We've cracked the top ten. Did your team make the list?
10) Naperville (Neuqua Valley)
Head Coach: Paul Vandersteen
Last season’s final finish: state- 7th (274pts)
Key returners: Nick Bushelle (Sr.)-31st, Connor Horn (So.)- 60th, Daniel Weiss (Jr.)-121st
Season outlook by Coach Vandersteen: “The first week of the summer was surreal and very trying for us. Connor Horn was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the navicular bone in his foot. He has been in a full cast all summer and has not been able to bike or swim. Nick Bushelle was in the hospital for two-three days for an infection on his foot that spread throughout his body. And, Chris Sahm, an incoming junior on our team, woke up the first a.m. of summer running with a brain aneurysm and is now at the Rehabilitation Center of Chicago. Our thoughts and prayers have been with him and his family all summer long.Despite these setbacks, we have persevered and put in a good summer. We are going to be very young based on what I see in workouts. I have no idea how this team is going to handle the actual racing, but based on times from track and this summer, I think we have some potential to contend for a top 10 finish at State. Our sophomore class is as talented and hard-working as any group we have ever had come through our program. I don’t say this lightly, for our 2007 class was pretty good. I think we have the potential to have 10-12 guys in that class break 16:30 for three miles and there is a chance that 2-3 of them will make our top seven. Our junior class has a great core of young men who have dedicated themselves to getting better. The senior class has had an inconsistent summer, but there are some guys who are working hard that I hope can contribute beyond our top returner, Nick Bushelle.”
9) Naperville North-
Head Coach: David Racey
Last year’s final season finish: state- 10th (309pts)
Key returners: Kerry Gshwendtner (Jr.)-56th, Jake Pecorin (Sr.)-78th, Ryan Hanselman (Sr.)- 164th
Projected top 7: Gshwendtner, Pecorin, Hanselman, John Klaiber (Jr.), Andrew Laduer (Jr.); five others fight for the sixth and seventh spots
Team insight provided by Coach Racey: “We had a very deep and dedicated group training this summer. The [boys] ran great at the Detweiller at Dark meet in July and produced a 27-second scoring split. If we can keep that split and have at least two or three runners under 15 minutes we will place well. We have at least five quality guys that will do anything to earn the sixth and seventh spots. Look out for Ryan Drendel (Jr.), Michael (Sr.) and Kevin Drake (Sr.) Evan Harrison (Sr.), and Christian Moore (Jr.) this season.”
8) Palatine
Head Coach: Chris Quick
Last year’s final season finish: state- 9th (294pts)
Key returners: Graham Brown (Jr.)-41st, Emil Kozakiewicz (Sr.)-89th, Argeni Bailon (Sr.)-116th
Projected top 7: Brown, Kozakiewicz, Bailon, Eddie Graham (Sr.), Dean Kolar (Sr.), Adam Brauer (Sr.), Connor McGough (Jr.); plus 5-7 others fighting for spots
Newcomers: Dean Roehrborn (Jr.), Ryan Kissane (Jr.), Dan Antonio (Jr.), Patrick Seeberger (Jr.), Zack Michael (So.), Dan Trejo (So.), Nate Izewski (Fr.), Everardo Bustamante (Fr.)
Coach Quick’s season outlook: “The team has been healthy and training hard all summer. Brown, Kozakiewicz, and Bailon are the clear top three with 7-10 others contending for the remaining spots. It will take awhile for this team to get its 3-7 spots in order, but the talent is there for another run at an MSL title and a top five finish at the IHSA state meet. Hersey will be the unanimous favorite in the MSL with teams like Buffalo Grove, Prospect, Barrington, Conant, and Fremd battling along with Palatine for the five qualifying spots out of the Schaumburg Sectional. Look for another banner year of racing from MSL teams and individuals.” Our goals remain the same as ever: win the MSL West and MSL conference titles, qualify to state, and win a state trophy. A secondary goal is to finish in the top ten at the IHSA state meet for the 11th consecutive year. The current seniors were the worst freshman class I have coached in my 13 years at Palatine and have grown into one of our program’s greatest success stories. We’ll see just how far they can take us.”
7) Hinsdale Central-
Head Coach: Jim Westphal
Last year’s final season finish: state- 12th (327pts.)
Key returners: Billy Magnesen (Sr.)-32nd, Kevin Huang (Sr.)-46th, TJ Caveney (Sr.)-126th, Alex Domiano (Jr.)-142nd
Projected top 7: Magnesen, Huang, Caveney, Domiano, Matt McBrien, Jake Hall, Emmett Scully, Blake Evertsen
Newcomers (to the Varsity line-up): Hall, McBrien, Evertsen, Scully, Aria Darbandi, Sean O’Flaherty, Chris Brenk, Andrew Irvine, Jack Griffin
Season outlook presented by Coach Westphal: “The summer has gone well as the boys have put in hard work and have been healthy. Our team goals are to finish in the top three in the West Suburban Conference meet, qualify to State, and finish in the top 10. Billy Magnesen and Kevin Huang will be our leaders. They both have had quality summers. Overall, we have a nice mix of experienced varsity athletes as well as some newcomers. Staying healthy along with consistent and quality training as well as competing will be the focus of our program this fall.”
6) Head Coach: Greta Havey
Last year’s final season finish: state- 17th (407pts)
Key returners: Nolan McKenna (Sr.)- 30th, Kyle Cepeda (Jr.)- 58th, Dave Dillon (Sr.)-111th, Peter Kania (Sr.)- 175th, David Santana (Sr.)- 200th, Gabe Lightbody (Jr.), Luke Schroer (Sr.).
Team outlook: The Tigers have been knocking at the door for a state trophy since Nolan McKenna was a sophomore. But they never had all the pieces a complete team needs to compete in the top five. He is now that front runner who placed fifth in the 3200m at state (9:03). This kid will be a threat for the individual state title. The next objective is to have several key parts in Luke Schroer and Kyle Cepeda to back up a low score. Schroer did not run at state last year but he did return to have an outstanding track season as 4:18 and 1:57 proved. Cepeda ran 9:38 for 3200m on the track and will be a tough #3 runner. The word on the street is the team has put in a monster summer of training. If this is true, there is no doubt that the Tigers will be in the hunt for a top five spot in November.