Before going for a third trip to the Class 3A boys track and field state meet, Lyons Township High School senior Nick Strayer made another one to the renown Arcadia Invitational in California.
Strayer was sixth in the one mile (4:16.83) and 31st in the 800-meter run (1:57.71) Saturday morning.
“I wanted to start the outdoor season out strong,” said Strayer, ninth at one mile in 2022 (4:26.10). “This was the plan. I ran at Arcadia sophomore year and wanted to come back one more time for senior year.”
In May, the Brown University recruit is hoping for his first individual top-nine all-state track honors after being the lone non-senior on the fifth-place 4 x 800 relay in 2023 (7:51.25).
Strayer also was part of the 4×400 state relay (12th, 3:23.65) and qualified in the 1,600 (24th, 4:28.73) after solely competing at 2022 state with the 4 x 800 (17th, 8:06.05).
Other 2023 state returnees are seniors Adrian senior Adrian Llerenas from the 4×100 relay (17th, 42.87) and Cillian Henning (35th in 3,200, 9:44.34).
Strayer has been top-25, all-state twice in cross country, ninth in 2022 and 18th Nov. 4 along with Henning (10th and 15th Nov. 4), who is returning from injury and did not compete indoors.
During indoor season, Strayer was ranked No. 5 in Illinois for the 800 (1:55.44) and No. 8 for the 1,600 (4:16.85). He was second in the 800 (1:55.44) and 1,600 (4:21.56) for the sixth-place Lions at the indoor West Suburban Conference Silver Meet March 15.
“I definitely feel like I’m in the best shape of my life right now. It’s exciting I still have all of outdoors for training, getting better,” Strayer said. “I think we’ll be able to get some big things done.”
The Lions won the Argo Invitational Saturday (122 points) behind their distance crew.
They went 1-2 in the 3,200 with juniors John O’Halloran (10:20.31) and Isaac Constas (10:41.51) and the 1,600 with seniors Maksym Washchuk (4:42.07) and Charlie Ciesla (4:49.03).
Junior Tate Pavelka (800 in 2:04.83), the 4×800 (senior John Barrette and juniors Ben Wuggazer, Aaron Obert and Eric Roemer in 8:45.00) also took first. Junior Brady Ryan (13.99m/45-10 3/4 in shot), sophomore Peter Ziarno (2.59m/8-6 in pole vault), the 4×200 (Llerenas, senior Ryan Gugliazza and sophomores Gustavo Mojarro and Anthony Pearson in 1:36.31) and 4×400 (seniors Aiden Fouliard and John Barrette, junior Aaron Obert and Mojarro in 3:39.67) also were second.
LTHS girls track and field
Seniors Shannon Cranny, Anna Bylsma and Madison Findley were especially excited for the Lions’ first outdoor invite Saturday at Downers Grove South.
Because of injuries, the three contributors to 3A all-state finishes in the 4×800 relay never competed during the indoor season.
“It’s a nice day and a good meet to just get back into it),” said Bylsma after they finished second Saturday with junior Clarisa Gonzalez (10:03.52). “Now that we’re back for outdoors, I think after this race we’ve gotten some confidence and we’ll be able to do it (at state).”
The Lions return seven state entries from a 2023 season in which they won the Shepard Sectional and were fifth at the Silver Meet.
For the second straight season, the 4 x 800 was top-nine, all-state in 2023 (4th, 9:18.38) with Cranny and senior Kristina Findley in the finals and Madison Findley with them for the prelims. Cranny, Kristina Findley and Bylsma were part of the 2022 all-state lineup (8th, 9:32.05).
Junior and 2023 pole vault state qualifier Leigh Ferrell (31st, 2.98m/9-9 1/4) improved her all-time school record to 3.35m/11-0 1/4 March 2. Ferrell was seventh at Arcadia (10-9).
Other returning 2023 state qualifiers are senior Julianne Melby (26th in 3,200, 12:04.87), the 4×400 relay with the Findley twins (18th, 4:05.91) and the 4×200 with junior Jordyn Hoffenberg (29th, 1:48.40). Cranny (1,600) and Madison Findley (800) scratched individual berths after the 4×800 reached finals.
The Lions’ 4 x 400 of seniors Samantha Girgis, Samantha Konczal, Ieva Diliunas and Kristina Findley won Saturday in 4:13.52. Kristina Findley also was second in the 800 (2:21.02). LTHS was seventh (44 points).
Others to watch include seniors Lauren Bohringer, Annie Hejna, Alannah Justinich, Kelly Makovic and Olivia Thomas, juniors Natasha Lumb, Addison Pelling and Vesta Samoulis, sophomores Chloe Russell, Lindsey Dunneback and Gwen Smith and freshmen Lucy Laux and Mia Toulios.