:quality(70):focal(772x190:782x200)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/HLPGE7ROKNF4HBNPTVFCUFZA6A.jpg)
With the outdoor season just underway, here’s a look at NewsTribune area boys track and field teams.
La Salle-Peru
Coach: Adam Spencer
Top returners: Richie Santiago, jr., throws; Griffin Hammers, so., mid-distance/distance; Neil Olivero, sr, sprints; Kenny Tran, so., sprints; Andy Medina, jr., throws
Key newcomers: Adam Kasperski, jr., distance; Nolan Glynn, sr., throws
Worth noting: Santiago was the Cavaliers’ lone state qualifier last season as he advanced in the discus. Glynn is a football player who came out for track for the first time since sixth grade. Medina also will contribute in the throws. Spencer said Hammers could be in the mix for a state berth in the 800 meters or 1,600. He started the year strong with a 2:03 at the Batavia Distance Madness meet. Kasperski also will run distance for the Cavs after coming out following a strong cross country season in the fall. “I’m happy with a few solid first time track athletes with more participation at the younger grades,” Spencer said.
St. Bede
Coach: Marty Makransky
Top returners: Greyson Marincic, jr., hurdles/relays; Jack Maschmann, jr., sprints/jumps; Haiden Ator, jr., distance; Will Sramek, so., throws; Eric Du, so., distance
Key newcomers: Max Bray, sr., sprints; Marco Rizzi, jr., sprints/jumps; Johnny Brown, so., sprints/jumps; Brax Kim, so., sprints; Sean Brayton, fr., sprints’ Landon Marquez, fr., sprints
Worth noting: The Bruins are a small and young team with 11 on the roster and only one senior in Bray, a transfer from Aurora Christian who was quarterback of the football team in the fall. Marincic is a returning state qualifier in the 300-meter hurdles. “He should be very competitive in the hurdles again,” Makransky said. Maschmann in sprints and jumps, Ator and Du in the 1,600 and 3,200 and and Sramek in the shot put also bring experience. “We will be a small team in comparison to previous years but very skilled and competitive,” Makransky said. “Our goals are to improve each time we compete and to qualify as many as we can for the state meet in Charleston. With only one senior, we want to build a great group of talented track athletes.”
Hall
Coach: Rob Malerk
Top returners: Caleb Bickett, sr., sprints; Logan Corsolini, sr., pole vault; Jeremy Smith, jr., sprints; Joseph Bacidore, sr., jumps/sprints; Ryan Bosi, jr., sprints/jumps; Vance Pienta, so., mid-distance/jumps
Key newcomers: Joseph Perez, fr., sprints; Cesar Figueroa, fr., jumps
Worth noting: The Red Devils have a mix of returning talent and young athletes who have already contributed. At the season-opening meet at Rock Falls, Caleb Bickett won the 200-meter dash and placed third in the 100, while Bosi won the triple jump. Figueroa and Perez had solid debuts to their high school careers. Figueroa placed second in the high jump, and Perez took third in the 400. The Red Devils have 15 athletes on the roster with four seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and four freshmen.
Putnam County
Coach: Chuck McConnell
Top returners: Alex Rodriguez, so., throws; Cayden Bouxsein, so., distance; Conlan Cwikla, sr., sprints; Tucker Gualandi, sr., jumps; Enzo Holocker, jr., hurdles
Worth noting: The Panthers have higher numbers with 15 on the roster. “Having a complete boys team this year, we hope to enter all events and score points and represent well at the meets,” McConnell said. “We have a variety of talents on the team, so we should be competitive in field events, distance, mid-distance and sprints, including hurdles.” McConnell said Rodriguez is a potential state qualifier in the shot put and discus.
Mendota
Coach: Keegan Hill
Top returners: Sebastian Carlos, so., 400/relays; Anthony Kelson, jr., distance/relays; Mason Koch, sr., jumps/relays; Aaden Castle, so., relays; Brandon Leadley, jr., sprints/relays; Travis Mumm, jr., relays; Anthony Seablom, so., sprints
Worth noting: Carols and Kelson are potential state qualifiers who will lead the Trojans this spring. Sebastian, a former IESA champion in the 400 meters, placed fifth in the event at the sectional last year, while Kelson was a state qualifier in cross country in the fall. While Mendota has several other returners, 80% of the roster will be freshmen and sophomores. The Trojans’ roster is nearly double n numbers compared to last season. “Coachability and eagerness to learn and compete (are the team’s strengths),” Hill said. “(Our goals are to) improve every meet. Preparation and mindset are key.”
Princeton
Coach: Dan Foes
Key returners: Arthur Burden, jr., jumps; Evan Driscoll, sr., sprints; Payne Miller, sr., throws, Ian Morris, jr., throws; Cade Odell, jr., throws; Andrew Peacock, sr., pole vault; Augustus Swanson, so., distance, Bennett Williams, sr., throws
Key newcomer: Casey Etheridge, so., sprints
Worth noting: The Tigers are strong in the throws with Miller, Morris, Odell and Williams all qualifying for state last year. At state, Miller placed fifth in the shot put, and Williams took sixth in the discus. Odell medaled with a seventh-place effort in the Illinois Top Times Meet. Williams is recovering from knee surgery from a football injury and his availability is up in the air. “The strength of our team is our throws. The rest of the team is very young, but they are competing very well early on,” Foes said. Sprinter Driscoll is rounding back to form after a broken leg during the 2022 football season. Swanson is the top returning runner in the 3,200, while Peacock will compete in the pole vault but is a “jack of all trades,” Foes said. The Tigers coach calls Burden a “work horse.” Etheridge ran for nearly 1,900 yards in football and is bringing his speed to track this year.
Bureau Valley
Coach: Dan DeVenney
Key returners: Eli Attig (Sr., sprints), Jon Dybek (Sr., throws), Payton Walowski (Sr., sprints), Brock Shane (Sr., sprints/hurdles/jumps), Cameron Lemons (Sr., sprints/PV), Justin Moon (Jr.), Landon Hulsing (Jr.), Adrian Gallardo (So., distance), Brady Hartz (So., sprints) and Maddox Moore (So., distance).
Worth noting: Business is booming in the Storm camp with 43 on the roster, believed to be largest in school history. There are 20 newcomers, including two seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and 11 freshmen. With the added numbers, DeVenney said some roles will change. “All of our returning athletes are excited to get their chance to show what they can do. Many of them had smaller roles in many events last year, but this year they’re going to be able to focus on fewer events and develop those skills more in-depth,” he said. Moon (high jump, triple jump), Hartz (100, 200), Gallardo (800), Moore (1,600) and Shane (100 hurdles) all put up strong times, heights, distances last year. The Storm bring back state experience with Moon, Gallardo, Moore and Attig all running in relays last year. Gallardo ran on BV’s state 4x400 and 4x800 relays, while Moore was on the 4x400 state relay. “They, along with the relay alternates we took to state last year, are hungry to get back and experience more success this year,” DeVenney said. Hulsing (HJ, 10th), Hartz (60m hurdles) and Roth (60m) qualified for the Illinois Top Times Indoor Meet.
Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio
Coach: Jeramey Wittanauer
Top returners: Ian Sundberg, sr., throws; Joel Billhorn, jr., jumps/sprints; Ed Fry, jr., jumps; Caleb Yanos, jr.
Worth noting: The Clippers have more than 20 athletes on the roster. Throwers Sundberg and Zach Dunne will lead the team as the squad’s only seniors. The Clippers have a strong junior class of nine athletes, led by Billhorn, Yanos and Fry. Billhorn and Yanos helped Amboy’s 4x400-meter relay qualify for the state meet last season. Sundberg has been on the verge of qualifying for state in both throws the last two seasons. The Clippers will get a boost from young athletes as well. Amboy won the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference title at the freshman/sophomore level last season and have 11 freshmen on the roster.
Fieldcrest
Coach: Carol Bauer
Top returners: Caleb Krischel, jr., distance; Jozia Johnson, sr., sprints; Jackson Hakes, jr., throws
Key newcomers: Chance Hedrick, throws; Michael Beckett, jumps
Worth noting: Krishel is a returning state qualifier in the 1,600. He ran a state-qualifying time of 4:38.75 at the Class 1A El Paso Sectional. “He is coming off his best ever cross country season so should couple that strength with speed to be a dominant force,” Bauer said. Johnson will compete in the 100, 200 and 400 and possibly Fieldcrest’s two longer relays. “He has good foot speed and the desire to work hard, which we hope will result in putting his name on the record board for the 200,” Bauer said. Hakes, Hedrick and Beckett will contribute in field events.
Henry-Midland
Coach: Carrie Meffert
Top returners: Connor Keinath, sr., throws; Nick Brozak, jr., sprints; Russell Cheney, jr., sprints/hurdles, jumps; Alex Briggs, sr., jumps/throws
Key newcomers: Tristan Catton-Bass, fr., sprints; Denver Hoffstatter, fr., sprints; Uvejs Jakupi, fr., throws; Tristen Nevitt, fr., throws
Worth noting: Keinath is the veteran of the group for the Timberducks. He was a Class 1A state qualifier in the shot put as a sophomore and looks to get back this season after placing third at the sectional last year to fall short of a return to state. He won the shot put eight times last season, including claiming the Tri-County Conference title in the event. Keinath also throws the discus. Braun returns and will run the 800 this season. “He’s a completely different runner than he was last year,” Meffert said. “He’s stronger with more of a drive and he has found his race, and speed.” Cheney can compete in a variety of events, while Brozak and Briggs also provide experience. Several freshmen performed well in the outdoor opener. Jakupi and Nevitt will provide depth in the throws as Jakupi was fourth in the shot and Nevitt was third in the discus in the opener. Catton-Bass (100) and Hoffstatter (400) had fifth-place finishes in their high school debuts. Both will run the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays along with Olsen. Meffert said all three relays have the potential for a state berth.