No more obstacles to hurdle

There they are, six local boys crowding the list of Class 3A 300-meter hurdles qualifiers.

Geneva seniors Ryan Ahern and Tom Frederick. West Aurora seniors Marcus Waller and Patrick Schultz. Another pair of seniors, from Batavia, David Voland and program record-holder Rob Mohr, the top-seeded 300 hurdler in 3A packing a sectional time of 37.58 seconds.

The frenzy mounts in Class 2A with Kaneland all-state senior Taylor Andrews and freshman Dylan Nauert, plus Marmion’s returning senior qualifier Eddy Grahovec. Mooseheart junior Noel Yarngo is the second-seeded 300 hurdler in Class 1A.

“We’ve got hurdlers all of a sudden,” said Batavia coach Dennis Piron. “There’s some of the best in Illinois, right in Kane County.”

The best individual boys track athletes and teams will be determined this weekend at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium in Charleston, home to the Illinois high school track and field championships.

Lake Park is automatically the 3A favorite, returning each of the three athletes it used to win the title last season. York, Edwardsville, Plainfield South, Belleville West and Wheaton Warrenville South will push the Lancers.

“If we have a really good state meet, if we continue to improve and the guys PR (reach a personal record) again, anything’s possible,” said Piron, who qualified 11 entries including a 1,600-meter relay of Emund Kabba, Jake Benner, Mohr and Voland that is seeded third in 3A. “I think our goal would be to be a top-ten team.”

In 2A, Kaneland joins Cahokia, Glenbard South, Springfield Lanphier, Rock Island and Belvidere North chasing two-time defending champion Hillcrest.

The Knights, headed by the senior foursome of Andrews, sprinters Tommy Whittaker and Curtis Secrest and distance runner Trevor Holm, seek another strong downstate outing after their closing 1,600-meter relay title earned a 2010 second-place tie with Cahokia.

Whittaker not only anchors the 400 and 1,600 relays, but also qualified to run in the open 100 and 400 dashes. It’s the second straight year he’s qualified in four events.

Called “one of Kaneland’s all-time best sprinters” by coach Eric Baron, Whittaker hopes to show freshmen Nauert, Jesse Balluff, Brandon Bishop and Luis Acosta the ropes as he crosses the wire.

“He looks to end his career with a great performance,” Baron said. “His experience and Taylor’s will be key to keeping the young runners levelheaded in this state meet.”