Lemont’s Jaquez qualifies for 2025 IHSA Class 3A Boys’ Track & Field State Finals

Lemont High School junior Daniel Jaquez made his state finals debut by competing in the high jump at the 2025 IHSA Class 3A Boys’ Track and Field State Finals, which were contested from May 30-31 at O’Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. He is the third Lemont athlete in program history to compete in the high jump at the state finals.

Jaquez was one of 17 participants to clear the 6’4” mark in the preliminaries and advance to the final round. He also was able to clear the 6’4” mark in the final round and placed 12th in the event. 

Jaquez advanced to the state finals after winning the high jump at the East Aurora Sectional. He tied a school record and eclipsed the IHSA qualifying standard by clearing the 6’6” mark. The top two finishers in each of the state’s Class 3A Sectionals advance to the state finals, as do any athletes whose efforts in the preliminaries equal or surpass the designated qualifying marks.

IHSA Boys' Track and Field Website

Head coach Frank Kovach’s team placed third at the South Suburban Conference-Blue Division Meet, with Jaquez earning a runner-up finish in the high jump.

Three Lemont student-athletes have earned multiple state medals in the same season: Nick Bromberek ‘00 (who did it each year from 1998-2000), Quinton Peterson ‘24 and Bob Politza ‘92.

Bromberek won nine state medals in all, and is the only athlete in program history to reach the state finals four straight years. As the school’s only state finals competitor, Bromberek led Lemont to a second-place finish at the 2000 IHSA Class AA State Finals, as he won the 200- and 400-meter dash and long jump events, and was second in the 100-meter dash.

Lemont’s state medalists also include Bromberek (100 meters - 6th; 200 meters - 8th, Class AA, 1998; 200 meters - 3rd; long jump - 5th; 400 meters - 8th, Class AA, 1999), Peterson (110 hurdles - 2nd; 300 hurdles - 3rd; Class 3A, 2024), Politza (200 meters - 6th, Class A, 1992), Andy Rachwalski ‘09 (pole vault - 6th, Class 2A, 2009), Chris Thompson ‘16 (400 meters - 6th, Class 3A, 2015; 400 meters - 2nd, Class 3A, 2016), Craig Wolski ‘86 (200 meters - 8th, Class A, 1986), the 4x200 relay (3rd, Class A, 1992), and the 4x800 relay (7th, Class A, 1992).

Bromberek qualified for the state finals in four events in both 1999 and 2000, a mark matched by the 2023 team. Bromberek and David Lehenbauer ‘19 (high jump) are the only athletes in program history to advance to state finals competition in track and field at least three times.