Jack Aho made 2016 track season a gold mine for himself (Colin Boyle photo)
High school sports are 360 in nature- a full circle if you will. Most long distance runners will begin their quest during the early months of summer training for cross country. The three months of training that kids put in are an attempt to run in the state championship in November. For the few lucky ones, they will go on and compete in Nike Cross Nationals, Foot Locker or some other post-season meet. But what has been lost in the sauce is the entire school calendar which runs through the winter indoor campaign and finally back around to the all important outdoor track and field season.We wanted to chronicle the very beginning and end. Obviously athletes get lazy after cross country or hurt. Some play other sports in the spring like lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, etc.
Below are the 2015 top 25 Class 2A cross country all-state placers. Some of the finishers below moved up to 1A or up to 3A for the track season. We chronicled indoor and outdoor track seasons as appropriate
1.
Jack Aho (Jr., Grayslake Central) 14:25
-Completed in 3A classification during the track season and enjoyed a monster campaign placing second in the state championship 3200m. Aho also took 9th in the 1600m; massive personal bests include 9:00.70 and 4:07.39 which rates IL #2 and IL #4; won the Illinois Top Times 1600 title
-Ran 9:23.62 for 3200m but did not run many deuces. Instead he concentrated with several teammates and competed in the 3A 4x800 relay series. "The team gamble" paid off for Nodus who ran third leg in state final and his squad placed 4th in 7:52.09.
-Took the same team route as pal Charlie Nodus with very limited running in the 3200. Drabchuk ran only one documented deuce and recorded a solid 9:18.0 indoors. Drabchuk ran 4:22.21 and 2:00.84 for 16/8 during the summer; lead off 4th place all-state 4x8 relay
-Finished 13th in the 3A 3200m clocking 9:33.67; ran season bests 9:30.30 and 4:26.98i
-Placed 10th in the 3A 3200 state final running 9:26.62. Yunk endured a solid senior campaign with a personal best 9:11.33; good indoor season with 4:19.54 and 1:57.55.
-Completed season with a 3rd place finish in the 3200; personal best 9:22.34; finished 4th in Illinois Top Times 3200
7.
Matt Aho (Jr., Grayslake Central) 14:42
-Triplet sibling with rising superstar Jack Aho. Best effort was a 4th place sectional placement in the 3200m (9:25.05)
-Double state finalist- ran on 4th place 4x8 relay and then placed 24th in 3200 (10:22.09); season best 9:39.69 at Vernon Hills Sectional
-The last of the famous running Beattie clan put a stamp on a career that resulted in a runner-up finish in the state 3200. Beattie clocked a blazing IL #7 9:10.70.
-15th place state trials 1600; clocked 4:26.09 as a personal best; did not compete in the 3200 outdoors
-4th place in state 1600; personal bests include 4:21.66, 9:57.77, 1:56.38; anchored state 4x800 relay that finished 3rd
-19th overall in state 3200m; clocked 9:43 indoors as a personal best
-5th in 1600m state championship; 4:19.90 personal best
-Senior year destroyed by injury.
-4th in state 3200 championship; ran to nice 9:13.85 personal best during the season; logged 4:18 for 1600m
-Placed 5th in state 3200m; took 11th in state 1600m; ran personal bests 9:16.42 and 4:21.62
-Earned all-state honors placing 8th in 3200m; ran personal best 9:37.18
-Placed 20th in the IHSA state prelims; ran personal best 4:25.17 during the state series; ran the 3200 only twice but clocked a respectable 9:38.52
-Enjoyed another banner season on the track with concentrated efforts in the 800 and 1600; placed 4th in the 3A state 800; personal best of 1:51.61 #4 in the state; 1600 was solid as well with a 4:10.17; ran the 3200 one time and posted 9:14.48- good enough for 19th in the state
-Competed in the state 3200 and placed 15th; 9:47.11 is personal best
-21st in state 3200; ran 9:37.96 personal best at St. Rita sectional; did not compete many times in the 1600 but ran 4:21.47 big personal best at Magis Miles
-Placed 8th in the 3200 and 4th in the 1600 at the 1A state finals; logged a BIG personal best in the 1600 at Magis Miles (4:18.91)
-Competed in 3A with minimal results: 2:08/4:53/10:01
-2:00.90 for 800m; 4:22.25 in 3A state prelims but missed final
-Did not compete in the 3200 indoors or outside but compete in the state 1600 prelims (4:22.95)
