Boy's Track: Hinsdale Central Second, Downers South Fourth at Track Sectional

Hinsdale South and Downers Grove South's track teams entered Friday evening in hopes to use their vigorous training to achieve IHSA State Tournament success at the Lyons Township Sectional.

When the meet ended, Lyons Township found themselves as sectional victors of their own tournament, tallying 134 points. Hinsdale Central followed suit with an 81-point second-place finish, while Downers Grove North took a 51-point third-place slot.

Downers Grove South registered fourth place scoring 57 points and Hinsdale South posted 24.5.

Downers Grove South sent four individual runners and two relay teams, and Hinsdale South sent one relay.

Downers Grove South junior sprinter Jon Aldrin is taking his third trip to the state tournament qualifying in two events. Aldrin took second place in the 100-meter dash with 11.09 and third in the 200-meter posting 22.24.

“I wouldn’t have expected so many (Downers Grove runners) advancing,” Aldrin said. “This is a really great feeling. I wanted to get a better showing in the 200, but it just wasn’t happening.”

Other individual competitors qualifying for Downers Grove South were high jump sectional champion Zack Baleski at six-foot-three inches, and 110-meter high hurdler Brett Whitten posted a 15.22 second-place finish. In the 800-meter run, Anthony Farinella registered 1:57.08 to take second place and qualify for state.

Joining the four competitors are the Downers Grove South 4x100 (which took second with 42.83) and 4x400 meter relays (which finished fifth with a 3:23.67).

“I’m thrilled with the meet today,” said Downers Grove South coach Brian Caldwell, after celebrating in an uproar when the 4x400 meter relay qualified for state by 0.12 seconds. “I was proud of our hurdler (Brett Whitten) to qualify, who recorded a personal best.”

“I’m optimistic that we’ll improve more next week, but we’re just going to have fun.”

The 4x200 meter relay was the lone team moving forward to the state meet for Hinsdale South after posting a 1:29.41 second-place finish.

The Hinsdale South team state-bound relay consists of sophomore Tavaris Binion, juniors D.J. King and Damario Gordon, and senior Dominic Abiagom.

The four haven’t raced in a while due to injuries. Abiagom was forced out earlier this season due to a hamstring injury while Damario Gordon dealt with plantar fasciitis. This quartet, even with an injury in addition to a two-week hiatus from racing together, still qualified.

“This is part one of a two-part hurrah,” Abiagom said. “We’ve got to go out there and do our best and go out there through pain and injuries. We set a table, now we need to go out there and get it.”

Hinsdale South had multiple competitors on the cusp of qualifying for state, but they fell short.

Hinsdale South coach Dean Norman enjoyed the effort from his team.

“The 4x100 did well, but they missed (the qualifying time) by two tenths of a second,” Norman said. “I thought we did well in the jumps, but we got nothing out of it.  We got good production from everyone.”