30 Boys Teams to Watch This Winter: Loyola



For the last several years I've done a Countdown to XC feature in the 30 days leading up to the start of the fall season. This strange school year will be no exception! However, the usual format for the countdown won't work this time around - it depends heavily on spring track data (which we don't have) to evaluate championship contenders and try to predict emerging challengers. So, instead of a rankings-style countdown, I'm going to feature 30 boys teams and 30 girls teams that I think will have a significant impact on the upcoming, unique winter cross country season. We'll begin with the obvious contenders state-wide and in every section, and then work our way to some potential sleepers.

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Loyola finished 4th in Division 2 last fall, which is typical for this storied program. What wasn't at all typical about that squad was it's composition. The Cubs are normally loaded with seniors every year, which often makes them difficult to project based on returning runners.

This year, however, Loyola returns 5 of their top 7, including three who made the varsity squad for the state meet as sophomores, a rare feat in this deep program. What's more, there are only two current seniors projected to be in the top 11 this winter, which means we may not see the peak potential of this team for another year. Given how well the Cubs do at replacing departed seniors and staying competitive, it's quite a luxury for them to be able to stockpile so much talent in the junior class and develop those runners over a three year span competing at the highest level.

Anthony Stone will certainly be missed, but the senior duo of Arjun Vadgama and Zachary Zambrano are set to take over front-running duties capably. Juniors Dane Utley, Richard Moreno, and Nick Castain round out the returning top 5, and I expect them to close up on the top two and form a potent pack. The Cubs need to develop their depth behind that group, but with their deep pool of juniors (and sophomore Jake Ratkovich) and given that boys often make significant strides as they age, I'm confident they will fill in the gaps. Watch out for Dylan Bissell, who seemed poised for a breakthrough after laying down a sub-10 3200 in March.

Returning to Division 1 will definitely make things tougher on Loyola, but I see the potential here for a top 5 finish this winter. The Cubs are shaping up to be title contenders in 2021, though, and I will watch them this year with an eye to both their current competitiveness and their development toward that future potential.


Loyola Stats: