Manfrin paces Dundee-Crown to fourth
Quality distance runners often don't feel they get much out of winning a race basically uncontested.
Saturday at Kaneland's 40th annual Peterson Prep Invitational, Dundee-Crown's Anthony Manfrin was pleased as punch with the results of his 6-second win in the 1,600 run, and another victory in the 3,200 by nearly 9 seconds.
He got 20 big points for the Chargers.
"Our goal coming in was just to place high in the team (standings), so we were running for place today," said Manfrin, who struggled like the rest with Kaneland's usual persistent wind.
"I wasn't really worried about what my time was, as long as I came in first."
A 2008 state qualifier in the 1,600 as a freshman, Manfrin first won the 3,200 in 9 minutes, 42.92 seconds, ahead of Geneva's Kevin Sparks at 9:51.60.
Manfrin returned to win the 1,600 in 4:28.63, better than 6 seconds faster than Yorkville's Jake Austin.
"I didn't want to go slow enough where (his push) had to be toward the end, like running with people," Manfrin said. "But I just needed to go fast enough to get a good workout in. All these meets and all these practices are just leading up to state. That's what I'm really looking forward to doing."
Led by Manfrin, Pat Livengood in high jump, Nathan Prom in the 800, hurdler and triple jumper Aaron Reams and a first-place (by West Aurora's disqualification) 800 relay of Matt Hellyer, Ian Salvatini, Justin Walden and Tony Sparks, Dundee-Crown's 73 points placed fourth in a close track meet won by Kaneland with 83 points.
Reams took second in the 110 hurdles with a fully automated time of 14.96 seconds, and let go with a triple jump of 43-81/4 on his last attempt.
Asked about any special technique that allowed him to win the last event contested, Reams said: "I don't know. I just jump."
Like Elgin's Adam Kuforiji just runs. The junior hadn't lost an outdoor 400-meter race this season and won again Saturday, in 50.59.
His resume expanded with a surprising victory in the 200 at 22.92 over speedy Steve Robertson of Rich East and Darron Guyton of West Aurora.
"I did it for training," Kuforiji said of the 200. "It turned into an event for me."
Elgin, which placed 11th out of 16 teams, is loading up with a group of young sprinters. The 400 relay team of freshmen Dennis Moore, Sanquon McCall, Derek Moorman and sophomore Jordan Dean didn't place, but they're getting there.
"We're young, so in a few years we'll get better and better," said Moore, third in his heat of the 100 at 11.96. "I think it's just going to better, and we're working at it."