We breakdown the top 25 teams in the classification. We see a few new young squads make the jump into the top rankings, while also seeing a few established teams return to the top.
25. Princeville
Head Coach: Jeremy Melick
Last Year's Finish: 8th @ 1A Elmwood Sectional
Key Returners: Tucker Stennett (Sr.), Matthew Bowers (Sr.), Taylor Hess (Jr.), Collin Bowers (So.), Jacob Bosch (So.), Elliott Walles (So.), Luke Graham (Sr.), Elijah Menold (Sr.), Austin Carruthers (Sr.), Ezra Blair (So.) New Additions: Hunter Keyster (Fr.)
Coach Melick's Outlook: I’m excited for this upcoming season and a lot of that has to do with what I perceive to be excitement amongst the boys. I think they have set some team goals for themselves--qualifying for State, winning conference--and they understand that just hoping for those things to happen isn’t enough. They are putting in the work more consistently and with more effort than they have in past years. They have been encouraging and motivating each other, which has to happen because having just one guy performing at a high level isn’t enough to get a team to advance. We will need as many of them as possible on the same page regarding commitment and consistency.
24. Glen Carbon (Father McGivney)
Head Coach: James Helton
Last Year's Finish: 8th @ 1A Benton Sectional
Key Returners: Liam Schmidt (Jr.), Levi Huber (Sr.), Connor Schmidt (Jr.), Liam Boeving (Sr.), Aidan Schmidt (Jr.), Gus Range (So.), Jackson Ehrman (Jr.)
Carson's Outlook: The Griffins return their entire top five from last year and look to return to Detweiller with a young but experienced group. Four members of this team were part of the schools teams that qualified back in 2022 for the state meet. Junior Liam Schmidt leads the charge after a great track season where he qualified to state in the 1600m and 4x800m. A total of 4 Griffins return from last year that broke 5:00 in the 1600m during the track season. The pack of Liam Boeving, Connor Schmidt, and Levi Huber will all challenge the 17:00 barrier this fall.
23. Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy)
Head Coach: Steven Bland
Last Year's Finish: 11th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Luca Bryja (Jr.), Tyler Linta (Jr.), Lucas Pagan (So.), Caleb Gonzalez (Jr.), Jack Welsh (Jr.)
Key Newcomers: Ezra Gonzalez (Fr.), Immanuel Nunez (Fr.), Gus Berry (Fr.), AJ Gomez (Fr.), Jeremy Potter (Fr.)
Coach Bland's Outlook: Bryja should be our number 1 runner; he should be running towards the front in the meets we have him running hard in. The next 4 should be solid and tight with 6-7 following closely.
22. Roxana
Head Coach/Coaches: Ben Scamihorn / Juli Akal
Last Year's Finish: 27th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Runners: Wyatt Doyle (Sr.), Noah McVey (Sr.), Anthony Hardin (Jr.), Noah Crump (So.), Easton Johnston (So.), Noah Smith (Jr.), AJ Shields (Sr.), Talon Blas (Sr.), Maurice Sparks (Sr.), Josh Ervin (So.)
Coach Scamihorn's Outlook: We have a large group of seniors and some really solid juniors and sophomores who will be competing for a top 7 spot as well. The boys have really bought into the process and are running more consistently than they ever have. We had success last fall which carried over into this spring for track. These boys push each other every day and I wouldn’t be surprised if many of them had big breakthroughs this fall. I could see this being a very good year for our boys program if everyone stays healthy.
21. Toledo (Cumberland)
Head Coach: Jim Miller
Last Year's Finish: 12th @ 1A Decatur St. Teresa Sectional
Key Returners: Cameron Roedl (So.), Riley Morgan (Sr.), Kaleb Bierman (Jr.), Kade Bradley (Jr.), Sawyer Wellbaum (Jr.), Cole Margenthaler (Jr.)
New Additions: Aydan Oakley (Fr.), Gavin Whitaker (Fr.)
Carson's Outlook: This young group looks to return the Pirates back to the level that it achieved back in the early 2000s where they qualified for state multiple years in a row and even won a 2nd place trophy. The last time this team ran at the state meet was back in 2018. They are led by sophomore Cameron Roedl enters the season with expierence running at the state meet as a freshman. He placed 58th last year and could be pushing for an all-state position this year. Kaleb Bierman and Riley Morgan both had great track seasons. Bierman split 2:02 on the 4x800m and ran 52.76 in the open 400m. Morgan ran an impressive 10:27 in the 3200m. Both will be running in the low 16:00s this fall. This group will really bank on the development of incoming freshman Aydan Oakley and Gavin Whitaker who ran 5:07 and 5:12 respectively in the 1600m in Middle School.
20. Decatur (St. Teresa)
Head Coach/Coaches: Todd Vohland / Leslie Hein and Deron Molen
Last Year's Finish: 19th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Evan Cook (Sr.), Matt Auburn (Sr.), Nathaniel Babcock (Sr.), Andrew Larry (So.)
New Additions: Paul Candelaria (Sr.)
Coach Vohland's Outlook: Must stay healthy, if we do then we have a chance our goals of seeing if we can get back to state as a team.
19. Lombard (Montini)
Head Coach/Coaches: Eric Brechtel / Alex Zasso
Last Year's Finish: 18th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Nolan Ferris (Sr.), Nino Pesola (So.), Conor Kaefer (Sr.), Gavin Conway (So.), Owen Ferris (So.), Adriel Garcia (So.), Andrew Vreeland (So.), Sean Buckely (Jr.), Graham Reiser (So.)
Key Additions: Kevin Barrett (Fr.)
Coach Brechtel's Outlook: We return most of our top guys from last season and they have had really strong summers. We have been working extremely hard on the little things this offseason to try and maximize the talent we have on the roster. This is probably the deepest roster that I have had talent wise since I have been at Montini. If we continue to focus on the little things we could have a special fall.
18. El Paso-Gridley
Head Coach/Coaches: Michael Melick / Jacob Ludy
Last Year's Finish: 14th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Drew Cooper (Jr.), Israel Nowark (Jr.), Pierson Romersberger (Sr.), Isaac Porzelius (Sr.), Elijah Webster (So.), Jack Gramm (Jr.), Eli Kibler (Jr.), Roman Wenger (So.)
Key Newcomers: Luke Hinthorne (Fr.), Finn Zeller (Fr.), Weston Hodel (Fr.)
Coach Melick's Outlook: Many on this crew are coming off a JH State Championship, so the attitude of excellence is already there. My challenge will be maintaining the confidence they gained from proving themselves the best in the state with now being 14 year olds competing against 18 year olds. We look forward to building the character of discipline with the joy of running and letting that focus take us where it may.
17. Clinton
Head Coach/Coaches: Rachel Lyons and Leanna Sosamon / Ethan O'Daniell
Last Year's Finish: 23rd @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Talan Thrasher (Sr.), Colin Jameson (Sr.), Abel Koritz (Jr.), Justin Droke (So.), Nolan Rhoades (Jr.)
New Additions: Brockton Sumner (Fr.), Cayden Bostic (Fr.), Joe Taylor (Fr.), Shawn Ferguson (Fr.), Brayden Dalton (Fr.)
Coach Lyons' Outlook: The outlook for Clinton’s Boys Cross Country team is bright for this season! Led by seniors Talan Thrasher & Colin Jameson, this summer has yielding the greatest commitment to consistency for the team in history. Additionally, with Coach Ben Barth leading the junior high program and instilling a love of running in our athletes, the high school team has the largest number of incoming freshman to date. We sincerely can not wait to watch these boys race and see what they will accomplish.
16. Herscher
Head Coach: Rob Grosso
Last Year's Finish: 17th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Jackson Kruse (So.), Brayden Shepard (Sr.), Jeremy Szepelak (Jr.), Matthew Benoit (Sr.), Joshua Thorson (Sr.), Brycen Steffen (Jr.)
New Additions: Jameson Warner (Fr.)
Carson's Outlook: The Tigers over the last few years have started cementing themselves as a mainstay at the state meet as they have qualified for 4 ourt of the last 6 state meets. This group returns 6 members of their state meet 7 from last fall. Jackson Kruse returns as the top runner on this squad. He took 67th last November as a freshman. Brayden Shepard, Jeremy Szepelak, Matthew Benoit, and Jameson Warner look to pack it together for this team. They will need to keep that split to within 15 seconds of each other in order to see this group flourish throughout the season.
15. Tolono Unity
Head Coach: Nicole Bagwell
Last Year's Finish: 25th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Camden Fairbanks (Jr.), Eli Crowe (Jr.), Collin Graven (Jr.), Ryan Akers (Jr.), Carter Tiemann (Jr.), Alex Mowrer (Sr.)
New Additions: Carter Schmid (Fr.)
Carson's Outlook: The Rockets returned last year to the state meet after a 4 year drought. This year they look to take their next step forward as they attempt to return to their mid 2010s form. This squad will be led by the duo of Camden Fairbanks and Eli Crowe who are coming off great track seasons for both runners. They look like they will be challenging for all-state positions come November. Collin Graven also had a great track season that saw him run 4:40 in the 1600m. He should challenge 16:00 this fall. If this group wants to take the next step towards being a top 10 team in the state then the key will be getting their 4th and 5th runners to be
14. Urbana University
Head Coach: Kyle Hummel
Last Year's Finish: 8th @ 1A Decatur St. Teresa Sectional
Key Returners: Peter Duursma (Sr.), Ross Kimme (Sr.), Bruce Tang (Sr.), Henry Wang (Sr.), Felix Lee (Sr.), Luke Fahnestock (Sr.), Enrico Duursma (Jr.), Will Miller (Jr.), Kyle Fan (Jr.)
Carson's Outlook: Its been 5 years since the Illineks have qualifed for the cross country state meet. This year seems to be year that this streak can be broken. Ross Kimme and Peter Duursma looks to be the duo to lead this group this season. Kimme had a great track season where he ran 4:39 in the 1600m and 10:15 in the 3200m. Bruce Tanh and Henry Wang look to be this squads 3rd and 4th runners. Both will look to be in the low 16:00s. They will need their 5th to join those two if they wish to be a top 10 team this fall.
13. Tuscola
Head Coach: Neal Garrison
Last Year's Finish: 1st @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Blake McLeese (Jr.), Xander Neamtu (Sr.), David Hornaday (Sr.), Boyd Brewer (Jr.), James Jonas (Jr.), Aaron Hegarty (Sr.), Kade Wilcox (Sr.), Jaxsyn Taylor (So.)
Carson's Outlook: The Warriors had a magical 2023 cross country season that saw them take home their first tstae championship in school history. This is year 3 with legendary coach Neal Garrison at the helm expect this team to shoot up the rankings this year. This group is led by their top returner from last season, Blake McLeese who should be challenging for a top 5 finish in November. Xander Nmeatu had a rough finish to his season last fall, but will be a runner to watch for as he will challenge to be all-state in Peoria. This group needs their 3-5 to develop and run in the mid 16:00s if they wish to be a top 10 team in the classification.
12. Eureka
Head Coach/Coaches: Olivia Morris / Matt O'Hanlon, Tom Engelhorn, Kellen Ehrenhardt, Kurt Hinrichsen
Last Year's Finish: 5th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Tucker Hinkle (Sr.), Tim Rogers (Jr.), Connell Roth (Jr.), Gavin Stalter (Jr.), Landon Wurmnuest (So.), Orion Mahannah (Jr.)
New Additions: Davin Dingledine (Fr.)
Coach Morris' Outlook: Our summer was consistent, we did our best to balance work schedules and maximize our summer attendance. We lost 5 of our top 7 from last season so the guys know there are varsity spots to fill and they are working hard to make sure that those spots aren't easily filled. The motivation to earn a varsity spot is what is going to make our team better every week.
11. Pinckneyville
Head Coach: Ryan Bruns
Last Year's Finish: 10th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Landen Boman (Jr.), Christian Queen (Jr.), Landen Carter (Sr.), Jesse Winter (So.), Aiden Carter (So.), Brendan Conway (Sr.), Zach Teel (So.)
New Additions: RJ Degler (Fr.)
Carson's Outlook: The Panthers lost a major part of their team in the 2023 state runner-up Isaac Teel to graduation. This group returns with a lot of young talent from last years roster. With a projected 2 seniors in this year's lineup, this is a squad that will be gearing up for 2025. The new top dog on this looks to be Landen Boman who had a excellent sophomore track season running 9:50 in the 3200m. Rj Degler is a major addition to this group after running 4:47 in the 1600m in middle school. Maybe he can shock some people this fall. The combination of Christian Queen, Landen Carter, Jesse Winter, Aiden Carter, Brandan Conway, and Isaac Teel need to run in the mid to low 16:00s in order for this team to be within the top 10 in the classification.
10. Georgetown (de La Salette)
Head Coach: Dan Schreck
Last Year's Finish: 16th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: John Brauner (Sr.), Marco Cruz (Jr.), Daniel Sullivan (Sr.), Andrew Gross (Jr.), Joseph Mackin (Sr.), Marcel LeFevre (Sr.), Anthony Lillis (Jr.)
Coach Schreck's Outlook: This year’s season is looking good for the Lions. The runner’s have been more consistent with summer training while the training program itself has become more robust. We have 6 out of 7 runners returning to the varsity team and another 35 runners (Over 1/3 of our total student body) all competing for that seventh position. Based on the way they’ve been running this summer and the improvements they made last year, I think we’ll see times dropping and the school record of 15:59, set by Marco Cruz last year, will be broken again.
9. Rockford Christian
Head Coach/Coaches: Randy Moore / Brandy Forward
Last Year's Finish: 8th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Andrew Kurien (Sr.), Evan White (Jr.), Blake Lindberg (So), Joel White (Jr.), Julian Honeyville (Jr.), Sam Walsh (Jr.), Brendan McGongial (Jr).
Key Additions: Mason Brock (Fr.) and Colton Kortese (Fr.)
Coach Moore's Outlook: One of our program’s maxims is “Run the miles. Build the culture. Together.” This crew has really embraced that philosophy. Special things tend to happen when everyone shares the same vision and dedication. What does that mean for our individual performances and team achievements this fall? Honestly, I don’t know. We’ll try to focus on falling in love with the process and letting the results take care of themselves.
8. Elmwood
Head Coach/Coaches: Gregg Meyers / Cooper Hoffmann, Tom Gorham, Kyle Anderson, Mike Sullivan
Last Year's Finish: 3rd @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Reed Florey (Sr.), Mika Nelson (Sr.), Aiden Faulkner (Jr.), Darwin Herman (Jr.), Kam Stevenson (Jr.), Garrett Webster (Jr.)
New Additions: Cooper Brown (Fr.), Oliver Funk (Fr.), Kai Nelson (Fr.), Danny Sharp (Fr.)
Coach Meyers' Outlook: Our Team Goals are still being developed, but I think we have the potential to be a team that people are talking about at the end of the season. We have a good group of upperclassmen that all had really good track seasons and have committed to getting their miles in this summer. We also have a good group of Freshman and Sophomores that seem to have a lot of potential and who have shown a good work ethic this summer.
7. Pleasant Plains
Head Coach: Derek DeBarr
Last Year's Finish: 13th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Elijah Teefey (Jr.), Ryan Driskill (Jr.), Cole Payne (Sr.), Garrett Beebe (Sr.), Braeden Galloway (So.), Ethan Griminger (Sr.), Jacob Crater (Sr.)
Carson's Outlook: The Cardinals have been building something over the last two years and it looks as if that this will be another major step into that foundation. Elijah Teefey returns as this squads top runner. He had a great track season as he ran 9:32 in the 3200m. He will be looking to finish within the top 5 in November. Ryan Driskill is the 2nd best returner back from last season. He ran 10:03 in the 3200m this past spring and will be looking to be in the mid 15:00s this fall. Cole Payne looked great over the spring and will be challenging 16:00 this fall. This group will need to see some development out of Garrett Beebe and Braeden Galloway if they wish to move up the rankings. Both looked good over the track season and should see some great progress on the grass.
6. St. Joseph-Ogden
Head Coach/Coaches: Jason Retz / Jim Acklin, Lindsey Ideus-Ehler, Stephane Farney
Last Year's Finish: 6th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Jack Fisher (Sr.), Lance Retz (Jr.), Mason Guido (Sr.), Colin Burnett (So.), Nate Farney (So.), Joe Griebat (Sr.)
Coach Retz's Outlook: Our team is trying to take care of each day. Stack enough of those together and we'll be in a good place when the end of the season rolls around. Our team will look a lot different the 2nd Saturday in November than it does the second Saturday in August!
5. Aurora Central Catholic
Head Coach/Coaches: Troy Kerber / Leah Bohr and Larry Lillwitz
Last Year's Finish: 9th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Ben Bohr (So.), Jack Swiatek (Jr.), David Valencia (Sr.), AJ Viveros (So.), Joseph Escobedo (Sr.), Chris Ginocchio (Sr.), Reece Voller (So.), Sam Woodward (Jr.), Peter Galer (Sr.), Bryan Lopez (So.)
Key Newcomers: John Reinbold (Fr.), Cal Reinbold (Fr.)
Coach Kerber's Outlook: As a program, we are very excited about the prospects of this team as we approach the 2024 season! In this post Patrick Hilby era of our program, everyone who knows us, knows about returning state qualifier super sophomore Ben Bohr who posted a 4th place finish in the national freshman 1600 run in early June in 4:23.91. What some people don’t realize is that junior Jack Swiatek is varsity eligible and ready to roll for the Chargers. His presence in the line up in 2023 would have been a 169 point difference in our team scoring at the IHSA State meet and we would have projected from our 9th place finish to a projected 3rd or 4th! Bohr and Swaitek will be potentially one of the better 1-2 combos in 1A! David Valencia returns from a strong junior season as well as seniors Joseph Escobedo and Chris Ginocchio to go along with the young talent of A.J. Viveros, John Reinbold, and Reece Voller. Quite honestly, if certain aspects of our season go our way, we could be stronger then last year and we had a strong year in 2023!
4. Peoria Notre Dame
Head Coach: Dan Gray
Last Year's Finish: 7th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Maxwell Kirby (So.), Dax Duffy (Jr.), Boden Nosalik (Sr.), Jake Heberer (Sr.), Ben Yontz (So.), John Baker (So.), Julian Sturm (Jr.), Adam Ehrhart (Jr.), Augie Crank (So.), Joshua Stedwill (So.), Freddie Couri (So.)
New Additions: Luke Fady (Fr.)
Carson's Outlook: The Irish have qualified for the state meet for the past 5 seasons and look to keep that streak alive this season. They are led by now sophomore Maxwell Kirby who is a returning all0stater from last season. He ran 9:40 during the spring and looks like he is ready to take a big step forward this year and potentially challenge 15:00. Dax Duffy and Boden Nosalik both had great track seasons as well and look to be this teams 2nd and 3rd runners. They ran 4:38 and 4:43 respectively in the 1600m. They will be knocking at the door of 16:00. Jake Heberer was the 6th man on this team last year and will be expected to be a mainstay scorer this year as a senior. The 5th man spot seems to be up for grabs. Luke Fady will make an impact early. The freshman broke the 1A 1600m State Record this past spring with a time of 4:47. This team has a lot of talented sophomores that can easily make the jump and assume a big role on this years squad.
3. Winnebago
Head Coach/Coaches: Joe Erb and Janet Erb / Jeremy Stevens and Shawn Maher
Last Year's Finish: 12th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Nicolai Martino (Sr.), Joe Erb (Jr.), Danny Hodgdon (Jr.), Aiden Vasquez (Jr.), Blake Linder (Jr.), Hudson Pope (Jr.)
Coach Erb's Outlook: The heart of this team is made up mostly of a senior and 5 juniors. Over the course of the past couple years we have matured mentally, physically, and in our willingness to put in the work needed to be successful. I'm excited and proud of the progress these young men have made. They have set big goals and are pursuing them with the work they are putting in.
2. Niles (Northridge Prep)
Head Coach/Coaches: Julian Murphy
Last Year's Finish: 4th @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Peter Kipp (Jr.), James Barder (Sr.), John Masaka (So.), Blake Quinley (So.), Joshua Allen (So.), Ryan Holler (Jr.), Tommy Hansen (Sr.)
New Additions: Fenan Wahiela (So.)
Carson's Outlook: The Knights have become a mainstay at the state meet as they have qualified for 7 of the 8. Never in school history have they won a state trophy. This year is possibly their best chance up to this point in their schools history. The trio of Peter Kipp, John Masaka, and James Barder look to lead this team and be one of the best trios in 1A. Kipp looked great during the track season as he ran 4:33 for 1600m. Barder is the top returner from last years squad. Masaka ran 10:11 in the 3200 during the spring. All three of these runners should be in the mid 15:00s this fall. Blake Quinley showed signs of great progress this spring as he ran 4:43 for 1600m. He should be challenging 16:00. This team has a few guys battling it out for their 5th man which is a great problem to have and the competition may cause for them to really develop a great 5th man over the year.
1. Benton
Head Coach/Coaches: Brent McLain / John Kreiger
Last Year's Finish: 2nd @ IHSA 1A State
Key Returners: Gabe McLain (Sr.), Cole Buchanan (Sr.), Kaden Blades (Jr.), Seager Sanchez (Jr.), Briggs Miller (So.), Parker Johnson (Sr.)
Coach McLain's Outlook: Great summer for 4 of top 5. Kaden Blades has little bit of hip issue. Goal is to trophy again this year and have some individuals racing for an individual championship.