Boys track and field: Batavia lives up to top billing
Anthony LaRue has seen enough dominance by the Batavia boys track and field powerhouse in recent.
"They are," the South Elgin coach said with a look of both awe and admiration, "a football and track school."
The top-ranked Class 3A program in the state, Batavia was once again a runaway locomotive Monday at the Kane County Invitational in Geneva.
Jonah Fallon anchored the Bulldogs' championship-relays in the bookend events - the 3,200- and 1,600-meter races - to cement a 147.5-80.5 victory over runner-up Kaneland.
St. Charles North was third in the 14-team field, followed by South Elgin (61), West Aurora (59.5) and Burlington Central (58.5).
Batavia, with its state-championship-reigning 800 relay breezing to a third title, failed to win any individual races.
But it mattered little as Spencer Prats, Jalen Buckley and Nick Fortino won county titles in the discus (161 feet, 6 inches), the triple jump (45-8.25) and pole vault (14-5), respectively.
Fallon, along with the Bulldogs' peerless collection of long sprinters - Scot Parker, Jacob Hohmann, Andrew Gerke as well as middle-distance athletes Quintin Lowe and Adam Miller
won their three relay titles between 800 and 3,200 meters in 1 minute, 28.85 seconds, 3:25.52 and 8:06.9.
"We are hoping for an opening there (at the state level in the longest relay)," Fallon said.
Josh "Otis" Duncan ran the fastest dash in county history as the St. Charles North senior, who possesses the fastest 100 time in Class 3A history, remarkably set the new
benchmark - 10.52 - into the teeth of a nasty headwind.
"That blew me away," Burlington Central coach Mike Schmidt said. "That means he's a 10.3 kid."
Duncan, who earlier anchored the North Stars' 400 relay to another title, was engaged in an epic showdown with South Elgin senior Konrad Sacha in the 200.
Sacha, who denied returning all-staters Fallon and Central senior Zac Schmidt to win the 400 in 49.47, and Duncan were declared co-winners after both crossing in 22.14.
"I ran my race like I always do," Duncan said of his new county record. "I just listen to what my coaches tell me. Coming back in that (200) race, it still proves something."
"That has never happened to me before," Sacha said of the dead heat with Duncan. "Today was a great day to open (the closing stretch of the season). I know I have what it takes (to be a champion."
Larkin returning all-state hurdler Jamarion Stubbs captured his specialty distance, the 300 intermediates, in 40.67. Earlier he turned back South Elgin senior Jordan Jones - despite collisions with the final two hurdles - in the 110 highs (15.44-15.54).
"I have always had a friendly rivalry with Jordan ever since we grew up together," said Stubbs. "I always want to beat him. My goal is to get down to 39 (in the longer hurdles)."
The other champions were as follows: Mitch Garcia, St. Charles East, 3,200, 10:05.66; Micah Wilson, St. Charles East, 1,600, 4:21.66; Paoli Gennerelli, St. Charles North, shot put, 58-5; Gavin Sarvis, Central, long jump, 23-3; Jalen Jones, South Elgin, high jump, 6-1; Patrick Hilby, Aurora Central Catholic, 800, 1:57.21.