Boys Track: Jacobs’ Dom Blake advances in 300 hurdles
By Dan Chamness For Sun-Times Media May 25, 2012 10:18PM
Dom Blake of Jacobs clears a hurdle during the first heat of the 300-meter hurdles. Patrick Gleason ~ For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: May 28, 2012 10:28PM
Jacobs’ Dom Blake liked his position in the 300-meter hurdles.
But, then all winners do. In the first heat of the Class 3A boys track finals at Eastern Illinois University Friday, Blake posted a qualifying time of :38.89 in the 300-meter hurdles. By winning the heat, he did not have to stand around and watch the succeeding heats. He finished with the sixth fastest time of the day.
“I hope I am in lane four or lane seven tomorrow,” said Blake. “I just came out fast and tried to beat everyone to the first hurdle. I am used to lane four and I feel like it is an easier running lane. In lane seven, I feel like I am front of everyone. I hope to get to 37.8 tomorrow. I feel like I have it in me.”
Blake is not the only one that sees room for vast improvement. His coach at Jacobs, Jason Borhart, sees room for improvement as well.
“He made the finals, but it was far from a great race,” said Borhart. “He hit at least three of the hurdles poorly, jumping over them with the wrong leg. If he can get the right leg, he can drop five-tenths of a second.”
Blake earned the school record as he became the first Jacobs athlete to break 39 seconds in the event.
In Class 2A, Burlington Central qualified two relays and one individual. Burlington Central’s 3,200-meter relay team finished in 7:55.45. Matt O’Connor, who is only a sophomore and the Rocket leadoff leg, joined forces with seniors Mike Gulik, Joe Gannon and Clint Kliem to run the fourth fastest time of the day. Of the 12 teams that advanced, nine ran faster than 8:00.
The Rockets also posted the second fastest time of the day in the 1,600-meter relay. The 3:22.26 was second only to the time of 3:20.15 posted by Cahokia. The Burlington Central team was comprised of Ben Damisch, Ryan Olsen, Kliem and Gulik. Sandwiched between the two relays was Kliem, who finished the 800-meter run in a qualifying time of 1:56.58.
“Our goal today was to make finals, but to run conservative,” said Mike Schmidt, Burlington Central’s head coach. “Our two relays should be high up on the medal stand. It was hot today and is supposed to be hot tomorrow. We are going to do everything we can to be up there again.”
There were six other individual competitors and two relay teams that advanced. Oshay Hodges, a St. Charles North field athlete, will be doing double duty on Saturday. Hodges finished second in the second flight of the triple jump, finishing with a distance of 45 feet, 5.5 inches. He jumped 6-5 in the high jump as did all the qualifiers.
Kevin Bauers, a Bartlett thrower, punched his ticket for both the shot and the discus. He recorded the sixth best throw of the day in the shot with a toss of 54-10. He threw 159-7 in the discus.
Jake Mazanke (St. Charles East) and Jeff Broger (South Elgin) both advanced in their individual events. Mazanke finished the 800-meter run in 1:53.14. Broger finished the 400-meter dash in :49.11.
The 1,600-meter relay team of St. Charles East finished in 3:20.17, while Jacobs finished the 3,200-meter relay in 7:52.54.
