Boys track / Scouting Northwest
By Jeff Newton
Daily Herald Correspondent
MID-SUBURBAN EAST
Buffalo Grove
Coach: Jamie Klotz (eighth year)
Last season: 9th place MSL
Key Losses: Sam Alfano, Kevin Mulligan, Mike Galla (state qualifier), Mike Cornely, Jon Kernes, John Angotti, Ryan Pater (state qualifier), Or Gera, Mark Giannis.
Key returnees: Seniors Mike Garrity (state qualifier), Ryan Darcy (state qualifier), Brian Akialis, Joe Damisch, Taylor Goyke, Osvaldo Picazo; Juniors Jereme Atchison, Joe Bernardo (state qualifier), Taras Didenko, Mohammed Khan; sophomores Kevin Newman, Julian Grills (State qualifier), Dan Saketos, Nick Bernardo.
Top newcomer: Dan Roe
Outlook: Klotz has the perfect blend of good sprinters and excellent distance runners to make the Bison a factor in the MSL East and the MSL race. Garrity and Darcy cover the hurdles and sprints respectively as well as any other 1-2 combinations in the conference. Grills leads the 3,200 relay group again and Didenko and Atchison provide studs in the distance events. Finding depth in the throws could bring the Bison into the MSL race.
Elk Grove
Coach: Brian Bucciarelli (third year)
Last season: 12th Place MSL
Key losses: Nick Juhas, Brian O’ Malley, Steve Pruim, Matt McEnery, Taylor Straube, Zack Husak
Key returnees: Seniors Eddie Solorio, Martin Kazecki, Jeong Yun, Skay Nusenu, Mark Janak, Jason Cruz; juniors Alex Mertes, Fernando Lozano
Top newcomers: Junior Dejan Basara; sophomores Emmanuel Amofa, Cody Hood, Connor Murphy.
Outlook: The Grens are grinning with the emergence of a talented hurdler in Nusenu. Solorio is another strong presence as the Grenadiers look to climb from the cellar and into contention in the MSL East. Graduation did have its impact, but Kazecki along with newcomers Basara, Amofa, Hood and Murphy all will be factors for this young team.
Hersey
Coach: Ken Blazek (17th year)
Last season: Tied for seventh MSL
Key losses: Sam Zielke (10th in state 3,200 relay), Nick Mathopoulos, Kyle Pietro, Peter Brown, Chris Naranjo, Alex Min, Adam Reese, Nick Kautz, Carmen Maiorano, Garrett Vick (10th in state 3,200 relay), Matt Cwiok (10th in state 3,200 relay, Augustana), John Mijal, Ted Papadopolous
Key returnees: Seniors Steve Tubergen, Ryan O’Donnell, Teddy La Tona, Jason Olson, Kishin Patel, Nick Kellerhals, Ted Bosi, Brian Havel, Austin Francis, Sam O’Neil, Jordan Connor, Nick McKee, Kris Quaas, Tyler Kamp, Nate Knautz (10th in state 3,200 relay); juniors Chris Coletto, Mark Balmes (state qualifier); sophomore Jim Olsen
Top newcomers: Senior Zach Mahmood; juniors Jason Palatty, Jake Mueller, Steve Kuc, Joe Rodgers.
Outlook: Record numbers for the Huskies program this spring could lead to a good record on the track for Blazek and Hersey. The top of the lineup this spring starts with Knautz and Tubergen and is solidified by the return of state qualifying junior Balmes. The Huskies always seem to find the right mix for a 3,200-relay, but the sprints could also be better with the likes of Palatty and Rodgers.
Prospect
Coach: Mike Kamedula (11th year)
Last season: MSL East Champions, 16th in state
Key losses: Albert Ciolek (2nd in state 3,200 relay; North Central), Pat Ford (2nd in state 3,200 relay), Joe Mack (8th in state 800 relay), Leo Clark, Pat Meyers, Victor Rhee, Jason Manella, Vince Tagare, Chris Spudic (Marquette), Ken Halloran, Jeremy Davis
Key returnees: Seniors Nick Batcha (5th in state long jump, 8th in state 100, 8th in state 800 relay), Ryan Ward, Greg Netols (state qualifier), Matt Ashton (2nd in state 3,200 relay), Bob Koertgen, Kellan Strobel (2nd in state 3,200 relay), Anthony Babicz; juniors Josh Campos, Nick Meersman (8th in state 800 relay), Chris Meersman, Ted Ford, Vito Anzalone (8th in state 800 relay), Mike Thill.
Top newcomer: Senior Andre Barnes.
Outlook: The Knights have been close but haven’t earned the top spot in the MSL in 40 years. This year may be the Knights best shot with arguably the best talent in the MSL in Batcha. The middle distance is again as good as any in the MSL and the throws are solid behind Babicz. Good depth in the sprints likely makes the difference for the Knights this year. Keep an eye on Barnes as a potential major contributor.
Rolling Meadows
Coach: Frank Schweda (third year)
Last season: 10th place MSL
Key losses: Angelos Karkalis (ninth state 1,600; UIC), Photis Karkalis (10th state 3,200; UIC), Jared Diaz (fourth state discus; Eastern Illinois), Mike Bobowski, John Sullivan
Key returnees: Seniors Pat Luxem, Nate Harraman, David Priest, Sam Deau, Luciano Laterza, Andrew Peters; juniors Garrett Peterson, Jeramie Okoh, Chase Larson; sophomore Josh Smith.
Top newcomers: Juniors Brendan Thielsen, Ryan Gundersen, Nick Liedecker, Jordan Diaz; sophomores Alex Duman, Ted Bivolarov, Kody Cagwin.
Outlook: No longer will fans of the Mustangs see double as the Karkalis duo has moved on to college. While it’s hard to replace enormous talent like that, Meadows has plenty to fall back on. Peterson, Gunderson and Thielsen will cover the middle distance and longer sprints for Meadows, while the vaults appear to be back led by Peters and Luxem. Harraman is another contributor that the Mustangs will count on this season.
Wheeling
Coach: Tom Polak (ninth year)
Last season: 11th place MSL
Key losses: Weston Ross (state qualifier), Kevin Koranda, Matt Splon, Brad Miller, Joel Rangel, Tim Schalz, Victor Gonzalez, Jack Hurley.
Key returnees: Seniors Ivan Dovbak, Evan Miller, Omar Lopez, Mike Chmiel, Jesus Gonzalez, Luke Anderson, Brandyn Gray; juniors Andrew Jensen, Jordy Arriaga, Peter Kim, Jose Ortiz; sophomore Cameron Decoursey.
Top newcomer: Sophomore Jesus Rodriguez; freshman Mike Alcazar.
Outlook: With all of the attention Nick Batcha and Ryan Darcy get in this division, Decoursey could very well be leading the next wave of great sprinters in the conference. Dovbak is another key contributor for Wheeling. Chmiel, Arriaga, and Alcazar all figure to contribute to this young team. Middle distance will be another area of strength.
MID-SUBURBAN WEST
Barrington
Coach: Todd Kuklinski (eighth year)
Last Season: 4th Place MSL
Key Losses: Terrance Terry, Scott Kimes, John Forsyth, Brett Seeger, Chris Cogswell (state qualifier, Williams College), Nick Pisani (state qualifier)
Key returnees: Seniors Dale Ino-Baptiste, Kyle Dockery, JL Etienne (state qualifier), Dan Voltz, Nico Martinez (state qualifier), Tim Jaderholm, Eric Schneider (state qualifier), Taylor Calacci (state qualifier), Terence Taylor, Robbie Wagner, Blake Landa, Pat Bolger, Alex Kuznicki, Paul Meesala, Jimmy Kristof, Karl Eiring; juniors James Pajich, Erik Peterson (state qualifier), Nolan Wojtowicz, AJ Scarbrough, Mike Geleske.
Top newcomers: Senior Matt LeMire; junior Jacob Svoboda; sophomores Ryan Graves, Ryan Skelly; freshmen Jonah Muniz, Jacob Halstrom.
Outlook: By all accounts 2010 was a tough year for the Broncos. But the cupboard is far from bare and with one of the best distance combinations in Eiring and Peterson in the league, Barrington has to be considered as a threat in the MSL. Sprints and jumps are always strong here and they are again with Calacci, Scarbrough and Kuznicki. Schneider, Ino-Baptiste, Dockery and Etienne are senior leaders that could lead Barrington back to the top.
Conant
Coach: John Powers (third year)
Last season: 5th place MSL
Key losses: Kevin Reddington (state qualifier), Sean Chaudhari (state qualifier), Muhammad Tayyab, David Goings, Steven Gnoffo, Joe Mazurkiewitz, Steve Sufferdin, Rob Velasco.
Key returnees: Seniors Nikhil Byanna, Michael Lastrella, Robert Iatomasi, Troy Cunningham (state qualifier); juniors Ben Bowers (7th in state 300 hurdles), Tyler Schneider, Mike Shoro, James Weaver (state qualifier), Paul Perschon, Alex Miller.
Top newcomers: Juniors Tom Zidek, Bart Daniel, Laderrian Watson, Marc McNiff; sophomore Joe Sulentic.
Outlook: One of the events in the MSL that has a long storied history at Conant is the hurdles and Bowers is carrying on that tradition again. One of the best hurdlers in the state, Bowers is also a premier high jumper. The Cougars distance corps is solid again and the field events are strong led by Perschon. Conant won the title two years ago and could sneak up in the MSL again.
Fremd
Coach: Jim Aikens (22nd year)
Last season: 3rd place MSL
Key losses: Spiros Angelakos (state qualifier, Ripon College), Aaron Ferst (state qualifier, North Central), Phil Cano, Dan Ricketts (North Central), Yotaro Okuda, Blake Thompson, Ben Bodicott, Mike Varela (state qualifier), Joe Calhoun
Key returnees: Seniors Brian Bobek (fifth in state shot put), Justin Wallace, Tyrone St. John, Erik Wolski (state qualifier), Andy Mack, Jerrell Lewis, John Tobias, Ryan Yang, Eric Tchon, Mitch Mammon, Matt Smaga; juniors Christian Vail (state qualifier), Dave Mollado; sophomore Nick Storm
Top newcomers: Juniors Brandon Esquivel, David Ferguson, Jake Winter, Connor Pfister; sophomore Jake Lewis.
Outlook: Graduation took a hit, but this Fremd team is still very legit as a contender in the MSL. Bobek is one of the state’s best throwers and with young speed possessed by Vail, Mollado and Ferguson, depth in the relay events is a strength. Filling the holes in middle distance and the field events is the biggest challenge for one of the biggest darkhorses in the MSL race.
Hoffman Estates
Coach: Tyrone Jones (fourth year)
Last season: 6th Place MSL
Key losses: Marlen Hamilton (state qualifier, North Central), Jerel Gabriel, Zain Khan, Kyle Gonzales (state qualifier), Jon Hunter, Steve Green, Jason Palatty (transfer to Hersey).
Key returnees: Seniors David Gutierrez, Liridoni Ballazhi, Shawn Lascelles (state qualifier), Michael Reeves, Steve Grajek (state qualifier), Dalton Garrett (state qualifier), Mike Denight (state qualifier), Kevin Lang, Michael Goers; junior Hakeem Moulton; sophomores Jared Bruemmer, Brian Gonzeles.
Top newcomers: Junior Alex Bonds; sophomore Connor Dressler.
Outlook: Staying healthy and staying on the track are usually the biggest hurdles for the Hawks. This year those trends look to change behind the likes of Lascelles, Grajek and Denight. All three earned trips to state a year ago and they all look primed to do it again. Young newcomers in Bonds and Dressler will add depth and Ballazhi has improved in the throws. Filling in the distance void will be key for Hoffman.
Palatine
Coach: John Nalley (20th year)
Last season: MSL champions, MSL West champions
Key losses: Kyle Marrison, Dan Schweikert, Chad Bobbit (state qualifier), Chano Bernardo, Eric DeBellis, Alec Bollman (state champion 1,600, Iowa State), Mykyta Cheshko (state qualifier), Tyler Jones (sevnth in state discus), Willie Fillian, Jeff Larson, Phil Howe, Steven Schalla (Harper), Trevor Peters, Alphonso Butera, Laquane Bailey (Carthage), Adam Dreger, Manny Del Rio.
Key returnees: Seniors Ryan McGough (state qualifier), David DiCristofano (state qualifier), Zach Gates (state qualifier), Terry Halloran, Kendall Cox, Nick La Rocca, Will Stein; juniors Tim Meincke (state qualifier), Anthony Gregorio (state qualifier), Tim Johnson (state qualifier)
Top newcomers: Senior Jeff Winters (transfer from Lake Zurich); junior Kendrick Cornelius; sophomore Cameron Kuska.
Outlook: The Pirates aren’t rebuilding in 2011. Instead, they have reloaded and are primed to defend their outdoor title. While they graduated a state champion in Bollman, the distance group is as sound as ever with Gregorio, McGough, Meincke and Johnson. The sprints got a big boost with the arrival of Winters. Add in another transfer in Cornelius, and the Pirates sprint depth is as good as anyone in the MSL West. Filling holes in the throws left by the departures of Bobbit and Jones will be key.
Schaumburg
Coach: Ryan Senica (first year)
Last season: Tied for 7th place MSL
Key losses: Dionte Hackler (7th in state 400, North Central), Rich Barnes (state qualifier), Jake Fritzler (state qualifier, Harper), Pat Lesiewicz (state qualifier, North Central), Mike Perry (state qualifier), TJ Akinola (state qualifier), Doug Thomas (Harper)
Key returnees: Seniors Connor Prizy (state qualifier), Travis Morrison, Shepard Little (state qualifier), Steve Skulski, Ryan King (state qualifier), Zack Johnson, Marcel Mellijor, Ben Gallis; juniors Wyatt Kondras (state qualifier), Tyler Anderson, Pat Sweich, Erin Parker, Andrew Selep, Greg Kulasik (state qualifier); sophomore Evan Prizy.
Top newcomers: Sophomores Lee Duhs, Juwaan Richard; freshman Sardarris Patterson.
Outlook: Replacing a legend is never easy, but Senica brings a strong background with him and has plenty of talent to carry on Jim Macnider’s legacy. Little is more than a little threat in the hurdles. King, Kondras and Kulasik are returning qualifiers while Prizy and Morrison could make a distance difference for the Saxons. Duhs is a big sophomore who could contend in the throws.
WEST SUBURBAN GOLD
Leyden
Coach: Tom Cartwright (fourth year)
Last season: 4th Place WSC Gold
Key losses: Mike Ellis, Kevin Lewis, Harold Alvarez (Davidson), Fernando Ramirez, Amaury Michel, Ricardo Ascencio, Piotr Kubek
Key returnees: Seniors Kyle Baker, Ervin Sanchez, Justin Bolo, Mike Weimerskirch, Nick Starinopoulos, Steve Lindahl, Josh Gordon, Roberto Gonzalez, Ras Chudoba, Andres Orrego; juniors Krystian Chudoba, Paul Bosynak, George Johnson, Nelson Lugo, Fabian Cabrerra.
Top newcomers: Juniors Deep Shah, Oscar Chavarri; sophomore Jonathan Rodriguez.
Outlook: When building a program back up, taking baby steps to get to the top is often the best practice. The Eagles have done that in the ultra-competitive West Suburban Gold and have their sights set on a top-three finish in the league. Downers North and Hinsdale South along with Morton stand in their way. On the track, Baker, Weimerskirch and Lindahl are among many on a deep roster that will contribute to the Eagles success.
EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC
St. Viator
Coach: Rodero Warren (seventh year)
Last season: 6th place ESCC
Key losses: Mike Sroka (state qualifier), Mike Cervantes, Tim Brinkmann (Illinois Wesleyan), Tim Phillips
Key returnees: Seniors Justin Johnson (6th in state 110 hurdles), Nick Fiore, Kevin Cascino, Jack Simpson, Nick Frett, Michael Murray; juniors D.J. Horstmann, Elliott Hilgert, Jimmy Sexton; sophomores John Balas (state qualifier), Adam Clark, Tyler Sammons
Top newcomers: Sophomore Kevin Schreiber; freshmen Matt Beiswenger, Aaron Harris, Jason Ziolkowski.
Outlook: No track? No problem for the Lions. Johnson earned the first medal for the Lions in 26 years and figures to be right in the mix in the hurdles and jumps again. Balas is a strong returning sophomore and talented freshmen in Harris, Ziolkowski and Beiswenger will add to a very deep and talented roster. Fiore and Cascino will also be big factors as seniors for Viator.
CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTH
Maine West
Coach: Andrew Trotter (18th year)
Last season: 4th place CSL North
Key losses: Tony Fitzpatrick (Oakton), Mike Conneely (state qualifier), Kevin Schaeffer, Dan Savino, Trevor Kelley, Oscar Gomez, Ogar Somo, Pat Jost, Charlie Vana
Key returnees: Seniors Kevin Britt, Tim Bugajsky, Ryan Mangoni, Haider Sheikh; juniors Felipe Garcia, Alec Polovchak
Top newcomer: Senior Jake Kellerhals; junior Aaron Williams; sophomores Alex Gasca, Scott Farnan
Outlook: Graduation was unkind to the Warriors in losing standouts Fitzpatrick and Conneely. Kellerhals looks to fill the void created by Conneely, while the leader on the track could come from a number of Warriors, including Bugajsky, Sheikh and Polovchak. The battle in the always challenging CSL North will still be with Niles North and Deerfield for the top spot. Newcomers Williams, Gasca and Farnan all figure to contribute.