Boys Track
Crystal Lake Central boys track and field coach Brian Seaver deflects the praise from the Tigers’ season to his assistant coaches and the athletes who sweated through workouts.
Huntley boys track and field coach Jim Rolando might have found the most appropriate way to describe Marcus Popenfoose’s ability to throw.
That one monster discus throw that Huntley senior Marcus Popenfoose longed to unleash never materialized.
CHARLESTON – Marcus Popenfoose might already have thrown the discus far enough to win the Class 3A state championship, but that won’t be nearly enough to satisfy the Huntley senior.
CHARLESTON – What Woodstock senior Mike Kremske lacks in track experience he makes up for with an ability to learn quickly, and by just being fast.
Boys Athlete of
ALGONQUIN – Huntley’s baseball team had an inning to remember Thursday at the IHSA Class 4A Jacobs Regional.
There is one thing missing from the most decorated thrower in McHenry County track and field history’s resume: a state title.
Harvard boys track and field coach Dennis Eisele will experience a little different case of nerves Thursday at the IHSA Boys Track and Field State Meet.
HUNTLEY – Corey Szamlewski has been breaking the McHenry school record in the pole vault throughout the season.
ROCKFORD – Huntley girls soccer coach Kris Grabner thought his team could have been a bit more patient with its shots Friday in the IHSA Class 3A Jefferson Regional final.
GRAYSLAKE – The IHSA Class 2A Grayslake Central Boys Track and Field Sectional provided both excitement and heartbreak Friday.
Danny Trevor says he was just looking for a way to establish “a little identity” this season when he purchased white and black skullcaps.
The track and field season has developed quite nicely for Dundee-Crown senior Nathan Prom, because, Chargers coach Tom Smith said, Prom has done everything properly.
MELROSE PARK – Marian Central’s Gregg Wikierak witnessed a feat Saturday he never had seen in more than three decades as a baseball coach.
HAMPSHIRE – Harvard’s Coty Kramer won three events, and Richmond-Burton’s Ian Sanchez took two at the Big Northern Conference Boys Track and Field Meet on Friday.
McHENRY – Two throws, two records.
Athletes of the Week
Something was in the air Monday for three baseball pitchers in McHenry and Kane counties. Crystal Lake Central’s Connor Sadzeck, Johnsburg’s Mitch Noncek and Hampshire’s Shane Hernandez each threw a no-hitter.
GENOA – Harvard’s Coty Kramer set three meet records and two school records to help the Hornets win the nine-team Genoa-Kingston Invitational on Saturday.
The Alden-Hebron bass fishing team will have more fish tales to tell after this weekend's IHSA State Bass Fishing Tournament at Carlyle Lake.
MARENGO – Richmond-Burton edged Belvidere North by five points Thursday to win the 10-team Ed Reeves Invitational.
Athlete of the Week
HARVARD – John Mac-Kenzie drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Harvard a 5-4 Big Northern Conference East Division win against Marengo on Tuesday.
LOMBARD – Dave Luczak pitched seven innings and struck out five for Marian Central in its 4-2 Suburban Christian Conference Blue Division baseball win against Montini on Monday.
Huntley assistant track coach Chris Maxedon sensed something spectacular was coming.
PALATINE – After his second attempt in the shot put at Saturday’s 78th Palatine Relays, normally unflappable Huntley senior Marcus Popenfoose picked up his shot and chucked it on the ground in disgust.
CRYSTAL LAKE – Crystal Lake Central’s Tommy Nelson and Tyler George combined to go 6-0 at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively, and the Tigers won the Prairie Ridge Tennis Invitational on Saturday.
CRYSTAL LAKE – Huntley’s Marcus Popenfoose reached hallowed ground Friday night in the Crystal Lake Central Invitational at Owen Metcalf Field.
Athletes of the Week
CRYSTAL LAKE – Crystal Lake South coach Brian Bogda told his players to chip away after falling behind, 5-0, in the first inning of Thursday’s FVC crossover against Grayslake Central.
HEBRON – The Alden-Hebron baseball team picked up its first win of the season with a 7-6 Northeastern Athletic Conference victory against Rockford Christian on Tuesday.
HARVARD – Patrick Towne drove in two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Harvard an 8-7 non-conference win against Rockford Lutheran on Monday.
CRYSTAL LAKE – Poor weather conditions can negatively affect a pitcher’s performance, but Mike Benson had no such trouble Saturday.
CRYSTAL LAKE – McHenry senior Jon Schmitt appreciated the support his teammates showed him all week through his “medical issues.”
Athletes of the Week
JOHNSBURG – Derek Talbot allowed only two hits to Dundee-Crown in Johnsburg’s 4-0 Fox Valley Conference crossover baseball victory Tuesday.
MARENGO – Marengo’s baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday to come back and beat Oregon, 4-3, in a Big Northern Conference crossover game. Junior Brad Seemann had the winning hit for the Indians (3-13), knocking in Jarvis Hernandez and Jake Wajda on a two-out single.
GENEVA – McHenry boys track and field coach Dave D’Angelo hoped junior Carey Nolan might remain somewhat of a secret at least until the McHenry County Meet coming up Thursday and Friday.
Athletes of the Week
MARENGO – Warm, windy days usually don’t make for great pitching performances.
WAUCONDA – The Jacobs boys tennis team improved to 9-2 this season with a 7-0 non-conference win against Wauconda on Wednesday.
WOODSTOCK – Woodstock scored six times in the bottom of the sixth inning, eventually forced extra innings and defeated Jacobs, 10-9, in eight innings in their Fox Valley Conference crossover baseball game Tuesday.
McHENRY – Corey Szamlewski set a school record with a vault of 14 feet, 1 inch to lead McHenry to first place as a team at its own triangular Monday at McCracken Field.
GRAYSLAKE – Hannah Mahoney drove in the game-winning runs Monday in the Crystal Lake South softball team’s 5-3 win against Grays-lake North.
A quick look at the level of talent around the McHenry County area in track and field reveals this – the sport might never have been better.
Key for events: HJ-high jump, TJ-triple jump, LJ-long jump, PV-pole vault, SP-shot put, HH-high hurdles, LH-low hurdles.
CRYSTAL LAKE – Crystal Lake Central’s Connor Sadzeck pitched a five-inning no-hitter Saturday in an 11-0 non-conference win against Round Lake.
The story of Phil Fairleigh and Clint McKelvey qualifies as one of those “small world” tales.
McHENRY – Junior Pat Murphy started his season Wednesday with an impressive debut on the mound in the McHenry baseball team’s 11-6, non-conference win against Richmond-Burton.
