Streak at stake for Jacobs

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Out of respect for a remarkable string of six consecutive Fox Valley Conference titles, McHenry boys track and field coach Dave D’Angelo said he considered Jacobs again to be the team to beat.

Golden Eagles coach Jason Borhart hardly shares that optimism.

“McHenry’s the favorite,” Borhart said, chuckling. “[D’Angelo’s] not going to say his team’s the favorite, but the other 11 [coaches] will.”

McHenry, which is deep in field events and strong on the track, will be trying to end Jacobs’ streak and its own drought at the FVC Boys Track and Field Meet, which starts at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Crystal Lake Central’s Owen Metcalf Field.

Borhart might feel better about his team’s chances if two of his best runners – sprinter Mike Wallace and hurdler Danny Trevor – were at full speed. Wallace strained his right hamstring at the finish line in the 200-meter dash at the McHenry County Meet three weeks ago. Trevor has run only three races outdoors all season, all in the 110 high hurdles.

Normally, Wallace would be a heavy favorite in the 100 and 200 and would be pushing Crystal Lake South’s Emmanuel Gamez in the 400. Trevor would be a favorite in the 110 high and 300 intermediate hurdles. Without both of them in top condition, McHenry’s chances greatly improve.

“We’re just not healthy right now,” said Borhart, who never has lost an FVC Meet as a head coach. “I’m not exactly sure where we sit or what’s going to happen.”

“Do we run and take our chances or hold off another week and try to get ready for the [IHSA Class 3A Hononegah] sectional?” Borhart said.

McHenry got a huge field performance from Ryan Michel, who won the high, long and triple jumps, as the Warriors won the county meet against Jacobs by 12 points.

“If we can continue to score 65 or 70 points on the field, then we can do it on the track, we can win it,” said D’Angelo, who was on the Warriors’ last FVC champion boys track team in 1981. We need to be strong in the field events. As far as I’m concerned, Jacobs is still the favorite until somebody beats them. They always seem to find a way.”

McHenry has two seconds and six thirds in the FVC Meet since 1981.

“The kids know what our potential is,” D’Angelo said. “We should be right there, but it might come down to the 4x400 [relay, the final race].”

BNC, SCC Meets: The Big Northern Conference and Suburban Catholic Conference also will have their boys track and field meets, starting at
4 p.m. today.

Stillman Valley hosts the BNC Meet, and Marmion will host the SCC Meet.

Burlington Central is the perennial boys power in the BNC Meet, which will have four local teams (Hampshire, Harvard, Marengo and Richmond-Burton).

Harvard’s Cody Kramer will be one of the top sprinters, as will Marengo’s Scott Donley. R-B will have versatile athletes Kyle Wismer and Kenny Riordan, along with distance runner Ian Sanchez, leading its charge.

Marian Central is the lone area team competing in the SCC Meet.

Kendrick to Grinnell: Crystal Lake Central tight end Taylor Kendrick proved he could be a dangerous receiver in a run-oriented offense. Kendrick, a 6-foot-2 tight end for the Tigers, will head to a more pass-friendly offense next season at NCAA Division III Grinnell (Iowa) College.

Kendrick caught 14 passes for 336 yards (an average of 24 yards a catch) and three touchdowns. He was able to keep some defenses honest against the Tigers’ double-wing running attack.

“I was happy with our team and going to the playoffs,” Kendrick said, “but I looked at stuff like that [type of offense]. They run shotgun and a lot of four wide receiver sets.”

Kendrick received something in the mail one day and hadn’t considered Grinnell, but he looked up the school on the Internet, found it was billed as “one of the top 10 liberal arts colleges in the nation,” and became much more interested.

He was looking at D-II Truman (Mo.) State and NAIA St. Ambrose, but was really sold on Grinnell.

Strongman competition: Davis Speed Center in Crystal Lake will host a strongman competition for high school athletes designed for teams from respective schools.

Athletes will compete in the tire flip race, 20-ton bench press challenge, body weight deadlift and plate carries. Competition will be Saturday at the facility in the Curran Martial Arts building from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost is $100 per team and registration is limited to the first eight teams.

Teams can be made up of four to six athletes. For more information, visit davisspeedcenter.com/strongman or call 815-788-7330.

• Joe Stevenson covers high school sports for the Northwest Herald. He can be reached at 815-526-4513. He also can be reached by fax at 815-459-5640 or by e-mail at jstevenson@nwherald.com.