Area's best produce at Les Hodge meet

You could call it an open meet because it gives a chance for every athlete on a team to compete.

You could call it a transitional event because it annually marks the movement of track athletes from indoor field houses to outdoor tracks.

You could call it relatively blessed, because it has enjoyed excellent weather nearly every year.

But you can't call the annual Les Hodge Track Meet at Batavia High School an event for athletes to relax and not worry because no team scores are kept.

"The athletes take it seriously," said Batavia coach Dennis Piron. "There are some natural rivalries here, for one thing, and the athletes also want to establish some marks for themselves for the outdoor season.

"Oddly enough," added Piron, "We have had some of our best times and marks at this event each year."

Saturday's meet wasn't conducive to great times because of a stiff wind, but it did showcase the rivalry between Western Sun foes Batavia and Geneva.

Both teams won two relays, and two Bulldogs - Rob Mohr and Emund Kabba - won two individual events, and Geneva's Frank Boenzi also won his two field events.

Those winners expanded their wardrobes, as each winner was given a commemorative T-shirt after their victories.

The event was delayed for more than an hour because of morning ACT tests for the juniors who were competing. But coaches of the competing teams - Batavia, Geneva, Burlington Central and St. Charles North - were most interested in what kind of efforts could be posted in the first significant outdoor meet of the season.

Mohr set the tone for the day by setting a meet record at 14.61 in the 110-meter hurdles to top Thomas Frederick of Geneva in second at 14.75, then followed that up with a first-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles at 41.34, again besting a Viking in second, Ryan Ahern, at 41.53.

While the event was again blessed with good weather, there was a stiff wind on the back turn and finishing stretch for the running events.

"The 110 hurdles were pretty affected by the wind because we had a backwind on that and it sort of pushed you closer to the hurdle," Mohr said. "I won the 300, but I didn't think I did my best on that event."

Batavia teammate Emund Kabba was able to plow through the strong wind to win both the 400 at 52.00 and the 200 at 23.17, nipping Jay Graffagna of Geneva at 23.74.

"It was a lot different with the headwind down the home stretch in the 400 because you have to really pace yourself for that," said Kabba, who was just over two seconds behind his brother J.R. Kabba, who holds the meet record at 49.9. "I feel like a ran good race, but felt like there was a little extra I can give at the end."

Frank Boenzi broke his own meet record in the shot put with a 55-3 toss, and then became a double winner by setting a meet record in the discus throw at 154-7.

"It was a beautiful day out there, but the wind does affect the discus throw," Boenzi said. "And 55-3 is a good throw in the shot to start the outdoor season."

The Batavia 3,200 relay team of Charles Phillips, Derek Chapman, Sam Stoner and Kevin Gray finished first at 8:24.90, while the Bulldogs' 400 relay team of Dan Skinner, Kabba, Adam Svoboda and Scott Poulos won in 44.50.

Geneva's two relay victories came in the 800 and 1,600 events. The 800 team of John Wilger, Scott Pospil, Tyler Hickey and Graffagna won at 1:34.18, while the 1,600 squad of Wilger, Pospil, Hickey and Ahern was first at 3:32.81.

Other events and top finishers included Kevin Sparks of Geneva in the 1,600 at 4:37.81, besting Peter Johnson of St. Charles North at 4:40.91.

Aaron Sanchez of St. Charles North cleared the pole vault at 13-0 for first place, while Eric Hansen of Geneva and Matt Laurich of Burlington Central tied for second at 12-6.

St. Charles dominated the 3,200 as Kyle Zankowski placed first at 9:53.75 and teammate Ryan Senci was second at 10:00.58. The North Stars also finished 1-2 in the 100, with Christian Llunga first at 10.90 and Jeff Stolzenburg second at 10.93.

Burlington Central's Cameron Ostrowski tied for first with Tom Frederick of Geneva in the high jump at 6-1, while Charles Pool of East Aurora won the long jump at 21-4, followed by Scott Poulos of Batavia at 20-8.

Shaun Berendt of Batavia was the triple jump winner at 40-6.75, topping Daniel Washington of St. Charles North at 39-4.

"When we were creating this meet, we talked about having something in which all of the members of the team could compete, and we wouldn't keep team scores, just individual marks, from fastest to slowest," Piron said. "The other coaches we spoke to liked the idea.

"I think it is something that Les would be pleased with," Piron said, referring to the late Les Hodge, a local sports writer for more than 25 years who covered hundreds of track meets and also served as the public address announcer at numerous area meets.

Hodge also would have enjoyed the fact that his grandson, Graffagna of Geneva, had an outstanding meet.