With significant graduation losses to its Class 2A boys track and field state runner-up team from last year, Kaneland has a decidedly new look this spring.
But Kaneland coach Eric Baron is not looking for any sympathy.
“My belief is that I have a lot of talent,” Baron said. “I don’t think we’re a state championship-caliber team like last season. But I think we can challenge to be in the top 10 (at the state meet).”
The one proven commodity that Baron returns this season is Illinois-bound jumper and sprinter Ben Barnes.
The senior upset Cahokia superstar Ja’Mari Ward to win the long jump last year at Eastern Illinois in Charleston.
“He sets the bar pretty high for us,” Baron said of Barnes.
The Knights’ defending champion in the event will be hard-pressed to duplicate his results from a year ago, however, as Ward holds the second-best mark in the nation in the event.
Austin Kintz, a junior for Kaneland, is the lone returnee on the Knights’ All-State 3,200-meter relay.
“He is running very well for us,” Baron said.
Isaac Swithers, Andrew Leseak and John Delach are the Knights’ other seasoned returnees on the track.
But Baron indicated key figures from the Knights’ underclass team from a year ago could emerge.
“We have a lot of guys who weren’t on varsity last year who are ready,” Baron said. “Our early season, we are going to take some lumps. I think we can be pretty good by the end of the year.”
On the hunt
The Hoffert twins have begun their final season for Yorkville.
Last fall at the 2A state cross country finals in Peoria, Jake Hoffert edged his sibling Luke for the individual state title in leading the Foxes to a second straight team championship.
The Hofferts, who both committed to Bradley shortly after the cross country season, are dangerous threats in the 1,600 and 3,200.
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Jake Hoffert, a returning All-Stater in the 1,600, defeated his brother in the Foxes’ season-opening invite at Nile West last weekend at 3,200.
Luke Hoffert was All-State at the distance a season ago.
“That’s pretty typical,” Yorkville coach Ben Draper said of the brothers’ interchangeable results. “We’re not surprised by that in any way.”
Draper has high expectations for the twins this season.
“They’re very capable of being two-time All-Staters,” Draper said.
Fab four
Weslye Brown, Jon McDermott, Shaun Wollenweber and Javon Montgomery powered Plano to a 2A seventh-place finish in the 800 relay last year, but they all graduated.
“The seniors (from last year) are not going to be happy,” first-year Plano coach Christy Lehner said. “Their (school) records are about to be coming down.”
The all-underclass quartet of Izzy Adeoti, Jay Winter, Michael Marshall and Mauricio Perez has Lehner thinking of another trip to the podium at the state finals in not only the 800 relay but also the 400 as well.
“They’re all freshmen and sophomores, but they’re dynamite,” Lehner said. “We’re only a second off (the program record the 800 established last year).”
The quartet will have an opportunity to better the school mark Friday night at Seneca or Saturday afternoon in Ottawa.
“We have a track extravaganza this weekend,” Lehner said.
A twist
There will not be any visions of a team championship this weekend for Batavia as it participates in the eight-team Glenbard West Invitational.
“The meet isn’t scored, so our focus will be on personal achievement,” Bulldogs coach Dennis Piron.
McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.