FVC runners share tight bond

Woodstock's Marshall Happ sprints to the finish line during the 1,600-meter run at the McHenry County Track & Field Meet on April 18 at Cary-Grove. (Lauren M. Anderson – landerson@nwherald.com)

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CHARLESTON – Runners tend to develop close relationships that practically transcend competition.

So it wasn’t surprising after the Fox Valley Conference Boys Track and Field Meet two weeks ago to see Dundee-Crown’s Anthony Manfrin and Woodstock’s Marshall Happ exchanging phone numbers and making plans to play hoops and golf after the season.

Just like it wasn’t a shock that, after the IHSA Cross Country Meet in November, Cary-Grove junior Phil Fairleigh invited about 15 runners, including Manfrin, for a get-together at Veteran Acres Park in Crystal Lake. Afterward, they ate at Fairleigh’s house and played basketball.

The members of this FVC running fraternity have high hopes today and Saturday at the IHSA Boys Track and Field State Meet at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium.

The Class 1A preliminaries took place Thursday afternoon, with Harvard and Alden-Hebron competing in that meet. The Class 2A and 3A prelims are today. Finals in all three classes will be Saturday in class order.

In 3A, Fairleigh is seeded third from sectionals in the 3,200-meter run. Manfrin and Happ, who ran strong races at the FVC and Hononegah Sectionals, are seeded 2-3, respectively, in the 1,600.

The FVC might never again produce a distance machine like Jacobs’ Evan Jager, who won four state titles in track and cross country and turned professional at 19, but the conference might be deeper in distance talent than ever before. And those leading the way have become rather tight.

“It’s interesting how everyone’s so competitive on the track, but after the race, they’re so completely cool with each other,” Fairleigh said. “It will definitely be exciting for the FVC.”

Crystal Lake South’s Steven Rogers, who has one of the best times in the 3A 800, and D-C’s 4x800 relay team and Crystal Lake Central’s 4x800 team (in 2A) add to the FVC’s distance prowess.

Fairleigh and Manfrin grew closer through the cross country season.

Both had devastating finishes at the state meet, where Manfrin, running 15th, collapsed 800 meters from the finish and Fairleigh went out too fast and finished well out of All-State range. They commiserated on their cell phones on the way home.

Shortly after that, Fairleigh arranged a workout with runners from Neuqua Valley, Naperville North and Loyola Academy, among others.

Geneva’s Andrew Nelson, a friend of Manfrin’s, also was there.

“A lot of kids I’ve met from running are easy to get along with,” said Manfrin, a sophomore. “Phil and I have gone out a few times during the season.”

Happ played soccer in the fall, but he’s grown closer to the runners this season.

“Anthony and I really didn’t know each other that well,” Happ said. “I didn’t run against him until conference, and now we’ve been talking online.”

Happ made the Class AA 1,600 finals last year, while Manfrin just missed. They both would like to win their heats, thus assuring a spot in the 12-competitor finals, although both should make it on time. Manfrin figures a time of 4:18 should do it.

Fairleigh doesn’t have a prelim race in the 3,200, but he, too, has a time in mind for Saturday.

“I’d want to say I’ll try to get under 9:00,” Fairleigh said. “I just want to focus on getting a good solid race and being competitive.”