Kaneland’s Andrews wins state title
CHARLESTON — Kaneland’s Taylor Andrews has a four-step process to hurdles success.
It added up to a record-setting, first-place finish at the boys Class 2A state track and field meet on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University.
Andrews, who in Friday’s preliminaries had sliced a second off the existing 2A 110-meter hurdles record, dropped more time in Saturday’s finals.
“I don’t know how to say this in the least cockiest way ... I’m just happy,” said the senior, headed to West Point for football but also bound for a little track at the academy’s prep school.
Running right down the middle of O’Brien Stadium’s blue track, Andrews displayed perfect form in running the 110s in 14.27 seconds. Friday, he ran it in 14.34 to set a 2A record.
In practices, Andrews said, “I say things to myself.” He answered himself perfectly on Saturday.
“Number one, attack the first hurdle, number two was reach,” Andrews said. “Number three was pull my trail leg through, quick trail leg, and number four was driving between hurdles.
“So you kind of play that over and over in your head, and when you get to meet time, the second you hear that gun it just all goes away. It’s all now muscle memory.”
Another Knight, Tommy Whittaker, wanted to thank his coaches for the memories, citing Eric Baron and the retiring Joe Thorgesen as “probably the best you’ll ever meet.”
They helped the St. Louis University-bound scholar-athlete (5.021 grade-point average) to a sixth-place, all-state finish in the 400 dash. Whittaker also anchored Kaneland’s sixth-place 400 relay with Jesse Balluff, Brandon Cottier and Andrews.
“It means a lot,” Whittaker said after his 400. “I’ve been working my butt off and my teammates have been helping me so much. It’s going to be sad to see them go. I’m going to miss everyone on my team, they’re a great group of guys and they helped me a ton. I owe everything to them.”
Several other hurdlers succeeded on Saturday. Batavia’s Rob Mohr stood tall at the podium after his second-place finish in the 3A 110 hurdles. Fellow Bulldogs senior David Voland took sixth in the 300 hurdles, and both ran with Emund Kabba and Jake Benner on an all-state eighth-place in the meet-ending 1,600 relay.
Mohr, out of the 300 finals after tripping over the last hurdle with the lead in prelims, said his coaches have helped him surmount adversity.
“It’s definitely difficult to overcome, but I think it just gave me a little perspective. It’s just great to be out here competing. I’m very happy with this. It’s a good end to a high school career in hurdling,” the Princeton-bound Mohr said.
Marmion’s Eddy Grahovec surged to third place from the pack in the 2A 800-meter run, then returned to place sixth in the 300 hurdles. Both were done in personal-record times, of 1 minute, 56.78 seconds and 39.34 seconds, respectively.
“I’m going to miss all the high school glory,” said the jovial Grahovec, who will try out for Dayton’s basketball team. “Now it’s on to bigger and better things.”
A pair of his teammates compiled all-state finishes. Bennett Marsh placed seventh in the 2A 3,200-meter run — St. Francis’ Joe Giamberdino was 13th, St. Charles North’s Ryan Senci 14th in 3A — and Peter Stefanski took second in 2A high jump.
Stefanski was tied with Glenbard South’s Joe Boesso after neither could clear 6 feet, 8 inches and had gained no advantage through prior jumps. A jumpoff ensued, with height “going back and forth like a yo-yo,” a meet official said, until Stefanski missed back down at 6-6 and Boesso cleared it.
Stefanski, who thought he’d “cracked” Boesso at 6-7, said the experience was “scary and thrilling at the same time.”
“I’ve just got to be more physically and mentally prepared next year,” said the junior. “That’s all I can do.”
In 3A high jump, St. Charles North’s Oshay Hodges also placed second at 6-7. A returning state qualifier and still just a junior, he benefitted from the return to Charleston.
“I was kind of shocked coming down here last year,” Hodges said. “This year I kind of knew what to expect. This year I really wanted to medal, I wanted to place.”
Others just off all-state finishes included Batavia’s Brian Wilson and West Aurora’s Elawrence Langston in 3A shot put, and West Aurora’s Alex Chollet in discus. Kaneland’s Trevor Holm placed 10th in the 2A 1,600 run, while St. Charles East’s Jake Mazanke finished 10th in the 3A 800. West Aurora’s 3,200 relay of Calvin Robinson, Ryan Bartell, Vontrel Hawkins and Matt Muth took 12th in 3A.
Aurora Christian’s 1,600 relay of Billy Howorth, Jake Gehman, Nate Jensen and Johnathan Harrell, however, caught inspiration from above to place third in Class 1A in a school-record 3:22.42.
“We came out running for Him, and He definitely honored us,” Howorth said. “That’s our biggest statement. We give it all for Him and we just trust in Him to provide. And He provided big-time.”
Lake Park successfully defended its 3A title with 74 points to York’s 43. Cahokia won the 2A title and Leo won 1A.