DyeStat Illinois - IL Conference Weekend Preview - October 16, 2015
Friday, October 16 2015 - UEC Cross Country Championships - David GalvanDyeStat Illinois - IL Conference Weekend Preview - October 16, 2015
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By Michael Newman
The march to Peoria and November’s IHSA State Cross Country Meet starts this weekend when bragging rights are decided in conference meets across the state. Almost every team will race this weekend giving us an idea of what to watch in the three following meets. Teams will not be able to rest or hide runners. It is time to put their cards on the table so to speak.
Here is a look at most of the conference meets that will take place throughout the state on Friday and Saturday. I apologize that I could not write about every meet that will take place in this time period.
Friday
DuPage Valley @ Lake Park East Campus
Girls – This meet got a little tougher especially with the three “Valley” schools moving into this conference beginning this season. 4 teams are ranked in the top 25 in the state led by #1 and defending 3A state champion Naperville North. The Huskies looked great on their home course in winning the Naperville Twilight meet last week led by the tremendous front running of Judy Pendergast. Do not pay any attention to their 100 second split on Pendergast especially with her so far in front. Their pack behind her was impressive last week with a 32 second split on the next four led by Sarah Schmitt. That split on the pack could get tighter in this meet. #6 Wheaton-Warrenville South ran a good race last week at Naperville even though they finished fifth. Remember all those schools are ranked ahead of them. This team in unheralded but good led by the front running of Sara Atkins and Allison McGrath. Their pack behind these two runners is good with only 19 seconds separating them. A 5 runner split under 60 seconds in this meet could make South Coach Rob Harvey happy.
#13 Metea Valley has come on strong the past two weeks and could be a surprise in this meet. Nicki Cast and Leana Goldman have been the team’s top runners this year. The split at Naperville on 5 last week was only 64 seconds. This team could challenge Wheaton-Warrenville South if either Cast or Goldman can get ahead of South’s Atkins. #15 Neuqua Valley could challenge Metea Valley for one of the top three spots. Caitlin Horn has come on as the team’s #1 runner. If the Wildcats can get Corinna Pena or Sofia Medina ahead of one of the Metea top two runners with their overall split around 55 seconds, then a top three finish could be theirs.
Naperville Central has been riddled with injuries. Alana Austin leads this team that could finish in the top four if Maggie McClowry and Carolyn Carpenter can get their pack within 30 seconds of Austin. Wheaton North could also challenge for a top five spot led by Bridget Berry and Rose Quinn. Could Judy Pendergast break Kaylee Flanagan’s course record of 16:27? The chances are good especially with Pendergast running 16:15 at Naperville last week.
Boys - #3 Neuqua Valley is the big favorite in this race. It would not surprise me if they score a perfect 15. That is how dominant this team is within this conference. Their #1 runner Connor Horn dropped out of the Naperville Twilight complaining about a pain in his leg. Coach Paul Vandersteen confirmed on Thursday that Horn will be out for the remainder of the season with a stress fracture. Their pack is one of the most dominant in the state as demonstrated by their 15 second split on five at Naperville.
It should be a good battle for the second team spot as it could come down to the two packs of #19 Naperville Central and Waubonsie Valley. The Redhawks looked good at Naperville last week finishing 4th as a team while running a 31 second split on 5 behind #1 runner Thomas Chavez. Waubonsie Valley ran a strong second at the West Aurora Stampede paced by a top five finish by Justin Caton. Their split in that meet was only 28 seconds. The second place will come down to the finish of Chavez and Caton and who can maintain their under 30 second split on five. Wheaton North was within 13 points at West Aurora last week and could also get in the mix for the second spot. Their 40 second split off of Matt Beckerman will need to come down if they want the second place challenge.
Neuqua Valley’s Jake McEneaney should be the favorite in this race. He finished second last week as the #1 runner for Neuqua in the Twilight meet. Thomas Chavez or Justin Caton could be the first non-Neuqua runners to finish.
Mid Illini @ Detweiller Park
Girls – 2A #2 Dunlap should be the big team favorite in this race. They came up big last week defeating 3A power Palatine to win the Metamora Invitational. Franny Verville and Miranda Krusiwyk give the Eagles a strong presence up front. Their split on 5 of 42 seconds also was their best of the season and will be troubling for the rest of the teams in this meet. #8 Washington should be the closest competition for Dunlap. They have a tight pack led by Kara Jacobs, Josie Hermann, and Kassidy Dexheimer. #16 Morton ran a great race at Peoria two weeks ago led by freshman Meagan Moreno. Their split from 2 to 5 was only 26 seconds in that race. If Morton could place their top three ahead of Washington’s top runner, then Morton could end up in second. #21 Metamora came on strong finishing fifth in their own meet last Saturday. The Redbirds will need a tight 2 to 5 pack as well in order to place in the top three. Pekin had a good race last week at Metamora. The 3A school could be a surprise in the top three in this meet. Verville and Krusiwyk should be the favorites in this race. I would not be surprised if Moreno or Kari Lalumandier (Metamora HS) are challenging for the win.
Boys - #9 Metamora is healthy and is coming on strong heading into the state series. Jake Gillum led his team last Saturday to a second place finish with his 2nd place finish individually. Their split on five last week was 87 seconds. That still will be enough to win this meet. Dunlap, Pekin, and Bartonville Limestone will be the teams that will be fighting for the next spot. Gillum will be the individual favorite in this race. He will have company up front with Matt Carr (Limestone HS, Bartonville) and Michael Church (East Peoria HS) challenging Gillum for the win.
Southwestern Conference @ Belleville West
Girls – Area powers O’Fallon and Edwardsville will again face off for the conference championship. O’Fallon will have be strong up front led by Brooke Witzel and Caitlyn Clinton. Maddie Miller and Colleen Corkery lead Edwardsville’s pack. The key in this meet is if O’Fallon can get their third and fourth runners ahead of Edwardsville’s pack. The Tigers could run as little as a 25 second split in this race. It could be only a difference of 5 points or less between these two schools.
Boys – This race is entirely up for grabs as traditional powers O’Fallon and Edwardsville are rebuilding this season. O’Fallon may have the slight edge led by Joey Black. Alex Harrison and freshmen Kyle Dismukes and Will VanAlstine lead a good pack behind Black. Edwardsville is very young with 3 freshmen and a sophomore among their top five. The Tigers ran a 40 second split on five at Peoria at the beginning of the month. They will need to have their #1 runner Frankie Romano among the top five runners in the race for a chance for his team to overtake O’Fallon. If will be close individually in this race with Black, Will O’Keefe (Granite City), and Brian Gichuru (Belleville West HS) challenging for the win.
Western Big Six @ Credit Island Park
Girls – Rock Island Alleman could be the slight favorite in this race ahead of cross town rival Rock Island and Galesburg. Addie Pulley will be the front runner for Alleman. Their 5 runner split of around 100 seconds needs to come down by 20 seconds in order to capture the conference championship. Galesburg will have good runners up front led by Kaitlyn Pendergast and Anastasia Beetler. Their 5 runner split of close to 3 minutes could prevent them from winning the team championship. 3A Rock Island has race favorite Agok Ayuen leading them. The Rocks 5 runner split of near 150 seconds could be enough to get them the second spot in this meet.
Boys – 2A #15 Rock Island Alleman will be challenged by 3A East Moline United for the team championship. Alleman will have Aaron Golding and Augie Darrow up front in the race to lead them. A split of under 70 seconds could clinch the win for them. Race favorite Kyle Riege will lead United Township. Dalton Martin leads the pack that must have at least four runners ahead of Alleman’s third in order to win the team championship.
Saturday
Big 12 @ Detweiller Park
Girls –2A #13 Notre Dame’s Maryjeanne Gilbert will be the individual favorite and makes their team the favorite in the team race.
Grace Breitbach leads a strong pack for the Irish behind Gilbert. Danville and Normal Community could be the top teams challenging for the next team spots. Gilbert is almost 2 minutes faster than the rest of the runners in the conference. Her teammate Breitbach, Rachel Zimmerman (Normal Community HS), Libby Cultra (Urbana HS), and Mercedes Elliott (Danville HS) will be among the runners battling for second.
Boys – 2A #11 Peoria Notre Dame could get a challenge from #17 Danville for the team championship. The Irish have a 65 second average on their top five led by Victor Fortin and Patrick Bruch. Danville will challenge them up front with their #1 runner Carl Way. Their split of 68 seconds is similar to Notre Dame but they will need to move their 2-5 pack of 28 seconds closer to Way. Normal Community West could also play a big part in the team title if they are 100% healthy for this race. Fortin and Bruch along with Way will challenge for the individual win.
Big Northern @ Burlington Central
Girls – An improved Dixon squad along with 1A #20 Rockford Christian, Richmond-Burton, and Winnebago will be the teams to watch in this race. Megan Safranski (Burlington Central HS) will be challenged by Madison Franssen (Rockford Christian HS), Kira Goral (Dixon HS), and Breanne Rutherford (Richmond-Burton HS) for the individual title.
Boys – 2A #13 Rockford Christian will be the team to beat in this meet. #21 Dixon will be their chief challenger. 1A ranked #11 Johnsburg and #16 Rock Falls will also be in the meet. Nick Monkemeyer leads Rockford Christian as their #1 runner and should be the favorite in this race. Brayden Hamblen, who finished 2nd at Amboy on Monday, along with other Rock Falls front man Seth Williams will challenge Monkemeyer. Matt Stelmasek (Johnsburg HS) and Skyler Yunk (North Boone HS, Poplar Grove) will be among the runners in the front pack in this race.
Central State Eight @ Lincoln Park, Springfield
Girls – 2A #3 Rochester will be challenged by two other ranked teams for the conference championship. Freshman Katherine Petty leads a strong Rocket team that could have a five runner split under 75 seconds in this meet. #9 Chatham-Glenwood has a freshman frontrunner also in Savannah Duncan. Glenwood has a 2-5 split of 29 seconds that could challenge Rochester. Their pack will need to be within 20 seconds of Duncan to have a chance to win the meet. #20 Springfield has a strong trio leading them with Natalie Motor, Ally Goff, and Sophia Gullo all capable of placing in the top five. Their split of close to 3 minutes could make it tough for the Senators to win the team title. Petty will be the favorite in this race. Motor and Goff will be her chief competition.
Boys - #8 Chatham-Glenwood and #10 Springfield should be within six points of each other in what should be a very close team race. Glenwood will need to have Landon Skelly and Chris Durr in the top five in this race. A split of under 50 seconds will also improve their team title hopes. Springfield has the front runner with Heath Warren leading them. Their pack, led by Logan Besalke, is the key to their success. The 4 runners behind Warren could be within 25 seconds of each other. If they can be within 5 seconds of Glenwood’s Durr, then the Senators could claim the top prize. The individual race should also be a good one with Warren, Skelly, Sacred Heart-Griffin’s Nate Fierstos, and Josh Cable (Rochester HS) challenging for the win.
Central Suburban League @ Glenbrook South
Girls – This race will come down to who has the best pack. #11 New Trier and #17 Maine South will be the top teams in this field. New Trier does not have the super tight pack like they have in recent years. It still is good. Maine South jumped on the scene running 15 second five runner splits on their top five at Lake Park and then at Peoria in September. New Trier has the two top runners in the conference in Oona Jung-Beeman and Caroline Fix. The Trevians could have a split under 30 seconds on their top five which could make things problematic for the Hawks. Maine South could have any of their top five as their #1. Maddie Dingle and Olivia Nizolek need to be ahead of New Trier’s 3 and 4 runners in order to win. Glenbrook South is a young team that will have an advantage of running on their home course. They should be the next squad battling for the third spot ahead of Evanston and Niles West.
Boys - #7 New Trier and #13 Maine South have the top talent in this conference and will battle for the team championship. The Trevians found a #1 runner in Josh Derrick early this at Peoria. Jack Litowitz and Warren Blood should be within 10 seconds of Derrick in this race. If they can keep their split under 45 seconds, New Trier could be the conference champs. Maine South was without #1 runner Reese Jordan last week at Wheeling as they finished sixth in the meet. Jordan and Brian Sodaro should be in the front in this race. This will come down to a dual meet between the two squads with the first fifth man in the deciding factor. Maine South could also run a 45 second split or under in this meet. Highland Park looked strong in placing second last week behind the second place finish of Brett Davidson. Their 2 to 5 split will be tight but will need to be within 40 seconds of Davidson to have a chance for a top three finish. Glenbrook South is also sneaky good and could surprise in this race. Junior Alec Sanchez leads the Titans who ran a 16 second split on five two weeks ago at Peoria. Running on their home course will also be a big plus.
The individual race should also be a tight one with Davidson, Derrick, and Martin Barr (Niles North HS, Skokie) leading the way. Cross country newcomer Torrain Haughton (Maine East HS, Park Ridge) along with Maine South’s Jordan and Sodaro will also be with the front group.
Chicago Catholic League @ Lewis University
We could see a different team up top as several schools have entered the conference from the defunct SCC. #18 Marmion Academy will be challenged by 2A #14 Fenwick, St. Ignatius, and Loyola Academy for the team title. The Cadets have a strong three in Michael Ronzone, Charlie Zimmer, and Andrew Burroughs. Their 5 man split of 45 seconds or better could be good enough to win this race. Fenwick relies on good pack running led by Alex Marks. Jack Darrow and Emmet McEnery should be within 15 seconds of their teammate. Their split does need to be near 50 seconds in order to be in contention for the team title. Loyola has one of the individual favorites in the race Paolo Tiongson leading them. The Ramblers will need a split under 60 seconds in order to contend for a top three spot. St. Ignatius also has a good top runner in Dan Santino. Their split was close to 105 seconds at Palatine. They need to be within 45 seconds of Santino with a 30 second 2 to 5 split to have a chance at the top three. Tiongson and Santino should be the big guns up front in the Varsity individual race.
Chicago Public League @ Washington Park, Chicago
Girls – It should be a good three team battle with Northside Prep having the slight edge ahead of Lane Tech and Whitney Young. Sara McCoy will be one of the top five runners in this meet. They could defend their city championship if they can get a 5 runner split under 55 seconds. Lane Tech has individual race favorite Maggie Schoelle leading them. Their split on five needs to be at least 90 seconds or better in order to challenge for the win. Freshman Ella Behrens leads Whitney Young’s team. The team also has a 90 second split off of Behrens but their split on 2 to 5 could be ultra-tight 10 seconds or under. If the pack is under 70 seconds behind Behrens, this team could win.
Boys - #10 Whitney Young should be the favorite for the city championship. Clayton Mendez leads the Dolphins and will battle for the individual title. The split on five is projected to be near 45 seconds which should be enough for this team to win. They could score 35 points or under. Jones College Prep could be their chief competition. Nikolas Merten, Jeremy Adams, and Nico Moreno will lead this team and could also finish in the top ten individually. Their split should be under 40 seconds on their top 5. If they can start their pack with their #1 runner ahead of Whitney Young’s #3, they could be the surprise in this meet. 2A #23 Lindblom Academy has one of the race favorites Walmer Saavedra leading them. They could be in the top three in this meet. Northside Prep and Mather will also be among the teams challenging for the top five. Saavedra and Danny Rosen (Northside Prep) will challenge for the individual win. Jaime Marcos (Von Steuben Prep), Robel Yemane (Mather HS), and Clayton Mendez will challenge for top five spots.
Corn Belt @ Lake Eureka, Eureka
Girls – 2A #14 Mahomet-Seymour and #15 Normal University are the teams to watch in this race. The Bulldogs have race favorite Lauren Whitehouse leading them with Brisa McGrath and Jenna Straub leading their pack. U-High will need to have a tight pack led by Advika Kamatar and Shannan Supan in order to win the team title. Whitehouse will be the favorite in the individual race but could be challenge by Shelby Siltman (Olympia HS, Stanford).
Boys – 2A top ranked Mahomet Seymour should be the big favorite in the team race. It will be interesting to see how a young #5 Normal Unity stacks up against the Bulldogs. Mahomet is getting stronger as the year winds down. Their split on five last week was down to 40 seconds last week at Metamora and only 18 seconds between #1 Alex Keeble and #2 Andrew Walmer. U-High is young squad led by junior Jack Franklin. Three sophomores and a freshman are behind him. Franklin could challenge for a top three finish in the individual race. Their 2-5 split of under 30 seconds will be enough for a solid second place finish. 1A ranked #12 Eureka and #20 Bloomington Central Catholic also will compete for the third spot in this race. Alex Keeble will be the favorite in this race. Andrew Walmer and Jack Franklin should challenge for the next spots.
East Suburban Catholic Conf @ Midlothian Meadows
Girls – 2A #10 Carmel Catholic and #19 Marist will challenge 3A Benet Academy for the team championship. Clare McCabe leads a strong Benet squad. Mae Tully leads the pack behind McCabe which could have a 30 second split this weekend. Carmel Catholic started the season in anonymity not being mentioned in pre-season rankings. The freshman / sophomore dominated squad could come away with the win if they can keep their split under 50 seconds behind their #1 runner Zella Stockhausen. Marist has Mary Clare Leonard as their top runner. Their split of 90 seconds on five needs to come down in order to win this meet. Benet’s Clare McCabe could be challenged by Leonard in the individual race.
Boys – Benet Academy is the big favorite in the team competition with Marist and Saint Viator battling for the next spots. Benet’s Kelly Crombie and William Engels should challenge for the individual win.
Fox Valley Conference @ Veteran Acres Park, Crystal Lake
Girls – The team title is up for grabs with 2A #6 Crystal Lake Central the slight favorite on their home course. The Tigers rely on a tight 5 runner and will need it in this meet led by Avani Flanagan. They could win the conference title if they can place two runners in the top ten with a 52 second 5 runner split. Huntley looked good at Peoria two weeks ago led by Mary Raclawski. Their split of 58 seconds in that race was good. A split under 50 seconds could lead them to a win. 2A #23 Grayslake Central will be in the hunt for a top five team finish led by Megan Girmscheid. 2A #24 Hampshire could be a surprise in this meet led by Sophia Oury.
The individual race should be a good one. Kate Jacobs (Woodstock HS) is the slight favorite with Caitlin Bruzzini (Crystal Lake South HS) and Avani Flanagan being close in the race. Chloe Walsh (Jacobs HS, Algonquin), Mary Raclawski and Kate Mitchell (Huntley HS), and Megan Girmscied should also be fighting for top five places.
Boys – The team title in this race should come down to 2A #2 Grayslake Central and 3A #15 Huntley on Saturday. Grayslake Central has Jack Aho, the individual race favorite, leading them. His brother Matt will lead their pack. If their split on five can stay under 65 seconds with their 2 to 5 pack at under 30 seconds, the Rams could win the team championship. Huntley has a powerful top three led by Keagan Smith. Along with Seth Conroy and Mike Grocholski, the trio could end up in the top six. Their problem in this meet could be their 5 man split. It has been close to 90 seconds all season. It needs to come down to near 70 seconds for this team to win. 2A #12 Crystal Lake Central has a good 1-2 punch in Cole Barkocy and Weston Sterchi who should be in the top ten in this race. 2A #20 Prairie Ridge will get low points from Filip Pajak in this meet. Their split on Pajak this year has been close to 120 seconds. That will need to come down in order to finish in the top five. McHenry’s school district was on strike for the past week. They have not raced in an invitational meet since Palatine. Michael Hahndorf will lead the team. They will need to keep their split under 65 seconds in order for a top five team spot.
The individual race should be a good one. Keagan Smith and Jack Aho should challenge for the win on the hills of Veteran Acres Park. Filip Pajak, who finished 3rd at Palatine and St. Charles, should be the duo’s top competition. Seth Conroy, Michael Hahndorf, Jon Prus (Crystal Lake South HS), and Alex Ratkovich (Cary-Grove HS) will be among the runners in the lead pack.
GCAC @ Lewis University
Loyola Academy, Fenwick, 2A #11 Montini Catholic, and 2A #12 Rosary should be the teams to watch in this meet. Loyola Academy is completely healthy after top two runners Kathryn House and Lainey McKinley missed the first part of the season due to injuries. The Ramblers will need a split under 65 seconds in order to take home the conference championship. Montini could have three runners in the front seven led by Emma Makowski. Their split needs to stay under 95 seconds in order to win. Fenwick will rely on Margaret O’Brien and Laura Durkin to give their team low numbers. Rosary will have presence up front led by Madison Ronzone. Small numbers from their first three runners could be the difference in this meet. Kyleigh Spearing (St. Ignatius Prep, Chicago) should be the favorite in the individual race challenged by Madison Ronzone and Kathryn House.
Metro Suburban – East @ Catherine Chevalier FP
The team battle in the Girls race is up for grabs with Illiana Christian and Elmwood Park the front runners. Elmwood Park’s Jayleen Pagan should be the favorite in the individual race. Illiana Christian boys’ team has been under cover most of this season but ran a good race last week at Normal. The Vikings should be the big favorite in this race. Elmwood Park should be the closest team to them. Illiana’s Colin DeYoung and Nick Wondaal are the favorites in the individual race.
Metro Suburban – West @ Kress Creek Farm, West Chicago
Girls – The team title should come down to host Wheaton Academy and Aurora Central Catholic. The Chargers have Abby Fioresi and Karina Liz up front to lead them. They will need to keep their 3 to 5 split close together in order to win. Wheaton Academy has Gretchen Pearson to lead them. If they can keep their 5 runner split down like they like to do, the Warriors could walk away with the team championship.
Boys – 2A #22 Wheaton Academy should be the team favorite n their home course. Jonah Jones and Jacob Robleski will give their team low numbers up front. They will also be two of the individual favorites in this race. Riverside Brookfield and Glenbard South should be the chief challengers in the team race. Mateo Nunez (Riverside-Brookfield HS) and Jose Vasquez-Perez (Fenton HS, Bensenville) will challenge for the individual championship with Robleski and Jones.
Mid Suburban League @ Heritage Park, Wheeling
Girls – Both the individual and team races should be fascinating. Let’s start with the individuals. Jocelyn Long (Barrington HS) looked good last week at Wheeling winning the Varsity race. She also has a 16:49 that she ran at Peoria in September to her resume. Brooke Wilson (Prospect HS) has come on strong this season and looks to be peaking just at the right time. Her 16:51 win at Peoria two weeks ago shows she could challenge Long for the win. Kelly O’Brien (Palatine HS) will be up front in this race. She has run 17:14 this season at Detweiller and is coming off of a second place finish at Metamora last week behind Maryjeanne Gilbert. O’Brien saves her best races until the end of the year. It would not surprise me if she wins this one. Emily Stegmeier (Elk Grove HS), Lauren Conroy (Barrington HS), Maddie Marasco (Schaumburg HS), and Meagan Biddle (Hoffman Estates) should be leading the next pack behind the front trio.
Four ranked teams are in this field in what should be an extremely close race. #7 Barrington leads the way behind the strength of Long, Conroy, and Sophie Hoeltgren up front. The split last week at Wheeling on their top 5 was 117 seconds. The split on the #2 through 5 runners is 72 seconds. Their top 3 could finish in the top 9 in this race. If that happens and their split is under 95 seconds, the Fillies could end up on top. #9 Prospect is the team to keep a close eye on especially when they moved three freshman to their varsity at the Peoria Invitational two weeks ago. They dominated the meet with Wilson up front and their pack led by freshman Marissa Valentini only 49 seconds behind. Their 2 to 5 pack was only 40 seconds. If they can narrow that split in this meet, the conference title could be theirs.
Don’t write off #10 Palatine. The Lady Pirates have a strong group behind Kelly O’Brien that ran a 49 second front four split last week at Metamora. The key will be getting their gap down on their top five split which was 89 seconds last week. It would not surprise me if their 2 to 4 runners led by Sam Lechowicz finish in the top 13. That could be the difference for them in challenging for the championship. #21 Schaumburg has been up and down this season so far and will need to have an up race if they want to challenge for the top three. Maddie Marasco will be up front followed by Lauren Kubinski and Ellie O’Connell. The split on those three was 40 seconds last week at Sterling. The 1-5 split of 109 seconds is troubling. If that gap falls to under 90 seconds, watch out for this team.
Hoffman Estates could challenge for the top four if Meagan Biddle finishes in the top ten with their split on 5 under 62 seconds. Conant and Fremd could also be teams that could push for a top five finish.
Boys – Buffalo Grove’s Steven Salvano has gone undefeated this season with a season’s best of 14:22 at Detweiller Park in September. He will be the big favorite in this race. It is a toss-up for who will finish second behind him. Keep an eye on Danny Peterson (Fremd HS, Palatine, Tom Cleary (Buffalo Grove HS), Justin Loquercio (Wheeling HS), and Bryan Gamboa (Hoffman Estates HS) in the front pack challenging for the next spot.
The team race will come down to the front running of Buffalo Grove against the packs of Hoffman Estates and Prospect. #12 Buffalo Grove has the slight edge in this race especially with only 84 runners competing. They will get the low points up front with Salvano, Cleary, and Mitchell Guittar all possibly in the top ten. Their average split for their top five is near 75 seconds. The split for the Bison on four has been 65 seconds with another 12 seconds to their fifth. #11 Hoffman Estates will need to have a tight pack in this race. Gamboa and Shiv Patel have good chances of placing individually in the top seven. Their top 5 will need to have a split under 30 seconds with their top three ahead of Buffalo Grove’s #3 to have a chance to win. #16 Prospect has come on strong with great pack runs at Palatine and then at Peoria two weeks ago. Matt Cozine should be the #1 runner for the Knights. Their 5 man split at Palatine was 33 seconds. It was down to 19 seconds at Peoria. If Cozine can finish in the top 8 with a tight split, Prospect wins this meet.
#24 Fremd has been the mystery team not running their full squad at a big invitational since Bartlett three weeks ago. Danny Peterson will be up front. Their 74 second split on 5 needs to go under 60 seconds for this meet. The Vikings usually run 30 seconds on their pack behind Peterson. Fremd will need to have a runner in the top 11 if they want to contend for a top three spot. Hersey is another team that has a tight 5 man split that could be dangerous in this meet. Sophomore Jack Fredian leads a team that could have a 15 second split in this meet. If their pack starts at 13th or better, the Huskies could find their way into the top three. Palatine could be among the top five teams in this race if Zach Michael is in the top 15 with a split of 30 seconds or under on their top 5. Wheeling could also be a surprise if Justin Loquercio places in the first three. They will also need to keep their split under 60 seconds in order to be ahead of Palatine or Hersey.
NIB-12 Conference @ Afton Park, DeKalb
Girls – Regardless of who 2A #1 Yorkville puts on the line in this meet, the Lady Foxes should be the big favorites in this race. Coach Chris Muth said after the West Aurora Stampede last Saturday that we would not see their regular lineup the next two weeks. They have the top seven runners in this conference led by Nicole Greyer and Alexis Grandys. It is hard to see this team losing in this meet. Kaneland and Sterling would be the teams that I would keep an eye on for the next spots in the team competition. Brianna Bower (Kaneland HS, Maple Park) and Margaret McPherson (Sterling HS) would be the non-Yorkville runners to watch in this meet.
Boys – They won’t have the front runners in this race, but 2A #3 Yorkville will have a tight pack that will lead them to another conference championship. The Foxes could have as little as a 20 second split on their top five led by Senior Trevor Wills. None of the other teams in this meet can match that. 2A #16 Kaneland, #19 LaSalle-Peru, #24 Sycamore, and Sterling should battle for the next spots. Kaneland will get low points up front from Austin Kintz and Matthew Richtman. Sycamore’s Stephen Poorten has stepped up to have a good sophomore season to lead his team. Sterling has a good duo with Jake Gebhardt and Jon Landis. They will need to lower their 5 runner split in order to place in the top 3. LaSalle-Peru has flown under the radar most of this season but have the pieces to challenge for the second spot.
NIC-10 Conference @ Rockford University
Girls – 2A #5 Belvidere North has the numbers to be the favorite in this race led by top runners Jenna Lutzow and Sabrina Elder. It is their pack behind these two that will make the difference in this meet. #22 Rockford Boylan has that fire power up front led by Delaney Appino and Grace McLaughlin but the split is too big from their top two and the pack to challenge Belvidere North. Hononegah has been tough with the addition of freshmen Alicia Repka and Taylor Frommer. They could be in the hunt for the second spot. Freeport also has a young team that could challenge for the top three. The individual race should be a good one with Jenna Lutzow challenged by Rockford Boylan’s Grace McLaughlin and Delaney Appino for the individual championship.
Boys – 2A #7 Belvidere North is the big favorite in this race. It would not surprise me if they place 3 in the top 5 led by individual race favorite Eryk Yunk. Hononegah should be the biggest team competition for the Blue Thunder.
North Suburban Conference @ Lakewood Forest Preserve
Girls – One of the toughest and underrated conferences in the state starts with a good field in this race. Four ranked teams are in this race led by 3A #8 Lake Forest. The Scouts have a strong 4 runner pack up front led by Emma Milburn. Their split on the group fluctuates from 30 to 40 seconds. Their split on five needs to be under 90 seconds for this team to win the team title. 2A #4 Vernon Hills jumped to the head of 2A behind their tough running up front by Vivian Overbeck and Lauren Katz. The Cougars will need to keep their split from 2 to 3 near 35 seconds with their 3 runner pack split at 20 seconds for this team to claim the conference crown. 3A #24 Grant has slipped in and out of the top 25 all year and could be hitting their stride at the right time. Madison Romig, Danielle Osmon, and Rachael Temple give this team a good front three. The split between 3 to 4 needs to be under 40 seconds for this team to contend for a top three finish.
Lake Zurich has been running great the last couple of weeks on the verge of jumping back into the top 25. Caitlin Shepard has proved she is one of the premiere runners in her sectional area and should challenge for the win in this race. The Bears need to have a tight pack on their 2 to 5 runners especially with their split from Shepard to #2 runner Kristie Houghton near 100 seconds. Stevenson has one of the race favorites in Isabelle Sparreo leading the way. Stevenson will need to have a 60 second split on their 2 to 5 in order to finish high in the team standings. 2A #18 Lakes has Kortney Schardt up front to lead them. It could be tough for this team to crack into the top five. Libertyville has been led by Melissa Manetsch all year. This team could be in the top five if they can keep their five runner split under 90 seconds.
The individual race should be a classic one with some of the top runners in 2A and 3A in this field. Isabelle Sparreo showed she is one of the elite runners in the state by winning at Palatine. She will get pressure from Vivian Overbeck and Caitlin Shepard in this race. Both have run under 17:20 for 3 miles this season. Emma Milburn, Kortney Schardt, and Melissa Manetsch should be in the next pack close behind the front three.
Boys – Good team and individual competition in this race. 3A #8 Lake Zurich has dropped their five man split from over 2 minutes at Palatine to 97 seconds last week at Wheeling. They will get the low numbers from Matt Pereira and Brian & Kyle Griffith. The split needs to be a little lower for this team to be tough to beat. #17 Stevenson is a sneaky good team that could surprise Lake Zurich in this meet. Jared Borowsky will challenge Pereira for the individual crown. The key will be keeping their 5 man split from 55 to 60 seconds. If they can do that, we could see a surprise in the outcome of the team standings. 2A #6 Vernon Hills is another team that will challenge for the top spot. Shane Williamson will contend for the individual crown. The gap between him and Tim Krashevsky has been typically near 45 seconds this season. If they can keep their 2 to 5 split near 40 seconds, this squad could secure a top three spot.
Warren Township could be a surprise in the team race especially with Dustin Macuiba up front. Their pack is nearly a minute behind them but could have a 25 second split on the next four. That could put them in the top three. Mundelein could be the other surprise team in this race. The addition of freshmen Michael Parduhn and Dario Carillo at Peoria two weeks ago has made this team tough. Uly Hagedorn leads a team that could run a 35 second split in this meet. That could be enough to place in the top four teams.
The individual race should be tight with Matt Pereira challenged by Dustin Macuiba, Jared Borowsky, and Shane Williamson. Lake Zurich duo of Kyle & Brian Griffith could also sneak in for one of the three top spots.
Southwest Prairie Conference @ Hammel Woods, Shorewood
Girls - #2 Minooka should be the team favorite in this race. They have a tough top three with Ashley Tutt, Emily Shelton, and Mackenzie Callahan that no other team in this conference can touch. What was encouraging last week at Sterling was their top four split (without Callahan) was 80 seconds. The Indians were near 2 minutes on their top five at the beginning of the year. The thing to watch in this race between #12 Oswego and #19 Plainfield North for the next spot. Oswego, led by Isabelle Christansen and Grace Pagone, ran a tight 5 runner split of only 29 seconds when they placed third at the Richard Spring Invitational. Two weeks later back at Peoria, the Panthers ran a 62 second split on 5 in finishing third behind Prospect and Downers South. Watch for a tighter pack from this team in this meet. Plainfield North will be running with their full line-up for the first time this season. Rachael Lau and Juliana Stogsdill give their team a strong presence up front. The key for this team is getting their 5 runner split. They will finish ahead of Oswego if #3 runner Megan Patton can be ahead of Oswego’s #3 runner in this meet. Plainfield South could also challenge for the top three but will need to have Lexi Grigg in the top ten and their five runner split under 60 seconds. The individual race should be fun to watch with Minooka’s trio of Tutt, Shelton, and Callahan challenging Plainfield North’s Rachael Lau for title.
Boys – Even without their #1 runner Soren Knudsen, #25 Minooka could still be the team favorite in this race. Knudsen has been sidelined since the Minooka Invitational with a leg injury. The Indians will need Miguel Lomeli in the top three and to keep their pack behind him close together. It potentially could be within ten seconds of each other. If they score 50 points or under, they should win this meet. #21 Plainfield South should be the closest team to Minooka. John Partee needs to be in the top 5 in this race and have their pack within 10 seconds of him. A split on their top 5 of over 30 seconds could be trouble for the Cougars in this meet. Bennett Peterson of Oswego will be one of the favorites in the individual race. Oswego could be ahead of Plainfield South, but will need to have a five runner split of under 45 seconds to be in the second spot. Oswego East ran strong last week at West Aurora led by Trevor Nold. Their split has been near or over 60 seconds most of this year. A split under that could be good news for this team. If Knudsen runs, he should be the favorite in this race. Otherwise, it could be a battle between Bennett Peterson and Trevor Nold for the title.
Southwest Suburban – Blue @ Dellwood Park, Lockport
Girls – #18 Lockport should be the big favorite in this race behind a solid pack led by Morgan Bollinger and Aubrey Friedrich. There are no other ranked teams in this division to challenge the Porters especially on their home course. Lincoln-Way East and Joliet West should challenge for the next spots. Bollinger should challenge Joliet West’s Maddie Blaauw for the individual championship.
Boys – National #1 Sandburg should have no problem in winning this meet. Just like Neuqua Valley in the DuPage Valley, it would not surprise me if they score a perfect 15 on Saturday. The Eagles have the nine fastest three mile times in this division led by Sean Torpy. Joliet Central, Joliet West, and Lincoln-Way East will challenge for the next spot. If this race becomes tactical, watch for Joliet West’s Mario Scarcelli or Joliet Central’s Raul Rosendo to sneak into the top seven individually.
Southwest Suburban – Red @ Turtlehead FP
Girls - #23 Lincoln-Way Central should be the big favorite in this race. They have the top two runners in this division with Jenna Diers and Madison Smith who should be the favorites in this race. Lincoln-Way West could be the top team to challenge Central in this meet.
Boys – In the their final year before the school closes down next June, #23 Lincoln-Way North looks to go out in style by winning this divisional championship. Injuries have slowed the team down but the Phoenix look to be back at full strength. Demetri Panici and Noah Healy have stepped up to be the team’s top two runners. Their 5 man split in this meet could be as big as 40 seconds to win. 2A #18 Lincoln-Way West has the fire power up front with Evan Mitchell, but their depth cannot match that of North. Mitchell, Panici, and Healy should be the three front runners in this race. Also watch for the Bradley-Bourbonais duo of Colin Pickering and Lenny Baumann to also challenge for a top five spot.
Upstate Eight Conference @ Sunrise Park, Bartlett
Girls – This meet usually is tight in the Girls race. With all of the “Valley” schools now moved to the DuPage Valley Conference, Batavia becomes the big favorite in this race with #20 Geneva challenging. Batavia looked strong last week in finishing second to Yorkville at West Aurora. The Bulldogs had a 58 second split off of #1 runner Emma Stephens in that race. They should have a good trio up front with Stephens, Dakota Roman, and Marygrace Golden challenging for a top five finish. Watch for the split to come down in this meet. Geneva has a good 1-2 punch up front with McKenzie Altmayer and freshman Sophia McDonnell. The Vikings have been running over a 2 minute split on 5 most of this year. That split will need to come down in order for them to challenge for the win. St. Charles East has been riddled with injuries early in the season but appear to be peaking at the right time. Anastasia Honea has stepped up as the #1 runner for the Lady Saints. The team had an 83 second split on 5 last week at West Aurora and could surprise in the second spot if their split goes under 70 seconds in this race. St. Charles North will have Audrey Ernst up front in this race. The North Stars will need to have Madison Kaufmann and Cassidy Joyce in the top fifteen in the race if they want to place in the top three teams. Glenbard East could be a surprise in this race if they keep their pack tight. Lexi Weltin and Maeve Brasil could be in the top 12 in this race. If the split stays under 60 seconds, the Rams might challenge for the top three.
The individual race will come down to Audrey Ernst, McKenzie Altmayer, and Emma Stephens. Ernst likes to push the pace early. It could be the difference on this Sunrise Park course that has a good hill before the first and second mile. It will be interesting to see if Altmayer and Stephens go up front at the beginning or wait to chase down Ernst in the final mile.
Boys - #9 St. Charles East should be the team favorite in this meet. Their pack, which could go as deep as seven runners in this meet, is lethal with a 20 to 25 second split on five their average this season. Mike Gerkin and Mark Sciurba are the front runners on this team. #21 Geneva is building towards a possible state berth this year with Tyler Dau leading them. They have been running a 5 man split near 40 to 45 seconds most of the year with a tight 2-5 pack behind Lau led by Brian Caskey. The Vikings need to get 2 to 3 runners within the pack with Lau up front to have a chance to win in this meet. Batavia, led by Shea Bastian, and East Aurora, led by David Galvan, could be challengers for the next two spots. St. Charles North and Bartlett are improving and could challenge for one of the top 5 spots.
West Aurora’s Connor McCue dominated on his home course last weekend at the West Aurora Stampede and should be the big favorite in this race. Tyler Dau should be McCue’s chief challenger. St. Charles East’s Mike Gerkin & Mark Sciurba along with Batavia’s Shea Bastian could challenge for a top five finish.
West Suburban Gold @ O’Brien Park, Downers Grove
Girls - #14 Downers Grove South is the clear favorite in this race. It would not surprise me if they score a perfect 15 especially running on their home course at O’Brien Park. South’s Katie Stapleton, Michaela Hackbarth, and Becky Versaskas should be the favorites individually.
Boys – This should be a great team battle between 2A #4 Hinsdale South and 3A #22 Downers Grove South. Hinsdale South has the two great front runners in Roman Drabchuk and Charlie Nodus leading them. Their split on five at Peoria in September was 98 seconds but only a 34 second 3 to 5 split off of third runner Brett Haffner. Watch for that gap to go lower on five in this meet. Downers South is improving led by Jack Lalonde and Stephen Pipilas. The team had a 32 second 2 to 5 split at Lockport two weeks ago with their overall 5 man split at 72 seconds. The key for the Mustangs is having four runners in before Hinsdale’s third. If they can do that, they should win the team championship. Morton will play a big part in the team race as well led by Eduardo Martinez. They could be a surprise if they keep their split under 60 seconds for their top 5 with Martinez in the top five individually. Hinsdale South’s Drabchuk and Nodus should be the big favorites in the individual race.
West Suburban Silver @ Camera Park, Glendale Heights
Girls - #3 Glenbard West leads a tough field where five of the seven schools are ranked. The Hilltoppers are coming off of a fourth place finish a week ago at the Naperville Twilight Invitational. Watch for this team to work on tightening up their 2 to 5 split. Lindsey Payne will be up front to lead the team. Kathryn Kenwood and Grace Rogers will be the front runners of their pack. #5 Lyons Township has been the surprise team in the state this season and should be Glenbard West’s chief competition in this meet. The Lions have received a jump start from freshmen Sarah Barcelona and Emily Henkel who complement seniors Hannah Dutler and Vanessa Flaherty up front. Their split on five was over 50 seconds at Palatine three weeks ago. They will need a 35 second split on five with at least two runners in front of Glenbard’s pack in order for a chance to win.
#16 Hinsdale Central will be powered by Reilly Revord and Grace McCabe with their presence up front. Their split was over 2 minutes last wek at Naperville Twilight. That will need to come down if the Red Devilettes want to challenge for a top spot. #22 York could be a surprise challenging for a spot anywhere from second to fifth. Elizabeth Hagstrom will challenge in the top five in the race. Freshman Sarah May is a strong #2 runner and could be in the top ten in this race. #25 Downers Grove North has been coming on strong over the past month. Emma Moravec and Grace Maletich lead the Trojans. Oak Park-River Forest is not ranked but could be in front of any of these ranked teams. Juniors Mahal Schroeder and Hallie Ross have been the top runners on this team and will lead the Huskies in this meet.
The individual race will be all about Lindsey Payne. The sophomore has been dominant this season with her only loss to Judy Pendergast last week at Naperville North. Every race that Payne has run this season has been under 17 minutes. That should happen in this race especially since the Camera Park course is 2.88 miles.
Boys – The toughest Boys conference in the state and one of the toughest in the nation, four of these schools are ranked in 3A heading into this meet. All four of these schools could be and should be ranked in the top 50 nationally. #2 Lyons Township is the highest ranked state team in this conference and should be the favorite in this meet. They have the strong #1 runner in Vince Zona with senior Connor Madell and emerging sophomore Danny Kilrea close behind. Their split on five this year has averaged between 38 to 45 seconds in their big meets this year. It will needto be closer especially in this meet. #4 York has been coming on strong having won the Palatine Invitational three weeks ago and then getting nipped by Lyons 24-31 in a dual last week. Charlie Kern will be among the front runners in this race. Max Denning will be a key for the Dukes if he can finish ahead of the second runners for Hinsdale Central and Lyons Township. York ran a 31 second split at Palatine. They will need that kind of split in order to win this meet. #5 Hinsdale Central looked impressive last week at Naperville without #1 runner Blake Evertsen who went home sick. The fifteen second split for the Red Devils on five opened a lot of eyes in that race. Chris Brenk should be among the top runners in the front pack. The Red Devils were leading York at Palatine at the 2 mile point. Watch a more conservative approach by this team in this race. The last mile of this race should be fun to watch.
#6 Oak Park-River Forest has the front runner in Irwin Loud who is one of the top runners in the state. Kimathi Johnson is a strong front runner for the pack of the Huskies. He has been typically 40 seconds behind Loud. He will need to be within 30 seconds of his teammate in this meet for Oak Park to challenge one of the top three teams. The split on five needs to be 65 seconds or under also. If the race becomes tactical early in the race, the Huskies could have a better chance. #14 Downers Grove North will be back at full strength in this meet after holding out #2 runner Robbie Prescott at Naperville last week. Alec Danner has been up front for his team all this year and should challenge for a top five finish. The Trojans are a sneaky good team that could challenge Oak Park for the fourth spot. Host Glenbard West has been rebuilding this season but does have a gem up front with Eric Neumann. The Hilltoppers could challenge for a 4th place finish if they can keep their split under 70 seconds off of Neumann.
The individual race should be lights out. Irwin Loud and Blake Evertsen should challenge for the win. It will be interesting to see how the tactics in this race play out. A slower race early on could put more runners in play at the end. Charlie Kern nipped Vince Zona by a second at their dual last week and will challenge up front along with Zona. Alec Danner and Eric Neumann will also challenge for a top five spot. York’s Max Denning, Lyons Township’s Connor Madell or Danny Kilrea, Hinsdale Central’s Chris Brenk, and Oak Park’s Kimathi Johnson could play key roles for their teams in this race if they can place sixth or better individually.
Good luck to all teams, coaches, and fans this weekend. Stay warm!
Read more: DyeStatIL - News - DyeStat Illinois - IL Conference Weekend Preview - October 16, 2015