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2021 IHSA State Cross Country Championships - Class 1A Boys PreviewPublished by
2021 IHSA State Cross Country Championships - Class 1A Boys
By Michael Newman [email protected]
The Class 1A race which starts at t10:00 AM is one of the most anticipated of the six individual races on Saturday. Drew Rogers of Herscher after winning two Class 2A track titles ended his season instead of going to post season meets to start to concentrate on this fall’s cross-country season. Rogers has had a rollercoaster of a season missing two weeks due to the COVID virus. He has not lost this fall and has not run any astonishing times in races. When you run 8:57 for 3200-meters and 4:08 for the mile the previous season then you have to start thinking if Rogers has been saving all of his energy for this one moment on Saturday morning. The conditions on Saturday will warrant fast times on the fast turf of Detweiller Park. It could be under 14-minutes or even faster than that. What makes this race even more exciting is most likely Rogers will not be by himself. His future teammate at the University of Missouri and long-time friend Ryder James of Paxton-Buckley-Loda ran 14:21 on the roads and 14:46 on this course three weeks ago. He finished second behind Rogers early in the season n his home course. He looks to be closer on Saturday. Gavin Genisio of Benton and Miles Sheppard of Hamilton-West Hancock have been running solo most of the season setting course records along the way. The two have not really been pushed by others this fall letting the watch push them. These four runners up front could make things interesting in the second race of the day. Eli Mojonnier of Bismarck-Henning, Daniel Winkelmann of Harvest Christian Academy, and Mason Stoeger of Fieldcrest are all having great seasons and will look to challenge for a top five finish. Tommy Murray of Riverdale, Akili Parekh and Ryan Hardiman of Latin School, Isaac Stanford of Flora, and Henry Laufenberg of Urbana University are also some of the runners that you will see in the front in this race. The team race is a mystery. Latin School and Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond have solid front running teams that could run away with the state title. Normal University and St. Joseph-Ogden have solid packs along with DePaul College Prep that could be in the running for top three trophy finishes. There are 30 teams that made it from the five sectionals. Here is a detailed look at each of those teams. READ THE OTHER STATE MEET PREVEWS HERE | LIVE RESULTS LINK FOR THE IHSA STATE MEET
Chicago (Latin School)
Notes – The Romans compete in the State Meet for the ninth time. This is their third time in a row in the IHSA meet. Their highest finish was 10th in both the 2013 and 2019 Class 1A State Meet. Latin School showed in their Peoria meets in September that they could contend for a state championship. They have the power up front with Ryan Hardiman and Akili Parekh able to finish in the top 10 and freshman Ben Gibson able to finish in the top 15. That gives the Romans low numbers in the first three spots. The key is the gap between their top three and two other scorers. The split in the regional race was around 75 seconds. It was closer last week but let’s remember the conditions that the runners ran in. There was only a six-point gap between them and DePaul last week. Latin could win a state title but will need their first three runners in the top 15 and their nest two runners closer than 64 seconds. St. Joseph-Ogden
Notes – The Spartans advanced to the IHSA State Meet for the 23 time which includes 1A State Championships in 1991 and 1992. They finished 18th in 2019. St Joseph-Ogden may not have the power up front that Latin does. They do have that pack strength that can outpower Latin in the front. The Spartans had a 47 second split in their second-place finish last week led by Luke Stegall and Charlie Mabry. The split or this team is good. The question is where that pack starts in this race? The Spartans can have that split but will need to have two all-state runners in between 15 and 25 places. It is then seeing what happens after that. There are a number of teams that have the good packs in the front with fourth and fifth runners lagging. The Spartans can win this state title with solid pack running on Saturday. Rockford (Christian)
Notes – The Royal Lions appear at the State Meet for the 13th time since 2002. Coach Randy Moore does have a team that can contend for a state trophy and perhaps a state championship. Weston Forward and Ethan Walsh have been together in the front in their last two races and will need to duplicate that on Saturday. Both runners can finish in the top 25 in this race. Aidan Sosnowski staying within 20 seconds of their first two runners will be something to watch for. The team had a split over 60 seconds in the muddy conditions last week. It has been under that number most of the season. The Royal Lions are a headstrong group that appear to be ready for this moment. Keeping their split under 60 seconds helps them to get to the top of the mountain in this race. Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond
Notes – This is the first time as a team at the IHSA State Meet for ALAH. The thing that I have been watching for all season from this team is how their top four runners develop in the relationship with their fifth. Logan Beckmier led their top four pack that was within 45 seconds of each other in winning sectional title last Saturday. They have the ingredients with Jacob and Lyle Adcock along with Jace Green to have four all-state runners in the top 25 in this race. Jacob Duzan has been more than a minute behind that group most of the season. It was 45 seconds in last Saturday’s meet. Duzan needs to be within 40 seconds of that group that finishes in the top 25 for this tea to win a state title. Benton
Notes – This is the 11 time at the IHSA State Meet for the Rangers including four times in a row since 2017. Their coach, Brent McLain, won an individual state championship while running for Benton in the 1982 Class AA State Meet. Gavin Genisio is destined to win a state championship. It could happen Saturday in this race. Pinckneyville getting close to Benton in the past two meets gets me a little concerned. The Rangers have a tight second through five split led by Chase Owens that was 42 seconds at Trenton-Wesclin. The week before in the regional race on their home course, that split was only 23 seconds. Togetherness has to be the theme for this team when they get to the starting line on Saturday morning. Keeping that group split near 30 seconds is a must for this team to earn a trophy. The key is keeping the gap between Genisio and their group near or under 90 seconds. Normal (University)
Notes – This will be the 28 time in the IHSA State Meet for the Pioneers. U-High did not qualify for the state meet in 2019. This is their first year in Class 1A since they competed in the Class A State Meet in 2005. This is one of those teams just lurking waiting to strike. That could happen in Saturday’s race. Sachit Muduli and Brandt Henderson are probable top 25 finishers but high will they place? U-High had a team low 49 second split in their dominating sectional win at Elmwood. They will need another performance like that to put themselves in a top three potential team finish. Port Byron (Riverdale)
Notes – This will be the first State Meet appearance for Riverdale. Riverdale has lived up to some high pre-season expectations to get to this point. A good race could get them in the conversation for a state trophy. Tommy Murray will be one of the top 10 finishers in this race. Landis Musser also has a good chance to finish in the top 25. The top five with Murray and Musser in the front has been big most of the season. It was 106 seconds in the sectional race. Their split from three to five in that race was 42 seconds. It could go lower on Saturday. Chicago (DePaul Prep)
Notes – This is the second time that this school has competed as “DePaul College Prep” in the IHSA State Meet that coming in 2016. The school was formally known as Gordon Tech which qualified in 1976, 1977, and 1982. The Rams showed that they could contend for a state trophy or possibly a state championship last week coming within six points of sectional champions Latin School. Mac Kittrell and Charlie Richardson split that Latin pack showing what this team could do. Owen Flom gives DePaul a strong third runner. Their top five split was a season’s best of 62 seconds. It has been previously in the mid-80’s for most of the season. All three runners could earn all-state honors on Saturday. It is keeping that split near or under 60 seconds that gives this team a chance at a state trophy. Warsaw (Hamilton-West Hancock)
Notes – This is the first appearance at the IHSA State Meet for this school also known as Warsaw (COOP). Hamilton-West Hancock has the Miles Shepard n the front that will guarantee the team single digit numbers in the first spot. Noah Stout gives this team a boost in the second spot. What could hurt this team is that they had a 91 second split from the second runner to fifth runner in the sectional meet. It has been larger in earlier meets. This team could finish in the top five if that split can be narrowed. They are a definite top 10 team in Saturday’s race with the race they have been running all season. Stanford (Olympia)
Notes – This is the 12th time that Olympia will compete in the State Meet. They first competed in 1996. The Spartans finished third in the 2019 Class 1A State Meet. I do not think we have seen the best race of the season for Olympia yet. That could happen in this meet. The team had only had a season’s best of 47 seconds in their sectional race led by Owen Dare. Anthony Ragland and Carter Philips are solid runners in the Olympia pack. Dare could be among the top 25 finishers in this race. Olympia could be creeping near a trophy with the similar type of split and a runner in the top 25. Pinckneyville
Notes – This is the first State Meet appearance for Pinckneyville since 2017 and their eighth State Meet appearance overall. The Panthers have been close to Benton the last to races with Isaac Teel leading the way. Teel could finish in the top 15 on Saturday. Dylan Bledsoe is a solid #2 runner for Pinckneyville and could be in the hunt for a top 25 finish. The Panthers have a solid top four pack that will help them in a big meet like this. Their gap between four and five has been over 60 seconds which could hurt their chances of finishing in the top 10. Elmwood
Notes – The Trojans are the top team in appearances at the State Meet for a Class 1A team making the trip to Detweiller Park for the 33rd time. Elmwood has won eight IHSA State Championships. The perennial state power has the strength up front led by Thomas Harmon and Isaiah Hill. Nick Feller finished ahead of Hill in last Saturday’s race. The team’s top five split continues to get better now under two minutes. A split of 90 seconds or better gets the Trojans into the top 10. Monticello
Notes – The Sages advance to the State Meet for the 12th time having won State titles in 2014 and 2019. Ed Mitchell is the top runner n this team having hopes of finishing in the top 25 in this race. Freshman Caleb Wood was within 36 seconds of his teammate in the sectional race. He could be closer in this race. Monticello finishing in the top 10 will mean having a top five split under 62 seconds in this race. Newton
Notes – This will be the fifth State Meet appearance for Newton. It is their first since the 2005 Class A State Meet when they finished 24th. Newton has come on at the end of the year first winning the Little Illini Conference Meet and then strong showings in their state series races. Nick Zwilling led a tight 36 second split in their state qualifying race. Zwilling has the potential to finish in the top 25 if he can keep their pack within 30 seconds off him. A tight pack of 45 seconds or better can still get this team in the upper half of the standings. Amboy
Notes – This Is the first time at the State Meet for the Clippers after finishing third to advance from the 1A Oregon Sectional. This is a great season for Amboy ending with their first trip to the state meet. Brock Loftus has been solid all season for his team and could finish in the top 15 in this race. Ian Eller and Kyler McNinch are solid second and third runners that need to stay within 40 seconds of Loftus in this race. The team split has been near two minutes and has been big especially with Loftus in the front. Tightening that split could get Amboy into the top 15 in this race. Herscher
Notes – Herscher makes their 13th State Meet appearance at Detweiller Park. Add one point to the point totals of their second through fifth runners. That should be the case with Drew Rogers being the favorite in this race. Their split has been over three minutes with Rogers in the front. Their second through fifth runner pack led by Ben Morgan needs to stay under 60 seconds for this team to surprise some in the top 10. Decatur (St. Teresa)
Notes – This is the first time that St. Teresa has qualified a Boys team for the IHSA State Meet. Their Girls team has qualified for state 14 times. This team intrigues me to the point tat they could be a surprise in the top 10. Martin Velchek along with Caleb and Cameron Kernaghan give this team three runners in the top 50. The Bulldogs were over minute with their top five split in muddy conditions in their last two meets. It averaged 40 seconds in their regional and conference races. Niles (Northridge Prep)
Notes – Northridge Prep advances to the State Meet for the 11th time. They finished in the top 10 at the IHSA State Meet the last two times. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Northridge. They instead reloaded and ae back in Peoria. Max Elder and Mark Masaka give the team a solid top two runners in the front. Their split has been staying under 90 seconds which could mean good things for this team in Saturday’s race. Shelbyville
Notes – This will be the 17th time that the Rams have advanced to the State Meet. This is their first State Meet appearance since 2015 when they finished second. This team has been up and down most of the season. They are on the rise at the right time when it means the most finishing fourth in their regional and then making it to state by finishing sixth. Calvin Miller was the team’s top runner last week. The week before it was Phoenix Firnhaber. The team’s top five split was 56 seconds in last week’s sectional race. Sterling (Newman Central Catholic)
Notes – The Comets make it to the State Meet for the tenth time overall and their first since 2018. Newman had a 50 second split on their top five runners advancing them to the state meet. Griffin Moran and Lucas Schaab were the team’s top runners in that race. Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy)
Notes – The Lions have made it to seven State Meets in eight since 2013. HCA won a 1A State title in 2016. They finished second in 2019. Daniel Winkelman has been under radar most of this season and could be in the top five in this race. The Lions have been also under the radar and could also surprise led by David Peterson and JJ Gonnam. The team’s top five split will be big especially with Winkelman in the front. The regional split from two to five was only 23 seconds. That will be something to watch for on Saturday in the state race. El Paso-Gridley
Notes – This will be the eighth time in a row that El Paso-Gridley has qualified for the IHSA State Meet. Noah Ludy is the top runner for this team that finished fifth last week at the Elmwood Sectional. Their split n that race was 36 seconds. Moving that pack up a little bit could have this team finishing in the top 15. Eureka
Notes – The Hornets advance to the State Meet for the 17th time. Eureka won 5 Class A State Championships in 6 years from 1998 to 2003. Eureka is a strong packing team with that tradition continuing in Saturday’s race. They have run 26 and 28 second splits on their top five in the past two meets led by Carson Lehman. Sandwich
Notes – Sandwich qualifies for the State Meet for the ninth time. It is their first appearance at Detweiller Park since 2003. Sandwich made it to state finishing second in the Peru St. Bede Regional and then fourth last Saturday in Oregon with a 61 second split in their top five. Wyatt Miller has been the top runner for this team throughout the season and could finish in the top 50 in this race. West Chicago (Wheaton Academy)
Notes – Wheaton Academy appears in the State Meet for the eighth time and their first State Meet appearance since 2015. They are running their best at the right time of the season which included finishing third last week at Oregon. Sheldon Powell and Westen Myers are the top runners on this team. Wheaton Academy ran an 86 second split in last week’s race which should come down in this race. Steeleville
Notes – This is the fifth time at the state meet for Steeleville. All of their State Meet appearances have come since 2015. Christian Rees leads a team that finished third last week at Trenton-Wesclin. The team ran a season’s best 55 second split on their top five last week. Another performance like that could get this team finishing in the top 20. Freeburg
Notes – Freeburg qualifies for the State Meet for the 17th time. The Midgets have qualified for every state meet since 2009. Freeburg makes their annual appearance in Peoria after finishing fourth in last week’s sectional race. Josh LaChance is the top runner for this team that could be among the top 20 teams if they can keep their top five split under 65 seconds. Erie-Prophetstown
Notes – This is the third time that Erie has qualified for the State Meet. It is the first time for the Panthers since 1983 when they finished second in the Class A State Meet. This was somewhat of a surprise that Erie qualified running one of their best races of the season. Jacob Gibson led the team that had a 36 second split in their top five. Breese (Mater Dei)
Notes – The Knights advance to the State Meet for the 26th time. This is their first State Meet appearance since 2017. They made it by earning the final qualifying spot in the Trenton-Wesclin Sectional. John Venhaus has been the team’s top runner al season. Mater Dei’s top five split was 102 seconds in their sectional race. Litchfield
Notes – This is the first State Meet appearance in the Boys State Meet for this school. Sophomore Camden Quarton has been the team’s top runner all season and could finish in the top 25 on Saturday. The Panthers surprised some by finishing fifth at the Trenton-Wesclin earning this trip up to Peoria for the state meet. More news |