DGN boys cross country season outlook

Downers Grove North senior Zack Smith had an incredible race at the 2012 Class 3A boys cross country state meet.

Smith finished an all-state eighth on the 3.0-mile Detweiller Park course in Peoria in 14:33, equaling the fastest time for the program at state, after being 92nd in 2011. 

Something still was missing.

“I went down there with the team my freshman year, and I can honestly say that’s about 10 times better than going down individually,” Smith said. “Just having all of those guys with you not only on the starting line but throughout the whole race, the night before, the morning and everything, it's just a big difference. It’s so much more fun.

“The team aspect is the best part of cross country for me so having them down there with me is going to be awesome this year because I know we’re going down. It’s going to be an awesome experience and I’ve been waiting for it for a while so I’m looking forward to it.” 

The Trojans are poised to make their first team state appearance since 2010 behind a lineup with plenty of postseason experience and coming off a strong track season and summer of training.

At the 2012 Class 3A Marist Sectional, the Trojans finished 11th with 264 points, six places and 104 points from a top-five finish necessary to advance. 

Several of Smith’s teammates, including seniors Marc Mathy and Jeremy Craven and junior Ryan Clevenger from the sectional lineup, made the trip to Peoria, but as spectators. Senior Jared Spilky and juniors Joe Carter and Zac Christensen also were part of last year’s postseason lineup. 

Smith and Mathy are this year’s co-captains.

“There were definitely a lot of guys that went down to the state meet to watch Zach compete, and it was a real enthusiastic experience,” Mathy said. “It was pretty exciting seeing all of those elite athletes compete, and I think Zach definitely got a little taste of an elite performance there and that’s good, too. I think a lot of guys are hungry for that this season.” 

Others already are taking notice. In the pre-season state polls, the Trojans are No. 4 in 3A by MileSplit Illinois and No. 11 by DyeStat Illinois. 

While Smith should contend for the individual state title, based on summer training and workouts, Clevenger appears ready to step into an elite role after the graduation of track all-stater Ben Eaton, now competing at Purdue. The Trojans also have a deeper lineup with the potential of several other stronger finishers.

On their home course at Greene Meadow Forest Preserve, the Trojans opened their season by defeating Plainfield North 22-37 and Jacobs 17-46. 

The Trojans will get their first big test at St. Charles East’s Leavey Invite Saturday at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve. 

“I think if we didn’t make it to state (as a team), it would be a disappointment, absolutely,” Downers North coach John Sipple said. “Nothing’s given to you, but that being said we should be in the top five at sectionals.” 

“We’re looking at top 10 in state (as a team), hopefully better,” Craven said. “Our top No. 1 through 5, we’re going to have a really close split. Even though Zach and Ryan might be way up there running really fast times, we’re hoping to be right behind them, 20 seconds behind, and keep it tight all year.” 

How many runners will be able to keep up with Smith? In 2012, he was the third-highest finishing underclassman behind third-place O’Fallon senior Patrick Perrier (14:15) and seventh-place McHenry junior Jesse Reiser (14:33). Ninth-place Buffalo Grove senior Steven Salvano (14:37), four seconds behind Smith, was the only other underclassman to place among the top 22 finishers.        

Smith ran 15:33 at state in 2011 and was the Trojans’ No. 4 finisher in 2010 (159th, 15:53), when they placed 18th. In May, Smith went on to earn his first all-state, top-nine honors in track by taking third in the 1,600-meter run (4:14.49) behind two seniors.

“It’s definitely my goal (to win state). Individually, I want to be up there, definitely top five, and compete for the championship, if I can. It’s been kind of fun going in with that goal in mind and knowing it’s something I can be able to accomplish if I put in the work and have a good season,” Smith said. 

“That’s definitely going to be something that makes it even more fun, but for me really the focus is the team here. We want to make it down to state. We want to get a (school team) banner for top eight. I’m focused on that and I’m going to run as well as I can individually to contribute to that.” 

Smith’s 2012 state time equaled the program-best 14:33 by Luke Ryan in 2006, when he finished 10th in Class AA. The highest individual state finish in program history is third by Dave Larson in 1957 after taking sixth in 1956. Tony Laskowski (1987) and Eduardo Bojron (2000) also finished as high as sixth.

“I don’t know that Zach will run 14:00 (at state). That’s just another step up from there, but I think he’s definitely in the discussion for top five (finishers),” Sipple said. “I think he’s got a shot to win the whole thing. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t talk about that. And I think he’s aware of that. That’s a cool position to be in. It’s just fun to have kids who are competing at that sort of level.” 

Clevenger hopes to be in contention for individual accolades as well after being the team’s No. 5 finisher at the Lyons Township Regional and No. 7 finisher at sectionals.

After battling anemia during the winter, Clevenger took a huge step forward in track and just missed qualifying for state with Smith in the 1,600. His fifth-place 4:24.12 barely missed the state-qualifying standard of 4:22.74.

At the 2-mile team time trial Aug. 23 on the DGN track, Smith and Clevenger finished within a second of each other in 9:34 and 9:35 after the lead group ran a controlled pace the opening part of the race.

“I feel like I matured a lot over the track season,” Clevenger said. “I feel like I can definitely take the next step and move hopefully to like all-conference, all-state, all of that. I think I can do that. I feel like I’ve taken the next step.”

Smith and Clevenger competed at the Midwest Distance Festival June 8 at Benedictine University and then spent most of the summer training pushing each other with Clevenger “kicking his butt,” as Smith put it. Sipple said that entering their junior years, Clevenger’s mile time is six seconds ahead of Smith’s in 2012.

“Ryan looks pretty tough right now so we’ll see what happens,” Sipple said. “Ben and Zach were really always the training partners. They were kind of a little step ahead of everybody else and they were able to really feed off each other really well and push each other. It’s nice that Clevenger has really transitioned into another elite guy so he and Zach are able to push and pull, and then there are a couple of those (other) guys that kind of stick their noses up there to kind of push them.”

The quality pack of seniors and a quickly maturing junior class probably will determine the extent of the Trojans’ fortunes as a team. 

At the 2012 sectional, Mathy (58th, 15:58.8) and Craven (79th, 16:23.3) were the team’s No. 3 and 5 finishers. Spilky and Mathy were the team’s No. 2-3 finishers at regionals with Craven in the No. 6 team position. Craven and Spilky finished 3-4 at the time trial.

"Honestly, we just need to stay healthy and our gap between our No. 1 and really No. 7 runner needs to be low,” Sipple said. “If we're 45 seconds within Zach, we're going to be doing pretty good. If we could have seven guys that are 15:30 or better, we're going to be very tough. Sub-15:30 is going to be key."

The Trojans not only have quality but quantity. Other early candidates for the varsity lineup include seniors Andrew Adams, Anthony Iacovetti, Jack Ronan and Sam Ronan and juniors Jack Diamond and Jack McGinnis. 

“We’re much deeper this year (on varsity). Last year, we were pretty thin and pretty young. Some of those guys that transitioned from sophomores to juniors made huge gains, especially during track,” Sipple said.  

Overall, the Trojans’ group is smaller with fewer than 50 runners and just five sophomores but with a large and promising freshman class. But with their quality, the Trojans should be able to contend on all levels in the tremendously tough West Suburban Conference Silver Division.

At the 2012 Silver Meet at Schiller Woods, Smith was a close second (15:04.7) to graduated Scott Milling of York (15:03.5), who took sixth at state and led the Dukes to another state team title. 

Spilky was 18th in the race (16:02.2), two places and 6.3 seconds from the last individual all-conference spot, and Mathy, Craven and Clevenger were the team’s respective No. 3, 6 and 7 finishers. Diamond (6th), Christensen (8th) and Carter (12th) were all-conference in the sophomore race. 

Besides another York state title, Lyons Township was third and Silver schools Hinsdale Central (12th) and Glenbard West (13th) also qualified for state as teams.

All four Silver teams have also received pre-season rankings from both polls. York is No. 2 in both polls to 2012 state runner-up O’Fallon. 

The Trojans are driven by that vision of everyone being again at Detweiller Park come November, but this time together on the starting line as a team qualifier.

“Looking far ahead, it’s definitely good to keep your goals in sight, but if we take every workout and practice as we should and keep committed and look at it in terms of personal improvement, then I think the success just will come naturally and inevitably,” Mathy said.

“Looking back at the workouts that we’ve had with the enthusiasm and the passion, it’s definitely increased as we’ve seen how we’ve gotten stronger. It’s pretty amazing to see, especially with the juniors, they’re really beginning to fill out. I think that’s going to be a key part to our season, the juniors and seniors and keeping that enthusiasm throughout the season."

-- by Bill Stone