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2018 IHSA 2A Boys Cross Country State Meet PreviewPublished by
By Michael Newman
ILSPEEDRATINGS.COM 2A BOYS STATE MEET PROJECTIONS
2A Boys Individuals to Watch Mathias Powell, Mahomet-Seymour; Nick Doud, Bloomington; Nathan Schmidt, Lake Forest; Collin Grady, Dixon; Dathan Maton, Chatham-Glenwood; Daniel Occhipinti, Kaneland; Anthony Farmer, Burlington Central; Daniel Chen, IMSA; Drey Maton, Chatham-Glenwood; Casmir Cozzi, Mascoutah; Riley Wells, Rockford Christian; Sam Lange, Morton; Jimmy McDonald, Vernon Hills; Ethan Cherry, Carbondale; Charlie Smith, Antioch; Adam Gilbreath-Glaub, Metamora. Overview – Mathias Powell has dominated in his races this fall and should be the favorite Saturday afternoon. Powell ran 14:44 on this course in September at the Richard Spring Invitational. Two weeks later at the Peoria Invitational, Doud ran a solo 14:47. Even though Powell had the advantages over Doud in the last two meets, this race could be closer than some think. Nathan Schmitt is the unknown in this race having not run on this course during the regular season. Schmitt finished second behind Colin Grady last week at Woodstock. Both runners could be among the top five in this race.
2A Boys Team to Watch Chatham-Glenwood has been the top 2A team all season. Despite finishing third behind Springfield in their conference Meet and second again two weeks ago to Springfield in regionals, Glenwood found their “mojo” with a convincing sectional win. Their power in the front could be the difference. Seven schools are all talented enough to finish in the top three. The Titans could win by 30 to 35 points. It will be extremely close after that. A detailed preview of each of the qualifying teams can be found below.
Chatham-Glenwood
Decatur MacArthur Sectional Champion Overview – After hiccups in their conference and regional races, the Titans dominated their race in winning the sectional title more than doubling score over the next closest team Springfield. Glenwood enters Saturday’s race as the prohibitive favorite. The power up front is their advantage with Drey and Dathan Maton leading the team. Both runners could finish in the top 10 in the state race. Graham Turk, who was the team’s top runner more than a month ago in Peoria, was 31 seconds behind the Maton twins. Turk missed the conference meet due to a slight knee injury. If the he is back to full strength, the senior could be within an all-state top 25 position. The split on top five was at 56 seconds in last week’s sectional race. Cooper Peterson, the team’s fourth runner, was within 35 seconds of the Maton brothers. That split could be tough for other teams to beat especially if Turk returns to full strength. Even not, the Titans could have four runners in the first 40 in this race with their fifth runner between 16 to 20 seconds back. That could clinch the win for this team.
Maple Park Kaneland
Kaneland Sectional Champions Overview - There are seven schools that will be chasing after a trophy and Chatham-Glenwood on Saturday. The closest of those teams could be Kaneland. The Knights edged Benet Academy by six points behind the front running of Daniel Occhipinti who has led this team throughout the season. The junior finished third individually and should be among the top 10 individuals on Saturday. The key for this team is the pack behind Occhipinti. The foursome, led by Austin Adams, had only a 17 second split from their second through fifth runners and a 49 second spread on their overall top five. Adams was 32 seconds behind Occhipinti last week. If Adams can close that gap and finish in the top 25 and keep the group split to within 22 seconds. it would place Kaneland to Chatham-Glenwood and give them an advantage at one of the three team trophies.
Springfield
2nd – Decatur MacArthur Sectional Overview – The one team that may have the biggest momentum push is Springfield. The Senators finished ahead of Chatham-Glenwood in the conference and in winning the regional race before finishing second to the Titans last week at Decatur. The fact that they are the only 2A team to finish ahead of the 2A top ranked team could give the Senators a little more confidence heading not this race. Kyle Boughter and Will Formea are the team’s top two runners. Boughter has a chance to finish in the top 15. Formea is slowly getting farther away from his teammate in the last three race. It was 19 seconds in the conference race. It was 26 seconds last week. Having Formea finish within 20 seconds of Boughter in the top 25 would be a plus for this team. The Senators last week had a 62 second split on their top five runners. Closing that to under 50 seconds could make it interesting in the top three.
Metamora
East Peoria Sectional Champion Overview – The reemergence of 2A 3200 Meter Run champion Adam Gilbreath-Glaub has given the Redbirds a kickstart heading into Saturday’s state meet. Metamora has climbed up the rankings into a position of finishing in the top three on Saturday. The team won the sectional title by 11 points ahead of Bloomington. Gilbreath-Glaub and Ian O’Laughlin were within six seconds of each other at East Peoria. If AGG goes after the front pack in this race, that split could widen. The split on their regional race to five was 39 seconds. The split on four in sectionals was 32 seconds with a 64 second spread on their scorers. The Redbirds could be within the top three on Saturday. Gilbreath-Glaub, O’Laughlin, or Jacob Gray could be among the first 25 in this race. Keeping their split under 53 seconds or having their fifth runner in first among all teams could give this team a trophy advantage.
Lisle Benet Academy
2nd – Kaneland Sectional Overview – This could be the only shot that Benet Academy has at a 2A trophy this Saturday. It is a good bet that the Redwings will be moved back to 3A for the 2019 season. Benet has been tough in the state series only trailing sectional champion Kaneland by six points last weekend. Their pack was ahead of Kaneland’s in that race. The key is getting more fore power in the front. Their top runner Connor O’Keefe was 12 seconds behind Daniel Occhipinti in that sectional race. O’Keefe should be in the top 15 but closer to his Kaneland rival. Their split off second runner Ben Grundman to the fifth runner was only 18 seconds. Benet having Grundman within 22 seconds of O’Keefe with the overall split under 41 seconds gives this team a chance at a finish in the top five. It is a trophy, not a top five finish, that they seek.
Bloomington
2nd – East Peoria Sectional Overview – The Purple Raiders was ranked second heading into the state series. Even after finishing second behind Metamora in the sectional race, Bloomington could still be a dangerous team in the state race. Remember, they only finished one point behind Chatham-Glenwood a month ago on this very course. Nick Doud will be one of the favorites in this race. The pack behind Doud holds the key. Evan Turnbull was 22 seconds behind Doud with Bradyn Olmstead another three seconds back. A split like that could get both runners into the top 25. The gap of 79 seconds off Doud for the top five could become problematic in this race. The team’s top five split was 73 seconds in their conference win. Bloomington needs their best race of the season with a split under 60 seconds to get close to the top three and maybe winning the state title.
Centralia
3rd – Decatur MacArthur Sectional Overview – The Orphans produced their top race of the season finishing third in their sectional heading to state for the first time since 2002. This season has been a dream for this team that could have sights of a higher placing on the horizon. Brooks Harlan moved up to the top spot last week for the Orphans with Crede Correll and Cory Fleeman finishing within 11 seconds of the sophomore. The team also had a top 42 second split on their top five. It was also their best split of the season. The key to watch for is when the first Centralis runner crosses the finish line. The trio of Harlan, Correll, and Fleeman could all be in the top 40. Having one or two of those runners in the top 25 would be a help. The split staying between 42 to 48 seconds would benefit this team on the Detweiller Park course. It would also put them in position to finish among the top five teams in 2A.
Dixon
Woodstock North Sectional Champions Overview – The Dukes did not run their best race of the season. It was still more than enough for the sectional title. Dixon may be saving their best race for last when the gun goes off at high noon. Collin Grady has been the team’s top runner all season and comes into state with momentum after winning last week’s sectional race. Gardy will be among the top five individuals in the state race. Brock Dregenberg was within 26 seconds of Grady which is the closest he has been since the Peoria race at the end of September (15 seconds). The sophomore just needs to be within 19 seconds of his teammate in this race. The split on the first four has gone up from 33 seconds at Peoria to 61 seconds last week. Andrew Lohse and Christian Seagren will need to be within 40 seconds of Grady to be within reach of a trophy. The top five split of 87 seconds is also too big. Getting under 70 seconds would be a plus for the Dukes.
Carbondale
4th – Decatur MacArthur Sectional Overview – The Terriers have been one of the team surprises in what has been a deep and tough southern sectional this fall. Carbondale used a 19 second three runner split off front runner Ethan Cherry to help them get to the state meet. Cherry could be among the top 20 in Saturday’s race. Alex Partlow and Tucker Poshard were within that pack and will need to stay within 15 seconds of Cherry on Saturday. The team’s top five split was at 77 seconds last Saturday. A split under 64 seconds places this team close to the top five.
Washington
3rd – East Peoria Sectional Overview – Tight pack running will keep the Panthers in the top 10 teams in this meet. Chris Hurd and Ben Learned were within 16 seconds of each other in their sectional race with a top five split at 46 seconds. The model that they should follow is having four runners within 17 seconds of each other like they did on this course in their conference meet. A key will be getting Hurd, Learned, or any Washington runner in the top 30 keeping their top five under 40 seconds on their split. Good things will occur if that kind of race happens for Washington.
Danville
5th – Decatur MacArthur Sectional Overview – The Vikings had their up and down spells during the season. One of their big up races was last week in Decatur when they finished fifth making it back to the state meet. They finished fifth in the Big 12 Conference Meet two weeks ago and third last week in their own regional. Part if their success had to do with a season’s best 58 second five-runner split led by Ricky Oakley and Michael Moreman finishing within three seconds of each other. Danville should be in the top ten with another race like last Saturday’s sectional effort.
Burlington Central
3rd – Kaneland Sectional Overview – The Rockets did not have their best race of the season in their sectional race. It was still enough for the team to qualify for Saturday’s state race. Anthony Farmer leads this team. He could be among the top 10 individuals. The gap between Farmer and Gio Martinez, their second runner last week, was at 64 seconds. That needs to be cut in half for this team to challenge in the top 10. The positive was that their two through five split was only 33 seconds.
Peoria Notre Dame
4th – East Peoria Sectional Overview – The Irish had a seven second split on their second through fifth runners to help them make the short trip to Detweiller Park on Saturday. It did help that Chris Gilbert finished third in that race. The senior should be among the top 15 runners in the state race. Their gap between Gilbert and Mickey Lawless was 65 seconds at East Peoria. Dropping that gap by 10 seconds and keeping the next four runners within 10 seconds will help Notre Dame to move away from 15th and closer to 10th.
New Lenox Providence Catholic
5th – East Peoria Sectional Overview – It was not that big of a surprise that Providence Catholic made it into this state field. The Celtics had been ranked in the top 20 at one point during the season. Kyle Bell is the team’s top runner and should be among the top 40 in this race. The team dropped their scorers’ split to 85 seconds in the sectional race. A split lower than that could give this team more surprises to show their competition on Saturday in Peoria.
Lake Forest
5th – Woodstock North Sectional Overview – It seemed that the Scouts did not get the attention that other 2A ranked teams received this fall. Lake Forest, who ran in Class 3A last fall, made it to the state meet. Even though they finished fifth in their sectional, this team could be among the top 15 squads. Part of that has to do with the front running of Nathan Schmidt who finished second in the sectional race. Schmidt could be among the top 10 in this race. Ben Rosa, who finished 22 seconds behind Schmidt in the sectional race, could also get all-state honors finishing in the top 25. The team has a top five split near two minutes but that is off Schmidt. Keeping a 90 to 95 second top five split could have this team finishing higher than people think.
Darien Hinsdale South
4th – Kaneland Sectional Overview – This was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the Hornets after losing all-state runner Brett Haffner to graduation. Instead, Hinsdale South reloaded and made it back to the starting line at Detweiller Park. Sophomore Julian Watson has emerged as the team’s top runner. He could be among the top 50 runners in this race. The pack behind Watson is strong with a 45 second split led by Tim Rudolph. Last Saturday’s race was their best race of the season. But, there is always this Saturday’s three-mile jaunt through Detweiller Park to improve on last week’s race.
Sycamore
2nd – Woodstock North Sectional Overview – A team that will rely on good pack running to move up through the race on Saturday. The Spartans finished third in last year’s state race. It would not surprise me if this group finishes Saturday in the top 10. The team ran a 41 second split off their top runner Aaron Trier. Their split on two through five was only nine seconds. Trier of who ever the team’s top runner is will need to finish 40th or better along with that kind of split to finish among the top 10 teams.
Lake Villa Lakes Community
4th – Woodstock North Sectional Overview - The Eagles could be among the top 15 teams on Saturday. Getting their top five split under 50 seconds would help with that. Jack Erwin and Owen Wenberg finished within 11 seconds of each other at Woodstock and will need that kind of race on Saturday to lead this team. The team has run splits on their top five under 50 seconds in three races this season. A fourth one could push them up in the standings.
Crystal Lake Central
3rd – Woodstock North Sectional Overview – It seems like every season the Tigers find a way to make it to the state meet. Their best race of the season, a third-place sectional finish, puts them back on the Detweiller Park starting line. The team ran only a 34 second split on their scorers led by Keegan Smalley and Jack Flynn. The two runners finished within two seconds of each other. Moving that pack up in the race just a little could have Central maintain a spot near the top 15.
Wheaton St. Francis
5th – Kaneland Sectional Overview – A top 10 finish by Dan Weizeorick was what St. Francis needed to get back to the state meet. The Spartans made the final qualifying spot by 13 points to punch their ticket to the state meet. The team will need to improve on their 133 second top five split in order to stay in the top 20 teams in this meet.
Chicago Solorio Academy
2nd – Fenton Sectional Overview – This will be a huge day for this school as both the Boys and Girls teams qualified for the state meet for the first time. Adonaliz Hernandez, who missed the last two meets due to a bike accident, missed the sectional win by tenths of a second. It would not be a surprise if he finishes in the top 20 in this race. The team only had a 42 second split from their second through fifth runners. A tighter group that is within 60 seconds of Hernandez could move this team into the top 20.
Chicago Mather
3rd – Fenton Sectional Overview – Fernando Gonzalez and Yasir Hirsi finished within 11 seconds of each other in last week’s sectional race. The Rangers had a good race with their top five runners within 85 seconds of each other to advance to the state meet. Both runners could be among the top 60 runners in this race.
Arlington Heights St. Viator
Fenton Sectional Champions Overview – The Lions captured sectional title by one point ahead of Solorio Academy and will look for another great race on the state meet course. St. Viator had a 43 second split on their top four runners led by freshman Michael Schumacher. Their top five split of 84 seconds needs to drop by 15 seconds for this team to find a way into the top 20.
Chicago Latin School
4th – Fenton Sectional Overview – The Romans, led by freshman Henry Woodpence, ran a 72 second split on their top five to help them finish fourth in their sectional race. the freshman could be among the top 70 runners in this race. The pack behind Woodpence only had a 21 second split. The pack moving up could move this team up in the standings.
Niles Notre Dame
5th – Fenton Sectional Overview – Tight pack running put Notre Dame in state qualifying position finishing fifth in their sectional. Riley Newton has been the team’s top runner in the last two meets. He led the Dons last Saturday as the team ran only a top 22 seconds on their first five runners. More news |
