Hurting Hinsdale South squad heads to state meet

Updated: May 24, 2011 7:11PM

Hinsdale South coach Dean Norman doesn’t know how well Dominic Abiagom will be able to run when the starting gun fires Friday.

Abiagom is the Hornets’ top senior sprinter and the anchor to the school’s state-qualifying 800-meter relay team.

The prospects for the Hornets’ success in the state meet in Charleston looked bright last month, but there are plenty of questions to be answered once Hinsdale South runs in the Class 3A race.

Abiagom injured his hamstring May 7 while running the 100 at Hinsdale Central’s 61st annual McCarthy Memorial Invitational. Abiagom finished third in the race in 11.10, but pulled up after crossing the finish line.

He was healthy enough to get the Hornets Downstate May 20 at the Lyons Sectional. Hinsdale South finished second (1:29.41) to advance to the state meet, which starts Friday.

Abiagom will be joined by Tavaris Binion, D.J. King and Demario Gordon.

The Hornets finished behind Lyons (1:28.92), which included Matt Harris, Eric Covington, Sam Prentice and Chris Klotz. Hinsdale South owned the better seed time entering the sectional, 1:29.90, but that time was established last month long before Abiagom’s injury. Since the injury, Abiagom’s only major appearance was in the sectional.

Will he run at state?

“We’ll see or we’ll find a runner,” Norman said. “(The sectional) was his first race in couple of weeks. It was nice to see him race.”

But Norman admitted that Abiagom did not look like the same runner compared to one month ago. After the state meet, Norman said Abiagom is likely to have a doctor look at the hamstring.

“He gutted through it in pain,” Norman said. “I expect more of the same when we watch him run (at state).”

Binion, a sophomore, has had his own health concerns during the season while battling plantar fasciitis, but looks to have recovered.

“It was one of the first times they were all together,” Norman said at the sectional.

Hinsdale South ranks 23rd among state qualifiers. The Hornets were the only West Suburban Gold school to qualify for the state meet’s 800 relay.

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