Scouting Cook County boys state cross country
Class 3A state meet
Where: Detweiller Park, Peoria
When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Teams to watch: Loyola is the new team on the block. The Ramblers have qualified for the state meet five times and have never won a trophy but that could change this year as they looked impressive in beating York 33-77 for the Niles West sectional title. Senior Nico Composto leads a very powerful squad which appears to be the favroite and includes Mark Donohue of Des Plaines. Neuqua Valley won the Lockport sectional and will also be in contention, Palatine is in high gear after taking first at the Schaumburg sectional and Prospect cannot be overlooked.
Closer look at area teams
Palatine: Coach Chris Quick has his team peaking at the right time and the Pirates aren't going down to Peoria to finish fourth. Senior Alec Bollman and senior Chano Bernardo both have legitimate shots to make all-state and supply the power. "There is no pressure on us," added Quick. "I think that will free us up to run aggressive." Sophomore Anthony Gregorio and junior A.J. Laskowske have solidified the Pirates pack and No. 5 runner Ryan Wojdyla continues to improve. They have won six state trophies and look for them to add No. 7 on Saturday.
Prospect: The Knights were nipping at Palatine's heels in finishing second by 4 points at the Mid-Suburban League meet. They slipped a bit at the sectionals but don't underestimate them as senior Chris Spudic is a potential all-stater with senior Albert Ciolek and junior Kellan Strobel not far behind. Senior Vince Tagare ran a solid sectional race. They have plenty of depth and coach Mike Stokes always has his team ready to compete at the big meets. "We're a senior-dominated team with experience," added Stokes. "I think we can bounce back."
Fremd: The Vikings are making their first state appearance since 1995 and are led by senior Aaron Ferst. The key will be for the pack of Spiros Angelakos, Yutaro Okuda, and Daniel Ricketts to keep things close. Ferst has shot to make all-state, which would set up the Vikings to crack the top 10.
Schaumburg: The Saxons have battled injuries all season but enter the state meet fairly healthy. Senior Pat Lesiewicz sets the tone and should be in the lead pack. The return of junior Travis Morrison keyed their attack at sectionals. Morrison teamed with junior Pat O'Connell and junior Connor Prizy fueling the Saxons drive.
Individuals to watch: It is Sandburg's Lukas Verzbicas race to lose as the sophomore cruised to first place at the Lockport sectional, defeating Neuqua Valley's Aaron Beattie by 20 seconds. Verzbicas gained national attention by setting the U.S high school indoor mark of 14:18.42 in the 5,000 meters last March and the sophomore has his sights set on the Detweiller course record of 13:50.6 set by Lebanon's Craig Virgin in 1972. Loyola's Nico Composto, Naperville North's Tyler Jermann, Neuqua Valley's Beattie, York's Andrew Smith, Cary-Grove's Phil Fairleigh and Fenwick's Martin Grady will look to pressure Verzbicas.
Area runners to watch
Pat Lesiewicz (Schaumburg): The senior finished fourth at the Schaumburg sectional but don't be fooled. Lesiewicz will be in the lead pack on Saturday, last year he finished 13th in Class 3A. This year the senior will be looking to crack the top 10 and a top-five finish can't be ruled out.
Photis Karkalis (Rolling Meadows): Karkalis showed his potential with a second-place finish at Schaumburg last Saturday. Look for the Mustang senior to finish with a bang on Saturday. Karkalis was bothered by a knee injury early in the season but is healthy and ready to go now. All-state honors are definitely within reach.
Alec Bollman (Palatine): The senior has looked strong all season and will be aiming for all-state honors.
Chano Bernardo (Palatine): The senior finished 21st last season and will be looking to pick up his second consecutive all-state honor.
Chris Spudic (Prospect): The senior won the MSL title and is not afraid to mix it up. He has stepped up front for Prospect in a big way this season.
Other area runners to watch: Buffalo Grove's Jereme Atchison, Fremd's Aaron Ferst, Barrington's Eric Peterson, Rolling Meadows Angelos Karkalis.