Boys track and field notes: Minooka invite provides valuable experience
There are a lot of variables in the sport of boys track when trying to predict who will raise the 2023 IHSA trophy May 27 in Charleston.
Will defending Class 3A state champion Batavia win back-to-back titles, or will a squad like recent two-time state champion Neuqua Valley return to the mountain top for its third crown in six years?
The answers to those questions are still a long way off, but Batavia and Neuqua Valley met for the only time in the regular season last weekend with very little being decided as both teams had much less than their full strength team competing at the Minooka SmithStrong Invite.
Meet champion Oak Park (126 points) threw its hat into the ring as a potential state champion followed by Plainfield South (83 points), the host Indians (81 points), Batavia (70.25 points), Homewood-Flossmoor (70 points) and Neuqua Valley (65 points) in the super powerful meet.
But being at or as close to 100 percent as possible when the IHSA state meet rolls around is the name of the game, and that is something that Neuqua Valley coach Mike Kennedy focuses on every season.
"We were trying some guys in some different events, and we concentrate on the meets at the end of the season," said Kennedy, whose team won Class 3A state titles in 2018 and 2021. "When you get to this part of the season we look at meets like competitive practice. We only focus on conference, sectionals, and state. Oak Park looked great last weekend, Homewood-Flossmoor is really good, but it's just that one weekend."
Neuqua Valley and Batavia are loaded with talent up and down their lineups with Neuqua senior Jake Lansdowne taking first in the 300 hurdles and second in the 110 hurdles. Neuqua's James Ammenhauser was the triple jump champion while Batavia's Alec Crum took second place in the high jump and triple jump.
Huntley senior McHale Hood is a big-time contender looking ahead to state as he won the high jump at Minooka with a leap of 2.04 meters.
Another Fox Valley Conference athlete to watch is Dundee-Crown senior Henry Kennedy, who won the 100-meter dash last weekend at Metea Valley in 11.05 seconds. The Chargers' 4x100 relay team of Kennedy, Iyanuoluwa Shonukan, Christian Roder, and Kali Freeman placed first in that meet in 42.58 seconds.
"He (Kennedy) has run against some of the best guys in the state, and Henry beat the Oak Park kid (Caleb Schulz) last week at Niles West," said Dundee-Crown coach Matt D'Angelo. "I think some of Henry's goals are to make the state finals in the 100 and 200, and I think he can medal in both events. In the 4x100 we've got some guys who are a little bit inexperienced, and I still think we can improve on our times."
Metea Valley teammates Arthur Cox III and Daniel Pere went 1-2 in the Mustangs' meet last weekend in the 200, and 2-3 in the 100 behind Kennedy. Metea's Lucas Van Vlerah is another runner to watch in the 400 as is Naperville Central's Bode Smith in the 400 and 110 hurdles.
Naperville Central's Tyler Browning continues to impress in the 1,600 as does Marmion Academy's Mitchell Gratz in the 800. Metea junior Austin Brown won the 3,200-meter run by a mere .01 seconds last weekend while the Mustangs' 4x100 team placed second to D-C by .48 seconds.
Other top performers to keep an eye on are Naperville Central's Maverick Ohle (discus), Metea's Evan Sweeney (shot put and discus), and Metea's Christian Lee (long jump and triple jump). Naperville Central has a strong trio of pole vaulters in Jordan Hanford, Henry Kane, and Grant Sarris.