2026 Pre-Season XC Previews: 3A Boys Teams Unranked

While the teams ranked in our preseason Top 25 enter the season with the highest expectations, they are far from the only programs capable of making an impact this fall. Illinois Class 3A is filled with talented squads that narrowly missed the rankings and have the potential to emerge as contenders as the season progresses. The teams featured below were not included in our preseason rankings but had their coaches complete the preseason questionnaire that was sent via email, allowing us to provide a preview of their returning athletes, key additions, and outlook for the 2026 season. These programs will certainly be worth following as they look to exceed expectations and make their presence felt throughout the fall.

Lockport

Head Coach/Coaches: Ryan Thompsen / Jeff Connett, Mitch Gilbert

Key Returners: Jonah Brownlee (Sr.), Henry Eissing (Sr.), Matt Lienhardt (Sr.), Patrick Valcich (Jr.), Nate Kwasneski (So.), Connor Moran (So.), Patrick Neiheisel (So.), Ben Petroit (So.)

Key Additions: Jack Mertens (Sr.), Brady Slowik (Fr.)

Unexpected Losses: Ethan Seibt (So.)

Coach's Outlook: I’m very excited to get this team into the rhythm of the regular season. We’ve only had a handful of workouts, but this group has been coachable from Day 1 back in June. They laid down some ambitious, but realistic, goals that our coaching staff will be working relentlessly to help them achieve. This season is about setting up the first draft of the blueprint for future Lockport cross country teams’ success, while making the small tweaks through September and October to bring out the best performance in each athlete this season. This group has already been fun to work with, and the bonds that will carry us through the inevitable ups and downs of a season are getting stronger every week. At the end of the season, we will be able to say we competed at our best in November. I also have to mention the tremendous job Coach Connett has done in helping me transition into this role, as well as handling logistical tasks that have kept us on track. He’s a great asset to our staff. Coach Gilbert has also provided valuable mentorship to the guys through his own extensive experience in training and racing. I’m looking forward to experiencing this only opportunity to lead these young men for the first time as a head coach with this staff. It will certainly be a memorable experience!

St. Charles East

Head Coach/Coaches: Chris Bosworth / Lizzie Deutch, Matt Gill

Key Returners: Dom Strada (Jr.), Johnny Rigali (Jr.), Connor Stall (Jr.), Will Komerksa (Sr.), Daniel Finn (So.), Peirce Bittman (Sr.), Sam Wollak (Sr.)

New Additions: Colton Mendal (Fr.), Benji Meinig (Fr.), Kai Hammons (Fr.)

Coach's Outlook: The 2026 Saints XC team will look to bounce back from a disappointing end to the season last year.  We brought back 5 of the 7 from last year, added 10+ Fr to the team, and individually had a great track season and summer of training.  Our team will be led by Dom Strada and Johnny Rigali, who look to improve in every meet.  This team is young and is ready to take the next step. We will be better than last year.  I think this 2026 team reminds me of our 2017 team.  A young team that wants to bring the program back.  Had a year of growth and adjustment to the varsity level and now is excited to see where they can go.

O'Fallon

Head Coach/Coaches: Jon Burnett / Anna Munie, Craig Munie

Key Returners: Ben Lown (Sr.), Jamison Gherardini (Sr.), Cole Deering (Jr.), Jude Rose (Jr.), Will Thoman (Jr.), Caleb White (Jr.), Kasyn Ramsey (So.), Eli Livingston (So.)

Coach's Outlook: This year's team will have a tighter pack than last year's team. We will need a tighter pack due to the loss of Brayden Kloeppel. We are hoping to close the gap on Edwardsville and return to the state meet as a team. We have a solid mix of returning athletes that have varsity experience and new blood that is gaining experience. I am looking forward to seeing how this team progresses during the season. Our goals remain the same: try to win the conference meet and advance as far as possible in the state series

Collinsville

Head Coach/Coaches: Adam Blair / Derek Freeman

Key Returners: Chase Cummins (Sr.), Daniel Guttierez-Trejo (Sr.), Anton Beljanski (Sr.), Leo Dodds (Sr.), Isaac Perez (Sr.)

New Additions: Mckinley Jordan (Fr.), Nathan Huerta (Fr.), Brayden Topal (Fr.), Izzy Hubbard (Fr.)

Coach's Outlook: I see Chase and Daniel opening up the season with PRs due to their summer training. They will continue to build off of their summer mileage. Using each other as competition throughout the season I have no doubt that they will both once again qualify for sectionals. In the right conditions we may even have a state qualifier. In my tenure as head coach this is the best team that we have had so far. 

Champaign Central

Head Coach/Coaches: Dean Kamps / Rachael Kamps

Key Returners: Simon Campbell (Sr.), Nolan Bossert (Jr.), Jacob Lu (Jr.), Nathan Goulet (Jr.), Noah Gwinn (Jr.), Garrott Smith (So.), Max Ahmari (So.)

New Additions: Samuel Garrison (Fr.), Braden Ritter (Fr.)

Coach's Outlook: Our Varsity team is going to be young this season, having lost 3 of our top 7 to graduation, including Caleb Mathias, who will be running for Lewis University this fall. Mathias was the most decorated distance runner in school history, and set the school record at Detweiler last season at the State Meet. Having Peoria Notre Dame in the Big 12 Conference is a huge advantage because they will push us. Running competitively at conference, regionals, and sectionals will be our team's focus, which will propel us to qualifying some individuals for the IHSA state meet. We may experience a few growing pains with new leadership in this fall for 2026, but by the spring/fall of 2027, we should be a fun team to look out for. 

Aurora (Waubonsie Valley)

Head Coach/Coaches: Kevin Rafferty / Arlen McCann, Natashia Waramat, Justin Splitt

Key Returners: Mika Lam (Sr.), Achyuth Randeep (Sr.), Evann O'Neil (Sr.), Ryan Heap (Jr.), Ryan Wu (Sr.), Will Stevenson (Jr.), Jaymes Taylor (Jr.), Shawn Chen (So.)

New Additions: Ben Lenciauskas (Jr.), Kavish Shanmgasundaram (Fr.)

Coach's Outlook: We should be a better pack team than we've been the last few years. Our number 1 isn't going to scare anybody but we feel like we can close the 5th man well this year. We're ahead of fitness level from the last two or 3 summers.

Roselle (Lake Park)

Head Coach/Coaches: Joseph Pacione / Alberto Villa, David Haberman, Samantha Garcia

Key Returners: Tim Dellaria (Jr), Tommy Jalowiec (Sr), Mikey Mazza (So), Rishab Kulkarni (Sr), Brandon Arguello (Sr), Josh Wittig (So), Lukas Svabas (Jr), Mark Biernacki (Sr), Alex Biernacki (Sr)

New Additions: Rahm Solano (Fr.), Petar Magazin (Fr.)

Coach's Outlook: This year's team is the result of years of building the team to be competitive year in and year out. After a great summer, the athletes want to try to take the next step to competing for a state qualifying spot. It will depend on consistent health and training, executing race strategy, and running together. With a great season, they can get to the doorstep of their goals and keep pushing our program forward. We will have good depth through 5-6 runners, and they will run as a pack unless somebody breaks out. Hopefully we will beat teams at the 4th and 5th spot, and have the whole pack up far enough to score well. 

Oak Lawn (Richards)

Head Coach/Coaches: John Kawulia

Key Returners: Santiago Carbajal, James O’Shea, Emilio Avina, Anthony Villalobos, Nathan Lopez, Diego Carrillo, James Narbone, Matthew Narbone, Adrian Lopez, Yazan Jaghama

New Additions: Nathan Lopez

Coach's Outlook: We are looking forward to taking a slower approach at the beginning of this season with our goals being to be as competitive as possible come sectionals. Our biggest strength currently is the front of our pack. Hopefully throughout the season our 3-5 can get as close as possible to Santi and Jimmy.

Bolingbrook

Head Coach/Coaches: Jeff Lester / Bryan Conger

Key Returners: Alex Vilchis, Alex Manas, Andres Lopez, Azy Estefania

Coach's Outlook: The Brook XC team will have a new look this season after graduating a great senior class, including 4 seniors from our top 7. However, a fresh start has opened up exciting opportunities, with many athletes seeing a clear path to the top 7 and eagerly going for it. Leading this charge are our three returning top-7 veterans—Alex Vilchis, Alex Manas, and Andres Lopez—alongside Azy Estefania, who has stepped up as a vital leader following a highly consistent summer and a strong track season. The vibes around the team are different but incredibly positive as new athletes step into these leadership roles. This summer, the squad has already shown great resilience, notably clearing a big mental hurdle during an 800s grass workout where everyone attacked the reps with more speed and volume. Embodying our weekly mindsets, especially "strength through struggle," this team relies on its biggest strengths—effort, energy, and attitude—as they continue to stack good week after good week, taking it one day at a time to write their own story this season.

Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West)

Head Coach/Coaches: Kyle Nugent / Kurt Frazier

Key Returners: Sam Roser, Nathan Ho, Cole Mocko, Judah Cabral, Judah Tedford, Eli Hermsen, Dean Plahetka, Austin Check

Coach's Outlook: This team returns four runners from last year's state qualifying team.  We will mix that experience with some youth to round out our varsity squad.  We should get some help from a couple sophomores this year who have been training with our top group all summer and have shown great improvement. We are not a big team, so we need to stay healthy and focused on continued improvement, as always.

Naperville North

Head Coach/Coaches: Tim Brown / Dan Hemmens, Will DeBolt

Key Returners: Shrey Meyer (10), Charlie Minott (12) , Henry Minott (12) , Edison Lin (11), Blake Pickering (12), Ethan Toms (12), Kevin Chen (12)

New Additions: Henry Minott (12), Charlie Mayer (9), Miles LeFevour (9)

Coach's Outlook: This is definitely a young team with a focus of building the right culture.  There’s a lot of opportunity for guys to fill big shoes and really step up behind our #1 runner, Shrey Meyer.   Although our team is young and inexperienced, we are mentally ready for the challenge and the opportunity to grow and compete.  We know that building a solid base this summer will pay for great workouts and races in the fall.  And, our focus has always been on making our last race our best race.  We know we have a lot of growth ahead of us, but we are committed to have the right mindset and attitude and know the value of hard work and being a good teammate.  And, since we are so young, we are hoping that having success at the FS level will bleed into seasons to come. 

Plainfield Central

Head Coach/Coaches: Jeff Purdom / Kyle Draghi

Key Returners: Spencer Kazak, Caden de Graaf, Jimmy Gutmann, Dominik Barrios, Will Carter, Aiden Churchill, Emerson Raino, Ty Vitanovec, Joey Des Garrenes, Zeke Ocegueda

New Additions: Emerson Ruland

Coach's Outlook: This team will have a good mix of senior leadership, but young energy. The leaders on the team have taken big steps to make improvements and committed to be great cross country runners. This team can go as far as they are will to work. 

Hampshire

Head Coach/Coaches: Ryan Hollister / Cindy Wagner, Jordan Lung

Key Returners: Hudson Cuplin, Lucas Bailye, Logan Legge, Nigel Gay, Xander Lewis, Tyler Krauss, Lucas Pagan, Jaylen Person, Jovanny Salgado, Hayden Haegele

New Additions: Madden Legge, Hudson Legge, Alex Kiehl

Coach's Outlook: This year’s team is shaping up to be one of our strongest squads in several seasons, with six of our top seven runners from last year (Hudson Cuplin, Logan Legge, Nigel Gay, Lucas Bailye, Jaylen Person, and Lucas Pagan) returning and a deep group of experienced athletes pushing for varsity spots. Cuplin medaled at the Fox Valley Conference Championship last year and broke 16 minutes along with Legge and Bailye.  Our summer training has featured strong participation, a focus on building mileage, and plenty of plyometric and strength work, and I’ve been impressed by our athletes’ resilience and ability to adapt when poor air quality has forced us indoors. With our experience, depth, and a tight, competitive pack, I believe we have the potential to compete for the conference championship and make a run at qualifying for the state meet. This team reminds me of our 2021 conference championship and state-qualifying group—not because we have one runner who will carry us with a spectacular individual performance, but because we have a dedicated group that can race together, trust the process, and put ourselves in position to have the right race on the right day.

Geneva

Head Coach/Coaches: Peter Raak / Ben Jeffrey, Tom Robertson

Key Returners: Connor McInerney, Liam Dwyer, Griffin Poterek, Gabe Oschenschlager, Kurt Borter, Dylan Edling

New Additions: Cameron Schmidt (Jr), Jacob Calvario (Fr), Jonathan Lando (Fr).  

Coach's Outlook: This year's team will be a nice mix of juniors who have progressed nicely over the years along with some newcomers who should have an immediate impact on the team.  The boys have been extremely focused and motivated this summer and have their sights set on big things and fast times this fall.  This focus has been a marked improvement, and it will be exciting to see how it translates to races this fall.  It will be equally exciting to see how the newcomers add to the mix as well.  It will take some time to figure everything out, but it will be exciting once all the pieces are together and in place. Journey Before Destination! 

Rock Island

Head Coach/Coaches: Jarrin Williams / Anthony Pena

Key Returners: Elliot Batz, Nolan Jared, Steven Hernandez, Traeten Holtam, Judah Kargl, Xavier Guldenzopf, Soren Hoffeditz

New Additions: Jude Muir

Coach's Outlook: Rock Island should be a better than middle of the pack team early in the season and hopefully we’ll see that in our first two meets (Moline Invite and Normal West Invite). Hopefully three or four guys who are varsity aspirants show up as the season progresses and make us a stronger squad. Team chemistry has been great during summer running. Elliot Batz will, once again, be our team leader. Steven Hernandez and Nolan Jared will battle for that number two spot and together, they will provide strong front running for us. Traeten Holtam is ready to move up a level. Those four runners should be first or second team All-Conference for us this season. Judah Kargl and Xavier Guldenzopf have put in the work this summer and should provide the support we need to be a serious contender in meets. Soren Hoffeditz showed promise during spring track and has put in some work this summer. He also has lofty goals for himself so hopefully he’ll be right there.

Huntley

Head Coach/Coaches: Matt Kaplan / Jason Monson, Brandy Swanson, Jimmy Jestus

Key Returners: Joseph Sittler (So), Joey Zawacki (So), Mark Omoniyi (Jr), Brandon Thompson (Sr), James Hennessey (Jr), Ryan Golembiewski (Sr), Jack Reinger (Sr)

Coach's Outlook: This season with our team returning plenty of last season's top 7, the boys team essentially has the chance to pick up where they left off.  Last season the boys team qualified for the 3A state meet for the first time since 2018.  In order to reach that level of success this year again, our group will need full buy-in on that happening.  Sophomores Joseph Sittler and Joey Zawacki return after both having great freshmen seasons and will be looked to lead our group up front in our team scoring.  Other returners like Mark Omoniyi (Jr), Brandon Thompson (Sr), James Hennessey (Jr), Ryan Golembiewski (Sr), Jack Reinger (Sr) will look to impact our top 7 throughout the season.  If this group can work to improve our top 5 split each week overall our group can look to reach success similar to that of last season.  Looking forward to seeing some new faces make a push to impact our top 7 by the end of the season.

Chicago (Jones)

Head Coach/Coaches: Max Crowninshield / Jaclyn Borrowman, Caleb Hernandez, Rachel Schoenecker

Key Returners: Matthew Richlen(12), Charles Iain Blair (12), Ignas Petrus (12), Cesar Garcia-Soto (12), Diego Magallanes (12), Nathan Garino (12), Ben Smaroff (12), Thomas Becker (10), Jasper Ross (10), Reuben Swenson (11)

Coach's Outlook: This year is going to be a turning point for our program. With so many seniors who have a bunch of varsity racing experience I think we can really outshine where we have been the last two seasons. These guys all have really bought into the program and are super tight nit, which I believe is always a recipe to over achieve on the course. I think that we have a handful of guys who are really ready for some big performances at the end of season meets this year and we could surprise some people. Finally we have two sophomores who have really shown potential this spring and summer. These two will push the senior group and could make some massive gains compared to last year.

Wheeling

Head Coach/Coaches: Tom Polak / Jim Voyles

Key Returners: Aramis Alcantar (Sr.), Jason Aivazian (Sr.), Jon Lenert (Sr.), Orion Voss (Sr.), Ryan Warner (Sr.), George Litsogiannis (So.), Lorenzo Magaru (Sr.), Adam Drej (So.), Derek Lisuis (So.), Aaron Varughese (Sr.)

New Additions: Alex Martin (Fr.)

Coach's Outlook: The CORE of this team is very strong and has been together a long time, through the ups and downs.  We still have to develop an identy, but the work that has been done so far this summer, is very promising.  We have not had this kind of depth, since the late 1990's and early 2000's - We have the capability of having 5-7 guys under 16:00 this season, with the top runners having a shot at breaking 15:00. That would put us in the hunt for a state berth, with a lot of very good and deep teams.

DeKalb

Head Coach/Coaches: Mike Wolf / Jacob Wielgos

Key Returners: Andy Duran (Sr.), Noah Thompson (Sr.), Max Foley (Jr.), Clark Storey (Jr.), Timmy Durand (So.), Michael Galindo Chavez (So.), Will Greer (So.), Isaiah Robiendo (So.)

New Additions: Charlie Arcardo (Fr.), Leo Clapp Duhau (Fr.), Andrew Sullivan (Fr.)

Coach's Outlook: We were a young team last year with three freshmen in the line up at the sectional meet and we are still young.  Andy Duran continues to improve and is 100% healthy after being a little banged up in track.  He is ready to be a consistently strong number one runner for us.  Our freshman group has looked good this summer and should blend in with our sophomores.

Gurnee (Warren)

Head Coach/Coaches: Brett Heimstead / Joe Stubenvoll, Don Proft

Key Returners: Brody Wiley (11), Tyler Koehl (10), David Ady (12), George Wurl (11), Marcus Schenk (11), Tommy Dunne (11), Cam Johnson (11), Jonah Stewart (10), Brayden Brickler (10)

New Additions: Isaac Mills (9), Noah Valko (12)

Coach's Outlook: After a tough finish in the fall last year, the boys got back to work throughout the winter and had a solid track season. We are entering the season with a lot of promise and a great summer base. We are looking to run fast late into the fall. We have a great team culture going. The goal is to get better each day.

Rockford (Guilford)

Head Coach/Coaches: Manuel Molina / Joe Gibbons

Key Returners: Lucas Molina, Alex Brockwell, Archer Wedwick, Rudy Herrera, Dylan Gonzalez

New Additions: Xander Vyborny

Coach's Outlook: Summer training has gone well with the focus on weekly long runs and goals of 300, 400 or 500 miles for the Summer. The Varsity runners have been consistent in their training. Gradual increase in mileage with weekly long runs with fast finish progressions and weekly hill sprints and strides. The team should compete well and looking forward to a strong season and which freshman boys step up.

Leyden

Head Coach/Coaches: Brad Henning / Tim Stark, Christian Lopez, Sam Malke

Key Returners: David Ferrer, Athan Chiappetta, Adriel Saucedo, Jordan Pounders, Julio Rodriguez, Elijah Scheidler, Jakub Wojtasik, Peter Kitlas, Daniel Perez

New Additions: Julian Vega, Antonio Cisneros

Coach's Outlook: Our biggest strength of the team will be in their willingness to lay it on the line every race.  We should have 2 pods in races and our front 3 should give us some help scoring low but our back 4 will make their mark on how many people they pass in the second half of the race. This should be our strongest team in the last 10 years if we are healthy.  This will be the first time, in a while, that we will have 1 or 2 guys who should be vying for a spot to the state meet.

Homewood-Flossmoor

Head Coach/Coaches: Brian O'Donnell / Matt Anyiwo

Key Returners: Bennett Matthys, Branko Ivancevic, Dean Jackson, Auguste Wasniowski, Saher Tarrer, Talib Clemons, Roy Smith, Jonathan Mandeville

Coach's Outlook: We have a good group of upper class runners who have put themselves in position to have a strong season. We should be more competitive in the SWSC than we were last season as well as in the IHSA state series.

West Chicago

Head Coach/Coaches: Yassine Yakhoub / Amy Wagner

Key Returners: Andre Dzwiniel (SR), Andres Perez-Choulal (SR), Tristan Banasiak (JR), Noah Case (SR), Joey Hayward (JR), Erik Soberal (JR), Chase Carr (JR)

New Additions: Lucas Frigo (FR), Oliver Balgeman (FR)

Coach's Outlook: This group has a lot of potential. Compared with some of our previous teams, I think we have a stronger sense of collective purpose who wants best for their teammates and a good amount of kids love challenging themselves. Our goal is to compete for a top-five finish at the conference meet and put multiple athletes in position to advance through the postseason. More importantly, we want to be a team that races aggressively, supports one another, and continues getting better every week. 

Joliet Central

Head Coach/Coaches: Doug Cherry / Mike Heilman

Key Returners: Nathaniel Gabriel 12, Carlos Martinez 12, Emmanuel Ramos 12, Ronaldo Sarabia 12, Bayron Cielo 11, Kevin Quintero 11, Isaiah Scott 11, Braiden White 11, Valentin Conejo 10, Jose Perez 10

Coach's Outlook: We are happy with the dedication that our guys have shown this summer. We hope to have improved depth across all levels of our program. Our first goal this fall is to advance as a team beyond the regional level. Too early to tell, but this could be one of the better teams we have had in the past 10 yrs.

Chicago (Mather)

Head Coach/Coaches: Joe Sullivan / Aaron Weiss

Key Returners: Noade Abreha, Natnal Tekle, Muhsin Ali, Abdirahman Mahad, Saimon Kahsay, Fanuiel Kahsay, Daniel Rosales

Coach's Outlook: After qualifying for State in the 4x800 in the spring, the boys want to make it to Detweiller as a team in November. This group has come a long way in the last year in gaining experience and maturity. But they still have a long way to go to be a competitive team in 3A. We will keep trying to get better a day at a time. Noade Abreha and Nati Tekle have the ability to be a strong 1-2 punch. Muhsin Ali, Abdirahman Mahad and Saimon Kahsay should fill out our scoring 5. Daniel Rosales and Fanuiel Kahsay will provide senior leadership. Depth is an issue for us as usual. We have had a good summer. If we can continue to stay together as a group and put in good training, I will be excited about what we can do in October and November.

Machesney Park (Harlem)

Head Coach/Coaches: Marty Contreras / Holli Tank

Key Returners: Tyler Buestch, James Gallagher, Tommy Leese, Carter Lipinski, Sean Hilario, Aaron Mossberg, Evan Sheley, Jackson Lipinitzsky, Logan Roach

Coach's Outlook: The 2026 Harlem boys cross country team is going to be a fun one to watch as the season goes on. Lead by Senior runners Tyler Buestch and James Gallagher, these boys are ready to compete in the nic-10, qualify for sectionals as a team and make a run to qualify some individuals or a team for state if all the cards fall into place. They have bought into all we are trying to accomplish as a team and trust in their coaches and teammates. 

Tinley Park (Andrew)

Head Coach/Coaches: Robert Matz / Matt Gonnella

Key Returners: Gabe Govea, Zach Orbon, Gerardas Markucevicius, Duncan Churms, Allen Jose, AJ Steele, Atala Shalash, Conner Miller, Cooper Fahey

Coach's Outlook: We have had a really solid summer.  Our younger runners and newcomers really took to our training and I am looking forward to their growth.  Our top couple of returning varsity runners had a very solid summer as well.  Our main goals are to finish in the top 5 of our conference and qualify for Sectionals as a team

LaGrange (Lyons)

Head Coach/Coaches: Michael Danner

Key Returners: Brennan Monohan, Evan Ruse, Ben Radtke, Colin Shea, Henry James, Luke Borling, Lucien Sullivan, Isaac Phillips, Juan Contreras, Fransico Garcia, Colin Flynn, Max Thomas, Cullen Pillat

Coach's Outlook: All our returners are healthy and ready to get the season started

Chicago (St. Ignatius)

Head Coach/Coaches: Chris Korabik / Heraldo Morrison, David Cooke, Aaron Harris, Tony Sacco

Key Returners: Charlie Maida, Alrik Swan, Brendan Houlihan, Joseph Horos, JP Hlavin, Devlin Burns, Michael Gaffey

New Additions: Ari Thompkins, Julien Duque, Dylan Wood, Jack Sheaffer, Clark Holland, Jameson McCusker

Coach's Outlook: The Wolfpack looks to continue off a strong track season as we continue to build our program. Alrik Swan and Charlie Maida will look to lead our team building off of strong track seasons. Brendan Houlihan and Joseph Horos also had phenomenal track seasons that we hope to carry over into cross country. JP Hlavin played baseball but was a 16:49 freshman last season and we hope he can be an X factor in the scoring. Michael Gaffey had a strong finish to the last XC season and we expect him to be a team leader on and off the field. I expect to see Devlin Burns having a strong season as well. We’ll have a ton of freshmen and sophomores pushing each other and competing for top 7 spots. 

Aurora (Metea Valley)

Head Coach/Coaches: Ruben Nino / Thomas Womack, Calvin McGaughy

Key Returners: Ranbir Marwaha, Agastya Kalal, Kishan Pathmanaban, Siddharth Rajesh, Ismail Anwar, Yusuf Anwar, William Wang, Hridhay Horton, Sushanth Shanmugam, Joshua Arockiaselvam, Declan Philbin, Baladev Indukuri.

New Additions: Ishaan Parekh, Rishav Kantamneni

Coach's Outlook: We're a young team with very little experience at the varsity level. This will be a team composed of majority juniors and sophomores who performed well this past spring. After losing the majority of our top 7 this past season, the spring lead us to believe that we will continue to be competitive and possibly better than a year ago.

Downers Grove South

Head Coach/Coaches: Brian Caldwell / Sean Senf, Greg Maloney, Mike Kirk

Key Returners: Conrad Saner, Jakub Kranz, Henry Baker, Trevor Dreyer, Michael Golminas, Aditya Kota, Thomas O'Connor, Henry Pearson, Jack Begler, Dexter Jones

New Additions: Sam Axelson, Will Caldwell, Ethan Smith, Travis Mayer, River Ebert

Coach's Outlook: A key to our eventual success will come from the fact that we have a strong team culture where the guys truly care about the team and each other, but at the same time are battling for a finite amount of spots on the starting line come October. Conrad will be fun to watch this season as he should be able to compete with the best in the state. Sam Axelson could really end up being an ace in the hole if he can develop anywhere near the potential we as coaches think he has. Jakub Kranz was solid last year and clutch at Sectionals and State and spent the whole track season working on his aggressiveness. He finished the Track campaign a different and more confident runner than before and could be sneaky good for us this fall. Overall, we are excited for the journey ahead. We have some new meets that we're pumped to check out early in the season before getting ready for the gauntlet of races in Richard Spring, Palatine, and Naperville Twilight. 

Rockton (Hononegah)

Head Coach/Coaches: Mark McLarty / Eddie Baines, Tim Wiltshire

Key Returners: Olivier Filimonov (12), Jaxom Fry (12), Caleb Greving (12), Jack McLarty (11), Drew Broege (10), Wes Samuelson (10), Payton Schnaper (10), Tyler Simpson (10)

New Additions: Charlie Lueschen (09)

Coach's Outlook: We lost quite a bit from last year's team.  This includes, 2 time state qualifier Landon Samuelson (14:50 PR) to graduation and Sam Castelli (just missed qualifying for state by 2 seconds), also to graduation.   This team will be young and it will be a growing experience throughout the season.  There is talent, and if they believe in their ability, good things can come by the end of the season.  This team will be led by Jack McLarty (my nephew).  He had a strong sophomore campaign last year, just missing an individual qualifying spot at the Lake Park Sectional by just a 1.5 seconds.  He will be looking for a different outcome this season.  

Lisle (Benet Academy)

Head Coach/Coaches: Kevin Veselik / John Duffy

Key Returners: Damian Schulz, Ben Marks, Liam Hruby, Gage Ross, Kevin DeBoni, Alex Bane, Josh Kroupa, Mason Frangella 

New Additions: Emmett Raymond, Carter Kelly

Coach's Outlook: The Benet Boys XC team is looking forward to competing this fall after a great summer of training. Juniors Ben Marks and Liam Hruby are back and ready to be key leaders, along with seniors Aaron Huang and Jeremy Konieczny. Our top runner will likely be sophomore Damian Schulz, and a strong sophomore cohort including Gage Ross, Kevin DeBoni, Alex Bane, Josh Kroupa, and Mason Frangella are eager to make their mark on the varsity level as well. We are excited about becoming a part of the Chicago Catholic League.

Addison Trail

Head Coach/Coaches: Brad Donaldson / Luis Eugenio

Key Returners: Nathan Gundersen (sr), Brayden Massett (so), Om Mistry (jr), Kenneth Delacruz (jr), Gahel Lezama (sr), Josh Ford (sr)

New Additions: Alexis Vargas (fr)

Coach's Outlook: I am really looking forward to this year, from the top end performers and their chances of competing deep into the state series to the chance to watch the younger group take on the challenge of varsity competition. The upcoming Juniors have had a great track season and summer and they are going to fun to watch as they move to the varsity level.

Oak Lawn Community

Head Coach/Coaches: Martin Chappetto / Patryk Baran, Scottie Miller

Key Returners: Jose Romero, Fabian Mercado-Alvarez, Mateusz Bolcarovic, Cody Devine, Makysm Kolodziejcyk, Aidan Viteri, Quinn Reynolds, Daniel Magana

Coach's Outlook: I'm excited the increased practice attendance and team owner ship of the process has given me confidence the times haven't clicked like in years past during workouts but effort and desire have been the best i've ever seen. They want to perform now its just allowing the process to do its job. 

Wheaton North

Head Coach/Coaches: Nathan Roe / David Christensen

Key Returners: Judah Clark, Levi Turner, Gavin Malinowski, Reid Goerzen, Nathan Carroll, Simon Botts, Sarin Hanoman

New Additions: Isaac Strnad, Sam Morrison, Jayden Cronk

Coach's Outlook: This team will take a little time to grow into roles left vacant by a strong senior class.  They have great energy and chemistry, but will need time to find their roles and adjust to moving up the chain.  They have been very consistent this summer and are heading into the season healthy.  As always, we look to be our best in October and November, so we may take a few lumps early on.  We are very excited about the present and future, as we have a large freshman class who are eager and seem committed. 

Joliet West

Head Coach/Coaches: Mike Brower / Tony Kochev, Alex Bartkowiak

Key Returners: Logan Hudson (Jr.), J.P. Lange (Jr.), David Meza (Jr.), Keane Newman (Jr.), Carl Slick (Jr.), Luis Islas (So.), Emiliano Vieyra (So.)

New Additions: Julyan Tamayo (So.), Daniel Lizardi (Jr.), Cristian Herrera (Fr.)

Unexpected Losses: Casey Koerner (Sr.), Lucas Houlihan (Jr.)

Coach's Outlook: Our summer can be described in 2 words: Better Together. Our rising varsity crew had success at the fresh/soph level and are excited to get on the horse this season as varsity athletes, eager to dare, learn, and explore. Our junior class takes pride in their work and building one another up, returning 7 sub-5 1600m athletes from their class alone. We as a coaching staff are excited and grateful to get to work with this group daily.

Park Ridge (Maine South)

Head Coach/Coaches: Dave Fermanich / Luke Burkum, Tom d'Ambrosio

Key Returners: Collin Frye (sr), Gavin Cook (sr), Lucus Runtz (sr), Alex Czerwionka (sr), Brendan Tremblay(sr), Nathan Looby (jr), Billy Kotty (jr), Avi Mirani (so), Lukas Klindera (so), Ethan Lewis (so)

New Additions: Evan Mason (fr), Magnus Babicki (so)

Coach's Outlook: We are excited about this year's group. Summer training has gone well, and we have had good numbers and strong commitment from our athletes. We have a nice mix of returning experience and younger runners who are looking to make an impact. I expect our varsity lineup to evolve throughout the season as athletes continue to improve and compete for those top spots. Our focus right now is on continuing to build our fitness, developing our pack, and making sure we are running our best when we get to the postseason. 

Burlington Central

Head Coach/Coaches: Daniel Morgan / Anthony Farmer

Key Returners: Brandon Pflug, Danny Burke, Charlie Rohde, Dane Walikonis, Bryce Haacker, Caden Murray, Bradley Lesatz, Robert Newby, Zach Fry, Rahil Patel

New Additions: Gavin Etters

Coach's Outlook: We had a good summer training session with consistent groups meeting starting in June. We have a lot of returners and a large incoming freshmen class. We are excited to see the growth this team is capable of and will be focusing on personal records throughout the season. We have 4 returning athletes from our top 7 last year and are looking to see who will step up to replace those seniors that graduated. 

Minooka

Head Coach/Coaches: Kevin Gummerson / Matt Clark, Jessica Hopkins, Leslie Hencinski, Ashley Tutt, Matt Thomas, Dan Schalk

Key Returners: Ryan Resar, Nathan Janulis, Cayson Traxler, Joshua Reece, Sammy Kies, Jackson Joachim, Carter Zemaitis, Gavin Ziech, Jordi Caballero

New Additions: Lucas Houlihan

Coach's Outlook: I am really excited to see what this team can do this fall. It has been a few years since we have toed the line as a team at Detweiller in November. This group wants to do just that. Over the summer, I always look for a group of athletes that are willing to do the things needed to earn a spot on the line. This group has done their homework as far as that goes. The next step is going out there and getting that work to transfer to success on the course. We have lost a lot to graduation, but the excitement of this next group has been fun to see. We will learn a lot in September as we have an awfully competitive schedule

Chicago (Brother Rice)

Head Coach/Coaches: Tom Wazio / Dan Dwyer

Key Returners: Dylan Cody (Sr), Kieran McGarry (Jr), Wyatt Cosme (Jr), Charlie Cushing (So), Aiden Krofta (So), Nick Ramirez (So)

New Additions: Lucas Paolicchi (Fr), Noah Vazquez (Fr). 

Coach's Outlook: This team will not be as strong as teams from the previous 4 years. We will only have 1 senior in top 7. I expect 1st yr XC runner Charlie Cushing (So) to be our top runner. We will use this season to work on getting everyone to learn & understand consistent hard work & develop the habits of a successful XC team.

South Elgin

Head Coach/Coaches: Kari Turcan / Gavin Dillehay

Key Returners: Micah Lindsey, Adrian Benedetto, Kaysen Parker, Jake Slowinski, Shan Alam, Ethan Chmielak, Jacob Przywara, Ian McFadden, Justin Schueman

New Additions: Caedmon Engelkemeir, Christopher Perez, Maddox Speidel

Coach's Outlook: This season’s team is one of our smallest in recent years, likely in part due to district redistricting, but the group we have brings a lot of potential and a strong desire to compete. Our summer running is already paying dividends, as the athletes who consistently trained with us during camp are currently leading the group. Micah Lindsey, Adrian Benedetto, Kaysen Parker, Jake Slowinski, Caedmon Engelkemeir, Shan Alam, Ethan Chmielak, Jacob Przywara, Ian McFadden, and Justin Schueman are all in the mix for a spot in the top seven. Kaysen Parker and Jake Slowinski, now juniors, have put together strong summers and are ready to make the jump to the varsity level, while Caedmon Engelkemeir, a track athlete running cross country for the first time, adds another potential varsity contributor. Freshman Christopher Perez and sophomore Maddox Speidel could also develop into contributors as the season progresses. Although we graduated much of last year’s team, the group returning from last year’s sophomore squad now has the opportunity to translate that success to the varsity level. We want to qualify for sectionals as a team and improve significantly on our varsity conference finish from recent years. Most importantly, we want people watching us race to notice the fire and competitiveness of this group, especially in the way they attack workouts and compete for each other.