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Mahomet-Seymour looks for the repeat in 2017 2A BoysPublished by
ILXCTF Cross Country Season Previews
By Michael Newman
The one thing to always remember is that the team from the year before is not like the one you may be in now. It does not matter if you return every runner. It will be different. The chemistry between teammates will change. The feeling will be different when you step to the starting line. It happens to every championship team and every person that has coached or run realizes that. “I think the runners are always hopeful that we will have another strong season,” Mahomet-Seymour Coach Neal Garrison said. “However, they are realistic in knowing that so many things went right for us last year. It would be so hard for everything to fall into place two years in a row.” It could fall into place two years in a row for the Bulldogs. Three all-state runners are back looking at finding that feeling again. They are the favorite. Not a lock to win but the favorite. Normal University is the top returnee but the loss of their #2 returning runner brings them closer to the pack. After these schools, it is so wide-open. Here are the previews for the top 60 schools in 2A Boys for the upcoming 2017 cross-country season.
2A Boys Top 25
1 Mahomet-Seymour 2016 Finish – 2A State Champs Coach – Neal Garrison Top Runners – Riley Fortune SR (13, 14:54), Mattias Powell JR (18, 14:59), Ryan Hodge SR (19, 15:00), Evan Burge SR, Bryson Keeble JR, Kaelan Davis JR, Garret Williams Sr, Joe Churm SR, David Wilcoski SO, Kyle Sheehy SR, Nate Stirgotte SR, Gavin Williams SO. Notes – It can be tough when you lose three all-state runners to graduation after winning a state team championship. If you are Mahomet Seymour’s Coach Neal Garrison, it is a comfort that you have three all-state runners coming back for this season. Their team was so dominating last year. In their conference race at Maxwell Park, six runners were at 15 minutes or under at the finish. That domination continued at the state meet with one of the best 2A team performances ever. That built to a third-place finish at the NXR Midwest Regional where they placed third. That led to a trip to the Nike Cross Nationals. “I think there are so many benefits and drawbacks of being the returning State champs. It was such a fun year last year,” Garrison said. “It was so nice to see hard working kids with great character do so well. I was so proud of them. I think the runners and I all know that last year is not a guarantee for success this year.” This will not be the same kind of team that the Bulldogs had last year. They do have the possibility of getting three runners in the top 10 in November. Mathias Powell and Ryan Hodge have showed that they are having a good summer of training with both running 14:55 in July at Detweiller at Dark. Finding a fourth and fifth scorer will be one of the keys. Most likely it will be Evan Burge and Bryson Keeble. Burge was the team’s fourth runner at regionals and fifth at sectionals with Keeble one spot behind Burge. The drop off from the first three is not that bad. Burge finished 22 seconds behind Powell and Hodge in the sectional race. In the two-state series races, Keeble averaged 22 seconds behind Burge. Mahomet-Seymour will be the team to beat like they were a year ago. “In some way, I think it could hurt us by placing a target on our back,” Garrison added. “It gives me a great amount of admiration for programs like York, Yorkville, St. Teresa, Neuqua Valley, Downers Grove North, Grayslake, Normal U-High, St. Joseph-Ogden, and so on that have learned how to produce a highly successful team year after year. We have a ton to learn from programs that have learned how to not only get to the top once, but be able to stay at the top.” Pack running will happen again but not like last year. The Bulldogs will have the three runners up front. Burge and Keeble, who ran close together in most of the races last year, will lead the next pack of four runners. “My hope is that our last year's success at the State level and getting an opportunity to run at NXN Nationals gives our runners more confidence without giving us a sense of having reached the top and not needing to work hard anymore,” concluded Garrison. It was a once in a lifetime experience that we would be grateful to have a second time.”
2 Normal University 2016 Finish – 3rd 2A State Coach – Lester Hampton Top Runners – Jared Schuckman SR (11, 14:53), Tanner Gillam SR (85, 15:59), Matthew Zachiras SR (132, 16:27), Harrison Porter SR (150, 16:41), Jackson McClure JR, Dane Alexander JR, Alok Kamatar SR, Sean Supan JR, Cooper Wilken JR, Alex Hess SO, Josh Lewis SR. Notes – The Pioneers will go after another state trophy after finishing third in last year’s state meet. They will miss their top runner Jack Franklin who has graduated. U-High will also miss Zach Wolford who finished 26th as the team’s third runner last year. The junior decided not to run this fall though he is expected to compete in track next spring according to Coach Lester Hampton. With those two runners missing, this team will need rely on their depth to get back on the podium at Detweiller Park. Jared Schuckman had a great spring helping his team win the 3200 Meter Relay as well as earning all-state in the 1600 Meter Run at the state meet. The 4:13 that he ran last spring should give him more confidence this fall. Then comes the pack. Matthew Zachiras and Tanner Gillam should lead the pack. Zachiras was part of that relay as well as dropping his personal best in the 1600 to 4:24. Harrison Porter, Josh Nepomuccno, and Jackson McCune are some of the runners that will be fighting for top five spots. The Pioneers could have up to nine runners fighting for six racing spots on the varsity level. Their pack needs to stay tight on six runners to challenge Mahomet-Seymour for the state title. Schuckman will be among the top five in November. Their pack needs to stay within 25 seconds of each other as well as 40 seconds of their leader. “We would like to establish ourselves as one of the top teams in the State regardless of class,” Hampton said. “We were able to somewhat do that last year, but would like to take it a step further this year.”
3 Danville 2016 Finish – 12th 2A State Coach – Todd Orvis Top Runners – Michael Moreman SO (64, 15:48), Sincere Williams-Davis SR (82, 15:57), Brandon Barfel JR (142, 16:34), Roberto Rangel JR (143, 16:34), Phillip Hall SR (181, 17:07), Quemari Williams JR, Noah Hile JR, Lukas Burleson SO, Dylan Watson SO, Easton Towne SR, Anthony Jackson SR, Aaron Allen SO. Notes – The Vikings did not have their best race of the year finishing 12th at state. The week before at the Decatur MacArthur Sectional, Danville finished fourth. Five runners are back from last year’s team. One of the big things to watch is how Phillip Hall runs this fall. He did not have a good finish to the season but came back in track to run 1:54 for 800-meters. “I have to believe that after running 1:54, he has the capability to run low 15 over three miles,” Coach Todd Orvis said. “We really need a single digit finish from him at every meet.” Hall for the first half of the season was the team’s top runner. Danville displayed good pack running during last season with splits on five between 15 to 20 seconds. Michael Moreman, Sincere Williams-Davis, and Roberto Rangel will be a good support pack behind Hall. One surprise for this team could come from Quemari Williams. The junior ran 48.70 for 400-meters qualifying for the state meet. He displayed his strength by running 1:57.96 for 800-meters two weeks before the state meet. “He is working hard and is clear that he wants to be a contributing factor on this team,” added Orvis. Watch the first month of the season to see how Williams adapts to cross-country. Two things need to happen for Danville to be among the top three teams at state. Hall could finish in the top 25. Confidence from his track season could help with that. Danville had great packs during the meets leading up to the state series. It was 22 seconds on their scorers at their conference meet. It was 53 seconds at state. Those two things added together could lead to some good things for this team. “We haven't talked much as a team about goals for the season to be honest,” stated Orvis. “Our program has reached a point where our goals are pretty much the same going into each season. Win the conference and finish in the top 10 at the state meet. Our goals then become a bit more detailed as the season progresses.”
4 Chatham-Glenwood 2016 Finish – 8th 2A State Coach – Michael Garber Top Runners – Dathon Maton JR (68, 15:49), Cooper Peterson JR (81, 15:56), Logan Capps SR (89, 16:01), Drey Maton JR (109, 16:12), Gil Rudin SR (137, 16:31), Graham Turk SO, Grant Edwards JR, Rene Croteau SO, Martin Carter SR, Cameron Smith FR, Landon Verenski FR, Thomas Herbst FR, Aidan Peterson FR, David Thomas FR. Notes – There is a good chance that Chatham-Glenwood will better their 8th place finish at state from a year ago. The Titans do lose their top runner Chris Durr who has graduated but finished 32nd at state. Five runners return from that state team along with a stud freshman class that won the IESA state cross-country championships. “We have had a great summer of training,” Coach Mike Garber said. “By the end of August, we will have between five and nine runners that will be in our 500-mile club, and many more that will qualify for our 300-mile club. The team knows we have the talent and drive to do some big things this season. They are pushing each other to find another level in racing.” Chatham-Glenwood might not have the front runner this year like they had Durr in 2016. It will come down to pack running. That is something that this squad knows how to do. The quartet of Dathon & Drey Maton, Cooper Peterson, and Logan Capps were only separated by 23 seconds at the state meet. Capps is the one runner that I would keep an eye on. He started out slow last season but came on strong ending up as the team’s fourth runner. A strong freshman group will supplement the five runners returning top five finishers in the IESA meet Cameron Smith and Landon Verenski. You can never ask freshman to lead but maybe these two can. Nevertheless, they will add to what already is a deep team. The Titans could have their sights on a trophy. With no front runner, they will need to have a tight pack starting between 30th and 40th places by the time they get to November. This team has good chemistry. That’s something you need when you step to the starting line. “We always have big expectations. This season is no different,” Garber added. “Normal U-High has been added to the Central State 8, so our conference is going to be fantastic. The push for us this season is to find the awards stand in November. We hope to learn something from every race and every workout. I believe a top 3 finish is attainable, but we must stay consistent in our drive to that goal. The Maton twins, Cooper Peterson and Logan Capps have eyes on All State finishes and have been training this summer to get there.”
5 Springfield 2016 Finish – 10th 2A State Coach – Dan Devlin Top Runners – Kyle Boughter SO (34, 15:17), Will Formea JR (62, 15:47), Ryan Waldinger JR (129, 16:26), Isaac Becker SO (133, 16:27), Shaul Latif SR (141, 16:34), Jack Flesner JR (179, 17:04), Sam Forness SO, Cameron Vanmetre JR, Ben Brower SO. Notes – Springfield snuck up on some teams last year because of their “so-called” inexperience because they had three sophomores and two freshmen in their top seven. The Senators ended up finishing 10th at state. With only one runner graduating and everyone back, the experience of last fall could pay off in November. The Central State Eight Conference Meet was tight last year between Springfield and Chatham-Glenwood coming down to a sixth-runner edge for Chatham-Glenwood. Springfield will have the power up front with sophomore Kyle Boughter leading this team. Will Formea was 30 seconds behind Boughter in their final two meets giving this team a strong 1-2. With low points from him, the Senators pack will need to be close together. That pack led by Ryan Waldinger and Isaac Becker will need to keep a ten second spread between the three. They were able to do it last year. This trio should be able to do it again this fall.
6 Sycamore 2016 Finish – 9th 2A State Coach – Michael Lambdin Top Runners – Stephen Poorten SR, Jake Carani SR (79, 15:54), Paul Ruetten SO (98, 16:07), Quintan Benzschawel SR, Riley Melton SR (163, 16:54), Bailin Farrell JR, Eric Handel SO, Cam Carani SO, Jack Cambier FR. Notes – The Sycamore Boys team had their hearts broken after finishing third at the tough Belvidere Sectional. They discovered afterwards that their #1 runner Stephen Poorten had a stress fracture and would not be able to run the state meet. The Spartans regrouped to finish ninth at state. Imagine what they would have paced with Poorten in there. He had finished fourth at Belvidere the week before. Four runners are back from that team including Poorten. He is healthy having been all-state in the 3200 Meter Run during the spring. “The summer went well,” said Coach Michael Lambdin. “One of our best. Boys were attending workouts on a regular basis. Additionally, when other summer activities pulled them away, the boys were returning without a loss of fitness. They were making time to run on their own.” Poorten will be one of the top runners in the state. A good pack behind him will be needed. Jake Carani and Paul Ruetten should lead the four runners behind Poorten. Freshman Jack Cambier had a good summer and will challenge for a top five spot according to Lambdin. This team is deep so there could be trading off positions in the top ten. Sycamore was a top ten team last year with or without Poorten. It should be the same way this fall. “With our top 14 boys competing for a spot on our state series roster, this year's team is one of Sycamore's deepest,” stated Lambdin. “In addition to our depth, the seniors have provided great leadership. The team is excited about the opportunities this season presents.”
7 Normal Community West 2016 Finish – 6th 3A Edwardsville Sectional Coach – Chad Aubin Top Runners – Tyler Dunn SR (210, 17:28), Gabrel Bush JR, Charlie Wetzel SO, Colin McQueen SR, Spencer Allsop SR, Zaine Losk SR, Nick Baumgardner SR, Jacob Tomera JR, Michael Cleary SR. Notes – The Wildcats return to Class 2A after spending a year in 3A. Their finish was pretty good just missing qualifying for the state final by finishing sixth at the 3A Edwardsville Sectional. The top six runners return from that sectional team. The experience in 3A could pay off for Normal West this fall. Tyler Dunn did not have his best race at state finishing 210th in the 3A race. He did run 15:37 at the beginning of October at the Peoria Invitational. He again will be the team’s top runner. The team’s five man split went from 53 seconds at Peoria in October up to 65 seconds in their sectional race. Gabriel will lead the pack behind Dunn. If that five-runner split can stay under 50 seconds this season, they will be able to toe the line at Detweiller Park in November. 8 Maple Park Kaneland 2016 Finish – 7th 2A Burlington Central Regional Coach – Chad Clarey Top Runners – Matthew Richtman SR (4, 14:36), Daniel Occhipinti SO, Aidan Lodwig JR, Payton Heiser SR, Jacob Wielgos JR, Henry Nosek SR, Sam Webster SR, Drake Nemec JR. Notes – The season ended too early for most of the Kaneland runners when they finished seventh at the Burlington Central Regional failing to advance to sectionals. Matt Richtman made it to state individually finishing fourth. It is nice to have the top returning runner leading your team. With six other runners coming back, the Knights could have a chip on their shoulder entering this season. Their worst race of the year was at regionals. Part of it had to do with normal top three runner Sam Webster not racing. Henry Nosek was the second man most of last year until near the end of the season when he was the seventh runner in the regionals race. Both are healthy and ready to go. You can ignore the five-runner split for Kaneland. Richtman is a step ahead of the rest of the team which is good. Nosek, Webster, and sophomore Daniel Occhipinti give a good pack behind that could move this team into contention for a state trophy. Staying healthy and the pack staying within 30 seconds of each other and 65 seconds behind Richtman could get them within reach of some hardware to bring back from Peoria.
9 Marion 2016 Finish – 7th 2A State Coach – Eli Baker Top Runners – John Bruce SO (48, 15:29), Ryan Melvin SR (73, 15:51), Levi Bryant SR (76, 15:53), Julian McPhail SR (135, 16:31), Michael Rutkowski SR (174, 17:03), Jade Chew JR (205, 18:01), Joe Sullins JR, Steven Kosco SO. Notes – Marion ran their best race of the season when they finished seventh at state last November. They do lose top runner Zach Young to graduation but return the rest of that state team ready for another drive to the state meet this fall. “We are looking forward to another good season,” said Coach Eli Baker. “The team has been putting in a lot of miles and are ready to start racing. We have 6 of our top 7 returning, and I think that experience will help us in the long run.” John Bruce had a good freshman season last fall as the team’s second runner finishing 48th at state. His improvement over the past year could push him into the top 25. The pack behind Bruce improved towards the end of last year led by Ryan Melvin and Levi Bryant. Keeping their other scorers within 45 seconds of each other would be a good sign. Melvin was within 22 seconds of Bruce at state. If the pack can stay that close to Bruce, a finish of fifth place or better is possible.
10 Lake Villa Lakes 2016 Finish – 8th 2A Belvidere Sectional Coach – Travis Shepherd Top Runners – Kael Moran SR, Ethan Schoemer JR, Jack Erwin JR, Owen Wenberg JR, RJ Migas SO, Charlie Halberg JR, Talon Knauf SO, Tim Smith SO, Max Burton SR, Jorge Halek SR, Ethan Albenero SR. Notes – Even after losing all-state runner Jeremy Wallace, Lakes Community is ready for the 2017 season returning six of their top seven on varsity. It won’t matter that this team could be in the toughest sectional in the state at Kaneland, their eighth-place finish from a year ago was an indication that the Eagles could punch a ticket to Peoria for November’s state meet. Kael Moran will step into to replace Wallace at the top spot. He ran 15:36 in Peoria during the season last fall. He could drop his time down 30 seconds on that course. An injury from track has slowed him down this summer. He should be ready to go at the start of the season. The surprise on this team could be sophomore Talon Knauf. During the track season as a freshman, he ran 2:01.69 for 800-meters. Coach Travis Shepherd mentioned that he has been training this summer with the top group. This team has the potential to get out of the rough Kaneland Sectional. Keeping their split on five near 50 seconds would help. “I think that we have set some high expectations for this year. We worked hard last year to qualify for state, but despite our best efforts, fell short. Regardless of Sectional assignments, we plan to not only find our way to Peoria this year, but to make some noise,” Shepherd said. “In training, I anticipate some more growing pains like we had this Summer. We will not be at full force until Kael fully returns. I will not rush him back, so that may not be until October. In the mean-time, our Sophomores and Juniors will be expected to carry the load. We have the potential to build upon last year which was our best year ever. Look for us to do our damage with a tight pack.”
11 Dixon 2016 Finish – 13th 2A State Coach – Evan Thorpe Top Runners – Jonah Fulton SR (83, 15:58), Christian Seagren SO (100, 16:09), Collin Grady JR (116, 16:17), Andrew Lohse JR (139, 16:33), Jacob Heller SR (160, 16:52), Logan Griswold SO, Thomas Sitter SO, Nic Peterson SO, Brock Drengenberg FR, Cadyn Grafton FR. Notes – Dixon returns five runners from last year’s state team that finished 13th. This team did not have a “front runner” last year. They do have a solid four to lead. Collin Grady could be the front man according to Coach Evan Thorpe. “Collin was a 4:46 miler in 8th grade however he has not seen that type of success since,” Thorpe said. “He has had a very solid summer and we look for him to lead of team.” The Dukes have a solid freshman class coming in with Brock Dregenberg one of the frosh to watch. Keeping their top five within 35 seconds of each other would be a big help. They could even find their way into the top ten this season.
12 Metamora 2016 Finish – 6th 2A State Coach – Gene Jones Top Runners – Adam Gilbreath-Glaub SO (20, 15:01), Robert Pedroza SO (50, 15:30), Ryan Meyer SR (107, 16:12), John Rapp JR (131, 16:27), Frank Deluca SR (176, 17:03), Nick Koval SR, Reagan Pace JR, Travis Roe SR, Jacob Gray JR, Austin Gale SO. Notes – This is another team to keep an eye on that will challenge for a position in the top five. The Redbirds did lose double state champion in track Jake Gillum to graduation. They do return five runners from last year’s sixth-place state team. Adam Gilbreath-Glaub was the “wonder-frosh” last year finishing 20th at state. He will be the top runner on this team that could finish this fall in the top ten. Another sophomore, Robert Pedroza, was a consistent third runner for the team last year but moved to Florida during the second semester of last year. That will be a big loss for Metamora. Seniors Nick Koval and Ryan Meyer along with junior John Rapp will fill the three to five positions for this team. Gilbreath-Glaub will be the front-runner with the pack needing to be 20 to 25 seconds back. That pack needs to stay within 35 to 40 seconds of each other to keep vision on a top five or better finish in November.
13 Riverside-Brookfield 2016 Finish – 11th 2A State Coach – Larry Forberg Top Runners – Connor O’Brien SR (67, 15:49), Jacob Wardzala SR (93, 16:04), Jack Sagen SR (117, 16:18), Ryan Hahn SR (173, 17:02), Chris Magno JR, Jason Noel SR, David Keen JR, Connor Raymond JR. Notes – The Bulldogs made their way to state last year finishing 11th at Detweiller Park. They will miss all-state runner Mateo Nunez who has graduated. Three seniors will take over the leadership role with Connor O’Brien, Jacob Wardzala, and Jack Sagan. The three ran within a 20 second average of each other most of last season. The same thing will need to happen this season. Chris Magno did not run last year but was in the top ten his freshman season. The junior could help in the top five. There are up to 11 runners that will fight for the top seven. Without Nunez’s presence up front, this pack need to provide numbers close to each other.”
14 Belvidere North 2016 Finish – 9th 2A Belvidere Sectional Coach – Troy Yunk Top Runners – Alec Scott SR, Max Beutel SO, Austin Harnois SR, Virgil Muneymana SR, Tyler Paddock SR, Eric Rodriguez JR, Teddy Roewer SR, Chris Winters SR. Notes – Belvidere North finished ninth in their sectional last year with hopes of making the step to the next level this fall. Four runners are back from last year’s team but will lose last year’s sixth man Jack Macaluso who decided not to run this fall. “Our summer training was good. Nothing unusual for us,” said Coach Troy Yunk. “We had a group of 12 to 15 guys who ran together for part of June and most of July.” This Blue Thunder team will have no runners towards the front in races this year. The emphasis of pack running from a strong group of seniors will be needed led by Alec Scott, Tyler Paddock, and Austin Harnois. The surprise for this team could be sophomore Max Beutel. He showed major improvement during the track season when he ran 10:10 for 3200-meters. He will give this team a bonus within their pack. “With the move of Crystal Lake South to 2A we could have a tough sectional,” added Yunk. “Our team will need to improve a lot to make it to state this year. We have some dedicated guys who buy in and do the training that is required to compete in 2A, but most of our guys are at the ceiling of their potential and we will need to be careful not to get injured with over training.”
15 Bloomington 2016 Finish – 10th 2A Metamora Sectional Coach – John Szabo Top Runners – Nick Doud JR, Austin Bicknell SR, Roger Mendiola JR, Brayden Olmstead, Zachery Bradford SR, Quinn Olson JR, Zach Reynolds SO, Evan Turnbull SO, Drew Gibson SO, Dylan Kosloskus JR, Luke Moore SO. Notes – This is a team that could make it to the starting line at the state meet in November. Five runners are back from the sectional team that finished 10th at Metamora. One of the reasons for the finish was that their top runner Nick Doud collapsed 50-meters from the finish line. At that point, he was in position to qualify individually. He ended up finishing as the top runner for Bloomington but in 35th place. He did run 15:35 at Peoria during the season and 15:44 at Detweiller at Dark. His times should drop this fall. Keeping the split under 60 seconds on their four runners and staying within 10 to 15 seconds of Doud is a must. They do have the runners to do that including Austin Bicknell, Zachery Bradford (2-time 3A Pole Vault State Champion), and Roger Mendiola. “The team wants to improve on their 10th place finish in the tough Metamora sectional and give themselves an opportunity to compete at state,” Coach John Szabo said. “We have 6 of our top 7 back from last year. We expect and will be better. Our pack will be stronger and tighter. The competition for the top 7 will be tough.”
16 Lansing Illiana Christian 2016 Finish – 15th 3A Niles West Sectional Coach – Jim Piaskowy Top Runners – Austin Ohm SR (42, 14:59), Derek Van Prooyen SR, Kyle Mulderink JR, Alex Wondaal JR, Grant Gibson JR, Dominic Turkstra SO, Caleb Perez JR, Luke Haan JR, Ben Ipema JR, Dante Sullivan SO, Kyle Rynhout SR. Notes – This is the final year that Illiana Christian will compete in the IHSA State Meet. They will move into their new building in Indiana at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year. The Vikings are through with the “success factor” and have moved down to 2A from 3A. Five runners are back from the team that finished 15th at the 3A Niles West Sectional. Austin Ohm did qualify individually in 3A last fall and ran 14:59 at Detweiller. He could be one of the top ten runners this fall in 2A. His teammate Derek Van Prooyen had a bad sectional race. He was 30 seconds behind Ohm in that race. The two ran together at times last season. Van Prooyen will need to stay within 15 seconds of Ohm in races. With a strong presence up front, Illiana will need to work on their gap from their third to fifth runners which is projected to be near 150 seconds. If they can manage that gap to 75 seconds and stay within 45 seconds of their first two, Illiana would be a good bet to make it to Detweiller for the final time.
17 Darien Hinsdale South 2016 Finish – 16th 2A State Coach – Jim Dickerson Top Runners – Brett Haffner SR (39, 15:23), Trevor Schauer SR (136, 16:31), Trevor Lehmann JR (154, 16:49), Tim Rudolph JR (162, 16:54), Will Hagen SR (194, 17:28), Nick Beronio SO, Josh Baron SO, Tanner Booth JR, Christian Schulte SR, Alex Grindenov JR, Jayden Arquines SO, Jaimie Slack JR. Notes – The Hornets are in shape to make a return trip back to Peoria this fall. Hinsdale South finished 16th in 2016 and welcome five runners back from that team. Brett Haffner again will be the #1 runner on this team. If he can stay healthy all year, this senior has the talent to finish in the top 25. It will be Haffner then a pack this fall. Trevor Schauer was 68 seconds behind Haffner at state but was as close as 50 seconds at their conference meet. The closer the better especially with Haffner near the front. Trevor Lehman should lead the pack with Schauer. This team is deep with as many as 11 runners challenging for six varsity spots. Newcomers Jayden Arquines and Jaimie Slack could be immediate contributors. The Hornets should be one of the top teams in the Wheaton Academy Sectional. They finished third there a year ago. Chances are very good that this team is at Detweiller Park in November toeing the line. “It sounds corny but I just want to do the best we can,” Coach Jim Dickerson said. “Top 10 at State, however, I believe is a good tangible goal. We will be much deeper than we have been since I have been coaching here, and I hope that will lead to faster times for my 3-7 guys, as they will not be as comfortable as my top 7 has been recently. I've never been more clueless who my top 7 is going to be.”
18 Deerfield 2016 Finish – 13th 3A Waukegan Sectional Coach – Scott Friedlander Top Runners – Matt Gold SR, Henry Shore SR, Ben Wolfe SR, Bradley Brodsky JR, Matt Butler SR, Will Dowell SR, Noah Blaustein SR, Zach Dolnick SR, Declan Black JR. Notes – The question that hits Deerfield early in the summer is which road will they travel on for the cross-country season. Their enrollment is right on the cutoff for 2A and 3A. This year, the Warriors will be on the 2A road. The last time that they competed in 2A, they were assigned to the sectional that Chicago University will host this season. The other road would be going to the Kaneland Sectional which is the toughest sectional in the state. Deerfield will be ready for the challenge. They return four runners from last year’s 13th place Waukegan 3A Sectional team. “Training is going very well. We have a strong core that are putting in serious miles,” said Coach Scott Friedlander. “We preached consistency before intensity this summer to take some of the glory away from winning workouts and instead emphasizing the importance of just running every day and every week without fail for months on end.” Matt Gold was the team’s top runner last year and should be again in 2017 as he could finish in the top 25. Bradley Brodosky ran a 37 second personal best at Detweiller at Dark in July and could be the 2-3 runner with Henry Shore and Ben Wolfe. The pack behind Gold needs to be within 45 seconds of each other which is possible. If they go to Chicago University, they will be the big favorite to win the sectional. If they go to Kaneland, they will be in the hunt for one of the top five qualifying spots. “At State, our hope is to finish higher than any other Deerfield team has in 2A, which means better than 8th place, and our "reach" goal is to win a trophy,” Friedlander added. “Flopping back and forth between 2A and 3A adds some drama in the early summer when classifications are released, but it doesn't change our outlook a whole lot. For many years our goal for the program is to trophy in 2A or qualify for State in 3A, which I think are similar in difficulty, so the classification really just determines which of the two goals we shoot for.”
19 Antioch 2016 Finish – 12th 2A Belvidere Sectional Coach – Chris Bailey Top Runners – Charlie Smith SO, Joe Sculuca SR, Alex Besson SR, Sebastian Schofield JR, Owen Lane FR, Max Barton SR, Josh Linck SO, Eric Hart JR, Luke Menzies SO, Nolan Aschenbrenner SR, Ben Ticsay SO. Notes – In any other sectional, Antioch would be close to a lock to advance to the state meet. Since they have to compete in the Kaneland Sectional, chances to make it to Peoria become that much tougher. The Sequoits have improved so much over last year when they finished 12th at the Belvidere Sectional. This team could be a surprise as they return six from last year’s team. Charlie Smith was one of the top freshman last season. He finished 16th in his sectional race missing qualifying for state by just one spot. Smith ran 9:56 for 3200-meters and should be in Peoria this November. The pack behind Smith led by Joe Sculuca should have less than a 20 second spread between them. Newcomers Sebastian Schofeld and Owen Lane could contribute immediately into the top five. Schofeld played soccer but ran 2:02 last spring in the 800-meters. The key is moving that pack to within 60 seconds of Smith. “This was our best summer in my 9 years as coach. Numbers weren't better, as we consistently had 30-35 everyday, but the number of miles we put in were great,” Coach Chris Bailey said. “My expectation for this year is simple, get better every day. I want the team to be competitive at every meet we run. The boys have high goals for the 2017 season and they feel they can compete at the conference and state level.”
20 Grayslake Central 2016 Finish – 2nd 2A State Coach – James Centella Top Runners – Eli Minsky SR (12, 14:54), Luke Reblin SR (84, 15:58), Dominic Giannini SO, Logan Spaulding SO, Matthew Droessler JR, Ty Sato JR, Roman Tovar JR, AJ Lehman JR, Matthew Anderson SR. Notes – The Rams will have to do a little rebuilding this season especially after losing the top two runners in 2A Jack and Matt Aho to graduation. Only two runners are back from last year’s second-place state team. Grayslake Central also lost their seventh runner from state Ethan Boelens who decided to participate on Basketball and Lacrosse instead. Eli Minsky has been all-state the past two seasons and should push for a finish in the top ten this fall. A severe ankle sprain in mid-July could slow him down to start. He should be ready to go by the time of the team’s first race. Luke Reblin was about 65 seconds behind Minsky as the team’s fourth runner last year. Watch for him to close the gap. A top 50 placing is probable. The Rams has great depth but could show some growing pains in September. Ty Sato and Logan Spaulding have showed great improvement over the summer and will be part of that group. “I am a firm believer in creating expectations based on the talent and team that you have every year,” Coach Jimmy Centella said. “Recently those expectations bringing home a trophy based on the talent that were fortunate enough to have. While we do have two athletes with serious state meet experience returning, overall our team is young and inexperienced. Our expectation is to improve each week and come together as a team throughout the fall months. If we can put ourselves in a position to compete for conference and regional titles as well as a trip down state, it will be a strong season for us.”
21 Woodstock 2016 Finish – 15th 2A Belvidere Sectional Coach – Jay Fuller Top Runners – Julio Arellano JR, Anthony Thomas SR, Diego Cruz JR, Carter Hansen SR, Elvis Valadez JR, Adam Thomas SO, Paul Ferguson JR, Adrian Fernandez JR Notes – The Blue Streaks will look to improve on their 15th place sectional finish. Four runners are back from their team led by #2-#3 runners Julio Arellano and Anthony Thomas. Coach Jay Fuller believes that both runners could qualify individually for state because of the summer training they have gone through. Keeping their split under 90 seconds for the top five could get a win at the Kishwaukee River Conference Championships as well as a top ten finish in their sectional. 22 Elmwood Park 2016 Finish – 25th 2A State Coach – Patrick Sheridan Top Runners – Carlos Sanchez JR (90, 16:02), Devon Schumann SR 108, 16:12, Khris Vicencio JR (156, 16:50), Alex Martinez SR (187, 17:15), Justin Nieves SR (195, 17:33), Michael Jones-Plasencia JR (206, 18:06), Mitchell Wojcik SR (208, 18:15), Jacob Hein SO, Dominic Rildo JR, Julian Delgado SR, Kyle Wassom SR, Luis Gomez SO, Tyler Ocampo JR, Rob Bibrowicz SR. Notes – Elmwood Park was running good last fall entering their sectional meet. They had finished second in their regional meet the week before. A couple of days before the sectional, their top runner was dismissed from the squad. The Tigers rallied to qualify for the state meet finishing 25th in Peoria. All seven runners who toed the line at Detweiller Park are back with hopes of improving their state finish. With Elmwood Park most likely going to be in the Chicago University Sectional, chances are very good that they will be among the first five teams in the sectional. Their five-runner split at sectionals was 80 sectionals followed by a 91 second split at state. Those times will need to come down. With 10 runners fighting for seven spots, that should happen. Carlos Sanchez and Devon Schumann stepped up to lead at the end of last year and should lead again. Tyler Ocampo, who is running in the fall for the first time, ran 10:38 for 3200-meters during the spring and will fight for a three to five spot. Lowering the split by 30 seconds and getting a 20 to 25 second improvement per runner could bring some big things to Elmwood Park. “The future is bright in Elmwood Park, and the present is looking good too,” Patrick Sheridan said. “The boys won conference last year for the first time since 1997 and are committed to repeating that accomplishment. They are in contention to win Regionals and be in the hunt to be in the top 2 or 3 at Sectionals to return to Detweiller for the 5th consecutive year.”
23 Washington 2016 Finish – 7th 2A Normal University Regional Coach – Tom Smith Top Runners – Avery Davidson JR, Alexander Mitchell SR, Reese Borlin JR, Ethan Sabolta JR, Caden Davidson SO, Ben Learned JR, Garret Roberts JR, Max Tellefson JR, Matthew Borrowman SR, Hayden Jackson SR. Notes – Washington just missed making it to the Metamora Sectional placing 7th at the Normal U-High Regional. Their entire top seven is back led by junior Avery Davidson. Their pack split on five most of the season was near 45 seconds. This team could finish in the top ten within their sectional. Their key is just getting 10 to 15 second improvement on each of their top five runners.
24 Aurora IL Math & Science Academy 2016 Finish – 20th 2A State Coach – Paul McLeland Top Runners – Daniel Chen JR (42, 15:27), Istvan Kovach SR (165, 16:58), Jake Sutter JR (167, 16:58), Daniel Soto JR (168, 16:58), Kir Nagaitsev SR (192, 17:23), Harry Smith JR, Gabe Bryk JR, Andrew Peev SR. Notes – The Titans were the surprise and mystery team in 2A last fall. They first finished third in the Hinsdale South Regional following that up by placing second at the Wheaton Academy Sectional. The moments of the state meet possibly intimidated them as they finished 20th in Peoria. “I know the guys were overwhelmed with the quality of athletes at the State meet last year so that experience should help this year,” IMSA Coach Paul McLelland said. Five runners from the state team are back led by Daniel Chen. The junior did not have his best race of the season placing 43rd. He rebounded during track earning all-state at 1600-meters. He is someone we could see in the top ten this fall. IMSA lost their second and third runners from state but do have a good group behind them to build off. Istvan Kovach should lead that group that could include Andrew Peev who has improved dramatically during the summer. Work will need to be done to get the pack to within 60 seconds of Chen. This pack could run within 20 seconds of each other which could get the Titans back to Detweiller Park. The experience from last year should be a big help. “I am excited about this season. The plan is to improve on last year and show it wasn't a fluke. We definitely grew through the season and will do that again,” McLeland said. “Each year I become more impressed at the academic excellence these kids take on AND they add the running too! I can say it has been fun to coach these kids, compete against different teams than the in West Chicago days and help give these kids some belief in their athletic possibilities.”
25 Dunlap 2016 Finish – 22nd 2A State Coach – Chris Friedman Top Runners – Justin Monge SR (159, 16:52), Dane Tow JR (171, 17:01), Gabby Gavino-DaCosta SR (177, 17:03), Jacob Reick SR, Matthew Tomlinson SR, Cody Anderson SR, Sam Royce SR, Max Varness SO, Lincoln Metzger SO. Notes – This could be a rebuilding year for the Eagles as three of their top four runners have graduated from the team that placed 22nd at the state meet. There are no runners back that went under 16 minutes for 3-miles last fall. Justin Monge has the fastest returning time of 16:11 run at Detweiller for their conference meet. This team will need to concentrate on pack running this fall. Monge was ahead of teammate Duane Tow at state. If they can keep a five-runner spread of 40-seconds, this is a team that will be in the hunt for a state bid. “We have two goals every year: win the conference meet and make the state meet,” Chris Friedman. “Our pack is going to have to be tight and moving forward all season for us to challenge for the conference title. I do believe we have the talent to qualify for the state meet.”
The Next 20
Burlington Central 2016 Finish – 11th 2A Belvidere Sectional Coach – Vince Neil Top Runners – Anthony Farmer SO, Gio Martinez SO, Jack Hartmann JR, Jack Zettl SR, Arnulfo Rodriguez SR, Tommy Zeltl SO, Charlie Domagalski JR, Enrique Martinez JR, Adam Kries JR. Notes – The Rockets return four from their sectional team that finished 11th at the Belvidere Sectional. Sophomore Anthony Farmer leads the returnees. Only a sophomore, he finished 23rd at the sectional and could take a huge step ahead this fall. Gio Martinez will lead the pack behind Farmer. Track converts Enrique Martinez and Adam Kries could be big additions in the top five. “Pack running will be the key to our success this fall,” Coach Vince Neil said. “Keeping their split on five at 60 to 62 seconds with Farmer providing single-digit numbers could boost the Rockets to a chance at a top five finish.
Waterloo 2016 Finish – 10th 2A Decatur MacArthur Sectional Coach – Larry Huffman Top Runners – Adam Robson SR, Jackson McAlister SO, David Lunk SR, Eli Ward SO, Matt Dawson JR, Cayden Kirkham SR, Sam Kleinberg JR, David Lewis JR, Jude Topper JR. Notes – Five runners are back from Waterloo’s 10th place sectional team. The big addition to the team should be Cayden Kirkham who transferred in from Illini West. He ran 16:13 at last year’s 1A state meet. He could be the top runner this fall for Waterloo. Adam Robson and Jackson McAllister ran 16:10 at the Peoria Invitational in October and should run with Kirkham. The team could run a split of 40 seconds on their top five. Moving that pack forward should happen and make this team a threat to make it out of their sectional. “This summer, our top 3 have done a great job running. We are consistently getting 40 miles a week,” Coach Larry Huffman said. “Our main goals are to win conference and get out of sectionals as a team.”
Lombard Montini Catholic 2016 Finish – 7th 2A Wheaton Academy Sectional Coach – Joe Mordente Top Runners – Jacob Mondschean SR (60, 15:44), Jayden Gertsen JR, Ian Kurt JR, Brendan Olszewski JR, Matthew Weber SR, Matthew Baka SR, Drew Bolisday JR. Notes – A team to watch this fall. The Broncos could be one of the top five teams in the Wheaton Academy Sectional. Montini missed qualifying for state by 21 points finishing seventh in their sectional. Their top five runners are back led by state individual qualifier Jacob Mondschean who could finish in the top 30 this year. Three juniors are part of the top five led by Jayden Gersten and Ian Kurt. The two through five spread on their runners need to stay at 50 seconds for the group with an overall scoring split of 85 seconds.
Mt. Zion 2016 Finish – 9th 2A Decatur MacArthur Sectional Coach – Kelly Fox Top Runners – Mason Jones JR (44, 15:27), Carson Fenton JR, Cade Baker JR, Collin Perry JR, Max Klebe SO, John Maas SR, Wally Kraus SO. Notes – Possibly a team to watch in 2018. Four juniors and a sophomore comprise their top five that finished ninth last year at the Decatur MacArthur Sectional. Mason Jones qualified individually last fall finishing 44th at state. He could be in the top 25 this season. Work will need to be done on their five-runner spread. It was 106 seconds at last year’s sectional. The Braves will improve this season. They could be a top 15 team a year from now.
Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge 2016 Finish – 7th 2A Belvidere Sectional Coach – Judd Shutt Top Runners – James Lasak SR, Kyle Sargeant SR, Kevin Gilbert SR, Ryan Figgins SR, Jacob Lawrence SR, Jake Laukert SR, Ryan Eschman SR, Grant Jensen JR. Notes – The Wolves lost all-state runner Filip Pajak to graduation. It could be tough for Prairie Ridge to duplicate their seventh-place sectional finish with three runners of that team coming back. James Lasak should be the top runner with times more than one minute ahead of the rest of the pack. Keep an eye on Grant Jensen. The junior said in June after he ran 1:53 at 800-meters that he was going to try cross-country this fall. If his success in track translates over to this season, he could be a surprise for this team.
Charleston 2016 Finish – 17th 2A State Coach – Brian Oakley Top Runners – Austin Ames JR (41, 15:24), Nick Oakley SR (52, 15:35), Lance Niemerg SR (149, 16:39), Luke Buescher SR (180, 17:06), Jonathan Phillips SR (207, 18:06), Isaac Miller SO, Dylan Smith SR. Notes – Charleston snuck into the state meet last fall. After finishing fifth in their regional race, they came back to duplicate that finish at sectionals. Five runners are back from the state team that finished 17th overall. Austin Ames had a fine sophomore season finishing 41st at Detweiller. He could finish in the top 30 in November. Nick Oakley is a runner to watch. He was the team’s top runner at times in 2016. He was 11 seconds behind Ames at state. The Trojans will need to find a fifth runner. Their top four look solid. Charleston could start out slow but watch for them during the state series.
East Peoria 2016 Finish – 7th 2A Metamora Sectional Coach – Brandon Shaver Top Runners – Mark Skaggs SR (49, 15:30), Tyler Billingsley SO, Dawson Dobbelaire JR, Kolby Miller SO, Austin Safford JR, Caleb Alt SO, Donnie Vanwinkle JR, Keaton Vandel FR. Notes – East Peoria came oh-so close to making it to state finishing seventh and missing a state berth by three points. It could be close for them again as five runners are back from that team. Mark Skaggs again will be their lead runner after finishing 49th in last year’s state meet. He came within 10 seconds of his personal best at Det at Dark in July. He could be in the top 25 at the end of the year. Tyler Billingsley ran 15:39 last year as a freshman. An injury early in the summer has hampered his training. He should be back at full strength this season. Work will need to be done to get their split on their top five as it is projected to be close to 140 seconds. “IF everyone stays healthy, we expect to be right on the verge of state qualifying, however, in our sectional, there are always 8-10 teams who could place top 20 vying for 5 spots,” said Brandon Shaver. “For the first time in years, we may have competition for the 4-7 spots, potentially pushing those athletes forward.”
Arlington Heights St. Viator 2016 Finish – 14th 2A State Coach – Wayne Edelman Top Runners – Kevin Goss SR (97, 16:07), Richard Rinka SR (101, 16:09), Brady Collis SR (128, 16:24), Patric Natindim SO (138, 16:33), John Leininger SR (196, 17:35), Dan Dobabneh SR (198, 17:42), Richard Varvara JR, Nathan Kochera FR, Dan Bottchert FR. Notes – The Lions were strong at the end of the year finishing second at the Fenton Sectional and 14th at the state meet. Six runners are back from that state team. Patric Natindim had a good summer according to Coach Wayne Edelman and could be the team’s top runner. Kevin Goss is the team’s top returnee. They had a 56 second split on five last year but only a 26 second spread from their second through fifth runners. With front-runner Sam Brey graduated, this squad will need to concentrate on pack running. Improvement of 25 seconds per runner and a 34 second split on five could get this team into the top ten.
Rock Island Alleman 2016 Finish – 11th 2A Metamora Sectional Coach – Scott Stoll Top Runners – Spencer Smith SR, Brendan Hird SR, Aaron Mickelson JR, Pierre Azar JR, Ethan Johnson SR, Parker Smith JR, Joe Weaver SO. Notes – The Pioneers return four runners from their 11th place sectional team. Their key runner should be Spencer Smith. He had a good summer running 4:05 for 1500-meters and 8:50 for 3000-meters at the USATF Jr Olympics Championships. Brendan Hird will push him for the top spot. “Our team focused more on weights and core strength conditioning this summer and that helped a lot,” said Alleman Coach Scott Stoll. “Our hope is to stay healthy and continue getting stronger so that our athletes will be ready for the difficult post-season in 2A.”
Geneseo 2016 Finish – 9th 2A Metamora Sectional Coach – Don Fredericks Top Runners – Blake Duncan SR, Peter Rizzo JR, Neo Colter SO, Christian Booth SO, Nathan Carroll JR, Adam Wells SR, Juan Mejias-Dansbach JR, Colby Rupps SO, Raymond Venneberg SR, Spencer Lindstrom SO, Rafe Morrison FR, William Plumley FR. Notes – Geneseo has not qualified as a team since 1999. They could get close to Peoria this season. Only three runners return from last year’s ninth-place sectional team. With plenty of depth on this roster, this team has the talent to be among the five top sectional teams. Blake Duncan and Peter Rizzo should be the front runners for the Maple Leafs. “The primary goal of our training program has always been to peak during “Championship Meet Season”, said Geneseo Coach Don Fredericks. “The dream ending to the season would be qualifying for the IHSA State Finals. We have had a plethora of “near misses” over the last several years but the fact remains that we haven’t qualified as a team since 1999. We hope to change that part of our history this fall. Look for the Leafs to be at their best come Championship Meet Season. The goal is to make a deep run into the post season. Hopefully, that includes a trip to Detweiller Park in November.”
Midlothian Bremen 2016 Finish – 9th 2A Wheaton Academy Sectional Coach – Bill Griffin Top Runners – Javier Simenthal SR, Danny Meza SR, William Fuentes SR, Musaab Froukh SR, Shauhamm Razei SR, Elijah Trella SR, Tony Jucik SO, Sam Luna JR. Notes – Bremen could have the talent to make it to the state meet after finishing ninth last year in their sectional. Six runners are back from that team led by Danny Meza and Javier Simental. The team ran on an average 44 seconds from their first through fifth runners at the end of the last year. Maintaining that split as well as their runners improving by 15 to 20 seconds in that group. “We expect to win our South Suburban Blue Conference, contend for the Regional title and qualify for the State meet out of our Sectional,” said Coach Bill Griffin. “Our hopes are that we can land in the top 15 at the state meet, but we must earn our way there first.”
Hampshire 2016 Finish – 6th 2A Belvidere Sectional Coach – Dennis Wozniak Top Runners – Elijah Stuart SR, Santiago Arreola SR, Kyle Blake SR, Angel Yescas SR, Tommy Croissant JR, Teddy Lyon JR. Notes – Hampshire came close to making it to state finishing sixth at the tough Belvidere Sectional. It could be tough getting that close this fall after losing all-state runner Jacob Oury and #2 runner Will Mathushek to graduation. Four runners are back from that sectional team. Elijah Stuart, Santiago Arreola, and Kyle Blake were close together last year and will need to repeat that. Pack running will be the thing to get them into the top ten in the sectionals this fall.
Wheaton St. Francis 2016 Finish – 15th 2A State Coach – Scott Nelson Top Runners – Alex Hernandez SR (61, 15:44), Jon Aquino JR (119, 16:18), Dan Wiezeorick SO (152, 16:46), Joe Leo SR (164, 16:57), Paddy Bess SR, Kyre Chen SR, Coleman Lacy JR. Notes – St. Francis made it to state finishing 15th in Peoria. All-state runner Nick Brouch has graduated leaving four of their top five coming back. Alex Hernandez is a runner that we could see finish in the first 40. The key will be finding a runner to step into the first five scorers.
Sterling 2016 Finish – 4th 2A State Coach – Greg Hendrix Top Runners – Jacob Gebhardt SR (7, 14:41), Mikio Martinez JR (72, 15:51), Isaiah Moorman JR (106, 16:12), Sam Janssen SO (209, 18:46), Jack Wilke SO (210, 19:18), Dillon Nitz SO, Jevon Bruce FR, Sam Brown FR, Trevor Carrell JR, Hunter Carrell JR. Notes – It was a tremendous season for the Golden Warriors as they finished fourth in the 2A State Meet. They do lose all-state runner Jonathan Landis but do have Jacob Gebhardt, who will be one of the individual state favorites, back. Four other runners from that state team also return. A good pack will need to develop behind Gebhardt and stay within 50 seconds of their all-state runner. Mikio Martinez and Isaiah Moorman were in the top five last year and should step into the two-three spots. There are six runners that will fight for the four remaining varsity spots including freshmen Sam Brown and Jevon Bruce. “We expect, if everything goes well, that we will make a return trip to state as a team,” said Sterling Coach Greg Hendrix. “My expectation is that we can contend for a top ten spot as a team. Individually, Jake will contend for the individual state title. I think our program is on the rise and we are very YOUNG (Gebhardt is our only senior), but we are returning 5 of our top 7 from last year, so I think our expectations are attainable and realistic.”
Bensenville Fenton 2016 Finish – 21st 2A State Coach – John Kurtz Top Runners – Christian Sanchez SR (96, 16:06), Jeremy Lodewyck SR (120, 16:19), Michael Lieggi SR (178, 17:04), Alex Whyte SR (182, 17:07), Bryan Medina SR (193, 17:24), Nathan Excante JR, Randy Almarales JR. Notes – Fenton will look to make another trip to the state meet after finishing 21st in Peoria last season. Christian Sanchez and Jeremy Lodewyck will be the Bison top runners most likely running within 10 seconds of each other. Moving up their pack and keeping the five-runner split at 65 seconds could be the formula of getting Fenton back to state.
Richmond-Burton 2016 Finish – 3rd 1A State Coach – Ryan Carlson Top Runners – Nicholas Degroot SR (60, 16:03), Thomas Koschak JR (108, 16:31), Alex Selepa SR (156, 17:19), Chase Duncan JR, Ethan Anderson JR, Ethan Luedke SO, John Silberbauer JR. Notes – Richmond-Burton moves up to 2A after winning at trophy by finishing third in the 1A state race. It could be a rebuilding year for this team being in an upper classification and returning three from last year’s state team. Nicholas Degroot and Thomas Koschak had good summers of training and we should see some dramatic improvements from the two. Keeping the top five split under 100 seconds could get this team among the top ten in their sectional.
Crystal Lake Central 2016 Finish – 5th 2A State Coach – Bill Eschman Top Runners – Josh Johnson SR (118, 16:18), Jack Flynn JR (144, 16:35), Nate Kopp JR, Adam Zentner JR, Nick Camacho JR, Blake Pokora SO, Frank Larocca SR. Notes – The Tigers will rebuild this season after losing all-state runners Cole Barkocy and Weston Sterchi along with the rest of their top five to graduation. Central finished fifth in the 2A state meet last season. Josh Johnson and Jack Flynn will be the top runners for this team. This team could have growing pains in September but could be in contention to finish in the top ten in their sectional.
Belvidere 2016 Finish – 14th 2A Belvidere Sectional Coach – Aaron Reinold Top Runners – Jacob Taylor SR, Sam Arco SR, Jon Allen JR, Dane Jankiewicz JR, Kris Segura SR, Nick Fiore SO, Justin Koslowski SR. Notes – Five runners return for Belvidere that will look to improve on their 14th place sectional finish. Senior Jacob Taylor again should be the top runner for the Buccaneers.
Mascoutah 2016 Finish – 7th 2A Decatur MacArthur Sectional Coach – Darren Latham Top Runners – Brandon Johnson SR, Casmir Cozzi JR, Patrick Thompson SR, Christopher Crossen JR, Braden Williams SR, Matthew McNichol SR, Kaleb Dobbs SR. Notes – Five runners are back from Mascoutah’s seventh place finishing team at the Decatur MacArthur Sectional. They will miss Ethan Price who finished 14th at state but since has graduated. Braden Johnson or Casmir Cozzi will need to step up as the top runners. Three runners under 16-minutes for this group is a possibility.
Taylorville 2016 Finish – 8th 2A Decatur MacArthur Sectional Coach – Steve Walters Top Runners – Carter Walton JR, John Heberling SO, Seth Sloan JR, Ryan Brown SR, Jase Bergschneider SO, Reese Bergschneider SR, Riley Barker SR, Abel Gunn SR. Notes – It could be tough for the Tornadoes to repeat in the top ten in their sectional after finishing eight last year. Carter Walton should be the top runner for Taylorville. If he can get his time under 15:50 and the team has a split of under 64 seconds, we could see a top ten finish at sectionals from this group.
Teams to Watch (In Alphabetical Order)
Bartonville Limestone 2016 Finish – 15th 2A Metamora Sectional Coach – Scott Durham Top Runners – Jacob Harrison JR, Alex Feller SO, Mitch Leach JR, Drake Stage JR, Drew Stear JR, Ryan Chapni JR, Luke Yocum JR. Notes – A team that should improve on last year’s 15th place finish at the Metamora Sectional. All their seven are underclassmen led by junior Jacob Harrison. Their split was 144 seconds on their top five in the sectional race. Watch to see how the split lowers during the season as well as well as moving up in races. A team to watch for in 2018.
Carbondale 2016 Finish – 12th 2A Decatur MacArthur Sectional Coach – Greg Storm Top Runners – Ethan Cherry JR, Shawn Veras SR, Shawn McKitrick SR, Adam Russell JR, Vern Beck SR, De’Arse Howard JR, Zayad Moustafa SR. Notes – The Terriers will look to improve on last season’s 12th place sectional finish. Six runners are back from that team but will need to replace #1 runner Atlantis Green who graduated. Ethan Cherry, who has been running for only one year, has showed improvement the past summer and could run close to 15:20 this fall. A good freshman group will also challenge for the top seven. We will see how good this team is at the Peoria Invitational at the end of September.
Champaign Central 2016 Finish – 7th 2A Danville Regional Top Runners – John Miller SR, Noah Brunson SR, Robert Mercer JR, Kyle Treakle JR, John Smith JR, Alex Stack JR, Basant Paudel JR. Notes – A good chance to advance to sectionals this fall. Champaign Central returns all their top seven from last year’s team. Senior John Miller, who qualified for the sectionals individually last fall, will lead this team. Improvement on their 87 second split from last year’s regional needs to improve for this team to finish in the top 15 in the sectionals.
Chicago Marist 2016 Finish – 14th 3A Marist Sectional Coach – Jon Gordon Top Runners – Eddie Slack JR, Tommy Leonard SO, Lucas Pennix JR, Aidan Dillon JR, Colin Tracy JR, Caleb Davis SO, Dennis Carroll SR. Notes – Jon Gordon takes over as coach of Marist after leaving the same position at Chicago Northside Prep. It will be interesting to see how this team runs during the transition. The Redhawks move from 3A to 2A and could challenge for a state top five spot in which ever sectional they are assigned to. Marist is young returning six underclassmen from last year’s 14th place finish in the 3A Marist Sectional. Eddie Slack could be among the top 30 this fall in 2A.
Chicago Mather 2016 Finish – 7th 2A Fenton Sectional Coach – Joe Sullivan Top Runners – Audiel Perez SR (71, 15:50), Fernando Gonzalez JR, Hassan Kasim SR, Miguel Rodriguez SR, Jovanny Martinez SO, Ali Junaidi JR, Ahmed Salahadin SR. Notes – Mather finished seventh in last year’s Fenton Sectional. It could be tough to make the top five in this sectional especially with Deerfield most likely moving back into a sectional they were previously in when they were in 2A. Audiel Perez qualified individually for state and will look to get back there. Work on their pack behind Perez will be essential if they want to go to Peoria as a team.
Chicago Payton Prep 2016 Finish – 24th 2A State Coach – Thaddeus Rego Top Runners – Matthew Marchbanks SR (104, 16:11), Zach Rose SO (170, 16:59), Charlie Pillsbury JR (183, 17:09), Thomas Gohres JR (189, 17:16), Andrew Nader JR (201, 17:53), Freddy Martin JR (204, 18:00), Tiega Burke JR. Notes – Payton Prep made it to state out of the Fenton Sectional last year and should again this spring as they return six of their top seven runners from their 24th place state team. Matthew Marchbanks should be the team’s top runner with possibilities of him finishing this fall in the top 70.
Crystal Lake South 2016 Finish – 7th 3A Grant Regional Coach – Rich Eschman Top Runners – Jack Becker SR (20, 14:46), Ryan Foster SR, Clayton Pfeiffer JR, Christopher Davis SO, Matt Van Witzenberg SR, Trevor O’Connor JR, Anthony Cabrera JR. Notes – The Gators move down to 2A. It could payoff for Jack Becker who finished 20th last fall in 3A. He will be one of the individual favorites in this classification. South did not make it out of their regional last year. They could have problems advancing again this year with Becker and two other returnees coming back. “I did think that we would be moved to 2A this year. Last year we were one of lowest enrollments in 3A and we knew that are enrollment was going to go down by about 130 students,” Rich Eschman said. “Being in 2A will hopefully give us more opportunities to be competing in sectionals. Coming from 3A regional in Palatine, that was always a tough regional to get out of. I am pretty sure that we will be sent to the Kaneland sectional and I do believe that is one of the two toughest sectionals in that state.”
Grayslake North 2016 Finish – 13th 2A Belvidere Sectional Coach – Anthony DeStephano Top Runners – Brent Batteau SO, Marcus Sandroni SR, Blake Barrica SR, Connor Brennan SR, Ryan Schroeder JR, Andrew Keaskowski SR, Jordaan Boxer JR. Notes – Grayslake North will look to equal or better their 13th place finish at last year’s Belvidere Sectional. Four runners return from that team led by sophomore Brant Batteau. The team has the potential to keep their split under 60 seconds. That could get them in the top part of the Kaneland Sectional.
Jacksonville 2016 Finish – 15th 2A Decatur MacArthur Sectional Coach – Breck Van Bebber Top Runners – Jacob Moberly SR, Jacob Covell SR, Christian Soltermann SO, Wes Barrow SO, Adam Schumacher JR, James Miller SO, Sam Brockschmidt SR. Notes – Jacksonville finished 15th in their sectional meet. Chances are good that they improve that finish as their top five return from last year’s team. Jacob Moberly will be the #1 runner on this team. Their split at sectionals was 96 seconds. That will need to come down.
LaSalle-Peru 2016 Finish – 8th 2A Metamora Sectional Coach – John Beatty Top Runners – Logan Johnson SO, Logan Schaefer JR, Connor Bean JR, Matthew Ambrose SR, Jacob Pocivasik JR, Kaden Hawley JR, Kyle Stokuis SO. Notes - LaSalle-Peru missed making it to state by three points as they finished eighth overall. It could be a rebuilding year for this team as only three runners from the top seven are back led by last year’s #4 runner Logan Johnson.
Mattoon 2016 Finish – 6th 2A Decatur MacArthur Sectional Coach – Troy Haacke Top Runners – Mitchell Kremer SR (63, 15:47), Aaron Emmerich SR, Garett Jones SR, Mitchell Garner SR, Henry Skocy SR, Lane Wofford SR, Chance Kremer SO. Notes – The Green Wave missed qualifying for state by finishing sixth at the Decatur MacArthur Sectional. Mitchell Kremer did qualify individually placing 63rd overall. Four other runners from last year’s team are back. Kremer should again make the Peoria trip. The pack will need to get their split under 50 seconds and 60 seconds of Kremer.
Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 2016 Finish – 7th 2A Jacksonville Regional Coach – Josh Bluhm Top Runners – Brendan Fahey JR, Michael Bracco SR, Billy Swift SR, Jack Wagoner JR, Grant Sarnowski SO, Ayden Boehme SR, Daniel Cavanaugh SO. Notes – SHG missed by two points to make it out of the Jacksonville Regional. It could be nip and tuck again this fall but they do return five runners from that regional team. Brendan Fahey and Michael Bracco were two of the runners to run in the sectional meet. Their top five needs to be at 70 seconds or faster to run one more week this fall.
Troy Triad 2016 Finish – 13th 2A Decatur MacArthur Sectional Coach – Andy Brendel Top Runners – Ben Walter SR, Jarrod Willis SO, Seth Martin JR, Zach Knopf SR, Deric Paton JR, Carson Talleur JR, Isaiah Barker JR, Luke Perry FR, Drake Blier FR. Notes – Five runners are back from last year’s sectional team that finished 13th. Four of the top five back are underclassmen led by sophomore Ben Walter. The team had good pack running last fall and could run near 30 seconds on their top five. The name of the game is moving that pack up in traces so that they will be in position to advance in sectionals.
Vernon Hills 2016 Finish – 10th 2A Belvidere Sectional Coach – Mark Whitney Top Runners – Theodore Chen SR, Evan Webber SR, Nikolay Kravtsev SR, Evan Pecpo JR, Cameron Overbeck JR, Matthew Huse JR, Jimmy McDonald JR, Oskar Jedynak FR. Notes – It could be a rebuilding year for the Cougars after finishing 10th at the Belvidere Sectional and having only three back from that top seven. Theodore Chen and Evan Webber will lead this group. Jimmy McDonald did not run last year but is back. He did run 4:30 as a freshman. The team will challenge for a top spot in the CSL-North. It could be tough to duplicate last year’s sectional performance.
West Chicago Wheaton Academy 2016 Finish – 6th 2A Wheaton Academy Sectional Coach – Chris Felinski Top Runners – Jeffrey Ridge SR (78, 15:54), Ryan Wittsock SR, Ryan Lotz SR, Will Lyon JR, Nate Bierly SO, Blake Wittsock FR, Lane Froese JR, Owen Eldersveldt SO. Notes – It was a heartbreaking way to end the season. Wheaton Academy missed qualifying for state by one point placing sixth. Their top two runners Jonah Jones and Jimmy Ridge have graduated. This team will develop in September ready to go for October. Jeffrey Ridge ran individually at state and could finish in the top 40 this fall. There is experience in the four other returnees. The one runner that could make the most noise is freshman Blake Wittsock who was training with the front runners this summer. “I really want them to be competitive at the sectional,” Chris Felinski said. “Missing the state final by one point and losing our top 2 runners to graduation will make it tough to qualify for state, but we should be competitive with the team we have.” More news |
