The Sequoit Showdown will feature newly minted #1 New Trier, they will look to dominate this meet. Distance has some serious depth and some exciting off-event action. This invite will be a contributor to the action that will take place all over the state. Here are some of the big names that will be competing this weekend. Unfortunately plans have changed and we are unable to cover this meet, this meet looks to be one of the best in the state!
1. Ben Crane (Sr., Winnetka [New Trier])
Crane has shown significant success in the 2 Mile and Mile, now he is going to see if he can drop down and run a quick 800. He recently showcased some of his speed when he ran a 4:13 in the full mile at the CYUP Misfits invite. He took 3rd behind some of the best runners in the country. He is obviously a prolific long distance runner, he won the state cross country championships by almost ten seconds and is an NXN and FLN All-American. If he can prove his versatility by running a solid 800, that would make him even more dangerous than he already is.
2. William Landwer (Sr., Winnetka [New Trier])
Landwer has been running out of his shoes lately, he has proved himself to be one of the best short sprinters in the state. The last time he was at Lakes he took second in the 60mH with a 8.22, which is still IL #5. He ran a scorching 6.91 in the 60m last week at the Proviso West Quad, which earned him an IL #6 mark. He was 12th last year in the 110mH at the state meet, and was a double qualifier in the 110mH and the 300mH. He is an experienced racer and I would expect him to take home at least 1 title.
3. Jameson Tenopir (Jr., Cary-Grove)
Cary-Grove’s versatile star returns to Lakes for the second time this season, he will challenge for a win in whatever event he chooses to run. His cross country season also went well, he finished the season with a 14:36 3 mile PR. He is one of 3 returning juniors who qualified for the 800 state final last year, he sports an 800 PR of 1:55.1. 2 weeks ago, he ran an IL #10 time of 1:59.66 at Lakes, taking 3rd in a highly tactical race. However, this will not be the race that he is running, his plan is to run the 1600. His PR of 4:19.49 is one of the better mile times out of returning athletes in the state. He ran a 4:23.6 for full mile at Misfits, and currently sits at IL #10 in that event. He has yet to capture a win yet this season, he will look to do so at this invite.
4. Dontrell Young (So., Oswego)
Arguably the fastest sprinter in the class of 2027, Young had an exceptional freshman season in the sprints. He ran 48.58 in the 400m prelims of the 3A State Championships and took 5th in the finals to earn his all-state status. He has PRs of 10.96 and 21.54 which he ran over the summer. He is stronger in the 400 than in the 60m, but with a 10.96 he should still be able to chock up a solid time should he choose to run the 60. Whichever event he chooses to run, he will likely end up winning. It would be very exciting to watch him and Will Landwer race in a 60 or a 200, that is where he will find the best competition.
5. Michael Gorelick (Jr., Winnetka [New Trier])
In just his second year of track, Gorelick has exploded onto the high jump scene. He is currently in a 4 way tie for IL #1 when he cleared 6’ 6” in the high jump at Lakes two weeks ago. He returns to Lakes, hoping to secure another win under his belt. He has seen vast improvement, last year at this time, he was high jumping a mere 5’ 4”. He has added over a foot to that PR and has also seen improvement in his triple jump, hitting 41’ 9.75” also at the Clash at Lakes. He is one of the strongest field event athletes in Illinois right now, he will put up some more good marks this weekend.
6. Karanveer Patil (Fr., Lake Zurich)
The fastest freshman in state history will look to race the 3200 this weekend. Patil ran a state record 14:30 in the 3 mile to become the fastest freshman to ever race at this distance in Illinois. He used that time to take 19th place at the 3A state cross country championships. It is rare to see a freshman transition to the 3 mile that quickly and with that much success. He likely has his eyes set on Carson Kaiser’s two mile of 9:25.8, which is still US #1 out of freshman. Patil solo’d a 4:30 mile on Tuesday, so he’s not exactly coming in fresh, but I still think he will set a solid time.
7. Jackson Summy (Sr., Lake Villa [Lakes])
Summy has been on the rise during indoor, he will look to continue his streak of fast marks here in his home facility. He ran 4:18.7 for the full mile at the CYUP Misfits invite, which was a 4 second PR in the converted 1600 (4:16.9). He ran the 800 2 weeks ago at Lakes in 1:58.74 to take second by only .03. He is currently IL #4 in the full mile and IL #5 in the 800. He had a great cross country season, closing his season with a 14:41 3 mile. The fieldhouse record stands at 4:20.61, he has hit that mark twice now throughout indoor, I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes it down this weekend.
8. Ademide Adegboyega (Sr., Antioch)
Antioch found a hidden gem in Adegboyega when he jumped 6’ 6” in his high jump debut 2 weeks ago at Lakes. He is a part of the 4 way tie for IL #1 for that mark and that was his first time competing in high jump ever. The potential here is off the charts, he could be a star high jumper if he focuses on honing his technique. Before his high jump success, he was a 400 runner with decent success, his lifetime PR was 51.44 with a 4x4 split PR of 49.9. He had to scratch the 400 at Lakes because he was going to far in high jump, so we have no data from this season on where he is at. He has the potential to be a dual threat for the Sequoits, and he will put up some incredible results this weekend.
9. Jamie Chandler (Jr. Deerfield)
After an unfortunate ending to his cross country season, Chandler is back to prove that he is one of the top dogs in the distance category. He completed the dirty double at Auburn at the start of the season, running 9:53 in the 3200 and then coming back to run 4:30 in the 1600. He has PRs of 9:27 and 4:24.0 in the two events and is one of the faster distance runners in the field. Even though his cross country season didn’t end the way he wanted it to, he stuck around long enough to run a 3 mile PR of 15:17.5. On top of that, he ran 14:39.2 at the infamous 2.9 mile Katherine Legge park course, where he beat top tier competition before the stress fracture took hold of his season. I think he has the capability to compete with Patil for the 3200 title, should he choose to run it. If he runs the mile, he can still pull out a good race and compete for points there too.
10. New Trier 4x800
The Trevians have made the executive decision to run a hot 4x8, it could be the first sub 8 performance of the year. New Trier is incredibly deep in middle distance, they have 3 guys who are at or below 2:01. Those 3 guys are will likely be featured on the relay, they are Evan Shu, Joey Papanicholas, and Jordan Kreiner. Walter Garrett would be a typical number 4 for New Trier, he ran 1:30.4 for 600 at a tri meet in early February, but instead New Trier has elected to go full force and slide Ben Crane into the lineup. Without Crane, this squad of 4 is already a solid 4, likely floating in the realm of 8:02-8:04. But if you add the firepower that Crane will bring to the squad, I think it is highly likely that they slip under the 8 minute border and claim IL #1. Watch out for the Trevians this weekend.
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