Boys track and field: Kaneland advances six individuals, relay to state

AURORA – As Barrington junior Joe Bregenzer flew out to a 70-meter lead in the 3,200-meter run it was clear that as he said later, “I’m here to win.”

The spirit was catching.

At Thursday’s Class 3A Metea Valley boys track sectional, Barrington won its first sectional title since 2019. It came down to the 4x400 relay, Broncos anchor Micah Hall crossing the line first to total 104 points to 96 for West Aurora. Metea Valley was third place with 73 points.

“I’ve put the work in. I’m in the best shape of my life. I’m going down there to win,” Bregenzer said of a repeat trip to Charleston for next weekend’s state finals. In 2023 Bregenzer finished ninth in the 3,200.

Titles aren’t necessarily the goal at track sectionals. Sending athletes downstate is, and the Metea Valley Sectional didn’t disappoint.

It produced 73 state qualifiers, including eight in the 3,200, seven in pole vault, six in discus and the 100 dash and five each in triple jump, the 800 and the 1,600.

There was Bregenzer again in the 1,600, satisfied to follow winner Austin Brown of Metea Valley and second-place Zach Self of Waubonsie Valley.

“That’s a loaded sectional,” Barrington coach Todd Kuklinski said after the 4x400 relay, as an exhausted Hall lay on the Metea turf after qualifying in two relays, the 400 and the 800.

Broncos sophomore Adam Lyon joined Hall to qualify in the 200, the rare event that advanced only two downstate. Overall, Barrington qualified 13 entries.

“It’s huge having a teammate there, especially Micah Hall,” Lyon said. “He’s a real good motivator, he pushes you.”

Kuklinski marveled at David Marian, qualifying in the 100 from the fourth of five heats to join East Aurora’s Kenneth Cooley, Metea Valley’s Daniel Pere, St. Charles North’s Ayodele Bateye, Dundee-Crown’s Terrion Spencer and Barrington teammate David Marian.

Cooley ran like (and with) the wind to record a time of 10.57 seconds, No. 2 in Illinois. He credited head coach Shane Gillespie and his staff.

“They push me in practice, give you a better work ethic. They taught me to be better than myself,” Cooley said.

For a team in its first Class 3A sectional after being in 2A historically, Kaneland’s sixth-place tie with Dundee-Crown was solid.

The Knights advanced both David Valkanov and Evan Nosek in the 3,200, their 4x400 relay of Collin Reutimann, Eric Ramos, Tyler Rebacz and Gavin Smith, long jumper Logan Ehlers, high jumper Fredrick Hassan, Brady Betustak in discus and, for a 41st straight year, a pole vaulter, Kyle Rogers.

Waubonsie Valley pole vaulter Brady Teeple was the first athlete to qualify, at 5:26 p.m. after clearing 4.17 on his first try. St. Charles North’s Nathan McLoughlin won the event at 4.61.

Both Teeple’s father and grandfather were vaulters. His father, Brad, was an All-American at Nebraska.

“It just feels amazing for them to be along my side this whole way,” Brady Teeple said.

Teeple’s final height, 4.46, ranks fourth all-time at Waubonsie.

“This is the first year Brady has come into his own and is just enjoying the process,” Warriors coach Kevin Rafferty said. “He’s comfortable in his own skin.”

Barrington, Batavia and St. Charles North all qualified in three of four relays, with Dundee-Crown punching its ticket in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays for a third straight year.

Torrion Bell and senior classmate Kali Freeman ran on both those relays, which set a school record in the 4x100 relay, now second in Illinois at 41.59 seconds; and is No. 4 in the 4x200 relay, 1:27.87.

The Chargers are perhaps in position to advance to the finals in Charleston after being denied the previous two years.

“Our motto,” Freeman said, “is to make it to Day 2.”