Illinois Top Times Preview: 3A Boys

The look Illinois Top Times fields will feature a different set up with a “team title” in line for the winners.  But this is still the meet where top times matter the most and where most athletes achieve their top marks of the season.  Take a peep at the leader boards at the end of the campaign.  Now with that being said, let’s see what’s going on out there: 

-The sprints will have a Malik Harrison flavor  

 
Malik Harrison (Sr., Springfield) and Cole Henderson (Jr., Pekin) are the classifications top short sprinters.  Harrison popped an IL#5 6.99 60m effort back in February.  He will be opposed by Henderson and his fast 6.43 55m.  Both runners will seek their first major dash title.  
 
Harrison was almost a sure shot favorite in the 400m until Paul Ifianyi (So., Elk Grove) came out of nowhere and popped the second fastest time in the state last week (50.10).  Both long sprinters now have an opportunity break 50-seconds.  Add in 300H specialist Andrew Helmin (Sr., New Lenox Providence Catholic) as well as Minooka 4x4r anchor king Chris Wilson (Sr.).
 
Harrison could earn athlete of the meet if he wins the 200m.  That probability is a reality because the number of no-shows expected.  However, let’s not take anything away from the state’s seventh ranked sprinter.  He will have some company in Treston Forbes (Jr., Chicago St. Rita), Odell McFarland (Sr., Downers Grove South), and Matt Dorner (Jr., Chicago Mt. Carmel).
 
Don’t leave the hurdles out.  Mierocoles Bell (Sr., Belleville West) and Andrew Helmin (Sr., Providence Catholic are on a crash course to meet and decide who is the best hurdler in the classification.  Helmin moved in from 2A and he said he has worked extremely hard and ready for the bump up in talent.  Now he has it.  
 

-Distance… a work in progress will make the watch interesting

 
The 800m field will be a work in progress.  If you recall, there was a tremendous turnover of two-lap talent from a year ago.  We may in the midst of who will vie for slots in May.  Kevin Grahovec (Sr., Aurora Marmion Academy) IL#6 will lead the entrants.  He has a season best of 1:58.01.  David Cerney (Sr., Barrington) checks in at 1:58.08. If the pace is fast and honest, there will be no doubt that both runners will push into the 1:56 range or better.  Cody Dyer (Sr., Plainfield South) is another emerging middle-distance runner we should watch out for.  He has a decent finish and could move into the top three overall.
 
Tyler Yunk (Sr., Belvidere North) will take advantage of a light-hearted field.  Yunk battled through a very tough fall cross country season that prevented him from maximizing his full potential.  His season best time of 9:25.21 could use an upgrade. Caleb Beck (Sr., Oswego) has enjoyed competing in central Illinois.  This will be his third meet in the middle of the Prairie state.  Beck dropped his indoor mark down to 9:26.57.  Jonah Hanig (Sr., Highland Park) and Jesse Reiser (So., McHenry) will add depth to the event.  
 
Jamison Dale (Sr., Chicago Jones Prep) will provide the 1600m a tremendous boost with his IL#2 4:17.98 clocking.  Dale is a tremendous competitor and very capable of going even faster if the pace is set just right.  Beck could be that person to push the pace if his legs are not dead from the 3200. Evan Prizy (Sr., Schaumburg) is entered and has a 4:21 season best. He is ready to explode  and become the MSL’s next great miler. But the main person of note to watch has to be Garrett Lee (Sr., Belvidere North).  Lee is about to hit his stride after a sleepy winter campaign.  He may be the athlete right now to knock off Dale.  He has a personal best of 4:11 from a year ago.  If he is within five seconds of that mark on Saturday, it could be an interesting time.
 

-Relay time-

4x800r-

Crystal Lake South will add its name to the mix after producing the fourth fastest time in the state - 8:03.97.  After Orland Park Sandburg and West Aurora declined their invites, it was supposed to be a Skokie Niles North, Lane Tech, and Minooka reunion.  Last year, Niles North, Minooka, and Lane Tech placed 1-2-3.  A surprise reloading effort from Niles North and Lane has got their teams ready to challenge a stacked Minooka squad.  Regardless of the circumstances, this race should produce the fastest times of the season.  Will anyone break 8:00 to close out the indoor season?
 

4x200r-

 
St. Charles North will be the team to beat rocking IL#3 1:31.89.  The North Stars quartet- featuring the Loess brothers- are not a shy bunch (as most sprinters are not).  Needless to say they got swag and are fast too.  They will be challenged by the likes of Bartlett, Sandburg, and Belleville West- teams that have run sub-1:33.
 

4x400r-

 
IL#4 Evanston may emerge as the team to beat running 3:28.31 last weekend in Wisconsin. The Wildkits have a knack for running great 4x4 relays.  Can they get under 3:24? It won’t be easy to walk past Minooka.  The Indians won the prestigious Downers South Mustang Relays with Chris Wilson on the anchor. Perennial 4x4 power Belleville West will try their best to run interference on the leaders. The showstopper will be very interesting.
 

-Jumps and field events will be at a premium 

 
The shot put is absolutely loaded- perhaps the deepest in meet history with the top five throwers in the classification and eight of the top ten.  It will start with US#7 Brandon Lombardino (Sr., Fox Lake Grant).  This kid is an absolute monster when it comes to the shot put hurling the ball 61-1.5.  He is not untouchable but it will be incredibly hard to beat him if he is on his game.  Matt Dziedzic (Sr., Libertyville) has a best of 59-1.5 and the 20th best throw in the country.  It don’t with those two either.  Let’s include Jared Kern (Jr., Harlem), Riley Kittridge (Sr., Aurora Waubonsie Valley) and James Torgerson (Sr., Springfield) are all nationally ranked!  Hopefully, we can see them click on the same day.
 
Roselle Lake Park has figured out this formula called winning in the field and until the other power teams in the state figure it out, the Lancers are going to continue to rack up points that win them big meets.  In addition, they will have five triple jumpers competing on Saturday.  Shawn Koch (Sr.) and Marcus Jegede (Jr.) will keep the line moving for their team as they come in with US#12 48-4.5 and US#22 47-7.5 marks.  They are the best in the state but Jamion Nash (Sr., Belleville West) is not far behind at 46-11.  But let’s sandwich Scott Filip (Sr.) in between Nash for a Lancer smash.  This will be the only team in a championship meet where a team will flex its absolute power on the competition.  
 
It’s unfortunate that the state’s top long jumper will not be here in Matt Harris (Sr., Lagrange Lyons).  Don’t worry, there will be some great competition jumping.  Lake Park will once again use this great venue to get its athletes what it needs to get to the next level.  Filip and Jegede will come in with 23-6 and 23-1.25 seeds.  Koch will be the other top Lancer jumper.  Can we say dominance?  Lemonte Booker (Sr., Orland Sandburg) will try to dispel the Lake Park lock the event.  He is a top three or four jumper in the state.
 
Is there a hotter male track and field athlete than Luke Winder (Jr., Plainfield Central)?  The young lad has continually produced herculean efforts and gotten better every year.  He is already at the top of his great family pole vault tree.  The legend in the making leaped 16-10 last weekend at Lockport.  That mark is the third best jump in the country.  The only height standing in the way is Pontiac Phil Hanson and his sickening 17-1.25 all-time mark set at Illinois Prep Top Times in 2006.  Yours truly was there to see that.  It would be awesome to witness Winder break that mark this weekend.  Guess what?  There is a strong chance that mark will fall.  There will be other good vaulters competing on Saturday.  Let’s give Tim Ehrhardt (Sr., Lake Park) and Chad Weaver (Sr., Providence Catholic) some love.  These two standouts have cleared 15-7 and 15-2 on the year.  They are not going to let Winder jump to history without a fight.
 

More Coverage