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Focused Neuqua Valley in hot trophy pursuit

CHARLESTON - Neuqua Valley's heavy hitters must hit it big to achieve their big goal.

Piggybacking on strong performances by Ty Moss and two relays that clocked the fastest times in Friday's Class 3A preliminaries of the boys track and field state meet, Wildcats coaches streamlined their lineup to maximize point totals for Saturday's finals.

"We're going for the first-place trophy," said senior Zac Espinosa, who qualified into the finals of the 400-meter run and helped produce Friday's fastest 1,600-meter relay at 3 minutes, 17.19 seconds, faster by .15 seconds than their third-place finish in 2014.

"I mean, there's no point in hiding that or denying it," said Espinosa, a future Stanford Cardinal. "And all these teams have got to know that. So (they'll) step up their game, we'll step up our game and we'll see what happens tomorrow."

Lean and mean is the key for Neuqua Valley to improve upon last year's fourth place and contend with the likes of Edwardsville, which will have 12 entries running Saturday.

Espinosa was scratched from the 200 prelims to keep him fresher for his 400 and the 1,600-meter relay. Connor Horn left the 1,600-meter to enhance the repeat chance in the 3,200-meter relay. Matt Horsley, Horn, Isaiah Robinson and Moss ran Friday's best time in that event, 7:45.38. York and Glenbard West also reached the finals.

Moss anchored the 1,600 and 3,200 relays and ran the fastest time in the 800, 1:54.02. Fourteen athletes under 2 minutes failed to advance.

Neuqua got a bonus on Kimani Mobley's triple jump of 45 feet, 10¾ inches, seeded sixth in finals and currently worth valuable points.

"Looking forward for tomorrow," said the Nebraska-bound Moss, like Espinosa a returning all-stater. "All of our relays are down (qualified), I'm down, Espinosa's down.

"Tomorrow's going to be a good day, we've just got to see what we've got to do," he said. "But I'm confident in our abilities and our training and I trust in our coaches that we'll do the right thing."

As far as hitting it hard in all three of his events, Moss said: "I've been training ever since the fall for something like this."

Eastern Illinois University's O'Brien Stadium can deliver heartache. DuPage County's sole returning state champion in an open event, Lake Park's Antonio Shenault, hit the sixth barrier in the 110-meter hurdles, went down and did not finish. Wheaton North's Steven Connor, Waubonsie Valley's Tyler Kirkwood and Downers Grove South's Nick Kersting advanced to the finals.

"It's a really disappointing way to end my senior year," said Shenault, a Minnesota football recruit. "But I mean, after I take a step back and look at all the things I accomplished throughout my high school athletic career between football and track, I can't really be too upset."

Seeking a sixth straight state trophy, Lake Park advanced Mike Prestigiacomo and Dylan Scheirich in shot put, Chago Basso in discus and older brother Gio Basso in long jump, joined by Wheaton North's Chico Jackson. Jackson's teammate Dan Webber also advanced in discus.

An unforgiving 1,600 field advanced local runners Roman Drabchuk of Hinsdale South, Downers Grove North's Ryan Clevenger and York's indomitable Matt Plowman. York sprinter Alex Teague qualified for both the 200 and the 100, his time of 10.517 seconds .002 behind field leader Kahmari Montgomery of Plainfield Central.

"I'm pretty happy," Teague said. "It's my first time down here. I'll take it."

Glenbard South's Jack Curtis was familiar with the 2A field. He easily reached the high jump cutoff of 6 feet, 3 inches, and qualified for finals in the 100, but missed the ninth slot for the 200 finals by .01 second.

"It felt good on the first curve but there was a big wall of wind on the straight," he said.

Glenbard South's Sam Lee, bearing a personal record in pole vault of 12 feet, 6 inches, made that on his first try Friday. He did the same at 13 feet. After two misses at 13-3 Lee cleared the third to reach Saturday.

"I was nervous at the end, then I just felt it on the last one, I guess," he said. "Maybe it was just a pressure situation and I just threw my hips over."

Montini's Mitch West qualified in the 2A 100 dash, and the Broncos' 800 relay of Michael Hollingshed, Nick Foster, Will Smith and West also advanced. Hollingshed is the sole senior among sophomores.

"They're all young, eager to learn," Hollingshed said. "They're up for any challenge, they don't get nervous for any race and they're all my brothers. I can count on them for anything."

Count on Cahokia to win Class 2A for what would be a state-record fifth straight season. The Comanches advanced 17 of the 18 positions they brought to Charleston. Jamari Ward started the onslaught setting an IHSA record with a long jump of 25 feet, ¼-inch. He returned for a 50-6 triple jump, a 2A record.

Images: Friday at the boys track State Final Meet

  Neuqua Valley's Ty Moss, left, takes the baton from teammate Isaiah Robinson in the 3,200-meter relay during the Class 3A boys track and field state prelims in Charleston on Friday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Metea Valley's Brett Boddy throws the shot put during the Class 3A boys track and field state prelims in Charleston on Friday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Lake Park's Dylan Scheirich throws the shot put during the Class 3A boys track and field state prelims in Charleston on Friday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Neuqua Valley's Ty Moss competes in the 800-meter run during the Class 3A boys track and field state prelims in Charleston on Friday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Glenbard West's Andrew Lindstrom carries the baton for his team in the 1,600-meter relay during the Class 3A boys track and field state prelims in Charleston on Friday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Neuqua Valley's Zac Espinosa, left, takes the baton from teammate Isaiah Robinson in the 1,600-meter relay during the Class 3A boys track and field state prelims in Charleston on Friday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
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