Northwest/Scouting boys track and field sectionals
By Jeff Newton
Daily Herald Correspondent
At Palatine
When: Friday, field events at 4:30 p.m.; track finals at 6:30 p.m.
Outlook: In past years, the Palatine sectional has featured some of the top distance runners in the state and this year should be no different. But the distance events just might have to take a back seat to the sprinters. Illinois-bound Stevenson senior Brandon Stryganek headlines a fabulous 100-meter dash field that features Lake Zurich standout Jacob Brinlee and Buffalo Grove senior, and top-seed, Ryan Darcy.
Stryganek will be busy as he will race four times Friday. To go with the 100, Stryganek will race in the 400- and 800-meter relays and finish up his day with a 200-meter dash. Wheeling sophomore Cameron Decoursey will try and catch Stryganek and earn his first trip downstate in the 100 and 200.
Expect the sprint relays to also provide plenty of drama. Stevenson is the top-seed in the 400 and 800 and will be pursued heavily by Fremd, Palatine and Lake Zurich among others. Fremd is loading up its relays with seniors Eric Wolski and Justin Wallace out of individual events to concentrate on getting the Vikings downstate.
One Viking who is all but assured of a space at the state meet is Ohio State-bound senior Brian Bobek. Bobek has been sensational the last month of the season and the conference meet last week was his best show yet. Personal bests in the discus (177-5) and in the shot put (60-10) have Bobek thinking big this week and next.
“This is the best I have felt in a long time,” a now completely healthy Bobek said. “I am excited about the next few weeks.”
The throwing events should be the best events off the track with six throwers in the shot put and five in the discus already over the state qualifying mark.
It’s tough to forget the distance events and with junior Erik Peterson set to take on the mile/two-mile double, the distance events still have the typical appeal they always have at this meet. Kevin Wood of Stevenson, Ryan Moncrieff and Victor Delatorre of Lake Zurich, K.J. Matuszak of Carmel and Tony Gregorio of Palatine highlight an impressive 3,200-meter field. The mile should be a great race with Pat Juras of Lake Zurich, Wood, Martin Mena of Mundelein, Tim Johnson of Palatine and Andy Mack of Fremd all racing to get to state.
Middle distance events are where Lake Zurich senior Alex Brend has excelled all season and the heavy favorite in the 800 should take his next step toward earning a state title in the event. Matt Message of Warren, Ryan McGough of Palatine and Eric Schneider of Barrington also should challenge for state spots. Barrington features the top-seeded 3,200 relay with Schneider leading the way. Palatine, Mundelein and Lake Zurich should also contend for state berths.
At Rockford Guilford
When: Friday
Outlook: Coming off its best finish at the North Suburban Conference meet since joining the NSC (fourth place), Grant should follow that up with a healthy list of qualifiers for the state meet. Junior Sean Wells leads the way as a member of the Bulldogs’ 400 relay and in a pair of hurdles events. Senior Kyle Lombardino is the top-seed in the shot and discus after winning both events at the conference meet a week ago. Lombardino and his brother Brandon should earn trips to state in the discus.
Round Lake will also come out of the Guilford sectional with a few qualifiers. The Panthers 3,200 relay team should challenge for a state berth, but it’s the efforts of seniors Antonio Farley and Nick Lange that should produce qualifiers for Round Lake. Farley is the second seed in the 400 to Cary-Grove senior Anthony Golowach and Lange is the top-seed in the triple jump.
At Bartlett
When: 4:30 p.m. Friday at Millennium Field, Streamwood High School
Outlook: Conant, Rolling Meadows, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg leave the friendly confines of the MSL and head to Streamwood for the Bartlett sectional. All four should find the track there friendly enough to earn state meet trips.
Conant junior Ben Bowers should secure trips to state in three events — the 110 high hurdles, the 300 hurdles and the high jump. Teammate Bart Daniel should challenge for a state meet trip in the high jump.
Rolling Meadows’ best chances for qualifiers include Ryan Gundersen in the 400 and Brandon Thielson in the 800. Cody Kagwin has a chance in the pole vault as does senior Andrew Selep of Schaumburg.
Schaumburg should earn state meet spots in the distance events from Connor Prizy, Tyler Anderson and Evan Prizy. Hoffman Estates senior Steve Grajek has an excellent chance to qualify in the long jump, triple jump and high jump for the Hawks.
At Grayslake North
When: Friday, field events 4 p.m., track finals 6 p.m.
Outlook: Grayslake Central senior Jahard Nelson still remembers the disappointment from last season when, as a junior, he qualified for four events but failed to make it out of the prelims. This season figures to be different.
Nelson is just one of a loaded group of Rams sprinters who should earn return trips to the state meet. The first step toward that will come at the Class 2A Grayslake North sectional.
Nelson, along with Dan Hsu, Vinnie Culhane and Will Reed, will all be busy Friday night trying to get the Rams relays back to state. Nelson is the top-seed in the 100 and 200-meter dashes to go with his work on the relays for Central.
Junior Luke Zygmunt will compete in a very deep distance field that features some of the top two-mile and milers Class 2A has to offer. Belvidere North will bring its loaded and deep distance group as will Lakes with senior Blake Franson and sophomore Ryan Prais. Zygmunt is a likely qualifier in both distance events while Prais should earn a trip to state in the 800 or the mile and possibly both.
The throws should be very strong in this sectional led by Lakes senior John Pfeiffer, Central’s Joel Valdivia and Grayslake North senior David Anderson. Wauconda senior Brandon Dorsey should return to state for the first time in two years in the 300 hurdles. The school record-holder in the event is the top-seed.