The Boys-
800 will be first final on the docket-
It will be a tough time picking which event to root for here. But if you are a true distance fan the choice would be to enjoy all of them. Arthur Santoro (Sr., Chicago Jones) will seek his first major title Saturday evening. The IL #3 performer ran 1:54.86 at the Arcadia Invitational several weeks ago, so the confidence from that prestigious meet has its residuals. The main component is confidence. Santoro should have plenty of it after running well against some of the nation's best and the fact that he has good speed to boot with a 50.46 400m clocking on the resume. The key challenger Josh Cable (Jr., Rochester) will not be detered. Though his season best is only the 14th best (1:57.88) he still is a capable of dropping a tremendous effort. Cable ran 1:53.25 pb last season followed by 1:54.85 proving that he is consistent and if he is anywhere near running those times, we could see a push for a possible new state leader. As for the remaining cast, it is solid as the entire championship section has run under 2:00. Look for the emergence of MSL foes John Gerardi (Sr., Rolling Meadows) and Arturo Bautista (Sr., Buffalo Grove) who are among the top 20 state rankings. JB Sandlund (St. Charles East), Kyle Thompson (Wheaton-Warrenville South), and Ed Worthem (Palatine Fremd) will fight for respect.
Clayton Mendez ready to lead the 3200 field-
Whitney Young junior Clayton Mendez has been on a rampage this track season ever since he clocked a jaw dropping 9:01.89 indoors at the Proviso West Invitational. That incredible mark rated as the #2 time in the country at the time. Mendez's effect from that February race has led to other solid performances including a Top Times title. Now the outdoor season is in fully bloom and it's time for Mendez to get rolling again. His notable performance to date is the exhibition win at the Minooka #SmithStrong Invitational last weekend where he ran 9:36.88. Mendez will be contesting the 1600m Friday evening at the Bob Cohoon Invite. To say the least we should get a season best and more from Mendez. How about the rest of the cast? Section 1 will have Michael O'broin (Chicago St. Ignatius) and Charlie Parrish (Jr., Freeburg) whose seed marks should yield times under their seeds 9:36 and 9:37. Brayden Hamblen (Sr., Rock Falls) ran a lifetime best and IL #3 9:11.99 at Arcadia and is certainly capable of winning this race. Hamblen is a proven winner as he is the reigning Class A cross country champion and the bump up to 2A has netted a 1600 title at last month's Top Times meet. Others in the field are harrier all-staters Logan Hall (Jr., Arthur), Brian Leonard (Sr., Palatine), Wyatt McInyre (Jr., Athens), Tanner Chada (Sr., Hinckley Big Rock), and Evan Mitchell (Sr., Lincoln Way West). Oh but how could we forget Matt Pereira (Sr., Lake Zurich)? The two-time Footlocker All-American is completely healthy entering the outdoor season for the first time in several years. Pereira was once considered the Illinois golden boy of distance running when he clocked 4:15.36 for the mile as a freshman and running the deuce in 9:12. Injuries have taken their toll on him and he was rendered to assisting his teammates in the 4x8 relay. Now, if he can put it all together he will be a danger to the entire field.
The grand finale should be a great one-
Of course the 1600m will be the featured event because it is the crown jewel of high school track and field. Every school boy who becomes of age to understand running wants to be a great mile. The focal point of course is the magical 4:00 barrier which has taken battle ram hits over the past several years. It is unlikely that it will get cracked on Saturday night, but we all should see a state and perhaps regional best. Jack Aho (Sr., Grayslake Central) and Finn Gessner (Sr., Madison LaFollette, WI) are the headliners. Aho is coming off of a great cross country season where he ran well in the Footlocker and Nike Cross Nationals. Aho's coach Jim Centella believes his prized pupil is ready to run a personal record." Jack's training has been smooth and consistent for the last couple months. It is fair to say that he is in PR shape and his goal is to try his best to run a PR," he said. "The race will hopefully give him confidence leading into his final state series and the post-season," Centella added. However, it is on the track that the U of Michigan bound Aho has excelled just as well. Aho blazed one of the fastest 1600's as a junior when he clocked 4:07.39. It may take that effort in beating fellow All-American Gessner. The multiple Wisconsin state champion placed second at the Footlocker Nationals last fall. But he is recently known for a smoking 8:47 3200m at the Arcadia Invite. That awesome performance does not mean that Gessner will automatically run 4:05. But as a distance running fan, the possibilities of what could transpire Saturday night are endless. Others in the field include Reese Jordan (Sr., Maine South), Michael Ronzone (Jr., Marmion Academy), and 800m ace Chris Conrad (Sr., O'Fallon).