Lyons Township High School senior Vince Barcelona was seeded to advance to his first IHSA Class 3A boys track and field state meet in both hurdles races at the Proviso East Sectional on May 17.
Sharing the top seed for the 110-meter high hurdles, Barcelona clipped a hurdle and finished a non-qualifying eighth.
He still had the 300 intermediate hurdles as the No. 1 seed.
“It was definitely hard to readjust and refocus, especially because I thought I was going to get it [in the 110s],” Barcelona said. “[LTHS assistant coach Luke Taylor] came up to me and was just like, ‘It’s over. Nothing you can do about it. Just need to focus on the 300s.’”
Barcelona not only qualified in the 300 hurdles, but he won in a lifetime-best 39.59 seconds as part of the second-place Lions’ 13 state qualifiers with top-two sectional finishes or by achieving state-qualifying standards at the meet.
“[State has] been a dream of mine since I was a freshman. I think I was at 50 seconds,” Barcelona said. “It feels really good to get there.”
Seniors Jack Rempfer (50.10) and Matt McGovern (50.57) finished 1-2 in the 400.
The 1,600 relay (Rempfer, senior Michael Ferrell, junior Nick Strayer, McGovern in 3:24.04) and the 3,200 relay (Strayer, Ferrell, senior John Meyers, McGovern in 7:52.42) also were sectional champions.
Will DiSessa advanced in all four of his events by winning triple jump (13.51 meters/44 feet-4 inches) and being second in the 100 (10.93) and 200 (22.07). He also joined juniors Dan Montesano and Adrian Llerenas and Rempfer in the 400 relay (42.85).
Third-place Montesano (11.04 in 100) and Strayer (1,600 in 4:21.94) and fourth-place junior Cillian Henning (3,200 in 9:31.47) and Ferrell (800 in 1:59.06) beat state-qualifying standards.
Many Lions return to state significantly stronger than 2022 and in contention for top-nine, all-state honors. The 3,200 relay had the state’s No. 3 fastest sectional time. Barcelona and the 1,600 relay were No. 5.
DiSessa, 22nd in triple jump in 2022, reached 44-11.25 in April and a lifetime-best 45-1.25 indoors.
“I know I can get further up there [in triple jump], DiSessa said. “All of the guys around me are within centimeters, so I’m hoping to get on the podium, hopefully top five.”
Sophomore Trevor Devries was third in long jump (6.50m/21-4), shy of the 22-2 state-qualifying standard.
