Boys track/Scouting the Fox Valley

Bartlett Hawks

Coach: Eric Kramer (fourth year)

Conference: Upstate Eight (Valley)

Last year: fifth in UEC Valley

Top athletes: seniors Kevin Bauers (throws), Zach Karys (sprints), Nick Simich (sprints, relays); juniors Alex Bailey (hurdles, sprints), Aaron Everson (sprints, hurdles, jumps), Charles Mosley (sprints), Connor Rachford (middle distance), Matt Sullivan (distance); sophomore Dan Cotton (distance); freshman Bryce Petty (jumps, sprints)

Outlook: The Hawks should be strong in the sprints and sprint relays a year after winning the UEC Valley title in the 800-meter relay. Two members of that relay return: Charles Mosley and Zach Karys. The Hawks boast several candidates aiming for state qualification. Senior Kevin Bauers qualified for state in the discus as a sophomore but missed out as a junior. Last weekend at the Prep Top Times meet in Bloomington, he surpassed 48 feet in the shot put and placed ninth in the state. That was actually a disappointing showing by his standards considering he went 53-3½ at the UEC Conference indoor meet a week earlier to place second. “Last year he didn’t have it, but he’s much quicker in the ring this year and has a really good chance to qualify in both the shot and the discus,” Bartlett coach Eric Kramer said. Junior sprinter Alex Bailey ran well in Bloomington in the 55-meter high hurdles. He finished tenth after shaving .3 seconds off his time for a new personal record. Bailey will run the 300-meter intermediate hurdles and 110-meter high hurdles outdoors. Senior sprinter Nick Simich will fortify the relay teams. At the UEC indoor meet, Simich finished fifth in the 200 (23.51 and eighth in the 55-meter dash (6.76). Junior Aaron Everson is a versatile athlete. A football running back, he recently cleared 21 feet, 6 inches in the long jump in his first attempt at the event. Junior Connor Rachford ran the 800 in practice last week in two minutes flat, not far off the state qualifying standard. He’ll also contribute to some fast relay teams. “Our relays — the 800, 1,600, 3,200 — are always good,” Kramer said. “This year indoors we ran the fastest times in school history. We broke a lot of school records, which holds promise for what some of these relays can do. That’s important to us. We hand out awards at the end of each meet for personal records because that means more to us as a team than whether we finished first, second or third. Let’s hope it’s our day at the sectional and we can bring a lot of people down to Charleston with us.”

Burlington Central Rockets

Coach: Mike Schmidt (17th year)

Conference: Big Northern

Last year: first in Big Northern Conference

Top athletes: seniors Ben Damisch (middle distance), Parker DeMoss (sprints), Joe Gannon (distance), Mike Gulik (distance), Kyle Ingraham (pole vault), Clint Kliem (distance); juniors Dan Morgan (distance), Ryan Olsen (hurdles, sprints), Nolan St. John (jumps); sophomores Matt O’Connor (middle distance), Travis Panariello (sprints, jumps); freshmen Trevor Davison (sprints, jumps), Luke Ege (hurdler)

Outlook: The Rockets are poised to defend last year’s Big Northern Conference title, the program’s first since 2008. Led by a veteran group of talented distance runners, the 2012 team will be strong on the track and could morph into a true power if some young athletes develop in field events. The Rockets had a huge day at the Prep Top Times indoor meet last weekend. Seniors Mike Gulik, Clint Kliem, Joe Gannon and sophomore Matt O’Connor won the state championship in the two-mile relay in a time of 8:02.02. It was the fifth-best time in the state across all three classes. Gulik, Kliem, O’Connor and senior Ben Damisch placed second in the mile relay (3:28.2). Individually, Gulik was second in the open 800 (1:57.4), and Kliem took second in the mile (4:29.9). Kliem, who finished fifth last fall at the state cross country meet, recently accepted a track scholarship to SIU-Edwardsville, thereby becoming the fifth Central athlete in five years to do join a Division I college program. Gulik could make six. He was quickly approached by coaches from SIU-E, Illinois State and Missouri after he was edged for the 800-meter title at Top Times by just .001. Senior Kyle Ingraham will get the Rockets points in the pole vault; he finished ninth in Class 2A at Top Times (13 feet, 6 inches). Senior Parker DeMoss won the conference indoor title in the 55-meter dash. Committed to run at Judson University, DeMoss can run the 100, 200 and 400. Damisch rebounded from last year’s back issues to win the conference indoor title in the 400 and is a threat to get downstate. Junior Nolan St. John won the conference indoor high jump title (5-11). The void left by the graduation of hurdler Michael Kellenberger will be filled by promising freshman Luke Ege, who coach Mike Schmidt says could be “very good.” Trevor Davison is another promising freshman jumper and sprinter. “We’ve got a few holes to fill as a team overall,” Schmidt said. “It’ll be hard to replace Tre Llanes in the jumps. We have some field event kids that are developing, but they’re not quite there yet. But we’ll be very good on the track. It’s just a great distance group. Assistant coach Jon Pollock has done a great job with our distance guys over the years and has another crew. We think we can get Kliem and Gulik as well as our 3,200 and 1,600 relay teams on the medal stand. I think we have the potential to win the conference, do well at the sectional, score about 20 points at state and get a couple of state champions.”

Cary-Grove Trojans

Coach: Layne Holter (18th year)

Conference: Fox Valley (Valley)

Last year: third in FVC

Top athletes: seniors Max Andersen (middle distance), Josh Freeman (throws), Tommy Rohn (middle distance); junior Michael Gleeson (sprints), John Pearl (sprints), Daniel Sikora (distance), Dustin Throw (distance); freshman Ricky Hurley (throws)

Outlook: Thrower Josh Freeman’s stated goal is to win a state championship. He won the FVC indoor shot put title with a record distance of 61-7¼, surpassing the 2010 record of Huntley’s Marcus Popenfoose (Auburn) by more than 5 feet. He followed that up by winning the indoor state title last weekend at the Prep Top Times indoor meet in Bloomington with a heave of 63-2¼, again winning by better than 5 feet. “It seems like he’s racking up personal records every time he throws,” Cary-Grove coach Layne Holter said. “He’s the poster child for off-season work. He’s put in thousands of hours working out and in the weight room. I don’t think we’ve seen his best performance yet. It’ll be interesting to see when what he does outside.” The Trojans finished sixth as a team at the recent FVC indoor meet with 49 points. Joining Freeman as an indoor FVC champ was senior Tommy Rohn, who won the 400. Holter said senior Max Andersen’s off-season of hard work should translate to success in the 400. He ran a sub-50 second split for the Trojans last year and will contribute to a 1,600-meter relay team that has already eclipsed last year’s best time of 3:21. Dustin Throw and Daniel Sikora are running well in the distance races, according to their coach. Senior John Pearl and junior Michael Gleeson will be counted on in the 200, 400 and relays. Ricky Hurley leads a large contingent of promising freshmen throwers. Holter said the Trojans will attempt to develop hurdlers and high jumpers as the season progresses, but other jumps have the potential to be better. “Josh Freeman is our best hope for a state championship, and I think we could get a medal in the mile relay as well,” Holter said. “I think that’s realistic. I think we’re an improved team over last year. We’ve got a few holes that we’re going to have trouble filling. The strength of the team is middle distance. We have five or six solid, 400-meter guys and a couple can move up or down. We may not win the mile or two mile, but we can score. I think we’ll be pretty solid.”

Crystal Lake South Gators

Coach: Rich Eschman (10th year as head coach, 18th overall)

Conference: Fox Valley (Valley)

Last year: sixth in FVC

Top athletes: seniors Zane Boettcher (sprints), David Callahan (relays, middle distance), Kevin Komro (throws), Brian Roesslein (distance, relays), Brad Walovitch (sprints); juniors Zach Balousek (sprints, jumps), Zevin Clark (throws), Duncan Henderson (distance), Lake Larson (sprints); sophomores Drew Kopfman (middle distance), David Lenzini (distance, relays)

Outlook: The Gators could be strong once again in the 3,200-meter relay and the 1,600-meter relay. Senior Brian Roesslein and sophomore David Lenzini return from the 3.200-meter relay team that finished 13th in the state last spring. Senior David Callahan was a member of the 1,600-meter relay team that qualified for state in 3:23.24. Senior Zane Boettcher won the 55-meter dash at the Fox Valley Conference indoor meet on March 14 (6.82). All-Area honorary football co-captain Brad Walovitch will run the sprints. The Gators aspire to place fourth or higher in the Fox Valley Conference. “We think we could have a strong two-mile relay and mile relay again this year,” coach Rich Eschman said. “We are very young in the jumps and the hurdles. Our sprint group should be improved from last year.”

Dundee-Crown Chargers

Coach: Tom Smith (32nd year) Conference: FVC (Valley)

Last year: fifth in FVC

Top athletes: seniors Ardian Asani (jumps, relays), Alex Gray (jumps, sprints), Ray Griggel (throws), Chris Hamilton (hurdler), Thomas McNally (relays, middle distance), Joe Meixner (throws), Kevin Murphy (jumps, sprints), Mario Sanchez (middle distance), Brandon Yankowski (relays, middle distance); junior Sean Battin (sprints), Trevor Downing (jumps, sprints, relays), RJ Schmidt (hurdles, jumps, relays)

Outlook: Long jumper Ardian Asani enters the outdoor season on the heels of his state championship performance at the Prep Top Times indoor meet last weekend, when he jumped 2 feet. As a junior, Asani finished third at the Class 3A state meet in Charleston (22-10¼). He also won the Fox Valley Conference Indoor meet two weeks ago, however, the Chargers still finished ninth out of 14 schools. The low finish demonstrates how many holes veteran coach Tom Smith is tasked to fill due to the heaviest graduation losses he can recall in his 32 years leading D-C. “We’ll have growing pains early because we lost a lot of guys who were doing it for four years, point getters,” Smith said. “So we’ll see where we get our points from. Ardian is a given; everybody else, we’ll see what we can do.” Junior Sean Battin is the team’s top sprinter. He’ll race in the 100, 200. D-C intends to build the sprint relays around Asani and Battin. Experienced seniors Kevin Murphy and Alex Gray will likely join them. Murphy also competes in jumps, while Gray will run the 400. Senior Chris Hamilton should have a solid senior in the hurdles, Smith said. Senior Mario Sanchez is one of D-C’s top middle distance runners. Junior Trevor Downing is coming off a good indoor season in the high jump. He’ll also compete in sprints and relays. Two seniors new to track but expected to contribute are Thomas McNally and Brandon Yankowski, both of whom add depth to the relays and the 400. Senior Ray Griggel is again expected to be the top shot putter for the Chargers, while senior Joe Meixner has shown promise in the discus, according to his coach. “Our M.O. is to is to try to be at our best by the end of the year,” Smith said. “We’re really counting on our seniors to lead us, and we’ll be looking for guys from all other grades to step up.” The program’s roster of 63 athletes is divided fairly evenly between all four classes.

Elgin Maroons

Coach: Kevin Cleveland (11th year)

Conference: Upstate Eight (River) Last year: 7th in UEC River

Top athletes: seniors Terrell Campbell (sprints, relays), Tim Gross (shot put, discus), Devante King (hurdles, 200, high jump), Dennis Moore (sprints), Derek Moorman (sprints, triple jump), Colton Wright (throws); juniors Chrstian Martinez (distance), Eduardo Perez (long jump, sprints), Chris Porras (distance); sophomores Gerardo Berrera (middle distance), Isaiah Carson (jumps), Emilio Mancha (distance); freshmen Malik Dunner (sprints, high jump), Logan Jostes (distance), Christopher Pizano (distance)

Outlook: Numbers are up for Elgin track this season with 45 athletes participating. That’s a substantial uptick from 28 a year ago. The resurgence is led by all-area football and basketball pick Dennis Moore, who did not compete as a junior. The future Wisconsin-Whitewater running back will compete in sprints and fortify the sprint relay teams. “He’s the missing piece to our (400) and (800-meter) relays,” coach Kevin Cleveland said. “He’s a team leader and he works hard.” Derek Moorman is a four-year track letterman. He’ll compete in the sprints and the triple jump. Freshman Malik Dunner, a basketball player like Moore and Moorman, is a promising sprinter and high jumper. Cleveland said he likes the progress of sophomore Emilio Mancha and freshman Logan Jostes in the distance races. The team otherwise graduated the core of its distance contingent. “We’re just looking to do better than we did last year,” Cleveland said. “We should be able to put together a couple of good relay teams. I think we’ll concentrate on our relays this year and try to get at least one team to state. That’s our ultimate goal. We’ll try to lock those positions in.”

Hampshire Whip-Purs

Coach: Steve Bruhn (11th season)

Conference: Fox Valley (Fox)

Last year: sixth in Big Northern

Top athletes: senior Peter Sonneseldt (jumper); juniors Alex Pagan (middle distance), Ross Seaton (distance); sophomore Lucius Armstrong (middle distance)

Outlook: Hampshire’s contingent will be focused on consistent improvement. Junior Ross Seaton has a chance to break the school record in the two mile (10:20) and the mile (4:42). The Whip-Purs will attempt to put together a competitive 1,600-meter relay team, spearheaded by junior Alex Pagan. He’ll be a factor in the open 400 as well. Sophomore Lucius Armstrong is another strong 400 runner. Senior Peter Sonneseldt’s goal is to break the school record in the triple jump (41-1). “We’re just looking to improve upon last year’s times,” coach Steve Bruhn said. “We hope to run our best times at the end of the year and see if we can get a few kids knocking on the door of qualifying for state.” The Whip-Purs will compete for the first time in the Fox Division of the Fox Valley Conference. The FVC meet will consist of all 14 teams from both divisions competing at once, however, separate Valley and Fox Division champions will be crowned.

Harvest Christian Academy Lions

Coach: Steven Bland (first year)

Conference: None. Will join Northeast Athletic in 2012-13.

Top athletes: juniors Robert Doby (distance), Stuart Wolff (sprints); sophomores Zach Harbaugh (middle distance), Leo Klus (distance), Tyler Leslie (distance), Ethan Maughn (distance), Kyler McCormick (distance), Kurt Pazdra (distance), Adam Salowitz (distance), Jacob Schott (distance), Jon Vislisel (jumps)

Outlook: Eleven athletes form the first boys track team in school history. This will be a teaching season as the staff finds the best fit for each competitor. “It’s not that we don’t want to win, but this first year will be about deciding what they might be good at and teaching them,” coach Steven Bland said. “Many of them have never tried a field event, but they may be good at it. We’re trying to teach all the athletes all the events to see what they’re naturally gifted at and we’ll go from there.” The team’s core is comprised of cross country runners, including Robert Doby, Kurt Pazdra, Kyler McCormick and Tyler Leslie. Thus, the Lions should be able to form some competitive distance relays. Pazdra will likely run the two-mile race. Doby and Harbaugh are likely slotted as 400-meter specialists. Stuart Wolff is probably the team’s fastest sprinter and will compete in the 200 and 400, his coach said. Without any previous training, 6-foot-6 sophomore John Vislisel recently soared17 feet in the long jump. “Most of our guys are hard workers so we’ll maximize our potential,” Bland said. “Part of our goal is to build our cross country program by developing more speed in those runners this spring. We’ll probably do pretty well in the distance events as a team and individually.”

Huntley Red Raiders

Coach: Jim Rolando (seventh year)

Conference: Fox Valley (Valley)

Last year: ninth in FVC

Top athletes: seniors CJ Ayemoba (jumps, sprints), James Davis (sprints), Devan Kennedy (pole vault, discus), Ryan Sheehan (pole vault); juniors Ricky Lopez (distance), Sam Maruccelli (distance), Trevor Obecny (distance)

Outlook: A youth movement is afoot in Huntley, where 35 incoming freshmen and a total of 45 new athletes have joined the boys track program. The cupboard is not bereft of seniors, however. Two top performers return for the Red Raiders: seniors James Davis and Ryan Sheehan, likely the team’s best hopes for state qualification. Davis was a close second at the FVC indoor meet in the 55-meter dash (6.87) to Crystal Lake South’s Zane Boettcher (6.82). As a junior, he finished second in the 100 at the FVC outdoor conference meet (11.06) and third in the 200 (22.87). Sheehan qualified for the state meet in the pole vault as a sophomore. He took second at the FVC indoor meet after clearing 14 feet. All-around athlete Devan Kennedy will compete in the pole vault, discus and hurdles. Junior Sam Maruccelli ran the mile during the indoor season. A.J. Ayemoba won the triple jump at the Sycamore Indoor Invitation on March 7 with a leap of 41-6½. Huntley scored in several events at the sectional last year, but most were fourth, fifth and sixth-place finishes. The Red Raiders hope their veterans can improve in multiple areas. “We didn’t score a lot of points at the sectional, but a lot of upperclassmen came home with the taste of a medal,” Rolando said. “I’d like to see them improve on that.”

Jacobs Golden Eagles

Coach: Jason Borhart (10th season)

Conference: FVC (Valley) Last year: tenth in FVC

Top athletes: seniors Dom Blake (sprints 300 hurdles), William Hennessey (800, 1,600), Grayson Meunier (sprinter), Caz Zyks (sprints); juniors Zach Johnson (middle distance), Nick Matysek (400 800)

Outlook: The Golden Eagles are 70 strong as a program, numbers edged higher with the help of assistant coach Bill Mitz; the school’s football coach again prompted several football players to improve their speed by running track this spring. Senior middle distance runner William Hennessey returns. He qualified for state in the 800 last season by clocking 1:56.82 at the sectional. He recently placed second at the Fox Valley Conference indoor in the 800 in 2:02.74, his best time of the indoor season. “Going through the year, we’ll use him where we need him at the county and conference meets to get us points,” coach Jason Borhart said. “Then we’ll take a look and make the best decision for him getting downstate.” Hennessey, fellow seniors Dom Blake and Grayson Meunier and junior Nick Matysek have the makings of a competitive 1,600-meter relay team. At the FVC indoor, the Golden Eagles placed third in the 14-team event (3:41.95) while the 3,200-meter relay took fourth (8:46.64). Muenier took fourth at the FVC indoor meet in the 55-meter dash (6.92) and Zyks placed eighth (7.0). “It’s a rather young team,” Borhart said. “Down the road we might be stronger than we are this year, but we’ve got some talent at the top and we’re hoping some other guys come through.”

Larkin Royals

Coach: Mike Scianna (fourth year)

Conference: Upstate Eight (River)

Last year: sixth in UEC River

Top athletes: seniors Cyrus French (400), Dan Renzel (middle distance); juniors Jalen Griffin (sprints), Cam Powers (middle distance)

Outlook: The Larkin track contingent isn’t large, but it is potent, led by senior Cyrus French and junior Jalen Griffin. Both performed well at the Prep Top Times indoor meet last weekend in Bloomington. Griffin took fourth in the state in Class 3A in the 200-meter dash (22.90); French placed seventh in the 400 (51.14). That was nearly a one-second improvement over French’s performance at the UEC indoor meet (52.06). The senior is hoping for better luck this season. As a sophomore he missed qualifying for state by a tenth of a second. However, his quest to make it to state as a junior was derailed by a hamstring injury at the first outdoor meet of the season at Huntley. Senior Dan Renzel ran 2:11 in the 800 indoors. He’ll shoot for 1:57.8 outdoors, the state qualifying standard. “He has improved every week, so there’s a shot,” Larkin coach Mike Scianna said. Larkin will attempt to build a couple of competitive relay teams with the help of some late-arriving athletes from basketball and football. “We would love to get two or three guys downstate, plus a relay team,” Scianna said. “French and Griffin are two definite possibilities to qualify. It would be great if we can get one more individual and a relay down.”

St. Edward Green Wave

Coach: Mike Olenek (fourth year)

Conference: Suburban Christian

Last year: sixth in SCC

Top athletes: seniors Drew Doherty (middle distance), Danny Jaimes (middle distance, relays); juniors Kevin Olenek (hurdles), Johnny Shepherd (middle distance); sophomores Will Bothwell (sprints, relays), John Danner (distance), Devonte Elam (sprints)

Outlook: Sophomore John Danner is expected to be a leading performer on the track for the Green Wave. He “wore down a bit” late in his freshman year and wasn’t able to make it downstate, according to coach Mike Olenek, but he returns stronger as a sophomore. He’ll run the 400 and 800 and likely be a key member of one or two relays teams. Junior Kevin Olenek is recovering from an early season ankle injury. He was fourth in the SCC last season in the 300 hurdles and was leading the sectional race in that event before he clipped the second-to-last hurdle, staggered, and was unable to qualify for state. He could get downstate on time alone this year. Senior Danny Jaimes went to Charleston last year with the school’s 400-meter relay team. He’s definitely faster than a year ago, according to his coach, and should be strong in the 400. The aforementioned athletes represent the veteran portion of the lineup. Newcomers include sophomore Will Bothwell, a football player who can run most anything. He’ll likely compete in sprint relays and the open 200 and 400 races. Coach Olenek called senior Drew Doherty one of the hardest-working athletes on the team. He’ll run the open 400 and 800 and his presence should fortify the 1,600-meter relay. Speedy sophomore running back Devonte Elam joins the team as a sprinter. Cobbling together the relay teams will be this team’s challenge since Elam specializes in sprints and Danner in long distance. “We’re one person short in some relays,” Olenek said. “It all depends on how we develop during the season.”

South Elgin Storm

Coach: Anthony LaRue (third season)

Conference: Upstate Eight (Valley)

Last year: sixth at UEC Valley meet

Top athletes: seniors Francisco Gonzalez (distance), Zach Gross (sprints), Eugenio Passarelli (throws); junior Lucas Basham (throws), Jeff Broger (sprints); sophomores James Dockens (sprints), Kyle Kumerow (jumps)

Outlook: The Storm boys track program qualified its first individual for the state meet last season when Zach Gross made it to Charleston in the 200. The returning senior sprinter, committed to play football at Olivet Nazarene, will also anchor the sprint relay teams. He finished third two weeks ago at the Upstate Eight Conference indoor meet in the 55-meter dash (6.70). South Elgin’s 800-meter relay team finished third at the same meet (1:33.71). Senior Jeff Broger is the teams’s top 400-meter runner (50.03), while senior Francisco Gonzalez is its top miler (4:39) and two-miler (10:00). Eugenio Passarelli and Lucas Basham lead a competitive throwing contingent. Sophomore James Dockens lends strength to the sprint events and sprint relays, and sophomore Kyle Kumerow shows promise in the field events. “Our younger guys are stepping up and scoring at the varsity levels for us now that they are seniors and juniors,” third year coach Anthony LaRue said. “It has been a great experience to watch them grow and become young adults. Our chances to improve are great. Our juniors are stepping up in practice. We need to make a very big leap in field events to get a chance to win meets. I believe that we are solid in the sprints and relays and individual distance events.”

Streamwood Sabres

Coach: Weert Goldenstein (eighth year)

Conference: Upstate Eight (River)

Last year: fifth in UEC River

Top athletes: seniors Francisco Donoso (sprints, relays), Justin King (relay, high jump), Jhoan Lino (distance), Jose Resendiz (distance), John Steljes (middle distance); juniors Art Beese (relays), Deji Giwa (sprints, jumps), Blake Holder (sprints, relays), Sean Patterson (sprints, relays); freshman Homero Peres (middle distance)

Outlook: Top sprinter Blake Holder returns for his junior season with his sites trained on a return to Charleston in the 100-meter dash. Holder qualified for the state meet as a sophomore in 10.87 seconds. He also anchored the qualifying 400-meter relay team, which broke the school record. Junior Sean Patterson also returns from that relay team. At the Upstate Eight Conference indoor meet on March 16, Holder ran the 55-meter dash in 6.487, winning the event with the sixth best time in Illinois this season. Does he have what it takes to challenge for the title of fastest man in Illinois as a junior? “Absolutely,” coach Weert Goldenstein said. “As long as he keeps his head together throughout the season and works hard at practice the way he works at meets, I see no reason why he can’t be right there. There’s no question he has the talent. He’s looking really good so far.” Another sprinter, junior, Deji Giwa, returns to the lineup after sitting out his sophomore season. He’ll add to the relay depth, as will four-year participant Francisco Donoso. Senior Jhoan Lino will run the mile and two-mile races. Workhorse junior Art Beese could be a member of three different relay teams. “We should be pretty strong in our sprint relays with the ability to qualify a couple of them to state,” Goldenstein said. “We have a lot of new guys out this year, and we’re looking forward to seeing what they’re capable of. I’m pretty confident in our ability to improve the team’s finish in the conference meet this year as well.”

Westminster Christian Warriors

Coach: Ron Froeschke

Conference: sixth in Northeast Athletic

Top athletes: senior Josh Beachler (sprints); juniors Travis Battle (sprints), Josh Crain (distance, relays), Mike Sleeting (throws, relays); freshmen Josh Caliguire (distance, relays), Grant Elliott (distance), Wyatt Johnson (distance), Robert Kleczynski (sprints, middle distance)

Outlook: Senior Josh Beachler is Westminster’s premier points-earner, proven by his impressive performance at the Northeast Conference indoor meet on March 10. Beachler helped the Warriors to a third-place finish as a team by winning titles in the 55-meter dash (6.7 seconds) and the 400 (56.8) to go with a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash (24.8). He’ll aim to qualify for state this spring after last year’s heartbreak, when he was forced to pull out of the sectional competition due to an untimely injury. Junior sprinter Travis Battle likewise missed his chance to qualify due to an injury at the sectional. The Warriors are training this year with more of an eye toward the postseason as a result. “We were really disappointed to make it through the year healthy and then have injuries at the end,” coach Ron Froeschke said. “This year we’re keeping aware of qualifying times, who is in our sectional and where weak spots with injuries could develop.” As Beachler’s high school track career winds down, another dawns. Coach Ron Froeschke has high hopes for freshman Robert Kleczynski, who also played varsity basketball this year. He will likely specialize in the 400 but can run any race up to 800 meters competitively. Mike Sleeting leads the throwing contingent, while Wyatt Johnson heads a healthy crew of freshman distance runners. He can run the 800, 1,600 or 3,200 but specializes in the mile. Freshmen Josh Crain and Josh Caliguire were part of the second-place 3,200-meter relay team at the NAC indoor meet. “I’m excited because we’re more balanced this year between distance and sprints,” Froeschke said. “Compared to last year our numbers may not be huge, but it’s a more balanced team overall. Josh has a solid shot to qualify for state and we think Robert, Travis and Wyatt could also be in a competitive position.”