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BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
ANTIOCH
Coach: Chris Bailey
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Dylan Duckworth, Steven Frandsen, Jared Bolton, Zach Frye, Theo Hill, Peyton Morrow, Brendon Nickolai and Dylan McBride; Juniors – Brandon Etayem, Kevin Vettese and Landon Keefover; Sophomores – Nick Galante and Drew Porter
Key newcomers: Senior – Tyler Wilkins; Juniors – Pat Schoenfelder and Brandon Lind; Sophomore – Brandon Gallimore
Outlook: Chris Bailey returns for his seventh season. Landon Keefover is back after qualifying for state last season. The Sequoits should be a pretty deep squad this season.
CARMEL
Coach: Jim Halford
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Michael Cusack, Cameron Dean, Tommy Kelly, Birken Cetinkaya and John Caffarelli; Juniors – Ryan Thompson, Jeremy Strutzel, David Daniels, Stephen Lacke and Jacob Demarco; Sophomores – Jacob Unze, Kennedy Gawin and James Stefo
Outlook: Jim Halford is back as coach for his 31st season. Carmel lost a lot too graduation, but returns quite a few seniors led by state qualifier Michael Cusack. The Corsairs should once again be able to compete in conference.
GRANT
Coach: Tom Evans
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Nick Peterson, Tim Brundidge, Dylan Maranto, Octavian Wells, Kemar Miller, Tyler Schaefer, Ryan Devito, Ben Schram and Chris Hatton; Juniors – John Schmid, Omid Navidzadeh, Josh Polark and Richie Kolle; Sophomores – Nathan Ehrenhofer and Henry Halverson
Key newcomers: Junior – Nick Kouvelis; Freshmen – Robert Yeruschlami, Michael Smith and Bobby Cayet
Outlook: Tom Evans is back for his fifth season and will lead a team capable of winning the North Suburban Conference. Grant is pretty loaded this year led by state qualifiers Kemar Miller and Octavian Wells.
GRAYSLAKE CENTRAL
Coach: Brett Pitt
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Elijah Eugene, David Dorlack, Stephen Fletcher, Connor Gosell, Daniel Vincent, Zachary Cinq-Mars, Noah Cummerford and Cam Dennison; Juniors – Jack Aho, Matt Aho, Johnny Chum and Mickey Andrews; Sophomores – Eli Minski and Larry Reed
Key newcomer: Sophomore – Luke Reblin
Outlook: Brett Pitt is back as head coach and has a team that should be back at the top of the Fox Valley Conference. The Rams return several state qualifiers led by Jack Aho who finished third in the 3,200, and also won state in cross country last fall.
GRAYSLAKE NORTH
Coach: Matt Zaluckyj
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Dylan Ponomar, Adrian Suarez, Brandon Keaskowski, Jeff Kesselring, Jordan Calta, James Thomas and Francisco Carrera; Juniors – Michael Cabahug, Alex Moran, Liam O'Connell, Griffen Cawenda, Tobi Johnson, Miguel Carrera, Jared Sims and Justin Bock; Sophomores – William Bauman
Key newcomer: Freshman – Will Meyer
Outlook: Matt Zaluckyj is the new coach at Grayslake North. The Knights figure to be right in the middle of a fairly deep conference. Dylan Ponomar returns as one of the top runners for the Knights.
LAKES
Coach: Kurt Rowells
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Nate Fuentes, Hayden Falls, Jordan Mercure, Jake Hubbard, Cooper Jazo, Charles Hudson, Mike Zalapukis, Robert Kuhlmann, Brandon Thiel, Ibraheem Reffat and Kris Jones; Juniors – Nick Garcia, Jeremy Wallace, Cameron Ruiz and Leon Small; Sophomores – Kael Moran and Ethan Greenfield
Key newcomers: Juniors – Diego Torrez and Shane Brancato
Outlook: Kurt Rowells returns as head coach for the 11th season and it will also be his final one. Lakes lost quite a bit to graduation, but should return enough to have a chance to defend their conference title. Cameron Ruiz and Cooper Jazo return as two of the top field athletes in the state.
LIBERTYVILLE
Coach: Jason Schroeder
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Ethan Fowkes, William Johnson, Sean O'Malley, Kyle O'Malley, Cameron Chen, Gabe Alesna, Justin Page, Jared Huch and Jack Seton; Juniors – Ryan O'Malley, Brandon Tang, Stephen Richardson, Alexander Douthat, Daniel Oh, Christopher Haidvogel and Garrett Fowkes; Sophomores – Brendan Gallagher, Alexander Tam and Albert Su
Key newcomers: Juniors – Luke Christensen, Skylar Blacker and Joseph Gasick
Outlook: Jason Schroeder returns for his fifth season at the helm. The Wildcats did lose a lot to graduation but return enough that they should still be very competitive.
MUNDELEIN
Coach: Ethan Karolczak
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Uli Hagedorn, Antoine Hicks and Justin Neucam; Juniors – Mitch Sharer, Arron Woolford, Sal Roman, Ben Krauss, Shane Kosmach and Tristan Empalmado; Sophomore – Kenny Adiyiah and Bobby Nuzzo
Key newcomers: Freshmen – Robert St. Clair, Aidan Afonso, Dario Carrillo, Mickey Carduhn and Alan Salgado
Outlook: Ethan Karolczak takes over as head coach and inherits a very deep team. The Mustangs also like their incoming freshmen which should make Mundelein a solid team for years to come.
ROUND LAKE
Coach: Kevin Brady
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Emmanuel Sanchez, Joseph Tith, Luis Nunez, Vidal Ortega, Carlos Rosas, Francisco Villenueva and Christian Vasquez; Juniors – Moises Acosta, Jonathan Sanchez, Israel Montero, Tobias Young, Josh Penny, Alex Valladares and Brandan Mantallanes
Key newcomers: Juniors – Alan Espinosa and Jamison Hamlin; Sophomores – Demetrio Lopez and Ernesto Vargas; Freshmen – Chris Pierre and Darius Calhoun
Outlook: Kevin Brady returns for his 12th season in charge of the Panthers. Round Lake has some depth this season, which hasn't always been the case for Round Lake. Francisco Villenueva should be one of the top athletes for the Panthers.
VERNON HILLS
Coach: Mark Whitney
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Caleb Ju, Alex Geier, Noah Agnew, Brandon Coty, Alex Yang, Jamie Cervantes, Trevor Moyers, Jay Holloway and Josh Williams; Juniors – Shane Williamson, Martin Bolotin, McNemon Vincent, James Hommer, Tim Krashevsky, Cacper Jaskowski, Nick Mohrdieck and Zak Baumann; Sophomores – James D'Argo, John Moore, Nikolay Kravtsev, Aidan Williamson, Sohan Barot and Ayinash Nathan
Key newcomers: Freshmen- Calvin Wu, Stephen Auw, Alex Choi and Jimmy McDonald
Outlook: Mark Whitney is back as head coach and the potential is huge this year. Vernon Hills won sectionals last year and has most of its team back. The Cougars should have a very successful season.
WARREN
Coach: Bill Dawson
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Dustin Macuiba, Alex Delgado, Dom Diehn, Nick Marcinkus, Brady Roegner, Kendrick Bell, Matt Haight, Colin Ward and Chris Beckman; Juniors – Melvin Pettis, Hugo Flores, Julian Ruiz, Donte Johnson, Nathan Oommen, David Ramirez-Wilson, Nabil Asmar and Stacey Jones
Key newcomers: Senior – Cole Anderson; Sophomore – Brandon Ellis
Outlook: Bill Dawson is back for his 21st season and has quite a deep team with several returning state qualifiers. The potential is high this season with standout runners like Dustin Macuiba who will run for Notre Dame in college.
WAUCONDA
Coach: Megan Zemanek
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Justin Klein, Tyler Theel and Tyler Calvello; Juniors – Antonio Acosta, Tyler Stankiewicz, and Niklas Lopez; Sophomores – Adam Fox and Andry Nevski
Outlook: Megan Zemanek is back as head coach for her 14th season. Wauconda will be a senior-led team with Tyler Theel returning after qualifying for state last season.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
ANTIOCH
Coach: Dan Oslage
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Alexis Duehr, Anna Arden, Mikayla Christian, Jatiyah Childs, Taegan Gandolfi and Sabrina Long; Juniors – Emma Miller and Elisa Pokorny; Sophomores – Amanda Rowe, Miranda Karellas and Mia Fogal
Key newcomers: Sophomores – Shelby Purcell and Jill Everett; Freshmen – Diana Anghel, Amber Phillips and Rachel Phillips
Outlook: Dan Oslage returns for his 14th season. Antioch is fortunate to have Alexis Duehr back after missing her junior year with an injury. Anna Arden and Mikayla Christian return after qualifying for state last year.
CARMEL
Coach: Jim Halford
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Grace Duffy, Katie Smith, Meagan O'Toole and Lauren Cheslog; Juniors – Jaclyn Psenka and Delaney Kennedy; Sophomores – Emily Silge, Aileen Hull, Lauren Laughlin and Alyssa Zamora
Key newcomers: Freshmen – Zella Stockhausen, Melanie Zimmerman, Danielle Duffy, Lauren Thompson, Emma Jensen and Gabby Terselic
Outlook: Carmel has a very talented team. They are young and will have several talented freshmen looking to make an impact on the roster as well.
GRANT
Coach: Greg Wodzien
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Madison Romig, Delaney Basala and Rachel Bicknase; Junior – Brooke Drabek and Morgan Race; Sophomore – Arizona Wallace
Key newcomers: Freshmen – Danielle Osmon, Sam Robinson and Mariah Soeder
Outlook: Greg Wodzien takes over as coach at Grant and inherits some talent from last year's squad that finished second in conference and in sectionals. Rachel Bicknase and Delaney Basala return after qualifying for state last season.
GRAYSLAKE CENTRAL
Coach: Shawn Murphy
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Alexa Schmitt, Katie Schroeder, Sara O'Malley, Umaiyal Sridas, Faiola Alsina and Savanna Culhanne; Juniors – Riley Achtemeier, Elizabeth Aho, Megan Girmscheid, Sarah Ishamuddin and Jordan Meciej; Sophomores – Krystyna Marynevytch, Cydnie Paul, Lexi Remshak, Katie Coonan, Ania Barnes and Erika Galeczka
Key newcomers: Senior – Lura Quandt; Juniors- Amanda Larson and Meredith Clancy; Freshmen – Lauren Brunk, Japhia Powell, Meghan Fletcher and Greta Ruhlmann
Outlook: Shawn Murphy is back as head coach and the Rams look to make noise in their final season in the Fox Valley Conference. Alexa Schmitt and Katie Schroeder return after qualifying for state last season.
GRAYSLAKE NORTH
Coach: Jesse Wolter
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Allison O'Connell, Ameilia Robinson, Megan Reinhart, Milan Stubblefield, Valarie Zamora and Kennedy Krieg; Juniors – Sierra Herrington and Jacque Garza.
Key newcomers: Freshmen – Emily Stoneham, Caroline Riss, Marissa Zaehringer, Shelia Cox and Corey Warren
Outlook: Jesse Wolter returns to lead the Knights. Allison O'Connell is back and has qualified for state the previous three seasons. North looks to be a pretty deep team with several freshmen on the roster. This is their final season in the Fox Valley Conference.
LAKES
Coach: Keith West
Key returning athletes: Toyin Jackson, Maeve Tuley, Kortney Schardt, Taylor Tilmon and Alyssa Stromsland
Key newcomers: Freshmen – Paule Ceneac, Rae Dwyer, Dominique Hardy and Megan Knuettel
Outlook: Keith West takes over as head coach and will have a deep and competitive roster with several previous state qualifiers. Distance running should be a strength with several successful cross country runners on the roster.
LIBERTYVILLE
Coach: Tom Bizosky
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Kristina Boroweic, Kelly Waldvogel and Lily Moore; Sophomores – Molly Goebel, Avryl Johnson and Melissa Manetsch
Key newcomers: Junior – Hannah Nelson; Freshmen – Erin McCane and Kylie Skie
Outlook: Tom Bizosky returns for his ninth season as head coach. Libertyville will be led by returning state qualifier Avryl Johnson.
MUNDELEIN
Coach: Kurt Rutz
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Lauren Owens; Juniors – Megan Schlebecker, Marissa Schlebecker, Marissa Richards, Sarah Ouimet, Alex Maldonado, A'mauri Thomas, Kalli Majewski and Sydney Grace; Sophomores – Bree Park and Gemma Chavez.
Key newcomers: Junior – Natalia Ozymko; Freshmen – Khari Thompkins, Ryann Ray, Andrea Cordova and Clarissa Wienckowski
Outlook: Kurt Rutz is at the helm for his fourth season and the Mustangs are kind of in a rebuild mode, losing a lot to graduation last year. Mundelein will look to many freshmen to help provide depth.
ROUND LAKE
Coach: Gerry Volenec
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Noemi Powell, Alondra Alvarez, Quayla Fitcher-Moreno and Andrea Ponce; Juniors – Tamera Cawelle, Lizeth Rogel, Emelia Salgado and Amparo Vargas
Outlook: Gerry Volenec returns for his second season as head coach and has a lot of returning athletes. The Panthers have a pretty sophomore-heavy lineup, so the future looks bright for years to come.
VERNON HILLS
Coach: Jason Rush
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Vivian Overbeck and Molly Wasserberg; Junior – Emily Carido; Sophomores – Jordyn Bunning and Lauren Katz
Key newcomers: Freshmen – Raeden Mays, Kennedy Smith, Katelyn Dohler, Payton Makowskyj, Tayla Wilkerson and Iyanha Bouie
Outlook: Jason Rush returns for his seventh season and boy are the expectations high for Vernon Hills. The Cougars have four returning competitors who qualified for state from last season's sectional championship team. There is no reason Vernon Hills can't have a great season. The Cougars also have several freshmen that should add depth to the lineup.
WARREN
Coach: Ryan Dunn
Key returning athletes: Senior – Brynn Santos; Juniors – Abena Atuobi and Kiara Mabien; Sophomore – Hannah Harrison
Key newcomers: Freshmen – Jataia Harris, Janil Jenkins and Clara Macheras
Outlook: Ryan Dunn is back for his 10th season and it will be tough to duplicate last season for Warren. The Blue Devils finished in a tie for second in state, led by standout Brittny Ellis who won three individual titles and now is in college. The cupboard is not empty though, as they return other state qualifiers Abena Atuobi and Brynn Santos. Warren has several freshmen in the lineup who should provide a lift.
WAUCONDA
Coach: Ali Luetschwager
Key returning athletes: Seniors – Corrina Vaughan, Alison Beeman and Janvee Patel; Juniors – Laura Cederholm and Japan Ivory; Sophomores – Sabrina Jurcisin, Kelly Minor and Hailey Dibas
Key newcomers: Junior – Erin Levon; Freshmen – Grace Daun, Megan Sinnot, Lorraine Krawczyk, Carlye Pichman and Billie Sullivan
Outlook: Ali Luetschwager returns for her fourth season and Wauconda should be a very competitive team with many newcomers. The Bulldogs return two state qualifiers in Corrina Vaughan and Alison Beeman.