‘This is for Dylan’: Inspired Rock Falls wins Rocket Invite

ROCK FALLS — Rock Falls senior Anthony Valdivia taps a green, white and black bracelet on his wrist for some extra motivation as he gets set for a race.

The bracelet says “Dylan strong.”

It provides a reminder and a way to support his teammate Dylan Wescott, who was left paralyzed from the chest down after a track accident in March.

Wescott is progressing after suffering a broken neck. He was recognized before the meet on senior night, and 25% of the meet’s concession sales went to his family.

Valdivia won the 400-meter dash by two hundredths of a second and contributed to a 4x400 relay win as the Rockets took first place on Friday at Hinders Field.

Valdivia said Dylan’s journey to recovery inspires him, along with everyone on the team.

“We really love Dylan. He’s a good motivator to our team, [he] always wanted to be here,” Valdivia said. “We all have these bracelets, and every time I run I tap it a few times.

“This is for Dylan. Everything is for Dylan right now for our whole team.”

Valdivia’s final lean forward in the 400 was just enough to run a personal best 50.90 seconds and edge out Rockford Lutheran’s David Ballard (50.92) and Amboy’s Joel Billhorn (50.99).

“It came down to the lean,” Valdivia said. “It was an exciting race. I really liked it.”

It was a photo finish, but Valdivia was determined to win.

“I’m always confident when I cross that line,” he said. “I felt really good on that lean. We’re shoulder to shoulder and that last couple meters, I really pushed it. When I crossed that line, I felt confident that I won it.”

Nine of the top 10 finishers in the race ran personal bests despite chilly conditions. It turned out to be one of the most exciting races of the night.

“Really, really talented field. That field was awesome,” Valdivia said. “The challenge made it fun. Those are the best races.”

Valdivia said the team is continuing to push for faster times. The Rockets’ next big meet is at Sterling’s Friday Night Relays next week. The Big Northern Conference meet is May 15.

The Rockets tallied 141.33 points on Friday to top runner-up Rochelle’s 129. The Forreston-Polo co-op was third (65.33), followed by Bureau Valley (60). Newman (44) was sixth and Amboy (13) took ninth.

Rock Falls’ Gunnar Damhoff won the 3,200 and took second in the 1600. Ian Finney took second in the 3200 for the Rockets. RF freshman Alexavier Oquendo took second in the 100 and 200.

Damhoff said he was more focused on the two-mile 3,200 race on Friday. He won it in 10:21.91.

“Not PR weather,” he said. “I just wanted to see what I could do after going [for] an all-out two-mile.”

He took second to Lutheran’s Kyle Enke, who ran a PR of 4:45.57.

“It was kind of just me pushing him, him pushing me,” Damhoff said. “Us working together to get a good time.”

Damhoff said he is also inspired by Wescott as he recovers.

“Knowing that he’s cheering us on inspires me,” he said.

In relay action, Valdivia joined Phillip Griffith, Jeffrey Sommer and Christian Cid to win the 4x400.

Oquendo, Logan Thome, Easton Canales and Carson Devers took second in the 4x200

BV’s Landon Hulsing, who took first in the discus, won the shot put with RF’s Garret Wolfe and Hunter Gale taking second and third. Josiah Tarbill and Braxton Nelson also took second and third in the pole vault for the Rockets.

Newman won the 4x800 relay with Cody McBride, Trevor Simpson, Briar Ivey and Wyatt Widolff. Widolff also had a win in the 800. The Comets’ Matthew Clemen, George Jungerman, Matthew Murray and Jacob Newberry won the 4x100 thrower’s relay.

Forreston-Polo’s Eli Ferris, Brody Schwartz, Jonathan Milnes and Noah Dewey won the 4x200; Hayden Vinnedge, Schwartz, Milnes and Dewey also won the 4x100; and Eli Ferris won the 110 hurdles.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 15

Rock Falls’ Gunnar Damhoff takes the win in the 3200 run Friday, April 25, 2025, during the Rock Falls Rocket Invite. (Alex T. Paschal)

Rock Falls girls take fifth: The Rockets had 69 points as a team, just behind St. Bede’s 69.5. Rochelle (133.3) took first, followed by Lutheran (99.5) and Bureau Valley (91.5). Newman (60) was sixth.

RF’s Ariel Hernandez won the 1,600 and took second in the 3,200, and Kayla Hackbarth won the discus with a season-best 33-meter throw. Ryleigh Eriks continued her success in the pole vault with a second straight win.

Newman’s Elaina Allen won the 100 and took second in the 200. Ella Ford won the high jump with a PR of 1.57 meters for the Comets.

BV’s Mya Shipp won the 400 and the triple jump, while Michaela Noder, Carly Wiggim, Mya Nugent and Landry Hitzler won the 4x100 thrower’s relay for the Storm.