ROCHELLE — Hubs track and field coach John Dobbs relied on his senior class to deliver most of the team’s results this season. And while the upperclassmen came through on a consistent basis, their departure from the program will leave several spots for Rochelle’s underclassmen to fill.

The Hubs wrapped up the 2017 season at the IHSA State Championships this past weekend, with the 1600-meter relay group taking fifth and both seniors Andrew Myers (high jump) and Matthew Drendel (800-meter run) medaling in the open events. Rochelle’s highlights this year also include a victory in the Ogle County Meet at Rochelle Township High School, a top-3 finish at the Assumption Invitational and a top-4 finish in the Oregon Classic.

“Overall our team had a winning record which is always good, and we saw improvement in our performances throughout the season,” Dobbs said. “It’s time for our underclassmen to take the bull by the horns and pick up where the upperclassmen left off in order for us to continue having success next year.”

Rochelle began the year with 13 seniors including Matthew and Michael Drendel, who recorded several top marks in both the track and the field events. Senior Lance Huftalin consistently placed in the open sprints as well as the relays, while seniors Levi Johnson, Edwin Infante and Jake Rodriguez anchored the Hubs in the hurdles. The work ethic of the upperclassmen is one of the traits Dobbs credited when asked how his seniors were able to achieve so much this season.

“Their success came with a lot of hard work as underclassmen,” he said. “They gradually improved while moving up the ranks, and they did some of the things over the offseason to become successful like going out for cross country when they weren’t distance runners, just to get ready for what the track season would bring… They were a big part of our team scoring this year so it’s going to be critical that our young guys continue to work hard and take on more of a leadership role next year.”

Some of those guys include sophomore Austin Walsh, who ran the final leg of Rochelle’s state-qualifying relay team and took fourth in the 400-meter dash at the IHSA Class 2A Sectional at RTHS. Sophomores Eddie Villalobos, Greg Ricketts and Alex Louck each contributed in the open sprints as well as the sprint relays, while junior Alex Harvey impressed Dobbs with his performances in the sprint races.

Field events will be a key area for the Hubs to score in next season, as many of the team’s top competitors will be graduating. Junior Frantz Vardman recorded his best mark in the long jump at the sectional meet, and both sophomores Benjamin DaCosta (triple jump) and Isaac Musselman (high jump) will be boys to watch out for in 2018. Junior Bazil Bennett (discus and shot put) also has a chance to return as Rochelle’s top thrower.

“Continuing to find people to participate in the field events will be critical for us and our success next year,” Dobbs said. “I thought we did a nice job at the sectional meet, and just about everybody was reaching their personal records at that time. Another critical area will be finding some consistency in our sprint relays. We need to develop some better handoffs and find the right four guys that have the chemistry to work together and make it to state.”

Other notable athletes who may be back include sophomore Jessee Infante and freshman Gyvanziel Quinonez, who frequently earned top finishes as Rochelle’s top two distance runners. The Hubs also have a large freshman group that includes Evan Horner, Zack Akey, Tucker Louis, Uzziel Zarate and Santi Cordoba. Dobbs said he doesn’t have any specific goals for next season, but he said he wants his athletes to be open-minded and stay as active as possible.

“I’d like to have more depth to our team, so we’d like to get about 60 boys out and have them stay out,” he said. “We had some issues with kids dropping out due to their grades or their attendance… I want our kids to do other sports and get involved. They’re too young to specialize at this point in the game. The more they can get out there and compete, the better off they’re going to be.”