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2017 IHSA State Cross Country Championships - 2A Boys PreviewPublished by
By Michael Newman
When the clock strikes high noon and the gun goes off for the start of the 2A Boys race, we will be watching two great races within one. Jacob Gebhardt of Sterling made a statement on this course in the Peoria Invitational when he ran 14:25 to easily win the race by more than 20 seconds. It will be tighter in this state race. In last week’s Kaneland Sectional, Gebhardt and Kaneland’s Matthew Richtman crossed the finish line together with the same time of 14:44.8. After reviewing video and the finish line photos, Gebhardt was awarded the win. Both runners don’t want it that close in this race. Gebhardt may try to push the race earlier to separate himself from the pack especially Richtman. The Kaneland senior does have a killer kick that could make things difficult for anyone at the end of the race. Jack Becker of Crystal Lake South is the wild card in this race. He was nine seconds behind Gebhardt / Richtman in last week’s sectional race. He could be the runner to push the pace in this race. There are plenty of runners that will be in the front with these three. Jared Shuckman of Normal University, Stephen Poorten of Sycamore, Mathias Powell and Ryan Hodge of Mahomet-Seymour, and Spencer Smith of Rock Island Alleman all will be pushing the pace in the front. Other runners to keep an eye on include Decatur MacArthur Sectional champion Nick Oakley of Charleston, Mason Jones of Mt. Zion, John Bruce of Marion, Austin Ohm of Illiana Christian, and Brett Haffner of Hinsdale South. ~~~ The top two 2A team Mahomet-Seymour and Normal University will face each other for the third straight week. Normal University won two weeks ago at the Metamora Regional winning on a sixth-runner tiebreak. It was Mahomet-Seymour that had the edge last week at Maxwell Park as they won the sectional crown sweeping the first three places.
Here is a look at the 25 teams that will take to the line Saturday at Detweiller Park.
Other previews – 1A Girls | 1A Boys | 2A Girls | 3A Girls | 3A Boys
Normal University ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 1
Notes – It could be one of the closest team races in years and starts with the Pioneers. U-High jumped into the 2A top spot after a strong win at the Peoria Invitational. They won on a tiebreak ahead of Mahomet-Seymour in the regional race with the Bulldogs responding with a win of their own at Maxwell Park last week. Jared Schuckman leads the Pioneers and should be in the top five in this race. Matthew Zacharias could be among the top 25. The key for U-High to win this state meet is their top five compared to Mahomet’s top five. In last week’s sectional race, it was Mahomet that had five runners in before U-High’s fourth. Schuckman needs to finish ahead of Mahomet’s top runners. Getting five runners in the top 50 with a split under 50 seconds could get their team to a state championship.
Mahomet-Seymour ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 2
Notes – There were many things that went good for the Bulldogs in their sectional race. The first was the top three finish in the race by Mathias Powell, Ryan Hodge, and Riley Fortune who were within six seconds of each other. It was a good race by Fortune. For state, Fortune needs to be among the top 15 in Saturday’s race. Powell and Hodge could be in the top ten. As mentioned in the U-High preview, Bryson Keeble and Evan Burge were 55 seconds behind Powell in the sectional race and ahead of U-High’s fourth and fifth runners. That needs to happen again in this race. With a faster race and pace, the two need to be within 48 seconds of their front runners. It is always tough to repeat as a state champion. Mahomet does have the athletes to accomplish that.
Chatham-Glenwood ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 5
Notes – A team that has flown under the radar. In a way, the Titans have not. Glenwood ran a good team race last week in winning the Decatur MacArthur Sectional. The pieces are there for this team to contend for a top three trophy finish. Keeping 15 seconds between their top three runners Cooper Peterson and Drey and Dathan Maton. Drey and Peterson finished 5-6 in the sectional race. All three runners could be in the top 25 in this race. The split on their top 5 was 45 seconds last week. 5 runners in the top 55 could get the Titans a state trophy. A split under 42 seconds would also be a good thing for this squad.
Springfield ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 7
Notes – Springfield is a team to watch in the top five in this meet. They finished six points behind Normal University in the Central State Eight Conference Meet and ahead of Chatham-Glenwood. Springfield and Chatham-Glenwood tied at the Jacksonville Regional with C-G winning on the tiebreak. Glenwood was 12 points ahead of Springfield in last week’s sectional race. The Senators need to keep their team split under 60 seconds to make a top three finish happen. Kyle Boughter has been running strong this season and could finish among the top 15. The next two runners Will Formea and Barrett Kurmann finished six seconds apart last week. They need to stay within 30 seconds of Boughter on Saturday finishing in the top 50. 5 runners in the first 69 are possible but necessary if the Senators have notions of finishing in the top three.
Sycamore ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 3
Notes – Sycamore did not have their best race of the year last week even though they won the Kaneland Sectional. The Spartans should bounce back and are capable of finishing among the top three. Stephen Poorten leads this team and has a good chance of finishing in the top ten. The split on their top five was not their worst at 65 seconds. It was four seconds off their seasonal best the week before. Jake Carani and Aaron Trier were within six seconds of each other and within 37 seconds of Poorten. That split between one and two needs to dip to 27 seconds. This team had been running better week to week with Saturday’ sectional race a hiccup. They will be in the money for the top three on Saturday.
Maple Park Kaneland ILXCTF.com Final Ranking - 4
Notes – It was a wild race for the Knights last Saturday on their home course as they made it to state finishing third after not making it out of regionals the year before. The key was that their split on five was 22 seconds slower than two weeks before in their conference race. Matt Richtman will be contending for the individual state title so the split on five will be big. Their next two runners of Daniel Occhipinti and Sam Webster need to be within three seconds of each other and 50 seconds of Richtman. The team split of 95 seconds is reasonable for this team to be among the top five teams on Saturday.
Waterloo ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 8
Notes – A team to keep an eye on in the top ten but could sneak in among the first five teams. There are no superstars on this team but a solid group of runners that could pick up some low points. In their third-place finish in last week’s sectional race at Decatur, Waterloo had Eli Ward, Adam Robson, and Jackson McAlister within nine seconds of each other. They will need that kind of pack on Saturday where they could have all three runners in the top 40. The team’s split in the sectional race was only 40 seconds on the scorers and that could happen again in this race. Keeping that tight pack running together could move the Bulldogs into the top five.
Bloomington ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 10
Notes – The Purple Raiders have come on strong towards the end of the season including a win in the Big 12 Conference Meet. They are a good bet to finish among the top ten teams. How much higher can they go after that especially finishing third in the tough Normal University Sectional? A good thing to watch for is that Austin Bicknell and Nick Doud run close together in this race. They were within a second of each other last week. That type of running could put them in the top 25. Bloomington had a 43 second split on their top five including three through five runners within 13 seconds of each other. That is how they have been running at the end of the year. This team could finish anywhere from 4th to 12th in this meet. Pack running will define their destiny.
Danville ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 11
Notes – The Vikings displayed good pack running with a 39 second top five split moving them to Peoria in finishing fifth in their sectional at Decatur. Their top five has been different the past three meets showing their depth. The same holds true with their top runners who have been led by Michael Moreman, Brandon Barfel, and Sincere Williams-Davis in those three races. The constant in the past two weeks being under 40 seconds. If Moreman and Williams-Davis have great races, they could be in the top 30. It could also mean a top ten finish for this team.
Marion ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – Not Ranked
Notes – One of the reasons that Marion bounced out of the top 25 rankings was because of inconsistency in their races due to injuries and illnesses. The Wildcats proved that they only rankings that count is the end of the season by making it to state by finishing fourth at Decatur. John Bruce missed the sectional win by two hundredths of a second. He has the talent to be among the top ten on Saturday. The return of Levi Bryant has given this team a big boost. When he is in the top five, the team’s split is near 88 seconds. When not in, the split is slower by 40 seconds. Bryant and Michael Rutkowski could be among the top 50 in this race. Keeping the team split under 80 seconds with Bruce in the top ten could get this team within a top ten finish.
Normal West ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 13
Notes – Having two runners in the front is always a bonus for a team. In the state meet, it is even a bigger advantage. Normal West could see that in their Saturday race after finishing fourth at the Normal U-High Sectional. Charlie Wetzel and Tyler Dunn finished 9-11 in the sectional race and could finish in the top 25 at Detweiller Park. The pack led by Gabriel Bush behind their front runners could be a factor. Their third through six runners were within 15 seconds of each other last week with a season’s best split on five of 49 seconds. That kind of race again this week could be favorable for the top 10 finishing of this team.
Riverside-Brookfield ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 6
Notes – The Bulldogs were in complete control in winning the Wheaton Academy Sectional. Jacob Wardzala, Connor O'Brien, and Jack Sagan all finished in the top 11 in that race. All could be in the top 50 on Saturday. Riverside-Brookfield ran a season’s best of 44 seconds on five in last week’s race. Duplicating that effort could mean a finish in the top half of the standings or perhaps the top ten.
Hampshire ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – Not Ranked
Notes – One of the bigger head scratchers in all the sectional meets was the performance of Hampshire when they finished only six points behind Sycamore in second-place at the Kaneland Sectional. But don’t tell their team that. The Whips are peaking at the right time. Their team ran the best 5 runner split of the year (44 seconds) led from top ten sectional finishes from Santiago Arreola and Elijah Stuart. Both should be in the top 50 in this race. Duplicating that effort could move the team close to the top 10.
Washington ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 12
Notes – The Panthers have run strong the past two weeks finishing fourth at the Metamora Regional and then making it to state by two points by finishing fifth at the Normal U-High Sectional. Reese Borlin and Avery Davidson finished within a second of each other the past two weeks. They will need that kind of race on Saturday and could finish in the top 60. Alex Mitchell has been within 15 seconds of the two and will be a big factor if he can stay within that distance. Their best split of the year of 45 seconds was the best so far. It has been dropping over the past couple of meets. Getting it lower than 40 seconds could mean big things for Washington.
Burlington Central ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – Not Ranked
Notes – The Rockets were another one of those surprise teams to make it out of the Kaneland Sectional by finishing fourth overall. Sophomore Anthony Farmer has been a key for this team as he finished sixth in the sectional race. He could be among the top 25 at Detweiller. Central showed good pack running behind Farmer as their second through fifth runners were only separated by 18 seconds. Great things could happen again for this team this week if they can keep their split under 60 seconds.
Deerfield ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 24
Notes – The Chicago U-High Sectional champion dominated the team race last week placing 5 runners in the top 19 led by Matt Gold’s second-place finish. Don’t be surprised if he is among the top 25 in this race. The team had a split of 65 seconds on their top five runners. Lowering that time could get Deerfield among the first 15 teams in Peoria.
Lansing Illiana Christian ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 14
Notes – In their final year of IHSA competition before their school moves to a new facility in Indiana, the Vikings looked good in finishing second in the Wheaton Academy Sectional. Austin Ohm should be among the top ten runners after his individual sectional win. Derek Van Prooyen will also give his team low points finishing in the top 20. The key all year for the Vikings has been their gap between the top two and the rest of the team. It was 69 seconds last week with an overall top five split of 173 seconds. Moving both of those splits down by 30 seconds could mean a finish out in the top 20 for their final state race at Detweiller Park.
Crystal Lake Central ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – Not Ranked
Notes – This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Tigers as they lost five of their top seven runners to graduation. They bucked the experts by finishing fifth in the Kaneland Sectional to make it back to the state meet. This was after they finished third in their regional race. It was their pack running that got them to Peoria as their split from first runner Jack Flynn to fifth runner Josh Antiongiovanni was only 21 seconds. A top 20 team finish could be expected if they run that kind of race. Watch for the pack to move closer to the front on Saturday.
Bensenville Fenton ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – Not Ranked
Notes – Fenton makes it back to Peoria for long time Coach John Kurt. The Bison finished fourth at the Chicago U-High Sectional behind Cristian Sanchez’s 15th place finish. Their team race was also good as they had a split of 28 seconds on the top five runners.
Darien Hinsdale South ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – 21
Notes – The Hornets set their sights on Peoria after finishing a qualifying fourth behind Brett Haffner’s second-place finish. The senior could finish in the top ten in this race. The split on the pack behind Haffner could be a concern. It was 52 seconds from their second to fifth runner and 128 seconds on their top five. For Hinsdale South to be close to the top 15, the team split needs to be under 95 seconds.
Chicago Marist ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – Not Ranked
Notes – The Red Hawks made it to the state meet for the first time since 1998 by finishing fifth in the Wheaton Academy Sectional by just two points. Thomas Leonard finished fifth overall for Marist. He could finish in the top 40 in this race. The Red Hawks had a 110 second split on their top five. They could be in the top 20 if that split lowers by 20 seconds.
Arlington Heights St. Viator ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – Not Ranked
Notes – The Lions surprised some last fall by finishing 14th in the 2A race. It will not be a surprise if they repeat that effort again. Patric Natindim, who finished 1th overall, led St. Viator to a second-place finish at the Chicago University Sectional. The split of 34 seconds on their top five was close to their best this year. Moving the pack 20 seconds closer to the front could move this team to the top 20 in this meet.
Chicago Mather ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – Not Ranked
Notes – Mather was the second Chicago Public League of this sectional after finishing fifth at the Chicago U-High Sectional. David Burgess finished third and Audiel Perez finished sixth to lead their team. Their split on the top five was 128 seconds last week.
Wheaton St. Francis ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – Not Ranked
Notes – Top ten finishes from Dan Wiezeorxik and Alex Hernandez finished in the top ten to lead St. Francis to a trip to Peoria by finishing third at the Wheaton Academy Sectional. The split on the pack behind their top two was only 27 seconds. Their split in the top five was 84 seconds better than the 109 second split the week before in their regional race.
Chicago Payton Prep ILXCTF.com Final Ranking – Not Ranked
Notes – Payton Prep makes to Detweiller Park finishing third in the Chicago U-High Sectional. Top ten finishes from Matthew Marchbanks, Matthew Sullivan, and Zach Rose in that sectional race pushed the Grizzlies to Peoria. If they can get their split down to 68 seconds on five from 82 seconds, Payton could be among the top 20 teams. More news |
