Kaneland boys track and field coach Andy Drendel said the Knights are sending the most entries to state that he can remember - 14 out of 18 events.

Then factor in the performance came out of a difficult Class 2A, in which there were only four events that qualified the minimum two entries for state, and he said it made their showing even more impressive.

The Knights finished with 130 points, behind Dixon’s dominant 146.5-point showing. After a strong showing to beat Kaneland and win the Interstate 8 title last week, Sycamore tied Rochelle for third with 67.5 points and qualified seven entries for state, including all four relay teams.

Kaneland is also sending all four relays, with Jackson Boryc on the 4x200-meter, 4x400 and winning 4x100 that finished in 42.6, just 0.31 seconds ahead of the runner-up Spartan group of Vasilios Arhos, Joseph Hansen, Chase Miller and Crewe Bartelt.

Boryc said competing in such a tough sectional is good preparation for the state tournament, which for Class 2A starts May 28 in Charleston.

“It helps us at state for sure, gives us some real competition,” Boryc said. “Then it also, selfishly, makes me feel pretty good. To qualify in four events, that’s pretty good with a tough sectional like this.”

Boryc said he had been battling an illness all week, but it didn’t stop him from going 4 for 4 in qualifying for state. He also came within .02 seconds of winning the 100, finishing in 11.15 behind Dixon’s Owen Belzer.

He, Colton VanDyke, Noah Cornell and Benjamin Karl won the 4x100 and the 4x200 (1:28.45), 1.5 seconds ahead of Sycamore’s Hansen, Abel Batcheller, Mason Hamel and Crewe Bartelt.

In the 4x400, Batcheller, Lucas Miller, Josh Miller and Bartelt finished in second (3:26.47) behind the Sterling team (3:23.44) and ahead of VanDyke, Boryc, Joey Schuch and Gavin Smith (3:26.87).

Last week, Sycamore beat Kaneland 158-156.5, with Rochelle last with 48 points.

“I think we did a lot better than we did last week,” Boryc said. “We did good but we didn’t do great. I thought we did great this week.”

For Sycamore, Will Rosenow qualified in both the shot put and discus, setting a personal best with a toss of 18.11 meters in the shot, leading seven qualifiers in the event, including Kaneland freshman Brandon Lewis (15.23, PR).

Rosenow also won the discus with a throw of 52.9, leading nine qualifiers in that event, including senior teammate Clark Jamarolin (45.5, seventh).

“My goal is definitely to win in shot put,” said Rosenow, who went over 18 meters for the first time after taking second at the state meet last year and ninth in discus. “Maybe even win in discus. But winning shot put is my goal.”

Rosenow, an offensive lineman who earlier this week picked up his second NCAA Division I football offer from NIU, said crossing over 18 meters was a big milestone and came at the perfect time right before state.

Sycamore coach Matt Kosecki agreed.

“You see so many people throwing 17s, but once you hit over 18, it’s a much more elite class,” Kosecki said. “Finally getting over that, I think that’s a great sign.”

Bartelt qualified in three events for the Spartans, anchoring the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 for Sycamore and helping them to a trio of second-place finishes.

After going head-to-head against Kaneland last week as well as the Knights, Dixon and everyone else this week, Bartelt said the Spartans are ready for whatever state throws at them next week.

“I think this competition really pushes us. I think it’s what helped us get the times we got,” Bartelt said. “Plus having some good rivalries as well, having a team we just love to beat and love to race against. It’s a great feeling.”

The only events without a qualifier from Sycamore or Kaneland were the 400 and 300 hurdles.

Kaneland’s Benjamin Karl won the 200 (22.19, PR), Gavin Smith was second in the 800 (1:57.95), and in the 1,600 both Gavin Schnurstein (4:29.3, second, PR) and Evan Whildin (4:30.36, fifth) qualified.

Brady Mittman took second in the 110 hurdles (15.47). Whildin, Schnurstein, Schuch and Nathan Kowalczyk took third in the 4x800 (8:07.67). Evan Olp was second in the high jump (1.87 meters) and Griffin Seaton was second in both the long jump (6.74) and triple jump (13.14).

Drendel said he was particularly happy with Lewis, a freshman who was seeded 13th in the shot put, took fifth and set the school’s freshman record.

“He’s been coming on really strong the last couple of weeks,” Drendel said. “The mark he put up, he did it on his very first throw. He’s just a really intrinsically motivated young man. He wanted it, he worked really hard. He’s just going to be a load in a couple of years.”

Junior pole vaulters Trevor Meagher and Rockland Phillips qualified for state, pushing the program’s streak to 44 years in a row for qualifying a vaulter for state. Meagher was third (4.03) and Phillips fourth (3.88).

For Sycamore, Logan Jones was qualified with a fourth-place finish in the 3,200 (9:48.79, PR). Jack Daskal, Josh Miller, Liam Berry and Lucas Miller finished second in the 4x800 in 8:04.05.