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Burlington Central’s Yusuf Baig turned in an outstanding senior year before he headed off to Illinois State to continue his running career.
Baig won the Fox Valley Conference Meet then went on to take fifth in the Class 2A State Meet and was selected Northwest Herald Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.
In track and field, he also was dominant, winning the FVC 1,600 and 3,200, then earning medals at state in both events (sixth in the 3,200, seventh in the 1,600). Baig also was the Northwest Herald Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Hampshire is coming off of its most successful boys cross country season in school history after winning a tight FVC Meet team title by three points over Jacobs, then qualifying for the Class 3A State Meet.
Jacobs returns several key runners from that team, led by Alec Melendez and Aidan DeMuth, and should make a strong run for the FVC team title.
Prairie Ridge’s Will Gelon was FVC runner-up to Baig, a Class 2A All-Stater and an All-Area first-team selection. He will be one of the favorites in the conference this fall.
Defending Kishwaukee River Conference champion Woodstock returns a strong group from a Class 2A state-qualifying team, led by twins Ishan and Aryan Patel. Blue Streaks coach Jay Fuller expects his team to win another KRC title and hopes it will finish the season again at Peoria’s Detweiller Park the first weekend in November.
FOX VALLEY CONFERENCE
Burlington Central
Coach: Vince Neil (18th season)
Last year’s finish: Seventh in FVC Meet
Top returning runners: Ryan Kries, sr.; Adam Hinkleman, jr.; Noah Karottu, jr.
Top new runners: Alan Perez, jr.
Worth noting: The Rockets lost Northwest Herald Runner of the Year Yusuf Baig to graduation. Baig finished fifth in the Class 2A State Meet. … Kries also qualified for the state meet. … Neil thinks Perez will be a strong addition and the improvement of Robert Anderson and Obaid Khwaja can really help the Rockets’ success.
Cary-Grove
Coach: Layne Holter (23rd season)
Last year’s finish: Fifth in FVC Meet
Top returning runners: Tony Zamudio, sr.; Ethan Waddell, so.
Top new runners: Jameson Tenopir, fr.; Daniel Neuses, fr.; Braden Bogda, fr.
Worth noting: Ian Barnes, a Class 2A All-Stater and All-Area first team selection, and James Grant, an All-Area honorable mention, were the two biggest graduation losses. … The Trojans are young and Holter sees this as a rebuilding season.
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Crystal Lake Central
Coach: Bill Eschman (29th season)
Last year’s finish: Sixth in FVC Meet
Top returning runners: Karson Hollander, sr.; Jackson Hopkins, so.; Aiden Shulfer, jr.; Nate Peyer, jr.; Brady Sterzik, jr.
Top new runners: Mason Alvarez, so.; Elliott White, sr.; Nolan Hollander, so.
Worth noting: The Tigers qualified for the Class 2A State Meet and have five of the seven runners returning from that team. … Karson Hollander was an All-Area second-team selection and Hopkins was an honorable mention. … Central would have finished higher in the FVC Meet, but Hollander battled some breathing issues and did not finish that race. … “As always, we expect everyone to work hard, be dedicated to one another and learn to be a family,” Eschman said. “If we can do that, it will be a successful year.”
Crystal Lake South
Coach: Nick Willhoit (third season)
Last year’s finish: 10th in FVC Meet
Top returning runners: Sebastian Castillo, jr.; Lucian Tyndall, jr.; Adam Strombom, so.
Top new runners: Joey Gonzalez, fr.; Chad Wehby, fr.
Worth noting: “We’re still a young squad and they put in a great effort this summer,” Willhoit said. “We’re looking to take the next step.” … Gonzalez is the younger brother of Bella Gonzalez, a two-time Class 2A All-Stater for the Gators’ girls team.
Dundee-Crown
Coach: Ronald Delarmente (fifth season)
Last year’s finish: Ninth in FVC Meet
Top returning runners: Tim Navarro, jr.; Xander Kutulas, sr.
Worth noting: Delarmente hopes Navarro and Kutulas have breakout years for the Chargers, especially with most of the Chargers’ 2021 lineup having graduated.
Hampshire
Coach: Ryan Hollister (fourth season)
Last year’s finish: FVC champion
Top returning runners: Owen Cuplin, sr.; Brayden Garland, jr.; Nolan Sheets, so.; Jack Sheets, so.; Payton Edlen, sr.; Joel Jones, sr.
Top new runners: Marcus Davis, fr.; Aric Abbott, fr.; Cody Dobush, so.; Sam Beamon, so.
Worth noting: The Whip-Purs won their first boys FVC cross country team title last season, but six of those top seven runners have graduated. Aidan Gonzalez, who was fourth in the FVC Meet and an All-Area first-teamer, is running at Eastern Illinois University. Gonzalez, Sebastian Abreu, Henry Nangle, Jason Schmidt and Cuplin all were All-FVC runners. … Cuplin, an All-Area honorable-mention pick, leads the defending champs. “Owen has really set the tone for the team by taking up a leadership role and training hard over the summer,” Hollister said. “We’ll have 12 boys for the top seven spots, so if that competition can translate to success, we can certainly stay near the top of the conference.” … Hampshire also won the FVC Boys Track and Field Meet in the spring.
Huntley
Coach: Matt Kaplan (15th season)
Last year’s finish: Fourth in FVC Meet
Top returning runners: Tommy Nitz, so.; Luke Grubbs, jr.; Zach Zuzzio, jr.; Hudson Fisher, sr.; Ty Rasmussen, sr.; Jaden Gutierrez, jr.
Top new runners: Andrew Raistrick, fr.; Logan Barrto, fr.
Worth noting: The Red Raiders missed a trip to the Class 3A State Meet by four points and return six of their top eight runners. … Nitz was a state qualifier as a freshman in cross country and in the 3,200 in track and field. He was an All-Area second-team pick. … Grubbs and Zuzzio should be next in the Raiders’ order. Kaplan sees Fisher and Rasmussen as potential top-five runners. … “This group is looking to improve on their postseason performance this season,” Kaplan said.
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Jacobs
Coach: Kevin Christian (16th season)
Last year’s finish: Second in FVC Meet
Top returning runners: Alec Melendez, sr.; Aidan DeMuth, sr.; Adam Lakeman, sr.; Julian Van Antwerp, sr.; Matt Andreano, jr.
Top new runners: Andrew Beyer, jf.; Jake Fetting, jr.; Charlie Mason, jr.; Ethan Aichholz, jr.; Isaac Pepin, so.; Austin Stevenson, fr.
Worth noting: Jacobs returns five of its top seven runners from a team that lost the FVC Meet team title by three points to Hampshire. … Melendez and DeMuth both were All-Area second-team selections and Christian feels they have improved significantly. … Lakeman took 14th in the FVC Meet and Van Antwerp missed that meet, but was ahead of Lakeman in most meets. … Andreano ran with Jacobs’ 4x800 relay team in the Class 3A Track and Field State Meet and had a strong summer or workouts. … “We’re looking to compete with anyone at the top of the conference,” Christian said. “The boys had a terrific summer with our top group and look even more improved than last year.”
McHenry
Coach: Kevin Horst (seventh season)
Last year’s finish: Eighth in FVC Meet
Top returning runners: Doug Martin, jr.; Nick Schmitz, jr.; Danny Thomas, jr.; Adam Textor, so.; David Popescu, so.
Top new runners: Gabriel Cruz, sr.; Gianni Sanchez, jr.; Lucas Miller, fr.; Myles Wagner, fr.
Worth noting: Horst feels like the Warriors are on their way up, led by Martin, who was an All-FVC runner. … “I couldn’t be prouder of the progress these boys have made from a year ago,” Horst said. “We are a team headed in the right direction, but 2023 is a more realistic goal for us to be contenders than this season.”
Prairie Ridge
Coach: Judd Shutt (18th season)
Last year’s finish: Third in FVC Meet
Top returning runners: Will Gelon, jr.; Evan Gilleland, jr.; Gerrit Dam, jr.; Eddy Klimkowski, jr.; Ian Mahon, sr.; Daniel Cardenas, jr.; Kevin DeGroot, jr.; Kevin Koch, sr.
Top new runners: Roberto Cardenas, sr.; Liam Bailey, so.; Nathan Debelak, so.
Worth noting: Shutt sees 10 or 12 runners on his roster who could challenge to make the varsity lineup. Led by Gelon, the Wolves should be a factor in the FVC Meet. … Gelon was a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selection and a Class 2A All-Stater. Mahon was an honorable-mention pick. … “We had a consistent summer of training with a large number attending daily,” Shutt said. “Our large junior class looks to lead this team, but I anticipate a few pleasant surprises from sophomores and seniors who haven’t raced in the past.”
KISHWAUKEE RIVER CONFERENCE
Harvard
Coach: Jeff Koza (fourth season)
Last year’s finish: Third in KRC Meet
Top returning runners: Jared Gonzalez, jr.; Manny Pineda, jr.
Top new runners: David Gonzalez, sr.
Worth noting: Koza thinks Jared Gonzalez and Pineda can lead a small squad into a strong conference finish. The Hornets are hoping to get those two runners to their Class 2A sectional, which is always tough with some of the local competition.
Johnsburg
Coach: Chris Setzler (27th season)
Last year’s finish: Did not have complete team
Top returning runners: Jackson Batt, sr.; Ryan Connor, sr.
Worth noting: The Skyhawks will not field a full boys team again, but Batt is one of the top KRC runners returning after taking seventh in the KRC Meet.
Marengo
Coach: Kim Hoffmeister (fourth season)
Last year’s finish: Second in KRC Meet
Top returning runners: Jonathan Snelgrove, sr.; Patrick Signore, sr.; Marcus Ray, jr.; Camden Weirich, sr.
Worth noting: Hoffmeister feels like the Indians have a solid group coming back with Preston Bailey as the only senior lost from last year’s KRC runner-up team.
Richmond-Burton
Coach: Ryan Carlson (seventh season)
Last year’s finish: Fifth in KRC Meet
Top returning runners: Angus McClellan, jr.; Owen Weinfurter, jr.; Jacob Farmer, jr.
Top new runners: Cade Garrison, fr.
Worth noting: Carlson said the Rockets will rely heavily on McClellan, Weinfurter and Farmer to lead the team this season and be near the top pack. “We are looking forward to seeing what they can do,” Carlson said.
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Woodstock
Coach: Jay Fuller (ninth season)
Last year’s finish: KRC champion
Top returning runners: Dylan Hanson, sr.; Aidan Greenlee, sr.; Thomas Sieck, sr.; Ishan Patel, jr.; Aryan Patel, jr.; Cohen Shutt, jr.; Jakob Crown, jr.; Charlie Baker, jr.
Worth noting: The Blue Streaks won the KRC title and advanced to the Class 2A State Meet. They lost All-Area honorable-mention pick Alex Wickersheim to graduation, but return most of their team. … Ishan Patel was KRC champion and an All-Area first-team runner, while twin brother Aryan was an honorable mention. … “We have an experienced group of runners,” Fuller said. “We had a good summer of training. They’re solid kids who have put the work in to meet the goals.”
Woodstock North
Coach: Cas Creighton (10th season)
Last year’s finish: Fourth in KRC Meet
Top returning runners: Tommy Schroeder, sr.; Daniel Jansen, jr.; Lucas Myshkowec, jr.; Ryan Nolan, so.; Robert Carroll, jr.
Worth noting: Creighton says summer workout attendance for the Thunder was the best it has been in a while. “Our middle pack showed they’re determined to close the gap with the front pack this year,” she said.
INDEPENDENT
Marian Central
Coach: Tony Enright (second season)
Last year’s finish: Did not have full team in East Suburban Catholic Conference Meet
Top returning runners: Ronan Costello, so.; Derek Leitzen, so.
Top new runners: Roger Young, fr.
Worth noting: Enright is excited about Young coming to the Hurricanes. “He is a very talented freshman who is putting in the work,” he said. “Ronan is not far behind Roger. These two could be building blocks for years to come.”