Boys track notebook

Huntley's Marcus Popenfoose is looking for another big year after placing fourth in the Class AA shot put and 10th in the discus at state last spring.
(Rob Hart/Pioneer Press)

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At last Saturday's Cary-Grove Invitational, meet officials marked the discus sector out to 170 feet.

That's 15 feet past the Class 3A state qualifying standard and more than enough to contain the efforts of most prep throwers. But Huntley's Marcus Popenfoose is not like most prep throwers.

Two days after unleashing a 180-2 throw in a triangular win, the junior let loose with another monster effort. His 192-10 toss was the sixth best in Illinois history and 10th longest in the nation this spring, pending any other big performances over the weekend.

If Huntley coach Jim Rolando was at all surprised, it was only that Popenfoose was able to put up efforts like that so early in the outdoor season.

"He's probably put on 20 to 30 pounds of muscle since last year," Rolando said of the 6-3, 275-pounder. 

That, plus an offseason spent honing his technique at several clinics, helped one of the state's premier throwers get even better. Popenfoose was fourth in the Class AA discus at state last spring (168-9) and 10th in the shot put (54-3); this year he's already far eclipsed both marks with a 58-1 in the shot on Saturday.

Next up is an even more mind-boggling goal in the discus, according to Rolando.

"Two hundred (feet) is the magic number," the Huntley coach said. "That's something he wants to get as quickly as possible."

One of Popenfoose's best shots at that mark could come on Thursday at the Fremd Throws Invite, which will bring together some of the state's premier shot putters and discus throwers. Lake Park's Dan Block, who won the shot and was second in the discus at last year's Class AA state meet, is among those expected to compete.

MIX AND MATCH: With a less than complete squad because of spring break, Thornwood still had enough depth to come away with the Raider Invitational title Saturday at Glenbard South.

One of the highlights for the Thunderbirds was Kaleel Johnson's 10.6 for first place in the 100. "He's really been working hard," Thornwood coach Brian Evans said. "He's the last guy out of the weight room."

Johnson also ran splits of 22.0 and 51 seconds in the 800 and 1,600 relays, while Rodney Washington tied for first in the 400 (51.0) and was third in the 100 (10.8).

Cordarius Knox won a pair of events for the T'birds, leaping 22-1 in the long jump and clearing 5-10 in the high jump. 

"That was the big shock of the day," Evans said of the former effort. "He's only long-jumped four, five times in his career."

CLEARING A NEW HURDLE: The plan last Thursday was for Oak Forest's Wana Wauna to try the 300 hurdles for the first time, just to see how well he could do.

The answer: very well, indeed. The junior won the event in a triangular with Argo and Eisenhower in a school-record time of 40.97. He also won the 110 hurdles in 15.4, leaving him within striking distance of the Oak Forest mark in that event as well.

And Wauna teamed with Andrew Johnson, Sean Martinez and David Edwards to set a school record of 1:31.74 in the 800 relay.

"I didn't think we were going to get them this soon," Bengals coach Gary Andruch said of the school records.

The strong early performances are just one reason for optimism Oak Forest, which figures to benefit from the move to a three-class state meet.

"Normally, we might have one (individual) or one relay," Andruch said of state qualifying. "Our guys might get close to the (qualifying) time or distance, but they have a much better chance to get in the top two (in a Class 2A sectional)."

Got a story tip or comment? E-mail Sun-Times boys track writer Mike Clark at mclark@suntimes.com