Boys track and field: Dundee-Crown ends Huntley’s FVC dominance
Before Dundee-Crown’s track and field team tried to finish off the program’s first Fox Valley Conference championship in a quarter of a century, Kyle Brents sought a change of his own.
Before his third attempt in the long jump, the long-legged 6-foot-3 senior struck his palms repeatedly. He then popped off a personal-best and winning mark of 7.05 meters (23 feet, 1.75 inches).
“I started to clap on that one,” Brents said. “That’s the first time I ever did that. I was like, ‘Why not?’
Why not Dundee-Crown?
The Chargers ended Huntley’s recent dominance by winning the meet with 111 points, comfortably outdistancing runner-up Cary-Grove (89) and Prairie Ridge (88). McHenry (64) was fourth, just ahead of Huntley (63), which had won the FVC championship the past three years.
Brents and his future University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh teammate Oreoluwa Sobodu each won two events for D-C, while Logan Abrams and Jameson Tenopir were double-winners for C-G.
“I’m very proud of my team,” said Sobodu, who won the 100- and 400-meter dashes and anchored the winning 4x100 relay. “We all sacrificed. We gave it our all, especially our coaches.”
At meet’s end, the 6-3, 190-pound Sobodu cradled the trophy and hugged it, before delivering it to coach Matt D’Angelo, who was mobbed by his athletes.
“It’s been a goal this entire season for those guys,” D’Angelo said of winning the FVC championship. “It’s a special group. These kids deserve it.”
Brents also won the high jump (1.93 meters, 6-4) and placed second to McHenry’s Enoch John in the triple jump. Enoch hit 13.55 meters (44-5.5) compared to Brents’ 13.31 meters (43-8).
“I’m a little mad it wasn’t first,” Brents said of his finish in the triple jump. “But it’s all right.”
No one throws the shot or flings the discus farther than Abrams, and no one lets out a louder primal scream. Abrams was at his best – and maybe loudest – in winning both events Thursday.
He successfully defended his title in the shot put (personal-best 19.6 meters, 64-3.75 feet) after winning the discus (56.84 meters, 186-05 feet). The 6-3 senior has bulked up since the football season, as he’s added about 30 pounds of muscle and now weighs nearly 260 pounds.
“This is the best meet I’ve ever had in shot AND disc,” Abrams said. “I’m very happy. And we had no wind in disc whatsoever. We’re going to keep building with shot. I’m very excited with what’s to come. ... I had a really good series with a lot of really deep throws.”
Abrams announced on Twitter earlier in the week that he has committed to throw for Illinois State University.
“It’s a huge relief after trying to chase a certain number or just being nervous all the time,” said Abrams, who had college football interest as well. “Finally knowing where I’m going to school is very exciting.”
Abrams’ teammate Tenopir won the 3,200 run, ripping off a personal-best time of 9:12.74. Tenopir’s seven-second improvement allowed him to finish well ahead of runner-up Myles Wagner of McHenry (9:33.70). Tenopir added his second win thanks to a time of 4:31.69 in the 1,600.
“I’m really happy with it,” Tenopir, who’s a St. Louis University commit, said of his two wins. “I was looking to run 9:14 or faster because that’s the New Balance nationals qualifying time.”
It was quite a night for the Tenopir family, as three brothers contributed to the Trojans’ runner-up finish. Sophomore Dylan Tenopir finished second in the high jump, and freshman Ty Tenopir won the 300 hurdles in a personal-best 39.56.
“I’m so proud of him,” Jameson Tenopir said of his little brother Ty. “I think he shaved off over half a second in the 300 hurdles. I think he’s got huge things coming for that race.”
Prairie Ridge’s Alex Trejo won the 110 hurdles (14.69) for the second year in a row, but the senior finished third in the 300 hurdles. Ty Tenopir edged Burlington Central’s Gavin Klingberg (40.27) and Trejo (40.39).
Crystal Lake Central’s Amana Omale won a close one in the 800 meters, running 1:57.14 to edge McHenry’s Nate Martin (1:57.90). Tenopir did not run the race, after winning it last year.
“My goal was just to get out hard,” Omale said. “I didn’t do that, but I just ran the 4x8 [relay], and I went out 55 [seconds] in the 4x8. I went out 57, so even though it was slow, I just realized, ‘OK, if I want to run 54 or even-split this, I really had to push, sprint. ... On the last 200, I glanced and saw [Martin’s] shadow. We were like right next to each other. I just had to kick.’ ”
Huntley started the track finals by winning the 4x800 relay in 8:00.88 with Nathan Sauber, Andrew Raistrick, Joseph Zawacki and Mark Omoniyi. The Red Raiders also got a win from Dane Peterson in the 200 (22.64). Peterson edged D-C’s Anthony Spain (22.78), McHenry’s Jayden Linderman (22.96) and Kieran Nally (22.99) of seventh-place Jacobs.
Sobodu (10.72) edged Burlington Central’s Lennox Lenart (10.97) in the 100 and then ran 49.29 in the 400 in beating C-G’s James Murtaugh (49.78) and Prairie Ridge’s Jacob Prechel (49.98).
D-C’s Rylan Schmidt won the pole vault (4.17 meters, 13-8.25). D-C’s winning 4x100 relay (41.84) featured Anthony Spain, Ethan Nkandu, Gavin Fernstrom and Sobodu. Last year, the Chargers’ 4x100 relay set the meet record (41.60).
“It was very fun,” Sobodu said of the meet. “That’s the No. 1 thing we do – come out here to have fun, and win. And that’s what we did."
The Chargers ran 1:30.67 in capturing the 4x200 relay with the new team of Jamison Johnson, Nkandu, Fernstrom and Gage Wiebenga. D’Angelo called the 4x200 relay win unexpected and a turning point in the meet.
“I put that group together thinking they could do some things,” D’Angelo said. “Them winning it got guys going, and Oreo won the 200 after that. That was special. In track, you love to be surprised.”
That kind of depth ultimately earned the Chargers their first FVC title since 2001.
“[Winning conference] has been the whole goal my past four years,” said Brents, who’s a two-time state qualifier in the high jump. “The seniors when I was a freshmen were awesome. They came up just a little bit short. We’re doing it for them. Ever since then, I’ve had a little fire in me, and I know Oreo did too.”