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The high school boys outdoor track and field season is coming to the starting line. Here are previews of teams in the Kane County Chronicle coverage area.
Aurora Central Catholic
Coach: Troy Kerber
Top returning athletes: Patrick Hilby, sr., distance; Daniel Eberle, sr., pole vault; Jacob Gay, sr., distance; Tom Keller, sr., distance; David Valencia, jr., distance; Bernard Fellows, jr., sprints
Worth noting: After a ninth-place finish at the Class 2A state meet last season, Kerber and the Chargers are hoping to climb further up the leaderboard in the 2024 season. Defending 800-meter champion and state record holder Hilby, who’s committed to run at Wisconsin next season, holds the No. 1 time in the nation in the event after running the 800 in 1 minute, 48.42 seconds during the indoor season. Hilby is ranked ninth in the nation in the 1,600. He’s expected to lead the middle distance squad, which is returning three of its four runners in both the 4x400 and 4x800 from last season. Eberle also returns after an All-State performance at last year’s state meet. He’ll look to improve on his personal record of 15 feet from a season ago.
Aurora Christian
Coach: Sarah Rodgers
Top returning athletes: Joey Cheladyn, jr., throws; Jay Scott, jr., sprints; Seth Pennings, jr., distance
Worth noting: The Eagles have a big group of returning athletes and Rodgers will look to them to help teach the new athletes throughout the season. Aurora Christian will look to make some noise this season despite its small team size.
Batavia
Coach: Dennis Piron
Top returning athletes: Nathan Whitwell, jr., sprints; Cole Howland, jr., sprints; Joe Reid, so., sprints, Wyatt Wies, sr., sprints; Luke Alwin, sr., jumps; Josh Kahley, jr., jumps; Gavin Pecor, so., throws; Cody Heeringa, sr., throws; Colin Knowles, sr., distance; Felipe Wickler, sr., distance; David Bednarek, jr., distance, Francesco Benelli, jr., distance; Thomas Woodard, jr., hurdles; Drew DiBiase, jr., hurdles
Worth noting: Batavia lost a lot of talent to graduation last season with All-Stater Quintin Lowe now running for Purdue, All-State high jumper Alec Crum jumping at Grand Valley State and sprinter Weston White at the College of DuPage. One of the good things about boasting a team of 165 athletes is that when some step out of the limelight, others have the chance to step in it. Whitwell is set to lead the team in the sprints after being the sole leg of the state qualifying 4x100 and 4x200 teams to return from last season. Alwin returns after qualifying in the triple jump last season. Piron hopes that with those returners and the development of prospects the Bulldogs can repeat as champions in the county, conference and sectional.
Burlington Central
Coach: Mike Schmidt
Top returning athletes: Ryan Kries, sr., distance; Grayson Burton, sr., sprints/jumps/pole vault; Logan Karrotu, sr., distance; Adam Hinkleman sr., mid-distance; Porter Mihelich, sr., shot put; Tristan Sanceda, sr., sprints; Rocco Boss, jr., sprints/jumps; A.J. Jenkins, jr., sprints
Worth noting: The Rockets took a huge blow with the loss of sprinter Nolan Milas, who now runs for the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. In its 29th and final season under Schmidt, Burlington Central is coming into the outdoor season with a lot of depth and potential. Burton comes back after taking 13th in the pole vault at the state meet. Karrotu and Hinkleman were part of the 4x800 team that placed 14th in the state in 2023 and look to be a key part of the 4x400 alongside Boss and Sanecda this season.
Geneva
Coach: Boone Thorgesen
Top returning athletes: Warren Cooper, sr., pole vault; Jackson Avery, sr., hurdles; Lex Griffith, so., throws; Julian Hip, jr., distance; Logan Weber, sr., sprints; Finn Weppner, jr., sprints
Worth noting: The Vikings bring a young team into the 2024 season. Four of their five state qualifiers from last season graduated. Weber, who is the only returning member of the state-qualifying 4x200 team, is expected to lead alongside Weppner in the sprints and relays. Geneva has seen major growth from Cooper, who jumped 14-6 during the indoor season after clearing only 12-4 last season. Thorgesen is hoping to see more of his upperclassmen take the next step.
“The DuKane Conference is a loaded track conference with great teams and programs. It pushes us to perform and be at our best weekly,” Thorgesen said via email. “Our returning seniors and juniors will continue to lead us in our big meets especially in the pole vault, 300 hurdles and relays, while our talented freshman and sophomore classes look to fill in the pieces and be big contributors for us this outdoor season.”
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Kaneland
Coach: Andy Drendel
Top returning athletes: David Valkanov, sr., distance; Evan Nosek, jr., distance; Freddy Hassan, jr., jumps; Aric Johnson, sr., sprints; Brady Betusak, sr., throws, Brett Larson, sr., throws; Alex Moos, jr., sprints
Worth noting: Of the 15.5 points the Knights scored on their way to a 16th-place finish at the Class 2A state meet last season, they only lost two to graduation. The All-State distance duo of Valkanov and Nosek look to be even more dangerous this season. Nosek posted the 1,600 indoor school record and Valkanov won the 3,200 at the Illinois Top Times indoor championships. Hassan returns after tying for fifth at the state meet last season after clearing 6-4 in the high jump. Those achievements and a rejuvenated sprint team led by Johnson and Moos have Drendel excited to see what the Knights can do during the outdoor season.
Marmion
Coach: Dan Thorpe
Top returning athletes: Ryan Anderson, sr., pole vault; John Daffenberg, jr., distance; Caleb Soulsby, jr., sprints; Patrick Fitzgerald, jr., hurdles; Robert Gramley, sr., distance
Worth noting: The Cadets are looking to advance even more athletes to the state meet this season. Anderson, who was their only point scorer at last year’s Class 2A state meet, is ranked third in the 2A pole vault and hoping to improve on his ninth-place finish from last season. Daffenberg has emerged as a threat in the distance races after qualifying for the Illinois Top Times indoor championships in all four distance events. The Cadets will be without Fitzgerald for the start of the season. He’s recovering from ACL surgery in the fall.
St. Charles East
Coach: Tim Wolf
Top returning athletes: Jed Wilson, sr., distance; Greyson Ellensohn, jr., distance; Michael Wilson, so., distance; Bo McCaslin, sr., throws
Worth noting: The two state qualifiers from last season, Mitch Garcia and Matthew Hall, graduated, but the Saints have a lot of potential. Wilson placed fifth in the 3,200 at sectionals last season, McCaslin missed qualifying for state in the shot put and discus by a foot and Ellensohn missed qualifying by six seconds. If those three stay healthy and some of the younger runners step up, Wolf thinks the Saints could have a shot at a top-three finish in the DuKane Conference and send some qualifiers to the state meet.
St. Charles North
Coach: Kevin Harrington
Top returning athletes: Nathan McLoughlin, jr., pole vault; Dimitri Rosales, jr., pole vault; Cooper Kowalczyk, so., throws; Ayodele Bateye, sr., sprints; Robert Messina, sr., sprints; Walker Hornstrom, sr., mid-distance
Worth noting: The North Stars come into the outdoor season with some question marks. They graduated All-State thrower Henry Warsaw and also lost sprinters Bryce Thomas and David Nwachuckwu. A combination of depth and key returners could help solve some of the North Stars’ concerns. McLoughlin and Rosales have proved to be a dynamic duo in the pole vault with McLoughlin clearing 15-5 and Rosales 14-2 during the indoor season. Bateye, Messina and Hornstrom, who each were part of one or more of the three relay teams to qualify for state last year, will look to bring another team back to Eastern Illinois in May. Harrington is focusing on developing the team and scoring points in each event to ensure success in the postseason.
West Aurora
Coach: Courtney Lamb
Top returning athletes: Sean Heetland, sr., distance; Azuriah Sylvester, jr., sprints/jumps; Sere Iranloye, jr., hurdles/sprints; Ben Giesen, jr., sprints; Brodie Caragher, so., hurdles/sprints; Kewon Marshall, jr., jumps; Terrence Smith, jr., jumps; Nathan Gehrmann, so., mid-distance
Worth noting: After a second-place finish in the Southwest Prairie Conference in the indoor season, the Blackhawks are excited to see what they can do during the outdoor season. Marshall enters the season as the top-ranked high jumper in Class 3A with a jump of 6-10.75. Sylvester is ranked in the top five in both the 55 hurdles and triple jump. West Aurora boasts a balanced team and is excited to see what it can do when May rolls around.