Roselle Lake Park is in line to become one of a few select teams that have won four state championships. The last team to do was South Holland Thornwood and their famous four-peat moniker from 2001-04. We will look at the title picture after the prelims. Let’s look at each event and how it will impact the overall picture.
It will start with the 4x800 relay-
This event is absolutely loaded! There are 36 teams that qualified for the prelims and 29 of them broke 8:00. Ironically, two of the teams that didn’t were the traditionally rich LaGrange Lyons Twp and Mt. Prospect (Prospect). Don’t expect these two teams with a long history of high state medaling to lay down in the prelims. As far as the race itself, it was going to be the top event of the day of all classes regardless of classification. It’s almost crazy to imagine that one class has over 15 teams ranked in the top 100. So, at the end of the day, several good quartets will be sitting in the stands on championship Saturday watching. The general feeling in the middle-distance community is that it will take 7:50-51 to make the final. The final will be even faster with a team trying to run in the 7:42 range.
The defending state champion Chicago Lane Tech squad is ready to roll despite losing three of four guys. They still possess their leader Marcelo Burbano (Sr.) who prefers to lead off. If the Indians can get a solid start and avoid transition issues in the first two legs, they should be primed for the final. Elmhurst York is a team that missed the final year for the first time since 1987. This anomaly did not sit well in the Dukes camp and their coaching vowed a new sense of fire and passion for 2013. The Duke lads have responded with a 7:52.33 clocking as well as winning the prestigious Prospect Wanner title.
If you thought that IL#1 Palatine was not going to be a factor when only ran 7:55 last week, then you are sadly mistaken. The Pirates did not fully load their team at sectionals. They left off a key part to allow others to step up in big meet situations. On Friday, their quartet will have a vastly superior look to it. Watch for Christian Zambrano (Sr.) to be rocking and rolling on it. Perhaps the team to beat will be Minooka. This group was the best during the indoor season winning the Illinois Top Times meet soundly. The Indians have too many parts to not be a factor. Chris Wilson (Jr.) is a cog in the middle and Joey Santillo (Sr.) is a favorite among middle-distance foes. But the key leg will be Alex Pierce (Sr.) and his positioning. He is the team’s best runner now and where he sits will determine how they will do.
There are so many teams to watch that we could go on forever like Barrington producing the sectional best 7:50.56. Can the Broncos bring the heat this weekend? What about Orland Park Sandburg? The Eagles have four guys who potentially can bust 1:55 on average if they show up. They have the dangerous Pat McMahon (Sr.) back. If you recall, he ran a tremendous anchor in the prelims and finals last year.
Finally, the to do watch list includes Chicago Jones with Jamison Dale (Sr.) keeping his team in the mix, Lincolnshire Stevenson running 7:51.02 at sectionals, Bartlett and Geneva coming up big last weekend, and Arlington Heights Hersey looking strong.
4x100: This event will be interesting to watch as there are only three teams under 42.0 listed. This means there are several prime opportunities for surprises among a ton of teams if they can get the stick around the track safely and clean. If there is a favorite it would have to be Wheaton North. The Falcons bring everyone back including long jump specialist Matt Harris and speedster Zach Gordon (Sr.). They will be tough to beat if they make the final. Just when you thought the traditionally strong south suburbs of Chicago was having an off year, Harvey Thornton pops off with a 41.95. The boys in purple will be all business on the track this weekend. Orland Park Sandburg set a school record blazing 41.99 and showing they are more than just distance running. Oak Park-River Forest and Edwardsville need to step up this weekend if they still entertain any trophy talk. Let’s keep Tinley Park Andrew and Plainfield East in our mouths as these teams could move on to Saturday.
4x200: Where has the sprint talent gone in this event? There is not a single team even close to being among the nation’s elite. Hopefully that will change and we will see the customary 1:26s and low 1:27s from the Belleville West and Rock Island. If no one can step up, then Minooka is going to come in and steal the show. It is as simple as that. The defending state champion Chicago Dunbar has slowly crept back into the title talk despite graduating its entire line-up. Darvell Harris was last year’s star. Well, he has a younger brother taking over his power position. His name is Demoria Harris and he is a sophomore. Watch for him this weekend.
4x400m: It will come down to who wants it the most in this event. Belleville West is the team to beat here simple as that. They are the only unit to break 3:20 and competing against Cahokia and E. St. Louis on a consistent basis has them primed for the showstopper. Minooka has been real good in this event too. The Indians will give it their all when the final emerges late on Saturday afternoon. Wheaton North has the second fastest team coming in, so expect the Falcons to run fast and break 3:20.
Distance events are the ones to really watch this weekend-
3200m: It’s hard to conceive that anyone other than Jack Keelan (Sr., Chicago St. Ignatius) is the favorite- heavy favorite in this race this year to be precise. He went out to California in early April and blazed 8:50.74 to place fifth among the nation’s top distance runners. The state championship will be feather in his cap.
There is a possibility of runners such as Tyler Yunk (Sr., Belvidere North), and Patrick Perrier (Jr., O’Fallon) to emerge as minor threats. Alex Riba (Sr., O’Fallon) may have lost too much time to injury to challenge Keelan in the last portion of the race. Keep an eye on future stars Nolan McKenna (Jr., Wheaton-Warrenville South) and Jesse Reiser (So., McHenry) to run well this weekend.
800m: This event reloaded very quickly as expected after the entire state final last year graduated. Alex Pierce emerged from running anchor on his team’s 4x800 relay to smoke the sectional field in 1:54.25. He will hold the sectional best by an eye lash over Evanston’s Carl Klamm (So.). According to the Evanston coaching staff, Klamm is a year ahead of schedule in terms of time and state presence. Kyle Hauser (Sr., Chicago Marist) could be the central figure here. He initially emerged as a heavy threat to be among the mile field during the pre-season, but it appeared that the once thought weak half-mile lot would be a better bargain to succeed.
1600m: 4:09.62… This is the sweet time that Jack Keelan ran against Jamison Dale and the deep Prospect Wanner field. That race had everyone buzzing for days. Keelan may be the favorite on paper, but he will have some key competitors to fight off. Alex Riba returned from his winter lull to produce a 4:10. He has to be considered a major threat to Keelan as would Garrett Lee (Sr., Belvidere North). Lee may be the freshest among the trio if he opts out of the 4x800 relay. Lee ran 4:11.83 at the Arcadia Invitational. Will guys like Zach Smith (Jr., Downers Grove North) continue to emerge? Back to Dale: he will have to find a way to thwart his kryptonite known as Jack Keelan if he wants to emerge as champion. It will be interesting to see what that will be.
Sprints/hurdles may be on the upside-
100m: The defending state champion Tavaris Binion (Sr., Darien Hinsdale South) is back but can he make it two titles in a row? There may be a new sheriff in town name Cole Henderson (Jr., Pekin). Henderson smashed a strong field at the Illinois Top Times and now is one to watch. His sectional best and classification bests are nearly identical (10.55/10.53). Pre-season favorite Craig James (Jr., Edwardsville) may be ready to come out of his season long shell.
110HH: There are not many top names to choose from here. But one name to watch for is Dave Kendziera (Sr., Prospect). Kendziera ran 14.06 to win his Prospect Invite title. The conditions that day were fair and maybe slightly windy if wind gauges were present. He is that good and the fans will see this weekend. His prime foe will be Andrew Helmin (Sr., New Lenox Providence Catholic). Helmin moved up from 2A and has the sectional best 14.12.
400m: When Sam Bransby (Jr., Naperville Central) beat Malik Harrison (Sr., Springfield) at the Prospect Invite, it changed the complexity of the event. Everyone thought that Harrison was the odds on favorite to win the title. Harrison had been battling a few health issues but there are no excuses this weekend in Charleston. Cole Henderson has taken the 400 to his liking and could be among the top three on Saturday. Newcomer Paul Ifanayi (So., Elk Grove) is a name that hasn’t faded. Chris Wilson and Alex Shulga (Jr., Grayslake North) are key competitors to watch for.
300H: It’s Dave Kendziera big time in this event. He will take his US#24 time 37.52 to the finals with ease. Andrew Helmin may the only hurdler capable of upsetting him. Lino Mogorovic (Sr., Lyons Twp.) could challenge for a top spot as should Antonio Shenaut (So., Lake Park), and new to this event Craig James.
200m: Cole Henderson and Zach Gordon will lock horns in the final for sure. However, there will be some tense moments with Tavaris Binion, Keontay Williams, and Demoria Harris pushing others aside on their way to the top.
Field events have a good look-
Long jump: Scott Filip (Sr., Roselle Lake Park) is a tremendous athlete who may up being a multis athlete in college, but in the meantime he is state leader at 23-8.5. Filip should have no issue getting to Saturday’s final along with last year’s state runner-up Matt Harris (Sr., LaGrange Lyons Twp.). Harris has a season best 23-6.5 and is on the verge of eclipsing 24-feet. Also, watch for the late bloomer William Williams (Sr., Chicago Heights Bloom). In his first year of varsity track, he has emerged from virtually nowhere to 23-8. Mikail Davis (Sr., Peoria Richwoods), Emery Barnes (Sr., Naperville Neuqua Valley), and Kendall Williams (Sr., Zion-Benton) are the other leapers over 23-0.
Pole vault: The sectional leader is Chad Weaver (Sr., New Lenox Providence Catholic) got his first 16-0 effort at sectionals. His confidence should be on sky high after Luke Winder (Jr., Plainfield Central) has simmered down from his early season torrid pace. It is not certain that he is still suffering from the lower back injury that he experienced in mid-April. Regardless Tim Ehrhardt (Jr., Roselle Lake Park) has been consistent this season and produced the second mark this season (16-2) which makes him a prime competitor to win should Winder or Weaver slip.
High jump: Unfortunately, graduation has hit this event hard and left the cuppard bare. Michael Monroe (Jr., Providence Catholic) and Jonathan Wells (Jr., Fox Lake Grant) are the classification leaders at 6-9. They may be able to ramp it up with some friendly competition and maybe muscle themselves to 6-10 or 6-11.
Shot put: Matsen Dziedzic (Sr., Libertyville), Brandon Lombardino (Sr., Fox Lake Grant), and Riley Kittridge (Sr., Aurora Waubonsie Valley) are the classification’s only 60-foot club members and should be among the gold, silver, and bronze medal fight.
Triple jump: This event has gotten stronger over the past several years with the winner approaching the 49-50 foot mark. It may happen again with the classification leader Jamion Nash (Sr., Belleville West). Nash has a season best 48-9 this season, and it puts him on par to roll past 49-feet this weekend. Lake Park will counter with senior Shawn Koch to try and neutralize Nash. Koch has the state best jump this season at 48-6. Look for an emerging athlete in basketball and sometimer track athlete Joseph Toye (So., Chicago Whitney Young). Toye reached his full potential when he skied 46-9.25 to win the St. Ignatius Sectional. Marcus Jegede (Jr., Lake Park) comes from the Lancer factory line and that usually means that he will produce some quality dividends.
Discus Throw: Brandon Lombardino is one of the best discus throwers in the country with two throws over 200-feet. In fact, Lombardino is US#2 201-7 and on course to at least threaten Dan Block’s (Lake Park) IHSA record 205-8. The overall competition will need to step its game up. There is no thrower above 185-feet so far this season. Nick Piker (Sr., Hinsdale Central) and Riley Kittridge are key qualifiers shooting for silver and bronze medals.
More Coverage
- 2013 IHSA Boys State Track & Field Championships Meet Page (Tons of on-site coverage including photos, videos, results and recap to be posted)