Hurdles no obstacle for Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs’ hurdles duo of Reed Vanderheyden and Colton Pischke cleaned up at the Rock Island ABC Invite on April 20.

Geneseo finished seventh (117) in a 13-team field with Plainfield East earning the team title (191).

Vanderheyden won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.31 in the A Division, and he added a title in the A Division 300 hurdles in 39.37.

A junior, Pischke was the 110 hurdles champion in 15.64 in the B Division, and he earned the 300 hurdles crown in 40.91 in the B Division.

Geneseo’s Blake Duncan finished runner-up in the 3200 A Division run in 10:04.27, and he landed third in the 1600 A Division run in 4:40.00.

Nick Swartzendruber nabbed runner-up honors in the 400 A Division in 49.84, and Raymond Venneberg claimed third in the A Division pole vault clearing 12’6”.

Kaden Rink finished sixth in the 800 A Division run in 2:04.53, and Nathan Lambert was seventh in the A Division high jump clearing 5’10”.

Mason Jones finished 11th in the A Division 100 dash in 11.99, and Jordan Seeley finished eighth in the A Division long jump with a distance of 18’5”.

Billy Blaser was eighth in the A Division shot put with a throw of 44’, and Alex McAvoy was ninth in the discus with a throw of 120’9”.

Cameron Darin finished in fourth in the B Division pole vault clearing 10’, and William Plumley finished in fourth place (10:55.73) in the B Division 3200 run.

Dominic DeBoef cleared 5’6” in the B Division high jump to finish fifth, and Tucker Ziegenhorn finished fifth in the B Division discus with a throw of 126’.

Geneseo’s Kyle Hofer finished runner-up in the 300 hurdles in 43.71, and Colby Rapps ran down second in the 3200 C Division run in 10:55.58.

Eli Allen came in third in the C Division discus with a throw of 112’3”, and Neo Colter claimed third in the C Division 1600 run in 4:55.30.

Jack Morrell cleared 10’ to finish third in the C Division pole vault, and Zach Wilson cleared 5’10” in the C Division high jump.

Ethan Holke earned fifth place in the C Division 800 run in 2:11.11, and Seeley landed fifth in the C Division 400 dash in 55.68.

The Leafs’ Joe Stohl finished in sixth place in the C Division shot put with a throw of 38’5.5”.

Geneseo’s throwers won the weightmen’s challenge relay.

The Leafs’ Stohl, Allen, Ziegenhorn and McAvoy combined to win the 4x400 relay made up of throwers with a time of 51.69.

Distance Night in Palatine

Geneseo’s Nick Swartzendruber placed ninth in the 400-meter dash at the elite Distance Night competition held in Palatine on April 21. A senior, Swartzendruber finished the 400 in 1:57.75. The prestigious event has hundreds of athletes from around the Midwest in attendance and all of the events were loaded with current and future state champions and All-Staters.