Track qualifying standards in motion

Gearing up for a three-class system to debut this spring, the IHSA Track & Field Advisory Committee met Sept. 10 in Bloomington.

Those in attendance included Wheaton North boys coach Don Helberg, Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association president and ITCCCA Hall of Famer; and Glenbard South boys coach Andy Preuss, ITCCCA vice president.

Chief among discussion items was the 2009 state meet qualification standards for all three classes for both boys and girls. Standards are presently set for both 1A - the boys 400 meter dash and 400 relay lowered slightly from last year, the long and triple jump marks slightly raised - and 3A, as the largest class adopts the former class AA marks.

Still to be ironed out are the 2A standards. The preliminary thought in Bloomington was to establish the new marks as generally 67 percent of the difference between the 1A and 3A standards.

For example, the girls Class 1A manual standard in the 3,200 run is 12 minutes, 17.0 seconds, and the 3A standard is 11:31.0. The 2A mark would then be 11:46.3.

The set of 2A standards for boys and girls "is being further investigated and will be released when complete and approved," according to the Track and Field Advisory Committee minutes of the Sept. 10 meeting.

The state meet will not rotate classes from year to year. Class 1A will start on Thursday with 2A and 3A held on Friday due to the smaller class having 14 sectionals to 10 apiece for the larger classes.

Blast from the Past

Montini coach Chris Andriano was named the Chicago Bears High School "Coach of the Week" for Week 1.

After Week 2 the Bears honored another familiar name: B.J. Luke, now in his fourth season at Danville after 18 years at Waubonsie Valley. He's got his alma mater at 3-0 entering this week's game against Normal Community West.

Inheriting a program that was 4-32 the four years before he got there and 0-9 the season before he arrived, Luke's first Danville team went 1-8. He's led the Vikings to the playoffs the past two seasons.

Community calendar

Glenbard North will play host to Eastern Illinois University's Women's Rugby Development Clinic from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday. The manager of USA Rugby's Emerging Sports Program, Becky Carlson, will make a presentation on the sport, and the clinic will be conducted by Eastern Illinois coach Frank Graziano, with help from Panthers rugby player Tiffany Kennedy, a 2006 Glenbard North graduate. Glenbard North will offer girls rugby as a club sport next spring.

Sponsorships are now available for the fourth annual Hoops for Healing boys basketball tournament during Thanksgiving week, Nov. 24-26 and Nov. 28 at co-hosts Naperville North and Oswego. Over the past three years more than $27,000 has been raised for Edward Cancer Center. For details call Naperville North athletic director Doug Smith at (630) 420-6490.

Fans attending this Saturday's football game between North Central College and host Benedictine University are asked to bring a canned and/or nonperishable food donation to the ticket booth at Benedictine's Sports Complex. In exchange those bearing food donations receive $1 off admission.

Hinsdale Central student-athletes are committed to community service projects. At 6 p.m. Sept. 25, as a partnership between Mike Wiggins' boys soccer team and Jerilyn Scardina's girls tennis players, the school is presenting KICK - Kick it In for Katrina Kids Soccer-Tennis Challenge, a fundraiser to benefit children still struggling from the affects of Hurricane Katrina. Proceeds from donations made at the Hinsdale Central tennis courts that evening will be sent to Schools Count Corporation, which provides financial aide, school supplies, textbooks, musical instruments, uniforms and sports equipment to students in New Orleans.

Legacy of the Fridge

Is there anything quite as cool in a football game as the "heavy" offensive set? When in short-yardage situations the coach sends in some linebacker or nose tackle to act as a lead blocker?

Gotta love the jumbo.

Multisport facility

There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that IHSA officials, acting after seeing photos posted last weekend on Glenbard West's Web site last week, had considered Duchon Field as a sectional site for the 2009 state bass fishing tournament.

doberhelman@dailyherald.com