2022 IHSA State XC Championships Preview - 3A Boys

 

By Michael Newman

 

Class 3A Individual Runners to Watch

Liam Newhart, Oak Park-River Forest; Riley Newport, DeKalb; Daniel Watcke, Hinsdale Central; Zac Close, Neuqua Valley. Camyn Viger, Plainfield South; Aden Bandukwala, Hinsdale Central; Mario Torres, Buffalo Grove; Parker Nold, Oswego East; Oliver Burns, Plainfield North; Nicholas Strayer, Lyons Township; Zachary Balzer, Minooka; Michael Skora; Hinsdale Central; Dylan Myers, Lake Zurich; Mason Krieg, Palatine; Marcellus Mines, Joliet West; Cillian Henning, Lyons Township; Dylan Ybarra, O’Fallon; Topher Ferris, Downers Grove North; Nick Parrell, Oak Park-River Forest; Michael Michelotti, Oak Park-River Forest; Joe Bregenzer, Barrington; Tommy Nitz, Huntley; Grant Giblin, Sandburg; Ethan Reynoso, Plainfield South; Dylan Maloney, Plainfield South, Quintin Lowe, Batavia.

 

Class 3A Individuals Preview

This could be a wild race especially with expected conditions of rain on Friday night and high winds at race time. Who will push the pace? It could be Oliver Burns that will force the issue. There are too many runners to choose from that could win the 3A State title. Camyn Viger and Riley Newport raced in September with Viger pulling away with the win. What did Newport learn from that race. He had an easy race to win last week at Lake Park. Daniel Watcke has a great kick and could win a tactical race. Liam Newhart has won three out of his last races including over a loaded field in his sectional. Too many good runners to choose from in this race. Watch for the moves start to happen just before the beginning of the final mile.

 

IL XC Speed Ratings State Meet Projections

 

Teams Previews

 

Hinsdale (Central)

Sectional Runners – Dan Watcke SR; Aden Bandukwala JR; Michael Skora SR; Jesse Gamboa SR; Max Lowe JR; Grant Miller SR; Nikita Kamenev SO.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :58; 1/2 = :03; 1/4 = :29; 4/5 = :29

Conference Splits – 1/5 = 1:26; ½ = :12; 1/4 = 1:02; 4/5 = :24

Overview – Hinsdale Central will be a part of one of the tightest state meets that we have seen in over 20 years. The Red Devils get to this point by finishing second by three points in the Waubonsie Valley Sectional behind conference rival Downers Grove North. Hinsdale Central finished second in last year’s state meet. The Red Devils have a great duo up front led by Dan Watcke and Aden Bandukwala. The two runners will certainly be in the top 10. Hinsdale would like them in the top five. Michael Skora and Jesse Gamboa ran together in that final mile last week and were just separated by three second. They finished in the top 20. Both runners with good races could finish in the top 25. The one thing that many have been watching is the gap between their pack and the fifth runner. Max Lowe has stepped up as the fifth runner in two of the last three races. The gap was bigger last week at 29 seconds. It was 24 seconds at the conference meet. This meet is about positioning of a team against another team more so than any other state meet. The Red Devils need their top two in before Plainfield South’s first runner and three runners in before DGN’s first runner. Keeping that split from the pack and Lowe needs to be between 15-20 seconds. It will be close.

 

Plainfield (South)

Sectional Runners – Camyn Viger JR; Ethan Reynoso SR; Owen O’Shea SR; BJ Sorg SR; Dylan Maloney SO; Jack Wright SR; Tyler Anderson SR

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :42; 1/2 = :19; 2/5 = :23

Conference Splits – 1/5 = :39; 1/2 = :17; 2/4 = :06; 4/5 = :16

Overview – The last time that the Cougars have been really tested was a month ago in Indiana at the Nike Twilight Invitational. Plainfield South finished ahead of Hinsdale Central in that meet and finished third overall with the team having a 37 second split on their top five. Their three meets leading up to this weekend have been comfortable for them and preparing them in certain aspects for this weekend’s state meet. The Cougars scored just 32 points to easily win their sectional race at Normal’s Maxwell Park. Camyn Viger has been undefeated against Illinois runners this fall and will enter the meet as one of the favorites. The pace will be faster. You may expect the gap a little bigger between Viger and the rest of the pack. It was 19 seconds last week. The runners behind Viger exhibit some great packing principles while they race. The group consists of Ethan Reynoso, Dylan Maloney, BJ Sorg, and Owen O’Shea. The quartet were separated by 23 seconds in last Saturday’s race. Their conference race ran differently as O’Shea fell of the pace in the final mile to finish 16 seconds behind the 2-4 pack which was separated by only six seconds. The pack cannot split up if this team wants to win. If it separates during a race, who knows where this team will finish. If their race goes as planned, the team needs a split near 40 seconds even if Viger is way up front. The Cougars could win the state title if they have four all-state runners in this race.

 

Downers Grove (North)

Sectional Runners – Topher Ferris SR; Caden Weber JR; Ryan Eddington JR; Grant Schroder SO; Asa Gaspar SR; Leo Gartlan SR; Jonathan Hogg SR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :21; 1/3 = :08; 3/4 = :11; 4/5 = :02

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :34; 1/2 = :06; 2/3 = :25; 3/5 = :03

Overview – The Trojans entered their sectional meet after tight finishes in their conference and regionals where they finished third in both meets. It was tight again in last Saturday’s Waubonsie Valley Sectional. This time Downers Grove North came away with the sectional title by three points ahead of Hinsdale Central. I don’t think it will phase this team if the race on Saturday becomes once again tight. The team’s top five split was 21 seconds last week, 34 seconds the week before in the regional race. Topher Ferris did not run at Lyons Township but did at Waubonsie Valley as the team’s top runner. Caden Weber and Ryan Eddington were within steps of Ferris as the team’s second and third runners. Grant Schroder, Asa Gaspar, and Leo Gartlan are interchangeable in the top five and give the Trojans depth that they will need in this race. North will again be in the hunt for a trophy like they were last year when they finished third. Their split on five should be close together on Saturday. Will it be third, second, or first on the trophy they will leave with from Detweiller Park.

 

Oak Park-River Forest

Sectional Runners – Liam Newhart SR; Nick Parrell SR; Michael Michelotti JR; Owen Augustine SR; Daniel Johnson JR; Lewis O’Connor JR; Andrew Harmon SO.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = 1:09; 1/3 = :21; 3/4 = :35; 4/5 = :13

Regional Splits – 1/5 = 1:07; 1/3 = :27; 3/4 = :34; 4/5 = :06

Overview – The Huskies stepped into the state spotlight in September at the Richard Spring Invitational when they won the meet ahead of a loaded field including a shorthanded Hinsdale Central. Oak Park has been battling up front since including finishing second by five points to Hinsdale Central at WSC-Silver and winning the Lyons Township Regional. The Huskies finished third at Waubonsie Valley last week with a race similar to their regional race. Liam Newhart has taken off running some great races including winning three of his last four meets including last week’s sectional title. The split has grown towards the end of this season mainly because Newhart has been pulling away in the front. Nick Parrell and Michael Michelotti are solid 2-3 runners that were seven seconds apart in their last race. Their fourth and fifth runners have dropped off the pack with Owen Augustine and Daniel Johnson 35 seconds away from Michelotti. Their split was 69 seconds last week and 67 seconds the week before. Oak Park could have three all-state runners on Saturday. They could also have a state trophy if they can cut down their top five split.

 

LaGrange (Lyons Township)

Sectional Runners – Nicholas Strayer JR; Cillian Henning JR; Aidan Collins SR; Ruben Guevara SR; Matthew McGivern SR; Michael Ferrell SR; Brendan Whelton JR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = 1:06; 1/2 = :02; 1/3 = :52; 3/5 = :14

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :54; 1/2 = :02; 1/3 = :16; 3/4 = :37; 4/5 = :01

Overview – The Lions did not run their best race of the season last week at the Waubonsie Valley Sectional finishing fifth overall. The week before on their home course Lyons Township finished second just five points behind Oak Park-River Forest in their home regional. Nicholas Strayer has been more assertive up front in races this year and it has given him big results finishing second in regionals and third in sectionals. Cillian Henning was behind Strayer in the year, now he is up front with Strayer. Both runners could be all-state on Saturday. Aidan Collins did not have his best race at sectionals falling 50 seconds behind Henning. The week before he was just 14 seconds back. A normal race for Collins will help this team. The Lions have the talent to be in the mix for a top five finish. They could also be among the top three teams if they can keep their split near 50 seconds.

 

Palatine

Sectional Runners – Mason Krieg SR; Alexander Krieg FR; Jack Casaccio SR; Andy Hansen JR; Carter Hayes SO; Owen Elliott SR; Christian Keller SR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :33; 1/2 = :05; 2/3 = :16; 3/5 = :14

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :56; 1/2 = :20; 2/3 = :01; 3/5 = :33

Overview – The Pirates are running strong at the right time with convincing races to win the regional title on their home course and then last week winning the Hoffman Estates Sectional. Two moves put Palatine in the hunt for a trophy. The first was the move of Alexander Krieg and Carter Hayes  up to the varsity level before the Metamora Invitational. The freshman Krieg was 20 seconds behind his brother Mason at regionals, just one second ahead in the sectional race. The second was the return of senior Jack Casaccio who missed almost a month due to a stress reaction injury towards the end of September. Casaccio did not regionals, but he was the team’s third runner last week. The 33 second split is a good thing for the Pirates. Mason Krieg could be in the top 25. His brother Alex may follow. Palatine had 5 runners in the top 23 last week. Getting their scorers in the top 60 could put this team in the trophy conversation.

 

Naperville (Neuqua Valley)

Sectional Runners – Zac Close JR; Robert Glenn JR; Ryan Palmer SR; Andres Lopez SR; Nicolas Castrillon SR; Tony Hinderliter JR; Logan Brown SR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = 1:00; 1/2 = :31; 2/5 = :29

Regional Splits – 1/5 = 1:18; 1/2 =:50; 2/5 = :28

Overview – This will be the final meet that long time Neuqua Valley Coach Paul Vandersteen will coach a Wildcat team. Vandersteen announced this summer that he will retire after this school year. Steen has coached his team into a squad that could finish in the top five in Peoria. Neuqua Valley made it to state by finishing sixth out of the Waubonsie Valley Sectional. Zac Close has emerged as one of the top runners in the state in his junior season. You can expect Close to be near the front in this race. Ryan Palmer and Robert Glenn lead the pack behind Close where the split on the four runners was 29 seconds last week. The team’s split was 60 seconds. It could lower Saturday at Detweiller Park.

 

Plainfield (North)

Sectional Runners – Oliver Burns SR; Owen Stahl JR; Easton Miller JR; Quinn Davis SO; Thomas Czerwinski FR; Cullen Williams JR; Aidan Connors FR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = 1:13; 1/2 = :36; 2/3 = :32; 3/5 - :05

Regional Splits – 1/5 = 1:18; 1/2 =:55; 2/3 = :01; 3/5 = :22

Overview – Plainfield North has showed that they could be a top 10 team in the 3A State Meet. They could be in or out in this meet without one of their top runners Ryan Tracey not running in their past two meets. The Tigers made it to state last week finishing fourth at the Normal Community Sectional. Oliver Burns has been pushing the pace in the last three weeks and is another runner that you can see in the front in Saturday’s race. Tracey was within two seconds of Owen Stahl in their conference meet. Stahl has been their second runner in the last three races. It is unsure if Tracey will race on Saturday. A close to 100% Tracey could give this team a boost. A full lineup could have the Tigers in the top 10. If not, the Tigers could be among the top 15 teams.

 

Naperville (Central)

Sectional Runners – Samuel Barnard SR; Luke Noren SR; Lucas De La Cruz SR; Thomas Mask SR; Tyler Browning JR; Nick Kamp JR; Foster Shelbert JR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :36; 1/2 = :08; 2/3 = :10; 3/5 = :18

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :28; 1/2 = :07; 2/3 = :07; 3/5 = :14

Overview – The Redhawks could be ready to rip a big race especially the way they have been racing in their past three meets. Naperville Central looked good last Saturday making it out of a tough Waubonsie Valley Sectional finishing fourth. They could finish closer to the top five than the top five when the gun goes off Saturday afternoon. This team has been running as a good pack this season especially the last two weeks. Samuel Barnard has emerged as the team’s top runner with Lucas De La Cruz and Luke Noren close behind. Those three runners were separated by just 14 seconds last week with the overall split at Waubonsie Valley at 36 seconds. They have a good pack but need a runner in the top 25 for the Redhawks to be difference makers in the team race.

 

O’Fallon

Sectional Runners – Dylan Ybarra JR; Zach Thoman SO; Eli Greenstreet JR; Ethan Nieroda SR; Harrison Schroeder FR; Brayden Kloeppel FR; Robert Wocking SO.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = 1:17; 1/2 = :26; 2/4 = :20; 4/5 = :31

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :39; 1/2 = :14; 2/4 = :21; 4/5 = :04

Overview – This is an up and coming team with two juniors, two sophomores, two freshmen, and a senior in their top seven. The Panthers easily won the Quincy Regional and then came back to finish second behind Plainfield South at the Normal Sectional. Dylan Ybarra took the step up during last track season and now will be one of those guys you will see in the front in this race possibly finishing in the top 15. Zach Thoman and Eli Greenstreet support the team and Ybarra as the second and third runners that were within 10 seconds of each other. The team had a 51 second split on the pack behind Ybarra. O’Fallon is a team that you can see in the top 10. This is team of the future that could be bringing home hardware in 2023.

 

Lake Zurich

Sectional Runners – Dylan Myers SR; Braden Eckman SR; Will Perez SR; Cole Boudreault SR; George Sabev JR; Dalton Leitz JR; Campbell Stawarz SR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = 1:11; 1/2 = :37; 2/5 = :34

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :56; 1/2 =:47; 2/5 = :09

Overview – The Bears make the trip down to Peoria with momentum after finishing a good second place last week at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. Dylan Myers won the individual title at Hoffman Estates by 10 seconds and will be a runner you will see in front on Saturday. Myers has a good pack behind him led by seniors Braden Eckman and Will Perez who ran within nine seconds of each other last week. That pack had a split of 34 seconds at Busse Woods. Getting that pack closer to Myers by 10 seconds could mean getting this team closer to a finish near the top five.

 

Winnetka (New Trier)

Sectional Runners – Ben Crane SO; Samuel Teppo SR; Oscar Dueno-Alda SR; Atticus Miller JR; Gabe Nosek SR; Joey Papanicholas SO; Samuel Werts SR

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :43; 1/2 = :16; 2/3 = :02; 3/5 = :25

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :42; 1/2 = :15; 2/3 = :17; 3/5 = :10

Overview – The Trevians again return to Detweiller Park after finishing third just behind Lake Zurich at last week’s Hoffman Estates Sectional. Ben Crane is only a sophomore but not racing like one. Crane won the Wheeling Regional and finished sixth in the sectional as New Trier’s top runner. Samuel Teppo has been a pleasant surprise for the team as a fourth runner in regionals and #2 runner last week. There is a good core behind these two runners including Oscar Dueno-Alda and Gabe Nosek. The team’s top five split was 43 seconds. There is good depth in the top seven where any of these runners could step up to contribute in the top five. A team to keep an eye on of getting into the top 10.

 

Park Ridge (Maine South)

Sectional Runners – Alex Wille SR; Joey Karlesky SR; Luca Arcuri SR; Luke Pravecek SR; Owynn Garrets SO; Connor Foley JR; Owen Tremblay SO.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :27; 1/3 = :10; 3/5 = :17

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :46; 1/4 = :18; 4/5 = :28

Overview – The Hawks were at full strength in last week’s sectional at Lake Park, Maine South finished third in the meet just six points away from winning. The Hawks used some great pack running to achieve that result. Maine South easily won the Jones Prep Regional two weeks ago as their top four runners Joey Karlesky, Alex Wille, Owynn Garrelts, and Luke Pravecek ran within 14 seconds of each other. Luca Arcuri missed two weeks due to illness and a slight injury but ran in the sectional.. Arcuri joined that group of four runners as the third runner and part of a pack that had just a 27 second split.

 

Wheaton-Warrenville South

Sectional Runners – Sam Cruz SR; Josiah Narayanan SO; Lucas Yonker SR; Aiden Noel SO; Nathan Virginelli SR; Caleb Hatzinger SR; Carson Fenne SR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :31; 1/2 = :11; 2/5 = :20

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :32; 1/2 = :12; 2/5 =:15

Overview – The Tigers pack was difference at the Lake Park Sectional as they had two runners in the top 10 with a top five split of only 31 seconds to win the sectional title by three points ahead of St. Ignatius Prep. South may not have a runner in the top 25 in this meet, but they have a strong pack that could cause some problems for other teams. Sam Cruz and Josiah Narayanan were separated by 11 seconds but finished in the top 10 in this sectional race. Their pack is tight with their split near 30 seconds in the last two meets. Any of their top five runners could be the #1 runner for the Tigers in this meet. The pack moving closer to the front could get this team near or in the top 10.

 

Barrington

Sectional Runners – Joe Bregenzer SO; Avery Erickson SO; Justin Hurtado SO; Manasyu Chaudhari JR; Ethan Scott SO; Andre Van Vuren SR; Max Lewis JR

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :57; 1/2 = :39; 2/5 = :18

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :28

Overview – The Broncos missed fifth-place by one point finishing sixth last week at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. Barrington finished fifth the week before at the Palatine Regional with their top runner Joe Bregenzer not in the lineup. Bregenzer came back in the sectional to finish third overall. He could be among the top 25 finishers. The gap was near 40 seconds after Bregenzer crossed the line. Barrington did have an 18 second split on their next four finishers.

 

Wheaton (North)

Sectional Runners – Caleb Youngstedt SR; Aidan Murphy SO; Jude Hubbard JR; Ben Shebar SR; Luke Haworth SO; Aidan Herbel SR; Isaac Schuda JR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :46; 1/2 = :19; 2/5 = :27

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :57; 1/2 = :17; 2/5 = :40

Overview – The Falcons made it back to the state 10 points away from the win at the Lake Park Sectional finishing fourth. Lowering their top five splits from regionals to sectionals did the trick of getting Wheaton North back to the state meet. Caleb Youngstedt finished in the top five leading this team. He could be among the top 40 runners in this meet. Aidan Murphy and Jude Hubbard have traded off the second spot in the last two meets. The two runners were 19 seconds behind Youngstedt but just separated by three seconds. Pack running will be the thing that will keep this group in the top half of the team standings this weekend.

 

Arlington Heights (Hersey)

Sectional Runners – Liam Naughton JR; Cameron Donner JR; Rob Geissenberger JR; Mateus Salomao FR; Zach Frayder JR; AJ Svienty JR; Jon Choi SO.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :41; 1/2 = :27; 2/5 = :14

Regional Splits – 1/5 = 1:00; 1/2 = :22; 2/5 = :38

Overview – The Huskies again return to Detweiller Park for the state meet after finishing fifth at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. This is a young team with all seven runners underclassmen including five juniors. Liam Naughton has been Hersey’s top runner all season including finishing second in his regional and seventh last week. I will not be surprised if he finishes in the top 25. The pack behind Naughton was only separated by 14 seconds led by Cameron Donner and Rob Geissenberger. Hersey could finish in the top 14 if they run a similar race like they did at Busse Woods.

 

Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)

Sectional Runners – Jack Roberts SR; Justin Falejczyk SR; Gerry Cushing SR; Michael O’Brien JR; Drew Arnold JR; Sean Hanrahan SO; Miguel Garcia SR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :42; 1/2 = :37; 2/5 = :05

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :44; 1/2 = :18; 2/5 = :26

Overview – The Griffins punched their ticket to the state meet by finishing fifth at the Normal Sectional. East ran a great race to make it to Detweiller Park including a five second split from their second through fifth runners. Jack Roberts finished in the top 10 last week to lead this team. He could have his eyes set on a top 40 finish. Justin Falejczyk and Gerry Cushing are the lead runners on the 2-5 pack.

 

Oswego (East)

Sectional Runners – Parker Nold SR; Dhairya Trivedi JR; Nicholas Goduto SO; Jack Schultz JR; Noel Velasquez SR; Jacob Lanzara SR; Carter Pankiewicz SR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = 1:27; 1/2 = 1:02; 2/5 = :25

Regional Splits – 1/5 = 1:19; 1/2 = :55; 2/5 = :24

Overview – The Wolves ran a strong race to make it to state led by a second-place finish by Parker Nold. Oswego East punched their ticket to Peoria by finishing third at the Normal Sectional. Nold is expected to be one of the runners to watch in the front in this race. Their pack behind Nold has stayed consistent at 24 to 25 seconds led by Dhairya Trivedi. Their top five split will be big especially with Nold in the front. Getting the split under 74 seconds could move this team up.

 

Hoffman Estates (Conant)

Sectional Runners – Vijay Krishnamoorthi SR; Gaven Coprin JR; Jayden Patel JR; Connor Ariunbat JR; Kyle Coprin JR; Sean Ju SR, Rudra Patel SR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :40; 1/2 = :16; 2/5 = :24

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :54; 1/2 = :31; 2/5 = :23

Overview – Conant has experienced a great season that a few people did not expect except themselves. The Cougars just made it state by finishing seventh at the Hoffman Estates Sectional ahead of eighth-place Jacobs by two points. Conant ran their best race of the season with a top five split if 40 seconds. Vijay Krishnamoorthi ran a good race finishing 13 overall to lead this team.

 

Downers Grove (South)

Sectional Runners – Carter Smott SR; Jeffrey Spirek SR; Josh Traugott SR; Nolan Crooks SR; Shane Hosty SR; Colin McLaughlin SR; Josh Poeschel JR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :41; 1/2 = :19; 2/5 = :22

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :43; 1/2 = ::01; 2/5 = :42

Overview – The Mustangs for the second year in a row were thought to be on the outside looking in before their sectional race. Downers Grove South proved their doubters wrong once again by finishing seventh at the Waubonsie Valley Sectional and again advancing to the state meet. This is a senior dominated top seven with six of the seven runners seniors. The Mustangs needed tight pack racing to run another week and they did led by Carter Smott and Jeffrey Spirek. Downers Grove South’s top five split was 41 seconds last week. The split on their second through fifth runners was just 22 seconds.

 

Chicago (St. Ignatius Prep)

Sectional Runners – Matthew Conroy JR; Thomas Fitzpatrick SR; Luke Turner SR; Henry Fink JR; Christian Turner SR; Brandon Mendoza JR; Duncan DeProfio SR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :52; 1/2 = :23; 2/5 = :29

Regional Splits – 1/5 = 1:13; 1/2 =:24; 2/5 = :49

Overview – The Wolfpack made it to the state meet after not advancing to Peoria in 2021. They missed the team title by  three points last Saturday at the Lake Park Sectional finishing second overall. Matthew Conroy has been consistent as the top runner for St. Ignatius this season. His third-place finish last Saturday led the Wolfpack to a 52 second split in their top five runners. Thomas Fitzpatrick and Luke Turner were the second and third runners in that race separated by just a second. The split on their scorers after Conroy was 29 seconds.

 

Yorkville

Sectional Runners – Ben Whalley SR; Brody Greyer SO; Jake Younger JR; Ryan Rotramel SO; Owen Horeni FR; Ben Kieffer JR; Eyan Meyer JR

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :38; 1/2 = :08; 2/5 = :30

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :29; 1/2 = :09; 2/5 = :20

Overview – The Foxes have seemed to improve in every race this season including last Saturday at Maxwell Park where they finished sixth at the Normal Sectional. Yorkville has their split under 60 seconds at 39 seconds last week with Ben Whalley their top runner. There split on the pack led by Brody Greyer and Jake Younger was just 30 seconds in last week’s race.

 

Mt. Prospect (Prospect)

Sectional Runners – Luka Kuzmanovic SR; Andrew Katsogianos SR; Jack Murphy SR; Alex Bonnette JR; John Peterson JR; Michael Piagari JR; Colin Awe JR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :42; 1/2 = :01; 2/5 = :41

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :46; 1/2 = :03; 2/5 = :43

Overview – Prospect advanced to the state meet by finishing fourth at the Hoffman Estates Sectional. The Knights also finished fourth the week before that at the Palatine Regional. Prospect has been consistent with their top five split. It was 46 seconds at regionals, 42 seconds at sectionals last week. The Knights have been powered by the front running of duo of seniors Luka Kuzmanovic and Andrew Katsogianos. The two finished in the top 10 last week separated by one second.

 

St. Charles (East)

Sectional Runners – Mitch Garcia SR; Greyson Ellensohn SO; Oscar Frontjes JR; Adrian Ahuati JR; Michael Wilson FR; Jedidiah Wilson JR; Lexton Rockwell SR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :26

Regional Splits – 1/5 = :51; 1/2 = :35; 2/5 = :16

Overview – Some good pack running pushed the Saints back to Peoria and a spot on the 3A Starting line for the state meet. St. Charles East comfortably made it in finishing fifth at the Lake Park Sectional. The team would have not made it out of the sectionals if they ran the split (51 seconds) that they ran in their regional meet. The Saints did not have any runners in the top 20 at Lake Park but were led by Mitch Garcia that finished 21st. The top five split in that race last Saturday was just 26 seconds.

 

Chicago (Lane Tech)

Sectional Runners – Anan Bauman JR; Will Kozlowski JR; Tommy Stecz SR; Kyle Smorynski SR; Ian Yeagle SR; Brendan Bradish JR; Eli Furgeson SR.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = :45; 1/2 = :07; 2/5 = :38

Regional Splits – 1/5 = 1:02; 1/2 = :05; 2/5 = :57

Overview – Lane Tech made it back to the state meet for the first time in nine years. The Indians scored 177 along with Rockford Guilford to finish sixth overall at the Lake Park Sectional. It is the fourth time that the school has qualified for state since the Chicago Public Qualifying Meet was eliminated in 1996. Lane Tech finished second at the Jones Regional the week before. Lane’s top five split dipped down 17 seconds to 45 seconds in last week’s race. Anan Bauman and Will Kozlowski are the team’s top two runners. The juniors were separated by seven seconds in the sectional race.

 

Rockford (Guilford)

Sectional Runners – Brandon Lawson JR; Juan Del Real SR; Landon Bachta SO; Hayden Johnson JR; Riddock Blakeney SO; Connor Schroeder JR

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = 1:28; 1/2 = :02; 2/5 = 1:26

Regional Splits – 1/5 = 1:27; 1/2 = :09; 2/5 = 1:16

Overview – The Vikings make a long awaited trip to Detweiller Park as a team finishing seventh at the Lake Park Sectional. The last time that Guilford for the state meet was in 2004. Their split is big close to 90 seconds due to Brandon Lawson and Juan Del Real running towards the front in races. Both runners should be in the top 50 in this race. One of these runners could surprise some finishing in the top 25.

 

Oswego

Sectional Runners – Brady Nelson SR; Matt Padilla SR; Brodey Skipworth SR; Alan Mindock SO; Mitchell Bucher JR; Adam Kararo SO; Andrew Shroba SO.

Sectional Splits – 1/5 = 1:29; 1/3 = :32; 3/5 = :57

Regional Splits – 1/5 = 1:30; 1/3 = :38; 3/5 = :52

Overview – Oswego makes it back to back years at the state meet after finishing seventh last week at the Normal Sectional. The last time before last year that Oswego had qualified for state was in 1994. Brady Nelson and Matt Padilla have run close together at the end of the season. You could see both runners finishing in the top 50 on Saturday.

 

Class 3A Team Preview

We have seen so many close team finishes in Illinois State Meet history. I was involved in one of those meets and we did not find out the outcome for more than an hour. This meet could be the tightest of them all especially from what we have seen in the last three weeks.

 

Plainfield South has the runner with Camyn Viger that could win the individual race and a pack that could outdistance the rest of the top fives of all the teams. Downers Grove North ran a 21 second split in their sectional win. It is matching up with Plainfield South with it becoming a one on one battle. The two teams met in early September with Plainfield South winning the tactical race. Downers Grove North will not make the same mistake on this course.

 

Hinsdale Central has two runners, Daniel Watcke and Aden Bandukwala, that could finish in the top five along with two more runners that could break up both Plainfield South’s and Downers Grove North’s packs. It is the gap before there fifth runner comes in that could be a difference maker.

 

Oak Park-River Forest and Lyons Township have been involved in the tight races in the last couple of weeks and have the runners that could also challenge for a trophy. Palatine is running at their best right now along with Naperville Central. Neuqua Valley would like to celebrate their last race for their retiring coach Paul Vandersteen with a trophy.

 

It could take close to an hour to decide this outcome also.