Anthony LaRue will have more duties than usual on Friday when the Kane County boys track and field teams descend upon Millennium Field at Streamwood for the annual invitational.
The South Elgin coach is hosting the meet for the first time.
“We set our season for these meets,” LaRue said of the critical three-week stretch of county, conference and the Class 3A Bartlett sectional.
Kyle Kumerow is also ready to make this mark in coming weeks.
The Wisconsin-Whitewater-bound senior is the two-year captain for the Storm; Kumerow has been as consistent as a flawless diamond this season.
“I need to stay fresh,” said Kumerow, who qualified for the state finals in the triple jump last spring but failed to place by less than six inches.
Kumerow has been a workhorse for the Storm in the field this spring, scoring in the triple jump, high jump and pole vault.
The senior also anchors the 400-meter relay on the track.
“I’m ready to hit a big (mark in the triple jump),” Kumerow said. “At the sectional I’m ready to explode and hit a big one.”
Kumerow set his personal-best in the triple jump last year at the Hoffman Estates sectional with his runner-up effort of 45 feet.
But he has made a concerted effort this season to become more versatile in the high jump.
“That’s a tough double, the high jump and triple jump,” LaRue said. “He has been consistently 6-5 in the high jump.”
Kumerow traces his improvement in the high jump to a fundamental adjustment on approach.
“My last step was way too big,” Kumerow said. “I had to switch them up. I did notice the feel for it (after reducing his approach).”
Kumerow has also increased his personal record in the pole vault by a foot and a half since the start of the year.
It is even more impressive considering Kumerow does not perform in the event on a regular basis.
“I don’t pole vault at every meet,” Kumerow said.
LaRue said that Kumerow is a consummate teammate who sacrifices his individuality for the betterment of others.
“He wants to do well for the team and score as many points as he can,” LaRue said. “He is a student of the sport.”
Larue is convinced South Elgin can maximize its potential in twilight of the season.
In addition to Kumerow, South Elgin has been bolstered by John Danner transferring in as a senior from St. Edward.
“There’s no telling what he can do,” LaRue said of Danner, who reduced his best 800 time (1:57.55) by almost three seconds at Crystal Lake Central last week.
Shawn Griffin is one of the top underclass sprinters in the area for South Elgin.
