Boys track: Extra effort benefits Neuqua Valley in DVC win
When they say leave it all on the track they don't mean it like this. But it worked.
The 800-meter run at Thursday's DuPage Valley Conference Boys Track & Field Championships at Wheaton Warrenville South had been decided, Neuqua Valley's Isaiah Robinson just ahead of Wheaton North's Joey Simon.
That didn't stop Neuqua's Jake McEneaney from going gonzo for third against Naperville Central's Peter Villanova.
Arms windmilling, form lost, the North Carolina recruit briefly regained control of his kick, then lost it again.
Seeking any margin in the team race against WW South, McEneaney's legs gave and he fell hard at the finish line, .04 seconds ahead of Villanova.
"I just wanted to make sure I left everything out there on the track in case it came out to 1 or 2 points at the end. I didn't want that regret like we've had in cross country numerous times," said McEneaney, sporting a scuffed right shoulder and claw-like road rash on his left side, a bag of ice on his left hip and feeling "a little dizzy."
At the end Neuqua's winning margin was 141.5 points to WW South's 122, followed by Glenbard North (84.5) and Lake Park (78). Sixth place on varsity, Wheaton North handily won the frosh-soph level.
"I think we've won every (conference title) since freshman year, so we have two in the DVC now and two in Upstate Eight when I was a freshman, sophomore," said the USC-bound Robinson, who took the 800 in 1 minute, 54.38 seconds and ran a 48.8-second split in the Wildcats' winning 1,600 relay with Josh Covarrubias, Nick Mitchell and Kai Larson.
"It's a good feeling all four years, and it's going out strong as a senior, last time doing it with the guys. A little emotional, but came out with a good race, won the 4-by-4 to end it," Robinson said.
On top of Tom Ansiel's pole vault win at 15 feet, 1 inch, and a 400 relay title by Cedric Rowzee, Christian Harris, Spiro Pavlou and Erik Stubner, Sean Maison's 3,200-meter victory looked huge for WW South.
"I did not expect that," Maison said. "Going into that last lap I was third, and I just gave it all I had."
Starting with Myles Gascon's 100-meter win - ahead of Rowzee and Metea Valley's Alonzo Taylor-Jones though all three timed 11.00 seconds - Neuqua surged. There was the 800, then Larson and JaQuere Williams going 2-3 in the 400 and 1-2 finishes in triple jump by McKenzie Mitchell and Fikayo Akinbo, and again by Josh Mollway and Zach Kinne in the 1,600.
"There were some ups and downs tonight but overall we competed very well," said Neuqua coach Mike Kennedy.
Fine weather and WW South's wooden springboard treated long jumpers well. The top 13 all topped their season best. Neuqua's Ife Oketona, WW South's Christian Harris, Naperville North's Doug Howard and Lake Park's Dan Spejcher - soaring 22-11 - all surpassed 22 feet.
Lake Park's Chago Basso arrived from advanced placement testing ("We knew it was going to be close," said Lancers coach Jay Ivory) in time to win first discus and then shot put at respective distances of 154-4 and 55-8.
Glenbard North's Jace James and Paris Miller were again a dynamic duo, going 1-2 in both the 110 and 300 hurdles. The Panthers' Aquil Spates is no longer a sleeper in the 400 dash. He's a DVC champ at 50.50 seconds.
"It means a lot," Spates said behind dark sunglasses. "My senior year, it's a big goal I've had since I was a freshman."