Boys track and field: Record in hand, Rolling Meadows' Boyer going for more
It was the start of the indoor track season earlier this spring, and "Operation T-shirt" was a go.
If he had to Jim Voyles, the throws coach at Rolling Meadows, was prepared to surprise his top thrower, Joe Boyer, with a special T-shirt when the big moment came.
Voyles knew that it was just a matter of time before Boyer, a senior who is one of the best shot-putters and discus throwers in the state and is committed to compete on scholarship at Illinois State next year, hit the 60-foot mark in the shot put. So Voyles worked with one of the graphics classes at school and the students in the class designed the logo that is featured on a special shirt for Boyer to commemorate Boyer's place in the school's exclusive "60-foot club."
"I carried that T-shirt in my bag for eight weeks, the entire indoor track season," Voyles said with a laugh. "Then Joe hit 60-feet at the end of the indoor season at the indoor state meet, the Illinois Top Times meet on March 23."
When the 6-foot-4, 285-pound Boyer hit the 60-foot mark at the meet, not only did he enter the exclusive, three-person 60-foot club at Rolling Meadows High School, his mark of 61 feet, ¼ inches also broke the school's 45-year record of 59-feet, 10 ½ inches set by John Sloan in 1974.
That's right. A 45-year record.
About a month later, Boyer then hit the 60-foot mark again, this time at an outdoor meet against Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg. His mark of 62-feet, 1 inch also broke Sloan's 45-year outdoor record of 61-feet, 8 inches.
That's right. Another 45-year record.
"It's neat to be a part of school history," said Boyer, who joined Sloan and Scott Jennings (1978) in the 60-foot club. "It's something I've dreamed of for four years. When I was a freshman, Coach Voyles showed all of us the track team's records board up on the wall in the field house and pointed to the shot put and discus marks and I remember thinking that 60-feet in shot put seemed impossible. When I was a freshman, I was throwing like 31 feet. It was my first time doing shot put. I didn't know what I was doing.
"Now, I'll be on that board. I hope (the record) stays up there for a while."
Then again, Boyer wouldn't mind breaking his own record. He's got three more meets to up his numbers even more, starting with Friday's Mid-Suburban League meet at Barrington. He'll then have a shot at the sectional and then the state meet.
"I've seen flashes from Joe where he could really be the best thrower in the state," Voyles said. "He's got some big goals and I think he can throw at that next level.
"When he first got into track as a freshman, I don't know that he was all that into it. He was also a football player and he didn't know much about track and really didn't know his potential. But once it dawned on him how good he could be, he put himself totally into it and really worked hard in the weight room and on his technique.
"Now he wants to win state and he wants to get to the 64- or 65-foot mark in shot put, which is pretty elite."
Boyer has been a weight room junkie over his career to improve his throws. He's improved his bench lift from 185 pounds as a freshman to 335 pounds as a senior. His squat lift went from 205 pounds to 445 pounds over that time.
Meanwhile, Boyer has become the track equivalent of a gym rat. He often brings his parents out to the ring on off days to shag balls for him. He even repainted the ring and chalked out the 65-foot mark himself with special paint so that he could always keep that goal top of mind.
Other bench marks are also in Boyer's sights.
While his best mark in discus is 164-feet, 4 inches, Boyer also wants to get the school discus record of 174-feet, 6 inches before he graduates.
"I've been told that to be the 'undisputed greatest thrower' in Rolling Meadows history, I've got to have all three throw records - indoor shot put, outdoor shot put and discus," Boyer said. "I've got two of the three now. It's a start. Hopefully, I'll get the other one. I'd like to be the best thrower ever here. That would mean a lot to me."
MSL Skinny: Besides Boyer in the throws, here's what else to watch for in the MSL boys track conference meet Friday at Barrington:
Prospect won the East Division meet and Barrington won the West Division meet with room to spare. According to league coaches, they are the front-runners in the MSL meet.
Sprinters John Moellenkamp, Tim Zalinski and Michael Shafis are tough to beat for Prospect while Barrington's top point-getters should be Ryan Dykes (jumps/sprints), Greg Van Hollen (distance), Mark Di Iorio (throws), Aaron Sarkar (mid-distance) and EJ Darlington (sprints).
Meanwhile Rolling Meadows, Hersey, Buffalo Grove, Hoffman Estates and Fremd should also show well at the meet.
Senior Timmy Szylak is a standout in hurdles for Rolling Meadows.
Malik Whitehead and Fredy Martinez are tough sprinters for Hoffman Estates while Fremd's Justin King is ranked in the top 5 in Class 3A in the 300 IM hurdles and pole vaulters Luke Fissinger and James Leahy will also be tough for the Vikings.
Two East Division winners will give Buffalo Grove some muscle - Jon Peici won the 400 meter title in the East meet while Isaac Suh won the high jump. Last year, Suh qualified for state in the high jump.
Speaking of state, Hersey's Josh Methner is the defending cross-country state champion and could rack up some points in the distance events.
Palatine's Richie Jacobo was a state qualifier last year as a sophomore in the 3,200-meter run. He'll be a top competitor in the 1,600-meter run Friday.