Hagberg sets PR in victory

Published in the Kane County Chronicle on
May 17th, 2008

Hagberg sets PR in victory
BY KEVIN JENISON
Comments (No comments posted.)-->editorial@kcchronicle.comSTREAMWOOD – Burlington Central’s Dan Hagberg took no chances in making sure he was Charleston-bound.The Rockets senior ran a personal best of 14.1 seconds to win the 110-meter hurdles Friday at the IHSA Class AA Streamwood Boys Track and Field Sectional.“My goal was to win the sectional and make it down to state,” Hagberg said. But Hagberg’s goal wasn’t just the win Friday – it’s to be part of the upper crust at next weekend’s state meet.“I want to make finals,” Hagberg said. “And as of now I’m in the top nine for state.”Hagberg also won the 300 hurdles with a time of 39.41.Geneva finished second as a team, scoring 62 points, while Wheaton North (99 points) won the meet. Central (46 points) took third.Another top performer at the sectional was St. Charles North’s Chris DeSilva. The North Stars senior posted both individual and relay wins. DeSilva was part of the North 4x800 relay team, consisting also of Scott Speare, Steve Miller and Max Clink, to post a winning time of 7:52.87.“When I got the baton I was going to run smooth,” DeSilva said. “It was our first race of the day and we ran it smooth and won it in the middle legs.”Matt Strasser of St. Charles North was the top distance runner on the day, posting a 9:22.54 winning mark in the 3,200.“My plan was to slowly, little by little, decrease the space between myself and whoever is ahead of me,” Strasser said.Getting the win marks a first for Strasser.“I’ve never been to state in track before,” Strasser said. “I was confident in the training I’ve done, but when state comes, it’s anyone’s race and anything can happen.”Among others in the area who qualified for next week’s state meet were Geneva’s Joe Augustine, who posted a second-place finish of 49.46 in the 400.Sophomore Frank Boenzi joins his fellow Vikings teammate for the trip, earning a second-place finish of 52-11 in the shot put.St. Charles East’s Keenen Sellers (10.80) was second in the 100, finishing just behind Wheaton North’s Ken Collier.