Glenbard South, Geneva stick to plan

As scheduled, Tuesday's would-be boys track triangular meet at Glenbard South was perfect.

The host Raiders would prepare for Friday's DuPage County Meet, fellow Western Sun Conference foes Geneva and Batavia for the Kane County Meet on the same day.

With Batavia out until Wednesday as a precaution against the swine flu virus there was, as Geneva coach Gale Gross said, "a little luster off."

The intent remained the same, though.

"Every time you're out on the track you compete," said Geneva senior Andrew Nelson. "You try not to change too much. Maybe with them the intensity might increase a little more, but without them we're still out here competing."

That's why the future Northern Iowa runner was slightly bummed with an 800-meter time most will never attain - 1 minute, 57.6 seconds to help the Vikings top Glenbard South, 67-59.

"It's OK, 1:57," said Nelson, who'd sought 1:54. "I mean, it's a very good time especially for a Tuesday meet like this, a little wind and kind of by myself. I can't be too unhappy, but I just had a little higher goal."

Competition was why Glenbard South senior Andrew Payne was sprinting 400 meters for the first time in two years. Raiders coach Andy Preuss, looking toward the state series, pondered Payne's reaction to a leg of the 1,600 relay right after his usual 200 sprint.

Payne said he felt fine. Then added a qualifier: "That was really something. I like that feeling when you run down the track, then you finish."

Watching Glenbard South's Austin Teitsma going all-out for 200 meters was an inspiration.

A 6-foot-2, 230-pound defensive end who throws shot put and discus, Teitsma lost close contests in each field event to Geneva's Frank Boenzi, then for kicks joined Raiders outside linebacker Brian Duffy in a heat of the 200.

Teitsma - a 350-pound bench guy who got his first college scholarship offer last Friday, from Illinois State - edged Duffy 24.97 to 25.45.

"(Throws coach and Raiders football coach Dan Starkey) tells us we need to compete," Teitsma said. "It's the best thing for you, so that's what I do. That's why I go to track."

Gross liked the consistency of Drew Hickey, Nick Peterson, Jake Tauscher, the discus-throwing Grimes brothers, Jordan and Jackson. Jeff Foster added a 51.3-second 400 dash.

"When we put on the royal blue," Gross said, "it's time to compete when we step on the track."