2016 Boys All Area

2016 Tri State Cross Country Coaches Boys All-Area Team

Pittsfield Junior Eli Ten Eyck is your 2016 Runner of the Year (Photo Credit: Russ Tate)

Runner of the Year - Eli Ten Eyck, Jr., Pittsfield

The high school running career of Eli Ten Eyck has been a buildup. Starting his Freshman year in what is considered his first 'real serious' year of running until now he's gone through the good and the bad. As a Freshman Ten Eyck was extremely competitive and ambitious of what could be, but didn't have the experience or the training to back up his ambition. Although he had a solid Freshman year, it's not something that would get him noticed by many on the local running scene. He was good, but not someone who you would consider a meet winning threat.

Along came the 2015 season, where he had changed the way he trained and the intensity of what he wanted to do. It was that season that "he raised his level of competition to the expectations (Pittsfield) cross country used to be known for and showed the rest of the students what is possible if you put in enough work," said Pittsfield Head Coach Adam Singler. It was that effort and the 2015 season that looked to be the breakthrough that Ten Eyck had wanted and prepared for. Unfortunately, the roll he was on last year was derailed late in the season when Eli suffered an ankle injury that he could not recover from. He had a lackluster finish at the Elmwood Sectional where he finished 35th in a time of 17:18, far from the finish he wanted or was projected to have. It may have been an unfortunate scenario for Ten Eyck, but Coach Singler thinks that finish is what allowed him to have such a great 2016 season. "Since his injury last fall that derailed his postseason goals, he has been dialed in on the workload, effort, races, (everything)," said Singler.

Fast forward to Fall 2016. A more fit, more focused, simply better runner Ten Eyck set out with big goals and aspirations of getting redemption for how the 2015 season ended. Ten Eyck was on his game from the start. He started with the Rochester Invitational individual championship winning in 15:34, before winning again at the Running Raider Invitational, and Carlinville Invitational later in the season. From start to finish, he consistently was in the top 3 in most meets he ran, and always was in contention for the win regardless of who he was racing.

The post season for Ten Eyck consisted of a 2nd place finish at the Liberty Regional, losing only to eventual 1A State Individual runner-up Wyatt McIntyre of Athens, where he ran 16:05. Ten Eyck then went to the Elmwood Sectional where he was able to get his redemption from 2015 and place 5th overall in a time of 16:05 to earn his first trip to the Illinois Class 1A State cross country meet. A week later Ten Eyck went on to run 15:21 to place 11th overall, becoming the first male All-State runner for Pittsfield since Craig Hayden in 1978. Eli's goal for the 2017 season? Trying to chase down Hayden's school record of 14:53, and equaling his school record finish. Hayden just happens to be the 1978 Illinois Class 1A State Champion. If history has shown anything, Eli Ten Eyck will put in the work necessary to try to achieve this goal as well. For his efforts on the course in the Fall of 2016, Eli Ten Eyck has been named this year's Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Boys Runner of the Year.

First Team All-Area - (Alphabetical Order)

Lucas Booher, Sr., Liberty- A 2015 All-Area 1st teamer, Booher did plenty again in 2016 to secure a spot as a top local. Booher didn't place outside the top 7 in any meets throughout the regular season including one individual meet title and 8 top 5 finishes along the way. Add in a season bests 15:53 for 7th at the Patriot Invite in Peoria and his 2nd straight State Meet appearance when he qualified individually for the 2016 IHSA Class 1A State Meet where he finished in 57th in 16:00 and there is no arguing his place on this list of top locals.

Jacob Bryan, Jr., Illini West- In a town more likely known for Football or Basketball, Jacob Bryan set out to put Illini West XC and himself in the forefront in 2016. The Charger Junior dropped golf from his Fall slate and took up XC after having great success on the track in his Freshman and Sophomore years. It seems that it was the right choice for Bryan as he lead the Chargers to their first Boys State Meet team appearance in history. Bryan won 3 individual meet titles in 2016 and placed in the top 4 in 6 of the regular season meets he ran in even while battling injury throughout. Bryan finished his season placing 29th at the IHSA State Meet running 15:37 leading the Chargers to a 11th place team finish. Now healthy, Jacob looks to be at the top of the list of those to watch in 2017.

Dalton Ellingboe, Jr., West Hancock- Consistency is key when racing amongst the locals for Ellingboe. 8th place individual finishes at the Running Raider and Tom Oakley meets solidify his place on this list. Ellingboe also finished 3rd at the West Central Conference meet running 17:27 at South Park in Quincy. Ellingboe will look to finish his high school career with a State Meet qualifying appearance in 2017.

Nathan Frazee, Fr., Clark County- Frazee put together one of the strongest Freshman campaigns of any male runner in recent memory in 2016 placing in the top 5 in every regular season race this year. If that wasn't good enough for any normal Freshman, 4th place finishes at the Running Raider and Tom Oakley Invite put him on the local map. Frazee then went on to win the Clarence Cannon Conference title, win the Missouri District Championship, and place 6th at the Missouri State Meet in a time of 16:54. Point blank, Frazee didn't have a bad race all year and looks to be the future of the Tri-State boys XC landscape.

Chase Grainger, Sr., Illini West- In what will go down as his only XC season in his high school career, Grainger put up extremely consistent numbers improving from start to finish. He placed in the top 10 in 8 regular season meets including 7th at Liberty and 6th at the West Central Conference meet earning his first All-Conference honor. He finished 25th overall in 16:49 at Elmwood to help the Chargers earn their first team State bid ever before running a personal best 16:16 at the IHSA 1A State Meet where he placed 82nd overall.

Zach Haley, Jr., QND- Known for his tenacity on the wrestling mat, football field and ball diamond, injuries derailed much of Haley’s Sophomore year. When football was ruled out for 2016 Haley decided to give cross country a try, just as three brothers before him had. According to Coach Andy Edgar," Zach put together one of the top performances by a Raider my 17 years of coaching." With no summer training Haley was a work in progress, learning how to distance run/race while conditioning to avoid injury. Haley burst into the local running scene with a 2^nd place finish at the PORTA Invitational. He would place in the top 10 in almost every race after this and finished his season strong. He won the West Central Conference meet, placed 4^th at the Liberty Regional and 10^th in the Elmwood Sectional. Zach capped his strong inaugural season with a 59^th place finish at the IHSA Class 1A State Meet.

Kyle Horner, So., Bowling Green- Although only a Sophomore, Horner runs like a seasoned veteran. In only his 2nd high school season, Horner earns his 2nd 1st team nod in 2016. The EMO Conference Individual Runner-Up, Kyle placed 6th at the District meet in 17:44 and was vital in the Bobcats run at another team State Meet appearance.

Cayden Kirkham, Jr., Illini West- If you could buy stock in an athlete before the beginning of the season, Kirkham would have been a sure fire winner for you. In his first season of HS XC, he progressed from start to finish and became a consistent commodity that helped propel IW to the State Meet in 2016. He placed 16th at the Running Raider, 7th at the Tom Oakley and 10th at Liberty. He missed the West Central Conference Meet, but had a huge run at Elmwood where he placed 19th in 16:37. He then ran a personal best of 16:13 at the IHSA Class 1A State Meet where he placed 75th overall.

Justin LeBeouf, Jr., Bowling Green- The #1 runner for the Bobcats in 2016 LeBeouf lead Bowling Green back to the State Championships again. Although he didn't finish the EMO Conference Meet due to a sickness, he rebounded and finished 3rd overall at the Missouri District Meet where he ran 17:28 to earn himself 1st Team All District honors.

Devin Neff, Jr., Mark Twain- 2016 was an exceptional year for Neff. Neff won the Clopton Invitational and placed in the top 10 in 3 other big races throughout the season including 9th at the Running Raider and 5th at the Frank Lemons Invite in Hannibal. But his biggest finishes were at the end of the year including the EMO Conference Championship, and a runner-up finish at the Missouri District meet before earning an All-State finish running 17:22 at the Missouri State Meet, where he finished 15th, moving up from his 47th place finish in 2015.

Ayden Nichols, Jr., Hannibal- Although injured throughout the 2016 season, the 2015 Tri State Runner of the Year was still able to battle and put together an impressive season. Although racing in a larger class in Missouri didn't yield a State Meet run like last year, Nichols was still able to place 11th at the Running Raider and 10th at the Tom Oakley Invite to secure his spot amongst the top locals this season.

Reed Tate, Sr., Liberty- The Eagles #2 throughout the 2016 season, Tate continued his strong consistency in 2016. His All-Conference placing at the West Central Conference Meet was the rebound he needed after battling sickness midway through the year to finish off 2016 Strong. A 9th place finish at the Liberty Regional in 16:55 propelled him to his 18th place finish at the Elmwood Sectional where he ran 16:37, narrowly missing his 2nd straight trip to the IHSA State Meet.

All-Area Honorable Mention-

Bowling Green- Max Brandenburger, So., Reed Glenn, Sr.

Clark County- Blain Lindsey, Sr., Cole Kirchner, Jr.

Highland- Josh French, Jr.

Illini West- Clayton Grainger, Sr., Dalton Melvin, Jr.

Liberty- Jordan Neisen, Fr., Mason Tate, So., Logan Waid, Sr.

Macomb- Noah Pyles, Sr., Zach Zahnle, Sr.

QHS- Noah Fleer, So., Will Kipping, Sr., Wyatt Wollaston, Sr.

QND- Alex Mast, So.