Yorkville is the #1 team... but the question is " who is ready to get them from the starting line?" (Colin Boyle photo)
Class 2A is going to be a league to watch from top to bottom once the post-season kicks off. Yorkville is the defending champion followed by the seething runner-ups from Lansing who beat the Foxes once last year. Illiana Christian is counting down their exit from Illinois to Indiana as a school. Before they head east they want a state championship in their trophy case. Upstart Wheaton Academy is a team that is lurking in the shadow and will have something to say about the climate in November. Overall, cross country is going to be fun to follow!
1. Yorkville
Head Coach/coach: Chris Muth, Ben Draper, Lauren Bales
Last year’s finish: 1st in AA State
Key returners: Jake Hoffert (Sr.)- 2nd, Luke Hoffert (Sr.)- 3rd, Trevor Wills (Jr.)- 47th, Alexx Nauman (So.), Cody Hornyak (Jr.), Thor Hester (Jr.), Jake Firrantello (Jr.)
Projected top 7: J. Hoffert, L. Hoffert, Wills, then some combination of Nauman, Hornyak, Firrantello, Hester, Zack Price and Patrick Black
Newcomers: Zack Price (freshman), Patrick Black (freshman)
Coach Muth’s Take: We have a great 1-2 punch with the Hofferts, but what will determine the success of this team is how the 3-4-5-6-7 runners develop. We have some potential and experience mixed in with that group, but what is really needed is leadership out on the course and that has yet to develop. As far as the summer has gone, we have had consistent participation and good effort with the entire varsity group. Goals are the same as every year and that is to progress throughout the season and to be at our best during the state series. Although we have potential, with our strong top 1-2 punch, we have a lot of race development to undergo for the rest of our varsity group. I feel we are a top 10 team with potential to make a move into the top 5 with some progression by the end of the season. Once you put yourself in position of a top five team at the state meet, anything can happen.
2. Lansing (Illiana Christian)
Head Coach/coach: Jim Piaskowy
Last year’s finish: State runner-up
Key returners: Nick Fiene (Sr.)- 6th, Colin DeYoung (Jr.)- 12th, Nick Wondaal (Jr.)- 43rd, Tom McGuire (Sr.)- 51st, Jacob Thompson (So.), Aaron Knapper (Jr.), Brian Pershbacher (Sr.)
Projected top 7: Fiene, DeYoung, Wondaal, McGuire, Thompson, Knapper, Pershbacher
Newcomers: Derrick Vanproyen (Fr.)
Coach Piaskowy’s Take: Coming off a great track season the team is very motivated. Nick Wondaal’s 2-mile time has tightened up our top three pack. Tom has had a good summer and should be solid again. The question as always is the #5 runner. Jacob or Derrick appears to working hard to close the gap. Our goal of course is to be on the podium again this year.
3. West Chicago (Wheaton Academy)
Head Coach: Chris Felinski, Jim Spivey
Last year’s finish: State- 10th
Key returners: Brandon Lach (Sr.)- 31st, Jacob Robleski (Jr.)- 46st, Noah Van Dyke (Sr.)- 50th, Jonah Jones (So.)-74th, Mitchell Smith (Jr.)- 84th, Jimmy Ridge (So.)- 140th, Chris Jones (Sr.)- 165th
Projected top 7: Lach, Robleski, Van Dyke, J. Jones, Smith, Ridge, C. Jones
Newcomers: N/A
Tony’s Take: All seven run state starters return from a surprise team that was not on anyone's radar in 2013. That will not be the case for a squad that is sure to be in the trophy chase. If a break or two falls the Warriors way they could vye for a state championship. The 30-second scoring split from state must be repeated weekend in and week out in order for the dreams to fall in place. Lach is the main man followed Robleski and Jones. One of them will need to step up this season to enhance the foundation that coaches Felinski and Spivey built.
4. Metamora
Head Coach: Gene Jones
Last year’s finish: State- 6th
Key returners: John Mangold (Sr.)- 18th, Jake Gillum (So.)- 32nd, Keaton McClure (Sr.)- 68th, Matt Wipfler (Sr.)- 93rd, Jason Argo (Sr.)- 135th
Projected top 7: Mangold, Gillum, McClure, Wipfler, Argo, John Crotteau (Jr.), TBA
Newcomers: N/A
Tony’s Take: This team is going to good with the borderline talk of being special with Mangold and Gillum returning along with three other starters. Mangold and Gillum chose the middle-distance route during the track season as they led their team to a 5th place finish in the 4x8 relay, They will now focus hard on the grass with emerging runner John Crotteau who ran 9:57 on the track. The Redbirds had one of the tightest scoring packs in the state a year ago. They should return at the top of the pecking order again this season.
5. Normal (University)
Head Coach/coach: Lester Hampton/ John Niesler
Last year’s finish: State- 14th
Key returners: Eli Hill (Sr.)- 30th, Alexander Bruno (Sr.)- 73rd
Projected top 7: Hill, Bruno, Andrew Walch (Sr.), Aidan Vaughn (Jr.), Cameron Herbert (Jr.), Jack Franklin (So.), Zach Gocker (So.), Grayson Will (So.)
Newcomers: N/A
Coach Hampton’s Take: The summer has been more low key then past summers as we’re breaking in a younger more inexperienced team. Eli Hill and Alexander Bruno are both all-state track performers who should give us the best 1-2 punch we’ve had in a while. They’re both capable of breaking 15:00 for 3 miles and competing for all-state status come November. If we’re going to be a top 5-10 team we’ll need our younger kids to grow quite a bit as the season progresses.
6. Mahomet-Seymour
Head Coach/coaches: Neal Garrison/Todd LaFond
Last year's finish: State- 15th
Key Returners: Alex Keeble (Jr.), Andrew Walmer (So.)- 45th Jackson Powell (Sr.)- 137th, William Wolf (Sr.)
Projected top 7: Keeble, Powell, Wolf, Walmer, Gabe Pommier (So.), Brian Butcher (So.), Jack Hyde (Jr.)
Newcomers: Evan Burge, Joe Churm, Kyle Sheehy
Coach Garrison’s Take: Our team ran well this summer, but not as many miles as in previous summers. We hope this doesn't hurt us in the end. Our season goals are to fight to win many of our invitationals and hopefully place in the top 10 at State. We have a solid team full of runners with good character. They are disciplined in their training and care about their teammates.
7. Chatham-Glenwood
Head Coach/coach: Michael Garber
Last year’s finish: State- 12th
Key returners: Landon Skelly (Jr.)- 25th, Gabe Powell (Sr.)- DNR, Chris Durr (So.)- 79th, Paul Giganti (Jr.), Jon Durr (Sr.)- 139th, Justin Hollinshead (Sr.), Sean McRae (Sr.), Michael Rogers (Jr.)
Projected top 7: Skelly, Powell, Durr, Giganti, Durr, Capps, ?
Newcomers: Logan Capps (Fr.), Jacob Thornton (Fr.), Ryan Ridesel (Fr.), Eli Rudin (Fr.)
Coach Garber’s Take: This group of young men is primed and ready for a breakout season. Many of the boys will put in 500 miles or more before the summer is over. Gabe Powell is coming off major knee surgery ten months ago and looking as hungry as any runner I’ve seen. Skelly, Giganti and the Durr boys have all been feeding off each other this summer. If one was going to run, they would all show up. The top five group is a fairly cohesive unit. Capps is coming off a very successful middle school career and should break out once he gets acclimated to the competitiveness of high school. It will be interesting to see who wants to fill out the final spot on the top seven. We have four or five gentlemen that will be competing for the spot all season long. The Glenwood boy’s team will be exciting to watch this season.
8. Dunlap
Head Coach/coaches: Chris Friedman/ Katie Petravick, Steve Carter, Michael Helgeson (volunteer)
Last year’s finish: State- 11th
Key returners: Phillip Copeland (Sr.)- 99th, Thomas Skeels (Sr.)- 124th, Carson Potts (So.)- 148th, Drew Fick (So.)- 107th, Dotun Taiwo (So.)- 158th
Projected top 7: Copeland, Skeels, Potts, Fick, Taiwo, Mark Anderson (Sr.), Clark Tow (Jr.), Justin Vozzo (Sr.)
Newcomers: Gabby DaCosta (Fr.), Justin Monge (Fr.), Vozzo
Coach Friedman’s Take: I think last year we surprised many with our 11th place finish at state. The group that wasn't surprised was the team itself. This year feels like much the same. We return five of our top seven. In addition, Anderson, Tow, Vozzo will help fill out the top seven. Our freshmen group is big and Gabby DaCosta and Justin Monge might help out with depth by October. Our goal is always first to win the conference. Metamora is likely the favorite, but I do believe we match up with them upfront. To beat them we will need a strong 4-5. Another regional title would be goal number two and then a return trip to state. The summer has been a strong one, and the team looks forward to a strong season.
9. Vernon Hills
Head Coach/coach: Mark Whitney/Adam Lueken
Last year’s finish: 1st in NSC, 1st in Regional, 1st in Sectional, 3rd in State
Key returners: Shane Williamson (So.)- 26th, Rob Williams (Sr.)- 26th, Tyler Smith (Sr.)- 28th
Projected top 7: Williamson, Smith, Williams, Trevor Moyers (Jr.), Caleb Ju (Jr.), Bryan Castellanos (Jr.), Sam Laneman (Jr.)
Newcomers: While both are returners, Tim Krashevsky (So.) and Alex Geier (Jr.) will be competing for a spot on the Varsity top 7. In addition, Kenny Dantes (Jr.) and Zak Baumann (So.) should earn a spot on the Top 12. Ten freshmen have signed up for the 2014 squad.
Coach Whitney's Take: The Varsity squad all participated in the VHHS Boys’ XC summer camp and also attended a week of camp at UW-Madison. The guys have put in a solid summer of training and are a cohesive group. Our primary goal is to send a team to the State Final and improve on last year’s 3rd place finish. Along the way, we expect to do very well against our competition in the NSC and in the Regional and Sectional Championships. With three of the top five from the 2013 State Final returning, we are excited about our chances this year. Our top three need to be strong front runners and we need a tight pack close behind. To do that, everyone needs to improve over their 2013 performances, some by a significant amount.
10. Crystal Lake (Prairie Ridge)
Head Coach: Judd Shutt
Last year’s finish: State- 21st
Key returners: Mitch Kazin (Sr.)- 41st, Fillip Pajak (So.)- 52nd, Scott Hearne (Sr.)- 90th, Tyler Figgins (Jr.)- 114th, Chris Berg (Sr.)- 147th, David Tulke (So.)- 166th
Projected top 7: Kazin, Pajak, Hearne, Figgins, Berg, Tulke, ?
Newcomers: N/A
Tony’s Take: This team has the potential to be a real good squad based on the fact that they return 6 state starters including the top 5. If somehow the Wolves can drop the 1-minute down into the 40-45 second range they will be sitting in the catbird seat all season. Pajak and Kazin have both run under 16:00 for 3 miles and should be in the low 15's this fall. Pajak also put up 9:41/4:27 marks on the track.
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