Class A Boys Pre-Season Preview: Monticello Is Tabbed #1


2020 should be another great season if everything falls into place.

10. Herscher

Head Coach/Assistant Coaches: Rob Grosso / Peggy Heck

Last Year's Finish: 14th Place- State Championship

Key Returners: Drew Rogers (Jr.), Ben Morgan (Jr.), Kamden Lockwood (Sr.)

Projected Top 7: Rogers, Morgan, Lockwood, Trevor Stutz (Sr.), Blaine Dodds (Jr.), Finley Cracco (So.), Connor Joffe (Sr.)

New Additions: Drew Tobey (Sr.), Auggie Azzarelli (So.), AJ Patrick (So.), Tyler Bayston (Fr.), AJ Cotter (Fr.), Thomas Morgan (Fr.)- All of these newcomers have been putting in lots of work. Our incoming freshman group have been running together building mileage since April!

Unexpected Losses: None

Where do you feel your team should be ranked?: 4-6

Coach Grosso's Outlook: These guys have had their sights on Peoria since the end of last season's run! The leadership of our top runners has really motivated the entire group to get in runs together and work through the irregularity of both the canceled track season and the summer training months. Despite all the experience of our projected top 7, there will be a lot of competition from our underclassmen to crack the postseason lineup. This team wants to be in the running in November for a trophy and is putting in the work needed to get there even with the lack of summer contact days.


9. El Paso-Gridley

Head Coach/Assistant Coaches: Jacob Ludy/Katie Ludy

Last Year's Finish: 8th place- State

Key Returners: Nathan DeMarb (Sr.), Sebastian Meyer (Sr.), Mason Ringger (Sr.), Noah Ludy (Jr.)

Projected Top 7: DeMarb, Meyer, Ringger, Ludy, Joe Kerner (Jr.), Sam Bushert (So.), Payton Romersberger (So.)

New Additions: We are importing a large freshmen class that performed well at IESA State and are hungry to contribute to the program.

Unexpected Losses: We may be losing Asa Smith so he can focus on basketball. He is a phenomenal athlete and obviously as our returning #1 was a big part of our team goals for this fall.  We had talked early on about putting our top five under 16:00, we still have four guys that can get under but finding that all-important fifth is going to be an adventure.

Coach Ludy's Outlook: This year seems different for obvious reasons.  I have no idea what other teams are doing, but I think the kids of EPG have bought into the consistency required to be consistently great.  Honestly, places and times seem less important than just getting back together for some group runs with my guys.  I miss the bonds we formed through running miles together- much more than I miss the competitions.


8. DeeMack

Head Coach/Coaches: Sam Ingram

Last Year's Finish: 9th place- State Championship

Key Returners: John Blumeyer (Sr.), Hunter Johnson (Sr.), Ben Sanders (Sr.), Kolin Wilkins (Sr.)

Projected Top 7: Blumeyer, Johnson, Sanders, Wilkins, Colton Knowles (Jr.), Tayte Albritton (Jr.), Lucas Bluemeyer (So.)

New Additions: Unknown

Unexpected Losses: Unknown

Carson's Outlook: The Chiefs have been a very consistent team over the past few years as they always seem to find a way into the top 10 teams in the state. The loss of star runner, Colby Johnson to graduation is a huge blow, but it's time for John Blumeyer to step up and be that top runner.


7. Tolono (Unity)

Head Coach/Coaches: Jarred Koerner

Last Year's Finish: 19th place- State Championship

Key Returners: Ben Gavel (Sr.), Jarrett Cox (Sr.), Connor O'Donnell (Sr.), Clayton Jamison (Jr.)

Projected Top 7: Gavel, Cox, O'Donnell, Jamison, Thomas Cler (Jr.), Shane Ogden (Jr.), Nolan Miller (Jr.)

New Additions: Unknown

Unexpected Losses: Unknown

Carson's Outlook: The Rockets seem to be back to power on the boy's side after it is a few years since winning their last state title. This team will be led on the way that Gavel, Cox, and O'Donnell run with one another. That trio ran extremely close together last year with a split of only 7 seconds between them. There 4 and 5 are about 50 seconds behind though, so if they wish to go far in the state series, those guys need to step up and lower the 1-5 split.


6. Niles (Northridge Prep)

Head Coach/Coaches: Michael Egle

Last Year's Finish: 7th place- State Championship

Key Returners: Andrew Brockmeier (Sr.), Max Elder (So.), Aidan Martin (Sr.), Sam Schuler (Sr.)

Projected Top 7: Brockmeier, Elder, Martin, Schuler, John Pins (Sr.), Anthony Vazquez (Sr.), Mark Masaka (Jr.)

New Additions: Mark Masaka (Jr.)

Unexpected Losses: None

Coach Egle's Outlook: My team looks solid for the third straight year. As sophomores they took 9th place in the state, as juniors they got 7th place, Now as seniors, they should get 5th place. This will be a great year. 10 teams are all pretty much back from last year. My team looks strong with 2 seniors, who were track all-staters in Aidan Brockmeier and Aidan Martin.  We have a super sophomore in Max Elder who ran 9:58 for the 3200m and a 4:34 in the 1600m in Arizona this summer. We also have a new junior who was amazing in his first indoor season in Mark Masaka. Our 5th man ran 16:37 as a junior and looks to run great again at state.


5. Chicago (Latin)

Head Coach/Assistant Coaches: Dan Daly / Michelle Parekh, Joel Bendsten

Last Year's Finish:10th place- State Championship

Key Returners: Peter Bernhardt (Sr.), Ryan Hardiman (Jr.), Ronan Hussar (Jr.), Matthew Kotcher (So.), Akili Parekh (So.)

Projected Top 7: Bernhardt, Hardiman, Hussar, Kotcher, Parekh, Henry Coleman (Sr.), Will Benford (Jr.)

New Additions: None

Unexpected Losses: None

Coach Daly's Outlook: We have a talented group of young runners and we have the luxury of depth, which is not something a small squad can normally count on. The team works well together and pulls each other up. They have the girls team to aspire and model themselves after, but it is time for the boy's team to Shine bright too! We will be competing for the Conference, Regional and Sectional titles


4. Elmwood

Head Coach/Coaches: Gregg Meyers

Last Year's Finish: 5th place- State Championship

Key Returners: Luke Hoffmann (Sr.), Blake Rosenbohm (Sr.), Thomas Harmon (Jr.), Tyler Sheridan (Sr.)

Projected Top 7: Hoffmann, Rosenbohm, Harmon, Sheridan, Victor Lampe (Sr.), Nick Feller (Jr.), Eli Stevenson (Sr.)

New Additions: Unknown

Unexpected Losses: Unknown

Carson's Outlook: Coach Meyers and Trojans find themselves in an interesting situation this year as they do not have the depth they have had in recent seasons with only two returns that are sub 16:00. If they wish to compete with the top three teams they have to get their top five all under 15:50 and expect a big season from Hoffmann. Elmwood has a history of showing out at the State meet and I predict we will see the same this year.


3. Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy)

Head Coach/Coaches: Steven Bland /Jose Uriostegui, Scott Williamson, Valerie Richter

Last Year's Finish: STATE RUNNER-UP

Key Returners: Mathew Olech (Sr.), Daniel Winkelman (So.), Hayden Colclasure (Sr.), Carson Welsh (Jr.) 

Projected Top 7: Olech, Winkelman, Colclasure, Welsh, Cannon Lambert (Jr.), David Peterson (So.), Alex Powell (So.)

Where do you feel you should be ranked? How should we be ranked, it depends.  I am confident we can be in the top ten.

Coach Bland's Outlook: We aren't going to be deep this year, in fact, this will be the smallest team we've had since we began our program 10 years ago.  We are a small school, 140 kids (girls and boys), it's getting harder and harder to recruit kids who are willing to work. Now, for the usual, we optimistic about our season, despite the facts and take it to the bank, we aren't going to lay down.

Carson's Thoughts: It seems like Coach Bland and the Lions are still trying to figure things out this year, with injuries and other issues that loom over his team. If there is any coach in 1A that can turn his team around though, it is him.


2. Stanford-Olympia

Head Coach/Coaches: Mike Neisler / David Stine

Last Year's Finish: 3rd place- State Championship

Key Returners: Charlie Kistner (Sr.), Logan Wheeler (Sr.), Anthony Ragland (Jr.), Dylan Bennet (Jr.)

Projected top 7: Kistner, Wheeler, Bennet, Ragland, Owen Dare (Jr.), Carter Fairfield (Jr.), Alec Pfeffer (Sr.)

New Additions: Logan Demling (Fr.)

Unexpected Losses: None

Coach Neisler's Outlook: We would like to do better than last year. We were third, out of 2nd by 6. We didn't feel like we had the best team race at state in '19, so we would like another shot.

Carson's Thoughts: This team was injury-riddled last year when the state meet rolled around tapping into their 9th and 10th runners. This team is a bit deeper this season and if their 5th runner can close down their 1-5 split if they can stay healthy, the Spartans will be in an excellent position to pounce on a state title