Espinosa going a long way
Neuqua Valley's Zac Espinosa executed the 112-mile dash on April 20.
The senior all-state 400-meter runner missed that Monday's track practice to attend a banquet in Bloomington honoring the 2014-15 Illinois High School Association All-State Academic Team. Espinosa, fourth last year in the 400 and also on a third-place 1,600-meter relay, owns a 4.52 grade-point average on a 4-point scale and earned a 33 ACT score. He'll run at Stanford.
"We got to be introduced to a lot of the other people and got to see what the team was like," Espinosa said last Friday at Downers Grove South's Bob Cohoon Invitational before he set a meet record in the 400 at 48.58 seconds.
He does not know what he'll focus on in college from an array of tough topics including economics, political science, computer science and physics.
"They're all like completely different fields, but they're all incredibly interesting and intellectually challenging. They're definitely a lot of options," said Espinosa, also a black belt in karate.
Espinosa's combination of academic and athletic prowess had him consider Brown, Cornell and Harvard before he chose Stanford. He said that, at least for his freshman year, Stanford's academic aid package overshadowed any athletic aid. That was right up his alley since he holds academics in higher accord.
"I love track, I love competing, I love the team and all of those aspects, but when it comes down to it, it's really about what you put in your brain and school comes first before athletics, always." he said.
"I definitely chose Stanford because it has that tier of both academics and athletics, so I can get this competition."
Neuqua Valley boys track coach Mike Kennedy and boys cross country coach Paul Vandersteen - they delivered Stanford another gifted student-athlete, Chris Derrick - attended the IHSA ceremony in Bloomington, then dashed back for Wildcats practice.
"It was an incredible honor," Espinosa said, "and I couldn't have done any of these things without (his teammates) and without the coaches and without my family supporting me."
Turn of events:
Unable to win an invite in 2014, Addison Trail now has won on consecutive weekends, at Elgin April 17 and at Glenbard South on Friday.
"The kids have really responded the last couple of weeks," said Blazers coach Bruce Kelsay. "A lot of these kids are young and they don't understand the team aspect, they just focus on their events. But now I think they've got an idea."
Beating Elgin, East Aurora, a pair of Rockford schools and a few others at Elgin's A-B-C meet is no great shakes given the field and also Addison Trail's depth, which at 60 athletes is pretty large by Blazers standards.
Beating squads like Glenbard South, Willowbrook, Glenbard East and Belvidere North on Friday was "significant," Kelsay said.
Again, depth helped. Addison Trail won only three events: sophomore Jordyn Carr-Jones in the 110-meter hurdles; the 800 relay; and, when the chips were down, the concluding 1,600 relay.
"We got a lot of points without getting first places," Kelsay said.
Glenbard South led by 3 points entering the last two events. The Raiders' Jack Curtis - who set meet records with a 6-foot, 5-inch high jump and a 10.99 second 100 dash - won the 200, but Addison Trail brothers Darrion and Darius Conrad finished second and third to give the Blazers a 1-point edge.
The foursome of junior Rayan Baig, seniors Donovan Granados and Albino Lucero and junior Darius Perez then clinched the title in the 1,600 relay.
An additional assistant coaching hire has certainly helped, but numbers and teamwork have also paid off.
"We're able to coach the kids better, but you can't win the Kentucky Derby with a mule," Kelsay said. "You've got to have some kids."
The meet that matters:
Despite what some may believe Waubonsie Valley's boys Red Ribbon Classic was not named due to Wendy's being a former sponsor.
This Saturday's meet brings in some prime competition - Neuqua Valley, Wheaton Warrenville South, Metea Valley, Minooka, Thornwood, McHenry, Homewood-Flossmoor and Moline, among others.
The Red Ribbon's real purpose is one Waubonsie coach Kevin Rafferty holds "near and dear to my heart," he said.
The first Red Ribbon was held May 2, 1998. It was organized by former Waubonsie teacher and boys track coach Steve Luke, now doing the same at Danville, his hometown.
Luke started the Red Ribbon in memory of fellow District 204 teacher and coach Jeff Still, killed by a drunken driver in February 1997.
The timing makes it especially important to Rafferty.
"We also have prom Friday night, so it's a good reminder for the kids," he said.