Illinois 2024 Predictions - Way too early

They only dominated Frosh Soph meets because they didn’t have many in varsity, they aren’t even a top 5 f/s team in the state

Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure they’ll be OK…Barrington was supposed to be the team to beat given their fresh-soph classes the last few years. Didn’t really work out for them…

Fresh-soph classes don’t really matter if they don’t develop. I’d take my chances with DGN

Downers Grove North really only had two guys develop from freshman to sophomore year.

— Here is a list of better F/S groups —

- Plainfield North

- Edwardsville

- O’Fallon

- Hersey

- Plainfield South

DGN only had 2 of last year’s freshman make the top 7 (which is already a lot), buts it’s ridiculous to say their sophomores didn’t develop at all. Their top 5 non varsity sophomores this year compared to last year:

16:03 from 17:10

16:13 from 17:33

16:49 - first season running

16:52 from 18:10

17:03 from 18:47

All of these runners developed, all of them will continue to develop, many will make DGN’s varsity teams in future years. DGN is one of those schoolers where guys pretty regularly make big jumps year after year, even as seniors (see Bender and Moss this year).

Bender and Moss didn’t just come up this year, they have been running great track times for a couple of years.

Im not saying they didn’t develop well and that they won’t be good, but they won’t be the best next year and arent the best sophomore class

Downers Grove North returns their #1,2,5 from last year’s state meet.

and also Travers, who ran a 9:33 in track and made the state meet there, and also ran varsity at the Naperville Twilight and was able to hang with their #3-5 there.

Just takes one more to score but they return a few more guys who ran a 16:40 or faster in the NXR open race, so the cupboard won’t be bare at all.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the top 3 boys 3A teams next year are the same as this year. Could even be in the same order

This is Moss’s first year on varsity XC, and Bender was on varsity last year

York seems to be very strong this year. Lots of potential has been show, and a few new names on the board.

York isn’t messing around this season….They are ready to make an impact and build some momentum for XC. The kid from down south Genisio looks really good right now. 9:05/4:10 for the full 2M/1M hope he gets in a race where he isn’t the fastest could see something special in the low 4 range. I keep seeing these high school kids racing college kids and or have a pro pacer in the race. High School Track has definitely changed.

I'd like to see their 4x8 team, they have got some serious ground a hand full of boys hanging around 2, if not below.

I think Plainfield North will get top 10 at NXN. They took 15th last year and only lose 1 scorer.

Last 2 years there was a boys team from Illinois in the top 10 at NXN, and I think Plainfield North will be the next team to do it.

Where do you think the York boys team will finish at the XC 2024 state meet? They took 24th last year

Plainfield South returns
9:12 / 4:20
9:43
9:50 / 4:33
9:50 / 4:33
4:36
4:39
4:40
10:15 / 4:43
4:47
10:21 / 4:49

The two 9:50 / 4:33 guys have something else in common - besides the fact that both ran in the NXR championship race: both used to be soccer players

Downers Grove North returns
9:13
9:22
9:24
9:27
9:45
9:51
9:52
9:58
10:00
10:03

Last Year’s top 3 teams at the state meet & NXR will finish in the top 3 at the state meet & NXR this year again (though not necessarily in the same order). Will the third place team get an at-large bid to NXN?

Now that track season is over, what are the top sevens looking like for the best teams in the state?

Any girls predictions?
I think Downers Grove North will win and Barrington will take second.
Maybe we will see DGN win the state meet on both the boys AND the girls side?