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Boys track and field: Thomas, South Elgin anxious to compete at state

Jaurice Thomas' night ended with a resounding triumph at the Class 3A Metea Valley boys track and field sectional.

Hoffman Estates' Declan Rustay was bidding for a second sprint championship, only to have the South Elgin senior close with a flourish to earn his first sectional championship.

Thomas' victory in the penultimate event - the 200-meter dash - was his third state-qualifying achievement in Aurora last Thursday.

The Storm sprint standout is undefeated on the season at the distance; he is seeded fifth heading into the state preliminaries Friday at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

Thomas is also the central figure on the South Elgin 400-meter team that also holds the fifth-fastest time from the state sectionals.

Less than half-a-second separates the first five teams in the shortest-sprint relay as East St. Louis is the state leader at 41.37 seconds.

South Elgin coach Anthony Larue cannot wait for the weekend to unfold in the 400 relay.

"Our top dogs are coming out," Larue said of Thomas being paired with Kyle Mastrangeli, Desmond Lockett and Nico Woods. "That four-by-one is looking good. We have to commit to get 'the stick' (the baton) around to Jaurice (on the anchor leg). (Thomas) is going to be tough to beat. Jaurice has a great chance in the 200."

"My chances (of making the 200 finals) are decent," Thomas said. "(In the two sprint relays we need to) do what we did at the sectional - give good handoffs."

There will be no shortage of local participants in the three-day, three-class state finals that kicks off with the Class 1A state preliminaries Thursday.

There are essentially two types of track and field teams this time of the year: balanced squads that perform consistently throughout the year and teams front-loaded with exceptional individual athletes.

West Aurora would qualify in the latter category.

"They don't have the depth that us and Batavia have, but they're a great state team," Kaneland coach Eric Baron said of the Blackhawks. "They could even go for the big one (a state title) this weekend. Western Kane County is just loaded in boys track."

"If we have a good weekend - if we do what we have been doing all year - we have that chance to bring home a state trophy," West Aurora coach Cortney Lamb said. "There's a lot of great teams in the state. I think we're one of them."

The Blackhawks' Chris Walker and DaVion Cross swept the triple jump last year at the state finals.

Walker is the No. 1 seed once against after his 48-foot winning effort at Metea Valley; Cross is the two spots lower.

"You can always get better," said Walker, a senior. "My plan is still the same as last year: jump 50 feet in triple jump and 24 (feet) in the long jump. That's were my mental thoughts are."

"I am just going to take it step by step," Cross said. "I have never qualified for the long jump before. I am going to stay focused."

Camron Donatlan has been a revelation for West Aurora this spring; the first-year team member is the third seed in the high jump after his victory (6-7) at the sectional.

Connor McCue is the West Aurora standout on the track; the Loyola-bound senior has been a state leader all season at 800 and 1,600 meters.

Geneva seniors Justin Taormina and Ryan Skibinski have powered the Vikings' sprints this season.

The duo is lethal in the sprint relays and individual dashes.

The Minnesota State-bound Taormina qualified in four events: the two shortest sprints as well as the 400 and 800 relays.

"I am hoping to make it to finals in all four events," Taormina said. "I think it is doable. Look what the (Geneva) girls did (last weekend): some of them got to finals who weren't expected at all. I have a big weekend ahead of me."

Huntley had few issues in defending its team title at DeKalb last week.

The Raiders, led by senior middle-distance and distance stalwarts Keagan Smith and Seth Conroy as well as thrower Tim McCloyn, qualified all four relays and a dozen individuals.

"It's by far the most we have ever had," Huntley coach Jim Rolando said.

Kaneland has been a juggernaut among local Class 2A programs since the state expanded track and field to three classes in 2009.

The Knights captured their seventh sectional title in the last eight years last Friday in Galena.

Even more impressive is the Kaneland streak of producing a state-qualifying pole vaulter.

"It's 34 years in a row that we have had a vaulter at state," Baron said. "We are very proud of our tradition in the pole vault."

The Knights not only boast the defending state champion in Danny Walker; Mike Rinella (15-0) is the No. 2 seed in the event.

"(Walker) is kind of a wild card," Baron said after the junior took only one attempt at the sectional due to a tender ankle. "Mike Rinella is an excellent vaulter."

Baron expects Cahokia once again to be the team to watch, even with superstar Ja'Mari Ward questionable.

"I think they are still the team to beat," Baron said. "I think we're a top-five team. We need to outperform our seed times to get a trophy."

Burlington Central also has a top-ranked pole vaulter in Jarred Trupp; the junior is the third seed in Class 2A.

"Pole vault is really hard to predict," Central coach Mike Schmidt said. "It's like flipping coins or rolling dice. I think Jarred has a good chance to finish in the top five, if not top three."

Nick Harvey is the Rockets' grizzled veteran on the track. The senior is the fifth seed in the open 800.

"Nick is going to give it his all," Schmidt said. "Nick has been working so hard all season. He has been there before. My expectations for Nick are that he is top five (at 800 meters)."

  Geneva's Justin Taormina leads the field to the finish of the 100-meter dash at the Upstate Eight Conference boys track meet earlier this season. Taormina has qualified in four events for the Class 3A state finals this weekend in Charleston. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
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