DGN sending 5 entries to state!

The Downers Grove North boys track and field team is sending five individual entries to the Class 3A state meet Friday and Saturday, May 29-30, at Eastern Illinois University.

Seniors Ryan Clevenger, Nick Janicki and Max Sale, junior Zack Hogan and sophomore Alec Danner advanced either automatically by earning top-two finishes at the 3A Downers Grove South Sectional May 22 or by achieving state-qualifying standards at the sectional.

Clevenger won the 1,600-meter run (4:18.32 fully automatic time) and is the top returning state finisher in the event after taking third in 2014 behind two seniors in a school-record 4:11.20.

Hogan was second in triple jump (season-best 44 feet-3 inches) after being third at sectionals last year behind two seniors.

Janicki, a 2014 and 2013 state discus qualifier, and Sale advanced in discus by exceeding the 156-6 qualifying standards during preliminaries. Janicki (158-4) and Sale (158-3) were fourth and fifth and among six throwers to reach state at the sectional.

By just .01 of a second, Danner also is headed to state in the 3,200. Danner ran a personal best by 8.20 seconds and that fourth-place 9:29.03 just edged the 9:29.04 state-qualifying standard.

State preliminaries are Friday for every event except the 3,200, which is run in two heats Saturday. Those among the top 12 performances in the 1,600, discus and triple jump will advance to Saturday’s finals.

Final results in the 1,600 will be determined only by Saturday’s race. Friday’s performances in discus and triple jump carry over to Saturday, and finalists get three more chances to improve their mark.

Clevenger used a strong kick to win the 1,600 by nearly two seconds over Sandburg’s Sean Torpy (4:20.01). Clevenger posted 3A’s 10th-fastest sectional time in the 1,600 but his season-best 4:14.61 at Sandburg’s Pete Struck Invitational May 1 ranks No. 9 among everyone in state this outdoor season.

Janicki and Sale once again rose to the occasion in discus at Downers South’s ring. At Downers South’s Bob Cohoon Invite April 24, Janicki (169-1) and Sale (165-7) threw lifetime bests that among the top 30 in the state this outdoor season.

Janicki hopes to improve upon taking 19th at state in 2014 (150-6) after fouling all three preliminary throws in 2013. He’s in range of chasing the 175-3 school record set in 1981 by Joe Marconi, fifth at Class AA state that year. Immediately after sectionals, Downers North head coach Eric Buhot said that Sale was not expected to compete at state because of other obligations.

Hogan was second to Downers South senior Josh Jones (45-3) and was three inches ahead of third place. At last year’s sectional, Hogan’s third place was a slightly better 44-0 3/4 but 1-4 1/4 from second place. Hogan has exceeded the 44-10 state-qualifying standard with his lifetime best of 44-10 1/2 last year at Glenbard South.

Danner adds to his state experience with the boys cross country team, where he finished 50th overall as the team’s No. 2 finisher. Danner received a lift Friday from having third-place Downers South sophomore Jack LaLonde (9:29.03) just ahead of him. Two more runners just behind Danner broke 9:31 but did not advance.

The Trojans’ track competition began with disappointment. The 3,200 relay of senior Jack Diamond, junior Robby Prescott, senior Zac Christensen and Clevenger suffered a dropped baton, finished third (8:09.04) and missed the state cut of 7:58.04.

The 400 relay of junior Anthony Giordano, senior Brendan Dingle, freshman Mike Taylor and sophomore Tariun Triplett then also finished third (42.86), .16 from second and just shy of the 42.64 state cut.

In the 3,200 relay, second-place Hinsdale Central (8:05.90) finished just 3.14 seconds ahead. Anchor Clevenger received the baton trailing the Red Devils by roughly 11 seconds and began to threaten until sophomore Jacob Belgrad closed strong the last 200 meters for the Red Devils. Clevenger, Diamond and Christensen were part of last year’s all-state eighth-place 3,200 relay with graduated Tony Zea (7:47.95).

Taylor was third in the 400 (50.58), 1.19 seconds from seconds and less than a second from the 49.94 state cut.

The 800 relay (Giordano, Dingle, sophomore Andrew Marszewski, Triplett in 1:32.00) was fourth behind three teams that beat the 1:29.64 state cut, and the 1,600 relay (Marszewski, Clevenger, freshman Brendan Lockerby, Taylor in 3:31.48) was fifth.

Senior Alex Graika was fifth in shot put (48-7 1/2). Sophomore Joe Keys was sixth in the 110 high hurdles finals (16.08) and the 300 intermediate hurdles (41.70) and junior Justin Weisner was sixth in pole vault (10-9).

The Trojans (57 points) finished fourth behind Bolingbrook (96), Lockport (88) and Sandburg (71).

-- by Bill Stone