Boys cross country: Schaumburg sectional scouting
Boys cross country / Class 3A Schaumburg sectional
Where: Busse Woods Forest Preserve, Elk Grove.
When: Saturday, 11:15 a.m.
Host: Schaumburg
What to know: Top five teams and top seven runners from non-qualifying teams advance to the Class 3A state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria on Nov. 8.
Quick look: There will be three races inside of one at the Schaumburg sectional. First, there's the much-anticipated matchup of McHenry senior Jesse Reiser and Conant senior Zach Dale. They're 1 and 1A when it comes to predicting the Class 3A individual state champion. Then it will be a three-way race between Hersey, Buffalo Grove, and Lake Zurich for the team title. Finally, it will be a race between seven teams for the final two state qualifying spots.
On your mark: It's on. This matchup has been in the making for over a year, and while the ultimate prize, the state title, is more than a week away, the sectional offers race fans a tasty appetizer featuring McHenry's Reiser and Conant's Dale. Reiser (14:20) and Dale (14:29) hold the top two times at Detweiller this season and both are undefeated this season after coming off conference and regional titles. Reiser, who finished second in Class 3A last season, defeated Dale three times last season. Dale, after finishing fourth in Class 3A last season, ran a conservative regular-season race schedule, but has amped it up for the postseason. In Dyestat's most recent national rankings Reiser is No. 8, while Dale is No. 17. So, is Dale ready to go? "Absolutely," said Conant coach John Powers. "He's been looking forward to this for a long time and feels like he has closed the gap." The Busse Course has firmed up and will be a fast track on Saturday. The pieces are all in place for what should be an epic battle the next two weekends.
Get set: The battle for the sectional team title will be just as intense. Mid-Suburban League two-time defending champion Hersey has to be considered a slight favorite with Buffalo Grove and North Suburban Conference champion Lake Zurich close behind. Hersey defeated BG for the MSL title by a slim 6 points. Senior David Rodriguez paces the Huskies, with senior Josh Plischke and senior Kevin Ziegenhorn leading the second wave. Sophomore Jacob Krupa has been a pleasant addition. The wild card may be senior Grant von der Lippe, who has returned to the Huskies' lineup after missing most of the regular season. He eased himself back into the rotation at the MSL meet and then turned it up a notch helping the Huskies secure the Hoffman Estates regional title. Junior Kevin Salvano has set the tone for Buffalo Grove, leading the Bison to the MSL East Division title and also the Libertyville regional title. Senior Jake Wenzel and junior Tom Cleary push the second wave. Buffalo Grove can then lean on four runners for the next two spots which could prove pivotal in the sectional race. Sophomore Matt Pereira is the top gun for Lake Zurich, finishing five seconds behind Reiser at the Palatine regional. The Bears started the season slow but really took off at the Wheeling Invitational on Oct. 11 when freshman Patrick Burns and sophomore Brian Griffith were inserted into the varsity lineup, helping LZ to a conference and regional title.
Go: The race for the remaining two spots will be intense with seven teams vying for a ticket to state. Prospect has depended on its pack running led by senior Michael Anderson and junior Matt Cozine. The pack helped lift the Knights to a third-place MSL finish and a second-place regional finish. Hoffman Estates, the MSL West Division champs, rebounded from a so-so conference race to secure third place, only 3 points behind Prospect, at the Hoffman Estates regional. Junior Bryan Gamboa help to set the tone at the regional. Junior Justin Loquercio has elevated Wheeling's resurgence. Palatine finished fourth in the MSL and with senior Graham Brown and sophomore Brian Leonard leading the way the Pirates cannot be counted out. Barrington finished seventh in the MSL but rebounded to take third at the Palatine regional. Senior Kyle Monahan will lead the waey for the Broncos. Conant also is a team that has been simmering, and senior Shujaat Sultan and junior Christian Serrano will be keys to pushing the Cougars' charge. McHenry has been steady all season and junior Michael Hahndorf's fourth place finish helped lift the Warriors to second place at the Palatine regional.
Runners to watch:Kevin Salvano, Buffalo Grove: Salvano finished 20th in Class 3A last season and has turned it up a notch this season. The Bison junior took second in the MSL and followed it up with a regional title. He will be on the short list next season for state title contenders.
Matt Pereira, Lake Zurich: Pereira has had a breakout sophomore campaign. Last year he finished 69th in Class 3A, but has been rolling this season, winning the NSC title and finishing second at the Palatine regional. The Bears sophomore will also be in the conversation for a state title contender in 2015.
David Rodriguez, Hersey: Rodriguez has been the heart and soul of the Huskies' back-to-back MSL titles runs. The senior took 18th in Class 3A last season and has continued to flash his all-state credentials this season,finishing third in the MSL.
Graham Brown, Palatine: Brown has had an outstanding career, starting with being the seventh runner on the Pirates' state title team as a freshman and continuing with an eighth-place finish in Class 3A last season. Brown took fourth in the MSL this year and will be among the leaders on Saturday.
Justin Loquercio, Wheeling: Loquercio finished 51st at the Schaumburg sectional in 2013, but will be among the leaders on Saturday. He's had a breakout junior year, finishing fifth in the MSL.
Other to watch: Hersey: Josh Plischke, Kevin Ziegenhorn, Grant von der Lippe, Jacob Krupa; Buffalo Grove: Jake Wenzel, Tom Cleary; Lake Zurich: Patrick Burns; Stevenson: Sam Oh, Jared Borowsky; Palatine: Brian Leonard; Warren: Dustin Macuiba; McHenry: Michael Hahndorf; Highland Park: Ben Casey, Brett Davidson; Barrington: Kyle Monahan, Alex Maher; Crystal Lake South: Jonathan Prus; Jacobs: Matthew Goldby; Hoffman Estates: Bryan Gamboa, Matt Petersen; Wheeling: Edwin Hernandez; Fremd: Matt Fossing, Danny Peterson; Prospect: Mike Anderson, Matt Cozine, Alec Heyde; Rolling Meadows: Tim Howley; Conant: Shujaat Sultan.
- Michael Eaken