Huntley’s Popenfoose picks Auburn

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HUNTLEY – Huntley senior Marcus Popenfoose, one of the top throwers in area track and field history, is headed to Auburn University.

Popenfoose visited the Southeastern Conference school last month and gave the coaching staff his commitment Tuesday night. He will sign his NCAA Division I letter of intent in February and attend the Alabama school on full athletic scholarship.

“I felt [Auburn] was where I’d do the best as a thrower and an athlete,” Popenfoose said. “That’s where I thought I’d perform at the best level.”

Popenfoose has won four medals in the IHSA State Track and Field Meet in his three years. He was eighth in Class AA discus as a freshman and fourth in Class AA discus as a sophomore. Last year, he was state runner-up in the Class 3A discus and shot put to Lake Park’s Dan Block, who won both events.

Popenfoose’s three final schools were Auburn, Iowa and Colorado State. The recruitment process picked up for Popenfoose last summer with his notoriety, but he tried to enjoy the process.

“It’s been exciting and it’s been pretty fun,” he said. “I tried to make it simple. I had a plan all along where I wanted to go.”

Popenfoose held a Class 3A state meet record overnight last spring at 199-8. Block, however, beat that with his first throw in Saturday’s finals to take the record and the title. That was Popenfoose’s best throw of the season; his best shot put effort was 60-3.

Popenfoose, who is 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, will enter his senior track and field season as the Class 3A favorite in both events.