Track Postseason Report: Sandburg boys 3200 relay records nation’s third-best time in 2022

By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer

How good was the competition in the boys track Class 3A Lockport Sectional in the 3200 meter relay?

Sandburg’s relay team of Brock Rice, Declan Tunney, Trent Anderson and Sean Marquardt ran a time of 7:42.42, which tied for the third-best time in the nation in 2022.

And that was only good enough for second place.

In a battle that went down to the wire, Hinsdale Central’s 7:42.15 performance barely beat the Eagles.

According to Athletic.net, the Eagles time is tied with Fremont (Nebraska) for the third-best time in the country entering this week. Hinsdale Central’s time was second in the nation.

Ridge (New Jersey) was the nation’s leader at 7:41.59.

Success in the 3200 is nothing new for the Eagles as they head into the weekend’s IHSA state meet in Charleston with the No. 2 seed and ready for a rematch with the Red Devils. Sandburg has medaled in the event nine straight years and won it three times during that span, including the 2016 season in which they set the state record with a 7:36.36.

The Eagles had one sectional champion this year at Lockport, as junior Lance Somerfield had a 23-1.5 long jump.

Also at Lockport, Shepard’s Roy Williams won the shot put with a throw of 53-10.75.

Morton Sectional
In other 3A action, Marist and Lyons tied for the Morton Sectional championship with 104 points each.

Marist sophomore Lucas Parr won the 100 with an 11.12, junior Danny Olsen won the 400 with a 50.28 and sophomore Kamil Kokot won the 110 high hurdles with a 15.33.

The RedHawks’ 400 relay team of Parr, Tyler O’Brochta, Michael Coy and Ak’Tavion Agee won with a 43.48. The 800 relay team of Parr, O’Brochta, Coy and Agee also won with a 1:30.80 and the 3200 relay team of Andrew Kerlin, Jake Phillips, Brendan Geary and Olsen won with an 8:02.27.

Lyons used depth to earn its co-championship as the team has just one sectional champ in junior triple jumper Will Disessa, who had a leap of 41-10.25.

Richards junior Owen Forberg continued to be on fire this season in the 1600, as he won with a 4:18.95. Senior Mustafa Washington won the shot put with a 50-7.

Morton senior Alex Bacci claimed a sectional crown in the 3200 with a 9:26.79 and senior teammate Daniel Chavez was right behind him at 9:28.05.

Riverside-Brookfield sophomore William Smithing won the 300 hurdles with a :41.48.

Brother Rice senior Henry Boyer claimed the top spot in the discus with a throw of 137-5.25. Senior teammate Joe Heilmann won the pole vault, clearing 11-6.25.

Oak Lawn’s Robert Wagner won the high jump with a 6-4.75 and the long jump with a leap of 21-1.25.

St. Rita Sectional
At the Class 2A St. Rita Sectional, the host Mustangs finished second to South Shore.

St. Rita senior E.J. Nwagwu won the 200 with a 22.31 and the 400 with a 50.41. The Mustangs’ 1600 relay team of Wayne Conley II, Kaleb Brown, Nwagwu and Nikolas Norton won with a 42.40. Triple-jumper Camden Martin earned a title with a leap of 38-1.75.

De La Salle finished first and second in the 1600 with senior Chase Pitre winning with a 4:57.83 and freshman Gabriel Schonknecht right behind him at 4:58.45. Schonknecht won the 3200 with a 10:42.95. Caleb Terrell won the high jump with a 5-9.75,

Mount Carmel’s Jaden Bossie won the 110 hurdles with a :14.79 and 300 hurdles with a 42.25. Maurice McLaren won the discus with a 107-0.25.

Evergreen Park junior Nathan Fernandez won the 800 as the Kankakee Sectional with a 2:05.93 while junior teammate Isiah Mosley won the shot with a 45-6.5 and senior Elijah Matthews claimed the triple jump with a 41-4.75.

Fenwick Sectional
At the Class 2A Fenwick Sectional, St. Laurence senior Adrian Williams won the 200 in 21.98.The 400 relay team of Matt Ochoa, Williams, Harley Rizz and DeShawn Parker won with a 43.32 and the 800 relay team of Ochoa, Parker, Allan Parker and Williams also claimed a championship. DeShawn Parker won the triple jump with a leap of 43-11.25.

Seneca Sectional

In Class 1A, Chicago Christian won the Seneca Sectional with 85 points for the program’s first sectional championship.

Knights’ sophomore Noah Luke was a 3200 with a time of 10:59.52. The 400 relay team of Steffon May, Jeremiah Oliver, Jon Tobey and Luke Jelderks won with a 44.03. Freshman Caden Boersma won the triple jump with a 41-0.25.

Girls track

Numerous area athletes competed at the HSA state finals, but only a few advanced to the second-day of competition.

In Class 3A, Lyons junior Catherine Sommerfield finished seventh in the 3200 with a time of 10:35.21 and 12^th in the 1600 with a 4:58.80. The 3200 relay team of Scarlett Lestina, Anna Bylsma, Kristina Findley and Shannon Cranny took eighth with a 9:32.05.

In the shot put, Shepard junior Kayden Porter finished 12^th with a 38-1.5. In the discus, Reavis junior Mercedes Herrera took 12^th with a 112-2. In the triple jump, Shepard junior Chloe Dunigan took 12^th with a 36-4.5.