High school boys track and field: 2018 team preview capsules

Fox Valley Conference

Cary-Grove

Coach: Layne Holter (23rd season).

Last year's finish: Sixth in FVC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Andrew Stokes, sr. (shot put); Brett Groves, sr. (shot put); Karl Rosch, sr. (shot put, discus); Jason Petko, jr. (discus); Derek Warren, jr. (distances); Maxum Caesar, so. (middle distances); Jonathon Lewis, sr. (distances); Jack Herbster, sr. (long jump, hurdles); A.J. Lewis, jr. (middle distances, hurdles); David Aulert, jr. (high jump).

Top new athletes: Ethan Carlson, fr. (hurdles, sprints); D.J. Farr, so. (middle distances); Carson Hendrey, fr. (distances); Anthony LaMantia, fr. (sprints); Gavin Lemke, fr. (distances); Michael Charbonneau, so. (sprints).

Noteworthy: Holter thinks any or all four of his throwers – Stokes, Groves, Rosch and Petko – can qualify for the Class 3A State Meet. Rosch qualified for state in both throws last year.

Crystal Lake Central

Coach:  Brian Seaver (18th season).

Last year's finish: Eighth in FVC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Braden Bisram, sr., (sprints); Keegan Smalley, jr. (distance); Deshawn Smith, jr. (hurdles); Jack Munn, jr. (throws), Joey Berg, jr. (sprints); Colton O'Brien, jr. (jumps); Josh Johnson, sr., (distance); D.J. Ulrich, jr. (pole vault).

Top new athletes: Cade Backe, jr. (jumps), Michael Townsend, sr. (400); Peyton Falco, jr. (sprints).

Noteworthy: The Tigers will miss some big points from Cole Barkocy, the FVC 3,200 meters champion, who now runs at Bradley. … Seaver says his team is young and he likes the way they have worked hard. "We are excited to see what they can accomplish this year," he said.

Crystal Lake South

Coach: Nick Willhoit (third season).

Last year's finish: Third in FVC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Jack Becker, sr. (distance): Will Lawrence, jr. (sprints); Matt Reall, jr. (jumps); Sam Greenspan, sr. (hurdles); Ryan Lawson, sr. (hurdles); Ethan Greenspan, jr. (throws); Kolade Ayedun, sr. (sprints, jumps); Justin Ryan, sr. (sprints), Zach Borgert, jr. (sprints).

Noteworthy: Becker, who will run at Bradley next year, was twice named Northwest Herald Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year and could be the area's top distance runner. … Lawrence was fourth in the FVC 100 meters and has had a strong indoor season. … The Gators will miss Class 3A pole vault state runner-up Sam Peschke and Peter Polizos, who graduated after finishing 1-2 in the FVC pole vault. …"As a team, we are looking to compete well against the top teams in the conference and make big improvements with our younger athletes," Willhoit said.

Dundee-Crown

Coach: Matt D'Angelo (second season).

Last year's finish: Fourth in FVC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Anthony Hurgoi, sr. (distances); Dylan Becker, jr. (sprints); Meonte Foster, jr. (sprints); Adam Swanson, jr. (middle distances); Ross Dalgleish, sr. (sprints); Joey DeVita, sr. (distances); Jason Miller, so. (sprints); Kyle Belknap, sr. (sprints); Kareem Dunner, so. (sprints, jumps); Jack Michalski, jr., jumps.

Top new athletes: Trevor Fed, so. (sprints, jumps); Lucas Janikowski, jr. (distances); Jack Searles, so. (middle distances); Noah Conner, jr. (jumps); Mark Jensen, jr. (distances).

Noteworthy: How's this for improvement? The Chargers finished 13th in the FVC Meet two years ago (before the Grayslake and Woodstock schools left for different conferences). They jumped to fourth last year. … Foster and Becker were runners-up in the FVC 100 and 200, and D-C's 4x100 and 4x200 relays were third and second. … The Chargers took second in the FVC Cross Country Meet, so they should do well in distances races as well. … "The potential is there for our sprinters to make an impact in our conference and in the state, but it will take more consistency," D'Angelo said. "As a program, the desire to compete is one of our greatest strengths, but we will have to have to develop consistent effort and build a strong work ethic to achieve the goals that we want."

Hampshire

Coach: Joe Watzlawick (fifth season).

Last year's finish: Eighth in FVC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Tommy Croissant, jr. (PV); Elijah Stuart, sr. (middle distances); Angel Yescus, sr. (distances); Santiago Arreola, sr. (distances); Anthony Poett, jr. (sprints).

Top new athletes: Nick Rummell, sr. (sprints); Jonah Varvara, jr. (sprints).

Noteworthy: The distance races will be an area of strength for the Whip-Purs, who qualified for the Class 2A State Cross Country Meet as a team. Stuart, Arreola and Santiago should be some of their top point producers. … Watzlawick likes that Croissant already has a personal-best pole vault indoors. … Watzlawick also thinks Rummell, Varvara and a few freshmen will make an impact this season.

Huntley

Coach: Jim Rolando (13th season).

Last year's finish: FVC champion.

Top new athletes: Dubem Anikamadu, sr. (sprints); Eric Mooney, sr. (sprints), Melvin Aninagyei-Bonsu, sr. (sprints); Lukas Bolas, sr. (hurdles); Shayne Piskule, sr. (throws); Ben Litwin, sr. (throws); Derek Zimmerman, sr. (sprints); Jadon Conroy, jr. (distances); Josh Segura, sr. (distances); Ian Geisler, so. (distances); Jeremy Roe, jr. (distances); Chris Simek, so. (distances); Zach Tepper, jr. (sprints); Ron Noll, jr. (sprints).

Top new athletes: Nes Chinoda, sr. (sprints); Antonio Passarelli, so. (sprints); Kevin Adams, jr. (jumps); Kyle Adams, jr. (jumps); Michael Benner, jr. (pole vault); Zach Fitzgerald, so. (long jump, triple jump); Josh Guyer, so. (jumps); Chris Raffin, jr. (sprints); Nick Chung, jr. (jumps).

Noteworthy: Anikamadu was the Northwest Herald Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year after turning in one of the area's best sprinting performances ever with three Class 3A state medals. Expect more of the same his 4x100 and 4x200 teammates Aninagyei-Bonsu, Mooney, Noll and Tepper are back for this season. … The Red Raiders have won the FVC Meets (indoor and outdoors), the McHenry County Meet and their sectional for three consecutive years. … Huntley should score well in the field events and has members of its FVC champion cross country team to help with distance races.

Jacobs

Coach: Jason Borhart (16th season).

Last year's finish: Second in FVC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Zach Albrecht, jr. (middle distances); Brandon Cole, jr. (middle distances); Mark Lemke, jr. (middle distances); Jermaine Maegdlin-Ferguson, sr. (hurdles, sprints); Loren Strickland, sr. (jumps, sprints); Brett Bognar, jr. (middle distance); Tommy Subaric, jr. (hurdles); Caleb Walker, sr. (sprints).

Top new athletes: Connor Frank, fr. (jumps, sprints); Noah Melick, sr. (sprints).

Worth noting: Albrecht, Maedglin-Ferguson and Strickland were all state qualifiers last year and return with goals of securing Class 3A state medals this season. … Albrecht won the FVC 1,600 meters, Maedglin-Ferguson won the 300 intermediate hurdles and Strickland won the long jump. … "We should be competitive in most meets," Borhart said.

McHenry

Coach: Dennis Hutchinson (fifth season).

Last year's finish: Fifth in FVC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Maki Mohr, sr. (jumps, middle distances); Brian Keyes, sr. (throws); Nicco Lorenzo, sr. (sprints); Cody Stebbins, jr. (sprints); Andrew Pilat, sr. (distances); Max Schweitzer, sr. (pole vault); Evan Sahm, sr.

Top new athletes: Braden Crowley, jr. (sprints); Chris Williams, sr.; Kyle Dutkiewicz, jr.; Jessi Garcia, so.; Kevin Dutkiewicz, jr.; Jimmy Scheri, jr.

Noteworthy: Keyes has medalled twice in the Class 3A discus and is one of the top two returning throwers this season. He also has made huge strides with the shot put, throwing better than 58 feet in the indoor season. … Mohr tied for eighth in the Class 3A high jump and should move up this year with a lot more training in that event. He had only jumped in the second half of the season. He also was the FVC's 800 runner-up.

Prairie Ridge

Coach: Judd Shutt (15th season).

Last year's finish: Seventh in FVC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Grant Jensen, jr. (middle distances); Jacob Lawrence, sr. (distances); Jackson Willis, jr. (sprints); Jeff Jenkins, sr. (throws); Ryan Fist, so. (pole vault).

Top new athletes: Ethan Baker, jr. (middle distances); Drew Fryer, so. (sprints).

Noteworthy: Jensen qualified for Class 3A state in the 800 meters each of the last two years. He won that race in the McHenry County Meet and was third in the FVC Meet.

Kishwaukee River Conference

Harvard
Coach: Dennis Eisele (18th season).

Last year's finish: Seventh in the KRC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Carlos Castillo, sr. (hurdles, jumps); Reid Stricker, sr. (middle distances); Daneil Mercado, jr. (distances); Jason Pichardo, jr. (distances).

Top new athletes: Keenan Brummett sr. (sprints, jumps), Ryan Stephens, sr. (sprints, jumps).

Noteworthy: The majority of Harvard's team (32 of 39 athletes) is in its first or second year of track and field. Eisele still is encouraged by the work the Hornets have put in. … Stricker (sixth in the 800) and Castillo (sixth in 800) are the only returning medalists from the KRC Meet.

Johnsburg

Coach: Chris Setzler (18th season).

Last year's finish: Sixth in KRC Meet.

Top returners: Angel Martin, so. (wheelchair throws, sprints); Tim Bertulis, sr. (distances); Matt Tobin, sr. (pole vault, sprints); Mauro Acosta, sr. (hurdles, sprints); Fred Fuchs, sr. (throws, sprints); Tyler Prouty, jr. (throws); Chris Tobin, jr. (sprints); Brady Conway, jr. (pole vault, sprints).

Top newcomers: Brad Wizceb, fr. (pole vaults, sprints); Gavin Boal, fr. (middle distances); Treven Kelleher, sr. (sprints); Blake Radtke, so. (sprints).

Noteworthy: Bertulis took 13th in the Class 2A Cross Country State Meet, his second consecutive All-State performance. He was 12th in the Class 2A 3,200 in state track last year. … Martin, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, won state discus and shot put titles in those new events at state. He will try to compete in sprint races this year as well. … Setzler feels like his young group is motivated and its hard work will produce good results by the conference meet.

Marengo

Coach: Brad Wignes (second season).

Last year's finish: Fifth in KRC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Finn Schirmer, so. (sprints, hurdles); Blaine Borhart, sr. (hurdles, sprints); Jadon Kozin, sr. (sprints); Aaron Shepard, jr. (high jump).

Top new athletes: Cole Davis, fr. (sprints); Colton Ervin, jr. (sprints).

Noteworthy: Schirmer was a star last year, winning three events at the KRC Meet and qualifying for the Class 2A State Meet in four events. … Schirmer and Borhart finished 1-2 in the 300 intermediate hurdles in the McHenry County Meet and in the KRC Meet.

Richmond-Burton

Coach: Lauren Hencier (fourth season).

Last year's finish: Second in KRC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Mike Kaufman, jr. (sprints); Reed Marshall, sr. (jumps); Junior (Sprints); Kyle Curran, jr. (throws); Nick DeGroot, sr. (middle distances); Kevin Powers, sr. (jumps); Jack Langlois, jr. (sprints); Merrick Robinson, sr. (sprints); Alex Selepa, sr. (distances).

Top new athletes: Nick Legnaioli, fr. (sprints, hurdles); Cameron Peterson, jr. (sprints); Thomas Koschak, jr. (distance).

Noteworthy: The Rockets finished second in the KRC Meet to Burlington Central last year and look like they will be competitive again this season. … Marshall was KRC runner-up in the long and triple jumps, DeGroot won the 800 and Kaufman was runner-up in the 100 and 200, and also took fifth in the 110 high hurdles. … "We're looking for Mike to lead our sprints this year," Hencier said. "We have a well-rounded team with many strong athletes returning. DeGroot has had a great offseason and looks strong."

Woodstock

Coach: Robert Mickey (second season).

Last year's finish: Fourth in KRC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Julio Arrellano-Zapata, jr. (distances); Sean Doyle, sr. (discus); Angel Rea, sr. (shot put); Clode Presisto, sr. (jumps, sprints); Anthony Thomas, sr. (distances); Diego Cruz, sr. (distances).

Top Newcomers: AIdan Jacobs, jr. (sprints); Nate Sciarro, so. (long jump, sprints); Danny Cubert, jr. (shot put); Amareon Allen, fr. (sprints, jumps); Aidan Schleutermann, fr. (distances); Gavin White, so. (triple jump); Ethan Patterson, so. (high jump).

Noteworthy: The Blue Streaks will miss the big points of Will Maidment, who went 6-6 for third place in the Class 3A high jump and graduated. Maidment won KRC high and triple jump titles. … Spencer Hanson, who won the KRC 1,600, also graduated. … Mickey wants to compete for the KRC title and send as many athletes to state as possible.

Woodstock North

Coach: John Fredericks (ninth season).

Last year's finish: Third in KRC Meet.

Top returning athletes: Joe Grover, sr. (hurdles, sprints); Eddie Rivas, sr. (throws); Brandon Waldack, sr. (sprints); Luke Duenas, jr. (jumps, sprints); Aidan Filetti, so. (high jump, sprints); Elijah Pena, so. (triple jump, hurdles, sprints); Xzander RIshling, so. (pole vault).

Top new athletes: Keith Webb, jr. (sprints, relays); Austin Zieman, so. (long jump, sprints); Colin Zinn, so. (sprints, relays); Brandon Walker, fr. (sprints, relays).

Noteworthy: The Thunder turned in a solid performance by taking third place in the KRC Meet last year, although sprinters Brad Kohler and Casey Dycus, who graduated, played big roles. Josh Powell, who won the KRC shot put, also graduated. … Brandon Waldack was part of the 4x200 KRC champion team and returns in the sprints. … Fredericks only has four seniors and five juniors, so North will rely heavily on its sophomores and freshmen.

East Suburban Catholic Conference

Marian Central

Coach: Adam Zanck (second season).

Top returning athletes: Ryan Jones, so. (distances); Zach Taylor, sr. (sprints, long jump); Patrick Kelly, sr. (hurdles).

Noteworthy: Zanck likes the large number of freshmen who are out this season, although he had not seen them in competition yet. … Jones was 32nd in the Class 2A Cross Country State Meet.

Northeastern Athletic Conference

Alden-Hebron

Coach: Jacob Behrens (second season).

Top returning athletes: Mason Mindham, sr. (sprints); Patrick Baldwin, sr. (hurdles, sprints); Jordan Gricar, sr. (long jump, sprints).
Top new athletes: Justin Steele, sr. (sprints); Juan Castaneda, sr. (long jump, sprints).

Noteworthy: More than half the Giants' roster is new this season. A-H will look to the returning athletes to lead the way.