D-C's Manfrin works to bounce back strong

If he was of legal age to play the Illinois lottery last year, Dundee-Crown junior running standout Anthony Manfrin would have likely missed winning the jackpot by one number.

And the one number he missed would have been wrong by one digit.

That's the kind of bad luck year Manfrin endured last year.

From collapsing during the state cross country meet to being questionably disqualified during the 1,600 race at the state track meet, Manfrin couldn't seem to buy a break last year.

But much to his credit, Manfrin has cast those misfortunes aside and has his sights focused on having an even stronger run in 2009.

"Last year was definitely pretty frustrating," said Manfrin, who is currently sidelined with a calf injury. "It seemed like I caught the short end of the stick. I collapsed at cross country with 400 meters to go and then I'm sixth in the 1,600 in track and I get disqualified for stepping out of my lane on the first turn of the race. I got disqualified after the race. So this summer I trained harder than I ever have. I made a big step up in my mileage. I did whatever I could to get better."

Manfrin even decided to forgo running in the Nike outdoor nationals event after the track season in order to focus on getting ready for this fall.

"I opted out of the outdoor nationals so I could concentrate on getting better," said Manfrin, who estimates he was logging around 60 miles a week toward the end of his summer running. "I did more miles than I've ever done before. When there were days where I didn't feel like running, I still got out there. I was motivated to push my workouts and to run faster and to make sure all that stuff doesn't happen again."

Longtime Dundee-Crown cross country and track coach Tom Smith feels Manfrin is ready to enjoy another banner season. Manfrin is coming off a 2008 cross country stint where he finished second in regional action and ninth in the sectional en route to a state berth. As a freshman, Manfrin was also part of the 2007 D-C team that finished 10th in Class 3A (he finished 15th at the sectional and 51st at state).

"He's determined," said Smith. "He had a tremendous summer. He ran well at the Midwest Distance Gala (where he ran a personal best in the mile) and had a good run at the University of Wisconsin camp. He's a kid that has always gotten better each season. He's really into it."

Smith said last year's misfortune on the biggest stages was just that, misfortune.

"He got a tough break in cross country," said Smith. "With both of them he felt he did something wrong. But he didn't do anything wrong. He had some tough luck in track. He ran the time and he ran the place. He did his part and that gets lost in all of it. He came up short on an errant ruling, something I've never seen before and probably will never see again. It shouldn't take away from anything he's done. He's doing a good job of sorting through that stuff and moving away from it. He's going to keep morning forward. One race or one season doesn't make or break you. He has accomplished so much."

One additional thing that impresses Smith is the way Manfrin is so connected to the cross country community. One of his good friends is Cary-Grove standout Phil Fairleigh.

"He really networks with people," said Smith. "He knows a ton of people in the running community. He's an integral part of the sport."

Manfrin, who said his third trip to the Wisconsin camp was a major success this summer, enjoys the opportunity to compete against the state's best.

"The cool thing about it is a lot of the top runners in the state, we know each other," said Manfrin, who took second in the Fox Valley Conference last fall. "Because of that, you aren't as nervous running against them week in and week out. And when you are running against these guys it helps push you to run at a higher level. It gives you something to run against and it makes your times faster."

Much to his credit, Manfrin says he isn't feeling the heat after what happened to him this year. He's focused solely on the present and the future.

"There's not so much pressure anymore," said Manfrin, a National Honors Society member who enjoys playing basketball in his spare time. "There was some pressure last year. What I want to do this year is come back and redeem myself for what happened last year. I've learned to deal with pressure. I just want to have fun with running."

Smith sees Manfrin as being on a two-year plan now.

"He has the capability to do some great things," said Smith. "He has a ton of experience running at a high level. I look at him and I see him on a two-year program. I see him making even more progress this year and than showing how great he can be before he leaves high school. He's on a two-year plan to maximize his gift in high school and see how far he can take things when he moves on. He's got a bright future."