a top 25 finish.

 

The state championship from last season has been put behind them. It’s yesterday’s news. “We remind the boys early and often that this is a new year. No one is going to hand you anything and in fact, we need to be more focused and mature in handling that type of situation this season,” Westphal added. “Our expectations this season is to work to improve overall as a program, continue to evolve, and work toward maintaining a high level of commitment and resolve and competitiveness. We have a nice mix of senior leaders, returners from 2013, and younger guys that could make an impact. I’m anticipating that we may have roughly 12-13 guys vying for the top 7 throughout the season.” Just like last season, this team will live and die with pack running. They could five runners in the top 35 this year with their pack starting between 12-15. Nothing flashy but this team is about each other instead of themselves. Their confidence grew last year after losses to York in their dual meet and at conference. After their state win, that convinced them that they could run with anyone. They will be able to run with anyone this season. Will anyone be able to run with them?

 

2 – Orland Park Sandburg

Coach – John O’Malley

2013 Finish – 7^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Tom Brennan JR (42,15:13), Greg Burzinski SR (63,15:24), Sean Torpy JR (70,15:25), Chris Torpy JR (72,15:27), Dan Laskero JR (124,15:56), Matt Benz-Weeden SR, Brandon Lukas JR, David Gleisner JR, Martin Skucas SO, Mike Brower SR, Brady Walter SR, Max Lehnhardt JR, Tom Marchese JR.

 

Outlook – Two years ago, the Eagles finished 12^th at the state meet. They started climbing up the mountain and finished 7^th last year. They continue to climb up this year but where will they end up? Five runners are back from last year’s team.

 

“I couldn’t even begin to tell you who our top 7 will be right now. That is indicative of the number of guys who’ve put in a strong training block this summer,” said Coach John O’Malley. “Our training went really well. We were consistent and had effective harmony of training stimuli. I feel our guys are strong, healthy, and fit.” This team is deep with up to 12 runners battling for a top seven spot. The evidence of their depth shows in their performances of a year ago when the #1 spot traded hands many times. At their conference meet, Greg Burzinski held that spot. At sectionals and state, Tom Brennen rose to the occasion. Brennan again will battle for the top spot. Last spring, he ran 9:46 for 3200 meters. Burzinski will be close by him. Sean and Chris Torpy continued to improve last season running side by side at state last fall. Both were successful last spring being a part of Sandburg’s 4x8 relay that finished 2^nd at state. Both will be a part of their top five again this fall. David Gleisner was their 4^th man at Detweiller at Dark and gives this team depth. Dan Laskero and Matt Benz-Weeden are also capable of being in the top five.

 

Sandburg once again will have to travel out of a tough sectional but that does not bother O’Malley and his team. “We are excited about the opportunity to race with that area competition before state. Hopefully we’ll be good enough to actually be in the mix with those teams,” O’Malley said. “Our mentality, though, is that we genuinely thrive on this type of competition. We welcome it. Our guys had a conversation during the World Cup about the term “Group of Death” and how we’ve occasionally heard the term “Sectional of Death”. The boys decided that it is contrary to a champion’s mentality. The term is for losers. We never hear that in our sectional. That’s a group of champions. Shouldn’t you want the best competition?”

 

O’Malley also added, “We look at our sectional more like “Sectional for Living.” It’s about thriving in the world of challenge, whether that’s the sectional or state meet, or a daily struggle; that’s why we wake up in the morning. I think that’s true of everyone in that sectional—it’s not unique to our guys.” Sandburg ran like champions last fall when they ran a 14 second 5 runner split at the state meet. That would be enough to win a state championship, but the pack was a little too far back to challenge those ahead of them. Hence the seventh place. Sandburg will live off of that pack mentality this season. It could be even tighter. But it has to move up. Any of the above runners mentioned could end up in the top 25. If they can do that and keep that miniscule split, they could be bringing back a trophy to Orland Park. “We hope to be racing against the best teams in the history of the state this year--we would get a kick out of that. Hopefully we’ll be there to compete with them,” O’Malley concluded. “Long story short, our goals are to develop an elite level environment. We’re focusing on sharing our running and health with others, developing gratitude, disallowing regret or excuses, and running for a greater purpose than a trophy or medal. That’s our focus.”

 

3 – Buffalo Grove

Coach – Zack Crandall

2013 Finish – 13^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Kevin Salvano JR (20,14:59), Tom Cleary JR (95,15:35), Jake Wenzel SR (108,15:39), Eli Hinkle SR (125,15:47), Montana Nimerfroh SR (145,15:54), Tripp Wallner SR (167,16:04), Arturo Bautista SO, Jack Lenard JR, Evan Schmidt JR, Akshay Garg JR, Matt Swiszcz SR, Cooper Hays JR, Josh Hellyer SO.

 

Newcomers – Mitchell Guitar FR

 

Outlook – The Bison went through a year of turmoil in the middle season. First, longtime coach Jamie Klotz stepped down from his position. There then were a number of injuries that changed the chemistry of the team including that to then #1 runner Steven Salvano. Sometimes adversity makes us better once we get through it. It could make this team better this season. Zack Crandall starts his first full year as head coach with six runners back from their 13^th place state team.

 

The cool summer was agreeable to most of the teams in Illinois including Buffalo Grove. “The guys ran really hard this summer and were putting up times in workouts comparable to their times in comparable workouts from the middle of the season last year,” Crandall said. “They are dedicated to the goal of finishing as one of the top teams in the state this fall and put in the work necessary to do so.  We also implemented a new weight lifting program a couple of times a week, which will hopefully bear fruit this season.” Kevin Salvano will be the #1 runner on this team along with a runner capable of being in the top ten statewide. He ran 9:24 last spring showing he is able to run with the big dogs. He should have a solid pack around him. Tom Cleary, Jake Wenzel, and Eli Hinkle all traded spots in the top five last season and look to do so again in 2014. Seniors Montana Nimerfroh and Trip Wallner should battle for a top five spot as well. Crandall saw improvement from Arturo Bautista this summer. He could also contribute. Incoming freshman Mitchell Guitar could be the surprise on this team. He was second in the IESA state meet last fall running 10:28. He’s been able to stick with the front pack according to Crandall.

 

This team will be favored to win the MSL. That will be the first of many good things that could happen to this team especially the holes they had to climb out of in 2013. “This is a team that can definitely do great things this season.  As you said, last year was a difficult season for the team and while they persevered and achieved a great deal, they were disappointed in their finish at the state meet,” Crandall added. “We are looking to be one of the top teams in the MSL, to win our regional and our sectional, and to be one of the top teams in the state this year.” Salvano will be towards the front. Their 2-5 split has the ability to be near 25 seconds. That would be good enough to bring a trophy back. The key is the pack staying within 25 seconds of Salvano.

 

4 – Naperville North

Coach – David Racey

2013 Finish – 9^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Kerry Gschwendtner SR (35,15:08), Jon Klaiber SR (80,15:30), Andrew LaDeur SR (90,15:40), Christian Moore SR (116,15:42), Jacob Eifler SR, Patrick Miga SR, Jack Strevell SR, Ryan Drendel SR, Max Johnson SO, Noah Tang SR, Patrick McGrail SR, Mark Quinn JR, Chase Llanes SR, Michael Schnell SO, Emerson King SO.

 

Outlook – Naperville North last year had a strong pack in the majority of the meets they were in. At the state meet, their split was only 32 seconds. The problem was the pack started at 35^th place. With the improvement of Kerry Gschwendtner and Jon Klaiber, the outcome could be a little different for Coach David Racey. Four runners are back from last year’s 9^th place state team.

 

The improvement of Klaiber and Gschwendtner turn the Huskies from a top ten team to a team contending for a state trophy. “Our summer training went well,” said Racey. “The back half of our top seven is very fit. Early racing success this season will be very important for this group.” Gschwendtner should be the top runner on this team as he was last season. He ran 4:20 this spring after he had zero running because of an injury that he suffered at the end of last cross country season. Klaiber will be one of the big surprises state wide. His PR in the 3200 dropped from 10 minutes to 9:32. He could be with his teammate in the top 25. This is a veteran team with the majority of the top seven seniors. Andrew LaDeur, Christian Moore, and Jacob Eifler could step into the top five. Sophomore Emerson King could be a difference maker for this team after a good summer according to Racey.

 

Expectations are big for North this year. They changed up their schedule adding the Red Devil-Hornet invite on September 6 and Richard Spring on the September 20. They will be at Detweiller two weeks in a row. Those races could shape this team into a tougher seven for when it counts at the end of October. Teams that have heavy senior presence find success at state. It could happen with Naperville North. “We could have two all-staters in Klaiber and Gschwendtner,” Racey added. “The key will be to have the others step up to match other teams at 3,4,5. If that happens this team will be competitive at the state level.” This team does a great job running together as a pack. The Huskies could have a tight 3-5 split. The potential of a 15 second split placing between 40-55 is possible. If two all-state runners are leading the way, this team could contend for a state championship.

 

5 – Naperville Neuqua Valley

Coach – Paul Vandersteen

2013 Finish – 10^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Daniel Weiss SR (66,15:24), Michael Widmann SR (93,15:34), Colin Widman SR (111,15:40), Shiva Singh JR (127,15:47), Jake McEneaney SO (178,16:09), Connor Horn JR, Matt Horsley SR, Dominic Dina JR, Thomas Kenny JR, Vishay Singh JR, Max Rainer SR, Arand Haran JR, Wiley Anderson JR, Caleb Ferguson JR, Aidan Livingston JR, John Stavropoulos SR, Kellen Shaffer SR.

 

Newcomers – Patrick Wolak JR (transfer from Waubonsie Valley), Austin Kinne SO (transfer from Naperville North).

 

Outlook – It was a little different at the state meet last year seeing Neuqua Valley last season. It was a combination of youth and some injuries that slowed the team down. Their adversity that they traveled through last year along with the success last spring of their 4x8 state championship gives this team momentum heading into this fall’s campaign. Coach Paul Vandersteen has five runners back from last season’s state team.

 

The Wildcats did suffer a loss when Grayson Jenkins, who would have been in their top five, moved with his family to Carmel, Indiana. The plus side was that Patrick Wolak transferred from nearby Waubonsie Valley and Austin Kinne transferred from Naperville North. “In the 18 years as head coach of this program, we have never gained a runner that may have an impact immediately at the varsity level,” Vandersteen said. “We have lost 6 top 7 runners to relocation in my coaching tenure, so it's nice to be on the receiving end for once.” Wolak could contribute immediately. Last year in his sophomore track season, he ran 9:52 in the 3200.

 

It was a good sign to see Connor Horn racing during track. He missed all of last cross country season due to injury. He was a member of that state championship 4x8 and also ran 4:18.90 for the 1600. Teammate Michael Widmann improved during the track season qualifying for the state meet in the 3200 and dropping his PR down to 9:28. Horn and or Widmann could end up in the top 25 at the state meet. Daniel Weiss returns after being the second man most of last season. Shiva Singh, Matt Horsley, Jake McEneaney, Dominic Dina, and Aidan Livingston are some of the runners that should challenge for top seven spots. This team is filthy deep with up to 17 runners that could challenge for a top seven spot. Competition within the team makes each other tougher when it comes to race day.

 

“We have several guys vying for a top 7 spot.  Everyone is fit, healthy, and working hard.  We have had a rash of injuries at our sophomore level, but it is all due to young men growing like weeds,” added Vandersteen. “We changed our training schedule to hopefully have us ready for the beginning of November.  We may not be as sharp at the beginning of the season, but I am hoping we will be primed and ready for when it matters most.” I know it was the end of July but when I saw Neuqua race at Detweiller at Dark, they ran together as a team before going after the last mile. A saying that I like is you race the same way you practice. It is evident, as always, the pack running that Vandersteen preaches is functioning during their training. Neuqua could be back up at the top in 2015. The runners that they have are capable of getting a state championships. If they can stay healthy along the way, this team could have a trophy coming back from Peoria with them.

 

6 – Winnetka New Trier

Coach – David Wisner

2013 Finish – 6^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Tarek Afifi SR (59,15:22), Om Kanwar SR (84,15:32), Austin Santacruz SR (92,15:34), Luke Duros SR (150,15:56), Josh Rosenkranz SR, Jack Litowitz JR, Ted Oh JR, Charlie Maher SR, Josh Greenberg SR, Jack Solon SR, Joe Checkezian SR, Josh Derrick JR, Zack Scherier JR, Kevin Weirner SR, Tristan Jacobs JR, Henry Clabby JR.

 

Outlook – Even though that New Trier lost Peter Cotsirilos and Chase Silverman to graduation, Coach David Wisner still has four runners back from last year’s team that won the tough Lake Park Sectional and finished sixth in the state meet. The big question will be the leader on this team?

 

One concern immediately for Wisner is that three of his four returnees have been slowed down by injuries. Om Kanwar missed the outdoor track season with a Plantar Fascia tear in his foot. He just started training again at the end of July. Tarek Afifi sustained a high ankle strain the first week of summer practice. He has trained sporadically up to this point. Luke Duros has a chronic Achilles Tendonitis and hip pain. All three are training. Wisner expects them back by the end of September.

 

This team is still deep with talent. Josh Rosenkranz had a breakout season in track where he qualified for state in the 3200 running 9:25.04 in his sectional. Austin Santacruz, Ted Oh, and Jack Litowitz all had great summers and are ready to jump into the top seven. Josh Derrick and Josh Greenberg have the talent to be in the mix as well until Kanwar, Afifi, and Duros are healthy to return.

 

The Trevians are another team that runs with a strong pack. They may need to rely on that. Rosenkranz does have the talent to be the #1 runner and be in the low 14:50’s range. “As always, pack running will be our strength,” Wisner said. “Just like last year, I imagine our 1 – 7 split will be somewhere around 25 to 30 seconds.  If we can pull that off and our first finisher at the state meet is 14:50 or faster, then it should be a great day for the Trevians.” The injuries will give some other runners a chance at varsity running which will be a big plus for this team later on. Their 1-5 split last year at state was 37 seconds. It could be tighter this year. If the split drops to 25 seconds with their first runner in the 15-20 range, this team will be in contention for a state trophy. 

 

7 – O’Fallon

Coach – Jon Burnett

2013 Finish – 3^rd – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Dorrian Gordon SR (11,14:46), Logan Whorton SR (109,15:39), Erik McMillan SR (117,15:42), Spencer Phillips SR, Alex Harrison JR, Romeo Scagliarini SR, Caleb Walton JR, Matt Lloyd SR, Joey Black SO, Quinlan Preston SR, Lucas Goldschmidt SR, D’Angelo Baker JR, Zion Ward SO, Victor Mendez SR, Ben Eichmeier JR

 

Newcomers – Severen Blenkush SR (transfer from Tabb,VA)

 

Outlook – It was like a revolving door for O’Fallon Coach Jon Burnett last season with his top seven. Injuries forced him to do that. It caused them to tie Edwardsville for the Southwest Conference championship and place behind the Tigers at the Quincy Regional. But all that juggling of the lineups that Burnett did could benefit this squad in 2014. Even though 2013 state champion Patrick Perrier has graduated and now running at Stanford University, the Panthers have seven runners back that have state series experience from last season including three that ran in last season’s state meet when they finished third.

 

Burnett’s cupboard is not empty to say the least. Dorrian Gordon will step into the #1 spot for the Panthers. He finished 11^th at last year’s state meet. He did not have the track season that he wanted. That could drive him to bigger things this fall. O’Fallon did get additional help when Severn Blenkush transferred from Tabb HS in Virginia. In his junior cross country season, Severn finished 12^th in the Virginia 4A state meet. He does have that big meet experience and should fit into O’Fallon’s top five. Logan Whorton and Erik McMillian were the fifth and sixth men at state last year and will challenge for a top five spot. Alex Harrison and Caleb Walton ran in last year’s regional meet and could contribute. Romeo Scagliarini and Spencer Phillips were in the top 5 at their conference meet. Both runners had good track seasons and will be in the mix also.

 

O’Fallon has built a tradition in the state and debunked a myth that no team can win a trophy in the biggest classification in Illinois that is located south of I-80. The Panthers are one of 5 schools (Lockport, Neuqua Valley, Palatine, and York are the others) that have earned a state trophy three consecutive seasons. They would like to make it a fourth in 2014. “All we expect from our team is a certain level of training and deep respect for the sport. And, the athletes on this team always exceed the coaches' expectations,” Burnett said. “The guys on this team want to continue the success of the program in recent years.  Hopefully, the work from this summer will pay off in October and November.” Gordon gives this team a top five runner in the state. Their pack will be the key. This pack could have 20-25 spread between their 2-5 runners. They will need to be close to Gordon. If the pack can stay within 35 seconds of Dorrian this year, this team will be in the hunt for a state trophy.

 

8 – Elmhurst York

Coach – Joe Newton

2013 Finish – 5^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Matt Plowman SR (37,15:10), Max Denning JR (73,15:27), Jon May JR (97,15:38), Miles Schacht SR, Devin Davies JR, Matt Hogan SR, Tommy Devereux JR, Nathan Dale SR, Liam Hill SO, Justin Dale JR, John Fleshood JR, Matthew Loffredo JR, Fillip Gruje SO, Creighton Wolfe SO.

 

Newcomers – Charlie Kern FR, Jackson Bode FR

 

Outlook – Last season was going smooth for York until they got to the Lake Park Sectional Meet when they finished second to New Trier. Part of the problem was that one of their top runners Alex Bashqawai came down with a virus that lingered on through the state meet. That zapped some of the moral of the Dukes as they finished a surprising fifth at the state meet. In the spring, I was hearing rumors from outside of the York camp that the 2013 season would be it for legendary York Coach Joe Newton. That’s the thing about rumors. Most of the time they are not true. Newton is back ready to coach his 55^th year as head of the York program. Three runners are back from last year’s team.

 

This York team has a chip on their shoulders which is not good for their opponents. In the history of York Cross Country, the year after they fail to get a trophy, the Dukes finish in the top three. Newton also has a chip on his shoulder wanting to prove his skeptics wrong. “I may be getting older and slower,” Newton said, “but I still know how to coach.” Newton will have Matt Plowman as the leader on this squad. The senior had a big breakthrough year last spring in track earning all-state honors in the 800 Meter Run. Five days after the state meet, he ran in the Festival of Miles and ran 4:09. His confidence has grown and should transfer over to his senior year.

 

There are a ton of questions on who will step into their top seven. Two of the most improved runners over the summer have been Devin Davies and Matt Hogan. The junior Davies only ran 10:08 outdoors, but has been running with Plowman in the front group. Hogan had a breakthrough in track running 4:33 for the 1600. He could be a big surprise for this team. The two could surpass Jon May and Max Denning, the two other returnees from last season. Miles Schacht could be in the running for the top seven as well as junior Tommy Devereux and sophomores Creighton Wolfe and Liam Hill. Two runners to watch in the future for the Dukes are incoming freshmen Charlie Kern and Jackson Bode. Kern ran 4:52 at in the middle school race at the Festival of Miles. I doubt they will be in the top seven this season, but are runners that will be contributing for years to come in Elmhurst.

 

There is more focus in Plowman this summer and into the fall than we have seen from any other York runner in the past decade. Plowman does have the tools to finish in the top five in the state. The question will be can he pull four of his teammates with him? The Dukes will need to have a 2-5 split of 20 seconds with their second runner starting in 25-30^th place which is possible. If that happens, York will be back on the podium taking back another trophy to Elmhurst.

 

9 – Wilmette Loyola Academy

Coach – Dan Seeberg

2013 Finish – 12^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Christian Swenson SR (28,15:05), Jack Carroll SR (75,15:28), Spencer Kelly SR (78,15:29), Paolo Tiongson SO (164,16:03), Michael Banks SR, David Kelley SR, Matthew Kadus SO, Andrew Niewierowski SO, Devin DeMuerck SO, Patrick Reilly-Hayward JR, Zach Gruber SR, Daniel Pasco JR, William Shortell SO, John Baker SR, Scott Berens JR.

 

Outlook – Loyola could be back in the mix of a top five mix or higher this upcoming season. Coach Dan Seeberg has four runners back from last season’s CCL champs and 12^th place state team. A mix of some start power up front with a pack behind them are the ingredients of some great things ahead for this Wilmette School.

 

The Ramblers come into 2014 ready to go. “We had a solid summer.  A couple guys battled through minor injuries here and there, but overall, a very good summer,” Seeberg said. “Our work was exclusively aerobic training--trail runs, tempo runs, steady-state runs--as well as strength work. The only speed we brought in involved strides and short hill sprints.” Christian Swenson has developed into an all-state caliber type of runner. That transformation started last fall when he finished 28^th in the state meet. That continued this spring when he ran 9:23 to qualify for the state track meet in the 3200 Meter Run. Jack Carroll was a #1 runner for Loyola at some points last season. He finished 75^th last fall. He had a solid track season and is ready for this upcoming campaign. Both runners are capable of placing in the top 25. Swenson has the potential of perhaps being in the top ten.

 

With the two runner up front, Seeberg will need a strong group behind them. He thinks he has that. Spencer Kelly could be the key guy in the pack. He did finish 78^th a year ago but has trouble avoiding the injury bug. Paolo Tiongson, Andrew Niewiarowski, and Patrick Reilly-Heyward all had great summers will look to challenge for a top five spot. Who could be a big help for Loyola is Michael Banks. The senior had a breakout season last fall. A stress fracture knocked him out of the track season. He could emerge as the top runner in the pack if he is healthy.

 

It was five years ago when Loyola had visions of doing some great things. They finished 2^nd in state that season. The talent is there to do some serious damage. “We enter the season with ambitious goals.  The last time we felt we were this competitive was with the 2009 team (ranked #1 in the nation, state runner-up, 4th at Nike Nationals and only 13 points and three seconds short of a national title),” added Seeberg. “We think we should be in the conversation for top ten in the state.  We dream about more than that.  This group is focused and unified.” This is a team that will sneak up on people early in the year and then establish themselves in the mix of the state title contenders. The possibility of two all-state runner with the pack being in the top 50.

 

10 – Arlington Heights Hersey

Coach – Jay Renaud

2013 Finish – 11^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – David Rodriguez SR (18,14:53), Grant von der Lippe SR (99,15:36), Kevin Ziegenhorn SR (172,16:06), Josh Plischke SR, Brendan Stonequist JR, Jacob Krupa SO, Luke Helminiak JR, Sam Svienty SO, Tom Schwaba JR, Kevin Paton JR, Tommy Power SR, Seth Harden SR, Calvin Tran SR, Nick Wagner JR, Andrew Hyndman SO.

 

Newcomers – Quinn Cunningham FR

 

Outlook – The Huskies were one of the top teams in the state last season placing high at the Richard Spring Invitational and the Palatine Invitational. They won easily at the MSL, Regional, and Sectional Meets with high ambitions towards Detweiller Park. The bottom fell out for Hersey as they did not run their best race of the year finishing 11^th. Three runners are back from that team that is ready to go through the same process except with a different ending.

 

To get successfully out of Detweiller this season, some slight moderations to how things were done needed to be made. “Our training this summer has gone great. We took a more progressive route this summer as the team last year ran their best a few weeks too soon,” said Coach Jay Renaud. “I'm really happy with where we are at right now. Our guys are putting in really good quality mileage.” David Rodriguez returns as the #1 runner on this team after he finished 18^th at state last year. The one runner that made a big step forward is Grant von der Lippe. He was anywhere from the 3 to 5 man in the Hersey pack last year. He stepped out into his own this spring when he improved his 3200 time down to 9:29. His improvement curve puts him in position to place 25^th this year. Kevin Ziegenhorn and Josh Plischke give this team a solid 3-4. The key to Hersey during the season last year is they had a great 1-5 split averaging between 20 and 30 seconds. That would be a great thing to have in 2014. The one area for this team to build on is the emergence of a 5^th man. Brendon Stonequist, Jacob Krupa, Luke Helminiak, and Sam Svienty are first in line to challenge for the spot.

 

Hersey again could have a solid pack through 4 runners. It could be that they have a 4-3 packs this season. “Our expectations this year are to repeat as MSL East, Conference, Regional, and Sectional champions. We want to qualify for state and run our best race of the season at Detweiller, something that we didn't do last year,” Renaud added. “Based upon a 2 mile time trial we did on our last day of camp in July our top 4 is better this year than last. Our biggest question mark is who will fill the role of our #5 runner. That's probably something that will change a bit throughout the season as we have a slew of guys that could take the spot.” The change in workouts will help getting this team ready for the state meet. They will be able to compete with anyone through 4 runners. If they can find a fifth runner, then the Huskies can take that next step that they did not take a year ago.

 

11 – New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central

Coach – John Taylor

2013 Finish – 18^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Tommy Kolacki SR (49,15:16), Ian Peterson JR (132,15:49), Andrew Robbins SR (147,15:54), Jackson Waters SR (183,16:15), Ben Alvarado SR, Ryan Barry JR, Tony Brongiel JR, Luke Matulis JR, Nathan Coppens JR, Devin McGreal SO, Phillip Rinaldi JR, Patrick Gabriel JR, Mitchell Hyatt SO.

 

Newcomers – Zak Hutchinson

 

Outlook – The Knights do not get the respect that this team deserves. The program has been built up over the past few years moving from conference power to sectional power. Now they are ready to move to the next level and challenge for a top ten finish at the state meet. Even though they lost three runners to graduation, Coach John Taylor should have a team this season that is better than the 18^th place team from a year ago.

 

Tommy Kolacki finished 49^th a year ago, but had a vast improvement during the track season when he qualified for the 1600 running 4:22 and lowering his PR in the 3200 down to 9:42. He should surprise people early this season in the major invitational meets. Kolacki should have a solid pack behind him led by Ian Peterson, Andrew Robbins, and Jack Waters. Ryan Barry had a great summer and could jump into the top 5 along with senior Ben Alvarado. Incoming freshman Zak Hutchison could have the biggest impact on their top 5. Last year in eighth grade, he ran 4:39 for the 1600. He could make this a legitimate top ten squad.

 

Central should challenge O’Fallon and Edwardsville for the Quincy Sectional title. Kolacki should be challenging for a top 25 finish at state. The team had a 38 second 1-5 split at state last year. The problem was that the pack started too far back. Coach John Taylor thinks that his team should return to state and he is right. The key is moving the pack up. They will not be able to challenge for a top ten or better finish if their first runner is near 50^th place.

 

12 – Barrington

Coach – Thomas Root

2013 Finish – 9^th – 3A Schaumburg Sectional

 

Returnees – Konrad Eiring SR, Kyle Monahan SR, Alex Maher JR, Ben Laning SR, Garrett Haufschild JR, Tate Fisher SR, Andrew Gensburg SR, Kurtis Monahan SR, Andrew Annett SR, Benjamin Simone SO, Omar Elgansouri SR, John Coombs JR, Nolan Sadler SO, Thomas Hermann SO.

 

Outlook – The Broncos were on a smooth path last season heading into the state series. They finished 4^th in the tough MSL and then cruised to a third place finish at the Palatine Regional. The week of their sectional meet, a flu virus hit the team so they were not at full strength at that race. They finished ninth that day. All Coach Ty Gorman could do is shrug and say, “What can you do? We ran the best we could today with what we had.” Barrington is chmping at the bit to make it to Peoria. Even though there are only three runners back from that sectional team for new coach Thomas Root, there is depth and talent within who is coming back.

 

The biggest loss for the team could be that of longtime coach Ty Gorman. “We didn’t really gain or lose any athletes from last year,” said Root. “The team’s biggest loss was Head Coach Ty Gorman as he was promoted to a position of Assistant Principal at Barrington High School.” The team also has a chip on their shoulders looking to take the next step back up that mountain. The Broncos will succeed with a solid pack this season. Konrad Eiring was the second runner for the team at the MSL, but was seventh because of the flu at sectionals. He has been the cornerstone of their 4x8 team during the spring including when they won state in that event in 2013. Eiring along with senior Kyle Monahan, who was the second man at sectionals,” should be the leaders this fall. There is a strong group behind them Alex Maher and Ben Laning leading the way. Kyle Monahan’s twin brother Kurtis had a great summer and has been running close to his brother. He would be a big plus for this team.

 

Perhaps the most important effect on this team will be the transition from longtime Gorman to the way Root wants to do things. “The biggest thing that is going to launch this team forward in a different way than the last few years is their ownership over their training,” added Root. “Almost every man on the team, on every level, can proudly display the miles and workouts that have gotten them to the brink of this season in the best shape of their lives.  Our team is extremely fit after a relatively high-mileage summer and that is now beginning to account for them conquering some of the hardest and fastest workouts in our team’s history.  As long as we keep focusing on the little things to keep ourselves healthy and engaged through the grind of the season, we are going to be an extremely difficult team to beat come October and November.” It will interesting to see if a front runner will step forward for this squad. They may not need that instead depending on a tight pack. I could see this team with a 20 second split on their first five. It is where that pack starts will be the key where the Broncos finish in 2014.

 

13 – Edwardsville

Coach – George Patrylak

2013 Finish – 17^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Brydon Groves-Scott SR (23,15:01), Wes Schoenthal SR (67,15:24), Ethan Townzen JR (96,15:35), Joe Shannon SR (190,16:20), Zain Pyarali SR (192,16:22), Hunter Hessler SR, Jack Level SR, Zachary Gabel SR, Jacob Schoenthal SO, Connor Dunaway SR, Peter Powell SO, Nick Aramowicz JR.

 

Outlook – The Tigers took a huge step forward last season getting closer to area and conference rival O’Fallon. They did that when they tied O’Fallon for their conference title and defeated them at regionals. Their top three is back and five of the first seven from the team that finished 17^th at state. Spirits are high for Edwardsville this coming season.

 

George Patrylak did not shy away from the goals of his team this season. “This group has the opportunity to be one of the best teams in school history,” Patrylak said. “The only thing holding us back is a little depth and that single digit point scored at State.” That one digit score from their first runner could come from senior Brydon Groves-Scott. The senior finished 23^rd a year ago and dropped his PR in the 3200 down to 9:32 last spring. He could finish in the top ten this season. Wes Schoenthal was not happy with finishing 11^th in the 800 state finals last spring. He should move up from his 68^th 2013 finish. The key to this season according to Patrylak could be Ethan Townzen. He had a major growth spurt this spring slowing down his training. He could be the top runner on this team talent wise. Joe Shannon and Zain Pyrali went top five runners for the team last year. They form the end of what could be a strong top five.

 

“Overall our summer training has gone well,” said Patrylak. “Collectively our runners are well ahead of where they were last summer.  We have a tight group that has one goal in mind, a top ten finish in the fall.  If this team stays healthy and Townzen is ready, this team has the ability to do it.” This team could have a solid first three with 3 runners possibly in the first 35. The key will be keeping their 5 runner split between 35-40 seconds. At last year’s state meet, it was 62 seconds. This will be a good team that could win the sectionals. Could they move into the top ten at state? If everything works to the plans set by Patrylak, then yes.

 

14 – St. Charles East

Coach – Chris Bosworth

2013 Finish – 7^th – 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

 

Returnees – Mark Sciurba JR, Mike Skora SR, Mike Gerkin JR, Will Muckian SR, Jack Rzpecki JR, Nick Hauptmann SR, Jack Beno SO, Ben Van Acker JR, Carter Frey JR, Alex Thomas JR, Drew Pearce JR, Mason Holtsford JR, Dillon Mastropolo SO, Anthony Zilla SO, Tommy Pemrick JR.

 

Newcomers – Rohan Patel FR, Campbell Koch FR

 

Outlook – The Saints came close last year making it to state finishing seventh at their sectional meet. The one step forward that they made was that they were in the top 25 during the year first the first time in a long time. Five runners are back from last year’s sectional team.

 

This will still be a young team. Chris Bosworth could have three juniors in his top five. Those juniors have the big meet experience from a year ago though. Mark Sciurba was the 2^nd runner behind state qualifier Max Rowland a year ago and should step into the #1 position for this team. Will Muckian had a great summer and could challenge Sciurba for the top spot. Mike Skora, Mike Gerkin, and Jake Rzpecki are back and give this team a solid five. Bosworth noted that his frosh/soph runners made a big improvement over the summer. Jack Beno and Dillon Mastriopolo could push for top five spots as well. There is depth on this team with seven runners challenging for the final two spots.

“Our team goal this year is simple....punch our ticket down to state!!  2 years ago we were 16th in the sectional.  Last year, I think it was a proving ground all season,” Bosworth said. “Can we run at the next level?  At times we did, but at sectionals we fell a little short.  Still 7th place for us was a vast improvement for our program.  This year, most of the team is back and looking to start and finish strong.  We want to win our side of the conference again as well as the regional.  Then be ready to battle for one of the top 5 team spots down state.  When we do, it will be the first time since 2001!” We’ve talked about where the pack starts with some of the other teams. That applies with the Saints this season. St. Charles East could kill some teams with a solid first five. It is when they make it to the state meet when that pack will start. The talent is there that one of this first five could run close to the top 25. But the pack needs to stay within 30 seconds of each other for East to experience success at Detweiller Park.

15 – Glen Ellyn Glenbard West

Coach – Kyle Nugent

2013 Finish – 7^th – 3A Lake Park Sectional

 

Returnees – Paul Christian SR (47,15:15), Chris Buechner SR, Eric Neumann JR, Ben Hecht SR, Jake Jaskowiak SR, Nate Crail SR, Simon Peterson JR, Colin Griffin JR, Cam Rinking JR, Jack Lemenager SR, Dominic Gialluisi JR, Kyle Freler SR.

 

Outlook – The future looks bright for a proud Hilltoppers cross country program. In the 60’s and 70’s, Glenbard West was always challenging for top five finishes in the state meet. In 2012, they made it back to Detweiller as a team for state. Some injuries slowed the team down last year but they rebounded to finish seventh at the Lake Park Sectional. Their success in the 4x8 at state should help also. They used all underclassmen to run 7:50 placing 10^th. Even though they missed all-state, the promise of what they can do is right in front of them. Five runners return from last year’s sectional team.

 

Paul Christian emerged as the front runner for West a year ago finishing 47^th at the state meet. Injuries slowed him down during the track season. He had a good training summer and should be among the elite runners in the West Suburban Silver and in the state. It would not surprise me if he is in the top 20 this year. Chris Buechner stuggled through injuries early last year but ended up as the third runner for the Toppers at sectionals. He does have the talent to run close to Christian this fall if he stays healthy. Eric Neumann, Ben Hecht, Jake Jasowiak, and Nate Crail give this team experience towards the front to advance back to Peoria. Simon Peterson had a great summer and could give this team a boost in their top five.

 

The West Suburban Silver is the toughest league in the state. Glenbard West will be tested within the league meets making them even better. Glenbard will have a strong front presence led by Christian and Buechner. Their pack on the first five needs to stay around 40 seconds to make it back to state. “The training has gone exactly how we've planned it.  All the guys have been healthy and put in many quality miles,” said Kyle Nugent. “The goal is to qualify for the state meet and finish as high as possible.”

 

16 – LaGrange Lyons Township

Coach – Michael Danner

2013 Finish – 4^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Vince Arata SR (107,15:39), Connor Madell JR, Keefe Mulligan SR, Marty Glynn SR, Jake Longan SR, Alex Lima SR, Zach Szczesniak SR, Vincent Smith SR, Vincent Zona SO, Matt Begeman JR, Tom Crawshaw SR, Max Olson SR, Ben Gawthorp SR, Nolan Delaney JR, Sam Scriba JR.

 

Outlook – Here is the fourth team from the rough and tough West Suburban Silver. Towards the end of September, Coach Mike Danner knew he had a good team with a solid pack. He did know about the leadership components of who would be the lead runner. This team jelled beautifully the second half of the year finishing fourth at state ahead of conference rival York. Only one runner is back from that state team for Danner.

 

It really does not matter about the returnees for Lyons Township. They do not rebuild but reload. Their depth is incredible and that will be displayed again this year. Vince Arata is the only runner with state meet experience back after he was the sixth runner at state a year ago. It could be junior Connor Madell that steps into the top spot. He ran the NXN Regional Open Race and would have been Lyons fifth man if he was in the championship race. Madell followed that up with a strong track season running 4:21 for 1600. There is huge upside for this junior. Zach Szczesniak made the biggest improvement from last year in this group and should be a part of the top seven. Keefe Mulligan was in the top seven at some points last year and should contribute again this year. Alex Lima had a strong track season which should transfer over to this fall. He ran 15:30 at the end of July.

 

How good was the Lions split last year? It was only 18 seconds. Couple that with their lead runner in 32^nd gives you the result that they achieved. That depth gives the potential of another split close to that. “Everyone is healthy and doing the work,” Danner said. “I feel this is a team that will be senior lead with some sophomores challenging at the end of the season. Goals are similar to previous seasons. We will look for this group to gain experience early and start to develop some leadership with the seniors.” This team maybe ranked 16 right now, but they will move up to where they need to be by the time the state series comes around.

 

17 – Hoffman Estates Conant

Coach – John Powers

2013 Finish – 21^st – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Zach Dale SR (4,14:31), James Janczy SR (137,15:51), Shujaat Sultan SR (153,15:57), Chris Serrano JR (169,16:05), Dominic DeMore SR (198,16:33), Joel Allmodover SR (200,16:38), Chris DiGiora SO, Jason Guliano JR, Luke Ali-Mayernick SR, Erza Lowry SR, Atsihiro Fukuda JR, Dhruv Patel JR, Adrian Silva JR.

 

Outlook – The Cougars took it personally when they were not ranked in the top 25 at the beginning of last season. They used that frustration as a positive influence making it to the state meet. They got the big meet experience at Detweiller last November finishing 21^st. Six runners are back from that team ready to make the step up the mountain.

 

“Our team training was very solid,” said Coach John Powers. “It got off to a slow start just because we had more guys racing later into the summer than we’ve had in a while.  That being said, we are in very solid shape. We’ve probably been in better shape the last few years at this point but our expectations are to go further into the post-season.” Leadership on the team starts and ends with Zach Dale. The senior realized what he could do last spring running 8:56 in the 3200, 4:09 for a full mile, and finishing second at nationals in the 5,000. He is the anchor on this team and the athlete that the rest of the team looks to. There is a good group to surround Dale. James Janczy, Shujaat Sultan, and Chris Serrano are returnees from last season’s top five. Dominic DeMora and Joel Almodover have state meet experience and will challenge for the top five. The surprise in the top five could be sophomore Chris DiGioia who has seen substantial improvement this summer according to Powers.

 

Their 2-5 split last year at state was only 14 seconds which is extremely good. The bad news the gap between Dale and that pack was 80 seconds. You have to ignore the 1-5 split when you have a runner on your team like Dale. At the same time, the gap between Dale and the pack is way too big. If it can move down to 50 seconds, then this team can push their way into the top 10 if the split remains the same. “I think we have top10 team talent but you never know until you see other teams racing.  We certainly see ourselves as team qualifiers but we never take that for granted around here (sectional of death).” This team should make it back to Peoria. The talent is there to be in the top ten when all is said and done.

 

18 – Huntley

Coach – Nathan Kaplan

2013 – 11th – 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

 

Returnees – Keagan Smith JR (16,14:55), Seth Conroy JR, Mike Grocholski JR, Matt Kapolnek SO, Elijah Green SR, Brendan O’Donnell JR, Jeff Carter SR, Tyler Watkins JR, Rafael Rivera SO, Matt Connalte JR.

 

Newcomers – Zach Hollman JR (moved from Texas, ran track for Huntley last spring), Joey Ozzauto FR

 

Outlook – When figuring out the rankings heading into this season, it was hard to ignore the talent that Huntley had coming back. One coach in Illinois said that he “really, really” like the team. You can see why with the pieces that Coach Nathan Kaplan has in place. Yes they were 11^th in their sectional meet last year but that was done five young underclassmen including three sophomores leading the way. Five are back from that sectional team.

 

“I'm pleased with how our summer has gone. The returning varsity runners from last season have been together for a while now. They really do a great job of setting the standard for our team,” Kaplan said. “We as a team had many student-athletes putting in the type of mileage it takes to have a successful season. Many boys have stepped up this summer and I think they will surprise themselves this season.” Keagan Smith made the big break through last year as he was the #1 runner for the team. He made it to state individually finishing 16^th. Seth Conroy had a breakout season in track qualifying for state in the 3200 while running 9:25. The biggest improvement from the team came from fellow junior Mike Grocholski when he lowered his PR down to 9:43. That trio is the strongest in the Fox Valley Conference and perhaps in the sectional complex they are in. Matt Kapolnek was from the third man to sixth last season. He had a great summer and could see an improvement similar to what his teammates experienced in track. The big plus for this team could be Zach Hollman. The junior moved to Huntley in the winter and ran track. He made the adjustment well and could be the team’s biggest surprise. Also watch for incoming freshman Joey Ozzauto. He could be in the top five by state series time according to Kaplan.

 

Plain and simple this could be one of the most surprising teams to most of you. The writing was on the wall last year when Huntley popped into the sectional rankings with a chance of making it to Peoria. Youth and inexperience took over. With the last 9 months of success and experience, this team deserves to be ranked where they are at right now. “Our team has talked about our expectations for the season. One goal we have is to make the state meet as a team for the first time in school history,” added Kaplan. “I think this group could be very special. This group of boys have great chemistry! It is fun being around a group that enjoys being together. Chemistry like this leads teams to positive results. We will take the season one race at a time. The returning runners from last year's top 7 have plenty of experience and I hope this will help us get over the hump this year.” The strong first three with possibly two of them being all-state is a big plus. The addition of Hollman to the five returnees could be the missing piece of the puzzle. Their pack is capable of being within 60 seconds of each. This team is capable of doing a whole lot more.

 

19 – Chicago Jones College Prep

Coach – Andrew Adelmann

2013 Finish – 4^th – 2A State Meet

 

Returnees – Mark Protsiv SR (49,15:47), Kyle Maloney SR (50,15:47), Anthony Solis SR (74,15:57), Will Sarchet SR (116,16:18), Nico Moreno JR (142,16:31), Nikolas Merten JR, Daryl Cordova SR, Alex Behle JR, Jeremy Adams SO, Ethan Barreto JR, Stephen Kruto JR, Kevin Shannon JR, David Salmi SR, Luis Ramirez SR, Zach Benes SO, Arturo Santoro SO.

 

Outlook – It was a surprise to some that Jones College Prep was moved up to 3A this year instead of next. To Andrew Adelmann, it was expected. “I did somewhat expect the move to be made this year, so we were not very surprised,” Adelmann said. “I still certainly do not agree with the policy, but it is what it is and we are ready to compete wherever we need to.” It should not effect this team too much. Their schedule has been predominantly against 3A schools. This team thrived a year ago despite losing Jamison Dale to graduation. They still finished 4^th in 2A. Five runners are back from that team for Adelmann.

 

This is a deep team with as many as 12 athletes will be going after the top seven spots. “Our summer training was pretty routine in terms of what we expect of our guys.  The guys know that it's a process and they have become very aware of the need to be patient and not rush thing. We make it a point to not get caught up in the early season and summer hype that is seeming to get bigger each year. That can be a dangerous thing,” Adelmann stated. “They knew what they needed to do every day this summer in order to be ready for August and then again in November.  We averaged about 25-30 guys again all 25 days of camp.” Mark Protsiv and Kyle Maloney were two of the front runners last year and expect to be up front again. Will Sarchet could challenge for a top spot. He was injured just before the beginning of the state series and did not perform up to his potential. Fully healthy could have in that top three mix. Tony Solis peaked at the right last year becoming the team’s third runner. An emergency appendectomy surgery took him out of most of the track season. He could be a surprise also. Jeremy Adams improved during track and could have a breakout season this fall. Nikolas Merten and Daryl Cordova are two other athletes that could also step up.

 

Jones Prep will be favored to win the Chicago Public League and a good bet to make it to state out of the tough Niles West Sectional. This team will once again rely on solid pack running. It could be close to 30 seconds on five this season. IT will be a key to get a Jones runner towards the front. “I'm a firm believer that performance is directly proportional to competitive opportunity, so we are also very excited to compete in 3A this year.  In fact, I feel a lot of similarities this year as I did in 2009 when we made it our goal to win a state title, despite the odds. It's the same sense of renewed energy to take on a bigger challenge.  We are looking at it all as fuel,” Adelmann added. “Overall we are just excited for this season. Last year was just a very tough twelve months. We had a lot of setbacks that we could not control, but we also did it to ourselves in a lot of ways too. We put too much emphasis on one singular end result instead of really focusing on the process itself like we usually do. A personality or two got in the way of the team and we were too caught up to notice. This current group learned and grew a lot together as a result though and I think we will be that much stronger as a result this year...but we still have a lot of work to do to get where we want to be. There are three months in the season for a reason.”

 

20 – Park Ridge Maine South

Coach – Greg Nordahl

2013 Finish – 6^th – 3A Lake Park Sectional

 

Returnees – Henry Mierzwa SR, Paul D’Ambrosio SR, Ralph Patejunas JR, Ardin Gaskin SR, Brian Sadaro JR, Ben Steffen SR, Vince Leonard JR, Mike Cangelosi SR, Ryan Giblin SR, Anders Cox JR, Zach Fishman JR, Ray Sutschelk JR, Joe Carpenter JR, Glen Garino JR.

 

Outlook – It was close but no cigar for Maine South last season when they finished sixth at the Lake Park Sectional missing qualifying by seven points. The team had an encouraging spring which makes the thought for this cross country season a little brighter. Greg Nordahl has five runners back that have state meet experience.

 

Henry Mierzwa ran incredibly well last fall considering that it was his first year of cross country. The converted soccer player turned runner could be one of the top 15 runners in the state this season. He ran 4:19 for 1600 to qualify for the 1600 last track season. Paul D’Ambrosio also had a breakout track season running 9:27 for the 3200 also qualifying for state. Do not be surprised if he is flirting for a top 25 spot in November. Brian Sadaro had a great summer pushing himself into a third or fourth position. Ralph Patejunas was steady last season as the fourth man. He will be in the top five again this year. Ardin Gaskin, Vince Leonard, and Ben Steffen will challenge for the top seven as well.

 

“I see the team with top 10 potential - maybe top 5 team this season - depending on our 3-5 development,” said Nordahl. “We have two runners with all-state potential and two with 15:10 potential and a bunch with 15:20-15:30 potential. Most importantly, we need to make it to the state meet so that we can see how we stack-up. We have missed this opportunity with very good teams in the past. We are deeper this year so we have a better chance to make the state meet. So our priority is to stay healthy and make it out of sectionals to prove ourselves at Detweiller - only then can we realize our expectations.” The Hawks have a solid first two. We will see in the first couple of meets how their 3-5 runners shake out. The team could potentially have a 45 second split off of Mierzwa. If they can do that, they will be state bound.

 

21 - Downers Grove North

Coach – John Sipple

2013 Finish – 2nd – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Ryan Clevenger SR (7,14:38), Zac Christensen SR (114,15:41), Jack Diamond SR (184,16:16), Bruce Tamlin SR, Joe Carter SR, Alex Danner SO, Jack McGinnis SR, Dillon Murphy SR, Tristan Jahn SO, Nick Torres JR, Rocco Manzo JR, Ryan Cantlin JR, Drew Pyburn SO.

 

Outlook – When you think of a second place team at the state meet losing four of their first five runners, you would think that this team does not have a shot of starting the season in the first 25. That is not the case with this Downers Grove North team. Only three runners are back from last year’s team, but the magic that was sprinkled over this team at the end of last season looks like it has stuck heading into the 2014 season.

 

When you turn over a team like Coach John Sipple has to do this season, you need to have a good summer to build into that. That is exactly what happened for the Trojans. “Training for us this summer was solid and for the large majority of the guys it was uninterrupted by injury/downtime so it was good,” Sipple said. “This is the largest freshman class that I have ever had come in the last four years (approximately 20 so far) and there are a few kids that have some potential to do some nice things at the lower level, but we have a lot of work to do with these guys still.” DGN starts and ends with Ryan Clevenger. He has matured as a runner in the last year as evidenced by his results receiving all-state honors in both track and cross country. He will one of the top runners in the state. He will give this team low numbers for the first position. Zac Christensen, Jack Diamond, and Joe Carter are seniors that will step up into the top five for Sipple. Alec Danner ran 9:58 as a freshman last track season and will be in the top 5 mix. Also watch for sophomore Drew Pyburn. He was injured most of last season according to Sipple but has the talent to give North a much leaded boost.

 

Success breeds success. That has what happened to this team. Even with last year’s top five decimated with graduation, the confidence still stands that this team can repeat what it did a year ago. “Expectations are high for this group; I think we are going to surprise a lot of people this fall, if some of these guys progress like we are hoping they can.  We lost a lot from last year but this is a new group that is very hungry to reach the same heights’ of achievement as last year’s group,” added Sipple. “The guys are building off of the success that they have had in the past and it redefines their goals and expectations; it is really fun to observe and what makes each team each year unique and special in their own way.  We have solid senior leadership, a stud front runner, and enough other pieces to be very good. Like most teams we are just trying to get everyone healthy to the line in October/November and at that point we are looking to compete at an elite level.” Erase the idea of a small split from 1-5 especially with Clevenger up front. The split on 2-5 has to be miniscule. They will need to hear each other breathe during races. That is how close they will need to be. Keeping the gap between Clev and them will be something that will need to be under 50 seconds by the time they get to the state series. They will grow up quick with the experience they will get within their conference. Lightning can strike twice in the same place. That is what this team expects in 2014.

 

22 – McHenry

Coach – Beth Czubik

2013 Finish – 11^th – 3A Schaumburg Sectional

 

Returnees – Jesse Reiser SR (2,14:22), Michael Hahndorf JR, Tyler Lay JR, Daniel Tonyan JR, Jacob DeWitt SO, Zach Weaver SR, Spencer Olea SO, Nevada Perry SR, Dylan Curry SR, Nathan Hansen SO, CJ Caner SR.

 

Newcomers – Jack Miller JR

 

Outlook – One team that sneaks into the top 25 is this McHenry squad. It is not because of a stud runner that they are in here. There is a nucleus behind him that could give this team a chance to make it to the state meet out of a tough Schaumburg Sectional. All seven runners are back from last year’s sectional team that finished 11^th at Schaumburg.

 

Reiser is the top runners in the state and the nation. His success has rubbed off on the rest of this team. The one runner that will be a key to this team is Mike Hahndorf. On an average last fall, he was 45 seconds behind Reiser. If you think what Reiser can run this spring puts Hahndorf in good shape considering he keeps that distance within his teammate. He does have a good resume with PR’s of 4:24 in the 1600 and 9:55 for the 3200. Michael Lay also had a good spring running 9:54 for 3200. He should give this team a solid third runner. Daniel Tonyan and Jacob DeWitt round out their top five.

 

McHenry will be noticed for more than just Reiser this fall. The key is keeping Hahndorf with 40 seconds of Reiser and then the pack staying within 45 seconds of each other. Last year, the split at sectionals was 66 seconds. These things need to happen if McHenry wants to make it to state. “We had a good core group consistently training and coming together as a team,” said Beth Czubik. “We hope to be competitive in our conference and build upon success in the post season.”

 

23 - Chicago St. Ignatius

Coach – Ed Ernst

2013 Finish – 16th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Dan Santino JR (103,15:38), Andy Weber SR (105,15:38), Brian Santino SR (207,16:45), Kallin Khan SR (215,17:06), John Lennon SR, Sean Freeman SR, Dante Domenella SR, Joey Connelly SR, Chris Jeske JR, Nicholas Polite SR, Edward Sutoris SO, Jack Morgan JR, Seamus Brennen JR.

 

Newcomers – Brett Haffner FR, Patrick Hogan FR, Vince Lewis JR (Played soccer in 2013), Joe Amoruso SO (played soccer in 2013).

 

Outlook – The Wolfpack again will challenge Loyola Academy for the Chicago Catholic League Championships. More importantly, they will go after another state meet appearance. Last year, they finished 16^th. Four runners are back for that team. “In the past our summer training was “on your own”—and call your friends to get together for a run when you get lonely,” said Ed Ernst. “For the first time we had a regular summer training camp organized by assistant coach Nate McPherson.  A group of as many as 30 boys drove or took the train in from the suburbs on a regular basis to run and train together.  We kept logbooks—and did a few workouts.  The team drove to Peoria and back on the same day for Detweiller at Dark.  We expect this to have a big payoff for our team this fall.”

 

St. Ignatius should have solid 1-2 punch. Dan Santino had a solid year running 9:27 for 3200 last spring. Andy Weber made a big improvement dropping his PR in the 3200 down to 9:31. Both runners could be in the top 30 at state this year. Kallin Khan and Brian Santino will challenge for the third and fourth spot. Incoming freshman Brett Haffner, son of St. Ignatius Girls Coach Matt Haffner, could be the surprise for this team. He was the third man for St. Ignatius at Detweiller at Dark. He should find himself part of the top five.

 

Dan Santino did not run his best race last year at state. A year of experience puts him in a better position and his team. The improvement of Weber definitely helps the team. “We expect to challenge Loyola in the CCL, and we want to place high at the Niles West sectional and return to the state meet.  Then we want to run even better at the state meet,” Ernst said. “Our top three—Dan Santino, Andy Weber (9:31), and Kallin Khan—should be able to run with just about anyone. We need two more guys to step up and get below 15:30—and that would make us a dangerous team.”

 

24 – Aurora Marmion Academy

Coach – Dan Klatt

2013 Finish – 6^th – 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

 

Returnees – Brady Bobbitt SR (76,15:28), Charlie Zimmer SO, Andrew Lifka SO, Andrew Burroughs JR, Paul Bancroft SR, Jon Young JR, Dan Heineman JR, Ben Michael JR, Christian Surtz JR, Jimmy Powers JR, Matt Milder SR.

 

Newcomers – Michael Ronzone FR, Sean Galley FR, Ryan Conti FR

 

Outlook – Marmion came so close to making it to state last year but fell short finishing sixth at their sectional meet. Three runners are back from that team plus seven other runners that are capable of running in the top five in 2014 for Coach Dan Klatt. “The summer training went well,” said Klatt. “We had a solid commitment from a nice core of runners, but must continue to stay consistent with the little things if we want to accomplish the big things.”

 

Brady Bobbitt qualified for state last season finishing 76^th. He will be the top runner again for this team. Sophomore Charlie Zimmer came on strong at the end of the year and was within 25 seconds of Bobbitt at sectionals. He has improved this summer and could be a little closer. Fellow sophomore Andrew Lifka has showed the same amount improvement. He could be the biggest surprise of all the returnees. Andrew Burroughs and Paul Bancroft will be the back end of this top five.

 

“We had a solid level of commitment from the boys this summer and they are banding together for a promising season,” added Klatt. “We have excellent veteran leadership and a large number of guys, but the quality that has the team feeling confident is the commitment the men have made to each other. If we continue to commit to running for something greater than ourselves, we will be very pleased with our standing at the end of the year, and more importantly, we will have become better men.” Marmion will need an under 55 second split on five for it to make it down to Detweiller. This program has had success in 2A. The years in 3A have been a little tough. They would like to stop that.

 

 

25 – Palatine

Coach – Chris Quick

2013 Finish – 14th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Graham Brown SR (8,14:41), Brian Leonard SO (189,16:20), Dean Roehrborn SR, Zach Michael JR, Dan Trejo JR, Jared Much JR, Nate Izewiski SO, Roby Theobold JR, Ryan Kissane SR, Tim Geary SR, Justin Zambrano JR.

 

Outlook – There are so many ifs, ands, or buts for this traditionally powerful Palatine squad this season. They finished 14^th at last year’s state meet. Only two runners are back from that state team. “Great training,” Chris Quick said about his team’s summer. “Workman-like and diligent. Typical Palatine summer with 10-15 guys in excess of 850 miles. We'll see how it translates into racing. We don't race in the summer at all anymore so I simply do not have any clue whether we are any good or not.”

 

Graham Brown is back at 100% after going through a track season where he had mononucleosis. He still ran 4:19 to qualify for the state meet in the 1600. He finished 8^th a year ago and will be one of the top runners in the state. After Brown, that is when the questions begin for Quick. Brian Leonard will lead a young and inexperienced big meet pack. “Our expectations never change. We expect to compete for the MSL title and place in the top 10 at the IHSA State meet in November. Behind Graham Brown, our talented trio of Brian Leonard (4::37, 10:00 as a frosh), Zack Michael (4:34, 9:55 as a soph), and Nate Izewski (2:04, 4:50, 10:28 after playing basketball) will be the ultimate key to our success,” Quick stated. “They are green but talented. Izewski ran as our #2 on long runs for most of the summer and could be a real determining factor. Leonard ran at state last year (only the 5th PHS frosh ever to do so) and has the talent and moxie to be a great one now. He is a racer and should be our #2. Michael likes the track a bit more, but ran 16:14 last fall at PND. He has the talent to really pop up and be great. The rest of the scoring will come from the 5-6 1000 mile guys listed above. We will start very slow and come on late in the season. Look for the sophomores to run down at Hinsdale (as we get plastered) and possibly at PND. I am trying to force our juniors and seniors into accountability before adding the big talent late in the game. We'll fly under the radar a bit and bide our time. Honestly, we could be top ten in the state or not even make it. That's what makes this so much fun! We are a bit short on talent, but long on character and work ethic. We'll see how that all works out. We don't have state trophy talent, but I think we could surprise some people come October.”

 

Other Teams To Watch

(In Alphabetical Order)

 

Algonquin Jacobs

Coach – Kevin Christian

2013 Finish – 9^th – 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

 

Returnees – Matthew Goldby SR, Kyle Eubanks SR, Michael Blanding SR, Alec Bognar SR, Kyle Ries JR, Cole Schwartz JR, Austin Albrecht JR, Jeremy Horn SO, Dylan Rogers JR, Garrett Brenizer SO, Adam Froeschke JR, William Taylor JR.

 

Outlook – Two runners return from last year’s team that finished ninth in their sectional meet. Coach Kevin Christian feels the talent is there to make a trip to Peoria. Matt Goldby had a great track season running 4:26 and splitting 1:56 in a 4x8 relay. Alec Bognar and Kyle Ross made improvement in track and could move into the top five.

 

“I expect us to be at the top of the FVC again and compete for a state trip,” Kevin Christian said. “We are looking for a few breakout seasons from the rest of the guys and if that happens as we expect it to we will be where we need to be.” It is wide open who ends up in the fifth spot but the first four positions look pretty solid. Goldby will need to be a front runner in big meets. The split on five at the beginning of the year is projected to be at 93 seconds. The team will need to cut it down 30 seconds for a chance to battle for a state qualifying berth.

 

Aurora Waubonsie Valley

Coach – Kevin Rafferty

2013 Finish – 12^th – 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

 

Returnees – Jon Vollrath SR, Justin Caton JR, Amrish Selvam JR, Riley Blackmore SR, Austin Bruner SR, Will Gnesda SR, Trevor Ferguson SR, Justin Colvin JR, Christian Freitag SO, Jacob Liss JR, Austin Radar SO.

 

Newcomers – Trevor Bon JR (played football in 2013), Matt Klaus SO (played soccer in 2013), Wes York FR.

 

Outlook – Only two runners return from last year’s sectional team that finished 12^th. Even though they lost potential top five runner Patrick Wolak who transferred to Neuqua Valley, this team could be a little better than the team before. Jon Vollrath and Justin Caton are the two runners that are back from last year’s squad. Vollrath is the heart of this team and will be the leader similar to what he was a year ago. Justin Colvin took a big step forward and could be running with Vollrath. Riley Blackmore and Amrish Selvam finished strong at the end of the summer giving Coach Kevin Rafferty a solid 1-4. The big surprise this fall could be the emergence of Trevor Bon. He ran track for the first time last spring and ran 4:44 for the 1600. He has adapted nicely to cross country and could give this top five a boost.

 

“I think we've got a really solid 1-4 pack and we've got the pieces to build a strong 5-7 during the season.  I'll only run Fr/So kids up at FTTF and Hoffman Estates prior to regionals/sectionals,” Rafferty said. “Right now I've got a bunch of guys that aren't all that connected yet.  If we can build more of a connection between the guys we'll be in business. A bunch of these kids are from working class families and get the concept that you have to earn things in life.” This team will live and die by pack running. The potential for a 35 second split on five is possible. This team can find a better finish at their sectional if the pack led by Vollrath will move up closer to the front.

 

Batavia

Coach – Bronco Meeks

2013 Finish – 23rd – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Ryan Wieties SR (124,15:47), Patrick Redmond SR (140,15:53), David Morrison SR (186,16:18), Shea Bastian JR, Christopher Jordan JR, Quinlan O’Brien SO, Jimmy Roach JR, Brendan Kilgallen SR, Drew Pellico SO, Mike Cervantes SR, Mike Kammes SR, Keaton Keller SO, Scott Choffin JR.

 

Newcomers – Sean Adams FR, Jack Gillerlain FR, Tyler Rempert FR, Shane Nanishn FR

 

Outlook – Bronco Meeks steps in as the new coach for the Bulldogs. Three runners are back from a team that finished 23^rd last year at state. Ryan Wieties had a great track season running 1:55 / 4:26 towards the end of the year. David Morrison stepped up to lower his PR down to 9:27 for the 3200. Either of these two runners could be the #1 runner for this team. Patrick Redmond was anywhere from 3 to 5 man last season. He could push Morrison and Wieties up front. The question will be who will step into the next two positions. Shea Bastian was close to the top seven last year and could be in the mix. Keaton Keller and Scott Choffin had break out summers and could be big surprises on this team.

 

The goals are quite simple for Batavia. “Training went very well. Our guys were consistently coming out and logging miles. It was probably the best summer that any of the athletes have ever had,” Meeks said. “Our team has a goal of winning the first conference title in school history. We are also looking to return to Peoria in November and improve on last year’s finish.” Meeks could have two runners flirting with top 25 finishes at state. Batavia will need to keep their split near 50 seconds to advance back to the state meet.

 

Berwyn-Cicero Morton

Coach – Bill Bloom

2013 Finish – 7th – 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional

 

Returnees – Edwardo Martinez JR, Chris Zavala SR, Aaron Ruiz SR, Robert Loris SR, Jair Lopez SR, Jorge Rodriguez JR, Armando Arreiola JR, Michael Kelly SR, Hugh Montalvo SR, Edgar Montero SR, Daniel Carrasco SR, Bryan Huerto SO, Daniel Delgado JR.

 

Outlook – The Mustangs had a solid team last season winning the WSC-Gold Conference Meet for the second year in a row going for three this season. They finished seventh at the Hinsdale Central Sectional last year. Five runners are back from that team. The big question for Bill Bloom is seeing who will step up as the #1 runner since he lost his first to to graduation. Eduqrdo Martinez and Chris Zavala should challenge for that spot. This team prides itself off of tough pack running. We should see more of the same from Morton this year. Their pack is projected to be near 30 seconds. That will be good enough to win their conference race. The pack will need to move up a little to challenge for a state berth.

 

Cary-Grove

Coach – Layne Holter

2013 Finish – 7^th – 3A Palatine Regional

 

Returnees – Alex Rakovich SO, Michel Saxon SR, Sang Seo JR, John Cody SR, Coper Langanis JR, Tyler Stordahl SR, Joe Veal SR, Dylan Richards SR, Jack Adams SO, Kyle Adams SO, Ryan Pinter JR, Tommy Williams SO.

 

Outlook – Cary-Grove just missed making it out of the Palatine Regional last year finishing seventh. Layne Holter has seven of his top eight back looking to extend their season another week. “Our guys had a good summer.  We wrapped up the summer with a few minor injuries that slowed a few guys down the last two weeks but I expect them to be fully recovered and ready to go on opening day.” Alex Rakovich was the #1 runner as a freshman last year and should be the front guy again. There should pack behind him with Sang Seo, Michael Saxon, and John Cody. This team has the potential to finish in the top half of the Fox Valley Conference. If they can keep their split near 45 seconds, it should advance to Schaumburg. “We have been making a comeback the last few years and it started with these guys as freshmen.  They are now seniors and eager to continue improving as individuals and as a program.  Last fall we had 4 individual sectional qualifiers,” Holter added. “Our goals are much higher this year.”

 

Chicago Lane Tech

Coach – Kris Roof

2013 Finish – 15^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Pavlo Hutsalyuk SR (57,15:20), Christian Badillo SR (197,16:28), Jorge Villanueva SR, Luis Ramirez SR, Andres Ramirez SR, Eric Basler JR, Max Boetcher JR, Colin Boyle JR, Pedro Fernandez JR, Isaac Glass SO, Gary Cruz Clavez SO, Coleman Connelly SR, Alberto Palmiero SR, Ruben Castillo SR.

 

Outlook – Lane Tech has qualified the state meet the last three years finishing 15^th a year ago. It could be a little more difficult to do it this time around. There will have to be some runners that will need to step up for the Indians. Only two return from last year’s state team. “The training went on par as it did in previous summers despite graduating a bulk of talent and key leaders,” said Coach Kris Roof. “The incoming group had first-hand knowledge on what it takes to be winners. They know that working hard and getting in the runs and workouts are expected. Although we have a relatively new group for the upcoming season, the same day to day training was exhibited.

 

It will help that the two returnees are used to big meet experience. At last spring’s New Balance National Championships, Christian Badillo and Pavlo Hutsalyuk were both members of the team that finished sixth in the 4x8. I do not think we have seen the best out of Hutsalyuk yet on the cross country course. Although he finished 57^th a year ago at Detweiller, the 9:29 that he ran in track along with the 1:49.9 anchor split he ran at nationals shows that he is capable of doing more this fall. Badillo was between the third and fifth runner last year. The question will be who will step into the next three positions of the top five? Luis Ramirez, Jorge Villanueva, Pedro Hernandez, and Colin Boyle are athletes that could do that.

 

“The expectations are the same as in past seasons: compete in key meets at the highest level, win our league championship, qualify for state, and do some damage once we get to Peoria,” Roof added. “There was sort of a bitter taste in our mouths after finishing 15th. As crazy as it sounds for a CPS team, we expected much more than that.” The new runners will need to step up quickly for Lane to move into the top 25. Time will tell this year if they have the horses this season to challenge Jones Prep for the city championship. In a loaded sectional like Niles West, we will need to see improvement in closing down what is projected to be a 74 second split on the first five in order to make it back to Peoria.

 

Chicago Northside Prep

Coach – Jon Gordon

2013 Finish – 14^th – 3A Lake Park Sectional

 

Returnees – Danny Rosen JR, Malcom Grba SR, Adrian Black SR, Matthew Gomez JR, Gabe Stacey JR, Porter Abbey SR, Brian McManus SO, Christian Thorsberg SO, Kenny Dumez SR, Alex Ortiz SR, Kyle Friedler SO, Brandon Banes SO, Max McCoy SR.

 

Outlook – Four runners are back from last year’s 14^th place sectional team. The talent is there to move into the top 10 at Niles West in 2014. Danny Rosen could turn some heads this year after having a breakout performance in track where he qualified for state in the 1600 running 4:24. Adrian Black and Malcon Grba could challenge for the next two spots. There will need to be a tightening of their gap especially between the three and four positions. If their split can get below 65 seconds on five with Rosen up front. This team could surprise some in the City Championships and move up in the sectional rankings.

 

Chicago Whitney Young

Coach – Billy Poole-Harris

2013 Finish – 16^th – 3A Lake Park Sectional

 

Returnees – Sam Wischnewsky JR, Keduse Worku SO, Charles Sandberg JR, Evan Radonski SO, Jason Sobek JR, Marc Harvey SO, William Szkwarek SO, Matthew Patrick SR, Steve Ngo SR, Nick Baxter SO, Augustine Barry SO, Ryan Wangman JR.

 

Newcomers – Clayton Mendez FR

 

Outlook – The Whitney Young squad could move up in this year’s sectional rankings. Last year they ran three sophomores and two juniors in their top seven. That experience should pay off for this season for the Dolphins. Sam Wischnewsky and Keduse Worku will challenge for the top spot on this team. Charles Sandberg, Ryan Wangman, and Evan Radonski should secure top five spots. The split at sectionals last year was 51 seconds. If they can get a front runner moved forward as well as keeping the split near 45 seconds, this team could surprise some in city and sectional competition. “Our summer training has been the best I have seen in the last 7 years,” said Coach Billy Poole-Harris.

 

Crystal Lake South

Coach – Rich Eschman

2013 Finish – 19^th – 3A Schaumburg Sectional

 

Returnees – Tommy Melone JR, Jonathan Prus SO, Justin Miller SR, Doug Cain JR, Timmy Siesenop JR, Jordan Zeken SR, Tyler Green SR, Doug Hall JR, Alex Foydl SO, Miles Fordyl SO.

 

Newcomers – Jack Becker FR

 

Outlook – The Gators return five runners from last year’s team that would like to improve on the 2013 sectional finish. This is a young team that again could see some growing pains early on. Coach Rich Eschman only expects 1 senior within the first ten. Jon Prus and incoming freshman Jack Becker look to be the front contenders for the #1 spot. Tommy Melone and Justin Miller could also challenge.

 

Downers Grove South

Coach – Brian Caldwell

2013 Finish – 11^th – 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional

 

Returnees – Jack Lalonde JR, Ethan Kirk SR, Joey Eterno JR, Austin Rutkowski JR, Alan Zhou JR, Tim Arnold SR, Andrew Heneghan SR, Zach Scheffel JR, Danny Annese SR, Nick Grazier SR, Chris Lippi JR, Steven Rotunno SR, Max O’Meara JR, Grant Lester SO.

 

Newcomers – Adam Gray JR (ran track last spring), Luke Lalonde FR

 

Outlook – Expectations could be high for the Mustangs as six return from last year’s 11^th place sectional team. This team could have a strong pack presence with possible 35 second split on five. Jack Lalonde was the #1 runner at the end of the year and will be the guy that Brian Caldwell turns to. South is deep with 12 runners having the possibility of making it into the top seven. Ethan Kirk, Joey Eterno, and Alan Zhou are some of the runners that could contest for some of those spots. “Expectations are very high for DGS in 2014.  First and foremost, we need to focus on the day-to-day grind that is a cross country season and work on having a whole team that gives their best consistently.  If we do that and get better each week, we can then start to think about where we'll be in November.  We know we'll have our work cut out for us in the WSC Gold,” Caldwell said. “Morton beat us by 2 points at the Conference meet last year after we beat them in a dual so we walked away as Co-Champs. Both teams return the overwhelming majority of their 2013 group, so we look forward to multiple battles with them. Our main objective is of course to have two meets in November this year. The Marist Sectional will be extremely tough by having a few of the very best teams in the state combined with a deep field of very good teams that certainly all believe they have the talent to advance to Peoria.  If do all the right things along the way between now and November, we should be in as good a position as DGS has ever been to advance to the state meet.” Downers South has the talent to make it out of a tough sectional. If they can keep their split down and stay healthy, qualifying to Peoria is a possibility.

 

Evanston Township

Coach – Don Michelin

2013 Finish – 18^th – 3A Lake Park Sectional

 

Returnees – Carl Klamm SR, Spencer Eanes JR, Conrad Gordon SR, Alec Dinerstein SR, Esteban Escobar SR, Nathan Holzmueller JR, David Burkhart JR, Daniel Meyer JR, Branden Carter SR, Ryan Prestigan SR, Curtis Powell JR, Mitchell Estberg JR, Paul Clarke SO, Sam Bergman SO.

 

Outlook – Five runners are back from last year’s sectional team. Carl Klamm, who was all-state last track season in the 400 should lead the way for this team. Estaban Escobar and Spencer Eanes could push this team to higher levels in the CSL-South.

 

Fox Lake Grant

Coach – Jeff Durlak

2013 Finish – 13^th – 3A Schaumburg Sectional

 

Returnees – Frank Cardy SR, Jeffrey Brundidge SR, Matt Marander SR, Rigo Mejia SR, Sam Axelsson SR, Omid Navidzadeh SO, Jordan Fostin JR, Eddie Scharlow SO, Joey Marquez SR, Peyton Rehling SR.

 

Outlook – Four runners are back for Coach Jeff Durlak from last year’s 13^th place sectional team. The big question for Durlak is finding a #1 runner after his top two graduated. “We hope to continue to build upon the last few years has a program,” Durlak said. “Our mixture of veterans and inexperience could result in some growing pains as a team early in the season.  Hopefully, we can some valuable experience through the season and improve to have a strong end to the season.  Qualifying for sectionals as a team has now become an expectation for our team on a yearly basis now and we hope to continue that and improve upon our sectional finish from last year.” Seniors Frank Cardy and Jeff Brundidge should challenge for the top position. After those two runners, it will be a battle who fills the final five spots.

 

Frankfort Lincoln-Way North

Coach – Jeff Purdom

2013 Finish – 10^th – 3A Edwardsville Sectional

 

Returnees – Noah Nealy SO, John Chomiak JR, Nick Niendorf SR, Mark Harris JR, Luke Dahleen SR, James Sullivan JR, Rob Harrington SR, Jack Pursell SR, Chris Curtin JR, Sean Robinson SO, Ryan Belavich JR.

 

Newcomers – Kyle Bectold JR, Robbie Tidwell SR, Jon Vegas JR, Mike Trost FR

 

Outlook – Injuries slowed down the Phoenix at the end of last year when they finished tenth at the Edwardsville Sectional. With five runners back from last year’s team and added depth, Lincoln-Way North could have eyes on a state qualifying berth. John Chomiak had a great summer and will be one of the top runners on the team. Noah Healy was #1 last year and should push Chomiak. This team could run with a 40 second split this year. The addition of track athletes Kyle Bectold, Robbie Tidwell, and Jon Vegas could contribute immediately. Freshman Mike Trost could be a surprise within the top seven. “We got hit with the injury bug late in the season last year.  We have done some things different this summer to hopefully avoid that,” said Jeff Purdom. “We have a lot more depth than last year as well.  I am hoping we can improve upon our finish at conference (runner up to Lincoln Way Central), as well as our post season performance.  I would love for us to run our best at Detweiller in November.”

 

Geneva

Coach – Bob Thomson

2013 Finish – 13^th – 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

 

Returnees – Justin Poythress SR, Steve Creger JR, Julian Desens JR, Jake Tracey JR, Brian Kuehl SO, Ethan Altmayer SR, Tyler Dau SO, Jake Kaufman SR, David Creger SO, Daniel Harris JR, Corey Shaughnessy JR, Ethan Reed SO, Scott Creger SO, Michael Anderson JR, Brian Beck SR, Andrew Krieger SR.

 

Newcomers – Michael Deamantopulos (participated in soccer and track last year)

 

Outlook – The Vikings return four from last year’s 13^th place sectional team. Justin Poythress should step into the #1 runner spot. Their pack could be tight with Steve Creger, Justin Desens, and Jake Tracey close behind. A good sophomore group led by Brian Kuehl cold contribute on the varsity this season. “*I think our summer went well.  We've had some resent summers that haven't gone well. With constant reminders of how the last few seasons have gone, we really stressed the importance of summer training especially on non-camp days,” said Bob Thomson. “We've been down the last few years as a team.  We've had some nice individual performances the last few years and are now looking for some improvements as a team.”

 

Glenview Glenbrook South

Coach – Kurt Hasenstein

2013 Finish – 11^th – 3A Lake Park Sectional

 

Returnees – Henry Dickson SR, Colin Burrowes SR, Nash Kennedy SR, Michael Aki JR, Ben Schwartz SR, Nick Stanek JR, Stephen Clare SR, Jake Acuino SR, Aidan Klemm SR, Charlie Wickrama JR, Eli Joseph JR, John Hennelly JR, Matt Cabera JR.

 

Newcomers – Justin Thierault

 

Outlook – It could be a tough early season for Glenbrook South since their top four graduated from last season. Henry Dickson should step into the top spot. Colin Burrowes and Michael Aki should push Dickson for that top position. Also watch for Freshman Justin Thierault to jump into the top five by mid-season once he transitions into high school running. “We graduated many of our top 7 from last year and will be very young,” said Kurt Hasenstein. “We always shoot for the top 1/2 of the CSL and get our team out of Regionals to the Sectional so those goals remain the same.”

 

Gurnee Warren

Coach – Bill Dawson

2013 Finish – 8^th – 3A Schaumburg Sectional

 

Returnees – Dustin Macuiba SR (141,15:53), Jakob Martinez SR, Will Kellerhals SR, Nathan Campbell SR, Jamie Delgado JR, Jeff Abbott SR, Grant Orlowski SR, Raymond Sorge-Young SO, Nicholas Lemus SR, Jack Weyhrich SR, Anthony Duncan JR, Julian Ruiz SO, Charlie Nudelman SR.

 

Outlook – Three are back for Bill Dawson from last year’s 8^th place sectional team. Dustin Maciuba qualified for state last year and should step up to be #1 again. Jakob Martinez should be a strong #2 runner for the Blue Devils. “I think we will be very competitive.  Dustin Macuiba is a junior who is a returning state qualifier who has had a great summer.  He finished 14th overall at the Big 10 10k in Chicago and competed well in the triathlons over the summer,” said Dawson. “We talked about getting stronger and faster in the spring and he has worked hard at it.  Will Kellerhals is coming off a stress fracture which caused him to miss the entire track season but now looks healthy and in great shape. He was another of the triathletes and finished 30th in the sprint division for his age group at the National Championships. Jakob Martinez should be one of our other top runners and he has the advantage of training with his older brother when he is in town. The nice thing for us is the depth after these three.  People will be fighting to get into the top 7 and fighting to stay there. I like how our team looks right now. The conference and the Sectional will be very strong once again so nothing will be easy.”

 

Highland Park

Coach – Steve Buti

2013 Finish – 15^th – 3A Schaumburg Sectional

 

Returnees – Brett Davidson JR, Ben Casey SR, Dylan Kahn SR, Andrew Huddleston SR, Jonathan Rosenfield SO, Brady McDougall SR, Evan Lissoos SR, Daniel Arias JR, Zach Goldberg SR, Jake Dougherty SR, Matt Drummond SO, Josh Drummond SO, Juan Estela SO.

 

Outlook – Highland Park will try to improve on last year’s 15^th place sectional performance for new coach Steve Buti. Ben Casey and Brett Davidson traded off the 2-3 positions at the end of last year. Both will battle for the #1 runner spot. There could be a gap after the first two and the pack. They will need to keep a pack near 70 seconds for this team to improve on conference and sectional finishes from a year ago. “We know we have our work cut out for us this season in our conference as well as the State Series,” said Buti. “We need more guys to step up and race well consistently. We are looking for senior Ben Casey and junior Brett Davidson (who had a strong summer of training) to lead the team and hopefully have some post season success.”

 

Hoffman Estates

Coach – Brenden Mariano

2013 Finish – 10^th – 3A Schaumburg Sectional

 

Returnees – Bryan Gamboa JR, Shiv Patel JR, Matt Peterson JR, Michael Sanfillipo SR, Nathen Otto JR, Ryan Greenwalt SO, Anthony Nardi SR, Jack Worman SO, Jose Espinosa SO, Matt Filipiec SO.

 

Outlook – The Hawks lose graduated #1 runner Billy Thomas, but will still look to improve on last year’s tenth place sectional finish. Five runners are back from that team. “I do think we had a nice summer in terms of mileage and participation.  I think we have some upside as a team if we can stay healthy and if we are patient enough to train through the regular season,” said Brenden Mariano. “On the individual side Bryan Gamboa, All-MSL last year, will try to repeat again this year.  Matt Petersen is coming along and he could sneak in there as well.  The rest of our guys, individually, need to prove they can compete week-in-and-week-out in a strong MSL Conference.”  Their split needs to be in the 60-65 second range off of the front running of Gamboa for this team to be in the upper half of the MSL. A top ten sectional finish is also a possibility.

 

Joliet Central

Coach – Doug Cherry

2013 Finish – 25^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Raul Rosendo JR (122,15:46), Vince Moreno JR (177,16:08), Jose Aguilera SR (182,16:15), Andre Martinez SO (213,16:54), AJ Stewack JR, Alejandro Cervantes JR, Jaime Quintero SR, Danny Hernandez SR, Ben Hallihan SO, Adrian Reynoso SO, Justin Casillas JR.

 

Outlook – The Steelmen did surprise some by making it to the state meet. Four of their top seven is back looking to repeat that feat. Raul Rosendo should be the #1 runner for this team. Vince Moreno, Jose Aguilera, and Andre Martinez give this team depth. “We will have more depth than ever (at least 13 guys battling for top 7 spots), but will need our 5-6-7 runners to develop,” said Doug Cherry. “We return 4 of our top 5 from a state-qualifying team. Last year we were happy just to qualify. This year we want to return to state and move into the top 20 (or better).”

 

Joliet West

Coach – Brian Newman

2013 Finish – 8^th – 3A Edwardsville Sectional

 

Returnees – Dan Treasure SR (211,16:51), Dylan Deardurff JR, Sebastian Arroyo SR, Malcom Hill SR, Thea Prieboy SR, Josh Pearson SR, Mario Scarcelli JR, Jeremy Sikos SO, Ariel Lopez JR, Chris Bedore SO, Jason Miller SO, Omar Carrillo JR.

 

Newcomers – Cole Long FR

 

Outlook – Five runners are back from last year’s eighth place sectional team for Coach Brian Newman. “It wasn't a strong summer for a handful of our returning varsity top 7,”said Newman. “It was our biggest freshman turnout ever, with nearly a dozen freshmen training with us.” Dan Treasure and Sebastian Arroyo should fight for the first position. Their pack ranged from 60 seconds to close to 2 minutes. There will need to be a little more consistency in keeping their top 5 within 55-60 seconds of each other during big meets.

 

Lake Zurich

Coach – JB Hanson

2013 Finish – 20^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Matt Pereira SO (69,15:25), Justin Shim SR (203,16:41), Matt Milner JR (208,16:45), Nate Quinn JR, Mark Spatz SR, Kyle Fitzgerald SO, Ryan Obsuszt SR, Jack Gelinas SO, Brian McNair SO, Drew Witt JR, Jack Pogals SO.

 

Newcomers – Patrick Burns FR, Brian Griffith SO (ran track last spring)

 

Outlook – Three are back from last year’s 20^th place state team. This is will be a young squad that is going through some growing pains the first half of the season. The one thing is that the future looks very bright for the Bears. Even though Matt Pereira finished 69^th last fall, he was just getting used to high school running. He got used to it in track when he ran 9:12 for 3200 and 4:15 in the full mile. He should be one of the top five runners in the state this year. Talking about young, Coach JB Hansen is raving about incoming freshman Patrick Burns. “Patrick Burns (9) is one of the top 5 freshman I have ever coached (7th at IESA state last fall),” Hansen said, “and will likely find his way to the varsity by season’s end.”

 

Matt Milner is coming off of a stress reaction at the beginning of the summer. He should be back at full strength soon. Brian Griffith did not run cross country, but ran a 2:03 split last year as a freshman. He will be in the top five this season. With the way that Hansen gets his runners to peak for the state series, this team could challenge for a state berth even though they are so young. “We have a talented group but are young.  We could count on as many as 5 freshman/sophomores by season’s end,” Hansen added. “To put in perspective, we have only had 5 sophomores compete at the varsity level in the last 5 years total.  As a result, we will take some lumps early, but will come on strong as the season progresses. Pereira is as good as they come, and despite his great track season, most people don’t know how good he really is. Other than him, the rest of our team is virtually unknown.  We hope to change that.”

 

Libertyville

Coach – Mark Buesing

2013 Finish – 14^th – 3A Schaumburg Sectional

 

Returnees – Nick Seneczko SR, Max Roberts SR, Alex Zoellick SR, Will Johnson JR, Stephen Richardson SO, Gabe Alesna JR, Chris Ormson SO, Rob Seneczko SR, Tommy Peterson SR, Scott Schuememan SR.

 

Outlook – Libertyville has four runners back from their 14^th place sectional team from a year ago. With their top two runners from last season graduated, one of the four returnees could step in. Watch for either Max Roberts, Nick Seneczko, Alex Zoellick, or Will Johnson to be the #1 runner. This team will have a tight pack. It will need to move up more in races to see an improvement from last year’s finish.

 

Lincolnshire Stevenson

Coach – Scott Sommers

2013 Finish – 12^th – 3A Schaumburg Sectional

 

Returnees – Jared Borowsky JR, Sam Oh SR, Josh McMullen SR, Paul Halliday SR,Paul Udoni SO, Hebron Taylor JR, Malcom Fitts SR, Marshall Hong JR, Josh Katz SR, Joseph Axelson SO, Kevin McCoy SO.

 

Outlook – The potential is there for this team to get close to a qualifying berth for the state meet in 2014.

Sam Oh ran with the front pack at the sectional meet last fall but faded in the last mile. He had a great track season running 1:56, 4:20, and 9:36. He could end up in the top 15 this season. Jared Borowsky ran 1:58 at the end of last season in track along with 4:32 in the 1600. He should give the Patriots a solid first two. This team needs to narrow their split down. Last year’s 1-5 split averaged near 95 seconds. That needs to come down if this team has visions of making it to the state meet.

 

Lisle Benet Academy

Coach – Kevin Reinecker

2013 Finish – 19^th – 2A State Meet

 

Returnees – Brady McLaughlin SR (82,15:59), Sean Harnik SR (93,16:02), Max Tuttle SR (123,16:21), Jimmy Watson SO (124, 16:22), Kelly Crombre JR (134,16:28), Phillip Parisi SR (182,16:52), Zach Kowalczyk JR, Matt Teglia SO, Jeffrey Girardot SO, Connor Towne SO, Sean Kirwin SR, Mike Ferguson SR, Owen McNamara JR.

 

Newcomers – Luke Sammons JR (played hockey first two years at Benet), James Austgen FR, Ryan Knapp FR, Frank Gomulka FR, Patrick Quinlan FR

 

Outlook – The Redwings move back up to 3A after finishing 19^th in the 2A state meet. Coach Kevin Reinecker returns six talented runners from that team. “I thought it was a very good summer.  We did some things we have never done which I was a little nervous about,” said Kevin Reinecker. “However, I think the boys showed up, worked hard, and have put themselves in a very good position.” Brady McLaughlin and Sean Harnik were within 3 seconds of each other and will push each other again for the #1 spot. The one runner that could make an impact immediately is Luke Sammons. He played hockey the first two years while at the school. He ran in middle school and would have challenged for a top 7 spot his freshman year. He has adapted quickly and could end up in the top five.

 

This team will next to adapt to 3A racing compared to 2A racing where the meets will be faster especially in the state series. If they can do that and pick up the pace, this team which could have a 35 second split on five this year could surprise some. “If they stay focused and work hard, we hope to win our 15th straight ESCC title,” Reinecker added. “Since we are being bumped back up to 3A we have stayed focused on competing with the bigger schools again.  We placed 19th in 2A last year and want to make sure we put ourselves in the best position to qualify for state again.  Some of the best schools in the state will be in our regional and sectional so we want to make sure we are ready to peak at the right time. But besides conference and the post-season, we really hope to stay healthy, have fun, and hit some PRs.  I try to tell the guys you will never run like this again so enjoy the racing, enjoy the training, and enjoy each other.”

 

Minooka

Coach – Kevin Gummerson

2013 Finish – 6^th – 3A Edwardsville Sectional

 

Returnees – Gabe Ceballos SR (162,16:02), Sean Knudsen SO, Henry Bugajski SR, Ben Ubert SR, Miguel Lameli JR, Matt Salk JR, Justin Tutt SO, Michael Bozue JR, Brendan McGrath SR, Ben Tyrell SR, Jack Sullivan SO, Will Roberts SR, Lorenzo Capista SO, Vince Bazzarone SO, Jake Swank JR.

 

Outlook – This was a team that was not supposed to have a chance to do anything a year ago because it was so young and inexperienced. They proved everyone wrong by finishing 6^th at the Edwardsville Sectional just missing qualifying for state. They just missed making the top 25, but with six runners back from last year’s team could sneak up on people again. “I have been very pleased with the summer miles these boys put in,” said Kevin Gummerson. “They have done their homework and are now ready to increase the intensity and prepare for the season.”

 

Gabe Ceballos qualified to state last year and should have company up front with him. Sophomore Soren Knudsen had a good track season and has been running with the senior. Seniors Henry Bugajski and Ben Ubert along with Miguel Lomeli should be a part of the first five. The split at sectionals last year was 57 seconds. That needs to come down to 40 seconds. Having Knudsen closer to Ceballos makes things a little bit better for Minooka. “We need to improve upon what we did last year in the Conference, at the Regional, and at the Sectional.  The important thing is that this group of athletes believes they can do that,” Gummerson added. “Gabe Ceballos was our lone state qualifier last year, and he is hungry to get back there and he obviously wants his team to be there with them.”

 

 

Mt. Prospect-Prospect

Coach – Mike Stokes

2013 Finish – 19^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Mike Anderson SR (56,15:20), Alec Heyde JR (179,16:13), Max Crowinshield JR (191,16:21), Karsen LeConte JR, Tim Banna SR, Tommy Mathews SR, Jack Gabriel JR, Sean Sanaghan SO, James Riordan SO, Matt Cozine JR, Mike Stanford SO, Jack O’Donnell SO.

 

Newcomers – Jack Terry FR, Nate Cozine FR

 

Outlook – Not much was expected from the Knights after some of the early season results. Mike Stokes had his team ready when necessary tying for fifth place at the Schaumburg Sectional. Prospect went on the following week to finish 19^th at the state meet. Only three are back from that team that will not be rebuilding but reloading in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

 

Mike Anderson ran great at the state meet last fall running as the #1 runner on his team finishing in 56^th. It would not surprise me if he is in the top 30 this year. The one thing Prospect will have is close to a minute gap between Anderson and the pack. A pack led by juniors Alec Heyde and Max Crowninshield gives Stokes experience and an anchor for that group. The split on 2-5 right now is projected at 38 seconds. That needs to come down to 20 seconds by the time we get to the state series. “We had a great summer,” said Stokes. “We would like to have all Top 7 under 16:00 minutes for 3 miles at Sectionals, and then advance to the state meet and run our best races there and finish in the top 8.”

 

Naperville Central

Coach – Dave Ashton

2013 Finish – 24^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Scott Hicks SR (120,15:44), Kevin Wandke SR (166,16:04), Geoffrey McCullough JR (173,16:06), David Kennedy SR (181,16:14), John Manos JR, Tommy Chavez SO, John Leboe JR, Luke Liu JR, Josh Toby JR, Neil Mueller SO, Declan Jensen JR, Cullen Piper JR, Joel Pelonen SR.

 

Outlook – Four runners are back from last year’s state qualifying team that finished 24^th. There should be three seniors within the top seven, but the remaining four will consist of sophomores and juniors according to Coach Dave Ashton. Scott Hicks should be the #1 man for the Redhawks, Kevin Wandke, Geoffrey McCullough, and David Kennedy should comprise of the next three spots. John Manos, Tony Chavez, and John Laboe will be some of the runners challenging for the final three spots. “This season we are looking to be in the top half of the teams at State or better and to continue moving the program forward,” Ashton said. “In general, the boys were displeased with last year’s performance at state, but we have targeted our weaknesses over the last year and are ready to elevate our status at the state meet.”

 

Normal Community

Coach – Tom Patten

2013 Finish – 26^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Austin Peters SR (163,16:02), Jared Peters SR (170,16:05), Carson McCormack SO (185,16:16), Mitch Turner JR (210,16:50), Ben Lawrence SR, Zach Kosinski JR, Vinit Korkathar JR, Lucas Lasher JR, Dillon Butler SO.

 

Outlook – Normal Community will again challenge for another state berth after they finished 26^th. Four runners are back from that team. Brothers Austin and Jared Peters should be the front runners on this team after their top two men have graduated. Both had breakout seasons in track and could be among the top 15 athletes in their sectional complex. Their split is projected to be close to 85 seconds. That needs to come down if they want to make it back to state.

 

Northbrook Glenbrook North

Coach – Bill Race

2013 Finish – 17^th – 3A Lake Park Sectional

 

Returnees – Nate Whitfield JR, Scott Thomas JR, Jay Silver SR, Alex Hanskat JR, Jason Golden JR, Itai Epstein SO, Aaron Solomon JR, Idan Epstein JR, Justin Tucker SR, Jordan Wolken JR, Nate Trelevan SR, JD Casey SO, Will Congbalay SO.

 

Outlook – This team figures to improve over last season considering that sectional team was sophomore heavy. Six runners are back from last year. Juniors Nate Whitfield and Scott Thomas again should be the front runners on this team. Their split was 69 seconds last year at the sectional meet. With the improvement of this team over the last year, it could realistically drop down to 50-55 seconds. This team has the potential to place in the top ten in the sectional meet.

 

Oak Park Fenwick

Coach – David Rill

2013 Finish – 9^th – 3A Lake Park Sectional

 

Returnees – Sal Flight SR (139,15:51), Anthony Rizzi SR, Patrick Barnett SO, Alex Marks SO, Riley Mullins JR, Jack Darrow SO, Ryan Clark JR, Joe Cozzi JR, Jack Gill SO, James Brosnen SO, Conner Wilson SO, Colum O’Brien SO, Brendon Copp SO.

 

Outlook – This team has the potential to cause some havoc within the Niles West Sectional. Six runners are back from last year’s team that could also challenge for the CCL Championships. Sal Flight did not run his best race last season when he finished 139^th. He had a great track season culminating with a 4^th place finish in the 2A state meet. He could flirt with a top 25 finish at state this November. The 2-5 pack will need to be tight behind Flight for this team to have success. The pack led by Senior Anthony Rizzi is projected to have a 57 second split. That needs to come down to 30 if this team has their sights on Detweiller Park.

 

Oak Park-River Forest

Coach – Jose Sosa

2013 Finish – 15^th – 3A Lake Park Sectional

 

Returnees – Irwin Loud SO, Martin Pimentel JR, Nicholas Martire JR, Jack Monaghan JR, Kimathi Johnson JR, Eric Mulshial SO, Henry Harper JR, Jack Pohalovich SR, Noah Deck SR, Chance Bayles SO, Matthew Politis SO.

 

Newcomers – Sean Lonergan SO (ran track last spring), Peter Halloran FR

 

Outlook – The Huskies are a young group with one thing on their mind: running in the state meet. There was a dramatic improvement on this squad during the track season that could make this thinking true. Only three runners are back from the sectional team that finished 15^th. Irwin Loud moved up to varsity last year during the state series and responded by being the #1 man at the sectional meet. He came back in track and ran 9:34. He could be a surprise on the state center stage this fall. Jack Monaghan, Eric Mulshine, Sean Lonergan, and Kimitri Johnson have been projected into the top five by Coach Jose Sosa. Loud has the potential to be in the top 20 at state. The rest of his teammates need to stay close together in order for this team to survive the WSC Silver and then the Niles West Sectional. “The boys really committed themselves this summer,” Sosa said. “They ran with me 4 days a week, and on the days that I was not there they ran as a group. From August 1st until the beginning of the season, they ran two a day workouts.  I look forward to seeing this group of boys compete.”

 

Oswego

Coach – Dan Whipple

2013 Finish – 8^th – 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional

 

Returnees – Peter Johnsrud SR (40,15:11), Bennett Peterson SO, Christopher Pagan SR, Matthew Taves SR, Paul Rupkey SR, Jackson Simon JR, Collin Boone SO, Owen Kelty JR, Brett Gillingham SR, Logan Torres JR, Jared Reichardt JR.

 

Outlook – Every year it seems that Oswego gets so close to making it down to the state meet as a team. They will have one or two individuals and that is it. That ends for Oswego this season according to Coach Dan Whipple. “A strong selfless bond has been forged this summer that I am quite proud of,” Whipple said. Five runners are back from the sectional that finished eight a year ago. This team just missed making the top 25. I could see them moving up fairly soon. Peter Johnsrud could do some big things this fall after he ran 9:24 last spring. The potential to run in the top 20 is right in front of him. This team needs to have a strong 2-5 pack especially if Johnsrud is in the front. The 1-5 split at sectionals last year was 80 seconds. The 2-5 split at that meet was 38 seconds. That needs to be cut in half if the Panthers want that state berth.

 

“This group will not be satisfied with anything less than a conference championship and a team qualifying to the State Meet. It has been 20 years this year for OHS to have a team represented in Peoria,” Whipple added. “Far too long and we are all tired of messing around. We have a unified vision and everyone is training with purpose. It is a very exciting time.”

 

 

Palatine Fremd

Coach – Darius Sanchez

2013 Finish – 7^th – 3A Schaumburg Sectional

 

Returnees – Joe Smaga JR, Matt Fossing SR, Jack Buban SO, Luke Vogelgasang SO, Danny Peterson SO, Jeremy Peterson SO, Alex Lytle JR, Andrew Kelly SO, Benjamin Simmons SO, Gianfranco Torres SO, Colin Dincher SR, Nathaniel Jenkins SO, Jack Shirmer JR.

 

Outlook – It could be a rebuilding year for Fremd since they lost five of their top seven to graduation. There is still a group left from the team that finished seventh at last year’s sectional meet. The one runner to keep an eye on is Matt Fossing. In his first year of cross country last fall, he was their sixth or seventh man. He had a breakthrough in track running 9:35 last May. He could be one of the better runners in the MSL with a chance to qualify individually to state. Joe Smaga bounced between 4^th through seventh man most of the year. Even though he plays baseball in the spring, he is in great shape now and could push Fossing for the top spot. This team could mature by the time they get to mid-October and their conference meet. “We have a very young group and our training has evolved significantly over the last 360 days. The young squad we have is already cracking into some workouts that puts them ahead of teams from the past. I look forward to see how much more progress can be made in the next two months,” Darius Sanchez said. “I expect this team to grow competitively and physically, but there is a lot holes to fill and strides to make. I think senior Matt Fossing is going to turn a lot of heads and this young crop of guys we have are going to make some of the veterans in the area work a lot harder than they want.

 

Plainfield East

Coach – Rich Gatz

2013 Finish – 12^th – 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional

 

Returnees – Joseph Suarez SR (52,15:18), Sergio Llanes SR (64,15:24), Harris Jordan SR, Julian Delrosario SO, Andrew Rogers JR, Peyton Rapier JR, Josh Summons SR, Tyler Kiska JR, Zach Proffitt JR, Louie Lorenzo SR.

 

Outlook – The Bengals will look to improve on last year’s 12^th place finish at their sectionals. Four runners are back from that team. Joseph Suarez was all-state runner his sophomore year. Injuries slowed him down at the end of last year when he finished 52^nd. He had a good track season when he ran 9:12 and 4:22. He had some foot issues that have slowed him down this summer. He should be at full strength by mid-October according to his coach Rich Gatz. Sergio Llanes also qualified individually placing 64^th. He could also qualify individually again. Their 3-5 pack could be a problem with a potential of having a split close to 90 seconds. If that can be tightened up, this team could challenge for a state spot. “We expect to compete with a few other schools for the SPC title again,” said Gatz. “We expect to qualify to sectionals for the 5th straight year and expect to be in the running for the last spot for state again.”

 

Plainfield South

Coach – Jason Crowe

2013 Finish – 6^th – 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional

 

Returnees – John Partee JR, Steven Homecgoy SR, Kenny Peters SR, John Peters SR, Colin Pickering JR, Donovan Harkins SO, Tom Beck SR, Preston Brown JR, Jon Quinones JR, Andrew Nunez SO, Frank Panglinan JR, Nick Albright JR, Brad Lathrop SO.

 

Newcomers – Hunter Dyer JR (ran track last spring), Andy Bhatia JR (transfer from Providence).

 

Outlook – Plainfield South did lose their top two runners including all-state runner Dan Lathrop to graduation. Still, five runners are back from the sectional team that finished sixth. There is a drive in that group that wants to get back to state. The talent is there. There are five runners that together could stay within 30 seconds of each other. John Partee has improved over the last season and could be a surprise individually on the state level. John and Kenny Peters, Steven Homeecoy, and Colin Pickering could all be a part of that group. “This summer went very well for the team.  They really enjoy working together in the summer,” said Jason Crowe. “It has become a culture for our runners here at Plainfield South.  Each summer the numbers go up and the alumni come back to run with all of us as well.  It is really becoming something special. Our expectations are to win the Southwest Prairie Conference Championship and qualify for State as a team out of the highly respected Marist Sectional.”

 

Rockton Hononegah

Coach – Mark McLarty

2013 Finish – 15^th – 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

 

Returnees – Jared Christansen SR, Dylan Houde SR, Nick Licari JR, Jeremiah Harp SO, Nathan Henry JR, Erich-orgil Eukhbayar SR, Jeremy Wattmus SR, Kyle Edwards SO, Todd Rhines SR, Kyle Edwards SO, Sam Krane SO, Michael Back JR, Collum Bressen SO, Nathan Hegge SR.

 

Newcomers – Jessie Harp SR (played soccer for the last three years), Josiah Harp FR

 

Outlook – This team will get better and move into the top ten at the sectional level. Five runners are back from last year’s 15^th place sectional team. An influx of new blood will give this team a boost as well. Jared Christiansen was on his way to a good track season until he broke his foot in the middle of a race last April. He is fully healthy and expects to be the #1 runner on this team. This team could have a good pack with a five runner split of 35 seconds and a 2-5 split of 12 seconds. If Christiansen can move up during the season, I expect the pack to expand a little. A runner that could give this team a boost is Jessie Harper. He’s run track for 3 years with PR’s of 2:00 and 4:41. He could find his way into the top five. His younger brother Josiah ran 4:41 last year in eighth grade. When he adapts to high school running, he could contribute to this top seven. “We would like to win the conference and end Belvidere North's 6 year run,” said Mark McLarty. “They beat us by 5 points last year. We would also like to make strides to be able to compete against the suburbs better as well.”

 

Roselle Lake Park

Coach – Lance Murphy

2013 Finish – 8^th – 3A Lake Park Sectional

 

Returnees – Matt Miarka SR, Jakub Bolarz SR, Zachary Schwarz JR, David Fitzgerald SR, Jason Joda SO, William Dover SO, Alexander Caines SO, Jacob Pacione SO, Jacob Troyke SR, William Troyke SR, Robert Kacanon SO, John Bradley JR.

 

Outlook – It will be a rebuilding year in Roselle for this Lake Park. Five of their top seven from last season has graduated. Matt Miarka and Zachary Schwartz could be the backbone of this team. Lance Murphy does have a good freshman class coming in but does not think they will contribute to the varsity this season. “We had lost many of our runners through graduation,” Murphy said. “This year we will be trying to build back up and come back strong at the end of the year for the 2015 season.”

 

St. Charles North

Coach – Kevin Harrington

2013 Finish – 8^th – 3A Waubonsie Valley Sectional

 

Returnees – Max Markowicz SR, Steve Lewandowski SR, Joey Rangel JR, Hayden Joyce SR, Brett Lee SO, Danny Obernesser SR, Tyler Cabrera JR, Zach Smith JR, Nick Fordyce SO, Devin Davis SR, Dave Stocki SR, Colton Tisdall SO.

 

Outlook – We could see the best of the Northstars team by the time we get to conference weekend in October. Four return from last year’s 8^th place sectional squad. The big concern for Kevin Harrington is finding someone to step up as the #1 runner along with keeping their pack together. Max Markowicz should be the top runner on this team. This team has the potential of running a 45 second spread on five. “Our senior class has vastly improved.  They have started to figure out that state-level expectations need to be matched by state-level training,” said Harrington. “We have five athletes that can go sub 16:00 by the end of the year- which will put us in the hunt of conference and a return to state- but our depth has yet to prove themselves.”

 

Skokie Niles North

Coach – Dave Shafron

2013 Finish – 10^th – 3A Lake Park Sectional

 

Returnees – Dhruvil Patel SR, Nebrl Mohammed SR, Anthony Diaz SR, Martin Burr JR, Russell Reyes JR, Ross Schneider SR, Tom Montgomery SO, Zach Harris SO, Dan Teague JR, Andrew Mareczko JR.

 

Newcomers – Conor Perreault FR

 

Outlook – This could be the surprise team of the Niles West Sectional. Four runners are back from last year’s tenth place sectional squad. Nebril Mohammed and Dhruvil Patel should be the front runners on this team. The improvement of Martin Barr over the past year gives this team a good trio to lead them. Their pack on five at the end of the year was a little over 52 seconds. The split could come down to 40 seconds this season. “I thought our training went very well this summer. Our team is building up mileage, we have been getting stronger with an emphasis on developing our aerobic strength,” Dave Shaffron said. “My expectation for our team is that we use every practice and meet experience to help us be at our best at the end of the season.”

 

Summit Argo

Coach – Mary Bergman

2013 Finish – 18^th- 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional

 

Returnees – Ramazan Xheka SR, Christian Delgado JR, Andrew Zwijack SO, Juan Castillo SR, Jimmy Dimer SR, Renee Barajas SR, Luis Ramirez SR, Pablo Lopez SR, Adrian Starcznowski JR, Eddie McGee SO, Roberto Rosales SO.

 

Outlook – This team should move up in the sectional rankings as the Argo program continues to grow. All seven runners are back from last year’s sectional tea, Ramazan Xheka should be the #1 runner again on this team. Their split at sectionals last year was 47 seconds. If they can move their pack up and lower the split to 40 seconds, this team could improve on last season’s finish.

 

Villa Park Willowbrook

Coach – TJ Artman

2013 Finish – 7^th – 3A Fenwick Regional

 

Returnees – Jimmy Fuentas Jr SR, Anthony Acitelli SR, Sean Kohrt JR, Tommy King SR, Chris Turek JR, Kevin Rezek SR, Dave Sanchez JR, Chris Senese SR, Adrian Gonzalez SR, Casey King SO, Andrew Wohnrade SO.

 

Outlook – This team just missed qualifying for the sectional meet. It should change this season as four return from last year’s team. Jimmy Fuentas Jr is capable of qualifying for the state meet individually. Teammate Anthony Acitelli should be on the shoulders of his teammate Fuentas Jr this season. Their split could be close to 2 minutes. That needs to come down. “We had a great camp and a group of runners that met almost every day to prepare for this fall season,” said TJ Artman. They are excited, some are more seasoned varsity then others, but they are ready to race.”

 

West Aurora

Coach – Anthony Rizzo

2013 Finish – 7^th – 3A West Chicago Regional

 

Returnees – Connor McCue JR, Sergio Rios SR, David Castillo SO, Evan Castillo JR, EJ McLaren JR, Christopher Colon JR, Francisco Martinez JR, Tomas Dominguez JR, Jason Jude JR, Graeme Boland JR, Jacob Barbush JR.

 

Outlook – Only two runners are back from last year’s team that failed to make it out from regionals. The talent is there to make some big steps this season. Connor McCue is coming off of a great track season where he ran 1:55 for the 800 and won the USATF Youth Championships in the 1500 running 4:04. Looking at his improvement curve, he could end up in the top fifteen in the state. Sergio Rios leads the pack behind McCue. Their 2-5 split needs to tighten up close to 45 seconds if this team wants to do some good things this season. “We are still a young team, but experienced,” said Coach Anthont Rizzo. “I would expect that we qualify for Sectionals and are in the hunt for a team state qualification.” 

 

Wheaton North

Coach – Nathan Roe

2013 Finish – 22^nd – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Danny Steeno SR (160,16:01), Kilty Askin SR (195,16:26), Alex Frank JR (204,16:42), Ryan Kocher JR (206,16:45), Matthew Beckeman JR, Danny Bailey JR, Ryan Almer JR, Bradley Dowell SR, Jordan Hennings JR, Ethan Peterson SR, Will Thomas SR.

 

Outlook – The Falcons lose all-state runner Joseph Emmanuel to graduation along with their two and three runners. There are still four runners back from last season’s 22^nd place state team wanting to get back to Peoria. This team will need to have a strong pack presence since it does not look like there will be a front runner in the group. Danny Steeno and Kilty Askin should lead this team. “We celebrate 50 years of WN CC this fall, and team has the expectation to challenge for a DVC title along with strong programs such as NN, NC, and WWS,” said Nate Roe. “We won't have a frontrunner like Joseph of last year, but we will have several guys capable of low numbers, along with a solid pack.  An early fitness test saw us packed up nicely, with room for improvement. We also have the continued expectation to be racing in Peoria in November.  A top 15 spot is attainable, and we'd certainly like to see the team trend away from the twenties, as we've been there too many times in recent years. Our juniors will have a bit of a learning curve early, but are determined to make their mark as some of WN's and the State's finest.” 

 

Wheaton-Warrenville South

Coach – Greta Havey

2013 Finish – 8^th – 3A State Meet

 

Returnees – Kyle Cepeda SR (33,15:08), Gabe Lightbody SR (155,15:58), Drew Anderson SR, John Hanson SR, Michael Malverda SR, Matt Moore SO, Michael Henson SO, Jake Mascordin SR, Kyle Thompson SO, Anthony Cipriano JR, Jeremy Ambrosio JR, Scott OMalley SR.

 

Outlook – It is hard to determine if this season will be a rebuilding or reloading year for the Tigers. They will miss all-state runners Nolan McKenna and Luke Schroer. Only two runners are back from last year’s 8^th place state team. Kyle Cepeda was able to run with McKenna and Schroer early in the year. He finished 33^rd at state and could some big things individually this spring. Gabe Lightbody was the fifth runner for the team at state and should be a solid second runner. It is a toss-up who will step up for the next five spots. It looks like the team could have a 30 second 2-5 split. If they can keep that close to Cepeda, this team could advance again back to Peoria.

 

Wheeling

Coach – Tom Polak

2013 Finish – 17^th – 3A Schaumburg Sectional

 

Returnees – Justin Loquercio JR, Edwin Hernandez SR, Cole Dammeier SR, Elliot Nabateu JR, Matt Hoffman SO, Drew Schwartz SR, Brian Hernandez SR, Joe Sweich JR, Diego Valdes JR, Steve Abraham SR, Ricky Reeve SO, Jack Raymondi JR, Steve Abraham SR, Bryan Sargent SR.

 

Outlook – Things are looking up for the Wildcats heading into the 2014 season. They did finish 17^th at the Schaumburg Sectional last year, but it should move up along with moving into the top half of the MSL this season. All seven runners are back from that sectional team. Justin Loquercio, Edwin Hernandez, and Cole Dammeier should be the front runners on this team. Their split at the sectional last year was only 42 seconds. The pack needs to move this season to challenge some of the front runners. “We had one of the best summers we have had in quite a while, I had a core group of 15 kids who ran all summer and put in what I believe was a strong developmental summer.  They are now starting to mature in their training age, and handling 55-65 mile weeks with no problem.   We have had good quality runs and solid paces which lead me to believe that we could have the best team in 10 years,” said Tom Polak. “They all have had good track seasons with strong development.  I have a group that has trained year round for over two years, and I believe can make a run at qualifying out of tough Schaumburg Sectional.  BUT the big question mark is the lack of experience, and running under the gun.   I believe we need to have some success early in the season to build momentum late in the season. We should get a good idea of how much progress we made at Fenton Invitational in early September.”