The first installment of team summaries features the unranked boys' teams. We examine a wide range of programs from across the state. Let's get to it!
Newton
Head Coach: Tim Bower
Last year's finish: Decatur St. Teresa Sectional- 10th place
Top returners:Jackson Sornberger(Sr.), Isaac Street(Sr.), Hayden Borgic(Jr.), Wade Ochs(Jr.), Tanner Whitaker(Jr.), Holden Barthlemy(So.)
Newcomers:Levi Salyers, Alec Bower, and Tyler Spiker
Outlook: After placing 19th at the state meet in 2022, the Eagles dropped to the lower half of the teams at sectionals last year. Coach Bower saw signs of his program trending up as the season begins: "They put in some good work this summer and are excited to see what they can do." Top returner Hayden Borgic is experienced and should lead the charge.
Washburn (Lowpoint)
Head Coach/coaches:Kyle Daubs/Stone Darrow, Jeff Kirchgessner
Last year's finish:Peoria Notre Dame Regional- 10th place.
Key returners:Geno Addo(So), Wyatt Brown(Jr), Toby Ulrich(Sr), Wyatt Isaacson(Sr), Drew Dewalt(Sr), and Evan Schumacher(Jr)
Newcomers: Dierks Knepp, Evan Reifsteck, Emmett Reed, and Collin Bartlett
Coach's thoughts on the team: After a tough season in 2023, things appear to be looking up this fall with six of the top seven runners back. Another positive for the Wildcats is that they are defending Tri-County Conference champions. "Ourgoal is to win it again. We have the firepower, but it's all going to come down to us against us," said coach Daubs of his team's prognosis.
"How mentally tough and focused are we going to be? We have the athletes but must prove we are the best because Seneca and Dwight are both solid teams," adds Daubs. "Geno Addo has the potential to win the entire conference this year after the summer he put in. Geno qualified for the USA Junior Olympics and ran the 3K on the national stage."Ulrich, Isaacson, and Brown participated in a program called "Project Sprint" over the summer, which aided their vital training.
Petersburg (Porta)
Head Coach/coaches:Jacob Wooldridge/Rachel Chalmers
Last year's finish: Elmwood Sectional- 7th place
Key Returners: Kade Parker (Jr.), Justin Zimmerman (Jr), DJ French (Jr), Bryce Sonnemaker (Sr), Billy Thornton (Sr)
New Additions:Sawyer Arbogast (Fr), Noah Hardy (So), Jake Schwarts (Fr), Max King (Fr)
Outlook: The Bluejays were just points away from advancing to state last year. This year, coach Wooldridge returns four of his top seven runners led by Kade Parker and will have an opportunity to be just as potent. "The 2024 PORTA Bluejays will look very different from the team we've fielded the last couple of seasons," he said. "There are no super-stud Haven Gronewold or Quincy Stuhmer types on the roster. Instead, we have several highly experienced juniors who are going to do everything they can to fill the voids left by last year's Seniors, as well as half a dozen new runners who have a lot of raw athletic ability that needs to be properly trained and shaped into good distance runners."
Paris
Head Coach: Missy Tingley/Dave Tingley
Last year's finish: Decatur St. Teresa Sectional- 17th place
Key returners: Harrison Hays(So.), Nathan Fonner (So.), Grayson Craffets (So.)
Newcomers: Kinser Holloway (Fr)
Outlook: The Tigers were one of the younger teams in the state a year ago, and their top five runners were freshmen. One easily could have mistaken them as a freshmen-only unit, but Harrison Hays broke through at the end of the school year by advancing to the state meet in the 3200m. "We have some solid returners that have put in a lot of miles this summer in order to help set them up to reach their goals for this season," said coach Tingley.
Princeville
Head Coach: Jeremy Melick
Last year's finish: Elmwood Sectional- 8th place
Key returners: Tucker Sennett (Sr), Matthew Bowers (Sr), Taylor Hess (Jr), Jacob Bosch (So), Elliot Walles (So), Collin Bowers (So), Elijah Menold (Sr), Austin Carruthers(Sr), Ezra Blair (So)
Newcomers: Hunter Keyster (Fr)
Outlook: After placing eighth in last year's deepest state sectional meet, Coach Melick reflected on how positive his team's season was. "Overall, the 2023 season was pretty successful. We had two individuals (Joey Bosch (graduated) and Tucker Sennett (senior in 2024)) compete in the State meet, which was the second year in a row that those two ran in the State meet, so that was exciting."
The team's thinking could go beyond the sectional round this year. "They were, and are, starting to look at the competition and understand better what it will take to improve and advance in the postseason," said Melick. "For starters, the boys would like to defend their conference title. They also would like to advance to the State meet. The work many of them have put in this summer indicates they understand that these goals won't be achieved just by wishing for them. I think the boys have put themselves in a position where talking about a State berth is at least reasonable."
Edwardsville (Metro-East Lutheran)
Head Coach: Kevin Reiseck
Last year's finish: Benton Sectional- 11th place
Key returners: Lucas Abbott (So), Jack Shank (Jr), Wyatt Goeckner (Jr), Dean Hemmer (So), Lucas Getta (Jr)
Newcomers:Luke Bright (Fr), Elijah Ball (Fr), Henry Reiseck (Fr), Mathias Askins (Fr)
Outlook: Incoming first-year coach Kevin Reiseck expects his team to improve throughout the year through hard work and dedication to the team. "Our program is focused on developing strong Lutheran men through the sport of cross country, said Reiseck. The bottom line is that this team would love to get back to the state championship after experiencing it in 2022.
DUPO
Head Coach: Kris Mendoza/Zach Huelskamp
Last year's finish: Trenton Wesclin Regional- 13th place
Key returners: Keith West, Tanner Francis (Jr), Wyatt Brown (Sr)
Newcomers: Carter Lumpkins (Fr), Aidan Finley(So), Gavin Bitter (Fr), Adam Hueso-Cruz (Fr)
Outlook: Coach Mendoza said the 2023 season was eye-opening. "It laid the groundwork for what we can do this season," he stated. Most of the boys had personal bests at the [regional], held at the SIUE cross country course."
"A big goal this season is to win the conference championship. We have some real depth this year from which we can pull," said Mendoza. "I mostly enjoy the energy of the team and how good of the kids they are. Lastly, I think the hardest challenge the team can overcome is not getting in your head too quickly and not letting yourself down."
Quincy (Notre Dame)
Head Coach/coaches: Leah Waters/Tom Hellhake
Last year's finish: Elmwood Sectional- 15th place
Key returners: Joseph Warning (Sr), Oliver Moore (Sr), Nathan Oliver (Sr), Roan Van Cleave (So), Logan Meyer(Sr)
Outlook: First-year coach Leah Waters has some things for her program: "The team will work on improving each race we run. We will continue to work on coming together as a team and understanding how to run together to get the best results possible. Last year was a great season for the boys' and girls' teams in XC. However, sectionals were the ending point of our season."
Gillespie-
Head Coach: Jay Weber
Last year's finish: Sullivan Regional- 9th place
Key returners:Chaz Oberkfell (Jr),Marshall Garwood(Jr), Hank Fletcher(Jr), Carter Sies(Jr), Matthew Plovich(So), and Lucca Kapp(So).
Newcomers:Nolan Ruyle (Fr), Nolan Hostettler (Fr), Rafe Stangle (Fr), and Bryce Stoecker (Fr)
Outlook: The Miners will look to build around all-stater Chaz Oberkfell, who placed 21st last fall. "Theboys made a lot of growth during the track season, and the top six returnees have a great summer and big goals," indicated coach Weber. "After narrowly taking the SCC Conference title last season, the Gillespie High School Boys Cross Country team looks to come back even stronger this season!"
Oregon-
Head Coach: Gabe Poser
Last year's finish: N/A
Outlook:The 2023 season for the boys was one to put in the past, according to coach Poser, but it had its moments of growth. "We had only four boys come out for cross country. "Our best runner, Daniel Gonzalez, had to end his season early due to Achilles tendinitis, which resulted in us only running three runners at our regional meet," said Poser. "It's hard to motivate a group of boys to try their hardest in running when their scores/placements don't even count as a team. For the boys, once we have a scoring number of athletes, I'm confident we will qualify for the sectional championship this season for the first time in a while."
Sullivan-Okaw
Head Coach: Isaiah Plank
Last year's finish: Sullivan Regional- 11th place
Key returners: Johnathan Iacobazzi(Jr.), Grant Martin(So.), Landon Jesse(Jr.), Bryson Wilson, Carson Swinford
Newcomers: David Eaton (Fr.)
Outlook: The key for the Redskins is to improve from a developmental situation, but with four returners and state qualifier Johnathan Iacobazzi, that should be an easy task. "Our primary goals will come in the conference championship as we look to finish in the top three this year," said coach Plank. "We will also push for a qualifying spot for the sectional meet. Johnathon Iacobazzi will also be looking to return to state again this year."
