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2014 DyeStat IL XC Season Individuals Previews – 3A BoysPublished by
Reiser, Dale could be among the nation’s best
By Michael Newman
It could be a great year for individual running up front in 3A. Jesse Reiser and Zach Dale enter this campaign as two of the top runners in the nation. Both runners have the same personality refusing to budge an inch to give up the lead. Maybe we should call that a winner’s mentality. There are ten runners that could separate themselves from the rest of the 3A runners this season. After that, there could be a drop off. Last season, there were 22 runners that were 15 minutes or faster. This year, there could be fewer.
Here is a look at some of the top 3A Boys runners for the upcoming cross country season in Illinois.
3A Boys Individual Runners (In Alphabetical Order)
Tom Brennan – JR – Orland Park Sandburg - Tom finished 42nd in last year’s 3A state meet. He ran a 1:56on the team’s 4x8 relay that finished second in the 3A state meet. He should be one of the top runners on Sandburg’s team that hopes to bring home a state championship. “Tommy Brennan is one of the toughest competitors you’ll find. That guy is blue collar and is completely selfless,” said his coach John O’Malley. “He understands the team mentality that he blends with a desire to be a dependable front runner. He is one of the most positive-thinking people I’ve ever been around. He respects competition so much that he thrives in it. Tommy is rock solid. I’m counting on his toughness this season. His track numbers were strong: 1:56, 4:27, 9:46. He didn’t get a chance to run the mile in May and his 3200 time was in only one attempt at the distance.”
Graham Brown – SR – Palatine - Graham earned all-state honors last year when he finished 8th in the 3A state meet running 14:41. H survived a rocky track season missing some of it due to mononucleosis. He still did qualify for the stet meet in the 1600 running 4:19.51. This could be the year for Brown as he should be one of the top runners in Illinois. “Graham is always driven. No extra. He is an intense competitor who always has a chip on his shoulder. After watching Reiser, Clevenger, and Dale get what they deserved for their hard work in track, he surely wants to prove that he belongs with those three. Getting mono in late March basically ended his track season, but I was proud to see him come back and run 4:19 and qualify to state,” said Chris Quick. “The humility of that experience will serve him well, and I am happy to report that he is running unparalleled threshold workouts for our program. The summer started off slowly as we allowed him to recover, but that's not all bad. He wants to race into December and we have paced our efforts as such. Don't publish these numbers, but in our biweekly threshold runs on the track over the last 8 weeks he has gone 15:36, 15:12, 20:50, 20:16. We'll be moving on to five mile thresholds on the road next. We are both conceiving of this season the way that Finley and I did: find out the best way to train him, experiment to find the race plan that works best at Detweiller, then execute it in the state final. No focus on anyone else. Just us getting him to 14:15 or better.”
Kyle Cepeda – SR – Wheaton-Warrenville South - Kyle finished 33rd at last year’s state meet running 15:08. Earlier in the year, he ran 14:55 at the Richard Spring Invitational. He qualified for the state track meet in the 3200 running 9:28.26. He finished 14th in the state finals. He ran in the shadows of Nolan McKenna and Luke Schroer last season, he should be in the spotlight this fall. He does have the talent and potential to finish in the top 20.
Paul Christian – SR – Glen Ellyn Glenbard West - Paul finished 47th at last year’s 3A state meet running 15:15. He has a PR of 9:41.24 for the 3200. “Paul had a couple injuries in track that he has recovered from,” said his coach Kyle Nugent. “He has had a good summer and the goal is to finish better than last year.”
Ryan Clevenger – Downers Grove North - Ryan earned all-state honors when he finished 7th in the 3A State Meet running 14:38. He followed that up finishing 10th the following week at the NXN Regional meet. He has already run 14:45 in July at Detweiller at Dark. He was on his team’s 4x8 relay that finished 8th in the 3A state meet. He ran 4:11.20 to finish 3rd later in the day in the 1600. He also achieved a PR of 9:07.22 in the 1600. His junior year was fantastic as he emerged as one of the top runners in the state. “I think that Ryan was able to learn a lot about controlling your emotions in preparation for a race and racing with supreme confidence,” said John Sipple. “Additionally, Ryan witnessed firsthand what it takes to be great and the amount of time/work/effort that must be put in outside of normal practice time, he started to live the lifestyle of a truly committed runner. Starting the middle of his sophomore year (and it continued to grow from their) he has really taken it upon himself to do all of the extra little things – diet, extra strength/core, sleep, etc. that it takes to be an elite runner.”
Zach Dale – SR – Hoffman Estates Conant - Zach earned all-state honors last year at the 3A state meet when he finished 4th running 14:31. He came back the following week to finish 11th at the NXN Midwest Regional. Dale had a breakout track season when he was all state in the 3200 finishing 3rd in the 3200. He came back to finish 4th in the 1600 with a PR 4:11.28. 5 days later, he ran 4:09.96 to finish 7th in the Festival of Miles. One week later, he finished third at the New Balance Nationals 5000 Meter Run 14:29.95. He ran a PR of 8:56.35 at the Arcadia Invitational in April. He has emerged as one of the top runners in the country and will challenge for the state championship this November. His coach John Powers said of Dale: “Zach is obviously a huge talent. He has impressed me with his ability to continually improve a lot every season. The thought of where he stood in the State I think was pretty solid early on. That’s one of the benefits of the 3 class system, there really aren’t any surprises out there like there used to be. Illinois is a big state and we only had two classes, and not such a strong internet presence, guys could hide or not really be well known until you got to Detweiller. Now, there’s not much guess work, you pretty much know who you’re up against every week. We added a meet to our schedule last year just for him, the Wauconda Invite. We knew Reiser and McKenna would be there and that would be his early season test. Those two beat him pretty soundly and it helped to refocus him for the second half of the season. When he handled Zac Smith and one of the Hoefferts and broke Derrick’s course record at Minooka his confidence really took off. He broke Jager’s course record the next week at the Bartlett invite and I couldn’t see anyone in the MSL touching him. Graham Brown was running well but I felt like Zach had surpassed him in track the spring before. Prior to the Sectional we talked a lot about the fact that he didn’t have to beat Reiser that week but rather the next week. When Jesse took off with about 800 to go Zach only halfheartedly covered his move to keep something in the tank for the next week. Nationally I’m not sure either one of us really had a feel for it until Arcadia. He ran foot locker in cross and the regional didn’t go so well. When he showed the sub 9 ability then we knew he was something on the National scene.
Blake Evertsen – SO – Hinsdale Central - Blake finished 29th last year at the 3A state meet running 15:06. He ran PR’s of 9:43.18 in the 3200 and 4:25.88. He will be one of the top sophomores in the state this year and one of the leaders of a Hinsdale Central team that will try to repeat their state team championship. He has the potential to be in the top 15 this season. “Blake’s training has jumped a level,” said Jim Westphal. “He has been very smart and methodical about volume, intensity, and approach. He is a very gifted athlete and an incredibly hard worker. More importantly, he is a great teammate. He always puts his team first and is more concerned about the program rather than individual accomplishments. He has high expectations for himself and is very excited for the upcoming season.”
Sal Flight – SR – Oak Park Fenwick - Sal finished 139th in last year’s 3A state meet running 15:51. He ran 15:14 earlier in the season at the Peoria Central Invitational. He was all-state this spring in the 1600 running 4:22.88 to finish 4th. The state race last spring should give him confidence heading into this season. He has the talent to finish in the top 25 in the 3A meet this November.
Dorrian Gordon – SR – O’Fallon - Dorrian earned all-state honors last year at the 3A state meet finishing 11th running 14:46. He qualified for the 3A state meet in the 1600 running 4:18.27. He missed qualifying for the finals by one place. He also achieved a 1:57.00 PR in the 800. He should establish himself as one of the top runners in the state this fall. “Dorrian Gordon is one of the elite runners in the state. For the last three seasons, he has been in the shadows of Alex Riba and Patrick Perrier,” said O’Fallon Coach Jon Burnett. “Now, he is ready to make a name for himself. Dorrian quietly won the individual titles at the Granite City Invitational and the IHSA Regional. He also took 2nd place at the Sectional last fall before placing 11th at State. As amazing as some of his times were, Dorrian was disappointed with some of his performances last spring. His training this summer has reflected his determination to improve on his past performances. He is the quiet leader of the team. Other team members respect his work ethic and his humble demeanor. He has done a good job of trying to involve his teammates with his training.”
Brydon Groves-Scott – SR – Edwardsville - Brydon earned all-state honors last year at the 3A state meet when he finished 23rd running 15:01. He qualified for state in the 3200 running 9:32.89. He will challenge Dorrian Gordon as one of the top runners in southern Illinois. He will again be the top runner for Edwardsville. “Brydon was also able to qualify for state in the 3200 this spring,” said his coach George Patrylak, “even after enduring a severe ankle sprain that kept him out for over two weeks.”
Kerry Gschwendtner – SR – Naperville North - Kerry finished 35h at last year’s 3A state meet running 15:08. He qualified for the 3A state track meet. His PR in the 1600 was 4:20.58. The 1600’s at the end of the year should give him confidence heading into the 2014 cross country season. “Kerry should also have a great senior xc season,” said his coach David Racey. “Had a really good track season running 4:20 with zero winter running due to injury from XC. Was able to train consistently throughout the summer. With Klaiber pushing him Kerry will be running great in November.”
Connor Horn – JR – Naperville Neuqua Valley - Connor did not run in the 2013 cross country season due to injury. He was part of his team’s state championship team in the 4x8 relay last spring. He also qualified for the 1600 running 4:18.20. He also for the 1600 his freshman season. Is fully healthy after missing the entire 2013 cross country season due to a stress fracture. He could be a top 20 runner in the state this fall. “Connor Horn is looking very good. I have him swimming on at least one recovery day each week just to make sure he stays healthy,” said his coach Paul Vandersteen.
Pavlo Hutsalyuk – SR – Chicago Lane Tech - Pavlo finished 57th last year at the 3A state meet running 15:20. He ran 15:08 at the Richard Spring Invitational earlier in the year. He was part of his team’s 7th place team at the 3A state meet and sixth place at the New Balance National Meet where he anchored his team with a 1:49.9 split. He also ran PR’s of 9:29.08 and 4:17.85. He steps into the role as the #1 runner for Lane Tech. He has the potential to be in the top 25 at the state meet this fall. “We have big plans for Pavlo for track,” said his coach Kris Roof. “In the meantime, we expect Pavlo to take a major step forward and put himself among the elite runners this fall. Although he is a primarily a middle-distance runner, he is underrated because he is an unselfish runner who would rather help his teammates in a relay. We know the potential is there after running the 3200 in 9:29 in mid-April.”
Peter Johnsrud – SR – Oswego - Peter finished 40th last year in the 3A state meet running 15:11. He qualified for the 3A state track meet in the 3200 running 9:24.33. He could be one of the most underrated runners in the state. He should step on the center stage to be among the elite at Detweiller Park. “This past track season, our goal going in was too build self-confidence, something he admitted he was lacking during his junior cross country season,” said his coach Dan Whipple. “I felt that was improved upon and was most successful at the Track Sectional Meet you observed. His resolve faltered a bit at the State meet and missed out on an opportunity provided by early racing and less heat, but none the less, the lesson was learned. He has some high goals this fall and more importantly has his team foremost on his mind in those goals. Individually, he has learned a lot and will continue to do so in order to put himself in a place to help the team when it matters most. Peter has really stepped up as a leader as well as his personal ferocity when he is running. He is training well and is very fit. I am excited to see how things unfold.”
Tommy Kolacki – SR – New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central - Tommy finished 49th in last year’s 3A state meet running 15:17. He qualified for the 3A state meet in the 1600 running 4:22.90. He also has a PR of 9:42.76 in the 3200. Steps into the #1 spot for the Knights this season. He could finish 25 or better at this year’s state meet. “Tommy Kolacki is one of the most dedicated runners I have coached. He is very motivated to do his very best in both workouts and races,” said his coach John Taylor. “He takes care of the little things outside of practice in order to be prepared for the level of intensity needed to succeed.”
Jon Klaiber – SR – Naperville North - Jon finished 80th in last year’s 3A state meet running 15:30. He has already run 15:05 this July at Detweiller at Dark. He ran PR’s of 9:32.99 for the 3200 and 4:33.95 in the 1600. Klaiber improved his PR by 28 seconds in the 3200 in the last year. He could be one of the bigger surprises on the state level this fall. “Jon has made huge improvements,” said David Racey, “He went from 10:00 in the 3200 to 9:32 as a junior. He is at a much higher level than that based on his summer fitness test at Detweiller at Dark. Jon thrives on higher mileage and should continue that improvement throughout the XC season.”
Irwin Loud – SO – Oak Park-River Forest - Irwin did not qualify for the state meet his freshman year. He did run a PR 9:34.08 to finish 3rd at the St. Ignatius Track Sectional last spring. He also has a PR of 4:37.9 for the 1600. There was dramatic improvement between cross country and track last year. He will be the top runner for the Huskies this fall. “Irwin continues to improve, and we are expecting some great things from him this season,” said his coach Jose Sosa. “Although he is only a sophomore he has taken over the leadership of this team along with Noah Deck. They both were very committed to the team and the summer running program.”
Kyle Maloney – SR – Chicago Jones College Prep - Kyle finished 50th last year in the 2A state meet running 15:47. He has a PR of 4:22.18 that he ran his sophomore year. He ran 4:22.56 last spring. He should bounce back to have a good senior year in 3A. “Kyle is obviously a very special runner in terms of his talent level,” said his coach Andrew Adelmann. “He had a rough year last year, but I'm confident he will rebound nicely this fall.”
Henry Mierzwa – SR – Park Ridge Maine South - Henry finished 58th at last year’s 3A state meet running 15:21. He qualified for state in the 1600 running 4:19.25. He should improve in his second season of cross country. He has the potential of being in the top 20 at this season’s state meet.
Matt Pereira – SO – Lake Zurich - Matt finished 69th last year at the 3A state meet running 15:25. He was all-state in the 3200 finishing 8th. His PR for the 3200 is 9:12.66. He was second in the Wisco mile 10 days after the state meet running 4:15.36 for a full mile. He ran an incredible double at his sectional meet: 9:12/4:16 at sectionals. I am shocked that this runner does not get the credit that he deserves. He could be one of the top five runners this fall. “Pereira is as good as they come, and despite his great track season, most people don’t know how good he really is,” said his coach JB Hanson.
Matt Plowman – SR – Elmhurst York - Matt finished 38th at last year’s 3A state meet running 15:10. He ran 14:47 earlier in the year at the Richard Spring Invitational. He was all-state in the 800 Meter run finishing 5th. His PR for the event is 1:54.27. Five days after the state track meet, he finished sixth in the Festival of Miles running 4:09.13 for the full mile. The success of his track season could catapult him to some great things on the cross country course this fall. He is a bulldog on the track hating to lose. Off the track, he is the most respectful young man that you would like to meet. He is nicknamed “The Alamo” by his Coach Joe Newton.
Jesse Reiser – SR – McHenry - Jesse earned all-state honors last year at the 3A state meet finishing 2nd running 14:22. He qualified for both national cross country meets last fall. He finished 13th earning All-American Honors at the NXN National Meet. He finished 33rd the following week at the Foot Locker Nationals. Jesse finished 7th in the 3A state meet his sophomore year running 14:33. He was the state champion in the 3A 3200 Meter Run last spring. He finished 7th in the 1600 Meter Run. He was all-state his sophomore year in the 3A 3200 finishing 7th running 9:05.40. Last spring, he ran PR’s of 8:54.31 at the Arcadia Invitational in California. His PR of 4:09.50 in the 1600 was run at a triangular meet last May. The turning point of last year was at the Palatine Invitational where he was outkicked by York’s Alex Bashqawai for the championship. He gained more confidence after his national races where he believed he could run with anyone. He ran 2:03 in the last 800 to win the 3200 state title. He is the fastest returnee at Detweiller heading into this season. Will be one of the elite runners in the country. “Jesse learned to be more patient. He does all the "little things" in order to get better and this summer we have been in the weight room more often,” said his Coach Beth Czubik.
David Rodriguez – SR – Arlington Heights Hersey - David earned all-state honors in last year’s 3A state meet finishing 18th running 14:57. He ran 14:40 earlier in the year at the Richard Spring Invitational. He has PR’s of 9:19, 4:21, 1:56. David was on his team’s 4x8 relay that qualified for the 3A state meet. “We are looking for David to have a consistent season. He really should be a top 10 kid in the state and on his best day contend for top 5,” said his coach Jay Renaud. “He's put in some more quality work this summer and is looking really good.”
Kevin Salvano – JR – Buffalo Grove - Kevin earned all-state honors last year in the 3A state meet finishing 20th running 14:59. He qualified for the 3200 in the 3A state meet last spring. His PR’s are 9:24.2 for the 3200 and 4:29.1 in the 1600. Kevin will be one of the reasons why Buffalo Grove will contend for a state title. He has the potential to place in the top ten at this fall’s state cross country meet. His coach Zach Crandall said about Kevin: “Kevin is one of those unique athletes that is singularly motivated to tap his true potential. Not only does he know that he can be a truly great runner, but he understands the tremendous amount of work that it takes to reach the lofty goals that he has set for himself. Kevin researches and understands the sport as well as any runner that I have ever coached. It is very rewarding to know as a coach that Kevin will get the absolute most out of every single workout in which he participates. The greatest thing about Kevin is that he is a solid leader. In my experience, too often, front-runners like Kevin have a tendency to lose sight of their team and instead focus solely on themselves and their individual performances. Kevin always keeps his focus on the team and is willing to do what is necessary for the entire team to be more successful. He is great at keeping the guys motivated and focused on their goals. This team is the most dedicated group of runners that I have coached over the past 9 years and I truly believe that much of the credit for this team’s dedication belongs to Kevin and his consistent focus and leadership. I have coached Kevin since he began coming to the BG summer camp as a middle-schooler and it has been great getting to see Kevin develop into the excellent runner and the mature young man that he is today. I am incredibly excited to see how far Kevin can go.
Dan Santino – JR – Chicago St. Ignatius Prep - Dan finished 103rd in last year’s 3A state meet running 15:38. He ran 15:00 earlier in the year at the FTTF Invitational. He has PR’s of 9:27.27 for the 3200 and 4:25.23. Dan did not run his best race of the year last fall at state. He will be one of the top runners again for St. Ignatius. “After his great freshmen year, Dan did not improve as a sophomore (15:01, 9:27) as much as he expected and hoped—so he is due for a big year,” said his coach Ed Ernst. “We think he is ready for a big breakthrough.”
Keagan Smith – JR – Huntley - Keagan earned all-state honors at last year’s state meet finishing 16th running 14:55. He qualified for the 3A state meet running 4:21.13 in his sectional. Also has a PR of 9:25.36 in the 3200. He flew under the radar most of last year, onlookers will see how good he can be this fall. “Last year was a breakout season for Keagan Smith,” said his coach Matthew Kaplan. “He became the first runner in school history to earn all-state honors in cross country. He had an amazing track season with efforts of 9:25/4:21 and another trip to state. Keagan took some time at the beginning of the summer to recover from his sophomore year. Recently he has begun to put in the mileage to gear up for another season. Keagan's goal for this season is to help his team make the state meet. As a coach, I couldn't be more pleased with his attitude about team success. Keagan has plenty of experience competing and finding success at the big meets and this year should be no different.”
Joseph Suarez – SR – Plainfield East - Joseph finished 52nd at last year’s 3A state meet running 15:8. He ran 14:49 at the Richard Spring Invitational earlier in the year. He was all-state his sophomore year finishing 19th running 14:44. He qualified for the 3A state meet last spring in the 3200 Meter Run at his sectional meet running 9:12.24. He has a PR of 4:22.55 in the 1600. “Joseph is recovering from some foot issues during track season so he won't be competing immediately,” said his coach Richard Gatz. “I expect a full recovery by the halfway point in the season and I expect him to be stronger than ever by mid-October. He fully intends on earning All-State honors like he did as a sophomore.”
Christian Swenson – SR – Wilmette Loyola Academy - Christian finished 28th at last year’s 3A state meet running 15:05. He qualified for the 3A state meet in the 3200 running 9:23.34. He stepped up last year to develop into a potential all-state runner this fall. “Christian Swenson has developed the speed of a miler over the last year to complement his aerobic strength. He now is capable of closing races in the last 300 meters,” said his coach Dan Seeberg. “A very tough, very confident runner who performs best in big races.”
Grant von der Lippe – SR – Arlington Heights Hersey - Grant finished 99th in last year’s 3A state meet running 15:36. He ran 15:24 at the Richard Spring Invitational earlier in the year. His PR’s are 9:29.43 for 3200, 4:25.83 for 1600. He could be one of the most improved runners in the state. “Grant has been rock solid all summer long. The past 4-5 weeks his mileage along with David has been 70-75. He's looking fitter than ever and is someone the team is going to rely on a lot this season to keep the gap closed on Rodriguez. He's never been all-state so that is his 1st goal but I know he wants to try and crack the top 15.
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