Dylan Jacobs was among the leaders of the pack from cross country to track
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, basketball, softball, etc.
Below are the 2016 top 25 Class 3A Boys cross country all-state placers. We chronicled indoor and outdoor track seasons as appropriate.
1. Soren Knudsen (Sr., Minooka) 14:02- Triple Crown recipient winner. Won the 3200m state championship in 9:03.41 Ran a state leading 8:55.70 3200m at the Conant Cougar Invite; won the 1600m state championship in 4:10.51; produced #1 time in the state/US#3 4:04.06 1600m in winning the Magis Miles elite group. Knudsen's 4:05.58 full mile rates #12 in the country.
2. Danny Kilrea (Jr., LaGrange Lyons) 14:08- Ran 9:09.23 to place 4th in the state meet; Ran 9:07.23 at the New Balance Indoor Nationals to place 5th; personal best is 9:00.81 from the Arcadia Invite in which he finished 26th overall. The time remains IL#3; personal best in the 1600m is 4:12.81 from Magis Miles enroute.
3. Dylan Jacobs (Jr., Orland Park Sandburg) 14:10- Anchored his team with a gutsy leg on the 4x800 relay that finished runner-up; 9th in state championship 1600m; ran IL#2 4:07.57 at Majic Miles; personal best 3200m of 9:11.67i.
4. Charlie Kern (Jr., Elmhurst York) 14:12- Placed 3rd in the 800m state meet with a time of 1:54.26; personal best is 1:53.03; qualified for state in the 1600m but did not contest the event; ran 4:11.67 enroute to the full mile; 49.97 for 400m; All-American honors in the New Balance Outdoor Nationals 4x1Mile; did not run the 3200m this past season.
5. Brian Griffith (Sr., Lake Zurich) 14:14- The major highlight was finishing runner up in the 1600m behind Soren Knudsen of Minooka. Griffith ran a monster 4:10.56 to come within inches of the win. Personal best in 400m running 50.17; 1:57.17 for 800m; ran the 3200m one time and put 9:02.99 (IL#5)
6. Matt Pereira (Sr., Lake Zurich) 14:24- The key hightlight was the 3200m that produced IL#9 9:11.89 at the Distance Night
7. Vince Zona (Sr., LaGrange Lyons) 14:28- Anchored his 4x800 relay to a 3rd place in the state meet; Ran 4:16.34 for the full mile at Arcadia Invite; ran the 3200m one time (indoors) and produced a time of 9:24.68; ran 1:55.63 at the Collinsville Invite
8. Jackson Jett (Sr., Naperville Neuqua Valley) 14:33- Did not advance to state; ran 4:28.00 at York JV Invite; ran 3200m personal best at the Arcadia Invitational (9:22.83);
9. Dylan Zangri (Sr., Oswego East) 14:36- Did not advance to IHSA state; ran 9:39.77 for 3200m; clocked personal best 4:18.15 1600m at Distance Night in Palatine; 5th at Illinois Top Times 1600m
10. Sean MacGregor (Jr., Elmhurst York) 14:36- Did not run in IHSA state meet; ran 4:23.32 for 1600m; ran 9:38.04 for 3200m at Midwest Distance Classic; earned All-American honors at NBON in 4x1mile relay.
11. Reese Jordan (Sr., Park Ridge Maine South) 14:36- The former "sprinter" ran 4:18.32 as a season best in the 1600m at the Distance Night in Palatine; advance to state in the 1600m but did not make the final; ran 9:38.10 in the 3200m (personal best)
12. Alec Danner (Sr., Downers Grove North) 14:37- Ran a personal best 4:14.66 to place 4th in the state 1600m; ran the 3200m once and clocked IL#12 9:12.16 for a win at the Bob Coohoon Invitational
13. Brian Leonard (Sr., Palatine) 14:37- Did not make it to state in any event; ran season best 3200m in 9:28.97 at Distance Night in Palatine
14. Paolo Tiongson (Sr., Wilmette Loyola Academy) 14:38- Competed in the Loyola Sectional but did not advance to the state meet; ran personal best 9:27.57 at the CCL 3200m
15. Jacob Ridderhoff (Jr., Downers Grove North) 14:39- Ran 9:29.13 at the Lockport Sectional but did not advance to state; ran a personal best 4:22.30 1600m at WSC Silver meet
16. Evan Mitchell (Sr., New Lenox Lincoln-Way West) 14:40- Placed 16th in the state 3200m; logged career best 9:13.27 for 5th place at Distance Night in Palatine; Ran 4:20.15 for 1600m
17. Zach Kinne (So., Naperville Neuqua Valley) 14:41- Big breakthrough with 5th place finish in the state championship 3200m running IL#9 9:11.48; 4:23.64 personal best in the 1600m.
18. Caleb Washington (Sr., Palos Heights Shepard) 14:41- Key season performance was strong anchor on the DMR at the Distance Night in Palatine that resulted in IL#1 10:30.30; ran 9:23.45 to finish second at the Illinois Top Times meet; finished 20th in the IHSA state 3200m; personal best 4:23.26 in the 1600m.
19. Blake Evertsen (Sr., Hinsdale Central) 14:42- Rebounded from an injury plagued indoor season to help his mates earn all-state honors in the 4x800 relay; logged 4:20.02 for 1600m; ran 3200m in 9:23.45 at WSC Silver meet.
20. Jack Becker (Jr., Crystal Lake South) 14:46- Ran 4:17.50 personal best in the 1600m enroute to the mile at the Magis Miles; did not advance to state in the 3200m; clocked personal best 9:24.51 at FVC Championship.
21. Jake McEneaney (Sr., Naperville Neuqua Valley) 14:46- Ran a leg on the state championship 4x800 relay; finished 6th in the state 1600m final; ran 1:56.17 for the 800m; personal best 4:17.14 1600m; did not compete in 3200m at the state meet series but ran 9:11.06 at the Adidas Raleigh Relays (IL#7)
22. Keduse Worku (Sr., Chicago Whitney Young) 14:47- All-Stater in the 4x800 relay with a 5th place finish; the 4:31.70 1600m was major individual performance.
23. Matt Milostan Naperville (Neuqua Valley) Sr 14:47- Ran in limited competition during the 2017 track season. Milostan participated in the prestigious Arcadia Invitational. Ran 4:34.16 in the 1600m as key highlight at Red Ribbon Invitational.
24. Noah Healy (Sr., Frankfort Lincoln-Way East) 14:47- Advanced to state in 1600m but did not make the state final; ran personal best 4:15.91; ran 9:51.61 in the 3200m
25. Martin Skucas (Sr., Orland Park Sandburg) 14:50- Ran a leg on the state runner up 4x800 relay; produced personal best 1:58.51; ran 1600m 4:19.54 at the Magis Miles enroute; did not contest the 3200m