DGN at Glenbard South Invite

Downers Grove North junior Max Sale may be a talented thrower, but he doesn’t always get to compete at invitationals.

Teams usually are allowed only two entries per event, and Sale has to contend with senior Nick Steichmann and junior Nick Janicki, a 2013 Class 3A state qualifier in discus.

For Glenbard South’s Raider Invitational Saturday, April 12, the Trojans were allowed unlimited entries.

”It’s motivational and it’s nice to go to meets and compete against my team, as well as other people,” Sale said. “At a lot of meets, we occupy the top two, three seeds. I like that. I like competing with my team so if me or (Janicki or Steichmann) throws farther, it’s usually 1-2 and we win as a team.”

Sale, Steichmann and Janicki claimed three of the top-four spots in both throws as the Trojans scored 133.5 points and finished a strong second to Thornwood’s 141 points. The sophomore team was second to the host Raiders 172.5 to 111.

Sale’s season-best 147 feet-1/2 inch won discus, and Steichmann won shot with 50-1.

Other event winners were seniors Andrew Adams (400-meter dash in 53.41 fully automatic time) and Eric Wisz (13-3 in pole vault) and sophomore Zack Hogan (44-10 1/2 triple jump) – all lifetime bests.

The 400 relay of seniors Jazz Charrier and Charles Creamer, sophomore Anthony Giordano and Janicki was second (44.39) to Thornwood (44.35) by just .04. Creamer also was second in the 100 (11.20) to Glenbard South’s Jack Curtis (11.00).

This was the first outdoor invite of the year following a home quadrangular April 8 with West Aurora, Evanston and Nazareth Academy. The Trojans competed Saturday without middle-distance and distance standouts Zack Smith, Tony Zea and Ryan Clevenger so they could compete in California at the Arcadia Invitational.

Glenbard South’s track, which runs north-south, left track competitors facing a stiff, brutal wind as they ran down the homestretch. The 100 and 110 high hurdles finals were turned around so that the athletes could run with the wind.

More than 40 varsity and sophomore-level Trojans still combined for more than 50 career or season-best performances, including nine of 10 runners in the 1,600.

”What really made it special was the total team effort. It was really pretty amazing and pretty encouraging, and it’s a ton of fun to watch the guys have success with all of the work they’re putting it because they’ve put in a ton of work,” Downers North head coach Eric Buhot said.

"(The wind) was a factor and I’m sure it aided some of our 100 and jumping PRs, but it wasn’t everything. Zack Hogan PRed by 3 1/2 feet. It might help a few tenths (on the track), but a lot of PRs came from the distance end as well. In fact, it might have even been a detriment to them.”

Throwers were given just three chances with no finals. After two throws, the distances of the longer throws was measured followed by the usual throw-and-measure routine for the final round.

Sale, the last thrower in discus, ended up 4-7 1/2 from his lifetime best.

”It’s nice to be so close. I should be back about my PR within a week. I feel like I gained a lot of strength in the offseason so once my form comes together again, I’ll be flying out,” Sale said.

”I was kind of anxious to get in the ring, the first big meet of (outdoors). I knew my form wasn’t at its peak, but I knew that I could throw well. I just tried to do my best with what I had.”

Sale was followed by Janicki in second (142-5) with Steichmann third (120-0). In shot put, Steichmann went 1-2 with Sale (46-0) and Janicki fourth (45-1). Sale’s last shot throw was a lifetime best by 2-4 after another best of 45-1.

”I’m optimistic. I definitely think I can get down (to state). I’m just getting stated and I have a lot to gain throughout the rest of the season,” Sale said. “(My key is) just keeping my mind right, staying relaxed, telling myself I know what I’m doing. When I come to the end of the season, I want to be in tip-top form, tip-top psyche just ready to go, ready to compete.”

Hogan received four chances in triple jump and had personal bests on each of his last three attempts after coming over from high jump. He won triple jump by 2 1/2 feet.

“The first jump (coming back) was 42-11 1/2, which was on the brink of 43, so I’m just like, ‘Awesome. That’s a PR right there,’ ” Hogan said. “Then I just kept going up and up from there. The last jump was like, ‘Give it your all.’ I was trying to get to 44-0, but apparently I got to 44-10. I’m just like, ‘I’ll take it.’ ”

Hogan also was excited that he achieved his goal of passing 20 feet in long jump for the first time this season, a third-place 20-6 1/2. He also tied for third in high jump (5-9).

Hogan broke into the 40s Feb. 22 with a 40-11 1/2 at the Proviso West Invite. He won Tuesday’s meet with 40-3 3/4. Hogan said he felt healthier Saturday and also was able to jump with the wind.

”My shins were really flamed up (Tuesday) so my second phase was just, ‘Phew (bad),’ ” Hogan said. “I had to widen my second phase (Saturday), which was pretty much my only real problem in triple jump. That made a whole lot of difference because that’s the bane of triple jumpers, the second phase. That (44-10 1/2) puts me in a good place to make even more progress, which is great.”

On Tuesday, Adams had a strong 400, winning the race in a personal-best 53.5. Adams ran even faster Saturday, to win by 1.65 seconds.

”To PR in those conditions, it’s pretty good. I’m definitely thinking what I can do without the wind. It definitely raises my hopes of breaking 53,” Adams said. “The goal was to go out hard at the beginning. I thought it was going to help with the wind on the backstretch, but it didn’t too much. Definitely coming around the curve, that wind hit me like a wall and it was hard to fight through it, but I ended up to just keep going at it and finishing strong.”

On his third and final attempt, Wisz cleared 13 feet for the first time after twice clearing 12-6 indoors. Teammate Nate Powell equaled his personal best of 11-6 for second and Thomas Donnelly shared sixth at 8-6.

”It’s great. Finally getting over 13-0, it feels good. I needed it so hopefully I’ll get it rolling now,” Wisz said. ”I actually moved up to a bigger pole for my third jump so that helped. We had a bungee up at 13 earlier in the week (at practice). I was running from a little bit shorter (distance) than at the meet.”

Wisz was battling a sore hip towards the end of indoor season. He has been trying to rest as much as possible and feels as though he should be able to have a consistent spring.

”Most of the time, I’ll be able to make it through practice fine,” Wisz said. “When I get home, I ice it still because it’s still bothering me. That’s why I was taking it easy at practice, (approaching) from shorter steps, but by the time the meet rolled around, I felt pretty good.”

Creamer also was third in the 110 high hurdles (16.40), and Giordano was third in the 200 (23.97) and fifth in the 100 (11.80).

Senior Jeremy Craven was third in the 1,600 (4:36.82) and senior Jared Spilky was seventh (4:45.39) in his first race back since the indoor season opener. The 3,200 relay was fourth (junior Joe Carter, senior Marc Mathy, junior Jack McGinnis, senior John Michka in 9:07.05), and junior Zac Christensen was sixth in the 3,200 (10:15.62).


Sophomore level

After battling an ankle injury since wrestling season, Downers Grove North sophomore Romeo Jones is ready to race again.

“I told myself I’ve had enough time off from my sports for my injury because I’m a four-season athlete,” Jones said. “Three days (sidelined) is like a year for me when it comes to sports because I’m always getting after it.” 

Jones is hoping to drop significant time in his 300 intermediate hurdles, but he got off to a good start at Glenbard South’s Raider Invite Saturday, April 12. Jones not only won the event in 47.12 seconds fully automatic time but with .85 to spare.

The Trojans (111 points) were second to Glenbard South (172.5).

”I thought (my time) would be a lot less, considering my injury and everything, but I told myself in the end it all pays off when you just get tough and leave that behind and just compete, not think about it, just race,” Jones said. “I didn’t worry about who was next to me. I couldn’t hear anything. I was just focused on going straight forward and attacking that hurdle because I’ve had a lot of mistakes I’ve made since the beginning of the season.”

Freshman Jack Barkei won the 1,600 (4:51.91), sophomore Justin Weisner won pole vault (10-0) and the 3,200 relay of sophomores Brad Wilcoxen, Nick Torres, Michael Brooks and Rocco Manzo prevailed in 9:45.83.

Sophomore Nathan Jeffries was second in the 400 (1:00.21) by just .07 to Glenbard South’s Peter Theodore. The 1,600 relay of Barkei, Jones and freshmen Andrew Marszewski and Jordan Wilde (3:57.08) was second to Thornwood’s 3:54.92 with Jones running a team-best 56-second split.

In wrestling, Jones earned a spot on the varsity this season at 138 pounds and won the frosh-soph conference title. He’s hoping to contend for a state berth at 145 in 2015.

Jones has a ways to go for the state-qualifying standard of 39.84 in the 300 hurdles. He’d like to challenge his career best of 44.54 at last year’s Rolling Meadows Invitational, extending a streak of three personal bests in a row.

”The goal for me this year is hopefully to reach a 42 and possibly next year 41, if lower,” Jones said. “I’m just really going to make sure that I give it my all because I kind of slacked the one (at Glenbard South). I could have done a lot better than that. I actually had a little bit of breath when I was done racing. Actually I had a lot of breath. To me, that wasn’t acceptable. I have to make sure I give it my all to where I’m about to throw up every race I give it to.”

Weisner won pole vault by one foot. Barkei pulled out the 1,600 by .57 with freshman Alec Danner (4:58.38) just 1.87 seconds behind in third.

In Tuesday’s home quadrangular, Barkei won the 800 (2:15.3) and helped the Trojans win the 3,200 relay with Wilcoxen, Torres and Brooks in 9:24.1.

On Saturday, Manzo replaced Barkei as anchor and helped the Trojans win by 6.04 seconds over Addison Trail.

”It was a team effort,” Torres said. “We’re all really comfortable with each other so we’re a pretty close-knit team and we all get along pretty well. We missed Barkei, but Rocco is really good. With the wind conditions, it was tough but we did our best.”

Even with the gusts, Brooks and Wilcoxen had 2:22 splits, followed by Torres (2:23) and Manzo (2:38). On Tuesday, Torres ran 2:22, Wilcoxen and Brooks ran 2:24s and Barkei had a 2:13.

Torres said he is trying for a sub-2:20 split. Brooks said he is seeking a 2:10 split and a sub-5:00 in the 1,600.

”Everybody is (seeking PRs). If we start breaking those PRs, the 4-by-800 team will just start lowering that time even more,” Brooks said.

Besides Jeffries, the Trojans swept third through sixth in the 400 with sophomores Zach Nicholas (1:00.78) and Chris Bielawa (1:01.21) and freshmen Robert Falconer (1:01.38) and Mason Monen (1:01.88).

Freshman Tariun Triplett was third in the 100 (11.94) and the 400 relay (sophomore Michael Avdich, Marszewski, freshmen Tyler Wicks and Chris Williams in 49.32) and 800 relay (Jones, freshman Joe Keys, Marszewski, Wilde in 1:40.86) also placed third. Freshman Collin Leger (7-0 in pole vault) and Avdich was fourth in triple jump (34-1 3/4 in triple jump) were fourth, sophomore Antonio Ferrer was fifth in discus (81-10) and freshmen Dante Fields (16-9 3/4 in long jump) and Liam Kolker (800 in 2:26.96) were sixth.

-- by Bill Stone