Boys cross country: Scouting the Fox Valley area
The Harvest Christian boys cross country team is looking to finish what it started last season.
The Lions were one of the top teams in Class 1A in last season's shortened fall season, which did not culminate with a state meet in Peoria. The Lions have been a consistent force in recent years, so missing a chance to win their second straight championship since 2016 is a motivating drive for the returnees.
Harvest Christian's new-look team will include Daniel Winkelman, who is on target to the No. 1 runner.
"This will be a rebuilding year for us," Harvest Christian coach Steven Bland said. "We have lost three seniors who were in our top five. We lost Mathew Olech, Hayden Colclasure and Alex Powell. Our goal will be the same as it has been for the past four years: find a way to get onto the podium at state. We will be hosting an IHSA regional, so we would love to win that along the way, maybe win the Lisle sectional."
Several area teams are also aiming to build off the success last season, especially with the return of the state meet this fall. Aurora Central Catholic is seeking a third straight bid to the Class 1A state meet after strong showings in 2018 and 2019. The Chargers bring back two-time state qualifier, junior James Stolfe and returning state qualifier junior Armando Acosta to go with talented sophomores Kevin Lilliwitz and Patrick Hilby.
"We're young but talented," long-time Aurora Central Catholic coach Troy Kerber said. "It will take us some time to formulate during the course of the regular season, especially since we're immersed in a competitive Class 3A and 2A schedule. Our strength will be our top three and then a pack of committee of several top seven candidates."
West Aurora coach Tony Rizzo is among the area coaches with several young runners on his squad, but he's relying on Sean Heetland to be one of the leaders. Rizzo noted that Devon and Ayden Jenkins are among his two runners, while Nathan Lindstrom is coming off a strong summer.
"Our team is having fun and we're moving in the right direction," Rizzo said. "I would like to see what happens when they all have a good day of racing and how each week carries to the next with this young group. The coaching staff enjoys all of their personalities and competitiveness that these young men bring each day to practice."
After a strong showing by the Burlington Central boys track team at the Class 2A state meet, Rockets coach Vince Neil is looking to top last season's Class 2A third-place finish in sectionals. Neil said Robert Perry, Yusaf Baig, Zac Schmidt, Ryan Kries, Adam Hinkleman and Robert Anderson are his returnees.
"The boys had a great spring this year in track that will have a great impact this fall," Neil said. "We need our top three to do their part upfront, and the next four to battle in the middle pack. I believe we have the makings for a strong team this fall. We will be in the mix for Class 2A. The boys have shown great improvement but we lack depth, so the middle pack will be huge for us this season. We need our young guys to continue to progress and look to our top three to set the bar."
St. Charles East is aiming for another memorable showing after a sterling effort last fall. The Saints won the Class 3A Lyons sectional behind a solid trio, with Micah Wilson, Luke Schildmeyer and Zack Loomis finishing in the top three spots.
Wilson, who won the sectional in a time of 14 minutes, 43.71, is back for his senior season.
Geneva, which placed 10th in the sectional, is led by a solid group of seniors, including Brady Ahern, Nathan Lehman and Logan Keen.
Geneva coach Peter Raak said Andrew Warcup is a runner to watch in the area after he switched from soccer to cross country this fall.
"This team has a lot of potential," Raak said. "We have some top seniors who will set a good pace along with some eager juniors who are looking to make a name for themselves. Coming together as a team and mixing as a cohesive unit will be paramount."