Kaneland seeks repeat performance

Updated: May 26, 2011 7:18PM

Can the Kaneland boys track team come up with an encore for last year’s second-place team finish at the IHSA Class 2A State Meet?

Despite losing a strong senior class — Logan Markuson scored in four events, Nick Sinon won the high jump and the 1,600 relay also won — don’t count the Knights out, said coach Eric Baron.

“I think we can come close (to repeating that performance) the same way we accomplished it last year,” said Baron, whose team has qualified all four relays and individuals in six events for this weekend’s state meet at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

“We come in on the fringe of being in contention for a trophy. To do it again we have to have a good day and hope that some of the others (that are in contention) have people they are counting on have an off day or a not-so-good day.”

The Knights lost a lot of star power, but a quartet of seniors — Tommy Whittaker, Taylor Andrews, Trevor Holm and Curtis Secrest — has stepped up to lead this team.

Whittaker has qualified for state for the fourth year in a row and for four events (100, 400, 400 relay, 1,600 relay) for the second year in a row. Andrews, who placed fifth in the 110 high hurdles last year, returns in the event and is ranked second among all qualifiers. Holm anchored the all-state 3,200 relay last year and leads it again. He’s also in the 1,600. And Secrest will run in two relays.

“There’s a lot of experience there with those guys,” Baron said. “Hopefully, the younger guys see the model they set. We also qualified four freshmen (Luis Acosta, Brandon Bishop, Jesse Balluff, Dylan Nauert) for state.”

Close call

Andrews hit the third hurdle and fell in the 300 intermediates at sectional or the Knights would have likely had another chance for points at state.

“He’s a little bit better in the 110s than the 300s,” Baron said, “but he could have been in contention for the (300) finals.

“On the other hand, it may strengthen our 4-by-400 relay (which is run three events after the 300 hurdles), which he anchors. We’re kind of excited about that.”

Andrews anchored that relay and passed a Sterling runner to give his team the win.

“(Andrews) is a fantastic kid and it takes a lot to get him mad and he was pretty mad for that one,” Baron said. “We tell our first three (relay) kids to put your anchor in position. They did that and he closed the gap on the Sterling kid.”

The streak

Sophomore Kory Harner is in the middle of the pack among the pole vault qualifiers, but Baron thinks he could surprise. It’s the 30th straight year Kaneland has had a qualifier in the event.

“The pressure is off him as far as extending that streak,” the coach said. “He’s got good technique and downstate it pays off. If he makes it to Saturday (and the finals), I think got a very good chance of being all-state.”

Kings of hurdles?

Kane County looks like the place to be when it comes to the hurdles.

In Class 3A, Batavia senior Rob Mohr is the top seed in the 300s (37.58) and the second seed in the 110s (14.17). He will be joined in the longer race by teammate David Voland as well as a pair of qualifiers from both West Aurora (Marcus Waller and Patrick Schultz) and Geneva (Ryan Ahern and Thomas Frederick).

Waller and Ahern are also in the 110 highs.

In addition to Andrews, Class 2A’s 300 hurdles qualifiers include Eddy Grahovec (6th) of Marmion and Nauert of Kaneland.

A distance double?

Last weekend, Yorkville’s 3,200 relay won the Class 2A girls title, the Foxes’ boys team enters this week’s meet as the top seed in that event after posting a time of 7:58.94 last week at sectional. Chatham Glenwood is second at 8:01.56.

The team, which features seniors Scott King and Kyle Dhuse and juniors Chris Kellogg and Jake Callahan, will be challenged, said coach Ben Draper.

“That’s the same group that qualified for us last year and they were ranked 13th in the prelims, making them the first team to not make the finals,” the coach said.

“Us being ranked No. 1 is a little misleading, though. A couple teams like Belvidere North did what we did at sectional with the girls. They didn’t run their top lineup to allow some of those guys the chance to qualify in an individual event or two, knowing they could get their relay downstate with a substitute or two.”

If his quartet faces all the top teams available, Draper still thinks a top five finish is possible.

Top threats?

Seeding the state meet based on sectional times and marks is nowhere near an exact science, considering the sectionals can be held in very different conditions, but it does let competitors know where they stand.

So who are the area’s other top threats to place high this weekend?

Mooseheart high jumper Oumaru Abdulahi (6-8) is first in Class 1A.

Mooseheart’s Noel Yarngo is second in the 300 intermediate hurdles.

Sandwich pole vaulter Sam Hill (14-8.5) is first in Class 2A.

Sandwich high jumper Joe Worley (6-5) is tied for second.

Kaneland’s 1,600 relay of sophomore Brandon Cottier, Secrest, Andrews and Whittaker (3:20.96) ranks second in 2A.

Waubonsie Valley’s Owen Saldana (182-7) is second in 3A discus.

Batavia’s 1,600 relay of Mohr, Voland, Jacob Brenner and Emund Kabba (3:19.09) ranks third in 3A.

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