Track and field: Batavia dominates Les Hodge Invite in first big outdoor meet

Batavia could not have scripted a better way to ice its Class 3A boys track and field state championship last May in Charleston.

The Bulldogs firmly stamped their 37-30 victory over Warren by capturing the final event of the two-day finals: the 1,600-meter relay.

Batavia and sprint relays have become virtually synonymous in recent years as the Bulldogs' dynamic combination of interchangeability and sheer depth has produced the desired results at the highest levels of the sport.

"We can run seven, eight, nine different lineups over the course of the season," Batavia coach Dennis Piron said. "We look for types (of runners). The kids give us a lot of choices."

Batavia opened its outdoor title defense Friday night with another dominant performance as its three sprint relays between 400 and 1,600 meters continued to flourish. The faces have changed, however, this spring.

"We graduated a lot of great athletes," said Ryan Whitwell, who returns for his senior season after missing the entirety of the state-championship campaign with an injury.

All of the Batavia downstate point-earners completed their eligibility last season. But the program is as viable as ever with its ability to compete in all 18 events on the outdoor track schedule. The expectations are equally fitting.

"We have a very well-rounded team," said Whitwell, who teamed with his sophomore anchor brother Nathan, Eric Perkins and Wes White to capture the 4x400 relay in 3 minutes, 33.76 seconds at the Bulldogs' Les Hodge Invite. "If everything goes well, we could go back-to-back. But it's a long way until then."

The Whitwells ran the final two legs in the 4x100 relay as the Bulldogs - fifth last year at Eastern Illinois University at the distance - broke the tape with the first of their three sprint-relay titles in 43.18.

"The relays are the fun part," said Nathan Whitwell, who won a third invitational title in the open 400 (51.56). "You are running with your buddies. It's four against four, four against four to see who can run the fastest."

Ryan Whitwell opened the Bulldogs' championship quartet (1:34.25) in the 4x200 relay.

"I think the four-by-two can do some serious damage (at the state level)," the elder Whitwell said.

In its decisive 184.5-99 victory over St. Charles North on Easter weekend, Batavia also received victories from David Bednarek and Colin Knowles in the metric mile and 2-mile, respectively. In the field, senior Alec Crum, who swept all three jumps at the DuKane Conference indoor championship, settled for the high-jump title in his lone event. Luke Alwin was another Batavia field champion as the junior vertically went 20-6 in the long. Gabe Benkers soared 13 feet, 6 inches to claim the final Batavia title in the pole vault.

"Obviously, Crum plays a major role," Benkers said of the Bulldogs' field crew. "I see myself as the pole-vault captain."

Thomas, Warsaw power St. Charles North:

Hodge runner-up St. Charles North had a pair of double winners to flavor its second-place effort. Bryce Thomas swept the 110 high and 300 intermediate hurdles in 13.16 and 39.87 seconds; fellow senior Henry Warsaw did likewise in the two throws with his respective triumphs in the shot put (52-8) and discus (139-11).

Kaneland edged Geneva 83-75 for third place at the six-team competition. Jake Gagne ran an 11.54 to claim the sole Kaneland title in the 100 dash.

"It was a big confidence-boost for (Gagne)," Kaneland coach Andy Drendel said. "Last year he wasn't really a varsity guy."

Max and Sam Gagne were state-caliber sprinters for the Knights in recent years.

"(Jake) isn't the little brother anymore," Drendel said.

Geneva secured wins from Karl Gattinger (22.95) and Jack Kuehl (2:03.79) in the 200 and 800. Fifth-placed Burlington Central (71.5) denied Batavia a monopoly of relay championships with its sole win in the track-opening 4x800.

Wallace leads SCN girls:

By its very nature, track and field engenders versatility. St. Charles North senior Hannah Wallace is a case in point. Wallace competes in the pole vault, high jump and 300 hurdles while periodically exploring a sprint as a fourth event.

"It offers its own mental and physical challenge," Wallace said of her event sequence.

The North Stars hosted their annual invitational on Saturday as Wallace began her quest for a multiple-event-state-qualifying season. Wallace won the high jump at 5-1.5 and was comfortably over the automatic state mark in the pole vault with her 11-foot, runner-up clearance.

In the high jump, Wallace seeks to uphold the legacy established by Natalie Buratczuk, the North Stars' only state qualifier last year who complemented a a third-place effort in 2021 with a fourth-place effort last May.

"(Buratczuk) has always been my inspiration, even going back to when we were in middle school," Wallace said. "I was like, 'Man, this girl is good.'"

Like many female pole vaulters, Wallace harnesses her gymnastics background to supreme effect.

"I clearly had that body awareness from gymnastics," Wallace said.

"The goal is for Hannah to consistently jump over 12 feet by the time the state series begins," St. Charles North coach Mike Ivlow said.

St. Charles North scored 79 points to finish fourth at its 19-school invite. The quartet of Ava Miedema, Braelyn Rich, Carly Coxworth and Zoe Ulaszek prevailed in the metric-mile relay in 4:16.08 for the North Stars' lone track triumph.