Latest / Illinois Valley - Shaw Local / NewsTribune/BCR 2026 boys cross country preview

Transcript

NewsTribune/BCR 2026 boys cross country preview · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: News Tribune, BCR 2026 Boys Cross Country Preview. Written by
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Kevin Schlum and Clark Teuscher. This article is being read
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: by an automated voice brought to you by Everlit. Here's
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: a look at the boys cross country teams in the
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: News Tribune, BCR area for the 2026 season. LaSalle Peru coach,
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: John Beattie, top returning runners, Gianni Verrucchi, SR, Carter Lester, so.
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: Top newcomers, Bryce Keckler, so. Luca Verrucchi, Jr. Worth noting,
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Reigning News Tribune Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Gianni Verrucchi will lead the way for the Cavaliers. I
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: feel Gianni should make it all the way to state
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: this year, Beattie said. He has been working hard and
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: running well. Lester also brings experience for LP, while Keckler,
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: a transfer from Sembide, and Luca Verrucchi will make an impact.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: The boys team should advance to sectionals, but we cannot
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: expect to get there without a lot of hard work,
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: Beattie said. We have a good mix of experienced athletes
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: who are helping the new athletes, especially the first-time cross-country runners.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: There are a lot of unknowns about this team due
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: to so many first-time cross-country athletes. I like what I
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: see so far. Commitment, good effort, and good team cohesion.
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: We will have a better picture by the end of September.
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: Princeton coach, Pat Hodge. Top returning runners, Brady Gross, so
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: Alistair Swanson Jr. Worth noting. The Tigers have only four
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: runners this season, leaving them one short of competition as
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: a team. It hurts not to have enough for a
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: team at the moment, Hodge said, but we can still
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: go out and work on getting better as the season progresses.
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: We've shown a good amount of spirit and determination in
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: the short time we've been together this year so far. St.
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: Bede's coach? Marty McCransky, top returning runners. Rodel Hermosillo, SR
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: Dominic Avila, Jr. Mason Haskell, Jr. Preston Vasquez, Jr. Graham Ross, Jr.
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: Joe Savage. So, Adrian Hermosillo. Top newcomers. Carter Vasquez, SR
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: Mikey Benj, Jr. Theo Bonucci, FR. Worth noting, the Bruins
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: have solid numbers with 10 on the roster this fall,
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: led by seven returning runners. We have some nice numbers
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: for the guys this year and varsity experience returning, McCransky said.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: Roddle and Adrian Hermosillo, Avila, Haskell, Ross, and Savage helped St.
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: Bede play sixth at the regional and advanced to sectionals
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: last year. Our goals are to improve each time out,
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: run with pride for our school and team, do well
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: at conference and regionals, and eat lots of watermelon, McCransky said.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: Bureau Valley coach, Lisa Wilt. Top returning runners, Alex Gallardo, SR,
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: Alex Atig, SR, Lucas Hart, SR, Kane Richter, Jr., top newcomer,
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: Easton Taylor. So worth noting, The Storm enjoy a large
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: roster this season, with nine newcomers joining nine returners. Gallardo, Attig,
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: and Hartz finished within 10 seconds of one another at
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: the Class 1, a Seneca Regional, where Bureau Valley placed
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: second before finishing 14th in the Sherrod Sectional. Taylor placed
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: fourth in the 3,200-meter run at the Lincoln Trail Conference,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: and Class 1, an Erie Sectional, meets last spring. We
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: have a lot of talent this year, Wilt said. We
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: have a great group of upperclassmen that are showing the
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: rest of them how it is done. We are looking
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: for a lot of personal records to be set and broken.
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: Coach Tom Keegan, top returning runners, Marcos Castro Jr., Christian
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: Payan Jr., William Pikula Sr., Krypton Ladgenski Jr. Worth noting,
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: along with the four returners, the Red Devils roster will
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: be filled out by five athletes new to the sport.
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: Castro was Hall's top finisher at the Class 1 Asenica Regional.
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: We don't have any all-staters on this squad, but we
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: have some guys that are embracing the physical and mental
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: challenges that go along with it, Keegan said. As the
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: season goes on and we get to October, I expect
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: the guys will feel like they have gotten better, and
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: the stopwatch will back it up. Putnam County coach Chuck McConnell.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: Top returning runners. Carter Baxter, Jr., Quincy Smith, Jr. Top newcomers.
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: Robert Ruiz, Jr., Isaac Rodriguez, FR, Luca Carboni, FR, Iden Dienst, FR.
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: Worth noting. Baxter and Smith will lead a young roster
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: for the Panthers. McConnell said Baxter looks to place at
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: the Tri-County Conference meet, while the Panthers have team goals
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: for the postseason. We hope to advance as a team
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: to the sectional meet, McConnell said. As a young team,
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: we will focus on gaining experience and dropping times by
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: the end of the season. We have a hard-working team
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: that is willing to put in the miles and work
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: to improve together. Mendota Coach Joseph McKee Topp Returning Runners
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: Emery Barat SR Top newcomers. Zach Gahan, so Isaac Artaga, so...
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: Worth noting, McKee takes over as his coach for longtime
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: Mendota leader Kevin Worley. He has a young roster this season,
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: as Barat is the only upperclassman. Being a small team,
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: I think the biggest strength is their ability to keep
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: high morale, McKee said. Barat, who McKee said runs a
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: solid pace, Gahan and Arteaga have the potential to advance
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: in the postseason, McKee said. Depew coach, Laney Robbins, top
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: returning runners, Christian Rodriguez Jr., Edward Rodriguez, so. Worth noting,
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: Depew is returning to competition in cross country for the
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: first time in several years. Edward Rodriguez was a BCR
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: all-area selection in track and field last spring after placing
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: 7th in the Class 1, a El Paso Gridley sectional
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: in the 3,200 I expect the boys to do great
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: things this year, Robbins said. They have already shown a
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: lot of dedication to the sport, showing up consistently to
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: summer workouts and pushing each other each day. Amboy Lemuel coach,
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: Michael Robinson. Top returning runners, Henry Nichols, SR Anthony Linder,
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: Tyler Maher Jr., Otto Horner, SR Landon Carter Jr. Top newcomers,
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: Tommy Steger, FR, Archie Horner, FR. Worth noting, the Clippers
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: returned their entire roster from last season, after placing 4th
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: at the Class 1 at Seneca Regional and 17th at
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: the Sherrod Sectional. Nichols placed 15th as an individual at
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: the Class 1 estate meet, and Robinson looks for him
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: to have some company this time around. Our main goal
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: is to not stop improving, Robinson said. We have goals
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: of making it to state, and we will see what happens.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: Field Crest Coach, Chad Quinnell, Top Returning Runner, Ryland Valaza, S.R.
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: Top Newcomers, Gavin Dykeman, F.R. Abram-Hereslack, F.R. James Stolt, F.R.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: Worth noting, the Knights field a boys team for the
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: first time since 2024. Four of Fieldcrest's six competitors are freshmen,
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: three of whom figure to be the team's leading finishers.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: Dyckman placed 93rd in last year's ISA class, to a
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: state meet, and is on track to lead the pack.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: Abram Harazlak and James Stolt are looking to work with
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: Gavin to create a 1-2-3 tandem as they grow into
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: being the key parts of the varsity team over the
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: next few years, Quennell said. Henry Midland, coach. Ian Briscoe,
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: Top returning runners, Max Dalton, so Jared Boyer, so Christian Hostat, Jr.,
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: Wyke Dever, Jr., Regan Miller, Jr., JD Loser, SR. Top newcomers,
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: Hudson Spangler, FR Lance DeWayle, FR Noel Tobar, so... Worth noting,
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: the Timber Ducks have a young roster with just one senior,
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: three juniors, two sophomores, and a pair of freshmen, but
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: Briscoe feels the team can be successful. I would like
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: for our boys' team to qualify for sectionals, Briscoe said.
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: We may be a year away from that though. If not,
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: I would like to send an individual to sectionals at
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: the bare minimum.