Northwest male athlete of the year: Salvano sets a winning example at Buffalo Grove

One measure of greatness in sports is the degree to which the exceptional athlete affects those around him.

There's no debating the level of individual achievement from Buffalo Grove senior Kevin Salvano during the recently concluded school year.

In the Class 3A boys cross country state meet on Nov. 7, he won in 14:20, edging out York's Charlie Kern and Sandburg's Sean Torpy for the title at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

Less obvious but just as important is the effect Salvano had on the Bison cross country program.

For the totality of success in his standard-setting senior season, Salvano is the Daily Herald's Northwest male athlete of the year.

"He's definitely the most focused and determined kid I've ever coached," said Buffalo Grove coach Zack Crandall. "We knew from the start he had a lot of talent and potential, and he really did a great job of setting goals for himself and working toward them."

Bound for Notre Dame and an intended study of accounting and finance, Salvano showed a meticulous attention to detail in his running career at BG.

In cross country, he finished 21st as a sophomore at the state meet, followed by ninth as a junior, and finally, a command performance in the championship last fall.

"I think when it comes to setting goals in a sport like running, it's never very complex," Salvano said. "A basketball player might have entirely different goals for stats like scoring and rebounding, but for a runner it's just times, and sometimes places. It's pretty simple. So I just focused on that."

His teammates picked up on that focus and emulated it, and the result was the best boys cross country season in Buffalo Grove history.

With Salvano leading with the way alongside standout teammates Tom Cleary and Mitchell Guittar, the Bison won the Mid-Suburban League meet for the first time on Oct. 17.

Salvano's individual triumph in the race was also a first - no runner in program history had won the race.

"He really raised the bar in terms of expectation for everyone in the program, and I mean everyone, from the established varsity guys all the way down to our incoming freshmen. For our more advanced runners, it's so helpful for them to have some like Kevin to train with.

"In running, I think it's especially important to have somebody who's really a leader by example. And that was true for Kevin, even beginning back when he was a sophomore."

Because of Salvano's unique talent level, however, a fair amount of the toughest training was essentially independent study.

"He'd run by himself on Sunday mornings," said Crandall. "He was always pushing himself, because I think he understood that's what it was going to take."

Knee tendinitis cut short Salvano's track season this spring, as he opted for rest to let the condition heal. But before backing off for a while, Salvano managed to set a record in the 2-mile run in the Mid-Suburban League indoor invitational.

For all his individual achievements, Salvano says he'll be most fond of what Buffalo Grove's cross country team achieved together.

MSL champs, and a program-best sixth-place finish in the state meet. Joining Salvano in the effort at state were Cleary, Guittar, Josh Hellyer, Arturo Bautista, Jack Lenard and Evan Schmidt.

"I think people look at cross country or track and say, 'That must be a boring sport,' " Salvano said. "But when you're friends with the people you're running with, it really changes it. With our team, I'd been running with those guys since junior high, so six, seven years.

"What's special about it is the camaraderie you develop."

And the example you set.