There were only a few laps to go.
Buffalo Grove distance runner Kevin Salvano held a commanding lead in the 3,200-meter run at the Class 3A Palatine Sectional on Thursday, May 21. Lurking behind Salvano was Palatine senior Graham Brown.
“I could see his shadow,” Salvano said. “I slowed down so I had enough energy for the last lap.”
The outcome unfolded as it has all season. Brown, in second place, could not catch Salvano. The Bison junior’s time of 9 minutes, 11.91 seconds was almost three seconds faster than Brown’s (9:14.76). It earned Salvano a sectional title and an automatic berth into Friday’s state meet at Eastern Illinois in Charleston.
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Salvano led the race from start to finish in excellent weather conditions.
“He took it upon himself to lead from wire-to-wire. He’s never afraid to take the lead from the get-go,” Buffalo Grove distance coach Miguel Parra Garcia said. “He always has a plan in mind.”
It’s a plan that has been the same since the winter. Routine is currency to Salvano.
He runs 55 miles per week, with the mileage balanced between high-volume and low-volume days. One thing is consistent — there are no days off.
“I’ll tell him to take Sunday off, and he’ll go run two miles,” Parra Garcia said.
A state qualifier as a sophomore in 2014, Salvano is stronger and faster this spring. Weight lifting and interval sprint workouts are new to his training plan. It shows at the end of races. Often operating in the lead, Salvano’s kick speed over the final 400 meters makes it almost impossible for opponents to catch him from behind.
“That’s how it’s been all year. People want to sit behind me and outkick me,” Salvano said.
Parra Garcia added: “We’ve been working on his kick, doing speed work on the track. The races he’s taken from the beginning, he’s pretty much held the lead.”
Salvano was the only Buffalo Grove runner to qualify for the state meet at Palatine. No relays made the cut.
In the field events, senior Brendan McKinney won the discus throw. One week after throwing a 167-09 in winning the Mid-Suburban League meet, McKinney surpassed that throw with a 169-04. It’s the second year in a row McKinney will compete in the state meet.
In April, Salvano traveled west to California to compete in the prestigious Arcadia Invitational, held just outside of Los Angeles.
Competing in ideal weather conditions against elite competition, Salvano posted a personal record of 9:04.79 in the 3,200. According to DyeStat.com, that was the third-best 3,200 time of any Illinois runner in 2015.
A repeat performance on the track at O’Brien Stadium In Charleston this weekend would most likely earn him a state medal. A sub-9-minute mile could put him in contention for a state title. Salvano said he’s not making any predictions, but added a sub-9 time is possible.
“If other people push the pace besides myself, I think its might be realistic,” Salvano said. “Running 4:30 twice is no easy task, but it’s definitely in the back of my mind.”
Kerr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @prepspioneer