DGN at Class 3A state meet (recap)

The Downers Grove North boys track and field team set a program record with eight all-state medals at one state meet Saturday, May 31, at the Class 3A state meet at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

The Trojans tied for 12th (20 points) as five of their 10 entries achieved top-nine, all-state finishes to earn team points.

Junior Ryan Clevenger was third in the 1,600-meter run (4:11.20 fully automatic time) and senior Tony Zea was fourth in the 800 (1:54.55) -- and both broke school record in the process in their first state trips.

Senior Zack Smith was sixth in the 3,200 (9:19.75) and ninth in the 1,600 (4:14.82) to finish with three all-state medals, equaling the most by any boys track athlete in Downers Grove North/Downers Grove High School history.

The 3,200 relay of Zea, juniors Jack Diamond and Zac Christensen and Clevenger was eighth in a season-best 7:47.95.

According to IHSA.org, the Trojans earned as many as five all-state medals in 2011 and 2006 with one relay and one individual. Two individuals were all-state in both 1996 and 1993, but no relays.

In the 1,600, Clevenger finished behind two seniors, O'Fallon's Patrick Perrier (4:10.34) and Saint Ignatius' Chris Korabik (4:11.20), just as Smith did to finish third in the 1,600 behind two seniors in 2013 (4:14.49). Perrier was the only other non-senior who was all-state in last year's race (6th, 4:15.47).

Clevenger broke the school record of 4:12.8 manual time set by Tony Laskowski in 1988. Clevenger put on a surge in the final 20 meters to pass Conant junior Zach Dale (4th, 4:11.28) and was edged for second by Korabik by .005 (4:11.194 to 4:11.199).

Zea ran his two fastest 800s ever Saturday by following up his 1:54.9 split with the 3,200 relay. In the 800, Zea broke the school record of 1:55.3 manual time by Matthew Galas in 1995 after Zea's previous best was 1:55.83.

Five of the nine all-staters from the 2013 race were in Saturday's final. The only two to beat Zea were Danville senior Johnny Leverenz (1:52.00), who defended his title, and second-place Homewood-Flossmoor senior Matt Anyiwo (1:52.38), who was seventh in 2013. Neuqua Valley junior Ty Moss (1:54.02) earlier anchored the Wildcats' 3,200 relay to the state title by .56 over Sandburg (7:40.21 to 7:40.77).

Smith is the Trojans' first runner to earn all-state in both the 3,200 and 1,600, much less the same meet. No previous runner ever was all-state in the 1,600 twice.

Smith also joins Arthur Schlauder as the only boys track athletes with three all-state medals. Competing for Downers Grove High School, Schlauder won the 100-yard dash in 1938 after taking third in 1937 and was second in the 220-yard dash in 1938.

The 3,200 relay posted the Trojans' first all-state performance in the event since 2011 and highest state finish in the event since 2006, when the Trojans were sixth in a school-record 7:46.38. The Trojans' previous season best of 7:48.89 Friday was the fifth-fastest preliminary time.

Two other seniors came close to all-state honors in their first state trips. Eric Wisz was 10th in pole vault (13 feet-9 inches) and Jeremy Craven was 12th in the 3,200 (9:28.51).

After clearing a personal-best 13-9 for the first time at sectionals to qualify for state, Wisz advanced to Saturday's finals by clearing 13-9 Friday. Fifteen vaulters advanced to the state finals. Wisz needed to clear what would have been a lifetime-best 14-0 to contend for ninth.

The 3,200 is run only in two sections Saturday with no preliminaries. Craven ran a lifetime-best 9:24.81 at sectionals but, based on sectional performances, still was in the slower-seeded first of two sections. Craven finished third in the first section and ended up less than a second behind York senior Kyle Mattes, who took ninth overall (9:27.85) after finishing second in the first section.

In other action Friday, senior Jazz Charrier was 16th in long jump (21-5), just 4 1/4 inches shy of a berth in the 12-jumper finals, and senior Nick Steichmann was 23rd in shot put (48-9 3/4) in their first state trips. Junior Nick Janicki was 19th in discus (150-6) in his second straight state berth in the event.

-- by Bill Stone