Larkin girls are off to good start

The Larkin girls track team has had no shortage of strong outings in the early going of the 2008 outdoor season.

In a recent Upstate Eight Conference weekday meet, Britney Whitehead, Nadia Spencer and freshman Chantel George turned in first-place showings. Whitehead won the 110 high hurdles and won the 200 and the 800, while Spencer won the 100 and was second in the long jump. George won the high jump.

Whitehead was second in the 300 hurdles at the earlier Huntley invitational.

"Our goal is to try and get Britney to state for the 300 hurdles," said Larkin coach Jeremy Bloomberg. "For that she's got to get to 46.7. She's been working hard, sometimes 2 days in the morning and afternoon. She's working toward that goal."

Spencer, who did not compete last year, but had success as a freshman, took third in the triple jump at the Huntley invitational.

Sophomore Cassi Heider (triple jump) and Erin Hegarty (3,200) have also been making strides for the Royals.

"Right now we've got 4 juniors and seniors and the rest are all underclassmen," said Bloomberg. "We've got a pretty strong sophomore class and some freshmen with potential."

Streamwood girls: Megan McGlone broke the school triple jump record on her first jump of the year and has since re-broken the mark. McGlone, who also leads off the team's mile relay, is jumping over 33 feet now. Senior Amber Lightbourne (1,600 relay, 400) also broke the triple jump mark, but McGlone pushed it further. Streamwood coach Ryan Korn praised jumps coach Jenny Siebert for improvement in that particular event.

McGlone also came within a half-second of the school 300 hurdles record the first time she ever ran that race.

"She ran that with three flights of high hurdles on the track when they were supposed to be lows," noted Korn, whose roster has swelled to the point all events are now covered at both levels.

Freshmen Jordana LeSavage (3,200), Stefanie Curtis (pole vault, sprints) and Amber Hornsberger (pole vault-sprints) have also been showing promise for the Sabres.

Elgin boys: Elgin took fifth at the recent Conant relays, but saw its sprint medley team of James Duncan, Tom Bowers, Edgar Benitez and Adam Kuforiji break the old meet record (and finished second). The Maroons' 800 relay team of Duncan, Chase Riddle, Kuforiji and Bowers was second as well.

"Our relays have been pretty strong," said Elgin coach Adam Freed. "I've been very encouraged by that."

Bartlett boys: Bartlett's 1,600 relay team of Jasen Massey, Josafat Gonzalez, Julius Aguas and Dan Karys ran 3:34 at the Hinsdale South Relays recently.

Karys scratched at well over 45-feet in the triple jump and is at 21-feet in the long jump. Ian Campoli and Cory Hrynyk are both at 5-8 in the high jump.

Bartlett hosts its own 16-team invitational Saturday at Millennium Field in Streamwood. Field events start at 9 a.m. with the finals slated for around 11 a.m. Two Wisconsin teams are in the field, along with a host of strong suburban Chicago schools.

Elgin girls: Coach Justin Goebel was pleased with a pair of relay teams at the recent Plainfield North invitational.

The 400 relay team of Abbey Houde, Fatima Diabate, Kendall Martin and Mary Taylor took sixth, while a sprint medley team of Houde, Diabate, Martin and Brittany Maki took fifth.

"It was very good for them to start off like that," said Goebel. "Looking at last year, you get a group of young girls together and keep them together down the road, and things are going to improve. These girls are working and putting a lot of effort in."

Burlington Central boys: In addition to Ryan Phebus breaking the longstanding Central boys record in the 3,200 at the Batavia invitational, hurdles standout Dan Hagberg broke the meet record in the high hurdles (14.96) and came within 0.1 of the record in the low hurdles (41.4; 41.3 is the mark). Tim Colby took second in both hurdle races for the Rockets.

Central's 400 relay team was second at Batavia (44.7) as was its 1,600 relay team.

"It was nice to go up against good competition there with decent weather," said Central coach Mike Schmidt. "The guys got some decent times for it being early in the season."

Central faced Huntley in a dual meet Thursday in what was a Rocket reunion. Huntley coach Jim Rolando used to coach the Central girls during Schmidt's early years with the boys team.

Prairie Ridge boys: In the first outdoor meet of the season, a total of 5 records were set by Wolves' competitors.

David Carbajal won the shot put (55-7½) and set both school and stadium records. Brett Ramirez won the discus and set both school and stadium records with a throw of 158-3.

Billy Ten Busch won the 3,200 (9:49.4) and set a stadium record.

Jacobs girls: Jacobs pole vault standout Sarah Ross set a new meet record at the Riverside-Brookfield Invitational when she cleared 10-6 recently.

Ross later cleared 11-6 in a Fox Valley Conference weekday meet and set a school record.

Krystal Grady went 30-2 in the triple jump at R-B, while Jacobs won all four relays in its FVC weekday meet.

"We're definitely off to a good start," said Jacobs coach Beth Schloemer. "Now it's a matter of tweaking things in a few places."

Cary-Grove boys: Cary-Grove coach Layne Holter said the team, which was stung by graduation losses, had some question marks heading into the season. So far, those question marks haven't been very visible.

"The kids have responded well," said Holter. "So, far I've been quite happy."

Holter said his distance relay teams have come out of the gates strong. The 3,200 team features Dan Fallon, Phil Fairleigh, Kai Rikardsen and Dan Bartz, while the 1,600 team has Dan McCall, Fallon, Bartz and junior Jake Underwood on it. The 1,600 team recently ran 3:33.

Bartz (40.7) and McCall (41.5), of course, give the Trojans two of the top 300 hurdlers in the area.

Cary-Grove girls: Cary-Grove won both of its FVC triangular meets to start the season and took third at the Buffalo Grove invitational.

Madeline Aufmann (800, high jump), sophomore Kelly McCoy (100 hurdles) and Molly MacInnes (3,200, 1,600) have been key contributors for the Trojans. This is MacInnes' first year running the 3,200.

Dundee-Crown boys: Dundee-Crown's depth is already showing early in the season. Senior Garret Minaglia has helped the Chargers in a variety of areas, including the sprint relays, 400 and the high jump.

"Garret is having a real good senior year," said D-C coach Tom Smith. "He's had some real encouraging times and he's around 6-0, 6-2 in the high jump and is helping us there."

Distance stalwart Connor Kustief, along with hurdlers Aaron Reams, Tyler Jones and Mike Hubers have also been key contributors. Anthony Manfrin and Paul Smith give D-C further depth in the distance department, while Ian Salvatini has boosted the sprint roster.

D-C started off 2-0 in FVC weekday gatherings and won the Conant Relays for the first time since Smith has been taking teams to the 25-year-old event.

"The guys work hard and have good attitudes," said Smith. "I'm proud of the start, but we've got a lot of work to do."

Crystal Lake South boys: Stephen Rogers and Matt Zaluckyj have been improving in the 800 and 400 races for the Gators. Zaluckyj has added the 300 hurdles to his itinerary as well and has broken 42 seconds both times he's run the race.

"Once he gets some real hurdling form, he should be very good in this event," said South coach Dave Puma.

Hampshire boys: Quinn Walker, who placed second in the state indoors in the 55 hurdles, is already under state qualifying in the 300 hurdles (40.9 outdoors) and ran a 15.7 in the 110 hurdles in his first outdoor effort. Matt Drendel (3,200, 1,600), Tanner Holman (800) and Junior Makinde (100) have also started strong for the Whip-Purs.

South Elgin girls: Storm coach Kari Turcan is without a pair of key athletes in sophomore Kristell Westbrook (hurdles, jumps, sprints) and freshman Beatriz Kiene (jumps, sprints) who are awaiting the MRI results and doctor clearances on current injuries.

But Turcan has been pleased with a group of veterans that includes senior Alexa Kruel (sprints, long jump), junior Lauren Ayala (distance) and sophomores Jessi Lenartowicz (distance), Ashley Daffron (throws), Brittany Quindel (high jumps, sprints) and new freshmen Jen Gonia (sprints, jumps) and Katie Goplerud (distance).

Huntley boys: The Red Raiders were third at the Al Bohrer Invitational at Cary-Grove last week. Standout Todd Farbiak was strong in the 800, while Josh Sivila was fourth in the 100.

Coach Jim Rolando also cited strong improvement by a number of younger athletes, including sophomores Nick Davila (middle distance) and Jeremy Hansen (sprints).

On an off the track note, assistant coach Jack Towne, a Jacobs graduate who teaches Spanish at Huntley, and wife, Margo, welcomed a new addition to the family, in daughter, Josephine Elizabeth, last Thursday. It was the couple's first child.

Dundee-Crown girls: Defending FVC shot put champion Kateleigh Pilson has been sidelined to start the season, but D-C coach Matt Michalski is hopeful for her return.

Michalski has been pleased with a number of athletes, including sophomore Katie Cutinello who broke the school triple jump record (32-10) and senior sprint leader Maggie Williams, who Michalski said plans on running at Augustana College next year.

Kelsey Seiler (distance), Katie Gross (middle distance), Monique Robinson (middle distance), Morgan Weichmann (distance), Christina Holec (sprints) and Kahara Grossett (sprints) have also been bright spots for the Chargers.

McHenry County Meet: The McHenry County boys and girls meets will be held next Thursday and Friday at Crystal Lake Central. Cary-Grove is the defending boys champion, while Crystal Lake South will defend its girls title.