Riverside Brookfield High School senior Brady Norman hoped for a faster 3,200-meter run in his second trip to the Class 3A boys track and field state meet last season. He couldn’t have asked for a much better conclusion to this indoor season. Norman ran an all-time school record 9:17.65, finishing ninth at the Illinois Indoor Championships at the Dr. Conrad Worrill Track at Chicago’s Gately Center. The previous record was 9:25.83 by Rich Slaughter in 1991. The RBHS program does not distinguish between indoor and outdoor records.
“I’ve been looking to hunt down that record for a long time,” Norman said. “I really hoped to get it at sectionals or state last year and I thought it was very doable. I’m very grateful to have finally gotten it now, especially after I had a couple of rough races.”
Norman is the lone returning state qualifier for the Bulldogs. New head coach, Travis Trevizo ran for RBHS and was an all-state fourth in the 2A 800 in 2012 and with the third-place 4 x 800 relay in 2011.
Last year, the Bulldogs won their final Metro Suburban Conference meet with 184 points. Norman, seniors Asa Kahle, Matt Torrens, Calvin Martin, Wayne Torrens and Connor Fouts and junior Quinn Hendricks were among 20 all-conference performances for top-three individuals and top-two relays.
Others to watch this season include seniors De’Marcus Robateau, Mateo Santini and captain Henry Walker, juniors Joe Alberts, Joey Campagna, Angelo Cardenas, Clay Dosek, August Favarula, Ryan Kendall, Connor Kolodziejski, Sam Lee, Mason Myslinski, Emmitt Olson and Kevin Zuniga, sophomores Jack Megall, Aiden O’Brien, Bryson Reum, Ian Spatzek, Ben Weismann and Lucas Williams and freshmen Levi Huffman, Omar Guzman Wilson Leister and Luca Valenzuela.
At their first indoor Upstate Eight Conference meet, March 21, the Bulldogs were eighth (19 points). Track and field combines both divisions.
“We are excited to be part of the Upstate Eight Conference this year,” Trevizo said.
Norman now is aspiring for top-nine, all-state honors. The school-record time ranked No. 15 in Illinois this indoor season. At 2024 state, he was 33rd (9:40.84) after qualifying with a then-personal best second-place 9:29.94 at sectionals. He was 43rd as a sophomore (10:04.01).
The Wisconsin-LaCrosse recruit was 77th at 3A state cross country, Nov. 9, as an individual qualifier.
“I think a huge key (in the 3,200 record) is the facility at Gately. That’s probably my favorite indoor track I’ve ever run on. It’s a beautifully banked indoor facility,” Norman said.
“I knew I was on pace for a [personal record] but I kind of tried not to think about it. The second I saw the [final] time, I knew. I hung on the railing a little bit and recovered and then gave [distance coach Jack Brady] a big hug.”
At the indoor UEC meet, Norman (1,600 in 4:41.75) and the 4 x 400 (Kahle, Walker, Huffman, Hendricks in 3:52.10) were fourth. Kahle (800 in 2:07.24) was fifth.
At last year’s MSC meet, Norman (3,200) and the 4 x 400 with Kahle and Hendricks were champions. Second-place Matt Torrens (100 and pole vault) and Fouts (300 hurdles) and third-place Martin (high jump), Wayne Torrens (100) and Kahle (800) also were all-conference.
Lyons Township boys track and field
Senior distance runner Charlie Ciesla has competed at the last two 3A boys cross country state meets with Lyons Township’s qualifying team. Ciesla got his first taste of state track and field last May with the 4 x 800 relay.
“[That] was quite unique compared to the cross country state meets,” he said. “We had to deal with cicadas, rain delays and some intense heat, which made racing a little more stressful than cross country. I hope this year we can have more normal conditions.”
The Lions also hope for a longer stay at state with berths in the events finals. At 2024 state, senior Ben Wuggazer competed in the two-section 3,200 Saturday (39th, 9:57.97) while the 4 x 800 relay with seniors Tate Pavelka, Ciesla and Isaac Constas (32nd, 8:10.43) and 4 x 400 relay with juniors Gusavo Mojarro and Mykola Washchuk and seniors Aaron Obert and Ethan Wuggazer (44th, 3:44.20) raced in Friday’s preliminaries.
The 4 x 800 is going after the 12-team finals and the Lions’ fourth top-nine, all-state honors for the event the past six state meets. Ben Wuggazer was an all-state 22nd in cross country, Nov. 9.
Ciesla feels he has a stronger training base for speed workouts after increasing his cross country training to about 60 miles per week. The 4 x 800 was third at the indoor West Suburban Conference Silver Division meet, March 21, in 8:14.27.
“The biggest part of my transition from junior to senior year was that I grew more comfortable racing and competing at a higher level. I also now believe that I am more ready to place well and score points for my team,” Ciesla said.
“Personally, I am excited to see what individual 800 time I can put up and what my teammates will be able to do in the (1,600 and 3,200).”
The Lions were seventh at the indoor Silver meet (30 points). Ben Wuggazer (9:30.05) and senior John O’Halloran (9:36.82) were third and fifth in the 3,200. Junior Ryland Avants (6-2 in high jump) was fourth, Ciesla (800 in 2:03.60), the 4 x 200 (1:35.91) and the 4 x 400 (3:35.67) were fifth and junior Tyler Gantt (1,600 in 4:32.32) and Anthony Pearson (55 high hurdles in 8.71) were sixth. Others individual competitors in the lineup included seniors Mason Burda, Reid Dickman, Dominic Kent, Usmaan Ibrahim, Luke Malay, Giovanni Paul, Eric Roemer, Brady Ryan, Emmanuel Thrasher and Ray Waliewski and junior Will Cormier. Soccer standout Burda has joined track for the first time.