DGN at Downers South Cohoon Invite

Downers Grove North senior Zack Smith certainly has come a long way since competing on the varsity as a freshman.

Yet when Smith competed in both the 3,200 and 1,600-meter runs at Downers Grove South’s Bob Cohoon Invitational Friday, April 25, he revisited the distance double for the first time since the 2011 West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet.

”It’s been a long time for me,” Smith said. “I was so excited when (distance coach John Sipple) told me on Tuesday I was going to do both because I hadn’t done it in so long. I did it a few times freshman year and I love it so I was excited to come out here and show that I could handle both.”

Smith was truly dominant. He won the 3,200 in 9:07.1 fully automatic time to break his own outdoor school record and still came back to win the 1,600 in 4:20.36.

His performances helped the Trojans finish fifth in the 18-team field with 49 points. Minooka won with 108 points.

Junior Nick Janicki, a 2013 state qualifier in discus, threw a lifetime best 158 feet to finish second. Junior Ryan Clevenger added to the Trojans’ distance effort by taking third in the 3,200 (personal-best 9:16.23).

Smith’s victories were nearly carbon copies of each other as he out kicked second-place New Trier senior Chase Silverman in the final 200 meters to capture both races.

Smith’s 3,200 broke the 9:08.44 school record he set for the first time when he competed at the Arcadia (Calif.) Invitational April 12 with Silverman (9:12.72) 2.56 seconds behind.

Clevenger, who along with senior Tony Zea competed at Arcadia in the one mile, alternated the lead with Smith during the first half of Friday’s 3,200.

Smith then pulled out the 1,600 by 1.77 seconds over Silverman (4:22.13) after going ahead for good with just 150 meters remaining.

”The 3,200 was awesome just because it was another (personal record), running a little bit faster than I did at Arcadia. That was sweet being able to come back here and do I again. I could tell my body’s in better shape than it was then,” Smith said.

”Definitely coming back in that (1,600) with it being my first double in so long, being able to get that one, that was pretty sweet. I was pretty pumped after that one because I knew it was going to be pretty tough, not only just because I’d run the 3,200 but just because of how solid the field was. That was pretty sweet to come back and get that one.”

At the 2013 state meet, Smith earned his first top-nine, all-state honors for track as he took third in 4:14.49 behind two seniors. Earlier in the 3,200, graduated Ben Eaton also was all-state by taking ninth in a then school-record 9:10.76. As a junior, Smith set the indoor 3,200 school record of 9:19.66, which still stands.

Sipple said his athletes rarely run distance doubles -- especially with so many strong distance runners on the Trojans and usually only two spots per individual events at invites. Sipple arranged ahead of time for senior Jeremy Craven to also compete in Friday’s 3,200, but his fourth-place 9:36.7 was not included in the official results.

”I like to avoid that double, but I wanted to see where (Smith was) at and also give him that extra confidence of how he can come back and do it because if that’s going to be a plan of ours at the state meet, he’s done it once already and he’s done it well and successfully,” Sipple said.

“Zack’s coming around really nicely and he’s shaping up into form pretty well here. Dropping a sub-60 for the last quarter of the 1,600 is really kind of a good sign for him that things are shaping up pretty nicely. He’s really starting to hit his stride moving into May.”

Smith wasn’t alone. Clevenger enjoyed a huge personal record in the 3,200, and junior Jack Diamond was seventh in the 1,600 in 4:29.13, a personal best by 11 seconds to bypass the 4:30s. Diamond was .21 from sixth and .67 from fifth.

In the 3,200, Smith and Clevenger and Silverman made it a three-man race early with a 1:02 for the first 400 and 2:12 at the 800. The trio crossed the 1,600 mark in 4:33 as Smith and Clevenger alternated the lead with Silverman keeping pace. Craven was fourth at the halfway point in 4:41.

”We definitely made up our minds to do that (alternate leading) before the race and we executed pretty well. Right at five laps, we just decided to end it and just go for whoever wants it and just push,” Clevenger said.

At the outset of the sixth lap (6:55), Smith made a quick surge but Silverman and Clevenger soon responded. Silverman took his first lap during the seventh lap, but Smith stayed on his shoulder while Clevenger fell back.

Behind a 1:03 final quarter, Smith finally drew even with Silverman with 150 meters left, took the lead with 105 left and extended the margin down the final straightaway.

The finish was a sharp contrast to Smith’s 3,200 at Arcadia, where he was 11th in a field where fourth to 11th place were separated by just 2.25 seconds (9:06.71 to 9:08.96).

While Smith felt the Arcadia “flew by” thanks to such a fast and congested field, his challenge Friday was also performing well in the 1,600. Smith estimated there only was about 15 to 20 minutes between when he had finished cooling down from the 3,200 to when he began warming up for the 1,600.

”I knew I had to be ready even more so than normal. I had to be really focused tonight and really focus everything and getting both races down,” Smith said. “I knew that the biggest thing for me was just making sure not to worry about the mile (before the 3,200), just go out, give it everything I had and worry about the mile as soon as that was done, not say with a lap to go in the 3,200, OK I’ve got to save everything for the mile. I couldn’t think like that.”

In the 1,600, Smith was as far back as 10th in the early going but had moved into third by the 800 mark in 2:13, one second behind the first-place Silverman. At the outset of the final lap, Silverman and Smith left the field, and Smith closed in 59 seconds.

”After this (invite), I know that I can go out there and push myself and work off Ryan right with me and the other great running in the state. I know I can go out there and do it so it definitely gave me a lot of confidence,” Smith said.

For Clevenger, this also was his first 3,200 since freshman year. Usually part of a 3,200 relay/1,600 combo, Clevenger ran 20 seconds faster than his fastest 3,200 split of 9:35 for a time trial during the cross country season. Clevenger also did some speed work Friday and contributed a personal-best 52.6 split for the 1,600 relay.

”I’m definitely learning how to race (a 3,200) because I haven’t raced one in competition,” Clevenger said. “I might be doing one at conference. I’ll be ready to think about it more and maybe go into it more strategically. I feel asleep like midway (Friday). I know I could have done a lot better, but I’m really happy. Just a little gap.”

With his first throw in the discus finals, Janicki surpassed his previous best of 155-4, which earned third place at the 2013 Downers North Sectional behind two seniors and got him to state by beating the then state-qualifying standard of 155-0.

This year’s state-qualifying standard is 156-6. Janicki’s other throws in finals were over 157 and 156 feet.

”I like the consistency right now. If this were the sectionals, I would have been in (for state) with my first throw,” Janicki said.

”Even on the 158, I felt like I had a lot more. I didn’t think it was that good of a throw. It came in kind of high a little bit, kind of died at the end. If I had a little bit more whip on it, it probably would have went, hopefully, over 160. That’s my goal.”

Janicki just might get that when he competes Friday, May 2, at Sandburg’s Pete Struck Eagle Classic, a site he loves to throw at. Still, just about everything fell into place Friday with near-perfect temperatures and a slight wind.

”And we had a headwind today, which was good,” Janicki said. “I love headwinds, headwinds and crosswinds. A lot of people don’t so they turn over. It was a good day.”

Janicki was coming off a season-best 153-0 that won the West Aurora Invite April 19. Junior Max Sale was fifth Friday (145-9) after a second-place 145-5 at West Aurora.

Benet senior Stephen Hubona dominated the event (169-11) after entering as a comfortable No. 1 seed at 175-9, among the top personal-best distances for the entire state.

“Last year, I think (Janicki) felt like he had to win the meets when all we really cared about was if he placed. This year he’s taken the approach where he’s looking more for a distance than I place, which is helping him a lot mentally,” Downers North throws coach Ryan Coleman said.

“(Janicki) can look at those seeds and not let them get to him. I think it was a good day for him mentally to be able to see that and kind of know, maybe not this meet, look more downstate to try and get him.”

In shot, senior Nick Steichmann was awarded sixth (49-6 3/4) based on a tiebreaker for fifth. Janicki, who threw 45-9, recently has returned to using a glide release rather than a similar spin release he uses for discus.

”My disc spin and shot spin were kind of interfering with each other. The sweeps are a little bit different. Right now, disc is my way into state so I want to focus on that more,” Janicki said. “I used to glide all through middle school and I got second in state in Florida so I just went back to the glide.”

The 3,200 relay of junior Zac Christensen and Joe Carter and seniors Jack McGinnis and Tony Zea was fourth (8:15.63). Illness limited the relay to Zea’s only event.

Senior Jazz Charrier was fourth in the 100 (11.18) and reached the 200 finals, taking seventh (23.25), .05 from sixth. Sophomore Zack Hogan was fifth in triple jump (42-0), and senior Eric Wisz was awarded fifth in pole vault (12-6). Wisz received second among a four-way tie for third place.

The 3,200 relay finished 3.7 seconds behind third-place Lockport while New Trier won in 7:59.21, comparable to the 7:59.43 Smith, Clevenger, Diamond, and Zea ran in winning the West Aurora Invite.

More lineup options appear to be coming in terms of getting the relay to state. Christensen opened the 3,200 relay in 2:01.1, a personal-best split by three seconds. Zea anchored in 1:59.3, followed by Carter (2:04.6) and McGinnis (2:10.2).

”I felt good about it, got out strong and then stayed with the pack,” Christensen said. “I’m not sure who’s running the 4-by-800, but I would like to get down with the team. That’s kind of what I’m working towards right now, but I know it takes work from a lot of people. Even if we have a couple of guys not running it in from our A squad, we’ll still be able to put together a solid team at sectionals.”

Christensen and Diamond were the non-seniors in the Trojans’ cross country state lineup. Zea, who played soccer, is about the only regular among the middle-distance and distance groups who did not run during the fall.

”One of the best things about carrying (the cross country success) over is it’s the same guys that you’re running with,” Christensen said. “It’s just a good community and you get to work with them every day. Our team is really good this year so I think we’re just working hard towards, hopefully a team state trophy if we can, just getting as many guys down there as we can.”

McGinnis is among those hoping to reach state in either sport for the first time. Besides the 3,200 relay, he also was part of the 1,600 relay and had a 54.8 split. Senior Andrew Adams ran a 52.8 split after tying for eighth in the open 400 at 52.29.

”I’m usually running the first and last races (of meets),” said McGinnis, referring to the 3,200 and 1,600 relays. “I’ve moved more towards the 800 outdoors. I’d say I’m at a good sport for where I am right now. I can always do a little better, of course, but pretty good times. I’d definitely like to be an alternate (at state) for the 4-by-800 so I’m hoping to get down to 2:02.”

Zea was scheduled to also compete in the 800 and 1,600 relay, but he barely made it through the 3,200 relay. He woke up Friday with a terrible bout of stomach flu.

”It was pretty hard for me to actually get out of bed. (I thought), ‘I’ve just got to tough it out,’ because for a meet like this, I hate missing it because it’s my last season,” Zea said. “This morning, I was puking my brains out. I just kept on hydrating. But after that 4-by-800, I was just done.”

For the 800, Zea was the second seed (1:56.30) to Neuqua Valley junior Ty Moss (1:55.93), who then won the actual race in 1:56.26 by .30 over Sandburg sophomore Sean Torpy. Downers South senior Jacob Amari, a 2013 state qualifier in the event, was third in 1:57.59.

In triple jump, Hogan’s lifetime-best 44-10 1/2 from April 12 was the No. 2 seed to Neuqua senior Austin Parks’ 46-3 3/4. Five other jumpers were seeded beyond 42 feet.

Oak Park-River Forest senior Kahrion Martin (44-5) and Parks (44-0 1/2) were the only jumpers to exceed 43-0 Friday.

”Today wasn’t my best of days. I had some pretty darn good competition, guys I’m definitely going to be seeing at sectionals,” Hogan said. “I’m totally satisfied with today. Those guys were really experienced, too, and they gave me some great advice on my phases and approaches. It’s definitely something I can apply to my future jumps.”

Hogan, who also had a 42-foot jump during prelims, found another aspect of his execution that he can improve. Usually it’s his second phase in which he finds the most fault.

“It was the first phase this time,” Hogan said. “I went too high into my second phase so all of my speed got killed when I landed. I was way too high on my first phase. It’s supposed to be out and then up.”

-- by Bill Stone