Northwest Herald All-Area boys cross country team

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Runner of the Year: Anthony Manfrin, Dundee-Crown, jr.

Coach of the Year: Layne Holter, Cary-Grove

First team

Ryan Alvarez

Crystal Lake Central, sr.

Unlike his junior season, Alvarez remained healthy and had a terrific season until the IHSA Class 2A State Meet, where he struggled with the heat and finished 124th. Alvarez was sixth in the Fox Valley Conference Meet, first in the Aurora Central Catholic Regional and third in the Belvidere Sectional.

Phil Fairleigh

Cary-Grove, sr.

Fairleigh battled mononucleosis in the middle of the season and a chest cold the week before the Class 3A State Meet, but he still won his first state medal with a 12th-place finish. He was third in the FVC Meet, then won the Palatine Regional and Schaumburg Sectional. During the season, he committed to Duke, where he will run on scholarship.

Anthony Manfrin

Dundee-Crown, jr.

The Northwest Herald Runner of the Year capped a season abbreviated by a calf injury by taking sixth at the Class 3A State Meet. Manfrin won his first FVC title, won the St. Charles North Regional and was second in the St. Charles East Sectional.

Jeff Sabatka

McHenry, sr.

Sabatka picked up in cross country where he had left off with a strong track season in the spring. He took third place in the McHenry County Meet, sixth at the Wauconda Invitational, 21st at the Palatine Invitational and second at the FVC Meet. He also was third in the Class 3A Libertyville Regional.

Ian Sanchez

Richmond-Burton, sr.

Sanchez was Big Northern Conference champion, leading the Rockets as they defended their conference title. He was the Class 2A Antioch Regional champion and took fourth in the Belvidere Sectional. Sanchez was bumped and fell early in the Class 2A State Meet, where he finished 26th, one spot from repeating as an All-Stater.

Second team

J.D. Fuller – Woodstock, jr.

Eddy Gibbons – Cary-Grove, sr.

Matt Klein – Cary-Grove, sr.

Matt Lytle – Richmond-Burton, jr.

Matt Neubauer – Prairie Ridge, sr.

Honorable mention

Chris Alvarez – Crystal Lake Central, so.

Marc DiVerde – Prairie Ridge, jr.

Dan Fox – Johnsburg, so.

Ryan Gustafson – Cary-Grove, sr.

Jon Keable – Dundee-Crown, jr.

Jason Maxwell – Cary-Grove, sr.

Phil Meyer – Woodstock, jr.

Nathan Prom – Dundee-Crown, sr.

Brian Roesslein – Crystal Lake South, so.

Mitch Wilkins – Prairie Ridge, so.

– Joe Stevenson
jstevenson@nwherald.com