Record relay run catapults Kaneland to second in 2A

CHARLESTON - There is no room right now on Cloud Nine.

Kaneland's on it.

Capped by a 2A meet and school-record 1,600-meter relay victory in which anchor runner Logan Markuson dug deep to suppress late pressure, the Knights earned their first boys state track and field trophy since 1999. Kaneland forged a second-place tie with power Cahokia, their 53 points 8 behind repeat champion Hillcrest.

"I was a little disappointed with how other things turned out today," said Markuson, seventh in both pole vault and the 110 hurdles and fourth in the 300 hurdles, losing his 2A record in that event to Oak Forest's Wana Wauna.

"I wanted to go out with a bang, and I guess this was a pretty big bang," Markuson said.

Rehashing the relay victory run in 3:20.29 - which topped Kaneland's 3:21.6 of 1980 - Derek Bus was overheard telling relay mates Edgar Valle and Tommy Whittaker, "I know he's going to pass him."

Markuson claimed a lead with 250 meters left and held it despite the hard breath of Hillcrest's Irvin Pierce on his right shoulder down the stretch.

"At one point we were stride for stride," Markuson said. "...I knew we had to get this. If we wanted to do something, we had to get this."

Kaneland coach Eric Baron knew Friday the Knights were on to something. He called his wife, Deborah, to bring daughters Nora and Ella to Eastern Illinois University to watch.

"I said, 'I think you've got to come down and see this.'" Baron said. "We had a feeling all year long. These are special kids. I'm very proud of them, and I'm very proud of myself because I think I set up a good program."

Kaneland earned its sixth boys state track trophy and also its 15th and 16th event titles, as Nick Sinon joined the 1,600 relay with a 2A record high jump win at 6 feet, 9 inches.

"Awesome - that's just how I'm feeling right now. I'll have a smile on my face for awhile," said the senior, who placed third in 2009.

Sinon didn't miss an attempt until he tried three at 6-11.

"My coach (Baron) had a plan for me, we went with it and it paid off," Sinon said. "We wanted to hop on the odd cycle and have no misses throughout the whole, entire meet."

Sinon did not mind missing 1996 state champ Craig Lyon's school record of 6-101/2. He'll also chase Lyon's 7-3 mark, the record at Augustana University.

"He's an amazing athlete," Sinon said. "I'll have my name second to him anytime."

Taylor Andrews finished fifth in the 110 hurdles and the Knights' 3,200 relay of Dominic Furco, Sean Paulick, Joe Levita and Trevor Holm placed seventh.

The 800 finals featured both Valle and Bus. Valle led with about 230 meters left but was passed. He seemed to flag momentarily but kicked to finish a strong second.

"All we need right now is points," Valle said at the time. "Point, points, points."

Bus took fifth: "I can't compliment Edgar enough. He was smarter than me, definitely, today. He was the leader at 400 (meters). That's the way to do it at state, I guess."

Geneva's Frank Boenzi certainly knows how state works. He qualified in discus and shot put five times combined, and left Charleston Saturday with his best finishes ever.

Boenzi, who will play football but miss track and field at Northern Illinois University, broke a string of successive sixth-place shot put finishes with a fourth in shot - at 59 feet, 23/4 inches - and sixth in disc, 167-11.

"Sixth place three years in a row would have been bad news," Boenzi said. "But I looked at (the awards podium) and I'm going to stand next to sixth place."

For discus, he stood on it.

"My goal this year was just to place," he said. "First to get into the finals, then to place. To come in (seeded) 13th this year and come out in sixth, that's not too bad."

Marmion's distance duo of junior Bennett Marsh and senior Zach Young finished a respective eighth in the 3,200 and fifth in the 1,600.

Young stressed his pride for Marsh then considered his own race, which ended his first year of track after three years prep baseball. He'll walk on Marquette's track team.

"I was happy with my race," Young said. "I gave it everything I had today. If that's how it finishes up, so be it. I'll take that home with me."

In Class 3A, Lake Park needed just three athletes - twins Jeremy and Jermaine Kline and Zach Ziemek - to score 50 points and win the title. Herrin won the 1A crown for the third time in four years.