West Aurora girls, boys both enjoying impressive springs

West Aurora’s girls track team will conduct defense of its Kane County crown after a dominant effort at the 16-team Lockport Invitational last Thursday.

Runner-up Homewood-Flossmoor was 51 points behind the Blackhawks, who received yet another sensational effort from Emma Spagnola.

The freshman exceeded the 30-point personal barrier for her third consecutive invitational by winning both hurdles races and high jump. The Blackhawks 800-meter relay is among the state’s best and has yet to lose; the quartet of Monique Dunum, Anita Saffa, Kehlay Dunah and Jasmine Ranson captured the title at Lockport.

“We had a lot of sprint competition, that’s for sure,” said West Aurora coach Theresa Towles.

Marin Lehman (pole vault) and Maya Marian (discus) also snagged field-event wins for the Blackhawks, who will seek the county repeat Friday at Streamwood.

“Anything can happen on any given day,” Towles said.

Weights and measures:

By the time junior year kicks in, the benefits of the weight room on the track and field athlete must also.

Weightlifting was one of the things Batavia junior Brian Rudelich credited for his high jump of 6-foot-1 to win the event at Wheaton Warrenville South’s Red Grange Invitational on Thursday.

Rudelich surprised even himself by coming out of the three-level meet’s “B”-flight to win the event.

“I came in here just to try to PR (set a personal record), to get better, and I was surprised,” Rudelich said.

Bulldogs coach Dennis Piron complimented the junior on his work in practice, and Rudelich said weightlifting had been a key part of his improvement.

“A lot of leg work,” Rudelich said.

Weight room sessions have always been part of the thrower’s regimen, and West Aurora’s Alex Chollet said more work on the bench press has helped him improve his own personal best in shot put to nearly 53 feet, about a 6-foot improvement over his junior year.

Chollet, who two weeks ago threw the discus 174 feet, 4 inches to surpass Jeff Ruffin’s 1999 West Aurora record by two inches, mainly uses “Olympic lifts” of clean and snatch to improve his strength.

Though a strong tail wind Saturday knocked down the discus at Kaneland’s Peterson Prep Invitational, Chollet went from a top preliminary throw of 131 feet to a winning 154-3 in the finals. The combination of strength and technique have put Chollet in a comfortable position.

“I’m consistently throwing in the 160s, which is real nice,” Chollet said. “I know that I can make state (qualifying distance 155-0) pretty safely without having to set a PR going into it and I can relax more, I guess, when I go up to throw.”

Gearing up:West Aurora#146;s Matt Souvannasing was a big factor in the Blackhawks#146; team title Saturday at Kaneland.The senior won the long jump competition with a personal-best distance of 22 feet, 3frac12; inches, came in second in the 100-meter dash, and anchored a victorious 800 relay.In both those running events, Souvannasing battled a sprinter from Mt. Carmel. He initially lost to Evan Avklin by .03 seconds in the 100, then reeled in the Caravan#146;s Kerry Dean in the 800 relay.#147;He had the outside lane, so I was going to get there faster,#148; Souvannasing said. #147;That#146;s the first time I found that gear; normally I #145;die.#146; It#146;s been a good day for me.#148; The senior, part of the Blackhawks#146; 2010 all-state 800-meter relay, said he came from fourth place out of the blocks to push Avklin in the 100. Again, gears had something to do with it, by both runners.#147;I saw me slowly getting closer and closer, so I had to find another gear. And I found the gear,#148; Souvannasing said. #147;I was catching up, but then I guess (Avklin) had another one at the end. I didn#146;t know that was coming.#148;Well-heeled:Aurora Central Catholic scored in 17 of 18 events on Saturday to win the boys side of the coed Walther Lutheran Invite, held at Concordia College. The lady Chargers finished fourth.As ACC coach Troy Kerber stated in an email, the boys #147;rolled#148; to the title with 174 points to runner-up Walther#146;s 132.Highlights of the Chargers#146; day included Joe Fese, winner of both the 100- and 200-meter dash, and Matt Meyers, who took second in both the 800 and 1,600. Joe Reuland won the 110 high hurdles and Jacob Dressel won high jump with a nice height of 6 feet, 3 inches.Displaying distance strength and depth, the Chargers#146; foursome of Alex Duncan, Matt Marter, Adrian Alviar and Nolan McCue won the 3,200 relay, then ACC went one-two in the 3,200 with two totally different athletes, Carter Taylor and Oscar Gomez.Brothers in arms:Wheaton Academy freshman Nathan Lopez set a new program record in discus Saturday at Kaneland#146;s Peterson Prep Invitational.Still, should he ever need advice there#146;s help just a brief drive away. Nathan#146;s brother is Loyola-Chicago freshman Deven Lopez, a former three-year captain for West Chicago. Deven currently leads the Ramblers in both discus and shot put distances, and is second in javelin.While Nathan Lopez set a new Wheaton Academy boys discus mark, freshman Jenna Thiel was doing the same in Warriors girls discus. Within a week she broke the existing record, then reestablished her own program mark.On the track for the Warrior boys, coach Bill Bickhart is encouraged by a young sprint relay group of Matt Ruff, David Leffler, Justin Sergeant and Joel Swick. #147;For freshmen and sophomores, these guys are rolling,#148; Bickhart said.Wrist issue:It was easy to identify St. Francis#146; Jeff Rutkowski on Thursday at Wheaton Warrenville South#146;s Red Grange Invitational. He was the one running and jumping with a cast over his right wrist.Proving sand is not as soft as it looks, Rutkowski broke his wrist playing beach volleyball.#147;I think I fell on it, I#146;m not sure,#148; said Rutkowski, who hopes to get the cast off by late May. #147;I didn#146;t go to the doctor until two weeks after. I thought it was a bruise.#148;At Wheaton South the junior competed in the 200-meter dash, the 800 relay and long jump. He said he had difficulty using his arms to help propel him forward in long jump, #147;but the Adrenalin came through.#148;In the sprints he must put his left hand down rather than get in the starting blocks with both hands on the start line. Having played some running back for the Spartans football team, his experience with a three-point stance helps balance his weight. For the most part.#147;But, I mean, a start#146;s a start,#148; Rutkowski said. #147;It all depends on how I wind up.#148;Kevin McGavin contributed to this report. 15832435Jasmine Ranson will try to help West Aurora repeat as Kane County champions Friday night.BEV HORNE/bhorne@dailyherald.com