Kabba, Zinzer enter as top seeds

May 28, 2009 By RICK ARMSTRONG rarmstrong@scn1.com

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They top the charts.

It won't win them anything this weekend at the boys state track meet in Charleston, but Batavia's Bai Kabba and West Aurora's Josh Zinzer will enter as the No. 1 rated sprinters in their respective events, the 400-meter and 200-meter dashes.

Boys state track meet

Where: O'Brien Field, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Ill.

Thursday's schedule : Class 1A track prelims, field prelims, 11 a.m.

Friday's schedule: Class 2A track prelims, field prelims, 9 a.m.; Class 3A field prelims, 10 a.m. Class 3A track prelims, noon.

Saturday's schedule: Parade of competitors, 9 a.m.; field event finals 10 a.m.; track event finals 10 a.m.

Area qualifiers

CLASS 3A

Batavia: Bai Kabba (100, 400, 400 relay, 1,600 relay); Andy Thomas (400 relay); Edmond Kabba (400 relay); Scott Poulos (400 relay); Rob Mohr (110 hurdles), Sam Stoner (1,600 relay); Drew Dierslake (1,600 relay); Erich Zeddies (1,600 relay).

East Aurora: Kendrick Cross (long jump); Jamario Taylor (high jump).

Geneva: Frank Boenzi (shot put, discus); Jake Tauscher (3,200 relay); Chris Higgins (3,200 relay), Drew Hickey (3,200 relay), Andrew Nelson (3,200 relay, 1,600); Tom Frederick (110 hurdles);

Marmion Academy: Sam Duffield (high jump, 300 hurdles); Joe Weber (shot put); Nick Assell (400 relay, 800 relay); Bobby Miles (400 relay, 800 relay), Mike Gruesen (400 relay, 800 relay); Alex Rindone (400 relay, 800 relay, 100, 200); Andrew Larsen (3,200, 1,600); Oscoar Aguinaga (800, 1,600);

Oswego East: Eric Brown (800); Derek Drew (400).

Waubonsie Valley: Michael Schmelzel (pole vault); James Davenport (high jump); Andrew Szott (shot put); Ricky Walls (triple jump); Alex Kampf (discus); Bobby Collins (100); Emmett Lorenz (800, 3,200 relay); Michael Lorenz (3,200 relay); Matt Havlik (3,200 relay); Craig Huhtala (3,200 relay); Jack Foley (3,200 relay).

West Aurora: Aviance King (high jump); Kevin Costin (shot put); Marcus Waller (300 hurdles); Josh Zinzer (200, 400 relay, 800 relay); Steve McMullen (400 relay); Leon Spears (400 relay, 800 relay, 1,600 relay); Marcus Cocfort (800 relay, 1,600 relay); Darron Guyton (400 relay, 800 relay); George Handley (1,600 relay).

CLASS 2A

Aurora Central: Dan Kottkamp (3,200 relay, 1,600 relay); Jimmy Spencer (3,200 relay); John Jochum (3,200 relay); Ben Garcia (3,200 relay, 1,600 relay); Garrett McCarthy (1,600 relay); Cisco Carmona (1,600 relay).

Oswego: Brandon Lang (200).

Kaneland: Logan Markuson (pole vault, 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 1,600 relay); Josh Bloome (pole vault); Nick Sinon (high jump); Paul Davies (3,200); Taylor Andrews (110 hurdles); Lucas Ross (1,600 relay); Hayden Johnson (1,600 relay, 3,200 relay); Edgar Valle (1,600 relay, 3,200 relay); Derek Bus (3,200 relay); Matt Reusche (3,200 relay).

Yorkville: Jake Bilinski (3,200 relay); Nick Cowger (3,200 relay); Scott King (3,200 relay); Mike Addison (3,200 relay); Max Sliwa (3,200); Jake Austin (800).

CLASS 1A

Aurora Christian: Brandon Oest (high jump, 400 relay); Braxton Warner (shot put); Dylan Melody (800, 400, 400 relay); Jordan Roberts (400 relay); Jawanza Wright (400 relay).

Hinckley-Big Rock: Ryan Lippert (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles).

Indian Creek: Justin Wassmann (triple jump); Alex Bremner (1,600).

Plano: Joseph Jones (3,200), Cesar Ocon (300 hurdles).

"It's nice to see that," said Zinzer, who took sixth in state last year in the 200 and covered the distance at the Plainfield Central Sectional last weekend in 21.56 seconds. "But I'm thinking it all depends on how well you run down there.

"I'm expecting to make the final. There's no extra pressure (due to the ranking). Everyone is so close anyway. (That top seed is) just something to shoot for."

Kabba won his race in 48.59 seconds, which knocked .95 of a second off his school-record time. He's improved that mark twice since initially breaking it in 2007.

"I think he's gonna run even better down there," said his coach, Dennis Piron, who held the school record from 1983 to 2007.

"Kabba really hasn't been pushed. He's won every one of his 400 races this year and hasn't had to battle with anyone going down the stretch."

Both seniors went head to head at the Kane County meet this year in the 100 and 200 with Zinzer winning the shorter race and Kabba taking the 200.

"I kind of wish I'd gotten another chance at him (in the 200)," Zinzer said. "I think (Kabba) will do well in his race."

Piron says it's not wise to put too much stock in the rankings based on sectional times.

"You never really know what went into it for everyone that qualified," said Piron. "A guy might have run a couple relays or other events that he won't run at state, you never know what went into it."

Area competitors have qualified in 33 events and 15 relays for the three-class meet.

Dan Thorpe's Cadets are coming off their best sectional showing in recent history, winning the title at St. Charles North with 95 points to best Geneva (81) and Batavia (76).

Marmion will send individuals in nine events and two relays.

"We came into the sectional healthy and hungry and the results showed that we were running sound workouts," said Thorpe, who pointed to the four wins by senior sprinter Alex Rindone (100, 200 and two relays) as one of his team's many highlights.

"We have a good track team that is capable of scoring in a number of areas."

West High and Waubonsie Valley in 3A and Kaneland in 2A all have excellent chances of finishing high in the team standings this weekend. IHSA Boys State Track Meet