DGN at Rolling Meadows Invite

Downers Grove North sophomore Michael Brooks turned a discouraging start in the frosh-soph 800-meter run at the Rolling Meadows Invitational Friday, May 2, into a great finish.

”I was kind of shoved in the back and I was like, ‘Ahh, I don’t know what to do, but once I started running in the second 400, I kind of left like I had that energy and thought, ‘I can do this,’ ” Brooks said.

”I started moving quickly and I found myself in third and I headed home.”

Brooks and freshman Joe Keys led the Trojans to 10th at the invite with 31 points. Keys was second in the 110 high hurdles (17.62) and 300 intermediate hurdles (45.85) and Brooks held third in the 800 (2:11.25).
 
The varsity was 11th (20 points) with a limited lineup. Senior Eric Wisz won pole vault (12-6) with Nate Powell fourth (12-0). Senior Marc Mathy was sixth in the 3,200 (10:03.06) and senior Josh Stirn was eighth in the 300 intermediate hurdles (48.32) and with Damian Margarites, Justin Fortes, Danny Szopa in the 400 relay (47.22).

Brooks’ third-place finish behind Crystal Lake South freshman Jon Prus (2:07.59) and Warren sophomore Jaime Delgado (2:07.86) was even better than expected. Brooks’ time was a personal best by four seconds from his 3,200 relay split at the Lockport ABC Sophomore Invite April 26. Now he’s looking for a 2:09 or 2:08.

”If I got four seconds off, I can probably get two seconds off and just start getting better times,” Brooks said. “At the halfway point right in the beginning, I probably was seventh place. I didn’t really expect (third place), but I pushed myself and I got it.”

Keys was second in the 300 hurdles to Naperville North freshman Adian Blecke (45.48) by .37 and second in the 110 hurdles to Conant sophomore Tim Engebretsen (16.84) by .78.

”Neither of them were PRs. Unless I get a PR, I’m not really happy with it,” Keys said. “(Two seconds places is) pretty good, but the competition wasn’t really that stiff. I think I could have gotten first in both. I could have done better.”

Keys especially is optimistic about improving soon in the 300 hurdles. He has been working in practice on clearing hurdles with either leg, and he did that for the first time at the invite.
 
“I’m still getting kind of used to it so it slowed me down, but once I get better at it, I’m sure my times will be dropping,” Keys said. “I usually go over with my left (leg). I should see my times drop when I’m switching legs in the hurdles. You go with whatever leg feels right, and that’s why we’re working on switching.”

Freshman Alec Danner was sixth in the 1,600 (4:48.28) and freshman Drew Pyburn was seventh in the 3,200 (10:52.44).

The 1,600 relay of sophomore Nate Jeffries and freshmen Andrew Marszewski and Jordan Wilde and Keys was seventh (3:55.64). Sophomore Nick Torres (800 in 2:16.77) and the 400 relay of sophomores Mike Avdich and Spencer Carr, freshman Tariun Triplett and Marszewski (48.84) both were eighth.

-- by Bill Stone