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IL IHSA AAA Boys State Meet Preview
What will be hotter...the weather or the action in and around O'Brien Stadium in Charleston?
Michael Newman - Dyestat Illinois
This year's edition of the IHSA Boys AAA State Track & Field Meet looks to be one of the most unpredictable in recent history in both the individual and the team competitions. There are 6 teams that are capable of walking away from Charleston on Saturday afternoon with the state championship trophy. And what is more surprising, it could be decided in the field rather than the track.
The races on the track will show the same unpredictability. In none of the races is there an overwhelming favorite...which should keep the crowd inside of O'Brien Stadium at the edge of their seats.
Here is a look at the top teams that could end up on top on Saturday along with a look at the individual events:
TEAMS
Naperville Neuqua Valley - 8 Individuals - 4 Relays
Last spring, the Wildcats surprised some by walking away with the 2nd place team trophy. This Saturday, they will not be satisified with 2nd place. Neuqua Valley has put themselves in position to win the team championship with a strong performance at the Aurora West Sectional. Aryan Avant will be amongst the leaders in the 400 and will be a major player in three of their 4 qualifying relays. All 4 of these relays have a strong shot to score points. Much will be asked from 3200 / 1600 meter runner Aaron Beattie, who could score major points in both of those events. The one thing that could have a major effect on this team is how much will Cale Brown, Steve Carron, Aryan Avant, Jamere Morrison, and Thaddeus Johnson have left after running multiple races in near 90 degree heat.
Roselle Lake Park - 10 Individuals
The first of a couple of teams that will rely on the field events to score major points. The Lancers will score points in both of the weight events behind Jeremy and Jermaine Kline, both of whom could score 30 + points between them. Zach Ziemek could also be a major player in both the Triple Jump and the Pole Vault. Also watch for High Jumper Kevin Spejcher with a shot to score in a deep field. Lake Park could get a bonus in points from Ryan Jorgensen in the 800 or Steve Krauss in the 1600. A couple of points from these guys could put Lake Park over the top.
Aurora Waubonsie Valley - 9 Individuals - 1 Relay
The third of the Upstate Eight Teams with a chance at the Team Championship and they will also rely on the field disciplines. Rickie Walls had a major breakthrough on Saturday in the Long Jump, having the best sectional distance. He is the indoor state champ in the Triple Jump and a has a shot of scoring major points there. High Jumper James Davenport broke the 7 foot barrier at sectionals having the highest clearance in sectional competition...could he go higher this week? Andrew Szott has been one of the tops in the Shot Put this spring..if he is in the top 3, he could give a major push for the Warriors. Junior Owen Saldana has been a major surprise for Waubonsie this spring in the Discus. He could score some points there. Watch Danny Tucker in the 100 & 200...he is a big meet performer who could be in the hunt for points.
Wheaton-Warrenville South - 9 Individuals - 3 Relays
The Lake Park Sectional Champ comes to Charleston with no superstars, but enough balance in both the track and field that could be the difference for Coach Ken Helberg. Pole Vaulter Lukas Looby has been one of the best in his event and could score major points here. Senior Kevin Piraino will be strong in the Triple Jump, but also watch for him the 200 and a couple of the relays. The relays could give the Tigers major points, especially in the 4x1 and 4x2. This squad will need to be firing on all cylinders in order for a team championship.
Oak Park River Forest - 11 Individuals - 2 Relays
The big question for the Huskies is if sprinter Devin Banks is 100% healthy? Banks was dominant indoors in the sprints and was named most outstanding athlete at the IPTT Classic in March. Hamstring problems have hampered the Oak Park sprinter throughout the outdoor season. Banks qualified in the 100, 200, & will be a member of the 4 x 1 relay. They will need Banks at full strength. Horizontal jumper Amir Arif had a great Triple Jump at his sectional and will be in the hunt for the championship in that event. The distance crew will have a major say if this team heads back to Oak Park with a trophy. Malachy Schrobilgen and Jack Stapleton are among the favorites in the 3200. The 4 x 8 relay made a splash last year with a killer prelim. They have been lurking in the shadows all season and could bust out this weekend.
East Moline United - 9 Individuals - 2 Relays
Could jump into the top 3 if they get some big performances in the field events. Pole Vaulter Chase Pavelonis has cleared 15' 2" earlier in the year. He's had a banner season and will be one of the favorites here. High Jumpers Michael Crabtree and Jacob DeJaegher are in the hunt for points in that event. Senior Andy Martinez is once again peaking at the right time and will be one of the favorites in the 800. United could get bonus points from Cody Webster in a wide open 1600. Watch for points from the 4x1 and 4x2 relays. Both are rated high and could score major points here. Do not overlook this team.
Evanston Township - 8 Individuals - 3 Relays
31 years ago, the Wildkits rode on the broad shoulders of sprinter/hurdler Bob McGee to win the state championship. The same could happen this weekend behind Senior sprinter Tremaine Gordon. He will be one of the favorite in both sprint races and is a key in the 4x1 and 4x2 relays . Evanston always peaks at state in the relays and will play a big factor here. They could also score points in the 400 with Marlon Stoby and in the Discus with Curis Wideman. There is not a lot of room for mistakes from this team.
Elmhurst York - 5 Individuals - 4 Relays
The defending AAA team champs have been running strong the last couple of weeks and could sneak into the trophy picture if everything works out right. Once again, the success of this team will rise or fall in the distances. Senior Andrew Smith and Junior Jack Driggs will play a major role in both the 3200 and 1600. Their 4 x 8 relay has been among the tops in this event and will be in position for high points here. Do not discount their 4 x 2 or 4 x 4 relays, who always peak at the right time at state. A surprise could be Tre Kelly in the 400, who is running the event this spring for the first time. He could score points here. Here again, like Evanston, not alot of room for mistakes for this team if they want to go back to Elmhurst with a trophy.
Downers Grove South - 7 Individuals - 3 Relays
A team that has been running hot all season and will be in the chase for a trophy. It will come down to two athletes. Shane Molidor will be strong in the 100 and the Long Jump and is a key piece in their relays. Weightman Tyler Rocco will score points in both the Shot Put and the Discus. Also watch for Bobby Castillo in the 3200, who has run strong in big races this season. If everything pops for the Mustangs, they could return to Downers Grove with a trophy.
Individual Events
Long Jump
This event is wide open. Last year's winner Alex Robinson of Bloom did not make it out of his sectional. Champion from 2 years aga Nigel Jolly of Morgan Park is out with an injury. Demadra Humphrey of Normal West has the longest jump in AAA did not make it out of his sectional. Rickie Walls of Waubonsie Valley has been lurking around 22' all season. At the Aurora West sectional, he popped a 23' 2" jump to make him the longest sectional qualifier. Gary Ford of Thornridge has the capability of popping a big jump this weekend. Shane Molidor of Downers Grove South was strong indoors and is capable of going over 23' here. Amir Arif of Oak Park-River Forest has come on strong the last couple of weeks and will have a say in who wins here. Also watch for Nick Batcha of Prospect, Titus Davis of Wheaton-Warrenville South, Caleb Ivey of Plainfield North, and Mik'ail McCall of Thornridge to be a force in this competition as well.
Triple Jump
Defending State Champ Jonathan Gardner of Whitney Young was not seen on the Dyestat TFX leaderboards throughout most of the outdoor season. Nursing and recovering from an injury occuring at the end of the indoor season made this senior hungry. At the Chicago Public League Championship, he jumped 49' and followed up with a 49' jump at sectionals. Those two performances stamped him as the favorite this weekend. Rickie Walls of Waubonsie Valley is a big meet performer. During the indoor season, he improved two feet at the indoor state championship. He will need that kind of improvement to go after Gardner. Amir Arif of Oak Park-River Forest jumped 47' last week at Sectionals and will be in the hunt here. Also watch for Devin Lee of Hinsdale South, Zach Ziemek of Lake Park, Rodney Craig of Belleville West, and Branden Tanthavong of Granite City to be in the hunt for the top 3. Do not be surprised if Garner goes 51 feet on Saturday.
High Jump
Is this a wide open event? James Davenport of Waubonsie Valley could have a say in that. Last week at Aurora West, he cleared 7 feet and stamped himself as the favorite at the south end of the track. Granite City Duo Marcus Mason and Matt Wilson have been big surprises this season. Both are sophomores...will lack of big meet experience be a benefit or a hinderance for these two? East Moline United duo Michael Crabtree and Jacob DeJaegher will also be a factor here. Also watch for Karrington Ward of Lockport, Kevin Spejcher of Lake Park, Aviance King of Aurora West, and Gary Ford of Thornridge all have a shot of surprising here.
Pole Vault
Out of all the 3 classes being contested in this event, this most probably will have the lowest winning height...but it will be a very close competition. Lukas Looby of Wheaton-Warrenville South cleared 15' 6" indoors and 15' 3" outdoors and is tough in big meet competitions. He has a shot at 16' on Saturday. Junior Zach Ziemek of Lake Park was unnoticed indoors, yet he won the indoor state championship. Here again, he has flown under the clouds most of outdoor season, but he will be there with the money on the line. Matthew Kubik of West Chicago has cleared 15' 3" indoors and will be in the chase for the championship here. Two vaulters that have been improving over the last few weeks have been Corey Szamlewski of McHenry and Dan Chaulus of Niles North. They could take the next step to the top on Saturday. Chase Pavelonis of East Moline United cleared 15' 2" early in the year and could win here...Also watch for Pat Pranger of Edwardsville, Eric Gordon of Normal West, and Jeremiah Sheehy of St. Ignatius all with a chance of placing here. A winning of height of 16' is not out of the question here.
Shot Put
The weight events could steal the spotlight in the AAA field events. Jermaine Kline of Lake Park has been over 62 feet most of the season and his consistancy will make him the favorite here. Jermaine's brother Jeremy performances have dropped a little bit behind his brother. Watch for him to step it up this weekend. There are three other athlete's that have a shot to win this weekend. Marcus Poppenfoose of Huntley early in the season was having trouble finding his technique in the ring. Over the last few weeks, he has found his form. His put of 61' 1 1/2" last week at Huntley only put him one foot behind Jermaine Kline. He could be dangerous on Saturday. Frank Boenzi of Geneva has improved over the last few weeks and cannot be discounted. Andrew Szott of Waubonsie Valley has improved a foot over the last 3 weeks and will also be a threat. Watch also for Igor Liokumovich of Deerfield, Brian Bobek of Fremd, and Tyler Rocco of Downers Grove South all with a shot of being in the medal picture this weekend. It will take at least a 63 ' put to win it.
Discus
This will be an extremely close competition. Marcus Poppenfoose of Huntley has the 3rd longest throw in the nation and will be one of a hand full of favorites here. Brothers Jeremy and Jermaine Kline of Lake Park have been among the best here all season and will fight it out for the championship. Igor Liokumovich of Deerfield has made a dramatic improvement this season and could step up if one of the first 3 drop. Tyler Rocco of Downers Grove South threw the fifth longest distance in this event at sectionals and could medal here. Keep a close eye on Owen Saldana of Waubonsie Valley. Saldana has come on like gangbusters over the past month and could be in the top 5 here. Also watch for Curtis Wideman of Evanston, Jared Diaz of Rolling Meadows, and Jim Newsome of Lyons Township to be in the medal hunt. It will take a throw in the upper 190's to win it here.
4 x 800 Meter Relay
Strategy may take over in this event...and the weather will dictate it. Also the wide open quality of the 1600 will have an effect. With a bunch of runners in the relays coming back in the 1600, coaches will have to make a decision whether to double their runners back or keep them fresh for the individual race. Could have a major effect on who qualifies. New Trier has the fastest time coming out of sectionals. Will Tommy King be held out of the relay for the 1600 on Friday...will the Trevians have enough to qualify without King? If they qualify for Saturday, watch for this team in the finals. Prospect has the reputation of dropping its time at sectional time in this event. Can they drop it any more? With Albert Ciolek and Kellan Stroebel in there, they will have a shot. Glenbard East could be the favorite here. They had the 3rd fastest time coming out of sectionals. They have the confidence of winning this after capturing the indoor championship at the end of March. Their duo of Brad Magnetta and Luke Chvatal have the capability of each dipping under 1:55 and push the Rams to head of the pack. Hersey is another school that was pulled to a great time at the Loyola Sectional. They could push for under 7:50 on Saturday.
Another team to keep a very close eye on is Oak Park-River Forest. At last year's state meet, they shocked the crowd by running a 7:45 with 3 sophomores in the quartet. They learned their lesson in the final. So far this season, the Huskies have been lurking in the shadows and will be one of the favorites here led by Juniors Peter Hogensen and Brenden Donley. Conference rival York cannot be dismissed as a favorite. Senior Adam Cecil has fought back after an injury filled cross country season and will be a key for this squad. Kush Sangha and Matt Schacht have the capability of running around 1:55...if this happens, York could win this race. Neuqua Valley could be the big question mark here. Last season, Aryan Avant ran in this relay and made a diffference. Will he be in here on Saturday? The Wildcats have enough depth to choose among 8 runners to run and would not miss a step. Fenwick had the fastest time going into Sectionals. Do not discount them. They have a good quartet led by Steve Blazer and Bill Toohey.
The race is wide open. Do not forget Downers Grove North, Plainfield South, Minooka, and Lake Zurich. Any of the above mentioned schools could take home the top prize here. It will take 7:44 to win it on Saturday.
4 x 100 Meter Relay
Just like the 4 x 8, there are 10 schools all with a shot at winning here. East Moline United , led by DeMykhal Teague and Jordan Atwater, had the fastest time coming out of the sectionals and cannot be ignored in the discusiion of the winner of this race. Evanston tends to peak at the right time...around sectionals and state. It is no different this season...and with Tremaine Gordon anchoring, this could be dangerous. Wheaton-Warrenville South's quartet is technically sound with baton passes. They could be in the hunt for a championship. Neuqua Valley , with Thaddeus Johnson and Jamere Morrison, have the speed to win it all here. Do not forget about Belleville West, the defending champ in this event, is aching to prove that they can win it again. Whitney Young could surprise alot of teams here with Jonathan Gardner and Cameron Allen in the mix. Do not forget about Plainfield South, Niles West, and Normal Community all with a chance to win it here as well.
3200 Meter Run
The tactics will be simple here...who will go out and push the pace. At the indoor championships in March, Garrett Sweatt of Edwardsville and Martin Grady of Fenwick pushed the early pace before Aaron Beattie of Neuqua Valley took over just before the mile and cruised to a victory. What will happen Saturday? The favorite here could be Jack Driggs of York. He cruised to a 9:06 3200 victory at his conference meet. If the pace is slow, he has the speed to win it. Beattie ran 9:08 in April at Downers Grove and could push under 9 on Saturday. The Oak Park duo of Malachy Schrobilgen and Jack Stapleton have run fast times all spring and will make a difference here. Andrew Smith of York has the speed to finish strong and will be a factor in this race. Watch for Noah Graboys of New Trier, Bob Guthrie of Naperville North, and Bobby Castillo of Downers Grove South to be in the lead pack here. The weather could be a factor in this race. If it comes down to a kick, look for Driggs to win it.
110 Meter High Hurdles
Last season, Brandon Winters of Plainfield South failed to make it out of the prelims. It has pushed towards excellence all season. At last week's sectional competition, Winters ran the fastest FAT time this season. He is running with a chip on his shoulder and does not want to be denied a state championship here. Matt Benes of Lockport was close to Winters at the sectional...he would like to be ahead of him on Saturday. One hurdler that has been overlooked the entire season and should not is Erick Gavin of Marian Catholic. Last year, William Lindsey was the favorite and Gavin emerged victorious. Will Gavin defend his title on Saturday? If he gets off to a great start, then the possibility is great. Jarvis Patterson of Belleville West will also be in the hunt, along with Rob Mohr of Batavia, Shujaa Benson of Loyola, Divonte Ridley of Belleville West, and Cory Householder of Machesney Park Harlem.
100 Meter Dash
Defending champ Colin Hepburn of Glenbrook South is undefeated this spring in this event and has the mental toughness to win it here. In the Indoor State 55 meters, Hepburn stumbled in out of the blocks, but still came back to win. Brandon Stryganek of Stevenson has the fastest FAT time in this event and will push Hepburn. Conference rival Tremaine Gordon of Evanston will make a big push and could surprise here. Also watch for Santiago Ochoa of Niles West, Ahmad Evans of DeLaSalle, and Matt Kubik of West Chicago to push for the title here.
 800 Meter Run
Dominique Manley of Collinsville made a huge statement last week at the Normal West Sectional. There he beat two of the fastest 2 lappers in the state, Andrew Martinez of East Moline United and Dan Mazar of Edwardsville. The weather could play a facor here, as Manley will also run the 400 and the 4x4 relay. Mazar is an interesting case. He ran the fastest time in the state in late April, then discovered he had a stress fracture in his left leg. He has run 1:54 in his first two races back. What does he have in him this weekend?
Watch for Joey McAsey of Minooka to make a push for the front as well. Also watch for Tavarius Thomas (left photo) of Zion Benton, Austin Stone of Plainfield North, Bryce Basting of Normal West, and Pat Wylie of Deerfield all to have a chance to win it here. It may take 1:50 to win it here...watch for Manley and Mazar to battle it out for the championship.
4 x 200 Meter Relay
Evanston and Normal Community have the two fastest times coming out of the sectional and will be two of the favorites in a wide open relay. There are a number of teams that could win here. East Moline United has been running strong and could finish on top. Belleville West is the defending champ and would like to repeat. Plainfield South and Neuqua Valley have the talent to be on top as well. Aurora West will have a strong anchor in Leon Spears and Niles West as well with Santiago Ochoa could challenge. York has dropped its time significantly and may push towards the top.
400 Meter Dash
Eric Oliver of Homewood-Flossmoor has been the main man in this event all spring and Saturday looks to be no different. Oliver has the fastest time in this event by 6 tenths of a second. He could drop it into the low 47's on Saturday. After that, a number of runners could chase after Oliver. Neuqua Valley duo of Aryan Avant and Steve Carron have the chance to make it very intersting against Oliver. Sheldon Magee of Plainfield South could push the pace early on and may steal the race. Dominique Manley of Collinsville will be coming back after running the 800...how much will he have left on short rest in warm weather? Marcus Jones of Oswego East has been a major surprise so far this season and could shock some people here. Devonier Casey of Niles North could push Oliver as well. This is Oliver's race to lose...but watch him flirt with a time under 47 seconds.
300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles
When all of the hurdlers are within a 1.5 seconds of each other, you can qualify this race as anyone's guess. There will be no upsets here since the pack is so closely matched. Shujaa Benson of Loyola was not known at this time last year, but now he could win this race. he has the fastest FAT time in AAA. Darrius McKay of Zion Benton had the fastest sectional time and will be in the mix for the crown. Rob Mohr of Batavia has been running strong the last few weeks and has the strength to pull off the victory. Watch for Jon Schmitt of McHenry, Danny Trevor of Jacobs, and Jonathan Jackson of Lane Tech as some of the hurdlers with a chance to win. Like I said at the beginning, any of the qualifiers could win here.
1600 Meter Run
Last year's race was special with Conant's Jeff Thode controlling the race from the beginning. This year's 1600 could be even better. It will start in the prelims, where I think it will take 4:17 to make the finals. In Sectionals, Nico Composto of Loyola led until 500 meters to go, when Maine South's David Eckhart tried to run away with it. Composto made a final burst to capture it right at the end. Composto likes to push the pace from the outset...so we could see a fast race. The one runner who I think could capture the title is Alec Bollman of Palatine. He proved his strength by running 1:52 / 4:17 doubles towards the end of the season...and he looked very good in doing that. He has the leg speed to win in a kicker's race...and he has the strength to excel in a fast pace. Watch for him. Tommy King of New Trier has been running very tough over the last 2 weeks. He ran a 9:04 in the 3200 before conference and then followed it up the next meet with a 4:14 1600. He could also be tough at any pace.
If it comes down to a kick, watch for Downers Grove North Junior Brian Llamas. He has won with the kick most of the season. If he is in position at the end, he could be dangerous. Cody Webster of East Moline United will be up there along with Jack Seeberg of Loyola and Eckhart. Jack Driggs and Andrew Smith of York will be coming back from the 3200...how much will they have left? Jake Waterman of Wheaton North and Jake Ferris of Plainfield South could push it as well. Angelos Karkalis of Rolling Meadows ran 4:14 indoors and has been close to 4:20 outdoors. Did he peak early or has he been saving himself for this week? Watch for Pat Lesiewicz of Schaumburg, Kyle Smith of Minooka, and Garrett Sweatt of Edwardsville all with a chance to be towards the front.
Could be the race of the day....wish 18 guys could run the finals....some deserving runners will be left on the sidelines. In the end, I think Bollman has the best chance to win it here. 4:06 could be the winning time.
200 Meter Dash
Tremaine Gordon of Evanston has the fastest FAT time and will be one of the favorites here. It could be a close final with Colin Hepburn of Glenbrook South, Julian Smith of Brother Rice, Leon Spears of Aurora West, and Kevin Piriano of Wheaton-Warrenville South all with a chance to finish first. Gordon has been running strong the last couple of weeks and could triumph here. Also watch for Eric Oliver of Homewood-Flossmoor to run strong after the 400.
4 x 400 Meter Relay
Neuqua Valley did not have a chance to win the indoor relay...they false started. This will not happen this weekend. The Wildcats did not run a loaded squad at sectionals, but still had the 4th fastest sectional time. They could be around 3:15 on Saturday. Belleville West will be the chief competition with Jarvis Patterson leading the way. Plainfield South, with Sheldon Magee, and Collinsville, with Anthony Johnson and Dominique Manley, could surprise all of these teams. The West Suburban Conference quartet of Downers Grove North, Lyons Township, York, and Downers South have the horses to dip under 3:20 here. Neuqua is here on a mission and they want to leave this race defending their title, and winning the state team title.
hi b! cw2cu |
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