Batavia rolls to UEC crown
West Aurora and Batavia have garnered much local attention on the boys track and field scene in recent years.
The former has had multiple individual state champions and runners-up in its bid for a trophy in recent memory.
But not even the extraordinary athletes West Aurora possesses can collectively match the astounding depth and overall brilliance of the Bulldogs.
Friday night in Batavia, West Aurora senior Camron Donatlan showed in inimitable fashion his pedigree as the two-time Class 3A state champion in the high jump.
But the only individual two-event winner at the Upstate Eight Conference indoor championship and his West Aurora teammates were washed away in a Batavia landslide in the other 13 events.
Batavia won seven events on the track - including sweeps in the 55-meter hurdles, the 200 dash and the 800 run - and the shot put to dominate the 13-team field with 170.5 points.
West Aurora was a distant runner-up with 91 points. St. Charles East had champions in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in forging a third-place finish (66 points).
St. Charles North (52.5), Geneva (45.5), East Aurora (36), South Elgin (29.5), Bartlett (25), West Chicago (25), Larkin (19), Glenbard East (12), Streamwood (6) and Elgin (6) rounded out the field.
"The last couple of years we have been able to fill up every event not only with one guy but two guys who can score," said Batavia senior Elijah Green, who captured the shot put with a throw of 52 feet, one inch. "It's nice being the last (indoor) champ before the end of the Upstate Eight."
Batavia, Geneva and the two St. Charles high schools are leaving the venerable track conference at the end of the school year.
Batavia easily won all three relays as Sam Conger was a cog on the 800 sprint relay after earlier claiming the 55 hurdles with a personal-best of 7.66.
"What we do is make sure each person is fresh," Conger said of the Bulldogs' ability to minimize the number of events per athlete. "(The hurdles win) was a good race for me. I was nice and low over the hurdle."
Adam Kennedy defended his 800 crown in 1:58.53 while also running on the victorious 1,600 quartet.
Jeremiah Evers, a member of the Bulldogs' reigning 800 state-champion relay, sat out the event to finish runner-up in the open 200 to teammate Julian Davis (23.04).
Seven one-hundredths of a second separate the place-winners at 55 meters as Batavia sprinter Decorea McAlister won in 6.67.
Three days after his West Aurora basketball team exited the postseason in a supersectional loss, Donatlan began defense of his twin high-jump crown.
Geneva coach Gale Gross summed up the feelings of many with his description of the perhaps once-in-a-generation local athlete.
"(Donatlan) has one practice and jumps 6-10," Gross said, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."
St. Charles North reigning state runner-up Peter Willis was 10 inches behind Donatlan in finishing runner-up.
Donatlan also won the long jump in 22-5. The Wyoming football and track recruit is determined.
"Hopefully I will get two state titles this year," Donatlan said. "I might try the triple, too."
Moshe Rogers also returned from basketball to win the triple jump for West Aurora a personal-record effort of 46-1.5.
Campbell Koch and Bob Liking claimed the St. Charles East two distance titles at 1,600 and 3,200 in 4:23.98 and 9:38.15.