Head Coach/coaches: Chris Kuntz/Craig Lawrence
Last year's finish: State- 3rd place, Nike Midwest Regional- 4th place
Key returners: Sean Maison (Sr), Scott Maison (Sr), William Hauenstein (Jr), Jacob Kluckhohn (Jr), David Zeller (Jr), Jared Peaslee (Jr)
Projected Top 7: Se. Maison, Sc. Maison, Hauenstein, Kluckhohn, Zeller, Peaslee, Matt Lifka (So)
Coach Kuntz's Outlook: Last year we had a great season. We have 6 of our top 7 runners returning. Our strength has been our team [pack] running and we don't expect that to change. The top 4 of Sean Maison, Scott Maison, Billy Hauenstein, and Jacob Kluckhohn are usually all within 15 or 20 seconds. David Zeller, and Jared Peaslee our 5th and 6th runners are not far behind. We get great leadership from our captains and the kids have worked hard in their summer running. The kids are highly motivated and they have great goals and expectations. We're excited about the upcoming season and our 1st year in the new DuKane Conference. It will be fun.
Additional thoughts: The Tigers seek to be "Illinois' team" for the next several years. The junior-heavy squad is well connected after producing great results last year that resulted in a third-place state trophy followed by a top-five finish at NXR MW. Similiar to their predecessors from Downers Grove North, expect to see five front runners instead of a traditional classic low-stick. In other words, don't be surprised if one of the coveted varsity boys is the team's top runner of the day. The end results could be very rewarding throughout November and into December.