D-C's Cutinello leaps into action

Today's Class AA Palatine sectional will hold special meaning for Dundee-Crown senior jumps standout Matt Cutinello.

Cutinello's father, Doug, passed away on opening day of the 2007 high school football season. This will be the first sectional track meet where Cutinello will look up into the stands and not see his one of his biggest fans.

"He used to sit alone in the bleachers and watch me and all of the other teams," said Cutinello. "I'm going to miss watching him up there watching the meet in the bleachers. I'm doing this more for him. He liked to see me succeed and take pride in what I do. This is a way to let my dad know I'm still trying as hard as I can for him. He was always my main motivation for everything in every sport. He pushed me and made me a better all-around athlete."

Cutinello is fresh off winning Fox Valley Conference titles in both the long and triple jumps.

Those accomplishments are magnified by the fact Cutinello is coming off a broken left ankle suffered in a winter snowboarding mishap.

"It was dumb," laughed Cutinello. "I didn't have a lot of time to recover with the indoor season coming up. I never got it casted. I wanted to keep competing."

Cutinello's best effort in the long jump this year has been a 22-foot, 11-inch mark (22-3 is state qualifying). He went 22-3¾ at the sectional level last year.

"Honestly there hasn't been any improvement," said Cutinello. "I'm a couple of inches short of where I was at last year."

A state qualifier in the long jump as a junior, Cutinello started doing the triple jump this year. He's the area leader heading into the sectionals with a mark of 43-10½ (45-0 is the state standard).

"It's actually pretty fun," said Cutinello. "I like it. It doesn't put as much strain on my ankle."

Cutinello says speed is a key with the triple jump.

"You have to get your speed up and hold your phases," said Cutinello. "If you have good speed and get a good push off the last phase that really does it."

Cutinello said his FVC meet efforts really got the adrenaline pumping.

"I was excited that I got some good marks," said Cutinello. "I think I can do well if my ankle holds up. This year has been a battle between me and my ankle. I haven't had the greatest season with the long jump. Hopefully I can have something good come out of it."

Cutinello said Southern Illinois University is a good possibility for his future schooling plans. Cutinello would like to pursue track there and said he has been in contact with the coaching staff. He plans on studying business.

"I think I can do a lot of different stuff with a business degree," said Cutinello, whose sister, Katie, is a member of the D-C girls track team.

One specific future goal would be to run his father's trucking company, Arrow Logistics.

"It's being run by my mom right now," said Cutinello. "Hopefully in a few years I can take the stress off her hands and do it for her."

But first Cutinello has his eyes set on a return trip to Charleston next weekend.

D-C is part of an ultra-tough field at Palatine.

"It's like the state meet," said D-C coach Tom Smith. "Our sectional is beyond loaded."

Besides, Cutinello, Anthony Manfrin (1,600), Tyler Jones (hurdles), Aaron Reams (hurdles, triple jump) and Garret Minalgia (high jump) are among the area leaders in their respective events. Smith also has high hopes for his 3,200 relay team of junior Dan Magnant, sophomores Nathan Prom and Jon Magnant and Manfrin (a freshman).