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DyeStat Illinois – 2014 IHSA 3A Boys State Cross Country Meet PreviewPublished by
By Michael Newman
The final race of the day at Detweiller Park on Saturday could be the most exciting. Come to think of it, the 3A Boys race is usually the spotlight race of the day. This year will be no exception. The individual field is dynamite with Jesse Reiser and Zach Dale leading a list of runners to contend for the state championship.
In some eyes, Sandburg has the state championship wrapped up especially after their strong sectional performance winning with only a nine second split. State championships are not won on paper. The Eagles are the strong favorites to capture their first state championship. There are 25 other schools in this field that would like to say otherwise.
Four schools separated themselves from the pack early in the season with anybody’s guess who would be behind them. After last weekend’s sectional races, that outlook has changed. Sandburg is the favorite, but there could be up to ten schools that have a shot of being in the top three. That will make watching the race Saturday afternoon even more exciting.
Here is a look at each of the teams that qualified for the state meet along with a preview of the top individuals in this race.
Good luck to all athletes, coaches, and fans that will be a part of this on Saturday.
Individuals
This is the most anticipated race of the day. I think it started that way at the end of the track season when Jesse Reiser (McHenry HS) was crowned the 3A state champion in the 3200 and then three weeks later, Zach Dale (Conant HS, Hoffman Estates) ran 14:29 for 5k to earn All-American status at the New Balance Nationals. The two have been on a collision course all season. The two raced against each other last weekend at the Schaumburg Sectional. Both runners did not show their ace cards preferring to lay their cards on the table on Saturday. Reiser won that race in the last 300 meters with an all-out kick. Dale finished six seconds back.
Ryan Clevenger (North HS, Downers Grove) raced against Reiser early in the year at the First to the Finish Invitational finishing 12 seconds behind the McHenry runner. Clevenger is stronger now and anticipating the match-up. He likes to push the pace early. Maybe that will happen on Saturday. Matt Pereira (Lake Zurich HS) was a second behind Dale at the sectional race last Saturday. His confidence is growing with every race. He will be up front. Dorrion Gordon (O’Fallon HS) could be a factor in this race. He ran 14:37 earlier in the year on this course. O’Fallon tends to peak at the right time. I expect him to be towards the front.
The dark horse in this race could be Keagan Smith (Huntley HS). He has raced Reiser twice in the last month finishing seven seconds behind him at Peoria Central at the beginning of the month and 20 seconds back at the Fox Valley Conference Meet. Smith won the individual race at St. Charles by 17 seconds Saturday. Observers said that he looked easy doing it.
The final sectional at Niles West provided a small surprise. It was not a surprise that Jack Carroll (Loyola Academy, Wilmette) won the race with a strong kick. He could be in the top ten Saturday. It was the second place finish by Freshman Charlie Kern (York HS, Elmhurst was the surprise. Kern won the regional the week before and finished second in the WSC-Silver meet. He has been towards the front at the end of races. It will be interesting to see where he finishes Saturday.
The weather will play a factor in this race. There is supposed to be an 18 mph wind from the NW at race time with temperatures in the 40’s. We are all hoping for a fast time from the front runners. If the wind whips up, we could see a tactical race. That may come down to Reiser’s strength of a strong last mile. If the wind is calm, it will be a fun race to watch. Who will push the pace? When will the first surge happen? Who will finish 14:10 or faster? That is what I think it will take to win this race if the conditions are good. Otherwise, I think we could see a time near 14:20 to win it.
I think there could be eight other runners that could place in the top 25. Keep an eye on Kevin Salvano (Buffalo Grove HS), Peter Johnsrud (Oswego HS), Dustin Macuiba (Warren HS, Gurnee), Kyle Cepeda HS (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS), Graham Brown (Palatine HS), Brady Bobbitt (Marmion Academy, Aurora), Dhruvil Patel (Niles North HS, Skokie), and Irwin Loud (Oak Park-River Forest HS).
The other team runners that I think have a chance to place in the top 25 include Brydon Groves-Scott (Edwardsville HS), Connor Horn and Michael Widmann (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville), Seth Conroy (Huntley HS), Chris & Sean Torpy, Tom Brennen, and Greg Bruzinski (Sandburg HS, Orland Park), Matt Plowman (York HS, Elmhurst), Ryan Wieties (Batavia HS), Jon Klaiber (North HS, Naperville), Josh Rosenkranz (New Trier HS, Winnetka), David Rodriguez (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights), Blake Evertsen and Chris Brenk (Hinsdale Central HS), Tommy Kolacki (Lincoln-Way Central HS, New Lenox), Daniel Santino and Andy Weber (St. Ignatius Prep, Chicago), Henry Mierzwa (Maine South HS, Park Ridge), Chris Buechner and Eric Neumann (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn), Michael Hahndorf (McHenry HS), Conner Madell (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange), and Raul Rosendo (Central HS, Joliet).
Teams (Listed by final ranking, then alphabetical)
Hinsdale Central Final DS IL Ranking – 1 Sectional – 2nd – Marist Box – 23
Overview – The defending state champions will be hungry for a better team race after finishing second at Marist behind Sandburg last week. Blake Evertsen has proved he is one of the top runners in the state. He should battle for a top ten finish. The big concern is their second and third runners Chris Brenk and Matt McBrien. Both missed the regional race due to nagging injuries. Brenk ran last week but was 24 seconds behind Evertsen as the team’s third runner. The team was successful early in the year when the trio was within 10 seconds at least of each other. McBrien missed last Saturday’s sectional race. He will be in the lineup on Saturday. Josh Feldman and Alex Domiano need to be within 30 seconds of Evertsen in this race. The splits for this team the last meets at conference and sectionals were 38 seconds and 43 seconds respectively. That split needs to come down to near 30 seconds for this team to have a chance at a trophy.
Orland Park Sandburg Final DS IL Ranking – 2 Sectional – 1st – Marist Box – 8
Overview – The Eagles put in a “wow” performance dominating the Marist Sectional winning scoring only 39 points. The performance should not be a surprise to Sandburg followers. They have been running a tight pack all season. Last week’s nine second 5 man split. They had five runners at 15:00 or under last week. Sandburg could do the same at this state meet. Tom Brennen, Chris & Sean Torpy, and Greg Burzinski could al place in the top 20 if they duplicate their sectional performance. This team has been running under 20 second splits on five since their 18 second split at Richard Spring. If they run similar to the way they have been running all season, it is hard to see any team coming close to Sandburg in this state meet.
Naperville Neuqua Valley Final DS IL Ranking – 3 Sectional – 3rd – Marist Box – 4
Overview – The Wildcats did not run their best race of the year in finishing third only 2 points behind Hinsdale Central at the Marist Sectional. Connor Horn is the front runner for this team. He ran 14:45 at First to the Finish in September. I could see him under 14:40 and in the top ten in this race. Daniel Weiss and Michael Widmann gives Neuqua Valley a strong first three. The two were within 14 seconds of Horn last week. You should see that split go down on Saturday. The key for this team is the split from the trio up front and the Wildcats’ 4th and 5th men. At last week’s sectional meet, 23 seconds separated the two. This team could be in the first three teams at least if their overall slit is near 25 seconds on five. The talent is there to accomplish that.
LaGrange Lyons Township Final DS IL Ranking – 4 Sectional – 5th – Marist Box – 35
Overview - That was not a typical Lyons Township that we saw at Midlothian Meadows last Saturday. The Lions did not run together thus running to a fifth place finish. I do not think we will see the same type of race from this team this Saturday. Connor Madell has shown great improvement this fall. He is a runner that could place in the top 15 in this race. The emphasis will have to be on pack running if this team wants to contend for a trophy. Vince Arata and Zach Szczesniak need to be 10 seconds from Madell in this race. The Lions placed 4th last year mainly with a tight pack that was 18 seconds of each other. They will need to have a split under 26 seconds with Madell in the top 15 for this team to be in contention for a trophy.
Winnetka New Trier Final DS IL Ranking – 5 Sectional – 1st – Niles West Box – 17
Overview – This could be a team that could surprises and finishes in the top 3. They are running the kind of races to accomplish that. The name of the game for the Trevians is a tight pack. At last week’s sectional race, it dipped down to 25 seconds. That kind of split or lower needs to occur on the Detweiller Park course. Josh Rosenkranz has emerged as the top runner for this team. He ran 14:50 at Detweiller earlier in the year. He could finish in the top 15 in this race. New Trier has 6 runners that could step into the second spot. Luke Duros stepped into that spot last week. The split between 1 and 2 needs to be under 10 seconds. New Trier will be in contention for a trophy if those above things happen.
Wilmette Loyola Academy Final DS IL Ranking – 6 Sectional – 3rd – Niles West Box – 13
Overview – The Ramblers have been flying somewhat under the radar this year and could be in the top 3 in this meet also. It is a young squad that has 4 sophomores in the top 7. That youth does not show when they race. Jack Carroll has been a money runner for this team all season. He used a strong kick to win his sectional race. He could be in the top ten this Saturday. Loyola ran their best team split of 41 seconds last weekend. It had been in the 50’s for most of the year. That split needs to stay that close on Saturday. Expect a big race from Todd Christian on Saturday. The senior was 21 seconds behind Carroll last week. He needs to be within 15 seconds of his teammate in this race for the team to be in the trophy talk.
Chicago St. Ignatius Prep Final DS IL Ranking – 7 Sectional – 5th tie – Niles West Box – 25
Overview – It was almost another disaster for St. Ignatius at this sectional meet. The Wolfpack tied for 5th earning themselves a chance to run at the state meet. They did not run their best race of the season but will be looking for a better performance this Saturday. The key for success of this team is keeping their front four close together. Last week it was 29 seconds. If it is near 20 seconds on Saturday, this team will be in the hunt. Daniel Santino finished 10th in the sectional race. He has the potential to finish 20th or better on Saturday. Andy Weber was the fourth runner at sectionals having an off race. He has been within up to 10 seconds of Santino. Closer to Santino benefits the Wolfpack in a big way. John Lennon and Kallin Khan need to be close also to these two. It would not surprise me if this team is on to have 4 runners in the first 30. Their split most of the season has been on an average 55 seconds. That needs to be cut by 10 seconds for this team to contend for a trophy.
Elmhurst York Final DS IL Ranking – 8 Sectional - 5th Tie – Niles West Box – 9
Overview – If last Saturday’s sectional race was a boxing match, the referee was almost ready to call the fight. York got out too slow resulting in them running their worst race of the season. They had to run a strong last mile to escape Niles West with a tie for 5th place and a spot on the starting line at Detweiller Park. They are the underdogs with no one expecting anything from this team. That is when the Dukes are the most dangerous. Freshman Charlie Kern has stepped up as the #1 runner on this team since their conference meet. IF is not inconceivable that he finishes in the top 10 in this race. He does not run like a freshman. The key will be the pack behind Kern. In the last 2 meets, it has been 28 seconds between their 2nd through 5th runners. That needs to come down. Watch for a big race from Matt Plowman He could be in the top 25 in this race even though he finished 22nd at Niles West last week. The Dukes will need to run as a team. The same type of sectional performance could put them as low as 15th. A 43 second split off of Kern could put them in trophy contention.
Glen Ellyn Glenbard West Final DS IL Ranking – 9 Sectional – 2nd – Niles West Box – 32
Overview – Do not be surprised if the Hilltoppers are among the top three in this meet. This WSC-Silver team is peaking at the right time Chris Buechner has emerged as a top runner in the state. He could finish 15th or better on Saturday. One of the keys to this team’s success has been with their front pack. Paul Christian was sick last week but was still their fourth runner. He should be within 10 seconds of Buechner on Saturday. Eric Neumann and Ben Hecht ran their best races of the season so far in the sectional race. They will need those kind of performances for this team to be in the top 3. The split for the team most of the season has been near 50 seconds. Last week, it was only 40 seconds. That kind of race at state could have them bringing hardware back from Peoria.
Lake Zurich Final DS IL Ranking – 10 Sectional – 4th – Schaumburg Box – 31
Overview – This team is going to be dangerous in 2015. The Bears are still a very good team that could contend for a top 10 finish. They did not have their best race of the year especially with one of their runners falling early in the race. This team is young with 4 of their top 5 either sophomores or freshmen. Matt Pereira will be among the top runners in this race. Expect him to finish in the first five. The split from Pereira to the rest of the pack was 63 seconds last week. Watch for #2 runner Patrick Burns to be anywhere from 50 to seconds away. This team will be tenth or higher if their 2nd through 5th runner pack is under 18 seconds.
Arlington Heights Hersey Final DS IL Ranking – 11 Sectional – 1st – Schaumburg Box – 19
Overview – The Huskies went out too slow last week at Busse Woods but still recovered to win the sectional championship. They will need to be in better position at the mile on Saturday to finish 10th or higher. David Rodriguez has been running strong all season. You can expect him to finish in the top 10 in this race. They have a solid pack behind Rodriguez led by Kevin Ziegenhorn. The gap between Rodriguez and the pack was 19 seconds with an overall 5 runner split of 37 seconds. If the 2-5 split is 15 seconds with an overall split of 32 seconds, the Huskies could challenge for the top ten and possibly a trophy.
Naperville North Final DS IL Ranking – 13 Sectional – 1st – St. Charles East Box – 15
Overview – The DVC champs are sneaky good and could challenge for a trophy this weekend. Jon Klaiber could be the state’s most improved runner. He could finish in the top 12 on Saturday. Part of North’s success has been their first four runners and how close they run together. The split on the first four was 30 seconds last week. That needs to come down 10 seconds on Saturday. Kerry Gschwendtner has recovered from an early season injury and now has boosted the team’s hopes for a trophy. He could finish in the top 25 in this meet. Their 5 runner split has been near 51 seconds most of the season. That needs to be cut down in this meet. It could be the difference between a top 5 finish and a top 15 finish.
O’Fallon Final DS IL Ranking – 14 Sectional – 1st – Quincy Box – 7
Overview – I think people are discounting this team mainly because of their performance at Richard Spring when they scored over 300 points to place sixth. This team is better than you think. Dorrian Gordon is one of the top runners in the state. You can expect him to be in the top five on Saturday. Watch the gap between Gordon and #2 runner Logan Whorton. If Whorton can stay within 27 seconds of his teammate, he could finish in the top 25 and help his team. The Panthers have been running split on five near 60 seconds the past few weeks. A split of 51 seconds could put this team in contention for a top five finish and possibly a trophy.
Naperville Central Final DS IL Ranking – 15 Sectional – 2nd – St. Charles East Box – 29
Overview – Which Naperville Central team will we see on Saturday afternoon? The Redhawks have been up and down most of the season but successful at the same time. They packed it up with only a 13 second five runner split in their second place finish last week. Their split the last couple of weeks has been near 43 seconds. Geoffrey McCullough is an underrated runner that could place in the top 25 in this meet. #2 runner Scott Hicks was with McCullough last week. He needs to stay at least 10 seconds or fewer behind. Central could finish in the top ten but will need a split of 30 seconds or better to achieve that.
Downers Grove North Final DS IL Ranking – 17 Sectional – 4th – Marist Box – 20
Overview – The Trojans have bounced back from a sub-par conference performance to run two good races in route to qualifying for the state meet. Ryan Clevenger will be among the leaders individually Saturday giving this team single digit points to start out with. It was a big plus for Alec Danner and Zac Christensen to be running together at r=the sectional meet. If the two are within 35 seconds of Clevenger, it would be big for this team. Their split last week was a season best 64 seconds last week. The Trojans could finish in the top ten if their split is under 55 seconds with three runners in the first 36.
Park Ridge Maine South Final DS IL Ranking – 18 Sectional – 4th – Niles West Box – 28
Overview – For those teams that have followed Maine South all year, it was no surprise that they finished fourth at their sectional race. Their big plus was the return of top five runners Brian Sodaro and Aidan Gaskin. It dropped the Hawks split from 72 seconds down to 48 last weekend. Henry Mierzwa and Paul d’Ambrosio have been running together most of this season. One or both of these runners could finish in the top 25. The split needs to be near 45 seconds for this team to finish 10th or better.
New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central Final DS IL Ranking – 20 Sectional – 2nd – Quincy Box – 24
Overview – The Knights ran a good race to finish second at Quincy. Tommy Kolacki and Ian Peterson have the potential to place in the top 25. Last week Peterson was 11 seconds behind Kolacki. The previous two meets Peterson was his team’s top runner. The split for this team has been in the 45 to 50 second range during the year. They will need that kind of split to finish 15th or better at state.
Edwardsville Final DS IL Ranking – 22 Sectional – 3rd – Quincy Box – 3
Overview – The Tigers qualified for the state meet once again with a third place finish at Quincy. Their front two Brydon Groves-Scott and Wes Schoenthal could potentially finish in the top 25. Groves-Scott could finish in the top 15. The big boost for Edwardsville has been the return of Ethan Townzen. A top three runner last year, he missed most of the season with an injury. He is now in the top five. He could get this team to place 15th or better. The split ion five last week was 65 seconds. That needs to come down for that to happen.
McHenry Final DS IL Ranking – 23 Sectional – 2nd – Schaumburg Box – 34
Overview – The Warriors ran their best race of the season so far in placing a strong second at Schaumburg. Daniel Tonyan has been a big part of that. The junior was the 6-7 runner for McHenry most of the year. He stepped up in the last 2 meets and has strengthened their top five. You know that McHenry will get single digit points from Jesse Reiser who will be going after a state championship. One of their keys could be Michael Hahndorf. Do not be surprised if he finishes in the top 20. The 2-5 split last week off of Reiser was 24 seconds. If they can keep that kind of split and stay 50 seconds behind Reiser, this team could finish 15th or better.
St. Charles East Final DS IL Ranking – 24 Sectional – 4th – St. Charles East Box – 27
Overview – The Saints used a 46 second split to finish 4th at their own sectional. Mark Sciurba has been the front runner for this team all season and could end up in the top 25. Their 2 through 5 split was only 18 seconds last week. They will need that kind of split to finish 15th or better in this meet.
Barrington Final DS IL Ranking – Unranked Sectional – 3rd – Schaumburg Box – 16
Overview – The Broncos have been in and out of the top 25 most of the season. They ran their best race of the season to place 3rd at Schaumburg. Kyle Monahan has stepped up to be the #1 runner on this squad. He has the potential to place in the top 25. Barrington will need a 40 second split off of a good finish by Monahan to place 20th or better in this meet.
Batavia Final DS IL Ranking - Unranked Sectional – 3rd – St. Charles East Box – 11
Overview – A strong front 3 of Ryan Wieties, Patrick Redmond, and David Morrison boosted the Bulldogs to a third place finish at Leroy Oaks and a state qualifying berth. Wieties has the potential to place in the top 25. The split on five last week was 72 seconds. That needs to be lower along with Redmond / Morrison to be within 10 seconds of Wieties for Batavia to be 20th or better in this meet.
Frankfort Lincoln-Way North Final DS IL Ranking – Unranked Sectional – 4th – Quincy Box – 21
Overview – Lincoln-Way North makes their first state meet appearance in school history after finishing 4th last Saturday at Quincy. John Chomiak has been the #1 runner for this team all season. It was a plus that Noah Healy was within 3 seconds of Chomiak. The split has dropped over the last 3 meets and now down to 36 seconds. The split needs to be 40 seconds or faster with Chomiak in the top 50 in order for this team to place 20th or better.
Hoffman Estates Final DS IL Ranking – Unranked Sectional – 5th – Schaumburg Box – 12
Overview – It has been a great season for the Hawks having won the MSL West Divisional title. Their season was extended 1 week after they finished 5th at Schaumburg. Bryan Gamboa and Matt Peterson have been the front runners for this team all season. The success of this team has been the tight pack running. It was 20 seconds on five last week. If Gamboa or Peterson is among the top 50 with that kind of split, this team could finish 20th or better at Detweiller.
Huntley Final DS IL Ranking – Unranked Sectional – 5th – St. Charles East Box – 5
Overview – The Red Raiders make their first state meet experience in school history by finishing 5th at St. Charles. Keagan Smith has the potential to finish in the top 5 after a strong sectional win. Teammates Seth Conroy has a chance to place in the top 25 along with teammate Mike Grocholoski if the two race together on Saturday. Their split on five was 101 seconds last week. That needs to drop to 80 seconds if this team wants to finish in the top 20.
Joliet Central Final DS IL Ranking – Unranked Sectional – 5th – Quincy Box – 37
Overview – The Steelmen qualify after finishing 5th at Quincy. Raul Rosendo has been the rock for this team all year. You can expect him to be in the top 25 in this race. The split from 2 through 5 was 40 seconds last week with their overall split at 86 seconds. Their overall split needs to be cut to 70 seconds if this team has visions of placing 20th or higher.
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