3A Boys Preseason Team Preview: The Full Monty Is Here!


25. Batavia
Head Coach/Coaches: Bronco Meeks / AJ Freeman
Last Year's Finish: 9th place- Oswego Regional
Key Returners: Quintin Lowe (Sr.), Colin Knowles (Jr.), Francesco Benelli (So.), David Bednarek (So.), Adam Miller (Sr.), Felipe Wickler (Jr.), Ethan Storie (Jr.)
Summary: "This should be a fun group. These guys work hard and care for one another. We have a good mix of younger and older guys on our team. We will certainly have growing pains and it's critical that we approach the season with growth and improvement being our goals," these are the words of Coach Meeks when he spoke to us about his team.

The Bulldogs underwent a rebuild last year as they were a very young team that was filled with athletes that have had success on the IESA level. Over this past track season, the potential was realized with their top group producing well. They are led by Quintin Lowe who had a breakout track season running 9:23. Expect him to be in the 14:30's this campaign. According to coach Meeks, Adam Miller was hampered by injury most of last season. After a track season running 10:03, he looks ready to go this fall.

24. Minooka
Head Coach/Coaches: Kevin Gummerson / Jessica Hopkins, Leslie Hencinski, and Ryan Kelley
Last Year's Finish: 13th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Zachary Balzer (Sr.), Hayden Host (Jr.), Caleb Kies (Jr.), Ben Paugys (Sr.), Nick Paugys (Sr.), Liam Anderson (Jr.) Tyler Herrera (Jr.)
New Additions: Nico Cimino (Fr.), Nate Schalk (Fr.)
Summary: The Indians finished thirteenth at state last year, and lose a few strong runners including Emerson Fayman, but will look to replicate the finish they had last year. "We are looking to improve upon last year's finish at each of the meets throughout the championship phase," says head coach Kevin Gummerson. "We are excited about the quality of the SPC and are so grateful that we get to compete in a quality conference. Then we want to run our best at the State Meet in November."

The clear leader for the team is Zachary Balzer, who was all-state in cross country and ran personal bests of 4:17 and 9:25 in the spring. Balzer has the range and experience to mix it up with the frontmost pack. The project for Minooka during the year will be rounding out the team behind Balzer, which currently comprises a group of athletes who are being asked to step up into varsity roles.

Tyler Herrera brings a 10:15 to the party, and Hayden Host, Ben Paugys, and Nick Paugys join Herrera in a group that will look to run close to, or under, 16:00 this season. This developing team is rapidly improving, says Gummerson. "I have been very pleased with their effort this summer. These boys have been consistent and have been willing to do the work that it takes to be successful. Just as important, these athletes are excited about the upcoming season." Minooka is a frequent flier at the state meet and they should be expected to show up and hope to make a statement this November.

Head Coach/Coaches: Charlie Kern / Jim Hedman, Matt Mimlitz, Reed Sundberg
Last Year's Finish: 8th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Payton Bryk (Sr.), Aidan Hill (Sr.), Daniel O'Shaughnessy (Sr.), Luke Lestina (Sr.), Jack Carroll (Sr.), Ian Davies (Jr.), Max Zangan (So.)
Summary: The Dukes of York was hit hard by graduation. Coach Kern is pleased with how his team has done this summer, "Our summer has been very productive. Our goal was to make small improvements in volume and intensity over the summer and everyone has met that goal. We only have one returner with state meet experience (Aidan Hill), who was focused on pole vaulting his first two years of track. We have improved on being accountable to each other and focusing on team improvement."

This group of Dukes does not have any stars. Individually, the mission will be to control what's in front of them like pack running. "Our freshmen numbers are small, but we know that many of those who will join us in the fall is taking a summer school class to acclimate to High School life," added Kern.

This squad is extremely inexperienced per Kern, "We have one returner with state meet experience. Therefore, we are a very inexperienced team. We do not know how good we will be this year, but it is in the unknown that anything can happen. We are preparing for the season by learning how to train, how to go beyond our own self-imposed limits, and have fun doing things that are difficult. These are things we can control. We cannot control our places in meets, because we cannot control what other teams will do." 

"No matter the task, all we can do is prepare for the conditions and give it our best effort on meet day. The resulting experience will prepare kids for future challenges. This coming cross country season will prepare our kids for life; this is our ultimate goal."


Head Coach/Coaches: Brian Caldwell / Sean Senf, Greg Maloney, Mike Kirk
Last Year's Finish: 18th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Carter Smott (Sr.), Jeffery Spirek (Sr.), Josh Poeschel (Jr.), Shane Hosty (Sr.), Logan Rodi (Sr.), Jeremy Wilczak (Sr.), Billy Neumann (So.)
New Additions: TJ Harvat (So.)
Summary: The Mustangs have become a mainstay member of our rankings over the last couple of years. This year is no different than others as we may see them get out of the gates slow, "As always, I'd expect us to start off a bit sluggish in the early going and emerge more on the scene in October. We've got some guys we think should be towards the front in our top 3 or so, then a group of guys that are hungry for the remaining spots. We could have an interchangeable trio (or more) up front followed by a lot of potential backing them up." says Coach Caldwell.

This squad will need to pack run in order to have success with no true low stick runner. They will be led by Joey Poeschel and Carter Smott who both had very successful summers after running sub 10:00 on the track. Shane Hosty should provide a solid third runner after his all-state 4x800m campaign.


Head Coach: Kevin Young
Last Year's Finish: 16th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Liam Naughton (Jr.), Aidan Nishimura (Sr.), Cameron Donner (Jr.), Zach Frayder (Jr.), AJ Svienty (Jr.), Rob Geissenberger (Jr.), Froy Alonso (Sr.)
New Additions: Mateus Salomao (Fr.)
Summary: The Huskies continued to improve this past track season with the emergence of Liam Naughton as a solid number one runner for the squad this season. The junior ran 4:21 and 9:39 on the track this year and ran with the likes of Sean Stafford and Connor Oiler. After Naughton, they will need to rely on a pack to be within 50 seconds of Naughton if they wish to go down state. Cameron Donner looks to lead the charge of the chase pack.

Head Coach/Coaches: Jon Burnett / Craig Munie, Anna Munie
Last Year's Finish: 22nd place- State Championship
Key Returners: Dylan Ybarra (Jr.), Eli Greenstreet (Jr.), Zach Thoman (So.), Ethan Nieroda (Sr.), Robert Wocking (So.), Aidan Cutter (Sr.)
New Additions: Jackson Gherardini (Fr.), Harrison Schroeder (Fr.)
Unexpected Losses: Nathaniel Boston (Sr.)
Summary: The Panthers have been in rebuilding mode over the last few years after being a powerhouse program just a few years ago. They return this year with an extremely young team that could see only two seniors in their lineup. "We return five of our top six runners from last fall. In 2021, our top two runners were Dylan Ybarra and Eli Greenstreet and our number three runner was Zach Thoman," said coach Burnett.

"Each of them had tremendous track seasons and have had a great summer of training. Now that they are a year older, they are ready to move up. Add in the one other returner senior Ethan Nieroda and we have a very experienced team. Adding depth to the team are several talented but less experienced runners in Aidan Cutter, Ben VanAlstine, Robert Wocking, Jackson Gherardini and Harrison Schroeder."

Head Coach/Coaches: John O'Malley / Charlie Tarjan, Jeff Jonaitis, Judy McAuliffe, Ann Marie McGuire, Marc O'Neal, Tom Novak.
Last Year's Finish: State Champions; NXN MW Champions
Key Returners: Grant Giblin (Jr.), Trent Anderson (Sr.), Ibrahim Tineh (Sr.), Evan Diemling (Sr.), Luke Atzman (So.), Matt Coleman (So.), Damian Martinez (So.)
Summary: The defending state champions will have an uphill battle this year with some things this summer sidelining a few athletes for some training. However, according to Coach O'Malley, summer running went very well. "Summer has been really invigorating. We have an extremely small and thin squad but have some strong leadership and some energizing young guys. It has led to a strong atmosphere."

The Eagles have a solid 1-2 punch of Trent Anderson and Grant Giblin who should both go sub 15:00 this season. Massive improvements from Ibraham Tineh within the last year could push him closer to that top group. Evan Deimling returns from last year's state team as well, creating some experience in the lineup.

The key will be their number five which could be a toss-up this year. Luke Altzman made massive strides last track season running 10:30 and will lead the charge. O'Malley left us with this summary of his squad, "We have a huge challenge ahead for us that will be really fun. With only 11 upperclassmen total, we look forward to maximizing each guy. It has certainly been energizing for Deimling, Anderson, Tineh, and Giblin as they lead the squad and recognize the opportunity they have to flourish in their roles. They're grateful for this moment. We most certainly will be developing throughout the season and it will take us time to become who we want to become. That's really exciting."

Head Coach/Coaches: Nate Roe / David Christensen, Sean Frintner
Last Year's Finish: 15th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Caleb Youngstedt (Sr.), Aidan Murphy (So.), Ben Shebar (Sr.), Aidan Herbel (Sr.), Jude Hubbard (Jr.), Hudson Romaine (Sr.), Simeon Turner (Sr.)
Summary: Coach Nate Roe had a lot to say about this group this year when we reached out to him, this squad made massive improvements this past track season. They may very well storm up the rankings this season. "Summer training has been solid with a good gradual build to mileage and intensity. We just finished a big week for about 10 of our guys in N. Wisconsin at our annual team camp. Most of what we do revolves around a long run(with various "extras" built-in from time to time), tempo/threshold work, and pace change/fartlek work. We've come through injury free and ready to keep building."

The Falcons will be led by  Caleb Youngstedt who probably learned from Ryan Schreiner in regard to holding down the team reigns. Aidan Murphy, Ben Shebar, and Jude Hubbard all had great track seasons running between 10:00 and 10:05. They should be a solid pack that can move up as the season progresses. The fifth runner on this squad could be a toss-up between the likes of Aidan Herbel who ran on their state team last year or Isaac Schuda who had a great summer according to Coach Roe.

Head Coach: Jim Milner / Derrick Padovich, Dylan Zangri
Last Year's Finish: 7th place- Oswego Regional
Key Returners: Parker Nold (Sr.), Alexander Das (Sr.), Carter Pankiewicz (Sr.), Dhairya Trivedi (Jr.), Jacob Lanzara (Sr.), Noel Velasquez (Sr.), Jack Schultz (Jr.)
Summary: The Wolves start out the season with a set of runners that have already broken the 15:00 barrier in Parker Nold and Alex Das. Coach Milner labels their main concern perfectly n his outlook of his team, "This is a great group of hard workers. There's a very special bond within the team and that will take them far. They are focused on giving their best effort every time out. Nold and Das give us the possibility of two low sticks that will keep the team competitive in the big meets. Our challenge will be to move the pack closer to Nold and Das throughout the season."

They have a strong pack of Dhairya Trivedi, Jacob Lanzara, Carter Pankiewicz, Jack Schultz, and Noel Velasquez, but they hang out just at the 16:00 mark as we stand off times that they have run. They will need to close that gap to about 40 seconds from their two studs if they wish to finish in the top 10.

Head Coach: Michael Danner
Last Year's Finish: 12th place- State Championship
New Additions: Ben Wugazzer (So.), Patrick Collins (Fr.)
Summary: The Lions are back this year with a solid squad with the potential to storm up the rankings. Nicholas Strayer leads this group after running 15:09 last year. He looked poised to have a breakout track season running 4:21 in his first meet of the season but didn't progress much after that point. Expect that to fuel him this season and have an all-state year.

Aidan Collins ran great this track season going 15:07 and will be up with Strayer as well in all-state contention. Cilian Henning was a sub 16:00 guy and provides some experience at the number three slot. After that, this squad has some question marks at the fourth and fifth runner spots. With their pedigree though, expect one of the best programs in recent memory to fill those question marks quickly. Coach Danner hopes that his squad's FR/SO corps can help around out some spots in their lineup come October.

Head Coach/Coaches: Carson Vittorio / Paolo Tiongson, Demetrius Clark
Last Year's Finish: 8th place- Hinsdale Central Sectional
Key Returners: Sam Berlinghof (Jr.), Matthew DeSantis (Sr.), Daniel Leonard (Sr.), Jayden Reyes (Sr.), Sam Mortensen (Sr.), Esteban Medina (Sr.), Spencer Dixon (Jr.)
Summary: The Eagles are back after a heartbreaking 8th place finish in 2021. After a strong summer, they will be looking to make it down to Detweiller this season. Sam Berlinghof leads them into the season after a successful track season running 4:21/9:36. He could be a potential all-state runner this year.

Matthew DeSantis has had a huge stepping up and running well in the Eagle's time trials up to this point. After that, it's a toss-up for this squad's third through fifth runners with Jayden Reyes, Sam Mortensen, Daniel Leonard, Spencer Dixon, and Esteban Medina forming a solid training pack.

The key for the Eagles will be keeping their 1-5 split within 45 seconds of Berlinghof. They may get some reinforcements later in the season with 4:34/10:08 runner Dev Dassani progressing back from injury and Alex Leonard getting some solid training in now.

Head Coach/Coaches: Tom Root / Matt Medansky, Stuart Todd-Middleditch, Matt Froelich
Last Year's Finish: 14th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Max Lewis (Jr.), AJ Van Vuren (Sr.), Avery Erickson (So.), Joe Bregenzer (So.), Ethan Scott (So.), Sam Deweerdt (Sr.)
Summary: The Broncos have been one of those underrated teams that you can always expect to be near the top of the rankings every season. According to Coach Root, this team has been very close together this summer, "We've had a great summer. The guys have been incredibly unified in their training and the return of our team trip to "Wisconsin Camp" post-Covid provided an awesome extra boost for the Varsity group at the end of our coaches-led training period."

Max Lewis looks to lead the squad after a track season that was hampered due to a stress fracture. His training has been great this summer and will be the front runner for this squad. Joe Bregenzer is expected to be his squad's second runner this year after going 9:54 on the track. After that, it will be a pick 'em between a few guys for those last spots of the lineup, which is a great thing for this group. 

Head Coaches: Chris Kuntz, Craig Lawrence
Last Year's Finish: 19th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Nathan Virginelli (Sr.), Lucas Yonker (Sr.), Caleb Hatzinger (Sr.), Colin Nelson (Sr.), Josiah Narayanan (So.), Samuel Cruz (Sr.), Angelo Ruggio (Jr.)
Summary: The Tigers return a large group from last year's squad according to co-head coach Craig Lawrence, "We have 11 runners returning from last year's postseason squad. The senior leadership has been superb. This group is hardworking and coachable; they are "all in." We need to stay healthy and stay together. The key to reaching our goals is to have a strong pack; we are committed to pack running and strength in numbers."

The Tigers have a very strong 1-3 runner pack of Nathan Virginelli, Lucas Yonkers, and Josiah Narayanan who could be within 10 seconds of one another. After that, they return athletes like Caleb Hatzinger and Colin Nelson who could provide some solid depth.

Head Coach/Coaches: Kris Roof / Tony Jones, Adrian Barrientos
Last Year's Finish: 7th place- Lyons Regional
Key Returners: Hunter Whitney (Sr.), Will Kozlowski (Jr.), Anan Bauman (Jr.), Ian Yeagle (Sr.), Tommy Stecz (Sr.), Charlie Beals (Sr.), Eli Furgeson (Sr.)
Summary: It was not a good feeling last year when the Techsters did not advance past the regional round. "We were aware of how competitive the post-season journey would be and we discussed it afterward in the middle of the Lyons Township cross country course," said coach Tony Jones. "It was at that point that we needed to dedicate ourselves more to this sport if we hope to achieve the success we know we are capable of."

Lane enjoyed a great track and field season among its distance corps that produced a top-five ranking and all-state accolades in the 4x800m relay. A healthy amount of runners achieved personal bests which in turn should bode well for the fall. "The young men had a great block of summer training in which they were able to come together and hold themselves accountable day in and day out," said Jones. "I have a keen sense of good and bad vibes and I can tell you that my 'spidey senses' are very good right now. If we can follow the script written and laid out, I will think we can achieve our goals and surprise a few folks along the way."

Head Coach/Coaches: Paul Vandersteen / James Janota, Mike Kennedy, Mike Rossi, Jared Richter
Last Year's Finish: 10th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Ryan Palmer (Sr.), Zach Close (Jr.), Robert Glenn (Jr.), Andres Lopez (Sr.), Logan Brown (Sr.), Nicolas Castrillon (Sr.), Matthew Gutierrez (Sr.)
Summary: This will be the swan song for Coach Paul Vandersteen who will retire from coaching and teaching at the end of this school year. This squad will be looking for a big season. The Wildcats will be led by junior Zach Close who ran 9:25 on the track. Robert Glenn and Ryan Palmer will be sub 15:00 candidates for this campaign.

Then it's a group of Andres Lopez, Matt Gutierrez, and Logan Brown for those final spots. According to Coach Vandersteen, those three have had awesome summers. One thing that coach also stated is that this squad is rededicating themselves to some of their program values, "We are rededicating ourselves to our morning training. But mostly, we want to embody our program's values at all levels.", says Vandersteen.


Head Coach/Coaches: JB Hanson / Courtney May
Last Year's Finish: 6th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Dylan Myers (Sr.), Braden Eckman (Sr.), Will Perez (Sr.), Cole Boudreault (Sr.), DJ Carr (Sr.), Campbell Stawarz (Sr.), George Sabev (Jr.)
Summary: There is one thing that you should never do and that is count out Lake Zurich. Coach JB Hanson may be one of the most underrated coaches in Illinois. They are led by a top four-pack that is on the right track for trophy-level performance. Dylan Myers was an all-stater last year and leads this squad once again this year. Cole Boudreault will look to break 15:00 this year after going 9:44 on the track. Braden Eckman ran 15:15 last season as well as 9:52 on the track. Will Perez also had a huge track season going 9:47. The biggest question mark will be who is their fifth runner going to be. Once they answer that question these guys can potentially challenge for a top three spot in November.


Head Coach/Coaches: Joe Parks / Mike Nigliaccio, Alec Bollman
Last Year's Finish: 9th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Mason Krieg (Sr.), Jack Casaccio (Sr.), Andy Hansen (Jr.), Owen Elliot (Sr.), Carter Hayes (So.), Nate VanderGiessen (Jr.), Konrad Jakubowski (Sr.)
New Additions: Alex Krieg (Fr.)
Coach Park's Summary: Last year was a big step for our program, finishing 9th at state, our first team qualification since 2016, and only our third team to qualify since 2013. While we did manage our first top 10 finish (9th) since 2012, getting to the state meet as a team was such a big goal for our crew I feel we ran a bit flat in Peoria. This team is thinking bigger and won't be satisfied just making the trip.

We return four of our top five from last year's team. There are pieces in place for this to be a special group if they are patient, persistent, and hungry over the next few months. We return four of our top five from last year's team. Mason Krieg (Sr.) was All-State (21st) last year and returns with reinforcements in Jack Casaccio, Andrew Jordan, and Owen Elliott. Andrew will be a welcome return, as he has run with or ahead of Mason most of his career, but struggled through literal growing pains the past 12-16 months. Those seem to be behind him now and he could be a game changer for us.

Jack Casaccio was runner-up in the MSL meet and has made some big improvements over the last year. Owen Elliott is unknown to most but could be ready for a breakout season. Junior Andy Hansen also returns, after running within our top five much of the season. He ran for us a that meet but was a race day decision, as sickness. Sophomore Carter Hayes could be a varsity player. Hayes ran 4:36 in the 1600m last fall as a frosh, after running only 5:30's in 8th grade. If he can take another step forward he will help us. Behind those guys, we have a number of very solid juniors and seniors working hard and fighting for line-up spots.

We should have good depth at all levels. Seniors Christian Keller, Jacob Tallian, and Konrad Jakubowski are unknowns but add great depth and leadership. Each has a chance to be impactful with their performances if they can make a jump through summer training. We also have one of our better incoming freshman classes. Mason Krieg's brother Alex ran 2:06/4:41 in the spring, winning the IESA 800m, and was 3rd in cross country. Alex helped lead Winston Campus MS to the state XC meet as a team in their inaugural year in IESA and helped the track team win an IESA state trophy. He and some of his incoming frosh are guys that appear to love to run and are already trying to compete with varsity level guys this summer. Patience will be key for these youngsters. Overall, it should be a fun year with a good mix of experience and youth.


Head Coach/Coaches: Chris Baldwin / Abel Reyes, Andre Harris, Vic Guarino
Last Year's Finish: 10th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Liam Newhart (Sr.), Owen Augustine (Sr.), Brady O'Connor (Sr.), Michael Michelotti (Jr.), Nick Parrell (Sr.), Daniel Johnson (Jr.), Liam O'Connor (So.)
Summary: The Huskies look as if they have returned to their old form after a few years of rebuilding their program. "It has been a very successful summer. We were excited to welcome back our younger runners (incoming 6th-8th graders) to our running camp this summer. It was a great opportunity for our juniors and seniors to lead and get to know future Huskies and welcome them to the OPRFXC running community. Many of our athletes traveled this summer, but when they were in town they were training together" says Coach Baldwin about his squad's summer.

The Huskies have a total of four runners returning this season with PRs under 9:47 in the 3200m. Much like Lake Zurich though, they will need to find a fifth runner this season with their projected fifth runner coming in at 16:06. "It was a noteworthy summer for our whole team," adds Baldwin. "The excitement they have for each other is inspiring to see each morning. The depth of our team was raised to a new level this summer because of our squad's mentality as they approached every aspect of their training. Very proud of the work they accomplished this summer and looking forward to a special Journey with them this fall."


Head Coach/Coaches: Andy Derks / Sam Barranco
Last Year's Finish: 11th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Oliver Burns (Sr.), Ryan Tracey (Sr.), Owen Stahl (Jr.), Josh Furnish (Sr.), Easton Miller (Jr.), Quinn Davis (So.), Cullen Williams (Jr.)
New Additions: Aidan Connors (Fr.), Gavin Hall (Fr.), James Maso (Fr.), Thomas Czerwinski (Fr.)
Unexpected Losses: Aaron Dinh (Sr.)
Summary: The Tigers return a lot from last year's squad that finished just outside the top 10 at the state meet last year. "I am really excited about this team for a lot of reasons. To start off, Oliver and Ryan are the best 1-2 punch we have ever returned, both are incredibly hard-working runners and amazing teammates, so I am excited to be a part of their senior year journey. They know this is their team, and it's always nice when your best runners are also your best leaders/hardest workers', says Coach Andy Derks.

"We've got a solid group of juniors ready to make a jump to the varsity level and build on what they have done the last two years, and one of our best incoming freshman classes we've ever had," adds Derks. "I think we still have a long way to go still, but I've been really happy with the level of maturity and consistency of training I've seen from our guys this summer. These guys have had great examples in previous seasons from alumni such as Ryan Maseman and Cooper Shelton, and are turning this team into their own. We had a great camping trip a few weeks ago, and being around our team for 2.5 straight days and observing how they interact and care about each other was inspiring. It's going to be a fun season to see who emerges and how good we can be."

The Tigers had a lot of guys that stepped out during the track season, we will have to see if that translates to the grass. Owen Stahl ran 9:59 on the track, he looks good heading into this season. Josh Furnish is an athlete that ran 15:40 last season. Add in Easton Miller who went 10:07 on the track and Cullen Willams has had a big summer according to Coach Derks. This will be an interesting team to watch.


Head Coach/Coaches: Greg Nordahl / Dave Fermanich, Tom d'Ambrosio
Last Year's Finish: 24th place- State Championship
Summary: This may be Maine South's best team ever assembled. They will be led by track standout Luca Arcuri who ran 9:23 in the 3200m this past season. All reports from multiple people have been that Arcuri is on the path to have a massive season. He could be a potential top 10 runner in the state.

Joey Karlesky and Luke Pravecek should be the squad number two and three runners. Both have the potential to be sub 15:00 this year. William Huddleston focused on more short distances this track season but should see improvements in the three mile this year and be their number four runner. After Huddleston, it's a toss-up between Alex Wille and Owynn Garrelts for who the fifth runner is.


Head Coach/Coaches: Grant Baganz / Dave Ashton, Steve Stack, Aaron Benson, Jeff Couch, Donna Wandke
Last Year's Finish: 13th place- Hinsdale Central Sectional
Key Returners: Luke Noren (Sr.), Thomas Mask (Sr.), Samuel Barnard (Sr.), Tyler Browning (Jr.), Lucas De La Cruz (Sr.), Foster Shelbert (Jr.), Nick Kamp (Jr.)
New Additions: Julian Brozek (Jr.), James Jur (Fr.)
Summary: The Redhawks had possibly the most progressive track season heading into this cross country season out of any team. They look to be ed up front by Luke Noren who had a great track season in the 800m and 1600m. He could potentially be a top ten runner in the state if everything goes the right way.

Samuel Barnard looks to emerge as the team's number two after a great track season running 4:24 for the 1600m. Then a pack of Tyler Browning, Lucas De la Cruz, Thomas Mask, and Foster Shelbert should round out the back of the pack. All of these guys broke 10:00 this track season besides Shelbert, he went 4:32 in the 1600m. This is a scary team that is under a new Head Coach in Grant Baganz.


Head Coach/Assistant Coaches: Matt Sloan / Andrew Schmidt, Greg Harper, Kip Hendren, Drew Hansen, Brian Loring, Mike Richardson, Erik Saszik
Last Year's Finish: 4th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Oscar Dueno-Alda (Sr.), Gabe Nosek (Sr.), Andrew Hepner (Sr.), Atticus Miller (Jr.), James Flynn (Jr.), Felix Hekster (Jr.), Ben Crane (So.)
New Additions: Sam Teppo (Sr.), Joey Papanicholas (So.)
Summary: This has been some of the strongest seasons for New Trier recently, punctuated by performances on the national stage by the likes of George Cahill and Nick Falk"The last two years have seen the graduation of two of the greatest groups of distance runners in New Trier history," says head coach Matt Sloan. "These classes won CSL Conference, IHSA Regional, and Sectional titles. The next crop of Trevian Harriers has a great opportunity to build on the longstanding tradition of excellence our program has achieved since its founding in 1955."

In track, Ben Crane made waves as one of the best freshman runners in the state, running 4:31 at Distance Night in Palatine and 9:42 at the conference meet. Gabe Nosek is New Trier's best candidate to join Crane at the front. Nosek ran 9:38 indoors but was not able to match that outdoors. Both athletes ran around 16:00 minutes but can take off over a minute over three miles this fall. Seniors Oscar Dueno-Alda and Andrew Hepner join Nosek as the leaders of a team that commits to the process.

"Our focus remains on daily improvement, enjoying the process, working together, and winning the moment in front of us," says Sloan. "We have retooled our roster with a group of runners who have been able to gain varsity racing experience the last few years.: Watch for Atticus Miller, James Flynn, and Felix Hekster to make waves for the varsity group that looks to finish out a trophy season that has eluded them over the last few years.


Head Coach/Coaches: John Sipple / Andrew Adelmann, Jillian Blondell, Eric Buhot, Alexa Harris, Josh Williams, Ethan Wood 
Last year's finish: 3rd place- State Championship
Key Returners: Topher Ferris (Sr.), Caden Weber (Jr.), Ryan Eddington (Jr.), Asa Gaspar (Sr.), Zachary Bender (Jr.), Leo Gartlan (Sr.), Grant Schroder (So.)
New Additions: Phillip Cupial (Fr.)
Summary: The Trojans collected yet another in 2021, continuing a strong decade of finishes at the state meet. With some turnover from last year, including top runner Roy Llewellyn graduating, there is a fresher look to this team that still will take aim at the podium this year. "We have had some nice progressions [this summer]," says head and now jumps coach John Sipple. "But we are a young team and you hope to see that happen with the group. A number of guys need to stay consistent and work together to help everyone improve as a whole."

The top two returners are Topher Ferris and Caden Weber, who return sub-15:20 times from cross country and strong track seasons, highlighted by 9:33 for Ferris and 4:19 for Weber. Ryan Eddington showed he won't be far behind with a 15:33 three-mile best, and a 4:20 mile. Sipple identifies Asa Gaspar as motivated to join this group after a great summer. Zach Bender, Leo Gartlan, and Grant Schroder look to fill in behind Gaspar to round out the scoring.

The road to a trophy will be focusing on strengthening the bond of the team, however. "This group is looking to build relationships and forge a team environment by being inclusive and inspiring their teammates with passion," says Sipple. "Our team has a solid leadership group returning but there are also other opportunities for others to step up and fill roles. It will be exciting to see how this group develops and the passion that they show throughout the year!"


Head Coach/Coaches: Jason Crowe / Ryan Thompsen
Last Year's Finish: 7th place- State Championship
Key Returners: Camyn Viger (Jr.), Ethan Reynoso (Sr.), Gavin Borger (Jr.), Dylan Maloney (So.), BJ Sorg (Sr.), Jack Wright (Sr.), Owen O'Shea (Sr.)
Summary: The Cougars come in one of the greatest years in school history. The scary thing is that they only lost one key runner from that squad in Scotty Crabb. This group had a great summer of running according to Coach Jason Crowe, "[Our summer running was] Excellent and fun! This group makes it fun and I love their commitment to consistent training." "We want to stay focused on our weekly progress, enjoy the journey, and run our best as a team in November. We want to be the best Plainfield South team in our school's 22-year history," says Crowe.

The Cougars are led by returning all-stater Camyn Viger who took 7th at state last year. Viger has had some injury issues this past track season that only allowed him to run 4:20 in the 1600m, but expect him to have another great season this year.

Dylan Maloney and Ethan Reynoso both had great track seasons as well and will look to be the team's number two and three runners this fall. Both are in all-state contention. Jack Wright, Gavin Borger, and BJ Sorg will round out the scoring for the cougars and after a great summer from all of them, don't be surprised to see them end the season under 15:00. This squad will have to prepare for a long season though, with the potential chance of making it to Nike Cross Nationals.