The girls’ track and field team will host their sectional meet at home on Friday, May 16. The outcome of the meet will determine which athletes will qualify for next week’s State meet.

This is the school’s first time hosting track sectionals. IHSA asked the school to host the event for multiple reasons, including its location and the school’s eight-lane track, according to Rolly Vazquez, athletic director. The boys’ team is scheduled to host the event in 2016.

“It’s a pretty big event,” Vazquez said. “It’s nice that the IHSA has requested us to host it.”

David Antczak, head coach of the girls’ track and field team, believes having the meet on the athletes’ home track will be beneficial to their performance.

“It’s a feeling of comfort,” Antczak said. “[The athletes] know what to expect.”

Antczak also said having the meet at home will allow for more friends and family members to attend the meet.

“I feel like it will benefit me from knowing the track,” Mandy Papke, senior hurdler, said. “It will make it less intimidating.”

This will be Papke’s fourth year competing in the sectional meet. She has qualified for the State meet twice before. Papke said the competition will be difficult, but she hopes to qualify again this year.

Although hosting the meet holds advantages for the athletes and their families, a lot of work is involved in preparing the event, according to Antczak.  The process of preparing the meet goes back a few months, where he would meet with others to discuss what needed to be accomplished in order to prepare for the meet.

IHSA added the school to a four-year rotation for hosting the sectional meets in both boys’ and girls’ track and field. The school is guaranteed money in order to host the event, and IHSA earns a percentage of the money earned at the event to help pay for their officials and others costs, as well as for their organization.

Despite the rewards, there are some challenges the school could face with the event, according to Vazquez.  He believes the biggest obstacle in hosting the event will be the parking situation. Vazquez plans on having the buses park in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) parking lot to allow for more parking space near the stadium. The other concern is the weather.  Despite the challenges, the school is excited to host the meet, Vazquez said.

“I’m glad to be able to bring the event to Lake Zurich High School,” Vazquez said. “I’m excited to let everyone see the great school that we have and give everybody a great experience.”