York Dukes

AT A GLANCE
Conference West Suburban Silver
Home course East End Park, Elmhurst
2007 results 1st in WSS, 1st at regionals, 2nd at sectionals, 2nd at Class 3A state meet
Coach Joe Newton

Top returners
Steve Sulkin    sr.
Jordan Herbert    jr.
Adam Cecil    jr.
Brian Pollastrini    sr.
David Way    sr.
Matt Schacht    jr.
Andrew Smith    jr.

KEY MEETS
Sept. 27 at Palatine Invite First good look of season at Dukes against top-caliber field
Oct. 4 at Peoria Invite Preview of what’s to come later as Dukes visit site of state meet
Oct. 18 at WSS meet Dukes are going for their seventh straight conference title

OUTLOOK
One can bet the Dukes are hungry to get back on top after having a string of five straight state titles snapped last fall. The Dukes finished runner-up to Neuqua Valley, which won its first state trophy.

York will be back in the mix this season, led by the returning state trio of Sulkin, Herbert and Cecil.

Sulkin has had back-to-back all-state performances in Peoria, including fifth last year, and is viewed as one of the top runners in the state. He was third in the 3,200-meter run at the Class AA state track meet in the spring.

Herbert just missed an all-state finish by taking 30th and Cecil was 63rd.

Pollastrini, Way, Schacht and Smith were alternates on the state team last fall.

Timothy Christian Trojans

AT A GLANCE
Conference Private School League
Home course 1061 S. Prospect
2007 results 5th in PSL, 6th in Glenbard South regional
Coach Dick Zylstra (16th year)

Top returners
Bruce Larkin    sr.
Jeff VanderKamp    jr.
Jon Denny    sr.
Chris Biesbor    so.
Justin Loerep    so.

Promising newcomers
Ryan DeGroot    fr.
Chris Ridolphi    fr.

KEY MEETS
Oct. 18 at PSL Championship Most important race prior to regional
Oct. 25 at Class 1A Luther North Regional Trojans hope to build off last year’s sixth-place finish at regionals

OUTLOOK
The Trojans hope to build on last year’s fifth-place finish in the PSL by finishing in the top half of the conference. So far, TC appears to be headed in the right direction from a commitment standpoint considering the team put in 200 miles of running during the summer. If the Trojans want to peak by the end of the regular season, then blending veteran leadership with the young energy will be vital. Leading the way for TC will be VanderKamp and Larkin. Both runners qualified for the sectional in 2007 and appear to be on pace to do the same this year.

On a side note, this group is well rounded from an athletic standpoint with DeGroot currently playing soccer for the Trojans and Ridolphi competing in golf.

“We want to advance to the sectional as a team,” said TC head coach Dick Zylstra. “With us moving from Class 2A to 1A, we should have a legitimate chance.”

Immaculate Conception Knights

AT A GLANCE
Conference Suburban Catholic
Home course Eldridge Park, Elmhurst
2007 results 5th at Luther North Class 1A Regional
Coach Jeff Fredrickson (3rd year)

Top returners
Sean Doherty    jr.
Adam Kramer    so.
Danny Headley    so.
Edward Martinez    sr.

KEY MEETS
Sept. 27 at Aurora Central Catholic Highly competitive meet featuring some of area’s best small school teams and runners
Oct. 10 at Elmwood Park Invite helps Knights gear up for conference meet and regionals

OUTLOOK
The Knights have a nice-sized roster this fall with 14 runners though most of the group lacks experience. The squad is extremely young with only one senior and one junior while the rest of the team is filled out by six sophomores and six freshmen.

IC lost three of its top six from a year ago to graduation but return Doherty, Kramer and Headley, each of whom competed in the regional and sectional. Doherty placed 27th at the Luther North regional, Kramer was 33rd and Headley placed 34th.

As a team, the Knights advanced to the sectional after finishing fifth at the regional. The squad will be hoping to duplicate that achievement this time around.

Glenbard East Rams

AT A GLANCE
Conference DuPage Valley
2007 results 6th in DVC, 5th at regionals, 16th at sectionals
Coach Jack Brady

Top returners
Nathan Peterson    so.
Brad Magnetta    jr.
Denys Booth    jr.
Jim Peters    jr.

Promising newcomers
Nate Young    jr.
Billy Booth    fr.
Mike Dexl    so.
Mike Karas    jr.
Marcus Hostetler    jr.

KEY MEETS
Sept. 20 at Argo Invite Good measuring stick early in season to help shake out lineup
Oct. 4 at Peoria Invite Team runs against top state competition at site of the state meet — Detweiller Park.
Oct. 17 at DVC meet Rams head into meet with thoughts of a top-three finish

OUTLOOK
After making it to the sectional as a team last year, the Rams are shooting to take another step this fall. Peterson, Magnetta, Denys Booth and Peters were all on the sectional team and the addition of Young to the lineup gives the Rams a solid top five.

Heading into this weekend, Brady said there are nine runners vying for the top seven spots. He said freshman Billy Booth has the potential to be in the top five, while Dexl, Karas and Hostetler are also trying to crack the top seven.

“The expectations they have on themselves are pretty high,” Brady said. “We are hoping for a top-three finish in the conference if we can and we have the goal of being one of the five teams to qualify to go downstate in Peoria. But it’s a long season and we have to stay healthy.”

Willowbrook Warriors

AT A GLANCE
Conference West Suburban Gold
Home course 1250 S. Ardmore Ave., Villa Park
2007 results 5th in WSG, 6th at regionals
Coach T.J. Artman

Top returners
Chris Unseth    sr.
Isaac Trostle    jr.
Brian Kane    jr.
Gustavo Alvarez    jr.

Promising newcomers
Chris Lynch    jr.
Tommy Garbacz    jr.
Kevin Root    so.

KEY MEETS
Sept. 29 vs. Hinsdale South Warriors get tested against favorite in WSG
Oct. 6 vs. Addison Trail Last conference dual before conference meet
Oct. 18 at WSG meet Warriors want improvement from last year

OUTLOOK
Four main contributors are back for the Warriors this season in Unseth, Trostle, Kane and Alvarez. Unseth is the only senior in the varsity top seven, but is a multiple-year varsity runner who has watched standout Jeff Stapleton run the last two seasons.

Artman said Lynch, who ran one or two varsity meets last fall, is only getting faster and has been a top-five scoring finisher in the Warriors’ first two meets. Garbaz, another contributor to the varsity for a couple meets last season, and newcomer Root are others pushing to be in the top five.

“These guys ran a lot over the summer and it is already paying dividends,” Artman said. “We are going to have better times just because of that. We are looking forward to having a competitive season.”

The Warriors are locked in on moving up in the conference standings, as well as moving onto sectionals as a team.

“These guys are excited,” Artman said. “I can’t say enough about what a great group this is to coach.”

Montini Broncos

AT A GLANCE
Conference Suburban Catholic
Home course Knolls Park
2007 results 5th at Class 2A Glenbard South Regional
Coach Joe Mordente (5th year)

Top returners
Mike Rigor    jr.
Dan Grace    sr.
Chris Senese    sr.
Keegan Goss    sr.

Promising newcomer
Chris Ullrich    fr.

KEY MEETS
Sept. 30 vs. Aurora Central Catholic and Marmion Key SCC meet
Oct. 14 at St. Francis Measuring stick for Broncos against a Spartans squad that placed 14th at state a year ago

OUTLOOK
The Broncos were dealt a big blow when Andrew Larsen, who finished 10th in the Class 2A state meet a year ago, transferred to Marmion.

Rigor takes over as the No. 1 guy while Grace moves into the second slot. Senese could challenge for the top couple of spots when healthy while Goss and Ullrich round out the top five.

“We will see how healthy our seniors stay,” Mordente said. “We have a lot of young freshmen and a couple of sophomores who joined us this year who didn’t run last year. We are looking for bigger things in the future.”

Montini advanced out of the Glenbard South regional as a team last year by placing fifth. A similar experience is not out of the question in 2008.

“I would be happy if we are healthy and get out of regionals for sure,” the coach said. “And depending on what sectional we are assigned to, hopefully we can get downstate.”