Boys track and field: Huntley dominates FVC meet, Grayslake Central 2nd
Long jump and triple jump standout Sean Patel didn't compete and there was a steady rain all night.
But Huntley didn't allow any adversity to get in the way of winning nine events and scoring 159 points to win the Fox Valley Conference boys track and field championship held at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville Friday night.
Huntley, winners of 3 of the last 4 FVC titles, claimed top honors in five individual events and finished first in all four relays. Grayslake Central was a distant second with 93 points.
"It would have been easy with the way the weather was to just go through the motions," said Huntley coach Jim Rolando. "But our kids really competed and I am very proud of them. We had some great individual efforts and our relays were outstanding. We hope for good weather conditions next week for the sectionals. But if not we proved we can be mudders."
Huntley's Dominic Swanson, headed to Wisconsin-Whitewater to play football, won the shot put with a throw of 51 feet, 8½ inches. Swanson's teammate, Tim McCloyn, was second with a throw of 49-8.
"With the way the weather was you just have to concentrate," said Swanson. "I am pleased with my throw especially in the weather conditions."
Brendan O' Donnell won the 400 in a time of 50.78, edging Jacobs' Conrad Beech (51.22) at the finish line.
"I am just getting over a hamstring pull so I am pleased with my time," said O'Donnell. "I hope I can run well enough next week in the sectionals to qualify for the state meet."
Dubem Anikamadu joined Swanson and O' Donnell in the winners circle by winning the 100 in a time of 11.03 and Keagan Smith raced past Grayslake Central's Jack Aho to win the 1,600 in a clocking of 4:22.72. Aho was second in a time of 4:25.16. Huntley's Jeremie Allen won the 200 in a time of 22.56.
Winning all four relays, the Red Raiders won the 3,200 (Smith, Mike Grocholski, Seth Conroy and Zach Hollman) in a time of 7:51.00 and took top honors in the 400 (Anikamadu, Allen, Ben Marsh, Eric Mooney) with a time of 43.10.
The winning 800 foursome of Marsh, Allen, Anikamadu and Trevor Dell'Aquilla crossed the finished line in a time of 130.63 and the 1,600 relay team of O' Donnell, Mooney, Anikamadu and Dell' Aquilla was first in 3:28.26.
The second place Rams received a first place effort by Aho in the 3,200 with a time of 9:00.70.
Jacobs, with Loren Strickland winning the long jump (20-2½), was fourth with 86 points.
Grayslake North, paced by a first place finish by Griffin Gawenda in the 110 high hurdles, placed sixth with a score of 38 points.