In one of the most competitive Class 2A boys track & field sectionals in the state, Rochelle and Byron finished in the top five of team standings. It was quite an achievement considering defending state champ Sycamore, traditional power Kaneland and Dixon were in the 15-team field.
Led by nationally-ranked pole vaulter Andrew Nuyen, Rochelle tied with Sycamore for third with 67.5 points. Byron was fifth with 47.5. Dixon bested Kaneland 146.5-130 for the championship.
“I’m proud of the guys and how hard they worked all year,” Rochelle coach Dale Bergeson said. “We lost our best sprinter, Caden Goodwin (hamstring), at the county meet and still qualified the (4x100) and (4x200) relays.”
Nuyen closed out his home vaulting career at the Doug Creason Athletic Complex with a clearance of 16-feet-7 inches. He attempted a personal best of 17-5, but came up short.
“I’m more than happy with 16-9,” said the vaulter who had a best of nine feet as a freshman. “We’re going to push each other downstate. No matter what happens there, I will be extremely satisfied.”
What Nuyen was referring to is quite possibly the best pole vaulting competition in IHSA history this weekend with 18-footer Isaiah Whitaker of Bloomington Central Catholic and Kyle Quaid-Bowman of Glenbard South (17-3), who beat Nuyen for the 2A title last year on fewer misses battling with Nuyen for the state title. Whitaker is a three-time 1A champ, but BCC was bumped up to 2A this year.
Nuyen also won the long jump at 22-6, breaking his own school record.
“I’m grateful to have the school record in the long jump,” he added.
Another school record was put up by Hunter Bivins in winning the 300 hurdles in a time of 39.50.
“I felt great and the weather was perfect,” Bivins said. “A time like that could put me in the finals downstate.”
Bivins also finished third in the 110 high hurdles at 15.69, just outside of the 15.61 needed for SQ. Wyatt Worthington was sixth in both races.
“About the only spot we didn’t make state qualifying that we had a chance for was the 110 hurdles,” Bergeson said. “Other than that, this is the most I think Rochelle has ever sent downstate.”
It was a total of seven individual and two relay qualifications for the Hubs. Had senior Gabe Montes not been injured at the pole vault pit at Ottawa the week before, Rochelle would have likely had another qualifier, as he had been over 13-3.
Sophomore Tyler Johnson continued his strong distance running with a SQ time of 1:58.54 in taking third in the 800 meters. Justin DeClerck (6-2) was one of 8 high jumpers that made qualifying.
The 4x100 relay of Jaden Martina, Reece Harris, Nathaniel Rosas and Bivins ran 43.41 to take fifth and qualify. It was a repeat performance in the 4x200 relay with Martina, Rosas, Harris and DeClerck hitting SQ with a 1:32.50.
In the 4x400 relay, the Hubs just missed the 3:30.40 needed by less than a second. DeClerck also took a fourth in the triple jump.
A youthful Byron squad is sending a relay and eight individual events downstate. Sophomore Landon Bonvallet qualified in three events (high jump, 400 meters, 4x200 relay) and just missed a fourth qualification in the 200.
“Our underclassmen were awesome. It was a breakthrough meet for them,” Byron coach Mike McHale said. “Bonvallet showed his endurance by running a leg on the 4x2 and coming back in the 400.”
Sophomore Evan Northup won the high jump (6-2 1/2), sophomore Brady Kann (160-10) qualified in the discus with a PR, as did freshman Brooks Auker (145-9). Sophomore Elliot Blache hit a PR (39-6) in the triple jump to place sixth.
In the pole vault, senior Xander Vajgrt made SQ 12-9 and appeared to have clearance of several inches higher. Long-time veteran of the program and cross-country all-stater Tim Starwalt ran 4:30 in the 1,600 to have the opportunity to run one more time downstate.
The final qualifier for the Tigers was the fifth-place 4x200 relay (1:32.21) of Keegan Mitchell, Camden Wright, Jacob White and Bonvallet.