Jack Roberts runs Illinois state best in 3200 Meter Run win, Crete-Monee sets meet record in 4x2, JT Lowder wins close 55m Hurdles race over Victor Cameron

By Michael Newman

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Hillside, Ill – York’s Boys Track & Field team has gone through some struggles in the past couple of years. Last year, there were streaks of sunlight that came through the clouds that covered the program through the success of their frosh/soph team. The Dukes took one step of many steps up in winning the Proviso West Boys Invitational Saturday afternoon with 82.5 points.

RESULTS | MEET VIDEOS

In 2018, York only scored 40 points to finish fifth in this meet.

Brendan Hill led his team in the field events winning the Pole Vault clearing 14-2. On the track, it was Daniel Klysh winning a close 600 Meter Run. Other than that, York used their depth scoring in 9 of the 16 scored events. York also received a 2-4 finish in the 800 Meter Run from Michael Moriarty and John Brennan, a sixth-place finish from Colin Hill in the 1 Mile Run, and a third-place finish from Christopher Radcliff in the 200 Meter Dash. Radcliff was also a part of York’s quartet that finished fifth in the 800 Meter Relay.

York also scored points in the field events, more so than in the past. Collin Wallace tied for fifth behind Brendan Hill in the Pole Vault. Jack Wall threw a personal best of 46-7 to finish fourth in the Shot Put. The Dukes received points in both of the horizontal jumps events. Richard Buehling and Kameron Stearns finished second and third in the Triple Jump. Josiah Scott finished fourth in the Long Jump while Buehling finished seventh.

Naperville Central finished second in the team standings with 71.5 points while Oak Park-River Forest totaled 65 points to finish third. Oak Park, just like York, was missing some key contributors in this meet. The two teams will face off in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Championship on March 15 in this same venue in what should be a great meet.

DISTANCE EVENTS

Maine South’s Tommy Brady took the pace out fast early in the 3200 Meter Run. It was Jack Roberts of Downers Grove North that had the final word taking the lead at 1400-meters into the race and never looked back. Roberts went through 1600-meters in 4:42 with Brady and Bolingbrook’s Tyler Cushing just a few yards back. Roberts pulled away from the two runners in the next two laps finishing with the win and the state’s fastest time this year (9:18.68). Wheaton North’s Connor Zydek moved up to second in the final two laps (9:28.53) ahead of Cushing (9:30.05) and Brady (9:30.36). Six of the top ten times in the state at this distance came from that race.

Seth Klein-Collins of Naperville Central took the lead from York’s Michael Moriarty halfway through the 800 Meter Run and pulled away during the third lap. Moriarty made a charge in the final lap but could not catch the Naperville Central senior. Klein-Collins won in 2:02.02 ahead of Moriarty and his 2:02.70 time.

One of the most exciting races of the day was the 600 Meter Run. York’s Daniel Klysh took the lead at the gun but was never alone during this three-lap race. Hinsdale South junior Jayden Arquines stayed on the shoulder of Klysh the entire race. The two passed 400-meters in 54.8 with Arquines trying to get by. Klysh would not allow it. Seven hundredths of a second separated the two runners at the finish with Klysh winning in 1:24.81 (IL #4) ahead of Arquines (1:24.88, IL #5).

Naperville Central’s Thomas Shilgalis controlled the pace from the start in the 1 Mile Run passing 400-meters in 66.7, 800-meters in 2:15.4, and 1200-meters in 3:25.1. John Norris of Downers Grove South had taken the lead just after 1000-meters, but Shilgalis took it back in the next lap, but did not go into his finishing kick. All the action came in the final 200-meters with Prospect’s Erik Snell first taking the lead then Maine South’s Joey Kasch taking over on the next to last curve. Shilgalis made one final move on the curve that made the difference. Shilgalis closed in 29.2 on the final lap to run 4:29.19 for the win for the full mile. Snell (4:30.25), Kasch (4:30.97), and Norris (4:31.45) followed. The top six runners in that race were separated by just three seconds.

SPRINT/HURDLE EVENTS

The showdown in the 55 High Hurdles between two of the top hurdlers in the state eclipsed expectations between Oak Park-River Forest’s JT Lowder and Crete-Monee’s Victor Cameron. Lowder’s teammate Koren Leonard did not compete in this meet with some lingering but not serious injuries. Lowder’s had a great start out of the blocks. Cameron had to chase him down as the two became even at the final hurdle. A lean at the finish gave Lowder the win with the state’s fastest time (7.42) just one hundredth of a second ahead of Cameron (7.43). Cahokia’s Steven Harris finished third (7.76).

Lowder’s chance to come back for a double win in the 55 Meter Dash evaporated when he false-started in the final section of the event. Leondre Pollard of Thornridge did not get out of the blocks well, but his acceleration in the final 20-meters gave him the win (6.59) ahead of Prospect’s John Moellenkamp (6.63).

Pollard’s teammate Davon Bolden was in charge of the final section of the 400 Meter Dash pulling away in the final 100-meters to win in 50.75 (IL #5). He finished more than a second ahead of second-place Eli Odell of Wheaton North (52.08).

Thornridge’s Pollard was looking for the sprint double and had the lead coming off the final curve of the 200 Meter Dash. Kavon Jones of Crete-Monee edged him at the line (22.87) ahead of Pollard’s 22.89.

RELAYS

Lyons Township took the lead half-way through the 3200 Meter Relay but had to hold off Naperville Central in the final 50-metes to capture the win. The Lions ran 8:25.21 (IL #3) to finish just ahead of the Red Hawks (8:25.35, IL #4).

Crete-Monee stole the show in the 800 Meter Relay with the only record of the meet. The Warriors ran a meet record and a state leading 1:30.93 for the victory ahead of St. Rita (1:33.22, IL #3).

There was disappointment in the crowd before the start of the final section in the 1600 Meter Relay when the state’s third fastest team (entering the day) Thornridge scratched from the finals. The win was decided in the final 10-meters of the race when Wheaton North overtook Cahokia for the win (3:32.72, #9) with the Comanches finishing second (3:33.42, IL #11).

FIELD EVENTS

The top performance of the five field events from Jaylen Lambert of Downers Grove South in the Triple Jump. The junior, who finished third in last year’s 3A State Meet, soared to a state leading 47-5 to win the event ahead of York’s Richard Buehling (43-11, IL #10).

Downers South also received a win in the Shot Put from Shawn Lee. His put of 52-0.50 was less than an inch ahead of Oak Park’s Saloninas Mykolas (51-11.25).

Isaiah Tyler of Proviso East had a great meet in the High Jump. The junior cleared a state leading 6-7 to win the event.

Kyshun Robinson was the lone winner from the host school Proviso West. His jump of 21-11 won the event outdistance Thornridge’s Leondre Pollard (21-6.75).