Momentum is on their side
The status quo just doesn't cut it in track's "championship season" - the monthlong stretch of county, conference, sectional and state meets.
The successful ones at those big events, whether individuals or teams, are usually those who achieve better than their seed. Geneva and Marmion did that, and roll into Friday's boys sectionals on momentum gained from surprising conference wins.
"Obviously conference went very well, probably beyond my expectations," said Geneva coach Gale Gross, who'd predicted a third-place Western Sun Conference finish behind Kaneland and Batavia - not first place, as it turned out.
Starting when Geneva sophomore Peter Archibald shaved four seconds off his 800-meter time to beat several higher seeded competitors - including Derek Bus and Edgar Valle of Kaneland, which will battle Burlington Central for the Class 2A Sterling sectional title - the Vikings shifted into fourth gear.
A second-place 800 relay, Jay Graffagna's second-place 200 dash and Scott Pospisal following suit in the 400, Ryan Ahern and Tom Frederick going 2-3 in the 300 hurdles, and Justin Rodriguez's and Kevin Sparks' 1-2 finish in the 1,600 allowed the Vikings to relax during the closing 1,600 relay.
"I talked to the kids about momentum," Gross said. "Some people don't realize how it works in a meet but there is momentum and it goes up, it goes down, and you've got to ride the waves."
Waves toss teams both ways.
"Our boys are excited that they have an opportunity to compete after our conference meet did not go as well as hoped," said Batavia coach Dennis Piron, whose Bulldogs placed fifth. They'll get their second chance at the 3A Streamwood sectional, joining Geneva, St. Charles East and St. Charles North trying to fend off solid West Chicago, Schaumburg, Conant, Hoffman Estates and Rolling Meadows among others.
"We will be ready," said Piron, who saw just four events at the WSC meet exceed prior seeds - a first-place 3,200 relay, Chuck Phillips in the 800, Matt Lash in the 3,200 and Ben Fornek in long jump.
Gross reminded the Vikings they had 48 hours to enjoy the final Western Sun Conference crown before moving to their next objective, Friday's Class 3A Streamwood sectional.
That momentum, however, should be remembered.
"Use that confidence and go into the sectional," said Gross, who hopes pole vaulter Eric Hanson and the sprint relays - with a rehabbed John Wilger on the 800 unit - again surpass seed marks and join probable three-time shot put qualifier Frank Boenzi in Charleston.
"Whatever Geneva and Gale did, hats off to them," said Glenbard South coach Andy Preuss, who figures to be more successful at his own Class 2A sectional tonight than he was in a WSC third-place finish.
Thing is, a year after Marmion beat the likes of Geneva and Batavia at the 3A St. Charles North sectional, the Cadets storm into 2A Glenbard South off their Suburban Christian Conference title last week, Marmion's fifth straight SCC title.
"We really focused on trying to win conference," coach Dan Thorpe said. "Now we're focusing on trying to get kids to state."
Marmion was hardly alone at the top. The Cadets needed a second-place finish in the 1,600 relay to nip Aurora Central Catholic, and SCC Man of the Meet Zach Young complied, making up 30 yards on St. Francis in the anchor slot as Marmion edged ACC 125-124.
They'll clash again at Glenbard South. Marmion brings the distance with Young and Bennett Marsh, plus 300 hurdler Eddie Grahovec, high jumper Sam Duffield, triple jumper Alonso Cisneros and horse sprinter Russ Semmler, who won the SCC 400 and was third in both the 10 and 200.
ACC counters with across-the-track strength, from SCC 100 and 200 winner Joe Fese, junior hurdling twins Joe and Mike Reuland to excellent distance relays led by Jon Jochum and Danny Kottkamp.
Thorpe thinks the host Raiders should take the Glenbard South sectional, but wouldn't be surprised if ACC won it. After all, in seeding the SCC meet, Thorpe had ACC with 170 points to Marmion's 102.
"They have a nice track team, they cover a lot of events," Thorpe said of the Chargers. "We just had a perfect night and they had some bumps in the road. And I hope they do win it. Troy (Kerber, ACC coach) works hard at it, he's been there 17 years, he's got good numbers, covered all the events. They can win it and I hope they do."
Just not at the expense of his boys.
"We didn't worry about times last Thursday night, times and distances, we just worried about places," Thorpe said. "Whereas this week we worry about places and that qualifying time."