Boys track: Warren tries to put best foot forward
Downers Grove South's Bob Cohoon Invitational is not a track meet to go into at less than full strength, and Warren wasn't.
Junior Branden Ellis was seeded fourth in both high jump and triple jump at the 17-team invite Friday at Downers Grove South, which featured heavy hitters such as Minooka, Bloomington, Neuqua Valley, Lockport, Downers Grove North and eventual winner Oak Park.
Warren coach Bill Dawson needed to scratch Ellis from both events, however, due to a shin problem that resulted in a Friday doctor's appointment. Ellis had finished third in high jump at the Top Times indoor meet.
"We've competed well, all things considered," Dawson said. "It's just that this meet's super competitive."
With Ellis out, senior Dante Johnson earned the mantle as the Blue Devils' top point earner with a fifth-place finish in the 200-meter dash, with a time of 23.04 seconds on a night that got colder as it went on. Johnson also finished just out of the top 7 in the 100, at 11.29.
He also ran on a 400 relay, with Trey Nickerson, Cody Canigan and anchor Jibrian Parker, that set a season-best time of 44.64 seconds. A four-event man, Dawson placed 12th in long jump at 20 feet, 3 inches.
The 3,200 relay, which missed a key component with Nathan Oommen in New Jersey for a wedding, ran right around its seed time at 8 minutes, 31.20 seconds. Raees Ahmad, Hunter Subry, Julian Ruiz and Brian Holland got the baton around.
Nehemiah Clemmons placed 10th among a strong field in the 300 hurdles, and in discus senior Tyler Gano set a personal record of 122 feet, 5 inches.
Stevenson tied for sixth with Neuqua Valley in the standings. Sprinter Noah Lukz ran the 200 in 22.24 seconds to trail only Bloomington speedster Cory Lockhart, and Lukz took fourth overall in the 100 dash, at 11.09.
The Patriots placed Johnathan Powell, David Goncharov and Jordan Eng all in the finals of long jump. Eng came from the second-best flight to finish second overall, though Eng and Powell each jumped 21 feet, 3 inches. Powell also finished third in triple jump, 43-9.
"If we ever get healthy we could be decent," Warren coach Dawson said. "I'm very impressed with how much better Stevenson is this year than they were last year."