:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/4I4N3Q5LOFBGRNRZEQVHDLFDYA.jpg)
DeKalb Barbs
Head coach: Mike Wolf (27th season)
Last season: 14th place Class 3A Lake Park Sectional
Top returners: Jacob Barraza, sr.; Nathan Tumminaro, sr.; Noah Thompson, so.; Rafael Forney, sr.; Felip Hernandez, jr.
Top newcomers: Andy Duran, so.
Worth noting: While DeKalb graduated key members of its team last year, the squad has a strong group of returnees. Coach Mike Wolf also hopes new runners will step up. “We graduated some seniors that were definitely big contributors last year, but we’ve got a strong senior group again,” Wolf said. “But we’re going to have to have some of these younger, unproven runners fill in some of those holes at the varsity level, and I think they’re ready for it. They’ve had a good summer.” Jacob Barraza, the Barbs’ top runner, wants to improve upon his eleventh-place finish at last year’s Class 3A State Meet. “I know he’s looking for a higher finish than last year,” said Wolf.
Sycamore Spartans
Head coach: Mike Lambdin (26th season)
Last season: 11th place Class 2A Woodstock Sectional
Top returners: Corey Goff, sr.; Kaiden Von Schnase, sr.; Liam Berry, jr.; Logan Jones, jr.; Lucas Miller, so.; Phoenix Calabrese, sr; Bruno Wilkerson. sr.
Top newcomers: Alex Fitzenreider, fr.; Chase Cook, fr,
Worth noting: Lambdin thinks his squad has a good chance of returning to the Class 2A State Meet as a team. The Spartans finished third in 2018. “The last two years we felt like if we raced well at sectionals, we had a shot at getting to the state meet. Both times, we came up short,” Lambdin said. “I feel this team is similar, so we’re really hoping this year, we’re racing well at the end of the season and can get back to that state meet. Lambdin will be looking to seniors Corey Goff, a 2023 state qualifier and Bruno Wilkerson for leadership. “Corey brings some state meet experience,” said the Sycamore coach. “And Bruno’s doing a terrific job setting an example for the rest of the team.”
Kaneland Knights
Head coach: Chad Clarey (30th season)
Last season: Fourth place Class 2A
Top returners: Evan Nosek, sr.; Evan Whildin, jr.; Joey Schuch, so.; Liam Lentz, sr.; Zachary Murdock, sr.
Top newcomers: Carson Kaiser, fr.; Nathan Kowalczyk, so.; Nolan Reutimann, so.; Sahel Torres, so.; Rickey Anderson, so.
Worth noting: Kaneland coach Chad Clarey said there are two crucial keys for his team, which returned five of its starting seven runners, to defend its Interstate Eight Conference Title and make its 25th trip to the state meet: Staying healthy and reducing the time different between the first and fifth runners. “Our goal is to try and make our time split for the scoring runners one through five to be 75 seconds or less,” said the Knights’ coach. “We feel like if we can do that or get close to that and become consistent with that, then good things will happen.”
Genoa-Kingston Cogs
Head coaches: Grace Nelson (second season), Davoncie Granderson (first season)
Last season: 16th place Class 1A Oregon Sectional
Top returners: Chris Garcia, so.; Gabriel Pena, so.
Top newcomers: Ryken Scott, jr.; CJ Rich, fr.
Worth noting: After qualifying for sectionals as a team last year - the first time in five seasons - the Cogs hope to repeat this fall. With a young squad, it will be a challenge. Co-head coach Grace Nelson hopes her only senior, AJ Sager can provide the spark. “The big goal is going to be to qualify for sectionals as a team,” Nelson said .”AJ is our only senior and we’re going to be looking for him to have a pretty solid season.”