Wheaton Academy’s Moestopo free to run again

After getting acclimated to his surroundings at Wheaton Academy as an international boarding student, as a freshman Widi Moestopo found it difficult watching his new teammates compete while he sat per transfer eligibility rules.

Now a sophomore, Moestopo is making the most of his opportunity.

“I’m really glad that I can run this year,” Moestopo said. “It feels good.”

Called the Warriors’ top cross country runner last fall by Wheaton Academy coach Bill Bickhart, Moestopo dropped a new personal-record in the 1,600-meter run, of 4 minutes, 49.47 seconds, on Saturday at the Carlin Nalley Invitational.

“It felt pretty good that I got a PR, but I think I could have pushed it a little bit more, but my body just couldn’t,” he said.

Moestopo arrived from the city of Bandung, the capital of Indonesia’s West Java province, before his freshman year. His athletic background included swimming, soccer and basketball, but his host at Wheaton Academy, Kent McDonell — son of assistant principal Kevin McDonell — steered him elsewhere.

“He invited me to run cross country and track,” Moestopo said. “I think I had the stamina, so I just tried it and it was fun.”

Cutting time in Hinsdale:Hinsdale Central#146;s McCarthy Invite on Friday produced dynamite results in both open distance events and relays.Pushed by Lyons Township in the 3,200-meter relay, Hinsdale Central#146;s quartet of Billy Fayette, Azad Darbandi, Zach Withall and Ben Cherry ran the state#146;s best time in the event, a manually timed 7:49.70. That ranks 13th in the country, according to the Dyestat website.Fayette and Withall returned in what was a fabulous open 1,600 that saw five athletes run faster than 4:20. Fayette led the pack in 4:14.20, which Dyestat ranks 28th nationwide. Withall ran it in 4:16.30, right behind Downers Grove North#146;s Brian Llamas, at 4:15.90.God of thunder:The results in long jump and triple jump from Waubonsie Valley#146;s Red Ribbon invite listed the Warriors#146; top finisher as Thor Greene.Was this a Norwegian relative of Amare Greene, the 2010 Class 3A state qualifier in triple jump? In fact it was, and is, one and the same.Greene, a senior with a top triple jump exceeding 45 feet, was handed the name of the Norse god of thunder by Warriors jumps coach and Waubonsie graduate Jim Cantu. Seems the way Greene lands in the sand pit, with his arms upraised and hands together, suggested to Cantu the image of Thor in action, say, smiting a sea serpent with his mighty hammer. #147;He#146;s got to take us all out to the movie,#148; Greene said at the DuPage County Meet, Friday at York.Up the list:Another Waubonsie senior, David Groeber, was ecstatic shortly after crossing the finish line in sixth in the 1,600 run at the DuPage County Meet. It was his time, not place, he was crazy about.The senior, entering the meet with a seed time of 4:32, ran an even 4:24 to rank third all-time in the event at Waubonsie. Groeber trails only Emmett Lorenz and Durrell Williams, said equally ecstatic coach Kevin Rafferty.A little beforehand Wheaton North senior Anthony Rocco celebrated his first time clocking below 50 seconds in the 400-meter dash. He finished second, behind Glenbard South#146;s Garret Payne and ahead of Naperville North#146;s Antonio Owens, in a time of 49.95 seconds.#147;I can#146;t tell you how happy I am right now, I finally broke 50,#148; Rocco said. #147;Until the 4-by-4 (1,600 relay) started, I couldn#146;t wipe the smile off my face.#148;Bronco pride:Also pleased with his results at the DuPage County Meet was Montini junior Anthony Taylor.Among a contingent of only 12 Broncos, of which he and Pat Barrett were two of Montini#146;s three juniors competing at York, Taylor reached the finals of the 100-meter dash and finished sixth with a time of 11.48 seconds. He ran the fifth-fastest preliminary time, at 11.20.#147;To come out here and make the finals at the DuPage County Meet means I must have put in a lot of hard work,#148; Taylor said. #147;To make it to the finals against all the DuPage public schools is a big thing for Montini.#148;Barrett also did well representing Montini, which is building momentum under coach Pete Connelly. Barrett made the finals in the 110 hurdles and set a new personal-best in pole vault with his fourth-place finish of 13-3. Missing Jack:Glenbard West#146;s Mike Lederhouse, cutting time again in the 1,600 to win at 4:17.89 at the county meet, had hoped to measure himself against York#146;s Jack Driggs.Driggs, however, was resting a hamstring he said had him at only 85 percent strength. Though the strain happened before a May 20 meet at Prospect #8212; when in an indoor drill session he had to pull up quickly when someone crossed his path #8212; Driggs still ran the 3,200 at Prospect in 9:07.#147;We were going to see how fast he could run the mile (at county),#148; said Dukes coach Stan Reddel, who noted that even running that fast at Prospect, Driggs#146; testy hamstring held him back when trying to push it.#147;Obviously, if it was the sectional, he would have ran,#148; Reddel said of Driggs, who chose to run at North Carolina over a final field comprising Wisconsin, Villanova and Arizona State.The always-smiling Lederhouse was mildly disappointed that Driggs did not run but led a quality field that included Wheaton Warrenville South#146;s Collin Fedor and Glenbard South freshman phenom John Wold. Lederhouse, a lacrosse player as a freshman, finished second to Driggs in the 1,600 last year at County.#147;Coming into the meet I was really excited because he#146;s (Driggs) in my conference and it#146;s always a good race when I end up racing him,#148; Lederhouse said. #147;So I was kind of hoping he was here. But, I mean, I PR#146;d on my own, so I#146;m definitely still happy about that.#148;Tall and short of it:Immaculate Conception junior Dan Vatch stands 5-foot-8. #147;On a good day,#148; he said at Saturday#146;s Carlin Nalley Invitational.In high jump, however, Vatch ranks near Walther Lutheran#146;s 6-4 senior Tyreese Russell. Competing in the Suburban Christian Conference and at the same boys track sectional, both see each other often. An IC safety last football season, Vatch recalled Russell catching 2 touchdown passes against the victorious Knights.In their high jump competition on Saturday, Russell won at 6-4 with Vatch following at 6-2.#147;It#146;s friendly,#148; said Vatch, whose training staff includes IC girls record holder Jen Lomeli. #147;It#146;s not like football where you#146;re out there trying to take each other down,#148; Vatch said. #147;Track is almost an individual sport where you#146;re just trying to get your PR. But we just push each other and we make each other better.#148;