CL Central finishes 2nd

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GRAYSLAKE – The Crystal Lake Central boys track and field team finished second at the IHSA Class 2A Grayslake Central Sectional on Friday, and Belvidere North handily captured first place.

Central’s 4x800-meter relay team won the sectional title in 8:08.10 and qualified for the state meet next weekend at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

“It’s a big surprise [finishing second overall],” Central coach Brian Seaver said. “We knew we had a chance in some of the events, but to do this well is great.”

The Tigers scored 751⁄3 points, and Belvidere scored 116. Richmond-Burton was third with 52 points.

The meet included numerous state-qualifying performances by local athletes.

In the pole vault, Crystal Lake Central senior Zach Siegmeier topped the field with a vault of 15 feet, 3 inches – his best jump of the year.

Teammate Mark Niemann’s vault of 14-3 was good enough for second place. As a result, both are headed to the Class 2A state finals.

“I’m ecstatic,” Siegmeier said after his jump. “My previous best this year was exactly 15 feet.”

He wasn’t alone in his celebration.

R-B junior Kyle Wismer’s 22-01⁄2 long jump won a sectional title and qualified for state.

Wismer was the only individual with a mark good enough Friday to qualify for state finals.

R-B was also the only school to produce a state-qualifiying mark in the high jump. 

Rockets junior Matt Marzahl won the event with a jump of 6-5 and Marian Central senior Nick Sabella finished second with a jump of 6-1.

The Rockets’ Ian Sanchez’s time of 1:59.41 in the 800-meter run netted him second place – good enough to qualify for the state meet.

Johnsburg senior Steve Seydel finished in 50.36 seconds in the 400, good for second place and a trip downstate.

Marian Central junior Jacob Tonkin will join Seydel in the 400 at state, after Tonkin finished third in 50.89 seconds.