York senior middle-distance runner Charlie Kern is in position to contend for a state championship.
Maybe even two championships.
Kern, who finished third in the 800 meters last year at the Class 3A boys track state meet, won that event on Friday at the Class 3A Glenbard North Sectional. He also paced the Dukes’ 4×800 relay team to a sectional title. His time in the 800 (1 minute, 53.25 seconds) was the fastest state-qualyfing time in Class 3A by more than a second.
York coach Charlie Kern, the runner’s father, said his son has learned from his three previous appearances at the state meet. Plus, the two runners who beat him in the 800 last year have graduated.
“Coming out of the tent onto the track with that huge crowd can be intimidating,” the younger Charlie Kern said of the state meet. “I’m ready for it this year. I know what to expect.”
Coach Kern joined the York program when his son was a freshman. The younger Charlie Kern said his father has been his primary coach for as long as he’s been running.
“The highs are higher and the lows are lower,” Coach Kern said. “When he gets home, I have to let him be a teenager.”
“It can be a little bit weird,” the younger Charlie Kern said. “We agreed not to talk about running at home.”
Joining Kern on the 4×800 relay were Daniel Klysh, Mark Morgan and Jackson Bode. They won the sectional race in 7:58.66.
Red Devils reach state meet
Cullen Fitzgerald didn’t have his best jump on Friday at the Class 3A Downers Grove North Sectional, but that did not worry coach Jim Westphal.
Westphal said he wanted Fitzgerald, a senior with a personal-best leap of 6 feet, 7 inches, to save his best for the upcoming state meet. Because of a wet runway at the sectional meet, Westphal only needed Fitzgerald to qualify for state and avoid injury.
In that regard, his sectional-winning jump of 6-2 was perfect.
“They build toward conference and sectional so when they get to state they are going on all cylinders,” Westphal said. “The main job at sectional is to qualify for state. It’s hard to go all out and come back and do the same thing a week later.”
Fitzgerald is hoping to medal in the high jump for the second year in a row. He cleared 6-7 in the finals at state last year to place fourth.
Ethan Ruth, a junior, won the 300 hurdles in 39.33 seconds.
Hinsdale South sends Haffner to state
Hinsdale South senior Brett Haffner was part of a talented group of runners who qualified for state in the 3,200 out of the Downers Grove North Sectional.
Haffner placed fifth (9:21.03), squarely in the middle of a group of nine runners who qualified for state.
“He was in very good company,” Hinsdale South coach Dean Norman said. “The speed of the race helped him with his pace. It helped him stay with the field. He has a good chance of being in the fastest heat at state.”
Norman said Haffner is a versatile runner who has competed in the 3,200, 1,600, 800 and 400 depending on the team’s needs. He placed 13th at the Class 2A state cross country meet in November.
