State track not as simple as 1, 2, 3
To hear it from those in Charleston for last week's girls state track championships, the first three-class meet went off smoothly.
In fact Saturday's finals included two 20-minute breaks because events were ahead of schedule.
Glenbard South boys coach Andy Preuss was there to see the Raiders girls run. He said presenting a three-class finals will "be kind of a learning experience for everybody."
Some things can be learned. Others, like figuring how things will turn out in Charleston, are best to just let go.
"This is my 39th year (of coaching) and I've seen all sorts of things happen," said York coach Stan Reddel. "You've got to be good and you've got to be lucky. I told the kids, I've never been to a (state) meet where everything breaks right."
Its 12 qualifiers presenting a blend of speed and distance on the track from sprinter Khara Williams to Minnesota-bound 1,600/3,200 man Steve Sulkin, York is the 3A favorite. Reddel's Dukes, runner-up in 2008, hope to earn a fifth trophy this millennium and match their 2000 AA title.
Usual suspects Cahokia, Rock Island and Springfield Lanphier are in 2A. Defending AA champion East St. Louis does not appear as typically loaded.
On paper York's competition looks to include Belleville West, Rolling Meadows, Buffalo Grove and, locally, speedy Wheaton North and Neuqua Valley, whose Danny Pawola sports 3A's fastest qualifying 3,200 time. The Penn State recruit joins area athletes Dan Block (Lake Park), Bai Kabba (Batavia), Josh Zinzer (West Aurora) and Dan Karys (Bartlett) atop their events.
With a little help from teammate Jermaine Kline in shot put, the Kentucky-bound Block - 2007 AA discus champion and 2008 shot put champ - is capable of lifting the Lancers to a top-10 finish.
Block and his mammoth sectional marks - 208 feet, 11 inches in discus, 65-7 in shot - would seem to translate downstate. Be it individual or team, one never knows.
"I don't think sectional team scores always dictate your level of success at the state meet," said Wheaton Warrenville South coach Ken Helberg, who has three relays downstate including a 1,600 of Mike Krueger, Jarrett Ferguson, Orlando Ross and Kevin Credille, who devised the order themselves.
It's unfortunate Glenbard South sprinter Andrew Payne is a senior, because the Raiders have a corps of juniors and sophomores probably a year away from competing for a 2A trophy against the likes of Hillcrest.
Still, watch the 200, where Glenbard South's Payne and Austin Williams and St. Francis' Mark Kachmer and Ryan O'Donnell all ran among 2A's top 10 sectional times.
There's only one certainty.
"If you're not making it to Saturday (finals)," said Neuqua coach Mike Kennedy, "there's not much you can do."