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Hall and McIntyre ready to challenge for 1A Boys top spotPublished by
ILXCTF Cross Country Season Previews Photo: Wyatt McIntyre and Logan Hall are the top two runners from last year's 1A Boys State Meet (Laura Duffy Photo)
By Michael Newman
The start of the 2017 cross-country season started during the indoor track season. Brayden Hamblen was in control of last fall’s 1A races including state. With his school Rock Falls in 2A during the track season, state championships would be decided by the next two finishers in the 2016 state meet Wyatt McIntyre and Logan Hall. At Detweiller Park last fall, it was McIntyre that had the edge as he finished ahead of Hall by 17 seconds. That trend changed indoors when Hall won the 3200 Meter Run at the Illinois Top Times Championships by 11 seconds ahead of McIntyre. Hall swept the next four races they were in together with the Distance Night in Palatine the closest as Hall ran 9:11.06 and McIntyre at 9:11.32. Hall won the 1A State 3200 Meter Run with McIntyre finishing third. Hall finished third, McIntyre fifth in the 1600 Meter Run. The second race of the day on November 4 could be one of the best with these two warriors facing off against each other. It will be the first time that they will face each other in 2017. Here is a look at some of the top 1A Boys runners for the Illinois High School cross-country season.
Top 10
1 Logan Hall – SR – Arthur-Lovington 2016 1A State Finish – 3rd Notes – His track season and the confidence that he got from that is why he is in the top spot for now. He only had two setbacks in cross-country first finishing 23rd at the Richard Spring Invitational and then his third-place state finish. Hall took himself to another level in track dropping his 3200-meters time down to 9:05.74 at the Midwest Distance Classic. He also was the 1A state champion in the 3200 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run.
2 Wyatt McIntyre – SR – Athens 2016 1A State Finish – 2nd Notes – McIntyre came on strong at the end of the cross-country season especially the post-season. He pushed Brayden Hamblen at the 1A State race before finishing second running 14:27. Six days later at the NXR Midwest Regional, he earned third-team regional honors when he finished 15th. He was just as impressive at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional when he finished 21st. Those races breaded confidence for what he could do this fall. The 9:11.32 that he ran at Distance Night in Palatine was an eye-opener. McIntyre was all-state in both the 3200 and 1600 Meter Run at the IHSA 1A State Meet. He showed that he is ready to go for the 2017 season by running 15:03 to finish ninth at Detweiller at Dark.
3 Alex Helmuth – SR – Monticello 2016 1A State Finish – 6th Notes – Don’t consider Helmuth the best of the rest of the 1A runners this fall. He could be closer to Hall/McIntyre than you think. He picked up two wins last fall at the Okaw Valley Conference Meet and the Tuscola Regional. He bounced back after finishing fourth at the St. Anthony Sectional to finish sixth at state. He was all-state during the track season as he finished eighth in the 2A 3200 Meter Run. His improvement was evident by running under 9:40 for 3200-meters four times including his 9:34.28 at Mahomet in May. Coach David Remmert said: Alex is a salty veteran. He is the only remaining varsity runner from our State Champion team in 2014 and thrives best at the longer distances. He is a true competitor and I am confident he’ll bring everything he’s got. He is a very tough kid who will be in the mix late in the season. I wish I could have 10 more Alex Helmuth’s on this team.
4 Riley Wells – JR – Rockford Christian 2016 1A State Finish – 8th Notes – Every time he races, Riley Wells gains a little more confidence. You could see that during the track season. His 1A state win at 800-meters running a US Top 100 time of 1:52.84 showed that he is ready to take his racing to the next level. Even though he finished eighth at state last November, I could see him finishing in the top 5 when we get to Detweiller. Coach Randy Moore said: Wells spent the summer working at a church camp in Michigan. So, every run and workout this summer has been on his own. The squad and I have been eager to reconnect with him. On or off the course, Riley is extremely competitive and mellow - a unique combination that thus far has served him well. What you see in his racing is just an extension of his personality. He is confident, composed, patient, and determined to win. He does not seem to overreact to either setbacks or successes. He is a well-balanced young man who excels in the classroom too.
5 Charlie Parrish – SR – Freeburg 2016 1A State Finish – 13th Notes – It was not the best race of the year for Parrish at last fall’s state meet when he finished 13th overall. He has a nose for the front of the race. Besides the state meet and the Forest Park XC Festival where he placed 14th, Parrish finished in the top four in every other race in 2016. The 15:03 that he ran at the Peoria Invitational last October shows that he could be in the 14:40’s at state. Parrish earned all-state honors during the track season as he finished seventh in the 2A 3200 Meter Run with a 9:35.08 personal best. Coach Carl Florczyk said: Charlie has had a great summer! He's done an amazing job working on his base mileage and sharpening his leg speed and strength. He's ready for a big year! He opened with a 15:20 at Detweiller at Dark.
6 Eli Ten Eyck – SR – Pittsfield 2016 1A State Finish – 11th Notes – Ten Eyck could be one of the most improved 1A runners this fall. Watch the First to the Finish Invitational on September 9 where he will race against Wyatt McIntyre. He will look to break the school record that Craig Hayden set in 1978 when he ran 14:53 at the state meet. Ten Eyck won five races in 2016 including wins at Rochester and Carlinville. He was all-state in track as he finished second in the 1A 1600 Meter Run with a 4:19.01 personal best. That is why we are keeping an eye on this runner. Coach Adam Singler said: This past season has shown that 1A running has plenty of strong runners. Eli has kept developing since starting from scratch freshmen year to raise his level of competition to not only hang with the likes of Logan Hall, Jacob Bryan, and Wyatt Mcintyre, but to compete with them as evident by his runner up 1600m state final. His goal for the upcoming season is to break 15 mins, get top five at state, and go after our school's top all time runner Craig Hayden(1978 A State Champion with a 14:53.40).
7 Brandon Schnitker – SR – Nashville 2016 1A State Finish – 14th Notes – Schnitker is another runner that has improved immensely over the past year. His second-place finish at the 1A State Meet 800 Meter Run was impressive. A runner who could run 1:53.53 at state last fall could go close to 1:51 in 2018. We will see if that confidence in track carries over to the cross-country course. He has the talent to finish in the top 10. His state time of 15:24 is his personal best. Coach Jean Orr said: Brandon has been very focused this summer. He has trained some with the team, but most of his training has been on his own. He was very motivated by his 14th finish at state last year, and is determined to improve on that! He is a very hardworking runner and a great teammate. I am excited to see what his senior year holds for him!
8 Kurt McClellan – JR – Toledo Cumberland 2016 1A State Finish – 12th Notes – A runner that is a little bit under the radar. He just missed all-state honors his freshman year when he finished 27th. His 12th place finish last year shows that he could be in the top 10 this season. He did qualify for state during the track season in the 3200 Meter Run. He established a personal best running 10:11.29 to finish 12th in the finals.
9 Jacob Bryan – SR – Carthage Illini West 2016 1A State Finish – 29th Notes – I think that where is listed right now may even be too low. His state track meet performance last May was one for the ages as he led Illini West to a win in the 3200 Meter Relay as well as finishing third in the 800 Meter Run, fourth in the 1600 Meter Run, and a part of Illini West’s second-place in the 1600 Meter Relay. Interested to see how he does this fall. The 2016 season was the first year that he ran cross-country. Coach Ryan Bliss said: Jake Bryan is an unbelievable athlete and was a big part of taking our program to new levels last year. He is also a tremendous student and person. Last year was Jake's first year of high school cross country and it was also a learning experience for him. He has taken his training to a new level, coming off the success of the track season. He looks stronger and has become the unquestioned leader for this team, we are excited to see how this season develops for him.
10 Jackson Stewart – JR – Decatur St. Teresa 2016 1A State Finish – 15th Notes – A runner that is starting to come into his own this fall. It started last fall when he finished 15th as a sophomore at the state meet. That momentum continued last spring as he earned all-state in the 1A 3200 Meter Run by finishing 8th overall. His time improvement was significant as he ran personal bests for 1600-meters (4:29.21) and 3200 meters (9:45.35). Coach Todd Vohland said: I feel that Jackson has carried the momentum he had from a good track season over to the summer. If healthy he feels he can challenge to be a top 10 runner come November.
Runners to Watch (In Alphabetical Order)
Tim Bertulis – SR – Johnsburg 2016 1A State Finish – 23rd Notes – Improved from 38th place at state his sophomore year to 23rd all-state last fall. He should improve again in 2017. He just made it to state by finishing 14th at the Oregon Sectional. Bertulis qualified for state last May in the 2A 3200 Meter Run. His time of 9:48.30 in the state finals was a personal best. Coach Chris Setzler said: Tim had a great summer of training and judging his summer tempo runs against past all state runners from Johnsburg, he's in good position to hit is goal of top 10 at state. Tim ran his first full track season last year (12th in 3200m run in Charleston) and that added speed from track (4:36/9:38)allowed him to train this summer at faster paces than in past years as well as increase his volume. Speed was always an area of opportunity for Tim, now he has really made himself a more complete runner. He has a laser focus on this season & it shows in his work ethic and times.
Christopher Collet – JR – Seneca 2016 1A State Finish – 19th Notes – Collet’s jump could be huge this fall putting in more miles than he has the past two summers. He moved from 34th at state his freshman season to an all-state 19th last year. Collet qualified in track for state in the 1600 Meter Run. He achieved personal bests of 10:16.09 for 3200-meters and 4:42.21 for 1600-meters. Coach Kim Foster said: Christopher has worked hard this summer getting in a lot of miles and working a bit on speed. He has a strong, yet young boys team behind him this year that will really lead on Chris for leadership.
Garrett Dixon – JR – Monticello 2016 1A State Finish – 18th Notes – Dixon could move closer to his teammate Alex Helmuth in races this fall. He earned all-state status last year after finishing 72nd his freshman year. Dixon was all-state in track when he finished ninth in the 2A 3200 Meter Run achieving a 9:39.32 personal best. Coach David Remmert said: Garrett is our grinder. I have never coached anyone who is willing to pay the price more than he is and this year is going to be his break-out year. Quiet and unassuming, he never takes anything for granted. I’m really looking forward to his season especially.
Andrew Dobrescu – SR – Elgin Harvest Christian Academy 2016 1A State Finish – 20th Notes – Dobrescu will again be the top runner for the Lions as they look to repeat their state championship. He qualified for the state track meet where he finished 13th in the 3200 Meter Run. Coach Steven Bland said: What a great kid! Unbelievable character, he is our pilot, was last year and will be better this year as far a leadership. Andrew is fired up for the season, looking to improve on his all state performance from last season. He has been doing the work, we may see a sub 15’ out of him when we get to Peoria.
Owen Habeger – SR – Chillicothe Illinois Valley Central 2016 1A State Finish – 24th Notes – A runner that we could see back in the top 25 after he finished 24th in 2016. Finished 3rd at the St. Bede Regional and seventh at the Oregon Sectional leading to state meet. Finished sixth at the 2A Macomb Sectional 1600 Meter Run running a 4:24.88 personal best. Coach Dennis Fraikes said: Owen had a great track season and looking forward to the cross-country season. Owen improved his 1600 time from 4:38 to a 4:24 and qualified for the state meet, which is a big improvement. He has been working very hard on his mileage this summer and is looking forward to a great cross season.
Cooper Hoffmann – SR – Elmwood-Brimfield 2016 1A State Finish – 32nd Notes – By the way that Elmwood runners improve, I could see Hoffmann finishing in the top 20 this November. He was the top runners for his team that included a win at the Farmington Regional. Hoffmann qualified for three events in the state track meet. He helped his team finish eighth in the 3200 Meter Relay. Hoffman achieved personal bests of 2:03.13 for 800-meters and 4:34.83 for 1600-meters.
Jack Holden – SR – Lawrenceville 2016 1A State Finish – 26th Notes – Just missed all-state by one spot in finishing 26t at state. He again will be the top runner for Lawrenceville. Holden could finish in the top 20. He qualified for the 1A 1600 Meter Run at state. His personal best at that distance was 4:34.61.
Trey Houmes – SR – Hoopeston Area 2016 1A State Finish – 21st Notes – An underrated runner that showed improvement over the past season. Houmes finished in the top five in every race leading up to the state meet. He was all-state in the 1A 3200 Meter Run as he had a 9:36.58 personal best in finishing fifth. He also qualified for state at 1600-meters missing the finals by one spot with a 4:30.94 personal best.
Payton Kasper – JR – Elgin Harvest Christian Academy 2016 1A State Finish – 36th Notes – Does not run track in the spring but with his schedule, how could he fit it in? Kasper does play basketball in the winter and AAU ball in the spring. I think we could see some major improvement from this junior as he is just discovering how good he could be in cross-country. Coach Steve Bland said: One of the hardest working kids you will meet. Payton’s primary sport is basketball, he doesn’t run track, instead, plays AAU ball. Payton decided to run for us last year at the end of the summer. And over the 2016 summer, hadn’t done much running. This year, has a done a reasonable amount for someone who is not a committed runner. And I don’t say that in a critical way, he is working hard on his basketball training, lifting and getting some running accomplished. Combined, his work load is heavy. I expect him to run faster than last year, but he may not have the kind of jump that our other boys might. I’d be happy to see him run sub 15:20.
Jason Landon – SR – Carlinville 2016 1A State Finish – 67th Notes – Landon did not have his best race at state finishing 67th. The 15:30 that he ran at Peoria at the beginning of October at Detweiller shows that he could finish in the top 25. Landon concentrated at 800-meters during the track season. The result was a 1:57.35 personal best and all-state as he finished seventh in the finals.
Spencer Mauch – JR – Sterling Newman Catholic 2016 1A State Finish – 27th Notes – Mauch will jump into the top spot for the Comets after the graduation of all-state Chris Ahlers. He missed all-state by two spots (27th) but should be among the top 15 this fall. Mauch was part of Newman Catholic’s sixth place finish at state in the 3200 Meter Relay. Coach Pat Warkins said: Spencer has shown great improvement over the last 2 years, He is working hard this summer after coming off a very good cross country and track season last year. He run under 4:40 for the 1600 in track. I expect him to improve on his 27th place finish at the state meet last year and believe he has the potential to be in the top 15.
Ryan Skowrowski – SR – Shelbyville 2016 1A State Finals – 31st Notes – If there is anyone that could be considered a dark horse, it could be this runner. Skowrowski missed most of the track season due to an appendectomy. He should come back strong this fall. He has finished 42nd, 33rd, and 31st. He has the talent to be in the top 20. Coach Kevin Kramer said: Ryan Skowrowski is very motivated this fall after missing most of the track season with an appendectomy. Ryan has put in more miles this summer than the past and looks very strong. Main thing is to get him to get out a little harder the first mile than in the past. I love kids who run conservatively but Ryan probably does it to the extreme. We expect him to run personal bests all season long and we will see that puts him post season.
Wyatt Wolfensberger – SR – St. Joseph-Ogden 2016 1A State Finals – 25th Notes – Wolfersberger was the Spartans’ second runner while finishing 25th at last year’s state meet. A top ten finish is not out of the question in November. He achieved personal bests for 3200-meters (9:54.31) and 1600-meters (4:36.93). Coach Jason Retz said: Wyatt had a fantastic track season and carried that over into the summer. He has been out on the roads, what seems like every second of the summer. He has put in the foundation to do some great things this fall. If Wyatt can manage to stay healthy, he should have a successful season. He ran 15:39 at Detweiller at the end of July, just off his PR, and looks to run as close to that 15-flat mark as he can. Looking forward to his progress this fall. |
