Boys cross country: Scouting DuPage County and the Fox Valley
DUPAGE COUNTY
Addison Trail: The Blazers took fifth place in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division and 12th at the Glenbard West regional. Junior Nathan Gundersen (118th) competed in the state meet as a sophomore after placing 20th at the Lake Park sectional. Senior Tyler Piotrowski was the squad's No. 3 runner at regionals, but No. 2 runner Thomas Cabrera graduated.
Benet: The Redwings won the ESCC title, took third at regionals, fourth at sectionals, and 17th in Class 2A. Kevin Veselik has taken over for former head coach Kevin Renicker. Now competing in Class 3A, seniors Bob Johnson, John Pogue, Will Schaeffer, Martin Collings, Jonas Frangella, and Declan Diamond hope to win another ESCC crown and make a push for state. Sophomores Liam Hruby and Ben Marks join the team along with freshman Damian Schulz. Class 2A state champion Finn Richards is now running for Vanderbilt.
Downers Grove North: The Trojans won back-to-back Class 3A state titles last year after winning the sectional crown. DGN was also the WSC Silver champs, and they took second at regionals. The team rolled to the state title with 83 points behind state runner-up Grant Schroder (Harvard). Four other seniors from the state meet graduated. But all-state seniors Philip Cupial (fourth) and William Surratt (12th) give the team an elite duo at the front of their pack to build around this fall.
Fenton: The Bison finished 12th in the UEC and eight at regionals as junior Matthew Andersen qualified for sectionals. Sophomore Rudy Sanchez is a runner to keep an eye on along with junior Josh Cade and sophomore Juan Reyes. Seniors Jacob Quintero and Ethan Lopez bring a lot of experience while junior Giovanni Dorado will help the team make a push for sectionals and challenge for a state qualifying spot.
Glenbard East: The Rams took third place in the UEC and seventh place at the Lyons regional. Senior Mason Hephner (109th) competed in the state meet last year. But sectional qualifier Gavin MacDonald was lost to graduation as three of the team's top four runners graduated.
Glenbard North: The Panthers took eighth place in the DuKane Conference and 11th place at the Glenbard West regional. The team lost three of their top four runners to graduation, including No. 1 runner Jakson Moses. Senior Jayden Young was the No. 3 runner at the regional meet last November.
Glenbard South: The Raiders took fourth in the UEC, fourth at regionals, and eighth at sectionals. Junior Thomas Jochum was the state runner-up in Class 2A as a sophomore, and he had a good summer of training after getting injured last spring during the track season. The sophomore trio of Giancarlo Pietrasanta, Evan Rubinas, and Andrew Walter should make a big impact. Junior Leo Obrill, Pietrasanta, and Rubinas all went downstate in track. Senior Gus Kilig will bring experience and depth to the squad.
Glenbard West: The Hilltoppers placed fourth in the WSC Silver, third at regionals, sixth at sectionals, and 25th in Class 3A. Senior Matt King (80th in Class 3A) is the only returning runner from state. The squad will rely on the junior trio of Sam Roser, Nathan Ho, and Judah Cabral. Senior Elliott Locke has shown great improvement since last year, and coach Kyle Nugent said the main focus will be developing the juniors and continuing to improve.
Lake Park: The Lancers hope to qualify for sectionals as a team after placing sixth in the DuKane Conference and seventh at regionals. Seniors Nick Scheklarevski (sectional qualifier) and Nick Zegger were both under 16:00 as juniors. Others expected in the top-five pack are juniors Tommy Jalowiec, Brandon Arguello, and Rishab Kulkarni. The top-seven pack will likely be senior Chris Cozzo, senior Jael Jimenez-Perez, and junior Mark Biernacki. Sophomores Tim Dellaria and Lukas Svabas are also contenders for the varsity lineup.
Lisle: The Lions finished third in the Illinois Central Eight, sixth at regionals, and 15th at their own Class 1A sectional. No. 1 runner and 3,200-meter state qualifier Zeke Gonzalez (COD) graduated. Junior Simon Klein is the top returning runner, and he will be supported by juniors Lincoln Calfo, Aiden Slehofer, and Jimmy Mullen. Sophomore Liam Newton should be a big factor along with the freshman trio of Blake Madsen, Cayden Denhart, and Liam Marquez.
Metea Valley: The Mustangs took fourth place in the DVC and eighth at the Class 3A Waubonsie Valley regional. The team will miss four graduated seniors leaders, including state qualifier Ian French this season. But the team still has a strong senior duo in Henry Faber and Dylan Bennett-Garza ready to provide leadership to their pack.
Montini: The Broncos placed fourth in the Chicago Catholic League, second at regionals, third at sectionals, and seventh in Class 1A. All-state junior Nino Pesola (10th) returns to lead the pack as Montini is moving up to Class 2A this season. Other returning runners from state are Adriel Garcia (87th), Gavin Conway (105th), Sean Buckley (166th), and Graham Reiser (210th). Other key runners are Owen Ferris, Kevin Barrett, and freshman Matthew Ferris (11th in IESA Class 1A). All-stater Nolan Ferris (19th) graduated.
Naperville Central: The Redhawks placed third in the DVC, third at regionals, fifth at sectionals, and 20th in Class 3A. Graduated Patrick Clune (26th, Marquette) just missed being all-state. Junior Manny Najera (39th) was the No. 2 runner downstate followed by sophomore Toby Silder (147th), senior Vaughn Scherer (168th), senior Gavin George (197th), and sophomore Nicholas Norberg (233rd). Junior Derek Williamson is a key newcomer supported by seniors Lukas Probst and Ryan Hendricks. The team depth is great as Nathan Kao, Jack Anderson, Grayson McKenna, Alex Hostetler, Leon Kao, and Chase Gewin could also factor into the mix.
Naperville North: The Huskies placed second in the DVC, second at regionals, sixth at sectionals, and 16th in Class 3A. Five of their top seven runners are back from state, including seniors Jackson Truty, Simon Reckamp, Brian Hatlestad, Lukas Keane, and Aidan Malana. Juniors Charlie Minott, Blake Pickering, and Ethan Toms will provide added depth as the team goals are to win the DVC and finish in the top 15 in the state.
Neuqua Valley: The Wildcats were DVC and regional champions, fourth at sectionals, and 21st in Class 3A. The team lost three seniors to graduation, but they have junior Jesse Gudauskas and sophomore Grayson Meek returning to lead their pack. Seniors Garrett Anderson and Anish Bhagwat also ran in the state meet. Juniors Reyaansh Bhagat and Aidan Pour are ready to step up to the next level on this young and relatively inexperienced team.
St. Francis: The Spartans took fourth place in the CCL White Division and seventh at the Class 2A Hinsdale South regional. The pack will miss graduated state qualifier Gavin Grover, but senior Michael Coco (99th) returns from the state meet. Seniors Ian Dimler and Nolan Kiley were the third and fourth runners for St. Francis at regionals.
Waubonsie Valley: The Warriors took sixth place in the DVC and 12th place at their own Class 3A regional. The team lost three runners from their pack to graduation, but senior Braedon Koerner was their top finisher at regionals last year. The junior trio of Achyuth Randeep, Jasdeep Grover, and Ryan Wu were runners 3-5 for the Warriors at regionals.
West Chicago: Former assistant coach Yassine Yakhoub has taken over from David Sayner as the Wildcats' head coach. The team lost a lot of seniors to graduation after placing seventh in the UEC and eighth at sectionals. Top returning runners are junior Andre Dzwiniel, who is coming off a strong track season, senior Daniel Szacilowski (first year in cross country), and senior Daniel Duran. Other keys will be junior Andres Perez (broke 5:00 in the 1,600), junior Noah Case, senior Jacob Hayward, and sophomore Tristan Banasiak.
Westmont: The Sentinels placed seventh at regionals and 14th at the Class 1A Lisle sectional. Junior Colin McDaniels was the No. 1 runner at sectionals, but the squad lost No. 2-runner Michael Aho to graduation. The sophomore trio of Merrick Bloyd, Tim Cain, and Graysen Moreland were runners three through five at the sectional meet.
Wheaton Academy: The Warriors won the Chicagoland Christian Conference, took fifth at regionals, 10th at sectionals, and had two runners qualify for the Class 2A state meet. Michael Osielski has graduated, but junior Miguel Boney (69th) is back to lead the pack. Senior Luke Osterholm was all-state on the 4x800 in track while senior Toby Morden ran a 16:20 last year. Other key runners are junior Jacob Erickson, senior Alex Bounds, sophomore Andrew Nyquist, and freshman Andrew Sims. The team hopes to finish in the top two in the conference.
Wheaton North: The Falcons lost their top three seniors to graduation, including all-stater Aidan Murphy (18th in Class 3A, St. Louis University). The team took 23rd in the state, seventh at sectionals, fifth at regionals, and fourth in the DuKane Conference. Seniors Daniel Xochitecatl, Jack Sanders, and Matthew Joyce ran at state along with sophomore Nathan Carroll. Juniors Judah Clark and Levi Turner are among the top returning runners. Logan Augustine, Owen O'Mara, and Reid Goerzen provide added depth as the team is pushing for their sixth straight trip to state.
Wheaton Warrenville South: The Tigers took second in the DuKane Conference, first at regionals, third at sectionals, and 17th in Class 3A. WWS has qualified for state nine years in a row, but lost its top four runners, including two all-staters to graduation. Senior Sam Walker was the No. 5 runner at state while junior Jack Barbieri also ran downstate. Other key runners are Ethan Farrell, Connor Hulett, Liam Meyer, Joey Mowrer, Daithan Narayanan, Logan Noel, Troy Thalmann, and Caleb Woods. The team will focus on pack running.
Willowbrook: The Warriors placed second in the WSC Gold, fourth at regionals, and 11th at sectionals as state qualifier Adriano Quintero graduated. Key seniors are Metiku Branch, Ayden Ketelson, Evan Haworth, and Angel Perez. Top juniors are Ryan Quinney, Jacob Alexander, Thomas Thimo, Kole Johanson, and Edison Balogh. Sophomores Legend Alka and Ian Montgomery are ready to shine on varsity. Willowbrook is striving to win the WSC Gold title and qualify for state despite losing its top two runners to graduation.
York: The 28-time state champion Dukes took fifth in Class 3A, but five state-meet runners graduated. Senior Carter Olsen (37th) is back from state while sophomore Michael Gurgone (123rd) also ran downstate. Sophomore Patrick Hill (1,600 state qualifier) missed state due to an injury at regionals. Junior Harrison Manternach will be a key runner along with senior Rykern Harges, junior Anders Dochoff, and sophomore George Knott. York took first at sectionals, first at regionals, and third in the WSC Silver. The younger runners put together a successful summer of training with times near the times the graduated seniors put up during last year's training.
FOX VALLEY
Aurora Central Catholic: The Chargers placed sixth in Class 1A last year, and they are moving to Class 2A this season for the first time since 2016. The team returns six of their top seven, including all-state junior Ben Bohr (23rd). But sophomore Cal Reinbold is out for the season due to injury. Senior Jack Swiatek, John Reinbold, A.J. Viveros, Bryan Lopez, Tyler Bracke, Reece Voller, Brecken Oester, Sam Woodward, Nick Schupbach, and Aiden Goecker round out the top 11. Freshman Tyler Bracke has a highly decorated middle school background.
Aurora Christian: The Eagles got a 12th-place finish from current senior Jack Wayne at the Chicagoland Christian Conference meet. Wayne followed up that performance with a 17th-place run at regionals to qualify as an individual to the Class 1A Lisle sectional meet where he placed 69th. No.2 runner Seth Pennings graduated while junior Matthew Scudieri was the No. 3 runner at regionals.
Bartlett: The Hawks placed sixth at the 13-team UEC meet and 10th at the Glenbard West regional. Senior Joseph Bagnuolo was a sectional qualifier last year while senior teammate Elijah Yung was the No. 2 runner at regionals. Bartlett will have to replace a key runner this fall after the loss of Whalan Eid to graduation.
Batavia: The Bulldogs were the DuKane Conference champions, they took first at regionals, second at sectionals, and 14th in Class 3A. The team lost all-stater in Francesco Benelli (13th) and No. 4 runner David Bednarek to graduation. But Batavia still has a lot of runners with state meet experience, including key juniors Edward Polaski (33rd), and Will Polaski (85th).
Burlington Central: The Rockets took ninth place in the FVC, and ninth at the Class 2A Belvidere North regional. The team lost No. 1 runner Julian Onayemi to graduation Sophomore Dane Walikonis was the No. 2 runner at regionals followed by junior Brandon Pflug, junior Danny Burke, and senior Connor Polz. Burlington Central graduate and cross country and track captain Dan Morgan has taken over as head coach in place of Vince Neil.
Cary-Grove: The Trojans took eighth place in the FVC and eighth in the Class 3A Warren regional. Senior Jameson Tenopir really shined for Cary-Grove as he placed fourth at sectionals before just missing the all-state team with a 28th-place finish at state. Three seniors graduated, but juniors Nate and Lucas Kephart were the 3-4 runners at regionals.
Crystal Lake South: The Gators placed seventh in the FVC, sixth at regionals, and 12th at sectionals. Current senior Joseph Gonzalez placed 48th in Class 2A in 15:16. Senior Chad Wehby and junior Damien Castillo should be front of the pack runners for CLS. Sophomore Richardo Briones and freshman Logan Aarseth are looking strong along with sophomore Tyler Brooks and senior Devin Ziemann. The Gators are hoping to finish in the top three in the FVC and regionals.
Dundee-Crown: The Chargers placed 10th in the FVC meet and 10th at the Class 3A Palatine regional. Junior Joshua Michalski (17th in FVC) qualified for the Hoffman Estates sectional meet as an individual, but the team lost a strong No. 2 runner in Eddie Leon to graduation. Juniors Isaiah Mendoza and Diego Molina were solid third and fourth runners for D-C's young pack.
Elgin: The Maroons took eighth place in the 13-team UEC meet and ninth place at the Glenbard West regional. The team will definitely miss graduated state qualifier Cole Tupper (50th in Class 3A) this season. The squad only lost one other key senior to graduation in Ian Godinez while sophomore Giovani Sanchez-Munoz was Elgin's No. 2 runner at regionals.
Geneva: The Vikings took seventh place in the DuKane Conference, sixth at regionals, and 13th at sectionals as six seniors graduated. Senior Mack Biesk ran at the sectional meet, and he will be supported by Ian DeGuzman and Griffin Poterek. Other runners expected to compete on the varsity are Connor McInerney, Matt Bultmann, Kurt Borter, Gabe Ochsenschlager, and Liam Dwyer. The younger runners will be stepping into larger roles while gaining some valuable experience this season.
Hampshire: The Whip-Purs finished third in the FVC, fifth at regionals, and 14th at the Class 3A Lake Park sectional. Top two runners Jack and Nolan Sheets graduated along with two other seniors in the top six. Sophomores Hudson Cuplin and Logan Legge were the 3-4 runners at sectionals. Junior Nigel Gay also competed at sectionals while senior Marcus Davis has a PR of 16:21. Juniors Lucas Bailye, Tyler Krauss, Xander Lewis, and William Randle-Zeglis give the team a shot at the top three in the FVC and regionals. Junior transfer student Lucas Pagan ran on Harvest Christian Academy's team last year in the Class 1A state meet.
Huntley: The Red Raiders placed second in the FVC, second at regionals, and 11th at sectionals before now graduated Tommy Nitz took 11th place in Class 3A. Top returning runners are seniors Andrew Raistrick and Nathan Sauber. Junior Brandon Thompson and sophomore Mark Omoniyi should be towards the front of the pack with support from senior Logan Barreto and sophomore Anthony Madison. With six of its top eight runners back, Huntley hopes to finish in the top three in the FVC and perform well in the IHSA state series.
Jacobs: The Golden Eagles took sixth in the FVC, sixth at regionals, and 18th at sectionals. All-stater Max Sudrzynski (23rd) and two other top-four seniors graduated. Returning sectional runners are junior Nathan Pierzchalski and the sophomore trio of Gavin Glosson, Alex Taskov, and Doyle Watson. Other key contributors will be Andrew Kroeger, Austin Stevenson, Mehdi Abdagic, Zac Anderson, Joey Flaskamp, and Cam Borkowski. "The younger group has stepped right in and taken over leading the team," said coach Kevin Christian. "The entire group has progressed at a much faster rate than we thought, and could do some damage in the FVC."
Kaneland: The Knights won the Interstate Eight Conference, took second at regionals, first at sectionals, and fifth in Class 2A. Evan Nosek (third in state) graduated, but sophomore Carson Kaiser (sixth) will be a strong No. 1 runner. Senior Evan Whildin placed 36th at state while teammates Joey Schuch (182nd), and Nathan Kowalczyk (205th) also ran in Peoria. Among the top-seven pack could be Nolan Reutimann, Gavin Smith, and Gavin Schnurstein. Other contenders are Jack Nevenhoven, Ricky Anderson, Sahel Torres, Mason Stalcup, and Drew Gritzner.
Larkin: The Royals placed 10th in the 13-team UEC meet and ninth at the Harlem regional. Larkin was really hurt by graduation as No. 1 runner Rafael Valdes, and four of its top five runners, will be missed this season. Junior Andrew Gonzalez was the Royals' No. 4 runner last year at the regional meet.
Marmion Academy: The Cadets placed second in the Chicago Catholic League, first at regionals, third at sectionals, and seventh in Class 2A. The team lost their top two runners to graduation. But they have five runners back from state including seniors Michael Whitacre (68th, seventh in 1,600), Joseph Dorando (86th), Jonah Sartain (121st), Sam Rowe (166th), and Lucas Galindo (175th). The sixth and seventh spots in the varsity lineup are largely up for grabs according to coach Andrew Lifka.
South Elgin: The Storm placed third in the 13-team UEC meet, third at the Harlem regional, and 17th at the Lake Park sectional. Five of the pack's top seven runners graduated, including No. 1-runner Logan Lott. Current seniors Aldrin Carlo Boongaling and Josiah Lindsey both competed at the sectional meet last November.
St. Charles East: The Saints had two cornerstones graduate in state qualifiers Greyson Ellensohn (Wichita State) and Ryan Tobin (Drake). The team took fifth in the DuKane Conference, fourth at regionals, and 10th at sectionals. Senior Michael Wilson (800-meter state qualifier) will lead their pack. Sophomore Dominic Strada, junior Will Komerska, junior Dominic Schero, and sophomore John Rigali should round out the top five. Alex Asimor, Pierce Bittman, and Bob Livermore will contend for the final two spots.
St. Charles North: The North Stars took third in the DuKane Conference, second at regionals, and eighth at sectionals as junior Sam Hill placed 41st in Class 3A. Juniors Logan Hitchings and Christian Enger should be front of the pack runners. Seniors Lucas Reed and Matthew Russell will be keys along with sophomores Miles Dill and John Tanig. The team has set some aggressive targets for the championship season.
St. Edward: The Green Wave got some consistent performances from junior Jayen Jaitley with a 19th-place finish at the Chicagoland Christian Conference meet, a 34th at regionals, and a 61st-place run at the Class 1A Lisle sectional. Sophomores Thiao Gonzalez and Lucas Murillo gained valuable experience at the varsity level.
Streamwood: The Sabres will really miss the presence of graduated Alex Harrison, who earned an individual berth to the powerful Hoffman Estates sectional meet. Senior Adel Delic was Streamwood's No. 2 runner at the regional meet as the Sabres will be hoping to move up in the UEC standings this fall.
West Aurora: The Blackhawks' goal is to defend their UEC championship, and they have returning senior state qualifier Nathan Gehrman (65th in Class 3A) ready to lead their pack. Seniors K.J. Rogers and Yoshua Parades are going to have a great impact within the squad's top five runners this season. Juniors Nate McGinnis and Julian Flores are key runners to watch. Senior Kaiden Neuhaus will hope push the team to a sectional berth.