1. Wheeling
The Wildcats have three All-State runners back from last year’s team that finished eighth at the Class AA state finals, including defending champion Jorge Torres. Torres, his twin brother Ed (ninth last year) and senior John Kronforst (21st) give Wheeling a slight edge over No. 2 Lockport at the top three positions. But to claim the state’s top prize, twin brothers Erik (137th) and Peter Schroll (177th) and senior Dave Shafron (195th) will need to improve their finishes at state by 100 places. The Schroll brothers are now sophomores who should have state-meet jitters out of the way. Sophomore Bryan Moon and juniors Will Barrington and Pat McCarte will also compete for top seven positions. The injury update: Ed Torres has recovered from a stress fracture he suffered in the spring.
2. Lockport
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Coach Larry Thompson lost his No. 2 runner, Jason Bialka, and No. 5, Chris Grajewski, to graduation. But juniors Nick Setta (fifth) and Greg Targosz (31st) and senior Jason Olszowka (14th) are veterans on the Detweiller Park course. They helped Lockport finish third two years ago, when the Porters were priming for last year’s state title. Senior Dave Grajewski (130th), Lockport’s seventh runner last fall, also returns. Newcomers Geoff Rudziewicz, Jay Johnson, Jerry Jaskierny and Steve Annen are strong possibilities for the lineup. “We’re a marked team,” Thompson said. “You don’t know how the new kids will react.” Setta will moonlight as a kicker for the football team. Last year he set a state record with a 59-yard field goal.
3. York
Since they won their 19th state title under coach Joe Newton in 1994, the Dukes have had a dry spell, with a fifth-place finish last season and a second-place trophy in ’95. Some coaches believe the Dukes are due to end their drought this year. “A wounded or hungry animal hunts best,” Fenton coach John Kurtz said. “It’s almost scary the way they have finished (at state). They don’t have two years where they are down.” Newton, who enters his 44th season and doesn’t plan to retire until the year 2000, said: “I like being the underdog. It’s not good to be ranked No. 1. We’re just an average team.” But Newton’s teams are rarely “average.” York lost its Nos. 1 (David Walters), 3 (Mike Lucchesi), 6 and 7 runners to graduation, but replacements are ready. Sophomore Don Sage finished 24th in the state meet before setting freshman school records during the spring in the 800 (2:02), 1,600 (4:18.1) and 3,200 (9:15.2)
4. Fenton
Coach John Kurtz is more concerned with replacing the leadership the now-graduated Don Franzen and Stefano Tomasello gave his team than the points they earned with their respective 15th- and 34th-place finishes at state last season. “We don’t need to rebuild; we need to replace,” said Kurtz, whose team was second to Lockport in the state standings. “Anyone that wants to walk in my door and be a star–that’s OK with me. We can have four or more.” He has at least two stars in senior Arturo Cabral (eighth) and junior Chris Siemers (12th). Cabral was third in the 1,600 in track, Siemers 14th in the 3,200.
5. Lincoln-Way
The Knights were 10th at the state finals nearly a year ago but return their top six runners, five of whom placed in the top 100. Jason Van Swol became the team’s No. 1 runner in the postseason and steadily improved. Three weeks before the state meet, Van Swol was eighth in the SICA West championships, but he finished 18th at state and became the state 800 champion in track (1:52.55) in May. Van Swol is rejoined this year by Mark DeBold (82nd at state), Matt Pehle (85th), Mark Cumbee (94th), Nathan Pavlik (95th) and Ray Narbone (114th).
Best of the rest: Marist, Schaumburg, Naperville North, Morton, Sandburg, Crystal Lake Central.
Top runners
Kevin Bailey, sr., Westmont; Gregory Baluk, jr., Niles North; Jonathan Berning, sr., Marist; Jeremy Borling, sr., Sandburg; Robert Breit, Niles North; Arturo Cabral, sr., Fenton; Mike Cropper, jr., Conant; Mark DeBold, sr., Lincoln-Way; Chris DeSalvo, sr., St. Charles; Carlos Escobedo, sr., Morton.
Onecimo Guereca, sr., Kennedy; Sean Haggerty, sr., Waubonsie Valley; Joshua Higgins, jr., Joliet; Frank Hurley, sr., Marist; John Kopecky, sr., Schaumburg; John Kronforst, sr., Wheeling; Pat McCormack, sr., Conant; Mike Modica, sr., St. Charles; Cory Moffat, sr., Crystal Lake Central; Tom Moore, jr., York.
Jason Olszowka, sr., Lockport; Juan Ortega, jr., Morton; Bob Patchak, jr., Sandburg; Matt Pehle, sr., Lincoln-Way; Mark Pilja, sr., Naperville North; Russ Riberto, sr., Marist; Don Sage, so., York; Nick Setta, jr., Lockport.
Chris Siemers, jr., Fenton; Greg Targosz, jr., Lockport; Ed Torres, jr., Wheeling; Jorge Torres, jr., Wheeling; Jason Van Swol, jr., Lincoln-Way; Adam Wallace, sr., Deerfield; Joe Zeibert, sr., Glenbard East.