Word gets around about Julifs’ throw
Through the wonders of mobile communication the news whizzed from Wheaton Warrenville South to Naperville North, one Friday track meet to another.
Metea Valley freshman Holly Julifs had just thrown the discus 136 feet, 4 inches at the Tiger Invitational at WW South.
This info was relayed to Waubonsie Valley coach Kevin Rafferty and Warriors throws coach Roger Einbecker at Naperville North’s Gus Scott Invitational. Holly’s sister, Heather, is a hurdler now at North Central College; Einbecker first started working with Holly the summer before she attended seventh grade.
Holly Julifs’ throw is obviously the Metea Valley girls record and would also eclipse the Waubonsie standard of 136-1 set in 1998 by Ade Oshinowo. Entering Tuesday, Julifs’ mark ranks third in Illinois, is 59th in the nation and is the best freshman girls mark in the country, according to DyeStat. Julifs’ top shot put throw of 35-3½ ranks 36th in the state.
Metea Valley coach Jim Braun was running the shot put competition at WW South when Julifs threw the 136, so he missed its long flight.
“Obviously it’s a great throw, and Holly’s been getting better and better in practice,” he said Tuesday.
“The reason for her success is, No. 1, excellent coaching from Roger and working very hard,” Braun said. “I think the credit Metea Valley or I can take is we have her in a weight program that’s put more lead in her pencil so she can get (the implement) out there.”
He also credits leadership by senior Jasmine Davis, who sits 14th in Illinois in shot put at 38-5½. “She’s done great as a leader for Holly and for getting on Holly — or anybody in our group. When anybody slacks off, she gets all over her. The competition both in the weight room and on the field really helps.”
That leadership will help Julifs in a sport Braun characterizes as a matter of “what have you done for me lately.”
“It’s not about, ‘I’m here now, let’s relax,’” he said. “This is a sport that, boy, if you relax for a second you’re in trouble. Nothing is guaranteed in this.”
Determined:
Some high school seniors like to take that last spring off from sports, especially if they’re going to compete in college.
West Chicago’s Nate Sudnick, headed to play football at Dayton, is not one of these. A discus specialist for the Wildcats’ track team, he’s got a reason to stick it out.
“To be honest with you, other than helping the team — I thought I could make an impact on the team — I really, really want to go to state this year. That’s my No. 1 goal,” he said.
He has yet to reach the Class 3A state qualifying distance of 155 feet, but he’s in the neighborhood. Sudnick, whose best mark this season is 137-10 Saturday at Geneva’s Mike VanDeveer Invite, went 151-2 last season at the DuPage County Meet.
“I’ve been working out a lot,” said the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Sudnick, who at inside linebacker last fall made 72 tackles and plans on playing either defensive end or linebacker at Dayton.
“I didn’t do the shot put indoor, I’m not sure if it hurt me but definitely it didn’t benefit me,” he said. “But Saturday was our first (invite) of the whole season so far and some of these other teams have had three, four meets. Once I get in the season everything starts flowing together, and usually I see those gains pretty quickly.”
Sudnick holds West Chicago’s sophomore discus record of 144-6. He’s working with Wildcats throws coach and West Chicago graduate Tyler Belding to increase the speed at the start of his spin to mesh with his power at the end. His importance on a team that graduated stars such as Jeff Foreman and Gunnar Sterne is evident in the new Pacer discus Sudnick alone gets to use.
Moving this weekend to the Glenbard South Invitational — where he holds the sophomore record — Sudnick aims to send that Pacer to victories in the DuPage Valley meet, DuPage County meet and deliver a top-two sectional finish to go downstate.
“My hopes this year, they’re high but I think they’re achievable,” he said.