Green, Roberts poised to lead Sandwich thinclads

Jayden Green's priorities these days, and outside circumstances, have prevented optimal track and field practice.

Green, a Sandwich junior, watches his 12-year-old sister while school is out during the COVID-19 outbreak.

He has a unique perspective of the crisis that is putting activities like track on hold, with two parents in the medical field. His mom is a narcotics auditor at a hospital and his dad a firefighter paramedic. At times his dad is stuck at work for 48 hours or longer.

"He's been working a lot lately," Green said.

Green's made the most of a season on hold. While he's only been out a handful of times to run and his gym is closed, he has bands and stability balls at home, and does two to three workouts a day with plyometrics and speed.

"I'm very bored, but I have to be active," Green said. "I know other kids are probably sitting in their homes playing video games, or doing nothing. If the IHSA starts meets in like the first week of May, we might have a total of four meets. They're not going to be ready, but I am."

He's indeed motivated to do great things.

Green took second place in the Class 2A triple jump last spring, and seventh in the long jump.

He picked up right where he left off in an abbreviated indoor season, going 45 feet in the triple jump and 21 feet, 10 inches in the long jump, putting him top two in the state in both.

"I'm at the point, last year runner-up at state, now I want to win, and I need to win," Green said. "That's how my mindset is. I want to be a two-time state champion. I'm very ready for outdoor season if we have it."

Green, who has taken unofficial visits to Illinois State, Illinois, Indiana, Loyola and Marquette, among others, is jumping the exact same distances or farther this year with shorter approaches. He'd love to hit 50 feet in the triple jump this year, although with a shortened season 48 or so could be more realistic. He thinks he can surpass 23 feet in the long jump and 6-5 or 6-6 in the high jump.

"I'd rather shoot for the stars than not shoot at all," Green said.

"He's a great kid, very confident," Sandwich coach Bolagi Adeoti said. "The thing I like about him is he he doesn't just talk. He backs it up with a lot of work."

Sandwich is still putting in the work, even with its season delayed indefinitely. Adeoti, who said he thinks this could be Sandwich's best all-around team in a long time, puts workouts on its website for athletes to do on their own, and then report back.

The Indians looked forward to dominating this year with a talented group back. Besides Green, returning state qualifier Sead Sejdiu started indoor season by throwing the shot put a lifetime best 49-7, and was ranked eighth for the Illinois Prep Top Times meet.

Junior sprinter Michael Marrs, who missed state last year in the 100 by a hundredth of a second, had a strong indoor season with a 7.13 60 and 23.61 200. Junior Steve Aguilar ran a 2:06 800 indoors and junior Ian Kelson went 20-1 in the long jump straight out of basketball.

On the girls’ side, Claire Roberts' final track meet last year showcased her potential, and also provided her with plenty motivation.

She hopes to realize it now.

Roberts, a Sandwich junior, soared to a lifetime-best 34 feet, 10 inches in the triple jump at last year's sectional meet. Until then, she had been jumping in the 33s. It was a great achievement, but left Roberts less than an inch short of state qualifying.

"The pits at La Salle-Peru are amazing, always have a good wind aid. When I jumped 34-10 I was proud that I did that," Roberts said. "It sucked hearing that I missed state, but it was nice to PR by a whole two feet."

Roberts is among a large group of returning athletes for a Sandwich team that last year swept titles at both levels of the Interstate Eight Conference meet, won the Plano and Herscher invitationals and went 17-1 in duals.

The Indians did not, though, have a state qualifier, perhaps a testament to the team's depth. Sandwich coach Dusty Behringer is excited about his team's prospects, even in a reconfigured and tougher conference and with a season delayed indefinitely because of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.

"I've sent out a weekly workout to my some of my captains, seniors and upperclassmen. I know they're still getting work in. It's cool to see the development of leadership," Behringer said. "I'm unfortunately only able to watch from a distance, but these girls are doing really well with it and I'm proud of them."

Sandwich only had one indoor meet before the suspended season. At Sycamore, Roberts had an indoor PR of 33-2 in triple jump, and went 15-7 in the long jump (her outdoor PR is 15-8).

"When I practiced, I jumped 35 feet flat in the triple jump," Roberts said. "And that was at the beginning of the season. Usually jumpers gain a half foot at the end, so we're hoping for that this season if we have one."

Roberts is among nine returning all-conference athletes for Sandwich. She's joined by sophomore Alijah Campbell (sprints, relays), senior Grace Kraft (sprints, relays), junior Catrina Mitchell (shot put, discus), sophomore Emalie Mosher (sprints, relays), junior Josie Ness (sprints, relays, hurdles), sophomore Molly Roberts (distance, relays), junior Bailey Sherman (distance, relays) and sophomore Ali Todd (sprints, relays).

Claire Allen, who does shot put and discus and went to state as an eighth-grader, leads Sandwich's freshman group.