One of the most exciting invitationals of the 2024 season was the Peoria Notre Dame Richard Spring Invitational
This is the complete rollout of the 3A boys preseason rankings. Remember, this is the beginning and the season, although it is short for most, it will be long if you are not prepared and ready to go! Enjoy!
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Coaches: John Taylor, Roy White, Chuck Hoff
Last year's finish: State Championship- 15th place
Key returners: Bryce Counihan (Sr), Ryan Zartler (So), Mekhai Wright (Sr), Ronin Borgeson (Sr), Cian Scanlon (Jr), Andrew Nilson (Jr), Domenico DiSalvo (Jr), Gavin Hoff (Jr)
Outlook: Coach Taylor was pleased with his team's summer training. "All the boys put in a good number of miles this summer, and we are all looking forward to a great season of racing," he said. Leading the charge for the Knights is Bryce Counihan, who placed 40th at state with a time of 14:47.
24. Edwardsville
Head Coach/coaches: George Patrylak/Alexis Keller, Keri Burmester
Last year's finish: State Championship- 13th place
Key returners: Colin Thomas (Sr), Cooper Wittek (Sr), Colin Luitjohan (Jr), Taylor Davis (Sr), Max Horton (Sr), Jackson Elliot (Sr), Will McGinness (So)
Newcomers: Jake Burris (Fr), Evan Davis (Fr), Conner Osborne (Fr), Jack Whiteake (Fr).
Outlook: The future is bright for the Tigers, who will use this season to reload and be ready for 2026. In the meantime, coach Partrylak is more concerned about the current crop despite losing top runner Gavin Rodgers to a transfer to the state of Georgia. "I am excited to see where this team can end up," he said. "This group is hungry after
a disappointing finish to the year." "Add in a 10th-place finish in the 4 x 800 relay in the spring, and think several team members are looking to make a statement. We will be
senior-heavy this year, with probably five of our top seven being seniors."
Colin
Luithjohan and Will McGinnis will be called on to lead the corps and get back to the promised land. In addition, Colin Thomas and Cooper Wittek put in tremendous work over the summer and will be expected to tighten up the scoring pack. The Tigers will be deploying the element of surprise, says Patrylak. "We surprised a lot of people in a good way at the
midpoint of the season last year. I am
hoping that this group is ready to learn from their experiences and to take this team to
the next level."
Head coach/coaches: Matt Sloan/Mike Richardson, Mike Stokes, Jamie Klotz, Brian Loring, Shawn Lucas, Greg Harper, Erik Saszik, Tyler Polak
Last year's finish: State Championship- 6th place
Key Returners: Jordan Kreiner (Sr.), Nicolas Hampton (So), Anders Giese (Sr.), Owen McLaughlin (Sr.), Tristan Daley (Jr.), Will Chiang (So,), Martin Issa (So.), Lucas Rincon (So.), Sebastian Vining (So.)
Key Newcomers: Carter Hollis (Fr.), Maxwell Overstreet (Fr.)
Outlook: Gone is a ton of firepower led by Ben Crane, who is now at BYU. Leading the way is Jordan Kreiner's 15:06 PB. He clocked 9:33 and 4:19 during the track season. The Trevians will be ok but not great this fall. They only have one other returner under 16:00, and that is Nicolas Hampton at 15:49. Martin Issa is a prospect for this season after running 9:57. If you are wondering about Tim Vaughan, who ran in the 9:40s during track, he plays soccer during the fall. However, don't feel sorry for the Trevians; they have a large team and will likely find seven quality performers ready to head to state in November.
22. Chicago Payton
Co-Head Coaches/coaches: Dan Dziubski and Adam Palumbo/Mickhale Lamba
Last Year Finish: 2A State Champions
Newcomers: John Falciglia (Jr), Obree Fischer (Jr), Gus Berlinghof (Jr), Knox Winn, Saatvik Viniak (So), James Barrios (So), Zachary Wong (Sr).
Outlook: 2024 was an excellent season for the Grizzlies, who became just the third team in Chicago Public League history to win a state title (Lane, Jones Prep). For their success, the IHSA promoted the program up to 3A. "Due to the IHSA success factor and enrollment multiplier rule, [we] will be moving up to Class 3A for the 2025 season," said coach Adam Palumbo. "This shift puts us in the mix with some of the top programs in the state and raises the bar for what it will take to compete."
Payton is used to winning and dominating the scene, but after some key losses, they are going to find things a bit more difficult in the big leagues. "One key departure from last year's championship roster will be #3 runner Steven Jiang, who is heading to Washington, D.C. for a prestigious internship with the U.S. Senate," adds Palumbo. "While his leadership and consistency will be missed, the future remains bright.
Payton will be led by returning All-Staters Tra'monti Williams and Declan Slavin." They have a winning trait that's guaranteed to get the best effort from teammates day in and day out.
Regardless of Payton's status or roster inflections, they are to be a team to be respected, whether the term used is 'rebuilding' or 'reloaded'. Obree Fischer and Gus Berlinghof join the party just in time with good health. If the Grizzlies want to experience the same feeling as last year, they will need to encompass all of what Palumbo elaborated.
Head Coach/assistant coaches: Bill Bloom/Rob Anderson, Eric Kraft
Last year's finish: State Championship- 19th place
Key returners: Alex Rodriguez (Sr), Orlando Sandoval (Sr), Miguel Flores (Jr), Gavin Quinn (Jr), and
Gianni Calderon (Sr)
Newcomers: Perfecto Lopez and Nathaniel Punti
Outlook: This is a top-heavy team with a formidable trio of Alex Rodriguez, Orlando Sandoval, and Miguel Flores. All three were under 15:00 and placed among the top 55 in last year's state championship. On the track, they were just as stout, prompting a thought that they would be just as strong. There is an issue with the Mustangs, specifically in the fourth and fifth runner spots. They will have to find them quickly if the goal is to compete for another berth in the state meet.
Head Coach/assistant coaches: James Janota/Michael Rossi, Jared Righter, Mike Kennedy
Last year's finish: State Championship - 21st Place
Newcomers:
Reyaansh Bhagat
Aidan Pour
Outcome: The Wildcats return four state meet performers, including Grayson Meek, who ran 15:07, making him one of the fastest freshmen in the state last year. After being limited during the track season due to injury, he appears to be ready for year two. Still, the 'cats are a work in progress. "We have a young team who are committed to improving themselves through dedication and hard work, said coach Jamie Janota. "I'm excited to see what they can do this year with the leadership of Jesse Gudauskas."
19. Libertyville
Head Coach/assistant coaches: Stu Mendelsohn/Matt Condron, Nick Korhumel, Fred Witte
Last year's finish: State Championship- 22nd place
Key returners: Filip Vojvodic (Jr), Taylor Rihm (So),
Thomas Chudy (Jr), Jack Steffe (Jr), Peter Rappa (Sr)
Outlook: With six of the top seven performers back, coach Mendelsohn is ready to remove last year's end-of-season bad taste from his mouth. "[We enter this season] extremely hungry after a disappointing finish at State in 2024," he made loud and clear. "The exciting thing is that only one scorer from last year has graduated."
The Wildcats are a deep team with six guys who broke 16:00. The core group of runners on this team is still very young. Filip Vojvodic returns with the top time of 14:51. Still, the emphasis will be on the team, says Mendelsohn. "They are brilliantly motivated and uphold a team-first mentality, which is a necessary ingredient for them to be great this year. The new era of LHS distance running is here, and it's an incredible thing to be part of."
Head Coach: Kevin Harrington
Last year's finish: Lake Park Sectional- 8th place
Key Returners: Samuel Hill (Jr.), Logan Hitchings (Jr.), Lucas Reed (Sr.), Christian Enger (Jr.), Matthew Russell (Sr.), Miles Dill (So.), John Tanig (So.)
Outlook: The North Stars were signaling they were a team to watch for in 2025 when they placed eighth at sectionals. It was a mostly underclassmen unit led by Sam Hill, who would go on to place 41st at state with a sweet time of 14:47. He is back and ready to run it up. "We are returning some talent to this team," said coach Harrington. "Our expectations are high. As a younger team, we are focused on what it means to be a high-functioning unit."
Head Coach/assistant coaches: Chris Baldwin/Abel Reyes, Tim Hasso, Stephen Traphagen, Vic Guarino, Paula O'Connor, Jim deBeers
Last year's finish: State Championship- 18th place
Key returners: Yonny Rafter (Sr), David Schiff (Sr), Julian St. Pierre (Sr), Brady Creel (Sr), Max Malcolm (Sr), Owen Chung (Sr), Owen Carstens (Sr), Cael Walicki (Sr), Connor Harmon (Jr), Nick Houghton (Jr), Ryan Solberg (Jr), Gavin Furrow (Jr), Ryan Wangerow (Jr), Esai Garcia- Gonzales (Jr), Finn Derhammer (So), Gus Singer (So), Emmett Washburn (So)
Outlook: The Huskies got it done last year despite some graduations in 2023. This year's squad could take a significant leap with a strong presence of upperclassmen. "We had a good summer putting in mileage and growing closer together," said coach Chris Baldwin. "This is the deepest team we've had in a long time. We had a strong turnout all summer, and those guys put in the most miles they have in their lifetime. I am looking forward to watching the guys race together and am very excited for what they are going to accomplish this fall."
16. Lagrange (Lyons)
Head Coach: Mike Danner
Last year's finish: State Championship- 7th place
Key Returners: Tyler Gantt (Sr), Patrick Collins (Sr), Brennan Monohan (So), Evan Ruse (So), Parker Robinson (Sr), Sean Tilles (Sr), Beckett Lettiere (Sr), Henry James (So)
Newcomers: Ben Radtke, Collin Shea, Lucien Sullivan, Joaquin Duarte, Juan Contreras, Mykola Washchuk, Vincent Gennett, Noah Robinson, Isaac Phillips, Luke Borling
Outcome: The Lions have been one of the most successful and consistently good teams in state history. They have qualified as a team 36 times, nabbing 17 consecutive trips, 10 trophies, and 26 top-10 placements. Depth and pack play appear to be what will define the Lions' success this fall. " We seem to have gotten things where they need to be in July, and hopefully we can progress during August, going into the season," said coach Mike Danner. "We seem to have some kids ready to fill the roles as a top finisher for us, replacing some graduating seniors, and we have developed some depth at the 5-8 positions."
Head Coach/assistant coaches: Grant Baganz; Dave Ashton, Steve Stack, Jeff Couch, Luke Laboe
Last year's finish: State Championship- 20th place
Key returners: Manny Najera (11), Toby Silder (10), Gavin George (12), Vaughn Scherer (12), Nicholas Norberg (10)
Newcomers: Derek Williamson (11); he comes over from mainly soccer a year ago; was part of our 3rd place 4x800 relay team this past spring as a sophomore
Outlook: Manny Najera is poised to have a wonderful year after taking 39th at state a year ago with a time of 14:46. Five of the Red Hawks return and are ready to match or surpass last year's solid season. "We have a very strong nucleus returning, and should be able to build upon our 20th-place finish at the state meet last year," said coach Grant Baganz.
"It looks like we are poised to take that next step, but nothing is to be taken for granted." The Red Hawks have a tough mindset; they will need to stay healthy, hungry, humble, and motivated, according to Baganz.
"It looks like we are poised to take that next step, but nothing is to be taken for granted." The Red Hawks have a tough mindset; they will need to stay healthy, hungry, humble, and motivated, according to Baganz.
14. Hinsdale Central
Head Coach/assistant coaches: Jim Westphal/Jim Kupres, Noah Lawrence & John Snee
Last year's finish: Hinsdale Central Sectional- 8th place
Newcomers: Johnny Krueger, Noah Mokhtarian, Elliot Kotleba
Outlook: The Red Devils return eight of ten starters from last year. Michael Gamboa and Henry Miller both ran in the low 9:20s for 3200m in the spring. They will be itching to get their team back to Peoria. "We did not qualify for the state meet for the first time in several years," said coach Jim Westphal. "The
returning group has not forgotten that feeling. They are hungry and excited to return. The
goal is to be more competitive this upcoming season, compete well within our conference, and return to Peoria in November."
Head Coach/Coaches: Michael Glosson/Todd Custable, Adam Varnas
Last year's finish: Hoffman Estates Sectional- 8th place
Key Returners: Mateus Salomao (Sr), Elliot Baik (Sr.), Luke Carlson (So.), Aidan Korb (Sr.), Gabriel Gronski (Jr.), Nathan Marotta (Sr.), Brandon Rugg (Sr.)
Outlook: The Huskies missed the state meet last year but gained valuable experience that will help them this fall. The top three harriers return, led by Mateius Salomao, who ran 14:58 last season. He and teammate Nathan Marotta competed in the state meet and will bode well as they will be better team members this season.
12. Palatine (Fremd)
Head Coach/coaches: Matt Zaluckyj/Michael Martinez
Last year's finish: State Championship- 11th place
Key returners: Jack Jennings (Jr.), Trent Odachowski (Sr.), David Moore (Jr.), Bryden Li (Jr.), Nihal Kalsi (Jr.), Daniel Bounpaseuth (Sr.), Jackson Kelly (Sr.), Bowie Hewson (Sr.), Carter Bartkus (Jr.), Brian Sydor (So.)
Outlook: Overall, 2024 was a great season for the Vikings and Rory Gaan. He has now moved on to Dartmouth College and left the keys to the Benz to Jack Jennings. Jennings is finally in the upperclassmen stage and ready to propel into elite status. On the track, he earned all-state honors in the 3200m (9:16.24). He will also be looking to run his best cross country race at the end of the season. He clocked his PB 14:49 in early September. The rest of the gang will work to shorten the 2-5 split and get themselves among the top 10 teams this fall.
11. Batavia
Coaches: Bronco Meeks/AJ Freeman
Last year's finish: State Championship- 14th place
Key Returners: Edward Polaski (Jr.), Will Polaski (Jr.), Luke Gianfrancesco (Sr.), Matt Guiry (Jr.), Seamus Samsami (Sr.), Gavin Warpinski (Sr.), Cody Rummel (Sr.), Peter Day (Jr.), Ryan Widmer (Sr.), Aaron Kernler (Jr.), Jeremy Shillair (So.), Brayden Korn (So.)
Outlook: Gone is top runner Francesco Benelli, now competing for Loyola University (Chicago). Leading the pack are five starters, led by Edward Polaski, who ran 14:41 and placed 33rd in the state. His brother Will took 85th last year, and then there are six other returners under 16:20. It should be another banner season for the Bulldogs.
10. Palatine
Head Coach/coaches: Joe Parks / Mike Nigliaccio, Alec Bollman
Last Year's finish: State Championship- 8th place
Key Returners: Alexander Krieg (Sr.), James O'Sullivan (Sr.), Chris Quick (Sr.), Evan Salgado (So.), Anton Crane (Jr.), Andrew Schellenbach (So.), Sohum Gorladku (Jr.)
Key Newcomer: PJ Garrett (Fr.)
Outlook: The Pirates return three top runners who placed in the top 100. Alex Krieg was eighth and an individual candidate for state champion. Why? He ran the 3200m in 9:02.41 in April and later took fourth in the state meet. His teammate, James O'Sullivan, ran 14:49 and is primed for all-state honors. Chris Quick is targeted as a lockdown #3 runner. The key to top 10 success is developing a sure-shot fifth runner.
Head Coach/assistant coaches: Tim Brown/Dan Hemmens, Will deBolt
Last year's finish: State Championship- 16th place.
Key returners: Simon Reckamp (Sr), Jackson Truty (Sr), Aidan Malana (Sr), Lukas Keane (Sr), Brian Hatlestad (Sr)
Newcomers: Charlie Minott, Blake Pickering, Kevin Chen, Ethan Toms,
Breyland Partee.
Outlook: "We've had a great summer of training! Very similar structure and workouts as last year, but this
summer, there has been more of a focus on completing the workouts as a team." These are the enthusiastic words from coach Tim Brown. His top five runners are back and under 16:00.
"Jackson Truty and Simon Reckamp have been consistently
strong this entire summer, said Brown. "They really have stepped into the leadership role and have been
crushing it on our longer tempo runs, controlled threshold workouts, and hill work."
It appears that the Huskies are built for the future. Perhaps in two years, when the underclassmen are fully developed, a trophy will be possible. "We've also
had one of the best incoming freshman classes over summer camp than I can remember in years!
If they stick with it, they have the potential to have a really successful freshman season."
One runner of note is Simon Reckamp." Coming from last spring, he missed qualifying for the 3200m by tenths of a second, noted Brown. "He has turned that
frustration into such a positive mindset and work ethic, and the other four seniors are right there,
too."
Head Coach/assistant coaches: John O'Malley, Jeff Jonaitis, Tom Novak, Ann Marie McGuire, Charlie Tarjan, Judy McAuliffe, Chris Buechner, Marc O'Neal
Last year's finish: State Championship- 12th place
Key returners: Mateo Ramiro-Garcia (Sr), Brayden Gaffud (Jr), Matthew Miller (Sr), Gavin Smalarz (Sr), Jackson Canellis (Sr), Jake Crotty (Sr), Michael Krupa (Sr), Gavin Crotty (Jr), Hunter Covolo (Sr), Dylan Straka (Jr)
Outlook: The Eagles project to have another great season. Ironically, it was last year that turned out better than most pundits had predicted. So what's in store for 2025? "We have a strongly connected group with lots of experience," said coach John O'Malley. "Much has been asked of them, and they have endured many challenges. So they are a strong, unbreakable group. I have a lot of faith in them. We have many guys who will contribute to the team at a high level, which will make for a fun season."
7. Chicago Lane
Head Coach/coaches: Kris Roof, Tony Jones, Adrian Barrientos
Last year's finish: State Championship- 27th place
Key returners: Samuel Assefa (Jr), Tristan Wong (Sr), Gary Angelo (Sr), Hugo Ayala (Sr), Quinn Anderson (Jr), Alex Fitzpatrick (Sr), Leo Grote (Jr), Miles Trost (So), Peter Georgopoulos (Sr), Xavier Reu (Jr), Dimitar Bratovanov (So), Malcolm Adams (So)
Newcomers: Julian Minkov (Fr), Kenny Kristofic (Fr), Demetrios Gortisan (Fr), Giovanni Saccaro (So)
Outlook: Last year's state championship performance was an absolute disaster for the Champions, figuratively and literally. On the day of the biggest contest of the season, the top two members were incredibly ill. One had to be replaced just moments before check in, and the other flat-out refused to come off the starting line. Sammy Assefa would go on to have a solid track season, and Cole Magac (Jr) appears out for the 2025 campaign.
Tremendous depth, gaining experience, teamwork, and overcoming adversity appear to be the squad's strengths. During the track season, five runners ran the 3200m between 9:31 and 9:46, making them one of the deepest teams entering the fall slate. Added back to the mix is Hugo Ayala, who has brought his "Alfa dog" mentality to the team. He competed in the last quarter of the track season and dropped 9:45 and 4:26 marks, respectively. More importantly, Ayala has provided his teammates with a belief in self-spark that had been lacking. Back is Gary Angelo, who missed the entire cross country season with an injury. Angelo returned to the track and ran 9:46 and 4:29, signaling a much-needed spark for the Champions.
Head Coach/assistant coaches: Charlie Kern/Patrick Sheridan,
Nicholas Karavolos, Ron Hedman, Matt Mimlitz
Last year's finish: State Championship- 5th place
Outlook: York appears to be back and ready for a trophy run. "We have a very young team with only two seniors in our top ten," said coach Charlie Kern. "We lost five of our top seven from last year's state meet fifth-place team, and we feel that loss in talent and leadership." What the Dukes have lost has also been their gain. Back is Patrick Hill, projected to be the team's top runner who missed the postseason a year ago. He ran 15:12 before going down. Michael Gurgone and Carter Olsen have stepped up during the spring track session.
"Our seniors have transitioned from being followers to becoming leaders," said Kern. "We do
not have a lot of big meet experience, so we will have to rely on Carter Olsen to help lead them
back to Detweiller on November 8th. Despite our inexperience, our younger athletes have been
successful at big meets." Sounds like Kern is trying to downplay his team's strengths, but his underclassmen group, particularly the sophomores, were undefeated last year. Kern adds: "The morale of our summer group was fantastic. They were coachable, focused, and eager to improve, demonstrating a great deal of care and concern for themselves and each other. While we want to be a
podium team, we know that they all have the chance to be great human beings, and we believe
that the latter is the important goal of all."
Head Coach/assistant coaches: Jay Renaud/Bryan Quesea, Dave Frintner, Tim Phillips , Andrew Bensing .
Last year's finish: State Championship- 10th place
Key returners: Luke Robinson (Sr), Colin Ryan (Sr), Landon Samp (Jr), Quinn Davis (Sr), Bobby Wintermute (So), Brody Cushing (Sr).
Newcomers: Pierce Baker, Nate Favia, Nathan Santoro, Jack Aldworth, Patrick Rosean
Outlook: The tough-talking Knights believe they have the makings of the best team in their school's history, says coach Jay Renaud. "We return what is easily the best cross country team in Prospect
history--but that doesn't guarantee anything," he cautioned at the end. "What I've been most pleased with is our
commitment to the process and the high standards we've set." In his defense are six runners between 15:01 and 15:22. So he does have a case to challenge the 1994 Knights edition to put a scare into mighty York before finishing second at the state meet. Colin Ryan ran the fastest time of 15:01, but it's Luke Robinson who is projected as the ace. The Knights, with all of that depth, will be fighting for a trophy this fall.
Head Coach/assistant coaches: Jason Crowe / Ryan Thompsen / Carson Vittorio
Last year's finish: State Championship- 3rd place
Key returners: Alex Batsala (Jr), Dylan Buturusis (Jr), Austin Cory (Sr), Kellan Hernandez (Sr), Ethan Ensign (Jr), Brady Prokop (Sr), Tyler Miller (Sr)
Newcomer: Phoenix Viger (Fr)
Outlook: Despite key graduation losses, the Cougars have continued to rack up major hardware at the state level in recent years. They added their third trophy in three years, and it could be four with the amount of talent returning. Alex Batsala and Dylan Buturusis are sub-15:00 performers and have plans on picking up where the great Camyn Viger and Dylan Maloney left off.
Austin Cory, Kellan Hernandez, and Ethan Ensign could solidify the back end of the scoring pack. "We are excited to continue and grow from our recent success," said the always optimistic coach Jason Crowe. "We have a great group of underclassmen who are improving and accepting the challenge of
putting in the necessary work to be a successful team in this sport."
3. Lake Zurich
Head Coach/Coaches: JB Hanson / Courtney May
Last Year's Finish: State Championship- 4th place
Key Returners: Philip Adams (Jr.), Merrick Barth (Sr.), Luke Firkin (So.), Jacob Hinojosa (So.), Owen Holzhauer (Sr.), Sushant Kesevan (Sr.), Gordy Libby (Sr.), Marc MacCormac (Sr.), Nishanth Mandavilli (Sr.), Luke Marshall (Jr.), Esau Meza (Jr.), Camden Niemiec (So.), Karanveer Patil (So.), Carson Porter (Jr.), Nicholas Smith (Jr.)
Outlook: One of the deepest teams in Illinois, with three returners under 14:55 and the sixth man checks in at 15:39. Karanveer Patil had one of the greatest freshman campaigns in IHSA history, taking 21st at state with a time of 14:30. He will be a top 5-10 candidate along with teammate Gordy Libby who clocked 14:50. Libby won this year's Detweiller At Dark title in 15:04 in late July. Coach JB Hanson adds: "This team has a wealth of experience and talent. After a dedicated and consistent summer of training, this team has set themselves up to be one of the best teams that I have coached."
Head Coach/assistant coaches: John Sipple, Andrew Adelmann, Eric Buhot, Alexa Harris, Ethan Wood, Josh Williams, Robby Prescott
Last year's finish: State Champions; NXN- 6th place
Key returners: Philip Cupial (Sr), Will Surratt (Sr), Joshua Farrero (Sr), Brennan Hardy (Sr), Matt Novak (Sr), Tyler Lynch-Goff (Sr), Kiran Krishnan (Sr) Ryan Morton (Jr), Steve Cox (Jr), Dylan Wood (Jr), Luke Figliomeni (Jr), Isaak Stein (Jr), Mark Krishnan (Jr), John Newell (Jr)
Outlook: The two-time defending champs and NXN finalists are not done yet. "I am really excited about this team and the challenge that it poses for our guys and our coaches," said coach John Sipple. "Obviously, we have some heavy hitters with Cupial and Surratt as our top two returners, and since we graduated a number of key guys, we have a bunch of hungry guys who are going to be getting their opportunity to see what they can do at the varsity level.
There is some hidden talent in the Trojan camp, which makes them a formidable force. Everyone in Illinois knows the accolades; you can just Google or head to your nearest cross-country meet and hear people whisper about the Downers Grove North Trojans.