Scouting DuPage County boys cross country
Top area teams: Downers Grove North, Glenbard West, Hinsdale Central, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, Wheaton North, Wheaton Warrenville South, Willowbrook, York
Top returning athletes: Matt Rurka, jr., Marlon Torres, sr., Benet; Brian Llamos, sr., Matt Sarver, sr., Ben Silver, sr., Downers Grove North; Nick Kirk, jr., Jeff Lester, sr., Harry Miles, jr., Downers Grove South; Michael Harkins, sr., Rob Howe, sr., Fabiel Urcura, soph., Fenton; Mike Dexl, sr., Mike Fahey, jr., Nathan Peterson, sr., Glenbard East; Grant Gibson, Arsal Shareef, sr., Collin White, sr., Glenbard South; Ken Leaf, jr., Mike Lederhouse, jr., Will Lindstrom, soph., Brad Wyatt, sr., Glenbard West; Billy Fayette, sr., Ted Owens, jr., Pete Stubbings, sr., Hinsdale Central; Jack Arendt, sr., Donald DeSalvo, sr., Matthew DeSalvo, sr., Hinsdale South; Kevin Jorgensen, jr., Will Morrison, sr., Lake Park; Joe Stewart, jr., Matt Stewart, jr., Metea Valley; Matt Leakakos, jr., Montini; Forrest Thayer, jr., Luke Valentine, sr., Sam Welu, sr., Naperville Central; Nick Drendel, jr., Karsten Jurkiewicz, jr., Charlie McKeown, sr., Naperville North; Josh Antonson, sr., Matt Hill, sr., Andrew Tout, sr., Neuqua Valley; Matt Denny, jr., Joe Giamberdino, sr., Mike Kwiatowski, jr., St. Francis; Chris Biesboer, sr., Ryan DeGroot, jr., Justin Loerop, sr., Timothy Christian; Joe Brant, sr., David Grober, sr., Bornel Nicholson, sr., Waubonsie Valley; Marcus Delatorre, jr., Derrik Pietrobon, sr., Gunnar Sterne, sr., West Chicago; Gerry Budzisz, jr., Peter Heidlaus, sr., Anthony LaMantia, sr., Wheaton Academy; Jason Dowell, sr., Sam Hoffman, jr., Caleb Philbrick, sr., Wheaton North; Christian Adams, sr., Keenan Havey, sr., Kyle O'Malley, Wheaton Warrenville South; Pat Miyork, jr., Kevin Root, sr., Wes Umano, sr., Willowbrook; Jack Driggs, sr., Nick Gornick, sr., Don Hedman, sr., Tom Hedman., sr., York.
Scouting report: What graduation losses? Neuqua Valley won its second state championship in boys cross country in the last three years last fall in Peoria, and six of the seven starters are now at the next level. But Neuqua Valley coach Paul Vandersteen is hardly perplexed. "This may be the hardest-working team I have ever had," Vandersteen said of his current group that retains only Antonson among its incumbents. "They are relatively inexperienced in big-time races. I think we're going to be one of the best teams in the state because they work so hard. They have really put in the miles over the summer. We had another great summer."
The Wildcats were one of five area programs to make the state cut last fall. York, with an extraordinary 25 state championships in its history, was third. The Dukes figure to challenge yet again as the one and only Joe Newton has Driggs, third in Class 3A last fall, to lead his latest rendition of cohesive talent.
DuPage Valley Conference members Naperville North (seventh), Wheaton North (11th) and Wheaton Warrenville South (21st) round out the area programs that made it to the state finals in Peoria. Naperville North was also heavily affected by graduation, but coach Dave Racey expects his squad to be up to the task. The Huskies were third in the conference last year. "We're young but talented," Racey said. "The two Wheaton schools will be very good." Wheaton North coach Nate Roe has equally grand expectations for his team to make another trip to the state finals. "I told the boys that I think this squad will up to the same task as the team from last year," Roe said. "We can contend for a conference championship. I think we may have a more solid pack than we did it this point last year."
The theme of replacing senior-laden programs continues at WW South, where coach Greta Havey has her son, Keenan, to bear the heaviest responsibility. "Even though I had a heavy senior loss, (the team) looks pretty promising," Havey said. "I'm really pleased with how the boys are looking."
Naperville Central coach Dave Ashton is as optimistic as he has ever been. "We have a large group of talented underclassmen (led by sophomores Nick Peterson, Matt Stern and Kevin Burgoni)," Ashton said. "It is very ideal." But Ashton said the league is as balanced and deep as ever. "It's not a forgone conclusion, like it used to be, you are going to beat anyone in the DVC," Ashton said.
Jack Brady begins his fourth decade at the helm in Glenbard East. "I really think we're going to be a big-time frontrunner," Brady said.
West Chicago boasts one of the top returning athletes in senior Sterne.
Defending state champion Neuqua Valley is the team to beat in the Valley division of the Upstate Eight Conference, but Waubonsie Valley coach Kevin Rafferty has a stud in Grober. "He's just a monster," Rafferty said. "He works and works and works. I don't have to adjust for him too much."
Lake Park coach Lance Murphy said his program is rebuilding, and Metea Valley coach Chris Rohde envisions cautious optimism for his second-year program. "We're looking forward to next year when we have our first seniors," Rohde said.
In the West Suburban Gold, Willowbrook has its eyes on a conference title - and more behind the additional firepower of juniors Dan Heneghan, Mark Garbacz and Ryan Hoyle. "We want to get through the regional and the sectional," Willowbrook coach T.J. Artman said. "We're always competing for the championship in the Gold. We would like to bring the trophy back to our place."
Downers Grove South is the reigning conference champion, and the Mustangs will feature a young but potent squad this fall. "It will be surprising if we have more than one senior in our top seven," Downers South coach Brian Caldwell said. "It should be a good team battle this year in our conference." Hinsdale South will contend behind the DeSalvo brothers.
Kyle Nugent was a member of the 2001 Class AA state champion Glenbard South squad. He is under no illusions after taking over the program at Glenbard West. "We're in the toughest conference (West Suburban Silver) in the state," Nugent said. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. For the next couple of years we will be pretty good." "Glenbard West is going to surprise some people," Hinsdale Central coach Jim Westphal predicted.
York is clearly the favorite in the league, but Downers North has its fair share of combustible components. "We're looking for a healthy start," Downers North coach Will Kupisch said. "We haven't had that for a while." Kupisch has high expectations for Zach Schneeweis, Ben Ruffalo, Zach Smith, Cody Lee and Kevin Proffitt.
Hinsdale Central will reload behind two-time state qualifier Fayette. "We're in one very tough conference," Westphal said.
Benet has been the marquee program in the East Suburban Catholic for a decade. "We're fighting for our 11th conference championship in a row," Benet coach Kevin Renicker said. "It's not going to be easy (to repeat). I always think that the postseason is icing on the cake." There were not any state qualifiers in the two smaller divisions last year among the local Class 1A and 2A programs.
Longtime Glenbard South coach Andy Pruess has designs to make last year seem like an aberration. "We have a nice senior group," Pruess said. "You win with seniors. That's going to be our goal this year: to get downstate (as a team)." John Kurtz is one of the deans of the coaching profession; the Fenton mentor begins his 43rd campaign at the Besenville school this fall. "We are looking to get our streak restarted again," Kurtz said of qualifying for state as a team. "We have two state trophies (in program history). We would like to add one in the 2000s."
Timothy Christian seeks consistency in the new-look Metro Suburban Conference. "I think we're fairly solid, but we don't have any phenoms," Timothy coach Dick Zylstra said.
In the Suburban Christian Conference, defending Class 2A regional champion St. Francis is a top contender as usual. "We will have a nice pack (of runners) as far as expectations are concerned," St. Francis coach Scott Nelson said. Bill Bickhart is looking for off-season training to improve the lot at Wheaton Academy. "We have some kids who have really trained hard this summer," Bickhart said. Senior Danny Headly anchors the fortunes for Immaculate Conception this fall.
Key dates: Sept. 4, Hornet/Red Devil Invite, Sept. 4 St. Charles East Leavey Invite, Sept. 11, Peoria Invitational, Sept. 18 Peoria Notre Dame Invitational, Sept. 25, Palatine Invitational, Oct. 2 Wheaton North Classic, Oct. 9 West Aurora Stampede, Week of Oct. 11 conference championships.
Predicted state champions: Class 1A Sterling Newman Catholic, Class 2A Belvidere North, Class 3A York.