Riverside-Brookfield High School Tim Olson believes that almost any Illinois Class 3A sectional in boys track is very competitive. While that may be fundamentally true, there’s no denying Lyons Township High School dominated its own sectional last week.
The Lions placed first with 202 points, won all four relays and seven of 14 individual events. Needless to say, LTHS will bring a caravan of state qualifiers to the 3A state finals May 25-27 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
LTHS excelled on the oval with five first-place finishes. Junior Danny Kilrea won the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9 minutes, 7.99 seconds and senior Vince Zona claimed the 1,600 title at 4:21.37. Sprinter Antwane Thigpen took first in the 100 (10.95) and junior Griffin Vizgirda won the 400 (51.64). Sophomore Xavier Armand captured the 300 intermediate hurdles with a time of 40.63.
The Lions also qualified Thomas Saggau, Austin Iturralde, Patrick Kane and Alex Lynch for the state finals in individual events.
Meanwhile, Riverside-Brookfield High School juniors Devin Moody and George Cervanka each won an event at Lyons Township. Moody won high jump at 6 feet, 3 inches, while Cervanka ran the 200 in 22.20. Cervanka also advanced to state in the 100 with a time of 11.04, trailing only Thigpen.
The Bulldogs’ 3,200 relay team of Jack Sagan, Jacob Wardzala, Angel Alarcon and Chris Mango punched its ticket to state with a runner-up time of 8:07.31
Fenwick
The Friars cruised to their own Class 2A sectional championship with 145 points. Dunbar (80), DFW Trading (63), Solorio (50) and Lake View (30) rounded out the top five.
Senior Anthony Pasquesi won a pair of events in long jump (22-2) and triple jump (41-7).
Fenwick pole vaulter Thomas Biegler won that event at 9-6, Will Flaherty took first in discus at 125-01 and distance runner Jack Darrow earned the 3,200 title at 9:44.05.
The Friars other state qualifiers were individual event runner-ups Anthony Maite (pole vault/9-0), Austin Glazier (shot put/41-2.5)), Matthew Augustyn (triple jump/40-9), Brendan Copp (800/2:09.48) and Joseph Wermes (1600/4:35.81).
LTHS girls
The Lions tied Normal U-High with 13 points apiece to finish 20th at the Class 3A state track and field finals last week. The LTHS 1,600 relay of sophomore Renata Wingert, senior Maggie Caplice, junior Sonia Slusarczyk and junior Tara Schwarz timed out at 3:55.49 to earn second.
Other notable scores turned in by LTHS state qualifiers included Emily Henkel (10:52.96/9th place) in the 3,200; junior Emma Fink in high jump (5-1/12th) and Slusarczyk in 100 hurdles (15:43.1/6th).
