Trojans 3rd in the 16 team Sectional

Trojans take 3^rd at Lockport Sectional

100, 200, 4x1, 4x2 qualify for state meet

The road for the mighty men of Downers Grove North came to end for some, and will continue on for others in a bittersweet sectional at Lockport this Thursday night.

It was a long, draining night for the Trojans, who withstood an hour and fifteen minute delay due to technical difficulties with the fully automatic timing system.  Many great performances were had, even by some who did not make the state meet, but they put their hearts out on the track Thursday night.  To simply be in the sectional lineup for this years team was an honor, as it was a long list a highly talented, well deserving men.  Congrats to all who competed, qualifiers and non-qualifiers alike.    Here are some of the key performances:

On the Track:  Munar goes for 4!

·         Jordan Munar qualified for the state meet in 4 events.  The 4x1, 4x2, 100, and 200.  He anchored 2 relays in impressive fashion, and gutted out a 200 performance after a long day of pre-limes and delays.  Munar sweated out a 3^rd place finish in the 100m, going 10.93, one one-hundredth of a second faster than the qualifying mark.  He took second in the 200.  Munar will try to do what few ever have, and never at North.  That is take home 4 state medals at the state meet in Charleston this Friday and Saturday.  If you can, come down and watch HISTORY BE MADE!

·         It was a bittersweet night for Kevin Profitt, senior and 4 year track athlete, who’s season came to an end Thursday night.  Kevin took 5^th in the 2 mile, but it was in the 1600 where Kevin took his best shot, and fell just short.  He took 3^rd, with a time of 4:27.23.  Kevin was as Rock Solid as you get as a runner and person this year and throughout his career at North.  If you ever want to see an athlete wear their heart on their sleeve on the track, watch Kevin Profit.  You will be impressed.  While he did not make the state meet, Kevin’s career does not end here, as he moves on to Colorado, where he will attempt to walk on.  They will be lucky to have him. 

·         Ben Eaton finished 3^rd and ran a 9:38 3200m on Thursday, breaking through the 9:40 barrier he has been stuck on.  Ben will come back for the Trojans next year, where the team and coaches are confident the miles he has put in will add up to big things, both in cross country and track.  He will be a senior leader next year, and will lead the Cross Country team into what they hope to be a state qualifying year and greater.  Way to go Ben.  Great things are to come!

·         Jazz Charrier had a good chance of qualifying for finals of the 100, if not for technical difficulties with the FAT system which forced the meet to take only the top 2 from each prelim heat.  Nice job to Jazz, only a sophomore, and an up and coming North Star.

·         Tony Zea nearly got to the state meet as a sophomore.  This superstar in the making took 4^rd place, with a time of 1:58.47.  He was only four tenths of a second behind the winner.  If you want to see an athlete run with guts, come out next year and watch Tony Zea run.  He runs it all, from the 200 to the 2 Mile.  He will give you a great effort and always leaves it out on the track.  Tony Zea is a name we will be hearing a lot of for the next 2 years.

·         The North Relay of Matt Pospisil, Ryan Koegel, Nate Sloan, and Jordan Munar won the 4x2 relay with a time of 1:28.48.  It was a second off of their season best of 1:27.3, but still well faster then the state standard of 1:29 for the event.

·         The 4x1 relay hit the qualifying mark and placed 2^nd overall.  Matt Pospicil flew out of the blocks to get the Trojans out, and they never looked back.  It was their first 4x1 in some time that had 3 flawless exchanges, and that was the difference. 

·         The 400 meter run featured 2 underclassmen.  Kyron Belcher and Robert Riorden ran well and will be a big part of this teams future.  Belcher ran 57.53, while Riorden ran a PR with a time of 55.81.

·         Kyle LaVallie ran a big PR in the 300 hurdles, going 41.74!  It was the first time Kyle has gone sub 42.  He certainly ends his track career on a high note.

·         Zach Smith lit his heat on fire, and made a run at the state qualifying time in the mile.  In the end, he finished with a time of 4:31.27.  He got out very hard and tried to hold on, but it ended up being just a little too fast of a pace for him to hold.  It took a lot of guts to go after it like he did, but only a Sophomore, he will look to get down next year.

In the Field:  Paskevicius takes shot, falls just short.

·         Paul Paskevicius went after qualifying the Vault, but fell just short, as he flirted with the state standard on a couple attempts.  He ended up going 12’9’’, good for 5th

·         Alex Meier finished 4^th in the long jump, falling short of the qualifying mark.  Alex will not be ending his track career at North however, as he heads to Augustana in the fall, and will be competing on their track team.  They are extremely lucky to have Alex and will likely find a hidden gem in Alex Meier, not only in the jumps but also on the track.  He had a terrific career at North, and will be looking to do even greater things at Augustana.

It has been a great year for DGN Track and Field.  For Jordan Munar, Ryan Koegel, Nate Sloan, and Matt Pospicil, the season continues on for one more week.  If you have the means, come down to Charleston IL, home of the Eastern IL Panthers, and cheer on the mighty men of Downers Grove North!