Kaneland's Walker hits new height
CHARLESTON - The way Kaneland pole vaulter Danny Walker sets his goals, he said, is like reaching for the stars. At this rate he may get up there.
The sophomore, capping his efforts Saturday with a Class 2A title at 14 feet, 9 inches and attempts at 15 feet at the 121st boys track and field state finals, has improved at a sprinter's pace.
Walker's personal-best mark as a freshman was 7 feet, 6 inches. A year later at Eastern Illinois University's O'Brien Stadium he became Kaneland's fourth state pole vault champion and first since Kurt Long in 1999.
"When I got that (7-6) I had a bum ankle and a bum knee because I tore my meniscus last year," Walker said. "It was before the season started and I kind of kept it on the down-low because I kind of wanted to try it out. After the first indoor meet, which is where I made 7-6, I'm like, umm, I probably shouldn't do this.
"Then I kind of took the year off and I came back over (last) summer," said Walker, who also grew a foot since freshman year, as Knights coach Eric Baron noted.
"It still was kind of bugging me over summer," Walker said, "so sometime in December was when I finally came back and I was actually getting stuff done and I felt pretty good. So I guess you could say I'm a freshman of the pole vault."
He could definitely say he's a champion of the pole vault. Walker drew a shattering cheer from the Kaneland crowd watching adjacent to the vault pit when the smiling sophomore tied Sam Kranz's 2005 sophomore record of 14-6. That, not a state title, was Walker's goal this season.
"It's just kind of crazy that it worked out that way because you want to put your goal, like, impossible to think that you can make it," he said. "And then try for your best and hopefully it's better than what you would have gotten if you had a lower goal. Just kind of reaching for the stars."
Kaneland junior Austin Kintz drew on momentum from personal-bests at sectional and in Friday's Class 2A preliminaries to eclipse another program mark. His fifth-place time in the 1,600-meter run of 4 minutes, 19.21 seconds broke Dean Paschen's Kaneland record 4:21.7 set way back in 1977. A two-time 1,600 qualifier, this achievement amazed Kintz, who last year ran with two of Kaneland's best on a second-place 3,200 relay.
"It means a lot," he said. "Looking at the people we've had run at our school - especially last year, (Kyle) Carter and (Nathaniel) Kucera - to be able to see myself up on that list at No. 1, it's really good. So I'm going to enjoy that but then get right back to it and try to do even better."
Add senior Ben Barnes lending points in both long jump and triple jump and Kaneland finished in a tie with Illiana Christian for sixth-place in Class 2A with 21 points.
Yet there was no beating Cahokia, the first boys track team ever to win five straight state titles. The incredible Comanches beat 2A second place finishers Burlington Central and Champaign Centennial by 82 points, Cahokia's 119 points surpassing its own state-record 99.50 points set in 2013.
Edwardsville won Class 3A with 55 points to 37 apiece from Neuqua Valley and Evanston. West Aurora tied for 13th place with 18 points all on the strength of underclass triple jumpers Chris Walker and DaVion Cross, who maintained their Nos. 1-2 standing from preliminaries.
"This is probably where I wanted to be this year," said Walker, whose distance of 48 feet, 9¼ inches carried over for the crown. "Next year I would like to go for as much as I can. Without DaVion I probably wouldn't be here right now because he motivates me. He keeps my hype up."
Cross improved his second-place mark more than 5 inches, to 48-5¾.
"It felt great," he said. "I'm glad that I got what I wanted. I 'PR'd' again. Not mad about getting second, but my friend Chris did an amazing job and I'm glad for him."
A weather delay of more than two hours cleared the track and sent the remaining triple jump, pole vault and high jump flights indoors to the Lantz Field House, where Batavia's Jay Hunt finished tied for sixth in high jump and St. Charles North's Josh Pelock placed third in pole vault, Batavia's Matt Fabian an all-state ninth.
St. Charles North coach Kevin Harrington had cautioned Pelock on just such an instance, based on weather forecasts. The coach called for mental strength, and Pelock indeed strengthened his hold on his own school record, extending it to 15 feet, 3 inches.
"I was thrilled, I thought it was very exciting," Pelock said. "I think I can shoot higher, especially as a junior. Next year maybe get up to 16 ... I think I did well because I was able to even 'PR' myself. I was kind of tired and that kind of put a strain on me, but I pushed through it."
Once back outside, St. Charles East's Kyle Decker dropped his own personal-record in the 300 hurdles to 38.39 seconds, finishing fifth. Decker closed his race so well it would seem running the 400 hurdles at DePaul next year will be a natural progression.
"I thought it was great," Decker said. "I dropped so much time and you can't not be happy with that. It's just a great accomplishment."
Before the weather delay, the Class 1A pole vault completed its flight outdoors. Aurora Christian's Josh Schien was among the last standing, finishing fourth at 14-6. He went through six heights without a miss until encountering 14-9. The senior did it all with unrelenting hamstring and back problems.
"I haven't been healthy all year," he said.
"I was hoping for 14-9 or 15 feet but I can't complain with a 6-inch 'PR,' so it was still a good day."