Once the largest prep cross country meet in the nation, the Crete-Monee Pow-Wow is no more.

Crete-Monee athletic director Gene Cahan confirmed that the invitational won't be back for a 42nd year in 2010, citing the declining number of teams participating. The Pow-Wow field peaked at 71 teams in 1978, but has dropped into the 20s in recent years.

The meet's flighted format, which pits schools' No. 1 through 7 runners against their counterparts, was the brainchild of its founders, Art Manwaring and the late Jim Becker. Their goal was to offer a chance for more runners to be recognized than in standard invitationals.

Four eventual state champs - Sandburg's Tom Graves (1976), Belvidere's Don Volkey (1978), St. Ignatius' Mike Patton (1980) and Lockport's Jim Knudsen (1981) - ran in the Pow-Wow and Lockport's Tom Bellos set the meet record of 13:46.8 in 1984.

The IHSA on Friday posted an announcement warning track and field coaches not to let their athletes compete in next month's Nike Indoor Nationals if they want to be eligible for the state series this spring.

"The (Nike) meet does not meet the standards set forth in IHSA By-Law 3.100," the IHSA statement said. "... Apparently, Illinois athletes registered for this event have been sent an email by their meet management that incorrectly interprets the IHSA By-Law. The email states that as long as the Illinois athlete has joined their high school team by the time of this meet that they meet the standards in By-Law 3.100. THIS IS INCORRECT!"

The sticking point appears to be that the Nike meet is an in-season competition that is not "sponsored and conducted directly by the National Governing Body for the sport."

Illinois athletes' participation in the Nike Outdoor Nationals isn't affected by this ruling because that meet comes after the IHSA season has ended.

The Nike Indoor Nationals is the meet in which Sandburg's Lukas Verzbicas (then a student at Lincoln-Way Central) set a national high school record last year in the indoor 5,000 meters, going 14:29.80.

According to a source, Waukegan senior and Illinois recruit Jereme Richmond will be named to the McDonald's All-American Game tomorrow. The game featuring the nation's top high school seniors will be played March 31 in Columbus, OH.

Steve Taylor, a talented 6-7 sophomore, has left Simeon for Mount Carmel. Taylor is a major prospect in football and basketball.

"He has a family member on the coaching staff and his family decided they wanted to make a move," Simeon basketball coach Robert Smith said. "I have no problem with it. If the kid is happy so am I. I wished him and his family well before he left. Steve competed in both football and basketball and was expected to be rated among the top wide receivers in football in the state as well as among the top basketball prospects."

Parade Magazine's All-America football team is out and there are three local players on it.

Proviso West's Kyle Prater is of six receivers on the 58-member team, Maine South's Matt Perez is one of nine running backs honored and Fremd's Christian Lombard is one of 18 linemen cited.