Manfrin made D-C history

Dundee-Crown junior Anthony Manfrin is the Northwest Herald Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Manfrin finished sixth in the Class 3A race at the IHSA Cross Country State Meet. (Nick Dentamaro - ndentamaro@nwherald.com)

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Dundee-Crown junior Anthony Manfrin became concerned after his race at the Palatine Invitational on Sept. 27.

Manfrin thought his sore right calf, where he suffered a micro-tear early in the season, had sufficiently healed. For the first 2 miles, he looked fine and hung with the top group of runners. In the final 800 meters, he planted while making a turn and felt a shooting pain in his right leg that forced him to drop out of the race.

“It was definitely in my mind that maybe my season was over,” Manfrin said.

But Manfrin, who had run sparingly before that race, was far from done. The pain was emanating from a cyst that had developed in his calf. Once diagnosed, Manfrin’s doctor drained the cyst and relieved the pain. Manfrin gained confidence that he would not be reinjured and eventually finished his season placing sixth in the Class 3A boys race at the IHSA Cross Country State Meet in Peoria.

Manfrin was selected as the Northwest Herald Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, edging Cary-Grove’s Phil Fairleigh, his competitive rival and close friend. The Northwest Herald sports staff made the pick with input of area coaches.

Manfrin, Fairleigh, Crystal Lake Central’s Ryan Alvarez, McHenry’s Jeff Sabatka and
Richmond-Burton’s Ian Sanchez were chosen to the All-Area first team. C-G’s Matt Klein and Eddy Gibbons, R-B’s Matt Lytle, Woodstock’s J.D. Fuller and Prairie Ridge’s Matt Neubauer were named to the second team.

Manfrin finished strong in the postseason, winning the Fox Valley Conference Meet for the first time, then winning the St. Charles North Regional and taking second in the St. Charles East Sectional. His sixth-place finish was the highest boys finish in Chargers’ history.

“Winning conference was a big surprise,” Manfrin said. “That was a huge confidence booster. I ran well in the sectional with Tyler Jermann [of Naperville North]. I wasn’t disappointed that I lost, I was just happy to be going back to state.”

Manfrin was on his way to an All-State finish last year when he fainted about 500 meters from the finish. This time, he kept picking off runners in the final mile and moved up to sixth. Fairleigh was a few seconds behind him at 12th.

“It was a great comeback,” D-C coach Tom Smith said. “I don’t know how many people could have been hanging in races the way he was [injured]. Once he found out what was going on, then he was able to run fine. What he accomplished was pretty impressive.

“His workouts are incredible. We stand in awe of what Anthony can do in a workout. He found out what he was dealing with and there was no turning back. At state, he ran a great race. He ran the race he had to.”

Manfrin was pleased that Fairleigh, who also had not previously won a state medal in cross country or track, was right there with him.

“I was definitely really happy with sixth place,” Manfrin said. “I felt like I could have raced a little better and a little smarter, but it was better than I thought I would do [before the race]. I’m definitely really, really happy about what happened.”