Running down their dreams
While the girls track teams will be competing at the state meet this weekend, the boys will participate at sectionals Friday for their ticket to state in Charleston on the campus of Eastern Illinois University next weekend.
Four Tri-Cities Area teams -- Aurora Central Catholic, Marmion, West Aurora and Batavia -- will compete at the West Aurora sectional. Geneva, St. Charles East and St. Charles North are at Streamwood. Kaneland is the lone local team at Rock Island and Aurora Christian is at Seneca.
Here's a closer look at the expectations and thoughts from the area's local coaches at each local sectional.
At West Aurora
This is one of the most stacked sectionals around. In addition to the four local teams, East Aurora, IMSA, Waubonsie Valley, Bolingbrook, Lemont, Benet, Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley, Naperville north, Oswego East, Oswego, Plainfield Central, Plainfield North, Plainfield South, Romeoville and Yorkville will compete.
According to the host, Blackhawks coach Courtney Lamb, there is no clear-cut favorite.
"There's lots of solid teams here," Lamb said. "Batavia is solid, both Napervilles (North and Central), Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley…it's wide open. There are 5-6 schools who will compete for the sectional title. It's pretty loaded."
"(The competition) is tremendous," Marmion coach Dan Thorpe said. "We've tried to prepare our kids with higher quality workouts. I know we will compete."
Marmion is fresh off its third consecutive Suburban Catholic Conference title, which it won at home Monday. Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley finished first and second, respectively, in the Upstate Eight Conference last week. Batavia took second at the Western Sun Conference meet.
Wheaton North won the DuPage Valley Conference last week with West Aurora in second.
Batavia: Bulldogs coach Dennis Piron has high hopes.
"We are hoping to qualify most of our relays, and individuals like Bai Kabba (100,400), Kenny Herrmann (800), Brad Wlosczynski (800), Javaris Covington (high jump) and Erich Zeddies (long jump)," Piron said.
Piron also things Pat Brooke, Dan Skinner, Andy Thomas, Joey Arnolde, Sam Stoner and Zach Burgeson have a good chance.
"I think it may be the deepest (and) most talented sectional in Illinois," Piron said. "(It) will have the most qualifiers of anywhere. It is very similar to girls sectional at Waubonsie Valley last week. (It's) very, very tough."
Batavia's returning state qualifiers include Kabba, Herrmann, Stoner, Thomas and Covington.
Marmion: The Cadets hope to qualify junior Alex Rindone (sprints), distance runners Josh Stein, T.J. Heffernan and Oscar Aguinaga, Sam Duffield in the 300 hurdles, and Joe Weber and Pete Tate in the shot put and discus.
The later two placed first second, respectively, at the SCC meet.
"We've tried to prepare all season for Friday's meet," Thorpe said.
West Aurora: The Blackhawks have high hopes for Juan Perez (shot put), Kevin Costin (shot put and discus), Aviance King (high jump), Joel Vincent (long jump, triple jump), Dan Newhouse (discus), Josh Zinzer (200), Tony Knight (400) and the 800 and 1,600 relay teams.
"We just want to qualify as many as we can -- that's the focus," Lamb said.
Aurora Central: The smallest team by far in this sectional is ACC, which is competing at the Class AA level for the first time in its history.
ACC has an enrollment of 460 and will be against schools with enrollments of over 4,000 students.
"As a tribute to our kids, they aren't going to lay down," ACC coach Troy Kerber said. "In a nutshell, we are a Class A size school in a 3A sectional. We are certainly the ultimate David against Goliath."
The Chargers, who are coming off a fifth-place showing at the SCC meet, hope to get Anthony Kelley and Steve Bohr to state. Kelly placed first in the high jump (barely missing 6-4) and Bohr took second in conference.
"They are our best chance," Kerber said.
At Streamwood
West Aurora's sectional is a challenge, and Streamwood is no picnic, either.
"It's got to be one of the toughest sectionals around," St. Charles East coach Ben Provencher said. "It's loaded. In my opinion, Wheaton North is loaded. Coach (Don) Helberg puts together an amazing program."
Along with the three local teams, the following squads will participate -- Bartlett, Burlington Central, Glenbard North, Elgin, Larkin, Glenbard South, West Chicago, Wheaton Academy, Wheaton North, St. Francis, Wheaton Warrenville South, Glenbard West, Glenbard East, Montini, South Elgin and Willowbrook.
"Wheaton Warrenville South, Wheaton North, all the Glenbard schools -- it's a tough sectional, especially on the track," Geneva coach Gale Gross said. "We are just going to go in there and do the best we can. That's all we can ask for."
Burlington Central won the Big Northern Conference for the fourth consecutive season, St. Charles North placed third in the Upstate Eight Conference in front of rival St. Charles East (fifth). Geneva won the Western Sun Conference.
Geneva: Among others, the Vikings have Joe Augustine in the 400, Andrew Nelson in the mile, the 3,200 relay team, Frank Boenzi in the shot and discus and the 800 relay team "on the bubble" for potential state qualifiers.
Augustine and Jeff Foster were part of the 1,600 team that qualified for state last year. Same with Storm Obuchowski in the 3,200. Nelson did it in the mile last year.
"Going in, the kids have their own expectations," Gross said.
St. Charles North: North Stars coach Kevin Harrington's expectations for Friday are simple -- for his athletes to compete the way they have all year.
"I think our athletes have performed at a high level," Harrington said. "We don't really worry about the team score at sectionals. We want our kids to PR and have the best chance possible to compete in Charleston next week."
Junior Max Clink finished eighth in the state last year in the 800 and has potential to qualify again, along with Steven Miller. In the 1,600, Chris DeSilva (ninth at state last year) and Scott Speare (part of the state-qualifying 3,200 relay team last year) are strong bets, followed by Mike Strasser and Rhett Morici (in the 3,200) and Andrew Carlson (high jump).
"A perfect night would have us sending down two individuals in everything from the 800 up, including the 3,200," Harrington said. "I've seen a lot of crazy things at sectionals -- incredible performances and huge PR's -- so (I) don't count out some other kids who may show up on the radar."
As for the Saints, the 3,200 relay team of Tyler Detrow, Dave Arends, Pat Matthews and Joe Mushrush might qualify, and the 800 team of Luke Ploszek, Wes Allen, Mike Brown and Keenan Sellers is "really close."
Sellers qualified last year in the 200. He'll be running the 100 and 200.
Rock Island
Kaneland: The Knights finished third at the Western Sun Conference. They will be up against athletes from DeKalb, Dixon, United, Geneseo, La Salle-Peru, Minooka, Moline, Morris, Ottawa, Rochelle, Rock Falls, Alleman, Sandwich, Sterling and Sycamore.
"I believe we should do very well at the sectional," Kaneland coach Eric Baron said. "We are coming off our best finish in conference in years."
Phil Christensen is a returning state qualifier in the discus. He has thrown beyond state-qualifying distances in every meet this season and is currently ranked third in Illinois.
Others with solid chances to advance are Logan Markuson in the pole vault, 300 hurdles and part of the 1,600 relay team with Hayden Johnson, Tommy Whittaker and Edgar Valle. Nick Sinon in the high jump has potential as well.
Seneca
Aurora Christian: In addition to the Eagles, Reed-Custer, Longwood, Dyett, Englewood, Las Casas, Luther South, Coal City, Hinckley-Big Rock, Mooseheart, Marquette, Chicago Christian, Plano, Serena, Indian Creek, Somonauk and Wilmington will participate.
"The competition is always very good in Seneca," Aurora Christian coach Jeff Schutt said. "They have a great track program and they do a great job of running the meet."
The Eagles are young this year, but have several who have potential to advance to state, including senior Dylan Melody in the 400 and junior Brandon Oest in the high jump.