Boys track and field: Sycamore sophomore Aidan Wyzard takes 2nd in Class 2A long jump

CHARLESTON – While Sycamore’s Aidan Wyzard qualifies as a track and field neophyte, he already has mastered a flair for the dramatic.

The Spartans sophomore landed huge efforts on his final two attempts, vaulting him from seventh to second place in the Class 2A long jump at the IHSA Boys Track and Field State Meet on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium.

Wyzard’s 6.78-meter jump (22-3) put him in third place, then his final jump at 6.84 (22-5 1/4) moved him up one more spot.

“I don’t know. My mind just relaxed. There were so many people there, the energy was great. I went out with a bang on my last jump.”

—  Aidan Wyzard, Sycamore track

“I don’t know. My mind just relaxed,” Wyzard said. “There were so many people there, the energy was great. I went out with a bang on my last jump.

“This is my first year in track. I’m pretty shocked. I kept pushing. Each meet I kept getting [personal records]. I’m glad to be here and jumping with these other competitors.”

Sycamore senior Caden Emmert ran a career-best 1:54.96 to take fifth place in the 800 meters. He also anchored the Spartans’ 4x400 relay team with Eli Crome, Matthew Rangel and Will Donahoe that took sixth in 3:25.25.

Also in Class 2A, Kaneland had four medalists, with David Valkanov and Evan Nosek taking fifth and sixth in the 3,200, Freddie Hassan tying for fifth in the high jump and Brayden Farmer grabbing eighth in pole vault. Sycamore’s Nick Zurko was ninth in the triple jump.

DeKalb’s Riley Newport, who will run at Duke, finished his career with a seventh-place finish in the Class 3A 1,600.

Emmert was less than a half-second off Sycamore’s 800 school record.

“I competed really well. I’m happy with fifth,” Emmert said. “That was my best ever. I’m pretty excited about that. I was hoping to get the school record 1:54.59. I was a little short, but I did the best I could.

“I put myself in a pretty good spot right behind the lead pack. I didn’t really feel boxed in at any point, so I stayed connected to the top group.”

Kaneland’s Valkanov and Nosek didn’t necessarily plan to run together, but it worked out that way. Valkanov finished in 9:26.64, and Nosek clocked 9:27.65.

“It was pretty intense,” said Valkanov, a junior. “Watching people at the start, I knew they were going to go out fast, and I was going to outlast them. That was my tactic. Stay behind people, wear everyone out and progressively pass them. It gave me a boost of confidence.

“Evan trained me. I didn’t used to be fast at all. Nosek is a great person to work out with, and it just happened that me and him were right next to each other.”

Nosek, a sophomore, said everything about running at state, from the competitors to the weather, was awesome.

“Just another blessed day to compete with everybody,” Nosek said. “We had a race plan coming in. David was sticking with me, but I got to give it to him, he has an awesome kick. He’s worked hard through the season. We work together and push each other.”

Hassan, a sophomore, jumped 2.05 (6-7 1/4) at his sectional and came in as the top seed.

“It wasn’t bad, but that’s the lowest I’ve jumped in a while,” Hassan said. “I’ve been going up, I was expecting better, but it’s not bad.

“I was clearing everything first try. I was a little nervous being first time at state, but I was doing well. We waited for a triple jumper for 20 minutes, and I wasn’t prepared. I should have re-warmed up. I got close to clearing my last height.”

Farmer upheld a Kaneland tradition, becoming the 34th All-State vaulter for the Knights.

“It’s an honor to be a part of that,” he said. “I’m glad I was able to keep it going. I just stuck to what I know and feel like I used that to my advantage to get where I did today.”

Newport finished the 1,600 in 4:15.18 for his first track and field state medal.

“[The race] kind of went the way I expected. I would like to have responded to [Joliet West’s] Marcellus Mines a little earlier,” Newport said. “I’m still happy with how it went. Fun track and fun race. It’s a fun time, fun weekend.”