Above: Only six hundredths of a second separated Irwin Loud and Blake Evertsen in the 3200 Meter Run (Mike Newman Photo)

Distance races steal the show at York

By Michael Newman

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Elmhurst, Ill --- Oak Park-River Forest used some event wins but more importantly their team depth to repeat as the WSC-Silver Boys Indoor Champions Friday evening at York’s Joe Newton Fieldhouse. The Huskies had 118 points winning four events and scoring in all but one. Lyons Township scored 81 points to finish second just one point ahead of Downers Grove North. Hinsdale Central was three points behind in fourth.

This conference meet is full of friendly rivals that talk to each other before the meet starts. Once the gun fires, it is every athlete for themselves as inches usually decide wins. Oak Park clawed and earned every point they received. In the 800 Meter Run, Oak Park’s Jack Monaghan and Sean Lonergan did not win the race, but finished second and third. Monaghan dove for the line to get his place falling to the ground hitting his head on the track. He did not return to the meet as he was thought to have a concussion. But he did get his team eight points.

Luke Nelson started the night for Oak Park by winning the Pole Vault clearing 14-6. Brandon Gage used a final surge in the final meters of the 400 Meter Dash for the win (52.16) ahead of Glenbard West’s Will Gibson (52.26). Gage also anchored Oak Park-River Forest’s win in the 1600 Meter Relay (3:31.93) more than a second ahead of Glenbard West. It was Irwin Loud’s race in the 3200 Meter Run that defined the meet for the Huskies.

In most cases, distance races are decided by seconds and meters. In the most competitive distance conference in the nation, you sometimes need a magnifying glass to decide who won a race. The 3200 featured three of the top distance runners in the state with Loud, Danny Kilrea (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange), and Blake Evertsen (Hinsdale Central HS) leading the pack through a 4:42 first mile. A couple of surges by Kilrea broke the trio away from the pack. The three traded off the lead with little moves but not enough to separate themselves from each other. With 400 meters to go in the race, the pace remained the same as the three continued the 67-68 quarter pace. Just before the gun lap, Evertsen made a daring move passing both Kilrea and Loud on the inside of Lane 1 but not going out of bounds.

As he rounded the turn with 150 meters to go, Evertsen was in a full sprint with Loud chasing after him. Kilrea could not keep up with the two and the speed that they were displaying. As Evertsen looked to his left seeing where Loud was. Loud was on his right making his move. The two race side by side down the final stretch with Loud lunging for the line just before Evertsen did. Only six hundredths of a second separated the two with Loud getting the win (9:20.65 – 9:20.71). The two runners covered the last 200 meters in a zipping 27 seconds.

“I raced against Blake once on this track and he made a move similar to that but I was expecting him to move later” Loud said. “I just had to push myself harder at the end.”

The 1600 Meter Run followed the same rules as the longer distance race did early in the evening. Loud and Evertsen would be squaring off again. There would be different players along with these two as Lyons Township’s Vince Zona and Connor Madell joining Act II. Earlier in the meet, Madell ran a 1:59 third leg handing off to Zona who cruised in giving his team the win in the 3200 Meter Relay (8:06.64).

The two Lyons Township runners controlled the pace early covering the first 600 meters in 1:38.5. Loud took the lead the next lap and started pushing the pace. He knew the speed that was in this race. He knew he had to get away from it.

The pace was 2:12.1 at the 800 with Loud pushing while Evertsen, Madell, Zona, and Robbie Prescott (Downers Grove North HS) right on his shoulder. With 400 to go, the five were at 3:21.2 but the pace was picking up as Loud tried to stretch it out. Prescott moved up on his side trying to take the lead. Loud would not let him. Evertsen and Zona were close ready to pounce. Madell dropped off the pack by three meters but still was in touch.

Evertsen made his move to take the lead just before the gun lap. Zona was on Evertsen’s right shoulder riding him around the curve. Loud was right behind still in position. It was an all-out sprint as Zona burst down the back stretch in the lead with Evertsen close. Prescott made a move and tried to pass Evertsen, but Madell beat him to the punch passing the two and then going after his teammate.  Zona had the advantage down the final straight his lead was tough to get to him. Zona crossed the line first (4:23.47) with his teammate Madell close behind. Evertsen held off Loud for third with Prescott close behind. The five runners were within under two seconds of each other. Zona covered the final 200 meters in 27.3 seconds.

“I felt pretty good,” Zona said describing the final 200 of the race. “Nobody was really picking it up at that point. I was feeling great and I just went.”

Max Denning (York HS, Elmhurst) was one of the meet’s double winner using the same strategy to win both races. Denning lagged off the lead the first 500 meters into the 800 Meter Run. He burst by Oak Park’s Jack Monagan and Sean Lonergan along with Nathan Hill (Hinsdale Central HS) taking command the final lap for the win (1:56.38, IL #4). Monaghan, Lonergan, and Hill were next only separated by three hundredths of a second.

Denning was comfortable doing the same thing in the 600 Meter Run letting Lyons Township’s Andrew Best lead for more than two laps. It was Denning that took the lead just before the final lap holding off Best and Lonergan for the win. The top three runners also recorded the fastest times in the state in the event led by Denning’s 1:25.40. In the section before, Charlie Kern Jr. (York HS, Elmhurst) made his seasonal debut leading from wire to wire for an easy section win (1:26.18, IL #4). It would place him fourth overall.

Jared Neumann (Hinsdale Central HS) swept the hurdles races winning the 55 Highs (7.99) six hundredths of a second ahead of Joe Keys (Downers Grove North HS). It was the same order as Neumann bested Keys in the 55 Lows this time by eight hundredths of a second (7.61 – 7.69).  There was a triple winner in the meet as JaShaun Steward (Proviso West HS, Hillside) won the Long Jump (22-6, IL #5), Triple Jump (46-2), and the High Jump (6-0). In his first meet of the year, all-state running back Sam Brodner (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn) stepped into the Shot ring Friday night to win the event with a personal best (54-4, IL #13).

The sprints continue in this conference and perhaps becoming one of the most competitive in the state. Tariun Triplett (Downers Grove North HS) followed up his 6.50 prelim time winning the finals by just one hundredth of a second ahead of Hinsdale Central’s Kareem Muhammad (6.51 – 6.52). Tyron Jones (Oak Park-River Forest HS) was only four hundredths back in third (6.56). Muhammad came back to win the 200 (23.00) with Jones again close behind in second (23.06).