Hynes takes third at Pan American championships; Niski picks college
The St. Charles East graduate concluded a seven-month span of high-level training with a third-place finish at 3,000 meters on Aug. 2 at the Pan American Junior Championship.
She qualified for that track meet, held in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, with a 3K win June 28 at the USATF Junior Nationals in Eugene, Ore.
The prior big-ticket event was June 20, the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. In the 2-mile she finished sixth to earn all-American status. A month before that she won the 3,200 meters in the IHSA Class 3A girls state meet.
Hynes will continue her career at Boston College. She leaves Aug. 29 - after a two-week, coach-mandated rest.
"I've probably had ten days off in the past seven months," she said.
It's obviously been eventful.
At the USATF Junior Nationals, held in conjunction with the Senior Nationals that qualified Americans to the World Championships Aug. 15-23 in Berlin, Hynes sat in the stands with Jeremy Wariner, shared the warmup tent with Allyson Felix, and worked out with three-time NCAA steeplechase champion Jenny Barringer.
Trinidad & Tobago, site of the Pan American Junior Championships, wasn't as picturesque as Hynes had imagined, but it was "still cool to be in another place, see another culture," she said.
On the track last Sunday, Hynes had a lead late but didn't hold it. Her training skewed the prior month by a camping trip with friends, a visit to Boston College and training for speed, not distance, it wasn't enough to hold off a pair of Mexican runners. Still, at 10 minutes, 4.92 seconds Hynes finished within 3 seconds of the leaders to take the bronze medal and well ahead of Missouri's Emily Sisson, who'd had Hynes' number in several races until the Nike Outdoor Nationals.
"It was definitely one of the best experiences that I've ever had," Hynes said of her first competition outside the United States.
"It was always my goal go to an international meet, and to be an all-American. It wasn't happening," she said.
"And now that I've done it I have a lot more confidence that I can continue to be elite even at the collegiate level. For a while my goal was just to get to college and see what happens. Now I have some high goals for college, too."
Girls volleyball
Niski selects Maryland: Caroline Niski, a member of the 2008 state champion St. Charles East girls volleyball team, has committed to play college volleyball for the University of Maryland.
Niski is the second Saint to pick a Division I school. Teammate Jacqui Seidel is going to Ball State.
Triathlon
Local athletes shine: Ben Kanute and Kevin McDowell, both of Geneva, and Jennifer Howland of Elburn, continued their climb up the ranks of the triathlon world by qualifying for the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Junior World Championships, which will be held Sept. 13, 2009 in Gold Coast, Australia.
Kanute and McDowell will make up two-thirds of the three-man team that represents the United States at this event, and Howland will be one of three women competing for the United States. All three of these athletes will face the best triathletes from around the world as they toe the start line.
McDowell and Kanute earned their spots on Team USA by finishing 1-2 at the Strawberry Fields Triathlon in Oxnard, California, a race that was part of USA Triathlon's Junior Elite Cup Series, which included a 750 meter swim in the Pacific Ocean; a 20 kilometer bike; and a 5 kilometer run. The two Geneva athletes competed side by side for most of the race, coming out of the ocean swim together and working together on the bike until McDowell pulled away late in the run to cross the finish line first.
Howland earned her spot at the Pan American Triathlon Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla., in May by being the first American woman to finish, placing fifth overall.
McDowell, Kanute and Howland are all members of the Multisport Madness Triathlon Team ("MMTT"), a youth team that is based and trains in the Fox Valley. McDowell, 16, is a junior at Geneva High School, and Kanute, 16, is a junior at Marmion Academy. Howland, 15, is a sophomore at Kaneland High School.
They all have impressive triathlon resumes, despite their young ages. In addition to his latest win on the national stage last weekend, McDowell also competed in the ITU Junior World Championships last year in Vancouver, Canada, and earlier this year won the Tri-Shark Triathlon in Bloomington, IL, setting the course record. Kanute is the two-time defending USA Triathlon National Champion, and earlier this year earned a podium spot by finishing third in the Pan American Triathlon Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla., against an international field. Howland has dominated her age group, winning the USA Triathlon national championship the last four years, in addition to numerous other races. On top of all of this, they each run cross country for their schools (McDowell finished 14th in the 2008 state meet), and Kanute also swims for Marmion.
At first glance it may seem unusual that half of the junior team representing the United States hails from the Fox Valley. However, MMTT, now in its sixth year, has evolved into the premier junior development team in the nation. The team, founded and coached by Keith Dickson of Aurora, has produced 14 individual national champions, two age group world champions, and four consecutive national team champions.
McDowell, Kanute and Howland all started competing on the team when they were 10 or 11 years old, and have trained nearly year-round since then to achieve their current success. They are among 40 athletes, ages 7 through 19, that comprise MMTT. Ben's father, Mike Kanute, assists Dickson in coaching duties.
Before leaving for Australia in early September, McDowell, Kanute and Howland all plan on racing, along with the rest of their team, in the USA Triathlon National Championship in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Aug. 9, where Kanute and Howland will be defending their national titles.
For more information on the Multisport Madness Triathlon Team and its athletes, contact Keith Dickson at keith@foxriver.com, or (630) 544-1773.
Football
Roberts plays in all-star game: Aurora Christian graduate Jordan Roberts played in the 35th Annual Shriners/Illinois Coaches Association High School Football All-Star game in Peoria.
Over 3,000 attended, and the West All-Stars beat the East 36-30. Roberts shined, completing 10 of 14 passes for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns while rushing for 38 yards. He split time at quarterback with Prairie Ridge's Bryan Bradshaw.
It was the first game for Roberts since the Class 4A state championship game last November. He'll start his college career this fall at Wheaton College.
Softball
Siebert headed to SIU-Edwardsville: Laurie Siebert (Sugar Grove) and Ali Downing (Ottumwa, Iowa) will join the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville softball team next season, according to coach Sandy Montgomery.
Coming off a 40-10 season in 2009, Montgomery added a pair of transfer student-athletes. "Both Laurie and Ali have the ability to step in right away for us at important positions," Montgomery said. Siebert, who has been with Mississippi State since the 2007 season, will have two years of eligibility. An infielder, Siebert appeared in 20 games last season as Mississippi State. She was named a two-time Southeastern Conference Academic All-American.
A two-time All-State pick at Kaneland High School, Siebert twice was the state runner-up in the IHSA Home Run Derby.
"Laurie was an outstanding hitter in high school and has a few years of experience in the SEC facing some of the top pitchers in the country," said Montgomery.
Siebert was a four-time All-Conference pick. She also played club softball with the Aurora Raiders, helping them to two USSSA state championships.