Daily Chronicle 2023 Boys Cross Country All-Area Team

POY: Jacob Barraza, jr., DeKalb

First team

Evan Nosek, jr., Kaneland - Nosek’s best came at the end of the year, finishing the Class 2A state final in 14:47.4 to take sixth. It was one of only two times he was outside of the top five this year. The other one was at a race in Sterling where he was held back to race in the pack with teammates since he was coming off back-to-back races in which he broke 15 minutes, something he hadn’t done. He was the Kane County, Interstate 8 and Kaneland regional champ.

David Valkanov, sr., Kaneland - Valkanov finished in the top 10 in all but two races this year, including a ninth place finish at state in a personal best 14:53.7. He finished in the top 5 at the Kane County meet, I8 meet and regional meet as long as two other in-season races. The one-two punch of him and Nosek helped the Knights take fourth at the 2A state meet.

Naif al Harby, sr., Sycamore - With a best time of 15:16.9, al Harby was outside of the top 10 just twice this year, taking 14th at a meet at Kaneland and 35th at state. He was second in the I8 meet, third in the regional and fifth at the sectional. He took second three times on the year.

Evan Whildin, soph., Kaneland - Whildin finished in the top 10 five times this year, including seventh in the Kane County meet, fifth in the I8 meet, sixth in the regional and ninth in the sectional. He ran a personal best 15:17 at the state meet.

Zachary Murdock, jr., Kaneland - Like most other Kaneland runners, he saved his best for the state meet, breaking 16 minutes for the first time in 15:42.9. He was eighth in the I8 for his lone top 10 finish of the year.

Nathan Timminaro, jr., DeKalb - Tumminaro’s best time came at the Class 3A Lake Park Sectional in 16:49.6. He was in the top five four times, including taking fourth at Sycamore to start the year and third at meets at Plainfield Central and Rochelle.

Corey Goff, jr., Sycamore - Goff’s best time was a 16:16.5 set at Sterling. He was consistent between 16:16 and 16:49 in all but one of his races this year and joined al Harby in qualifying for state.

Second team

Riley Collins, sr., DeKalb

Liam Lent, jr., Kaneland

Collin Reuitmann, sr., Kaneland

Eduardo Castro, sr., DeKalb

Logan Jones, soph., Sycamore

Christopher Thunder, jr. DeKalb

Phoenix Calabrese, jr., Sycamore

Honorable mention: Kaiden Von Schnase, jr., Sycamore. John Cerny, sr., Sycamore; Gabriel Pena, fresh., Genoa-Kingston; Andrew Harper, soph., Hinckley-Big Rock