Loud nips Kilrea for 3200 title; Zona, Thigpen step up to lead Lyons Township to team title

By Michael Newman, ILXCTF.com Editor

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Hillside – Just before the start of the 1600 Meter Run at Friday night’s West Suburban Conference-Silver Division meet, Vince Zona of Lyons Township approached his coach Michael Danner.

“If you need me in the 1600 Meter Relay, I’ll run it,” he told his coach.

Danner did need Zona in that relay. He was one of the many Lyons Township’s athletes that stepped up to give their team the championship 125 – 118 ahead of Oak Park-River Forest.

The meet started in earnest with an exciting 3200 Meter Relay in which there were five schools beginning the final 800 meters that were in contention to win. Lyons Township looked like they had the race won coming to the finish. A strong run to the line by Oak Park-River Forest’s Matt Vietzen gave his team the win (8:03.86, IL #5) ahead of Lyons Township (8:04.53) and Downers Grove North (8:05.89). Vietzen’s come from behind win was just an example of what the coming events held. Athletes were scratching for every inch to get points for their team in what is the toughest conference meet in the United States.

The 3200 Meter Run was anticipated to be the best race of the night and it did not let anyone down in the packed Proviso West Fieldhouse. Danny Kilrea and Vince Zona of Lyons Township as well as Irwin Loud of Oak Park-River Forest were the guys to watch in this race as they broke away from the pack in the third lap of the race. The paced slowed down to 70 seconds between 1200-meters and 1600-meters going through that point in 4:33.8. It was Kilrea that made the first “change making” move of the race throwing a 65 second 400 in. It broke Zona but Loud stayed close staying within two seconds at two kilometers.

The last six laps of the race was just Loud making moves to try to pass Kilrea. The Lyons Township junior would not allow it. The clock hit 8:00.7 entering the final two laps and the pace picked. Again, on the back stretch, Loud tried to make one more move and Kilrea held his ground. In the final 100-meters Loud tried one more pass but Kilrea just picked up the pace.

Did Loud have one final move in that final move that could un-do Kilrea? He did.

Loud made one more surge in the final 20-meters and Kilrea put his head down refusing to relent his lead. Both leaned at the line as the noise in the fieldhouse almost blew the roof off. Loud did get him but just by five hundredths of a second. Loud’s time of 9:03.82 (US #4) was the second fastest time in the state. Kilrea was 9:03.87 (US #7). Zona was third (9:24.68) holding his position but more importantly the six points his team needed.

3200 Race splits: 33.5 – 68.1 – 2:15.5 – 3:23.8 – 4:33.8 – 5:39.6 – 6:50.3 – 8:00.7 – 9:03.8

“He (Kilrea) made one big move just after the mile. All I could do was just try to stay in contact,” Loud said. “I was trying to make a few moves (in the final laps) to try to make it interesting. I just tried to stick with him and see what I had at the end.”

Zona’s work was not done. He was back in the 1600 Meter Run as was Loud and Kilrea. The race broke down to four runners as the three from the 3200 as well as Alec Danner of Downers Grove North traded off the lead for the first six laps of the race. Danner held the front position as the pack went through 1200-meters in 3:19.2. Zona made his move determined to make sure that no one came back on him. His teammate Kilrea made one more move in the final 100-meters but Zona had his race won. Loud made a move just like the race earlier in the night. Zona held his own for the win (4:21.90, IL #9) for the win. Loud passed Kilrea at the line again for second (4:22.21 – 4:22.27) while Danner was a close fourth (4:23.24).

Lyons Township had to substitute two runners into the 1600 Meter Relay knowing they needed to stay ahead of Oak Park-River Forest to capture the conference title. Even though Zona looked spent as he went with his teammates to the starting line, the fire in his eyes was still evident.

Zona took the baton two seconds behind Downers Grove North. Even with 100 meters to go, the gap remained the same. As he passed his cheering teammates on the final curve, Zona found some energy that he did not think he had. He made the pass with 10-meters to go giving his team the win (3:28.77) just ahead of Downers Grove North (3:28.95).

“We saw that Oak Park was in the first section. All we had to do was no mess up,” said Zona. “Two of us were not in this relay going into the meet. We had some guys step up. I was just waiting for the curve to end. I don’t like passing on the curve. In the last 50-meters, I just gave everything that I had.”

Antwane Thigpen played a BIG part of the success for Lyons Township on this night being a part of 30 of his team’s point total. It started in the 55 Meter Dash. A good start in the final gave him the win (6.47, IL #6) ahead of York’s Keith Freeman (6.59). Lyons Township was in second behind Proviso West when Thigpen received the baton for the anchor leg. A strong 22.6 split gave him the win as he passed Proviso West with 100-meters to go. His team needed the win in the 200 Meter Dash and Thigpen provided that crossing the line in 22.50 (IL #6). What was also big in that race was Thomas Saggau’s fifth place finish in the event providing enough of a cushion for his team.

“This feels great. I worked hard for this. Our entire team worked hard for this win. I felt like we earned this,” said Thigpen. “My coach told me to go out and take the lead (in the 200 Meter Dash) and just not give it up. I just went out there with a clear mind and I ran.”

The only other win from Lyons Township on this night was in the Triple Jump when Saggau jumped 44-9 to win the event two inches ahead of Corey Graham of Glenbard West.

Meet Notes

Charlie Kern of York is known for his great finishes and showed another one in the 800 Meter Run. The junior waited until the final 30-meters to passed Hinsdale Central’s Sam Fatizadeh and Downers Grove North’s Robert Falconer for the lead and the win. Kern’s time of 1:58.42 (IL #8) was just ahead of Fathizadeh (1:59.01) and Falconer (1:59.61). Falconer’s teammate Brendan Lockerby won the 600 Meter Run (1:25.77) just two hundredths of a second ahead of Glenbard West’s Cameron Benes (1:25.79).

There was controversy in the 400 Meter Dash. After two gun miss fires at the start of the final section, the race finally got off. At the cut in after the second turn, Lyons Township’s Xavier Armand was knocked down as it looked like (after video review after the race) that Oak Park’s Brandon Gage had cut in early. Since the assistant starter was out of position and not at the cut in point, no disqualification could be made. Gage looked strong in the final 200-meters of the race winning in 52.02.

Joe Keys of Downers Grove North ruled the hurdle races. He ran 7.83 to win the 55 High Hurdles ahead of Oak Park’s JT Lowder (7.96). Keys came back to win the 55 Meter Low Hurdles (7.33) ahead of York’s Obi Nnam (7.58). Keys also finished second in the Long Jump (21-5) behind the 22-3 (IL #9) personal best by Keyon Blankenbaker of Oak Park to win the event.

Personal bests were needed to win the Pole Vault and the Shot Put. Dan Ferenc of Downers Grove North cleared a personal best 14-0 to win the Pole Vault. York’s Cal Widener achieved more than a foot improvement on his personal best as he had a 53-9 mark to win the Shot Put. Cullen Fitzgerald of Hinsdale Central cleared 6-5 to win the High Jump.