Chris Torpy went from good cross country runner in the fall to excellent track star in the spring
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 3A cross country all-state placers. We chronicled indoor and outdoor track seasons as appropriate
1. Kevin Salvano (Sr., Buffalo Grove) 14:20
-Ran an IL #2 and US #10 9:09.41 3200m indoors before getting hurt and missing the entire 2016 outdoor season
2. Charlie Kern (So., Elmhurst York) 14:22
-Missed virtually the entire indoor season with an undisclosed injury; outdoor campaign did not include any 3200m runs but Kern ran 50.95 (400m), 1:54.97 (800m) and 4:14.28 (1600m); anchored 5th place state 4x8 relay as well as the New Balance Outdoor Nationals DMR that finished #2 in the country
3. Sean Torpy (Sr., Orland Park Sandburg) 14:25
-The track stallion had one of the most powerful seasons for an Illinois school boy. Torpy ran on the state meet breaking 4x8 relay (7:37.36)- which was US #1 at time it was run; ran US #1 800m in 1:47.95- which is the fastest in Illinois history and #9 all-time performance in the US; clocked IL #1/US#1 1600m in 4:03.42, US#10 mile in 4:05.10; ran the 3200m one time outside and clocked a very good 9:19.65... also won the 1600m state title
4. Blake Evertsen (Jr., Hinsdale Central) 14:26
-The hype and promise of Blake Evertsen is matching up just right. Evertsen blazed 9:06.36 (school record) at the Arcadia Invite; finished 6th in the 3200 at the state meet; clocked 4:16.49 in the 1600m
5. Matt Pereira (Jr., Lake Zurich) 14:29
-Injuries limited Pereira to a few selected meets outdoors including the state meet where he ran the 3200 and placed 19th (9:52.52); season best was 9:21.20
6. Vince Zona (Jr., LaGrange Lyons Twp.) 14:30
-SOLID 2016 season that produced one all-state honor in the 4x8 relay; clocked 4:14.63 for the 1600 as well as 1:55.40
7. Brian Griffith (Jr., Lake Zurich) 14:30
-10th in 800m state final; 1:54.64 best time
8. Dustin Macuiba (Sr., Gurnee Warren) 14:33
-4:20.96 personal best in the 1600; 9:27.18 3200m performance was best effort
9. Colin DeYoung (Sr., Lansing Illiana Christian) 14:34
-4:16.18 in the 1600m; dropped down to 2A and won the state 3200m; ran 9:13.65 personal best at Palatine Distance Night
10. Danny Kilrea (So., LaGrange Lyons Twp.) 14:35
-Finished 8th in the state 3200; 4:14.59 1600m personal best; ran a solid 9:12.59 at Arcadia Invitational
11. Soren Knudsen (Jr., Minooka) 14:36
-Rising senior had an excellent junior year. Soren ran a full mile in 4:10.17 (4:08.70 1600m); placed 3rd in state 1600m; ran 9:18.29 in the 3200
12. Clayton Mendez (So., Chicago Whitney Young) 14:37
-Qualified for the state 3200 but only ran the 4x8 relay which reached the state final and placed 10th; 9:29.91 season best
13. Max Lehnhardt (Sr., Orland Park Sandburg) 14:39
-Did not compete in the 2016 indoor or outdoor season due to injury
14. Brett Davidson (Sr., Highland Park) 14:40
-Grabbed the final 3200 state all-state medal; 9:13.15 clocking at the Loyola Sectional was personal best; ran to a 16th place 15:08 5k performance in NBON
15. Josh Derrick (Sr., Winnetka New Trier) 14:42
-No state meet performance; 9:31.73 best in the 3200m
16. Chris Torpy (Sr., Orland Park Sandburg) 14:42
-Arguably the second best distance runner in 3A. The twin brother of Sean Torpy anchored the 4x8 state championship that broke the metric meet record; ran on indoor national championship 4x1 mile relay; won state 800 title; personal bests: 4:05.40/1:49.40
17. Jack LaLonde (Sr., Downers Grove South) 14:42
-9:16.87 in the 3200; 20th place in the state 3200
18. Michael Hahndorf (Sr., McHenry) 14:43
-9:30.90 season best; no state meet appearances
19. Alec Danner (Jr., Downers Grove North) 14:43
-11th in state 3200; 9:14.26 personal best
20. Keagan Smith (Sr., Huntley) 14:44
-Not as strong season as 2015. Did not run 1600 in state series or the 3200; 29th in 800 state prelims; 1:55.06 personal best; ran on 7:51.00 4x8 relay team that eventually placed 14th in the prelims
21. Kyle Griffith (Jr., Lake Zurich) 14:44
-18th in 1600 state prelims; 9:30.07 best in 3200
-9:27.76 was the highlight of 2016
23. Sam Wischnewsky (Sr., Chicago Whitney Young) 14:45
-No state meet performance; 9:31.16 indoor personal best
-Returned as all-stater in 1600m; 9:27.70 best in 3200m
25. Justin Loquercio (Sr., Wheeling) 14:46
-No state meet performances but notable performance was 1:57.77 800m