Cook and Lake County state preview

Where: O'Brien Stadium, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

When: Class 2A preliminaries today, 9 a.m.; Class 3A preliminaries today, 12:30 p.m.; Class 1A, 2A, 3A finals: Saturday, 10 a.m.

Class 3A

3,200-meter relay

Top seed: New Trier (7:49.99)

Area qualifiers: Lake Zurich, Schaumburg, Palatine, Buffalo Grove, Prospect, Hersey, Conant.

Senior Albert Ciolek returns to state for the fourth time in his high school career hoping to lead Prospect to another medal in one of the glamor events. The Knights have a tradition of doing well in this meet, and this year appears to be no different. Lake Zurich showed last week it has designs on a medal led by state meet veteran Francisco Soto. Kevin Reddington returns to state for Conant in hopes of earning a medal. Hersey has been one of the best in the state, led by a veteran group that includes Sam Zielke and Nate Knautz.

400-meter relay

Top seed: East Moline United (41.99)

Area qualifiers: Lake Zurich, Stevenson.

The Bears finished ninth in this event three years ago and have the tools for an even better finish this spring. Jacob Brinlee, Braxton Klavins, Colin Wanat and Christian Williams have been consistent all year and getting better. Brandon Stryganek leads Zach Rose, Bret Kraiman and Jon Fajardo as the Patriots' first sprint group to state since 1982.

800-meter relay

Top seed: Evanston (1:27.43)

Area qualifiers: Barrington, Stevenson, Lake Zurich, Prospect.

Nick Batcha may have not made it in the 200, but his anchor leg last week gave Prospect its fastest 800 relay in school history. That group includes Joe Mack, Vito Anzalone and Nick Meersman and is a serious medal contender. Stevenson and Lake Zurich are medal threats and Barrington could surprise.

1,600-meter relay

Top seed: Belleville West (3:18.04)

Area qualifiers: Fremd, Lake Zurich, Schaunburg, Hoffman Estates.

This is always one of the best races. Schaumburg and Fremd have been about as consistent as any area teams led by Dionte Hackler and Spiros Angelakos, respectively, The Saxons and Vikings could sneak into the finals. Lake Zurich continues to improve, and Hoffman, led by Marlen Hamilton could push to the top.

100-meter dash

Top seed: Colin Hepburn (Glenbrook South) 10.67

Area qualifiers: Stryganek, Batcha, Ryan Darcy (Buffalo Grove)

The fastest man in the state this spring has been Stryganek. The defending outdoor champion and Stanford-bound Colin Hepburn of Glenbrook South and Tremaine Gordon of Evanston should be the biggest threats. Darcy has been 10.5 and Batcha is a sleeper.

110-meter hurdles

Top seed: Brandon Winters (Plainfield South) 14.07

Area qualifiers: Mike Garrity (Buffalo Grove), Sean Wells (Grant), Ben Bowers (Conant).

Getting to the finals in this event will be tough, with Bowers and Garrity among the state's best. Wells has come on strong as one of the more promising sophomores in the state. All three are making their first trips to state.

200-meter dash

Top seed: Julian Smith (Brother Rice) 21.24

Area qualifiers: Stryganek, Taylor Calacci (Barrington), Matt Goad (Warren).

In this longer sprint, the challenge is even greater for Stryganek, Calacci and Goad. All three are at state for the first time in a race that could be one of the best this weekend. The 200 is loaded and the record could fall.

300-meter hurdles

Top seed: Darius McCay (Zion-Benton) 38.74

Area qualifiers: Bowers, Mike Varela (Fremd)

What has been a great battle all season should be at state between Bowers and Varela. The stakes are higher this time with Varela standing a great chance to qualify for the finals. Bowers is no slouch and should be in the mix.

400-meter dash

Top seed: Eric Oliver (Homewood-Flossmoor) 48.24

Area qualifiers: Hackler, Antonio Farley (Round Lake), James Vestuto (Stevenson)

Hackler has gotten better each week and showed little effects of his injury suffered at the conference meet last week at sectionals. Hackler is the best bet in the area to reach the finals. Farley and Vestuto are running for the first time downstate.

800-meter run

Top seed: Dominique Manley (Collinsville) 1:52.55

Area qualifiers: Angelakos, Hamilton, Pat Ford (Prospect), Eric Schneider (Barrington), Xavier Suarez (Warren).

Angelakos continues to get better each week and will race fresh, which should mean a fast time. Hamilton is continually improving, withSchneider a darkhorse for a finals spot. Depending on whether or not Ford runs the relay, he could be a medal threat.

1,600-meter run

Top seed: Nico Composto (Loyola) 4:15.51

Area qualifiers: Alec Bollman (Palatine), Tim Johnson (Palatine), Mitch Neubauer (Libertyville), Pat Lesiewicz (Schaumburg), Angelos Karkalis (Rolling Meadows), Kenny Halloran (Prospect), Connor Prizy (Schaumburg), Chris Cogswell (Barrington).

This is becoming one of the marquee events. Conant graduate and current Iowa freshman Jeff Thode broke the meet record in this event a year ago - and that could be short-lived. Bollman has pointed to this race all year, but he one of about 10 different favorites. Lesiewicz could contend, and state indoor champion Karkalis should contend for the finals, where a sub-4:10 is a possible winning time.

3,200-meter run

Top seed: Garrett Sweatt (Edwardsville) 9:13.57

Area qualifiers: Erik Peterson Barrington, Kyle Gonzales (Hoffman Estates), Greg Netols (Prospect), Kyle Dockery (Barrington), Photis Karkalis (Rolling Meadows), Aaron Ferst (Fremd).

Saturday's final is another chance for Peterson to show off his talent. He has rolled through the Lake County invitational, the Mid-Suburban League meet and the sectional - and now has his sights on a medal. Gonzales is a medal threat, as is Karkalis.

High jump

Top seed: James Davenport (Waubonsie Valley) 7-0

Area qualifiers: Weston Ross (Wheeling), Jeremy Birck (Libertyville)

Birck is making his third appearance at the state meet in this event, including a medal last year. He wants to atone for a disappointing sectional and will be in a large group chasing indoor champion Davenport. Ross has been over 6-7 a number of times.

Long jump

Top seed: Rickie Walls (Waubonsie Valley) 23-2

Area qualifiers: Batcha, Kyle Ward (Warren), TJ Akinola (Schaumburg)

Batcha hit a big one last week at Loyola and has a shot to win in his first state spot in this event. His school-record 22-10.5 jump last week would put him in the thick of medal contention.

Triple jump

Top seed: Jonathan Gardner (Whitney Young) 49-0

Area qualifiers: Christian Cacciatore (Libertyville), Steve Grajek (Hoffman Estates), Jake Jerewicz (Warren).

Gardner, the defending outdoor state champion, will be tough to catch. The only question may be if he can eclipse 50 feet. Cacciatore, Grajek and Jerewicz are all first-timers.

Shot put

Top seed: Jermaine Kline (Lake Park) 62-1.5

Area qualifiers: Brian Bobek (Fremd), Chad Bobbitt (Palatine), Mike Conneely (Maine West), Mark Balmes (Hersey).

Nothing less than 60-plus feet will win this event. Bobek emerged from the sectional in great shape to earn a medal with his 56-plus foot toss. Bobbitt, Conneely and the sophomore Balmes are all at state for the first time.

Discus

Top seed: Kline 188-6

Area qualifiers: Kyle Lombardino (Grant), Jared Diaz (Rolling Meadows), Richard Barnes (Schaumburg), Tyler Jones (Palatine), Bobek.

This event could yield the most area medals, with Diaz leading the way. His best toss this year is over 170 feet. He had a great sectional performance and figures to be in the medal hunt, while Bobek, Jones and Barnes could be factors.

Class 2A

St. Viator qualifiers: Junior Justin Johnson qualified at sectionals by winning the 110-meter intermediate hurdles and finishing second in the long jump and 300-meter high hurdles. Both his hurdles times broke school records. Johnson also qualified with senior Mike Sroka, junior Pat O'Malley and freshman John Balas on the first-place 800-meter relay tandem. O'Malley also qualified in the 100-meter dash.