Boys cross country / State meet scouting, Northwest
Boys cross country/ State meet scouting
Where: Detweiller Park, Peoria
When: Saturday, Class 3A at 2 p.m.
Teams to watch: Sandburg dominated the Marist sectional, taking first with 39 points, and the Eagles seem to have their sights set on their first state title. Sandburg placed five runners in the top 11 at sectional and was led by juniors Tom Brennan, Sean Torpy and Chris Torpy, who went 5-6-7. Defending Class 3A champion Hinsdale Central finished a distant second at Marist with 94 points, followed by Neuqua Valley with 96. Hinsdale Central was missing one of its top runners, but even at full strength the Red Devils will be hard-pressed to match Sandburg. Sophomore Blake Eversten has emerged this season to lead Hinsdale. Junior Connor Horn will pace Neuqua Valley. Those three teams have the potential to finish 1-2-3 in Class 3A on Saturday. Downers Grove North, Lyons Township, New Trier, and Glenbard West will also be in the hunt. Hersey is a top 10 team that is looking to run its best race on Saturday.
Hersey: The Huskies entered last year's state meet with trophy aspirations, but finished in 11th place. They will use that finish as motivation this year. Senior David Rodriguez has powered Hersey to the Mid-Suburban League, Hoffman Estates regional and Schaumburg sectional titles. Rodriguez earned a state medal last year and will be shooting for a high finish this year. The next wave includes seniors Kevin Ziegenhorn and Josh Plischke, who will try to narrow the gap with Rodriguez. Sophomore Jacob Krupa has emerged to become a key part of the Huskies' attack and senior Grant von der Lippe has returned from an injury to give his team a major boost in the postseason. Hersey got off to a slow start at sectional but was able to recover and capture a second consecutive title. The Huskies will need to get off to a better start on Saturday. Hersey has been on a roll this postseason and is a potential top 10 team. If the Huskies run their best race Saturday, they could challenge for a state trophy.
Barrington: The Broncos entered the Schaumburg sectional as a bubble team, but made a big statement with a third-place finish. After finishing seventh in the MSL, the Broncos have found their second wind and are once again dealing. It starts with senior Kyle Monahan, who figures to be in the mix for a state medal. The senior has been consistent from start to finish this year. Junior Alex Maher has also been a key runner for Barrington and will aid the Broncos on Saturday. Senior Andy Gensburg and senior Konrad Eiring proved to be major difference-makers last Saturday, and senior Ben Laning has also contributed. Barrington was definitely the surprise team at the Schaumburg sectional, and the Broncos hope to spring another one in Peoria.
Hoffman Estates: The Hawks return to the state meet for the first time since 2006. Hoffman Estates also had a so-so conference meet, but the Hawks have run well in back-to-back weekends and will be looking to carry that momentum into Saturday's meet. Junior Bryan Gamboa is Hoffman Estates' top runner and will pace the Hawks on Saturday. Gamboa has done a nice job in setting the tone. Junior Matt Petersen has solidified his spot as the No. 2 runner and will aim to stay connected with Gamboa on Saturday. Junior Shiv Patel, freshman Shreeker Patel and sophomore Alex Makrounis form the second wave. The young Hawks won their first MSL West Divisional title this season and have set a good foundation for the upcoming years. They showed their poise by running from behind at the sectional and earning a state spot. Now the emerging Hawks are looking to take another step forward.
Individuals to watch: McHenry senior Jessie Reiser and Conant senior Zach Dale are set for round two, and this time it will likely be for the Class 3A marbles. Reiser won the Schaumburg sectional setting a course record in 14:32, followed by Dale (14:38). Both runners seemed to be conserving some energy for this week's high-stakes race. Reiser used a devastating kick in the final 400 meters to win the sectional. It will be a different race on Saturday, and it will be interesting to see who is willing to set the pace and know when to turn it on. Dale won his second consecutive MSL title this season and has been eyeing this race for a long time. Downers Grove North senior Ryan Clevenger won the Marist sectional and will also be a factor in Saturday's race. Lake Zurich sophomore Matt Pereira has challenged Reiser on back-to-back weekends, finishing third at Schaumburg. He will also be a factor in the race. Buffalo Grove junior Kevin Salvano has been tough all season and will be in the mix.
Area individuals:
Zach Dale, Conant - Dale has kept his cards close to his chest this season, but is ready to deal an ace on Saturday. The Cougars senior ran a conservative race schedule this season, and ran under control in winning the MSL title and Hoffman Estates regional title. He faced his first major test last weekend at the Schaumburg sectional, but once again did not open it up. This weekend Dale is ready to lay his cards on the table. Dale has had an outstanding career, finishing fourth in Class 3A last season and earning two state medals in track. Dyestat has Dale ranked No. 19 nationally, but a victory over Reiser on Saturday would definitely raise his stock.
Kevin Salvano, Buffalo Grove - The Bison junior earned a state medal last season, this year he will be aiming for a top-five spot. Salvano has faced the best in Class 3A this season and has held his own, finishing third to Reiser and Clevenger at the First to the Finish meet in September, taking second behind Dale in the MSL and finishing fourth at the Schaumburg sectional. He is a smart runner and knows how to manage a race. Salvano will be on the short list for state contenders in 2015.
Graham Brown, Palatine - Brown suffered a major setback on Tuesday when he broke his nose. It remains to be seen how it will affect his race on Saturday. Brown finished eighth in Class 3A last season and definitely has the potential for a top 10 finish this year. He challenged the leaders for the first two miles at the sectionals before dropping back. Brown has hung tough the entire season; his toughest challenge will be on Saturday.
Class 2A: St. Viator qualified for its third consecutive state meet, tying Elmwood Park for a fifth-place finish with 161 points at the Fenton Class 2A sectional. Junior Jacob Bonanotte and sophomore Sam Brey finished 26th and 27th to help Viator secure its state qualification. Junior Nick Spanier, junior John Duffy, and freshman Kevin Gross also aided the Lions attack last Saturday. The Class 2A boy's race begins at noon Saturday.
- Michael Eaken