Cleveland returns to lead Elgin

Two spring breaks were enough for Elgin boys track coach Kevin Cleveland.

When Cleveland stepped down from that position three years ago, he told his athletes one of his reasons was his desire to actually take a vacation over spring break, something he had never done in eight years as the head coach of the Maroons and three more as an assistant.

However, after coach Adam Freed left after last season to take a teaching position in Naperville, Cleveland put down the suntan lotion, picked up his clipboard and agreed to lead the Elgin boys track program once again.

"I just didn't want the program to fall apart," Cleveland said. "Someone outside the school would have ended up (coaching), and that's hard because a lot ends up falling on the assistant coach. I think we can build on the last two seasons and be back to where we were a couple of years ago."

Where the Maroons were three years ago wasn't a championship level, but two relays and four individuals did qualify for the state meet in Charleston.

Another new coach takes over at Larkin, where Mike Scianna's goal is "to rebuild the tack program here at Larkin High School." Scianna is a Streamwood graduate who ran track for coach Dan Kallenbach, now the athletic director at Bartlett. One of his Streamwood track teammates was Pete Schauer, the athletic director at Lake Park.

Cleveland and Scianna join a veteran crew of boys track and field coaches in Elgin-Area School District U-46 that includes Bartlett's Jeff Bral (ninth season), Streamwood's Weert Goldenstein (fifth season) and South Elgin's Dale Schabert, who enters his third season with the Storm after holding the same position for a decade at Larkin.

Though the U-46 contingent may not challenge Upstate Eight powers Neuqua Valley, Lake Park, Waubonsie Valley and the St. Charles schools for team honors this season, some individuals and relays have a realistic chance to punch their ticket to the state meet in Charleston. What follows is a look at how the local Upstate Eight teams shape up in 2009.

Bartlett: The Hawks finished fifth in the Upstate Eight last season and repeated that finish recently at the UEC indoor meet in St. Charles.

Bartlett will be led by two-time state qualifier Dan Karys. Also the place kicker for the football team, which reached the Class 8A semifinals last fall, this senior qualified for the state meet last season in the long jump and the triple jump. He also qualified for state in the long jump as a sophomore. He'll be a key component in the relay events, however, Karys also has the potential to break 50 seconds and qualify in the 400, according to coach Jeff Bral.

Two other hopefuls for the state meet are senior thrower Gianni Pietanza and high jumper Josh Haseneberg, the latter of whom cleared 6-2 last season and narrowly missed out on a state bid. Hasenberg will also run a leg for the 1,600-meter relay team. Inexperienced sophomore Brian Polubinski is a strong athlete who has impressed with his shot puts in practice. Sophomore Josafat Gonzalez could be a factor in the open 800 at the county, conference and sectional meets if all goes well.

There are still plenty of unknown quantities to sort out, but Bartlett has potential.

"Our strengths are our jumps and I really believe our relays," Bral said. "All of our relays have a chance to get downstate, especially our 4x2 and 4x4. We have a solid group of sprinters and a very strong jumps crew, but so many guys are just untapped other than Dan Karys. We hope he can get us 18 or 20 points in every meet and bring home some medals at state."

Elgin: The Maroons have 45 male athletes in the track program this season, half of whom are upperclassmen. None qualified for the state meet last year, though junior Adam Kuforiji came the closest, narrowly missing a trip to Charleston by a tenth of a second in the 200. He'll compete in the 200 and 400 races this season.

Others being counted on for points include junior Ricardo Mancha (800, 1,600), senior Kevin Eck (1,600, 3,200), junior Hector Hernandez (shot, discus) and returning sophomore Will Wood, who ran the 400 in a respectable 54 seconds as a freshman.

The program will get a boost from the influx of a pair of freshmen: sprinter/jumper Dennis Moore and sprinter Sanquon McCall. Moore is also a basketball player who was elevated to the varsity team at midseason. In his first competitive track meet at the high school level (UEC indoor), he cleared 19-1 in the long jump and won the meet. With improvement in technique between now and the Class 3A St. Charles North sectional in May, Moore could find himself challenging for a state berth.

The Maroons have no pole vaulters or true hurdlers, but they can otherwise fill out an event card and compete in duals and quads this season.

"We're keeping our younger kids interested, and they're working hard," Cleveland said. "I think we have a good base to build on, but it will definitely be a rebuilding year. But I'm encouraged. I see a lot of talent in these freshmen and sophomores.

Larkin: A group of 38 Royals comprises the Larkin boys track and field program for new coach Michael Scianna, who previously worked as an assistant at Montini and Rolling Meadows.

A Driver's Education and physical education teacher, Scianna hopes to reinvigorate interest in the sport by proposing a hyper-local track meet between Elgin, Larkin, South Elgin and St. Edward.

"I see it as a Saturday night meet where we invite all the kids running track now in junior high and get them interested in competing at the high school level," he said. "We're struggling to keep pace with some of the teams in the Upstate Eight like Neuqua Valley, which has something like 4,500 kids. Some of those kids have been running competitively since the fifth grade and we have to do the same if we're going to compete."

The Royals took seventh recently at the UEC indoor meet, led by a pair of seniors. Fernando Alvarez, an all-state soccer player at Larkin, took seventh in the 400. He also competes in the high jump and long jump. Tyler Ortman will run the 400 and is working to perfect his form on the hurdles.

"Everyone else just trying to build this team," Scianna said. "We have a lot up and coming freshman and sophomores."

South Elgin: A total of 65 athletes are in the South Elgin program this season, but few return with experience after heavy graduation losses.

Expected to contribute in throwing events are senior John Hull, junior Kyle Henry, junior Nate Reichold and senior Drew Griggs. Junior Jens Tuin will compete in the pole vault and junior Jake Kumerow will try to earn points in the high, long and triple jumps.

Seniors Kelvin Ware and Deanton Failla will join sophomores Brad Birchfield and Domico Failla in sprint races. The distance races will be manned by seniors Mike Alfini and Filmon Hagos and sophomore Mike Kenny.

"We have very few returning this year," coach Dale Schabert said. "We are very young, and inexperienced. The kids have worked hard to improve and will compete."

Streamwood: The Sabres don't have the kind of roster depth to challenge the UEC powers as a team with approximately 25 varsity performers, including freshman and sophomore call-ups.

However, a few individuals could shine: senior Josh Batchlor (sprints), Roger Klein (distance), sophomore Santrell Miller (sprints), junior Derrick King (jumps, relays) and senior thrower Greg Tapia.

"We have a younger team this year with a lot of freshmen and sophomores," coach Weert Goldenstein said. "I'm not sure what all the guys are capable of yet. When we begin competing in some of the smaller meets I'll have a better idea of who can do what."