By The NumbersTeam Champions: 3 Team Trophies (top 3): 8 Team Top 10: 18 All-State Runners: 26 Multiple All-Staters: 6 last updated Nov. 2023 |
Team Finishes
|
All-State Runners
|
2023 - 9th
|
The boys finished in 9th place, and it was an absolutely tremendous day. When the dust settled, the team finished in a tie for 10th place with Highland Park at 330 points, but ties in Cross Country are broken by comparing the 6th man for each team. Jacob Lane was the hero of the meet as his finish of 167th place in 15:54 secured us 9th place as a team. Zac Close finished in 6th place to secure ALL-STATE HONORS in 14:25. Robert Glenn ran to 48th place in 15:04, Tony Pastore took 104th place in 15:28, Tony Hinderliter snagged 108th place in 15:29, Aaron Hamilton rounded out our top 5 in 158th place in 15:48, and Josh Nauman closed out the top 7 in 181st place in 15:59. It was truly a team effort to crack the top 10 in the state, and I am so proud of their commitment to excellence on this day, as well as throughout the entire season.
|
2022 - 12th
|
We had high hopes going into this season with a lot of seniors ready to put a stamp on their running careers. For one reason or another, we had a hard time putting it all together on a consistent basis. We started the season with a healthy crew, but Robert Glenn, one of our top returners had a rough summer training-wise, nursing a bad knee from track season. Despite this, we placed 2nd at Hornet-Red Devil and were 3rd at First to the Finish at Detweiller. We then made a trip to Minneapolis for the Roy Griak Invitational. We got a little carried away on this long, 5k course, going out too fast and fading to 5th after leading at 2 miles. It was a great weekend, for we shared a charter bus with Plainfield North, hung out with Coach McEneaney, and ate dinner with the Naperville North girls team at North Central alum/Nike executive, Todd Radecky's house. 10 days later, we competed at Twilight, finishing 7th against some of the top teams in the State.
We started the post season with a DVC title and ran our best race of the year at the toughest Sectional in the State, placing 6th, only 7 points out of 4th. For the State meet, we spent the night in Bloomington and witnessed heavy rains over night, saturating the State course. It was a mud bath and our guys fought the best they could. Times were 45 seconds slower than a typical State race. Overall, we were disappointed in our team finish, but we had another All-State runner in Zac Close (15th) and had another memorable season. 2022 State Meet Results |
2021 - 10th
|
A lot of doubt was cast on this team from the beginning. The only consistent top seven guy returning from the year prior was senior Noah Schalliol, and he had been plagued with frequent injuries. Only he, Rook, and Palmer had broken 10:00 for 3200m and it was not by much. One pre-season poll had us ranked 16th, and this was an accurate assessment based on who we had returning. To make matters worse, it looked like we had a big gap between our 5th and 6th man, and one of those top five, Nick Rohlwing, came down with a 4th metatarsal stress fracture in mid/late August. The guys worked hard and Nick did everything he could in the pool and on the bike to stay in shape. Eventually, Nick was able to run again and we took 5 guys down to the Peoria Invitational in early October where we tied for 2nd place. We went into the DVC meet knowing we had our work cut out for us against a very good WV team. We ended up losing to WV in the last 300m, but the guys understood that the State meet was our main focus. The IHSA Sectional presented a huge challenge, with 7 of the top 9 teams in the State in the Sectional along with some other top 15 teams. We waited an hour to find out we placed 7th and would be competing in the State meet again. In the State meet, Nick ran the race of his life, taking over 30 seconds off his season best to become our 1st man. We had a 30 second gap between one and five, and placed 10th as a team. This marked the 17th time in the last 20 years where we have been top ten in the State meet. 2021 State Meet Results
|
2020 - COVID |
2nd at IHSA Sectional
|
2018 - 3rd
|
In early June, we learned that our team leader and 9:03 3200m runner, Zach Kinne was moving to Pittsburgh. This was a shock to us all. With this adversity, we decided that we were going to continue to fight to see what we could accomplish. With the mantra, "No Names", we focused on what we could control and worked tirelessly through the summer. After not performing well in summer workouts, it was looking like we may not even place in the top ten. However, after the Hornet-Red Devil meet was canceled due to T-storms, the following weekend we traveled to St. Louis. In the mud, we fought hard to win, and we began to realize our potential. We were a surprise winner of Twilight, and won the DVC and Regional before succumbing to St. Charles East at the Sectional meet. The night before the State meet, was the most emotional team meeting we have had in our history. We knew at this point that something special was going to happen. The next day, the guys ran fantastic, finishing third, only 3 points from second. It was a great celebration at Alexander's afterwards, knowing we had done everything possible to achieve what we did. 2018 State Meet Results
|
2017 - 2nd
|
Even though we lost six of our top seven from 2016 due to graduation, we had enough guys ready to step up and fill those spots. Heading into the season, we were ranked 3rd in the State. The guys worked hard during the summer, and after some serious discussions about being a good teammate, we started the season establishing a legacy of extending our hand out to others by lining up at the finish line to greet all runners. We were challenged early by a young, Wheaton Warrenville South team at the Hornet-Red Devil and Peoria Notre Dame Invitationals. And, as early October approached, we looked like we were going to make a run at a State title, losing to eventual State champion DGN at the Twilight Invitational by one point. Unlike past Conference meets, we squeaked by WWS to win our 12th straight title. We went on to easily win Regional and Sectional titles before taking 2nd in the State, the first 2nd place finish in our history. The guys finished 4th at the Nike Cross Country Regional meet and did not qualify for the Nike Cross Country National meet. 2017 State Meet Results
|
2016 - 1st
|
Ranked by every poll as a top five team in the country, we still started the season with many doubts due to injuries and team unity issues. The Monday of Hornet-Red Devil, we had only two of our top eight guys complete the workout for one issue or another. Luckily, we were able to come together as a team and were deep enough to overcome the season-ending injury to Danny Winek and the month-long injury of Scott Anderson. We won Hornet-Red Devil and went on to finish unbeaten in any race where we put together our full varsity lineup. We won the State Championship with four all-state runners and the fastest 6th and 7th man in IHSA history. Our total team time of our scoring guys ranks 6th in IHSA history. After the IHSA season, the guys chose pink-striped uniforms (forming the Naperville South club team) and ran the fastest team time in history to win the Nike Cross Country Regional in Terre Haute. They went on to run at the Nike National XC Meet in Portland and finished 5th. Overall, it was an amazing season with the usual great competition from teams like Downers Grove North, Lake Zurich, and Lyons Township. 2016 State Meet Results
|
2015 - 3rd
|
Unlike last year, this time we were fortunate enough to be on the other side, placing 3rd. We tied with Elmhurst York with 171 points, but were awarded the 3rd place trophy based on the 6th man tie-breaker. Our 6th runner, Jackson Jett, placed well ahead of York's 6th man. This team was known for its depth. We became the 2nd team in IHSA history to receive a trophy without an all-state runner. Our top finisher was Scott Anderson in 34th place and we had a 1-7 spread of 19 seconds. During the season, we lost Scott Anderson, Austin Kinne, and Connor Horn at some point to injury. Scott and Austin were able to come back to finish the season, but all-state runner, Connor Horn could not compete towards the end of the season due to a stress fracture in his talus bone. Even without Connor, we were able to go 1-7 at the DVC meet, go 1-5 at the IHSA Regional Meet, and score a paltry 26 points at the IHSA Sectional meet. The Naperville South Club team earned a trip to the Nike National Cross Country Championships by finishing 2nd in the Midwest Regional Meet and finished 19th in the nation. This was the deepest team in our history. One had to run the equivalent of 15:13 or faster to make our top 12! 2015 State Results
|
2014 - 4th
|
To get 4th by one point at the IHSA State Meet is always hard to swallow. This means we do not get a trophy, or get recognized by the entire school at an assembly we call "The Red Carpet Rally". However, overall, we had an amazing season. We had two All State runners in Connor Horn (7th) and Michael Widmann (18th), and a third runner, Daniel Weiss who finished 28th. All three guys broke 15:00, something that has only happened one other time in our history (2007). Our coaches loved this team. They were easy to coach and did everything we asked to get better. With 15 of our top 20 guys returning, this attitude will permeate into next season, and that's what makes champions. We ran in our last Upstate Eight Conference Meet (we go to the Dupage Valley Conference next year) and were champions for the 10th consecutive year. We also did something never done before in our history - we ran our #8-12 guys at the IHSA Regional meet, and were fortunate to win. The IHSA Sectional meet was the toughest we have ever seen, with the four top ranked teams in the same Sectional. We finished a close 3rd behind eventual State champion, Hinsdale Central. After the IHSA season, the guys went on to finish 5th overall at Nike Midwest XC Meet. 2014 State Results
|
2013 - 10th
|
If you asked our coaches in June who would have been in our top 12 at State, five of our guys would have never been mentioned. The men did all the right things to prepare for the fall. Some performed better than expected, others did not for one reason or another. In the case of Connor Horn, we did not have him at all due to a navicular fracture from the prior spring. Our season started off with a 5th place finish at a loaded Hornet-Red Devil Invitational. After winning this meet many times, this was a shock to our system but we did not dwell on it. I guess it made us feel better that traditional powerhouse, Palatine, was in the same boat. What matters to Coach Quick and I is that we train hard, have fun, and hold on to our integrity. We did just that. There are many stories I will share about this team with future teams. Alec Monovich proved that when you set your sights high, anything is possible. Colin Weidman showed us you don’t have to be a top sophomore performer to be a top varsity runner your junior year. We also found out that proper nutrition is critical, and we learned about saving some willpower for the end. This team persevered to win another Conference title and we finished 10th at State to continue our streak of 8 straight years of a top 10 finish. Senior Nick Bushelle showed everyone what four years of hard work and determination can do, with an All-State finish of 15th place. With only two seniors in our top 12, and only 4 seniors in our top 20, our future looks bright. 2013 State Results
|
2012 - 7th
|
We went into this meet knowing it was going to be a battle to get a trophy based on our Sectional performance. We were running solid, but not engaging the competition like we would like. This proved to be the case at the State meet too. Even if we had run our best, I am not sure we would have beaten a Lyons team (they took 3rd) that was on a roll. However, we had the capability to be 4th, something that we regrettably did not achieve for one reason or another. In past State meets, we have had one runner not run up to their potential, but not since 2002 have we had more than one not run their best when it counted. The highlight was Connor Horn running the 8th fastest freshman time in the history of the State meet. Overall, it was a great season based on athletes that were willing to work hard and keep a positive attitude. 2012 State Results
|
2011 - 3rd
|
It was another epic Illinois State Meet. The course was a little soft from a lot of rain the prior Thursday and the temperatures were in the mid 60′s with a steady 15mph wind. The course ran about 10 seconds slower than the year before. We ran well, but not well enough to win another State championship. However, we considered ourselves fortunate to be on the trophy stand with a 3rd place finish. It was the 3rd lowest point total (144) in our history. Mark Derrick and Taylor Soltys finished 9th and 10th to lead the team and become All-State runners. Our 3-7 men had never run in this meet before but still ran smart races and ran with a lot of determination. If anything, we may have tried too hard and we tightened up a bit. We had to practically carry Alekh to the awards ceremony because he was hurting so bad after the race. This season defnitely had it’s ups and downs. We started the year off by beating #1 Palatine at the Hornet-Red Devil Invitational but followed that with a 3rd place finish at the Peoria Woodruff Invitational (Taylor did not run and Nick Bushelle dropped out of the race). We managed to win all the rest of the races leading up to the State meet. 2011 State Results
|
2010 - 3rd
|
With 7 of our top 8 graduating from our 2009 team, it looked like we were in a rebuilding year. Harsha Torke would have been a senior, but he moved to Florida. Super soph, Alekh Meka, had IT issues shortly after our first invitational (he was our 4th man at that meet), and our only returnee from 2009 (Josh Antonson), could not quite get on track due to an iron deficiency. Somehow, we overcame the odds, and were able to put together an amazing season. We were able to do this because of an amazing senior class and two talented juniors. The seniors were academic and aerobic monsters. They put in the miles and their ACT scores will never be matched by another team. Of our top eight seniors, six of them had an ACT score of 34 or 35! We started the season by losing by 1 pt. to Palatine at the Hornet-Red Devil Invitational. We then won every race leading up to the State meet. The State meet saw cool temperatures and a rock, hard course that ran like a track. Our strategy was to go out in 4:53 and slowly pass other runners. We went out a little slower (4:57) and four of our guys ran negative splits from the 1.5 mile mark to the finish. Taylor Soltys was all-state, Mark Derrick ran with one shoe after the mile, Josh Ferguson just dipped under 15:00, and Vincenzo Dal Pozzo passed at least 20 guys the last 600m to run 15:04. Our 5-7 guys ran solid but were not able to replicate the negative splits of the top 4 to take home the top prize. However, it was not a day to hang our heads. We got another trophy and no one considered us a contender when the season began. What was possibly even more amazing, was we were able to qualify for the Nike Cross Country National meet as a team (3rd time) and we were again the top team in Illinois, finishing 12th like the year before. 2010 State Results
|
2009 - 1st
|
We gathered at the River Run subdivision country club house in early June to talk about why we train the way we do and to establish some common goals. Repeatedly, I heard the guys say, ‘we want to win the State championship’. We trained smart and consistently all summer and the team bonded like no other I have ever coached. Running Times magazine decided to follow us throughout the season and a story appeared in their magazine and updates were provided online. Before our first race we made a commitment to run in a pack. At the Hornet-Red Devil Invitational, the guys ran well and won the meet, but we did not run together. We re-committed ourselves to doing so and at the Peoria Woodruff Invitational the next weekend we had 6 guys within arms length of one another at the two mile mark (Beattie was in the front pack). From there on out, we ran as a TEAM. We made history by placing 1-7 at the Upstate Eight Conference meet and that momentum carried us through the State series and some illness to the State meet. Loyola (Chicago) was ranked #1 in the nation going into the State meet. The weather was warm and humid and we stuck to our usual race plan of running together. We were over 100 points out of first at the 1.5 mile mark but we continued to pick guys off as we picked up the pace the latter half of the race. It was not until Phil Lockwood (Illinois Valley Striders) told me we had won, almost 30 minutes after the race, did we know the results. Aaron Beattie (4th) and David Wing (20th) were all-state and our fifth man (Billy Klimczak) finished 35th to enable us to win by 12 pts. What an incredible season capped by a 12th place finish at NXN in Portland, OR. 2009 State Results
|
2008 - 4th
|
I learned a lot as a coach during this season. I learned one can never take anything for granted and I was reminded that hard work has no substitutes. We finished this season as possibly the best fourth place team in the history of Illinois. Again, we ran this race with our second man running his first race in over a month. This time, it was Aaron Beattie who was overcoming IT issues. He still managed to run 15:03. During the season, we won three major invitationals and repeated as conference champions. We raced inconsistently throughout the season. Luckily, we did what was possible on the day of the State meet. We were only 4 points out of first at the two mile mark but faded to finish a distant fourth. No regrets. We competed but a trophy just was not in the cards this year. Danny Pawola finished fifth overall to earn his second all-state honor. Only he and Chris Derrick have ever achieved this distinction in our program. 2008 State Results
|
2007 - 1st
|
A storybook season! We worked our tails off during the summer and entered the season with optimism after some of the guys put up some great times during the track season. We started the year off with a bang, winning the Hornet-Red Devil and Peoria Woodruff Invite in convincing fashion. We then encountered the obstacle of not running with our number two guy, Jimmy Riddle, who was diagnosed with a stress fracture. Aaron Beattie, a sophomore, took his place and we ran the best team time in Culver Invitational history the third week of September. We would go unbeaten. At the Conference meet, we went 1,2,3, against WV and StCN who would later finish 4th and 6th at the State meet. Jimmy ran in the State meet but ran out of gas the last 300m. Luckily, Josh ran his usual steady race and we were able to out-distance York by 19 points. Three guys finished all-state and Kevin Grady ran the race of his life to narrowly miss this honor. Chris Derrick was also the individual champion, running one of the fastest times ever run at Detweiller (13:51.8). His time ranks 2nd all-time at Detweiller and the best time ever run since the course was changed in 2005. After the IHSA season, the guys ran under the club name, Naperville South, and won the Nike Team Regional Meet in Terre Haute, IN. and qualified for the NXN meet in Portland, Oregon. Ranked #1 in the nation, they did not disappoint by winning the national championship and capping off an unbeaten season that may never be matched by another Illinois team. 2007 State Results
|
2006 - 9th
|
Wow, what an amazing performance considering we only returned our first man from the prior year (Chris Derrick). Senior Tony Parast (5th man on the 2005 team) injured his hip early, and was never able to contribute. We had two All-State performances and four of our top five set pr’s to enable us to finish 9th. All seven men return for the 2007 season! Junior Chris Derrick ran a perfect race to finish 3rd overall running the fastest time (14:21.6) in District 204 history by 25 seconds! Junior Jimmy Riddle also broke the all-time District 204 mark by running 14:44.2. Jimmmy came down with the same virus as other team members, but still managed to run well. Junior Kevin Grady and sophomore Danny Pawola were on their way to recovery while junior Josh Budnik still had the virus during the race. Sophomore Brian Morenus had the greatest improvement from early season meets, running a solid 5th man for us. Junior Mike Ruff ran a great race to finish under 15:30. We won Conference in dramatic fashion 3 weeks earlier, only to have WV and StCN kick our tails by taking 5th and 2nd respectively. As I preached to the guys through the State series, “anything is possible in one week”. Regardless, I was proud of our effort on this day, especially when I reflected on how far we had progressed in one year. 2006 State Results
|
2005 - 10th
|
The 2005 team was led by the closest and largest group of seniors to date. Their presence was felt as this team surprised everyone. Senior Mike Winek came down with a stress fracture in late June but seniors Matt Britten and James Nuxoll trained hard during the summer and became consistent top-5 performers. Sophomore Chris Derrick mimicked their work ethic and improved by over 3 minutes from his freshman year to emerge as our number one man. The conditions were ideal for the race with temperatures in the high 40’s. Chris Derrick ran an extremely gutsy race and senior Alake Kashyap took a chance and pushed the 2nd mile. The greatest mystery was Spenser’s inability to get out of the race doldrums, but his work ethic will rank him as one of our all-time greats. 2005 State Results
|
2004 - 14th
|
The 2004 team had no superstars. They lived via a strong pack and they worked their tail-ends off under the leadership of senior Kevin Pojman. Our 1-5 split was 20 seconds!!! We returned 3 guys from our 4th place 2003 team, but the evil IT Band Syndrome prevented seniors Joe Bergelin and Ryan Miller from doing their best. Add a bad sinus infection to Kevin’s plate, and this team did not have any full-strength returnees from the year before. A core group of juniors and senior Mike Nutt stepped up to lead us to a 14th place finish. We almost stole the conference crown that year with Kevin running the race of his career. Junior Spenser Murakami emerged to become our #1 man through the State series. The State meet temperature was relatively warm and the ground was very soggy; subsequently, the times were slower than most State meets. 2004 State Results
|
2003 - 4th
|
The seniors on this team were determined to do great things. Junior Joe Bergelin had recovered from last season’s stress fracture, senior Geoff Houtman was learning how to run xc, and senior Rick Burke ran an amazing race to become our 5th man. The season was defined by senior Dan Box’s determination to not let history repeat itself. Senior Nick Dunn was our most vocal and effective leader to-date and senior David Krist rebounded from a leg injury to give us momentum going into the State meet. We were conference champions and ran a phenomenal race at Sectionals after a poor showing at Regionals the week before. Naperville North again beat us for the Sectional title but we beat them at State. Lyons and Palatine had great races from a sophomore to beat us by 18 pts. for 2nd place. Nick Dunn ran faster than any District 204 runner in history to finish All-State. Geoff Houtman broke 15:00 to narrowly miss All-State honors. Another defining characteristic of this team was that we were 8 guys strong. I had to make a very difficult decision to replace junior Kevin Pojman, with junior Ryan Miller, after he ran poorly at the Sectional meet. Kevin’s enthusiasm and support for his teammates was another reason we ran well at State. 2003 State Results
|
2002 - 15th
|
This team started off the season ranked 4th in the State! And, unlike the year before, we almost won the Rich East Sectional title while being edged out by Naperville North by 4 pts. At the very least, we were hoping for a top 7-8 finish. Obviously, this did not happen. The men can attest that I have never been more disappointed after a race. Ben and Nick ran great and the other five had very poor races. It was because of this race that we were determined to turn it around the following year. Ben Barron was our first all-state runner and Nick Dunn passed 80 guys the last two miles to almost finish all-state. 2002 State Results
|
2001 - 10th
|
Our first team to qualify for State was in the fall of 2001, the 3rd year with seniors on the team (NVHS was founded in the fall of 1997). We easily qualified by placing 5th in the Rich East Sectional meet, beating Andrew by almost 40 pts. Ben Barron, our #2 runner, had a serious sinus infection and the State meet was his 2nd race back. We were determined to turn it around after others on the team also battled illness earlier in the year. It was the leadership of Greg Wittendorf and the determination of Evan Roberts that was largely responsible for the turn-around. We beat 3/4 teams that beat us at Sectionals to finish a very respectable 10th. 2001 State Results
|
2023: Zac Close (Sr) - 6th
2022: Zac Close (Jr) - 15th
15th at state for junior season
|
Zac is a two-sport athlete, participating in both Cross Country and Track and Field for all four (4) years here at Neuqua Valley. A Varsity competitor since his sophomore year, Zac is a four-time All-State runner. In Cross Country, he was All-State twice, finishing in 15th place in 2022, and in 6th place in 2023. In Track and Field, he was All-State in the 3200 meter run in 2023, finishing 6th and helping his team to achieve a runner-up trophy at the IHSA Track and Field State Championship. He completed his running career with a 4th place finish in the 3200 meter run in 2024 with an amazing time of 9:05! Zac is the second fastest runner in Neuqua Valley history - a generational talent who will be remembered for his outstanding speed and endurance, but also for his humility, kindness, and advocacy for his teammates.
|
2019: Nicolas Dovalovsky (Jr) - 23rd
23rd as a junior in 2019 (14:46.5)
|
Nicolas joined our summer program the summer before his freshman year. His attendance was somewhat sporadic due to soccer commitments. He grabbed the attention of Coach Vandersteen one day at Blackwell. He charged up the hill, and Coach Vandersteen quoted Al Carius, "that hill does not lie". Nicolas played soccer his freshman year but joined us for track that spring, running close to 2:00 in the 800. He really came on to the scene his sophomore year, when he decided to run xc and ran 14:50 at State to propel us to a 3rd place finish. He had a solid junior year, finishing All-State, showing that he would be a contender for a top-five finish his senior year. Although he never got a chance to compete in the State meet his senior year due to the pandemic, he showed his abilities off by winning the individual title at Twilight, Conference, and Regional. He capped off his senior year by anchoring our 4x800m relay to a State title and running 4:13 and 1:51. Nicolas decided to further his career by attending The University of Illinois to study pre-med and run for the Illini.
|
2018: Chris Keeley (Sr) - 21st
Chris Keeley: 21st as a senior in 2018 (14:47.8).
|
Chris is one of those runners you love to watch. His stride is long and efficient. A good friend of Zach Kinne, Chris played baseball until Zach convinced him to run track in middle school. Being naturally talented and having a great work ethic, Chris found cross country to his liking. However, stress reaction shin injuries would plague his career until he finally found a consistent stretch his senior year. Chris always had some natural speed, and also found success in track where he helped our fs 3200m relay set a school record when he was a freshman. We knew he was ready to have a great senior year when he ran in the low 9:30's the night before the State track and field meet as a junior. Chris partnered up with teammate Michael Madiol to have a great senior year. They often ran together and finished within a total of 2.7 seconds from one another in the Regional, Sectional, and State meet combined! Chris was a champion of cross training and he will go down in history as a guy who overcame obstacles to be an all-state runner.
|
2018: Michael Madiol (Sr) - 19th
Michael Madiol: 19th as a senior in 2018 (14:45.86).
|
Michael made a big leap between his sophomore and junior year. He ran 16:10 as a sophomore, just missing our top 12 roster. As a junior, he ran 15:10 at State and was our 4th man on the 2nd place team. He also ran 4:23 indoors for a 1600m before a nagging knee problem sidelined him for the rest of the spring. Michael always performed best at the end of the season, and this pattern continued his senior year. He was a top three placer at DVC, Regional, and Sectional. After the State meet, he went on to do very well in post-season meets and attracted the attention of schools like Purdue and Illinois as a result. Michael will study engineering and run at Illinois. We look forward to seeing his continued progression.
|
2017: Zach Kinne (Jr) - 4th
2016: Zach Kinne (So) - 17th
Zach Kinne: 17th as a sophomore in 2016 (14:40.3); 4th as a junior in 2017 (14:31.8)
|
Zach entered our program as a precocious freshman. As an age-group runner, he had already shown he had the potential to be a varsity runner right away. He did not disappoint, running top 7 for us all fall until he experienced hypothermia from the Sectional race. He ran 15:03 at Detweiller at an invitational earlier in the year. As sophomore, Zach continued to mature and was an integral part of our State championship team. As the only underclassmen in our top 7, he finished 17th in the State meet. The excitement only built for his junior year. Zach came off a great track season and won many invitationals (and Conference) leading up to the State meet. He ran a great race, making sure he did not fall apart in the last 200m, and finished strong in 4th place. That spring, he ran 9:03 to finish 2nd in the 3200 at State. Zach moved to Pittsburgh the summer before his senior year, running for North Allegheny High School. Zach was a fierce competitor and a great teammate. Even though he was not with us his senior year, his leadership qualities remained with our team during a great 2018 season.
|
2016: Jake McEneaney (Sr) - 21st
Jake McEneaney: 21st as a senior in 2016 (14:46)
|
Jake entered his freshman year at NV as an experienced runner. The big question was, would he continue to develop or be satisfied with prior age group performances? Contributing to our top seven as a freshman, it was obvious Jake was serious about getting better. As he matured and reflected on prior seasons, he continued to get better. Nutrition and sleep became a priority. He started training and racing smarter as the years went on. After a couple set backs from a freak hip injury (while jumping a creek), and a stress fracture of the tibia during his junior track season, he was able to train consistently. Jake ran in the State xc meet 3x, running 16:13 as a freshman, 15:03 as a junior, and 14:46 to place 21st as a senior. Jake is a true student of the sport and lives and breathes running. He has been a great student-athlete, and can always be counted on to dialogue about training and racing. Jake will go on to run for North Carolina. He will only improve, but maybe more importantly, he will make everyone around him better in the process.
|
2016: Matt Milostan (Sr) - 23rd
Matt Milostan: 23rd as a senior in 2016 (14:46.7)
|
Also known as "Mongoose", Matt started running in 8th grade due to the encouragement of Scullen Middle School Coach, Scott Todnem. He finished in the top 10 in the middle school conference xc race so it was obvious he had some talent. Matt ran well his freshman and sophomore year, but did not really start contributing to our top seven until his junior year. What made this especially remarkable, was that he was very young for his grade. Just like Chris Derrick, he did not turn 16 until October of his junior year. Unbelievably, they share the same birthday. So, as a junior, he was our 2nd man at the State meet, running 15:00.6. As a very young 17 year old senior, he ran 14:46.7 to finish 23rd overall. As our 4th man, he ranks as the fastest 4th man in IHSA history! He was fortunate to travel to Portland as a member of the Naperville South team 2x. Matt is also a great student, accumulating a 4.4 GPA. Matt's legacy is one of consistency and someone we could always count on at the end of the season.
|
2016: Jackson Jett (Sr) - 4th
ackson Jett: 8th as a senior in 2016 (14:32.3)
|
The first time we saw Jackson Jett, he took off like a jack rabbit in a middle school race, and built a 300 m lead by the mile. When asked why he did this year's later, his response was, "Coach, it was middle school. I figured if I started out really fast, the other kids would just give up". He was partially right. The reason the kids never got close to him is because he was able to maintain a good pace. After entering high school, Jackson had trouble managing the many variables that came his way. He played basketball, and running was not a high priority. Jackson was plagued by injuries early in his career, because he always pushed the envelope on training. He is extremely tough and a great competitor, but he had to learn to balance those traits with his training. By the time he was a junior, he had it mostly figured out and started running in the low 15's in many races. In the DVC championship, he finished a close 2nd to teammate, Dominic Dina. Jackson was our 6th man that year in the State meet, running 15:09. After a groin injury cut his junior track season short, he got on a roll. Now training consistently, he kept improving. He was the individual Sectional champions and was our number one man at the State meet, running 14:32.3. This feat ranks him as the 5th fastest individual in our history at Detweiller!
|
2014: Connor Horn (Jr) - 7th
Connor Horn: 7th as a junior in 2014 (14:36)
|
Connor entered the NV program as a highly touted age-group runner. He ran a 4:44 mile in 8th grade and had been in our summer program for many years. However, no one anticipated that he would run 15:08 as a freshman at Detweiller, ranking him as the 8th fastest freshman in the history of Illinois at the time. Connor's sophomore year did not happen due to a fracture in his navicular bone in his foot. The injury occurred during the track season, but he needed all fall to heal from the surgery. As Connor approached his junior year, we took a conservative approach, having him swim once a week during the summer. We also approached races more conservatively after he had trouble finishing his first race back at the Hornet-Red Devil Invitational. Connor saved his best race for the State meet, patiently waiting to make a move after hitting the two mile mark in 16th place. He moved up methodically and kicked in to finish 7th overall. His time was the third fastest for a junior in our history. Only future Footlocker All-Americans, Danny Pawola and Chris Derrick ran faster.
|
2014: Michael Widmann (Sr) - 18th
Michael Widmann: 18th as a senior in 2014 (14:48)
|
Michael ran 19:24 as a freshman. He was not on anyone's radar screen as a possible varsity runner, let alone an all-state performer. Michael's secret was much like other NV champions before him - moderation and consistency. Michael worked and worked. He did everything we asked and simply kept improving every season. As a sophomore, he ran in the mid 16's for 3 miles, and ran in the State meet as a junior, running 15:34 as our fourth man. Very few even mentioned his name, until he dove across the line, in the Joliet West IHSA Sectional Track and Field Meet, to qualify in the 3200m. It was only at that time, did others realize he was a force to be reckoned with. Michael had very few injury setbacks and put in another 1,000 mile summer before his senior year. His work and mental toughness paid off in the State meet, where he ran a smart race to finish 18th overall. His training partner, Daniel Weiss, was right behind him in 28th place. Connor Horn (14:36), Michael (14:48), and Daniel (14:54) made up the fastest trio in the State in 2015. His legacy will be his rise to stardom through a disciplined work ethic and a self belief that he could be an All-State runner.
|
2013: Nick Bushelle (Sr) - 15th
Nick Bushelle: 15th as a senior in 2014 (14:51)
|
Nick had a great career with us, running varsity for 3 years. Even though he did not look fast, his strength and determination enabled him to go down in history as one of our all-time greats. He broke out in the fall of 2011 as a sophomore. His consistent performances provided us with a solid 4th man on a team that finished 3rd in State. If it were not for some illness at NXN that year, I think we would have qualified for the 4th time to the NXN National Meet in Portland. Nick’s junior year showed he belonged with the State’s elite. Nick ran 14:52, but only managed to finish 41st in a very fast year. Our team finished 6th. Nick’s senior year was made of some ups and downs, but we knew he would be ready when it counted most, and he was. He ran a solid 14:51 at State to finish 15th on a much slower course than the year before. Nick was a two-time conference champion, a feat only equaled by Chris Derrick. Nick also achieved something very special. He was only one of 13 young men in the entire State named to the IHSA All-State Academic Team. He will continue his running career at Illinois, running for the club team to hopefully earn himself a roster spot in the years to come.
|
2011: Mark Derrick (Sr) - 9th
Mark Derrick: 9th as senior in 2011 (14:37)
|
Mark never ran in middle school and it took a little convincing to get him to run in high school. He did not grasp onto the work it took to be successful until midway through his sophomore year. That year he ran 16:51 at Conference to place 4th overall and finished 42 seconds behind teammate Taylor Soltys. The summer before his junior year he was hampered by a couple injuries (he was kicked in the ankle by a mad girl) but he finally rounded into shape and was looking like he would challenge for an all-state spot. However, during the 2010 State meet, he lost his shoe about 800m into the race (a Mark Derrick trademark). He still managed to run negative splits and dip just under 15:00. After a great track season and a 9:14 3200m, Mark looked primed to challenge for a top 10 spot that next fall. He did just that, running 14:37 his senior year to finish 9th at the State meet. His first invitational win came at the Northside/Southside Challenge in early October. He then went on to become the Upstate 8, Regional, and Sectional champion. After the IHSA season, he finished 21st at the Midwest Region Footlocker meet, a great performance to cap his xc career.
|
2011: Taylor Soltys (Sr) - 10th
2010: Taylor Soltys (Jr) - 15th
Taylor Soltys: 15th as a junior in 2010 (14:39); 10th as a senior in 2011 (14:42).
|
74th. That was Taylor Solty’s place as a 7th grader in the conference meet while he was in middle school. An avid swimmer through middle school, Taylor decided to give xc a try his freshman year. It was immediately obvious that he was going to work hard, but he was only our 4th or 5th best freshman. His sophomore year, he started to show that consistent, hard work does pay off and he won the fs Conference title going away and ran 15:42 at Detweiller that year. Because he did not quite make our 12 man State roster, Taylor had a chip on his shoulder and worked even harder to make a difference his junior year. He did just that by winning the varsity Conference title and was the IHSA Regional champion surprising many by beating a very good Lockport runner. Taylor went on to run a perfect race at the IHSA State meet and finished 15th overall to achieve All-State status. Taylor’s senior year had many ups and downs. He had a rough track season his junior year due to an achilles injury and ankle/foot issues continued to plague him throughout the summer and fall. However, like all great runners, he persevered and ran his best race of the year at the State meet, finishing 10th overall. Taylor Soltys left a legacy of hard work and sacrifice that few before him have been able to match. No one wanted to win as a team as much as Taylor, and his determination and high expectations will live on through all of us.
|
2009: David Wing (Sr) - 20th
David Wing (right): 20th as a senior in 2009 (14:52).
|
The one thing we always knew about David is that he had a lot of heart and he worked hard. Throughout his years at NV, he was unable to completely show the fruits of his labor due to many injuries. We knew he had potential for greatness, but we were not sure it would ever come to be. As a sophomore, he ran just over 16:00 at Conference and illustrated that he would probably be a varsity contributor down the road. As a junior, he was on the very edge of making our top 7, and because he did not quite make it, it served as extra motivation the next year to make a difference. The summer before his senior year we saw a very determined young man willing to do all the necessary strengthening exercises and the long runs around his lake house on Saturdays. This seemed to be ‘the cure’ and he was injury-free his entire senior year. After our pack split up a bit at Hornet-Red Devil, David took the lead in keeping our pack together in future races behind Aaron Beattie. It was David who was our pace-setter. The team meant more to David than any individual accomplishment. He ran with the pack until the last mile and then he was able to finish better than most. In fact, at the 2009 State meet, David was the only runner in the entire field that ran his second 1.5 miles faster than the first. David ran 14:56 in very warm conditions and would have probably run in the 14:40′s on a better day.
|
2009: Aaron Beattie (Sr) - 4th
2007: Aaron Beattie (So) - 13th
Aaron Beattie: 13th as soph in 2007 (14:44.2); 4th as a senior in 2009 (14:31).
|
Aaron came in as a talented freshman, having run in the low 5’s for the mile as an 8th grader. He got off to a slow start his freshman year, not joining us for summer running until early July. As Aaron rounded into shape, he showed his competitive fire in the conference meet, finishing as the top freshman in 5th place. After putting in a great base during the winter, Aaron continued to improve and broke 10:00 for the 3200m that spring. However, it was the summer of 2007 that propelled him into becoming the fastest sophomore in our history. Aaron trained consistently and put in the miles without overdoing it. For the first two meets, he ran at the f/s level until Jimmy Riddle got hurt. His first varsity race was at the Culver Invitational where he started to show everyone he belonged at the varsity level. His true breakout race came at the conference meet where he ran 14:37 to finish 3rd behind teammates Chris Derrick and Danny Pawola. Aaron went on to finish as the top sophomore in the State, helping his team win its first State title. His junior year was a disappointing one due to an IT injury that put him on the sidelines for more than 4 weeks. He ran in the State meet but was not in top form and ran 15:03. Aaron’s senior year was one to write home about. He was conference champion, regional champion, and finished fourth at State. He ran a great race at the State meet by being patient in the warm weather to help his team win a state championship. Aaron is one of four runners in our history to finish all-state two times.
|
2008: Danny Pawola (Sr) - 5th
2007: Danny Pawola (Jr) - 8th
Danny Pawola: 8th as a junior in 2007 (14:33.4); 5th as a senior in 2008 (14:31.3).
|
During Danny’s freshman year, he first showed promise at the Sterling Invitational, sprinting out to lead the junior varsity race while holding on to a top ten finish. It was at this point, I knew he had a competitive spirit. However, he was not an outstanding talent by any means, running in the 16:40’s for 3 miles. His sophomore year was a very frustrating season for Danny even though he managed to make our varsity squad. He ran in the 15:30’s at Detweiller but slowly succumbed to sickness and tired legs. It was the winter of 2006 that became legendary in NV lore. Danny decided to model after Chris Derrick. He put in a great base, lost ten pounds, and ran 9:16 for the 3200m, becoming one of the fastest sophomores in the country. The summer before his junior year, he worked even harder and never missed a day of training. His efforts did not go unrewarded as he was a consistent top-five finisher at major invites. That year, Danny saved his best race for last, leading the chase pack at State and finishing 8th overall. Danny’s senior year began with a great summer of training. At the end of July, he was running workouts comparable to Chris Derrick from the summer before. He started off the year winning the Hornet Red Devil Invitational. However, the next two races he ran against super freshmen and finished second in those invites. He looked great at Conference, while becoming NV’s fourth different individual winner. Danny continued to run relatively well (but not his best races) through the State meet (finished 5th). After the Nike Regional meet, he decided to change his diet (added more protein and ate better) and he surprised everyone by qualifying for Footlocker Nationals by placing 9th in the Regional meet. He then shocked everyone by finishing 13th at the National Footlocker meet while earning the honor as NV’s second straight All-American (top 15 are regarded as All-American).
|
2007: Chris Derrick (Sr) - 1st
2006: Chris Derrick (Jr) - 3rd
Chris Derrick: 3rd as a junior in 2006 (14:21.6); 1st as a senior in 2007 (13:51.8).
|
Chris is a true inspiration to all who want to become a great runner. Chris was introduced to our program via a recommendation from another parent and reluctantly joined our summer program. As a freshman, he ran 18:12 for three miles and was our 7th man on the f/s squad at the conference meet. As he continued to mature, it was obvious he had a real passion for running. He joined forces with upperclassmen the following summer and trained smart. It was my intention to run him in f/s races that fall, but he never gave me a chance. He was our #1 man on the varsity from the first meet and placed 43rd at the IHSA State meet while running 15:06. Young for his grade (Chris turned 16 in mid-October his junior year), he kept growing and trained consistently (his secret J). Beginning with his victory at the first invitational of the year, it was obvious he would be tough to beat. He won the Upstate Eight conference title with ease and finished 3rd at the IHSA State meet running a school and then District 204 record of 14:21.6.Chris’ senior year will go down in history as possibly the best season by an Illinois distance runner. He broke 8 course records, while going unbeaten. He ran one of the fastest times ever run at Detweiller in winning the individual State title and led his team to the first ever AAA State Championship. He then led our team to a national title in Portland, Oregon at the Nike Team National Championships by winning individually. A week later, he finished second at Footlocker Nationals in San Diego, CA. During that spring, he ran a 13:55.98 5k at the Arcadia Invitational to run the fastest 5k ever run in a high school only race.
|
2006: Jim Riddle (Sr) - 20th
Jimmy Riddle: 20th as a junior in 2006 (14:44.2)
|
It was obvious from the very start that Jimmy Riddle was a very talented runner. He joined us for the Oregon camp the summer before his freshman year and made the decision to run cross-country instead of play soccer. Jimmy started off placing 2nd overall at the first invitational in the freshman race only to suffer a stress fracture in his leg a short time later. During his sophomore year, he was able to finish the season as our 9th man, running in the low 16’s for 3 miles. It was the track season of his sophomore year that gave him the confidence and will power to turn heads his junior year. The summer before his junior year, he ran almost 1,000 miles and his hard work paid off. He finished within one place of his teammate (Chris Derrick) at all meets except the State meet. His State meet performance ranked him tied for #3 all-time in school and District 204 history at that time. Jimmy’s senior year was marred by a stress fracture that did not allow him to finish at his best in the State meet. He was in the top 25 with less than 300m to go when he ran out of gas. His effort was a true inspiration to us all. His greatest legacy might have occurred when the official IHSA Season ended. Jimmy ran in the National Nike Team Cross Country Championships in Portland and finished 6th overall, helping the team win the national championship.
|
2003: Nick Dunn (Sr) - 11th
Nick Dunn: 11th as a senior in 2003 (14:46)
|
Nick was a varsity contributor all four years. During his freshman year, he was our 4th/5th man and helped us win our first conference title. He ran 16:13 at Detweiller that year. He had a mediocre sophomore year relative to his freshman year, but helped us qualify for State for the first time in our history. He was our 4th man, running 15:55. It was the summer before his junior year, that Nick decided he was going to be more consistent and really work hard. His hard work paid high dividends. He ran 15:13 at the IHSA State meet and narrowly missed being All-State (29th). As a senior, Nick became a vocal and very effective leader. His work ethic continued to improve and he was the Upstate Eight Conference champion. He capped off his senior year by running 14:46 at the State meet to lead us to a 4th place finish as a team.
|
2002: Ben Barron (Sr) - 24th
Ben Barron: 24th as a senior in 2002 (15:02)
|
Ben was our first All-State runner, placing 24th his senior year. He improved a lot over his four-year career. He came out for cross-country to get in shape for baseball and never looked back. Ben ran just under 17:00 his freshman year and improved to run in the mid 16’s his sophomore year. His junior year, he was hampered by a sinus infection and did not race for almost three weeks before the Sectional meet. He managed to run 15:48 at the State meet to help us finish tenth that year. During the summer before his senior year, Ben made up his mind to work really hard. He turned in an outstanding early-season time of 15:17 at the Peoria Notre Dame Invitational and won the Upstate Eight Conference championship. He then earned his All-State recognition by almost breaking 15:00 at the State meet.
|
