DGN at Wheaton North

Downers Grove North senior Andrew Adams just had a career-best triple jump on his third and final attempt Feb. 27 at Wheaton North, but there was no time to celebrate.

In fewer than 10 minutes, Adams was needed for the 400-meter run.

Then the excitement really began.

Adams followed his winning 40 feet-5 inches in triple jump with another career-best time – 55.0 seconds – to finish second to senior teammate Tony Zea by just .1.

”I felt like I had good momentum from the (personal record) in triple jump to the 400 so I wanted to keep that up and I did in the 400,” Adams said.

”I was kind of surprised with how close I was to beating Tony Zea (54.9) just because he’s run two seconds faster than me the whole year. I came out of that last corner and then I realized we were neck and neck so that 400 really stood out for me.”

Adams led the varsity highlights in the Trojans’ triangular with the host Falcons and Naperville Central.

Senior Eric Wisz easily won pole vault (12-0), and junior Ryan Clevenger also won the 800 (2:03.3) by .3 over the Falcons’ Danny Steeno with Jack Diamond third (2:05.0).

As it turned out, Adams already won triple jump with his second jump (38-2), but his final jump broke his previous best of 40-3 1/4 at the indoor West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet at Proviso West. The Trojans’ Damian Margarites was second (35-7).

”I think my last phase I definitely popped up more than I usually do. I felt it, too,” Adams said. “The athletes that I was looking at, they looked pretty good so I just wanted to go out there and do my best and luckily that 40-footer sealed it.”

In the 400, Adams broke his best of 55.5 early last outdoor season.

He never previously broke 56 seconds indoors. And he did it on an indoor track that did not allowed spiked shoes.

”At first, I thought it was going to affect me, but I realized my cross country spikes have a rubber bottom so I just took out the spikes and used those for the triple and the 400. Maybe I’ll use those at the meets now,” Adams said.

Wisz won by 1-6 but was disappointed that he couldn’t at least equal his personal best of 12-6 from the Proviso West Invite Feb. 22. Wisz said having someone closer to his height might have helped to push him.

”That was good (to win) but I would have wanted to go higher. It was tough without the spikes and everything, but that’s still no excuse,” Wisz said. “I had some nice jumps at 12-6, but I just really wasn’t getting my feet up there. There’s always things that could have gone better.”

Now there’s plenty of time to practice. The team’s next meet Friday, March 14, is at Hinsdale South, which doesn’t have a pole vault pit. That means his next meet isn’t until the indoor Silver Meet March 21 at York.

”We’ll be able to practice, jump a lot before our next meet so I’m looking forward to it,” Wisz said.

Zack Smith was second in the 1,60 (4:36.1) to Wheaton North senior Joseph Emmanuel (4:33.8) with Zac Christensen fourth (4:41.7). Emmanuel was the Falcons’ highest finisher (14th) at the 2013 Class 3A state cross country meet.

The 1,600 relay (Clevenger, Diamond, Jack McGinnis, Smith in 3:47.9) was second to Wheaton North (3:46.3), and Nick Janicki (44-8 1/2) and Max Sale (43-8 1/2) second and third in shot to Naperville Central senior Nathan Teske (45-3). Zack Hogan was fourth in high jump (5-8).

This season, Adams also is among the team captains with thrower Nick Steichmann, distance runner Marc Mathy, sprinter Josh Stirn, Smith and Wisz.

“During every workout, I try to keep up the morale, keep up the energy. I always try to be a good role model during cheers and stuff,” Adams said. “During meets, I try to tell (teammates) what to do and what not to do. Even if they have a bad race, you always want to (tell them), ‘You’ll get it the next time. It’ll all right. You’ll be fine,’ always positive encouragement.”

Adams gained some personal encouragement when he had a strong cross country season. Although he just missed making the 12-man postseason lineup for the Trojans’ second-place state finisher, he built momentum for what he hopes will be his best track season.

”Definitely track is my passion. The whole cross country season, I was waiting for track to come and then the last couple of meets for cross country came. I was like, ‘All right. I want to go on to postseason,’ ” Adams said. “I think that really pushed me to do better in track. During the whole preseason workouts, I always wanted to work as hard as I can every single day and then hopefully make it to state (track).”


Frosh-soph level

Downers Grove North freshman Jack Barkei ran the fastest 400 meters he ever has Feb. 27 at Wheaton North.

Barkei had to if he wanted to win his race over Wheaton North sophomore Lamont Pyykkonen.

”I had to push it to get past (Pyykkonen), who was in front of me, but I won. It was satisfying,” Barkei said.

Barkei’s time also was satisfying. He broke 1:00 (59.6) to win the race by .3 in the triangular with the host Falcons and Naperville Central.

The Trojans also had a victory from Justin Weisner in pole vault (9-6) by a foot. The 800 relay was third (Barkei, Michael Brooks, Robert Falconer, Dan Ferenc 1:54.9) and Triplett was fourth in the 55 (6.9).

This was the first time Barkei ran an open 400 in high school, although he did compete with the 1,600 relay. Barkei beat his best open 400 time from middle school by roughly four seconds.

”(About 1:00) was what I was shooting for,” Barkei said. ”It was just the final stretch and I just to all-out sprint and just got past him. I started about halfway through the last lap and sprinted for the rest of the half, which is longer than I usually kick for.”

The only kicking Barkei worried about in the fall was in regards to soccer. He’s already competed in the 1,600 this track season.

”It’s an adjustment, running so many miles (in track practice) from soccer, where it was just cool down, run a couple of lengths of the soccer field to cool down, as in two or three miles. It’s a change,” Barkei said.

Barkei’s older brother, Jim, is a senior on the track team. Jim Barkei competed in the 400 on the varsity level.

”(A goal is) to try and beat my brother in an event. I’m not quite there, yet, though,” Jack Barkei said.

-- by Bill Stone