Scouting Fox Valley Conference boys track
There could be a lengthy convoy from the Fox Valley Conference headed to the boys state track and field meet in Charleston this spring.
Headed by strong teams from Crystal Lake Central and McHenry and loaded with individual state qualifying threats from Cary-Grove, Huntley, Dundee-Crown, Jacobs and Crystal Lake South, among others, the FVC should be well represented at O'Brien Stadium.
"The conference is going to be very good again," Dundee-Crown coach Tom Smith said. "I think there could be a ton of kids downstate."
CL Central won the FVC indoor meet over defending outdoor champion McHenry, followed by Jacobs and Dundee-Crown. Here's a look at how FVC teams in the Daily Herald coverage area shape up this season:
Cary-Grove: Returning 3,200-meter sectional champion Phil Fairleigh will be in the hunt for a state medal. He reached the state final race last season and finished 12th at the state cross country meet last fall. "I think medaling downstate is a real legit goal for him," Trojans coach Layne Holter said.
Senior Eddy Gibbons is a returning qualifier in the 800, and junior Anthony Golowach qualified in the high jump and 200.
Other key returnees for the Trojans include seniors Ryan Gustafson (800), Matt Klein (3,200) and Nick Underwood (throws). Sophomore thrower Josh Freeman and soccer player Ryan Borys (sprints) should make an impact.
"We're replacing a number of kids," Holter said. "A couple of guys who could have performed better last year are going to make great strides."
Crystal Lake South: 2009 state qualifiers, senior Victor Adenakan (400) and junior Kenny King (long jump), return to lead the Gators. Other top returnees include juniors Matt Biederwolf (mid-distances) and Kyle Enos (discus) and sophomore distance runner Brian Roesslein, and junior sprinter Mike Hernandez will be a welcome addition.
"If we can finish in the top half (of the FVC) we will have had a successful season," CL South coach David Puma said. "Our underclassmen will absolutely have to step up and produce for us."
Dundee-Crown: The Chargers will miss junior distance runner Anthony Manfrin, a returning state qualifier and top college prospect sidelined for the season due to a leg injury. Their leading candidate for a state medal is senior high jumper Pat Livengood (Grand Valley State). He broke his own indoor school record this winter with a leap of 6 feet, 6 inches. The outdoor school record is 6-5.
"He has some goals for himself," D-C coach Tom Smith said. "The nice thing is he's also become a real leader for us."
Seniors Nathan Prom and Jon Magnant were both members of the school record-setting 3,200 relay team that finished 12th in the state last year (7:55.59). Prom also qualified in the 800. Both will likely compete in the 800, 1,600 and 1,600 relay.
Other key returnees include senior Mett Hellyer (200, 400, relays) and junior hurdler Max Kittle, who qualified in the 300 hurdles.
Key newcomers include sophomore high jumper Ardien Asani and senior John Holliday (discus).
Huntley: The Red Raiders are coming off back-to-back sectional titles and three straight second-place finishes in the Fox Valley Conference. To reach such levels again, Huntley will need contributions from its talented but inexperienced underclassmen in addition the upperclassmen.
One major advantage heading into every meet is senior Marcus Popenfoose (Auburn), a state-title contender in the shot put and discus and the top returning thrower in Illinois. He placed second at the 2009 state meet in both the discus (199 feet, 8 inches) and shot put (59-113/4).
Senior Tor Larkin qualified last year in the 100. He and Jeremy Hansen were both members of the 400 and 800 relay teams that qualified for state. Senior Nick Davila qualified in the 400 and was part of the state-bound 1,600 relay team that broke the school record at the sectional. Senior Joe Mollica logged between 500-600 miles over the winter and could provide scoring in distance races.
"We just want to be competitive by the end of the year," Huntley coach Jim Rolando said. "We're an unknown, but we'll score our share of points."
Huntley will host a Class 3A sectional on Friday, May 21, a competition that will also include Cary-Grove, CL South, Dundee-Crown, Jacobs and McHenry.
Jacobs: Senior hurdler Danny Trevor returns after qualifying in the 110-low and 300-intermediate hurdles last season. Junior mid-distance runner Danny Carey reached the state meet in the mile.
Others returnees include: seniors David Grady (hurdles/jumps), Jason Ofodile (sprints/relays), TJ Brooks (sprints/jumps) and Keith Schumacher (mid-distance); juniors Joey Cieniewicz (mid-distance) and distance runner Nick Ellingson. Sophomore Dom Blake (sprints) and freshman Filip Skrzesinski (sprints) should contribute points.
"If the team works hard and we are able to max-out our potential, we could be in the hunt again for some hardware," Golden Eagles coach Jason Borhart said.