Photo Credit: Tom Ritter (Orland Park Patch)
Throughout this cross country season i will be releasing my top 25s of all-time of athletes, single year teams, and programs as we build towards the state championship. These releases will vary on release times as this is a bonus project compared to weekly rankings, previews, and recaps. These rankings will be solely based of the ideals of the writer Carson Vittorio. National honors is the biggest factor in this article. Only high school cross country accolades are used in determining this list.
25. Quentin Shaffer (Mt. Prospect [Prospect] '13)
PR - 14:14
Biggest Accomplishments -
2012 State Meet - 2nd Place (3A)
2012 Nike Nationals - 12th Place
24. Tim Broe (East Peoria '95)
PR - 14:22
Biggest Accomplishments -
1992 State Meet - 5th Place (AA)
1993 State Meet - 1st Place (AA)
1994 State Meet - 1st Place (AA)
1994 Foot Locker Nationals - 10th Place
23. Soren Knudsen (Minooka '17)
PR - 14:02
Biggest Accomplishments -
2015 State Meet - 11th Place (3A)
2016 State Meet - 1st Place (3A)
22. Aden Bandukwala (Hinsdale Central '24)
PR - 14:13
Biggest Accomplishments -
2022 State Meet - 1st Place (3A)
2022 Nike Nationals - 26th Place
2023 State Meet - 1st Place (3A)
2023 Nike Nationals - 35th Place
21. Dylon Nalley (Marion '24)
PR - 14:00
Biggest Accomplishments -
2020 Shazam State - 8th Place (D2)
2022 State Meet - 1st Place (2A)
2023 State Meet - 1st Place (2A)
2023 Nike Nationals - 27th Place
20. Sean McNamara (Elmhurst [York] '05)
PR - 14:29
Biggest Accomplishments -
2002 State Meet - 13th Place (AA)
2003 State Meet - 3rd Place (AA)
2004 State Meet - 1st Place (AA)
2004 Nike Nationals - 1st Place
2004 Foot Locker Nationals - 12th Place
19. Evan Jager (Algonquin [Jacobs] '07)
PR - 14:07
Biggest Accomplishments -
2004 State Meet - 6th Place (AA)
2005 State Meet - 3rd Place (AA)
2005 Foot Locker Nationals - 9th Place
2006 State Meet - 1st Place (AA)
18. Kevin Havel (Arlington Heights [Hersey] '08)
PR - 14:17
Biggest Accomplishments -
2004 State Meet - 5th Place (AA)
2005 State Meet - 4th Place (AA)
2006 State Meet - 2nd Place (AA)
2007 State Meet - 3rd Place (3A)
2007 Foot Locker Nationals - 7th Place
17. Edwardo Torres (Wheeling '99)
PR - 14:24
Biggest Accomplishments -
1995 State Meet - 11th Place (AA)
1996 State Meet - 9th Place (AA)
1996 Foot Locker Nationals - 23rd Place
1997 State Meet - 8th Place (AA)
1997 Foot Locker Nationals - 6th Place
1998 State Meet - 3rd Place (AA)
1998 Foot Locker Nationals - 6th Place
16. Troy Maddux (Peoria [Woodland] '86)
PR - 14:18
Biggest Accomplishments -
1982 State Meet - 10th Place (A)
1983 State Meet - 4th Place (A)
1984 State Meet - 1st Place (A)
1984 Kinney Nationals - 4th Place
1985 State Meet - 1st Place (A)
1985 Kinney Nationals - 6th Place
15. Ryan Craven (Mt. Prospect [Prospect] '05)
PR - 14:21
Biggest Accomplishments -
2004 State Meet - 4th Place (AA)
2005 State Meet - 2nd Place (AA)
2005 Foot Locker Nationals - 3rd Place
14. Jesse Reiser (McHenry '15)
PR - 14:11
Biggest Accomplishments -
2012 State Meet - 7th Place (3A)
2013 State Meet - 2nd Place (3A)
2013 Nike Nationals - 13th Place
2013 Foot Locker Nationals - 33rd Place
2014 State Meet - 1st Place (3A)
2014 Nike Nationals - 6th Place
2014 Foot Locker Nationals - 8th Place
13. Danny Kilrea (LaGrange [Lyons] '18)
PR - 14:02
Biggest Accomplishments -
2015 State Meet - 10th Place (3A)
2015 Nike Nationals - 45th Place
2016 State Meet - 2nd Place (3A)
2016 Nike Nationals - 13th Place
2017 State Meet - 1st Place (3A)
2017 Nike Nationals - 5th Place
2017 Foot Locker Nationals - 3rd Place
12. Jon Davis (Fithian [Oakwood] '16)
PR - 14:00
Biggest Accomplishments -
2013 State Meet - 1st Place (1A)
2014 State Meet - 1st Place (1A)
2014 Foot Locker Nationals - 37th Place
2015 State Meet - 1st Place (1A)
2015 Nike Nationals - 22nd Place
2015 Foot Locker Nationals - 13th Place
11. Jim Spivey (Bensenville [Fenton] '78)
PR - 14:00
Biggest Accomplishments -
1976 State Meet - 2nd Place (AA)
1977 State Meet - 2nd Place (AA)
10. Dave Walters (New Lenox [Lincoln-Way Central] '74)
PR - 13:57
Biggest Accomplishments -
1973 State Meet - 1st Place
9. Matt Withrow (Tinley Park [Andrew] '04)
PR - 14:14
Biggest Accomplishments -
2001 State Meet 4th Place (AA)
2002 State Meet - 2nd Place (AA)
2003 State Meet - 1st Place (AA)
2003 Foot Locker Nationals - 1st Place
8. Dylan Jacobs (Orland Park [Sandburg] '18)
PR - 13:57
Biggest Accomplishments -
2015 Nike Nationals - 189th Place
2016 State Meet - 3rd Place (3A)
2016 Nike Nationals - 19th Place
2016 Foot Locker Nationals - 11th Place
2017 State Meet - 6th Place (3A)
2017 Nike Nationals - 13th Place
2017 Foot Locker Nationals - 1st Place
7. Donald Sage (Elmhurst [York] '00)
PR - 14:03
Biggest Accomplishments -
1996 State Meet - 24th Place (AA)
1997 State Meet - 2nd Place (AA)
1998 State Meet - 2nd Place (AA)
1999 State Meet - 1st Place (AA)
1999 Foot Locker Nationals - 2nd Place
6. Tom Graves (Orland Park [Sandburg] '78)
PR - 13:56
Biggest Accomplishments -
1975 State Meet - 3rd Place
1976 State Meet - 1st Place (AA)
1977 State Meet - 1st Place (AA)
5. Chris Derrick (Naperville [Neuqua Valley] '08)
PR - 13:51
Biggest Accomplishments -
2006 State Meet - 3rd Place (AA)
2007 State Meet - 1st Place (3A)
2007 Nike Nationals - 1st Place
2007 Foot Locker Nationals - 2nd Place
4. Jorge Torres (Wheeling '99)
PR - 14:00
Biggest Accomplishments -
1995 State Meet - 2nd Place (AA)
1995 Foot Locker Nationals - 13th Place
1996 State Meet - 1st Place (AA)
1996 Foot Locker Nationals - 5th Place
1997 State Meet - 1st Place (AA)
1997 Foot Locker Nationals - 2nd Place
1998 State Meet - 1st Place (AA)
1998 Foot Locker Nationals - 1st Place
3. Josh Methner (Arlington Heights [Hersey])
PR - 13:49
Biggest Accomplishments -
2017 State Meet - 7th Place (3A)
2018 State Meet - 1st Place (3A)
2018 Nike Nationals - 15th Place
2018 Foot Locker Nationals - 6th Place
2019 State Meet - 1st Place (3A)
2019 Nike Nationals - 2nd Place
2019 Foot Locker Nationals - 1st Place
2. Craig Virgin (Lebanon)
PR - 13:50
Biggest Accomplishments -
1970 State Meet - 6th Place
1971 State Meet - 1st Place
1972 State Meet - 1st Place
1. Lukas Verzbicas (Orland Park [Sandburg])
PR - 13:54
Biggest Accomplishments -
2009 State Meet - 1st Place (3A)
2009 Foot Locker Nationals - 1st Place
2010 State Meet - 1st Place (3A)
2010 Nike Nationals - 1st Place
2010 Foot Locker Nationals - 1st Place
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