CLC ties for 2nd

Crystal Lake Central’s Michael Bondi (left) and Chris Alvarez compete in the 800-meter run Friday during the IHSA Class 2A Grayslake North Sectional. (Hollyn Johnson - hjohnson@nwherald.com)

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GRAYSLAKE – The IHSA Class 2A Grayslake North Sectional produced plenty of drama and a slew of local boys track and field state meet qualifying marks Friday night.

Crystal Lake Central, which had won the Fox Valley Conference championship and McHenry County Meet, saved its best performance for last. The Tigers found themselves stuck in fourth place with only the 4x400-meter relay remaining, and they didn’t disappoint.

Central’s Dyllon McKinney, Brett Schuld, Garrett Davis and Josiah Becker turned in their best time of the season (3:22.09), which earned them a trip to the state finals next week at Eastern Illinois University.

It also vaulted the Tigers (100 points) up two spots in the standings, and into a tie with Lakes for second place. Additionally, junior Sean Buczek will join his four teammates downstate, after finishing with the top mark in the triple jump at 43 feet, 13⁄4 inches.

Grayslake Central won the meet with 104 points, but the Tigers held a rowdy team celebration near the finish line after Becker ended the anchor leg of the 4x400.

“We worked so hard all season long for this,” McKinney said. “It feels great to be making the trip [downstate], and it means everything to us to have finished the year this way.”

Woodstock, which finished fifth overall (46.333 points), was strong early in the meet. Sophomore Tyler Parsons (15.56 seconds) finished first in the 110-meter hurdles, while junior Donte Arnold (40.19) was third in the 300-meter hurdles. Both times were good enough to qualify for the state meet.

Streaks junior Eddie Grogg won the high jump by clearing 6-1, sending him downstate as well.

“Last year, Eddie hurt his ankle in the first outdoor meet of the season and missed the rest of the year,” Woodstock assistant coach Greg Zachwieja said.

“He’s worked so hard to come back, and hopefully he can do even better than his top mark of 6-6 in the finals.”

Johnsburg will send senior Jake Szramek to the Class 2A finals, after he posted a mark of 13-9 in the pole vault, good for second place just behind Becker’s 14-3 for the Tigers.

Szramek joins teammate Daniel Fox, who qualified for the trip to Eastern Illinois in the 3,200-meter run with a fifth-place time of 9:42.96. 

“That was my best mark all year,” Szramek said. “Before today, my best vault was 13 feet even. It was also my first year with a pole-vaulting coach, which really helped a lot.”

Marengo’s Joe Janssen (1:58.55) finished just more than two seconds behind Belvidere North’s Will Crocker (1:56:41) in the 800-meter run, which sent the Indians’ senior to the state finals, as well.